Chapter 294 | Chapter 295 | Chapter 296
Chapter 294: Into the Light
At seven in the morning, under the persistent urging of her alarm, Yin Xisheng forced her eyes open.
She had actually stayed up quite late the previous night practicing calligraphy to calm her mind, so it was only natural for her to want to sleep in a bit extra this morning. However, remembering her promise to eat properly every day, she still made a conscious effort to drag herself out of bed.
After a quick cleanup and getting washed, she stepped out of her bedroom with light, careful steps.
Her mother, Hu Junting, was already seated at the dining table having breakfast. Seeing her descend the staircase, Hu Junting froze for a moment, her expression shifting into a somewhat cautious restraint.
Yin Xisheng knew exactly what she was worried about. Ever since she took her leave of absence to rest at home, she hadn’t shared a meal with her mother, Hu Junting, or her father, Yin Xinsong, in a very long time.
Back when Ning Fu blew the entire situation wide open, Hu Junting and Yin Xinsong finally learned what she had been subjected to at school, leaving them utterly shocked and remorseful.
Yet Yin Xisheng didn’t know if the two truly cared for her. After all, ever since her grandmother passed away, she hadn’t felt a single shred of familial affection for years. At this point, the concept of familial love was far too difficult for her to comprehend.
If anything, it was far more believable that they simply felt her situation had brought public embarrassment to the Yin family, and their personal pride was driving them to straighten her out. That kind of reasoning felt infinitely more plausible.
Yin Xisheng took a seat at a far corner of the dining table. The nanny looked surprised but quickly brought her breakfast over. “Miss, you’re up early today.”
Breakfast was a simple bowl of century egg and minced pork congealed porridge. Yin Xisheng had never derived much pleasure from eating; she simply consumed whatever was placed before her. Still, she couldn’t help but reflect that the meal they shared at the zoo yesterday at noon seemed to taste far better.
She snapped a photo of the porridge and sent it to Xu Xinghe. Only then did she set her phone down and begin to eat slowly.
The dining table remained profoundly quiet, punctuated only by the occasional clinking of her spoon against the bowl.
Next time, I’ll just have the nanny bring my meals straight to my room, Yin Xisheng thought. Having breakfast with her mother truly made it a bit difficult to swallow.
Forcing herself to finish a single bowl of porridge, she was just about to stand up and leave when she heard Hu Junting say hesitantly, “Yesterday… you went out?”
Yin Xisheng sat back down on her chair. Lowering her head, she used her phone to generate a voice: [Yes.]
“Where did you go?” Hu Junting asked.
[I went to the zoo with some friends,] Yin Xisheng answered.
Hu Junting wanted to ask who these “friends” were, but according to the bodyguard’s report yesterday, out of the four people present, there was only one boy, and it certainly wasn’t Ruan Tanyu.
Although she hadn’t investigated the identities of those four individuals yet, the bodyguard had explicitly noted that they were exceptionally kind to Yin Xisheng. One of the girls had even spoken a long stream of encouraging words to her before leaving.
The bodyguard had rarely offered a personal evaluation: “Kids nowadays have incredibly high emotional intelligence. Hearing them talk just warms your heart.”
Hu Junting also felt that letting Yin Xisheng interact with more people and step outside the house was a good thing; it would benefit her mental health. Didn’t she manage to wake up on time for breakfast today because of it? No matter what, a structured routine was always beneficial.
She parted her lips, but ultimately refrained from pressing about her friends’ identities, merely stating, “If you ever need any pocket money, just tell Mom directly.”
This time, Yin Xisheng didn’t use her phone, simply offering a compliant nod.
There was no point in lingering at the table any longer. Yin Xisheng tentatively stood up, and upon verifying that Hu Junting had no intention of continuing the questioning, she gave a brief nod to signal that she was heading back to her room before turning to leave.
Watching Yin Xisheng’s retreating figure vanish from sight, Hu Junting finally let out a slow, heavy breath.
Finishing her own breakfast, she stood up to head to the corporate office. Just as she arrived at the main foyer, the front door swung open, and a heavily hungover Yin Xinsong stumbled inside.
Catching sight of Hu Junting, Yin Xinsong knit his brows but still obediently shuffled to the side to yield the path.
Hu Junting initially intended to march straight past him, but as she stepped alongside him, she couldn’t resist pausing. “Xisheng woke up early for breakfast this morning. She just went back to her room. Pay some attention to her this morning.”
“Oh,” Yin Xinsong grunted. Only then did Hu Junting depart.
Once Hu Junting left, Yin Xinsong collapsed onto the sofa, instructing the kitchen staff to pour him a cup of hot water. Downing it, he narrowed his eyes to take a brief nap.
His marriage to Hu Junting was purely the design of his late mother. Because of his family’s charitable sponsorships since childhood, he had known Hu Junting early on. Yet compared to her, he possessed absolutely zero aptitude for corporate management, let alone matching her academic performance back when they were students. Consequently, he could never bring himself to view Hu Junting romantically, vastly preferring to treat her like an older sister.
However, his mother felt that setup wasn’t secure enough; only a marital bond could firmly lock their interests together. Around that time, his mother fell critically ill, so the two agreed to marry simply to grant the dying elder peace of mind.
In reality, they had already negotiated a mutual arrangement to live completely separate lives. Hu Junting would hold total executive power in the company, while he wouldn’t touch a single corporate matter, content to live a comfortable lifestyle off his corporate dividends.
They simply hadn’t anticipated that during their honeymoon, a few casual attempts would result in a pregnancy.
Once Yin Xisheng was born, both felt a quiet sense of relief, viewing it as a definitive fulfillment of their duty to the elder. Their marital relationship subsequently became entirely a marriage in name only. Neither held much interest in sex; on the rare occasions they desired companionship, they simply sought out partners independently. Hu Junting would strictly require her partners to use protection, while Yin Xinsong had proactively undergone a vasectomy, ensuring none of it ever spilled onto the public stage.
If the elder hadn’t passed away, the two of them might have honestly forgotten they even shared a child.
He and Hu Junting were objectively terrible parents—Yin Xinsong was acutely aware of this fact. Yet watching a child who carried his own blood get ground down into such a pathetic state, he truly couldn’t find it within his heart to remain indifferent. Rather than deep guilt toward his daughter, it was more a case of his own conscience keeping him uneasy.
Thus, their immediate hope was simply for Yin Xisheng to recover as quickly as possible so they could sit down and have a heart-to-heart with her.
Then again, what would they even discuss?
“Your parents are just this kind of people, so expecting to derive genuine familial affection from us is a biological impossibility”?
Yin Xinsong felt a headache coming on, ultimately abandoning his line of thought. Absolute trash will always remain unbothered and unfeeling.
Meanwhile, back in her room, Yin Xisheng received a reply from Xu Xinghe.
Xu Xinghe: [You actually managed to wake up this early on a weekend? Pure admiration.]
Yin Xisheng: [Are you not out of bed yet?]
Xu Xinghe: [Just got up. I’m heading down to see what’s for breakfast.]
Xu Xinghe: [Ah! My family cooked century egg and minced pork porridge this morning too! What a coincidence!]
Xu Xinghe’s love-brain was on the verge of throwing another manic fit, but recalling Team Two’s strict advice from last night, he made every effort to keep his thoughts locked down. At the very least, he couldn’t let his romantic feelings manifest too obviously; he absolutely refused to place any psychological pressure on Yin Xisheng.
Yin Xisheng’s eyes crinkled into soft crescents. It truly was quite a coincidence; a friend eating the exact same breakfast felt like a beautiful validation of the phrase, “though miles apart, we share the same sky.”
Once Xu Xinghe finished his breakfast, Yin Xisheng proudly displayed the fruits of her calligraphy practice from the previous evening. Having only just started, her strokes were honestly quite amateurish, but Xu Xinghe assured her that the first step is always the hardest and everyone starts out exactly like this. Hearing that, Yin Xisheng felt completely anchored, entirely spared from any performance anxiety.
Xu Xinghe: [By the way, you mentioned before that you wanted to return to school. Have you finalized your thoughts on that?]
Yin Xisheng: [Mhm. I want to continue my high school education.]
Even though she was a full year behind, and even if getting accepted into Mingde meant starting over as a freshman, the words Gu Qinghuan and the others spoke had granted her immense courage. She had to take this definitive step forward. There was no need to fear; she could absolutely do it.
Xu Xinghe: [Excellent! Then do you require any assistance preparing for the High School Entrance Exam? I can tutor you in language and literature, and our Academics Monitor is even more incredible—that’s Yu Xin from yesterday, she firmly ranks in the top three of our entire grade…]
Staring at the paragraphs of text streaming across her interface, Yin Xisheng clutched her phone, a genuine smile automatically gracing her features.
She could distinctly feel that she was pushing open a massive, incredibly heavy door.
As for what lay beyond that threshold, she had no concrete idea. And yet, she could distinctly see the light.
She wanted to step straight into the light.
Chapter 295: High School Entrance Exam Pick-up
Upon learning that Yin Xisheng intended to take the High School Entrance Exam, the students of Class Three—regardless of which team they were on—unanimously agreed that this was a wonderful development.
The students of Team Three had also fished for details about Saturday’s events through Song Yi—or more accurately, through Ai Ning, who was close with Song Yi.
Ever since tutoring Yu Yuan, Song Yi had deeply experienced the immense joy of teaching a student. Learning that Ruan Tanyu was still relentlessly pestering Yin Xisheng, he was practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
“Does she need me to teach her a few moves? I have plenty of experience!” Song Yi said with a look of pure pride.
“Better not. Yu Yuan was at least physically healthy back then. Yin Xisheng completely lacks the stamina to sustain that kind of training right now; let’s give her some more time,” Zhan Chuchen shook her head.
Song Yi could only begrudgingly drop the idea, though he repeatedly reminded Xu Xinghe that if Yin Xisheng ever had needs in that department, he should absolutely look him up.
“By the way, the entrance exam is only a month away. Is she really going to have enough time to prepare?” Ji Tianxiao asked.
Although Mingde’s biggest hurdles were tuition fees and family background, it wasn’t a place where wealth and status alone sufficed; one’s exam scores still had to meet a certain baseline. Yin Xisheng had been out of school for an entire year; could she really reclaim her testing edge so quickly and score high enough to meet Mingde’s admission cutoff?
Xu Xinghe scratched his head. “I heard her past grades were pretty decent…”
Since Yin Xisheng rarely interacted with others and lacked hobby-driven distractions, studying was naturally the only thing left for her to do. On top of that, Yin Xisheng’s late grandmother had placed a massive emphasis on grades, so from elementary school onward, Yin Xisheng had been exceptionally diligent in her academics.
Still, a one-year gap made things highly unpredictable, and even Xu Xinghe couldn’t say for sure.
“So, do you need high school review notes?” Yu Xin asked. “I should be able to find them if I rummage through my old things.”
Xu Xinghe practically slammed his head onto his desk in gratitude. “Infinite thanks!”
The students of Team One focused on helping Xu Xinghe tutor Yin Xisheng, while Team Two kept a hawk-like watch on Xu Xinghe to prevent him from funneling so much energy into Yin Xisheng that his own grades took a hit. As for Team Three—cough, cough—coincidentally, none of the members of Team Three possessed top-tier grades, so managing themselves was more than enough.
Once they truly became buried in exam prep, the month whizzed by in a flash.
This year, Mingde’s final exams partially overlapped with Yin Xisheng’s entrance exam, though Mingde’s finals concluded a day earlier. For Xu Xinghe, this timing was absolutely perfect. He was currently brimming with energy, fully prepared to pick up Yin Xisheng the moment her exam concluded.
Qin Yue honestly couldn’t bear to look at him. “You literally look like her parent.”
Xu Xinghe rejected the comparison instantly. “What parent? I am absolutely not her parent—I am her friend!”
For this final exam, Gu Qinghuan and Shen Jianwei happened to be assigned to the same testing room. Shen Jianwei had a habit of cross-checking answers with people right after an exam, which, to Gu Qinghuan, was an absolute nightmare. Thus, the exact moment the final exam ended, she bolted from the classroom. Catching sight of Qin Yue and Xu Xinghe bickering, she sprinted over as if throwing off a massive burden.
“What’s wrong? What are you guys talking about?” Gu Qinghuan asked rapidly.
Qin Yue jutted his chin toward Xu Xinghe. “Talking about him. Old Xu is planning to go pick up Yin Xisheng from her entrance exam tomorrow.”
“Is her family not going?” Gu Qinghuan asked.
“I heard from her that although her family was quite surprised by her decision to take the exam, her mother has to travel for business, and her father will in all probability ignore her completely. So, there will likely be no one there to meet her,” Xu Xinghe answered.
“Then you should definitely go pick her up,” Gu Qinghuan said. “She’ll probably be incredibly happy.”
Yin Xisheng’s personality inherently starved and craved affection; her emotional needs were significantly higher than those of her peers, yet her parents were utterly incapable of providing for them. Under these circumstances, if no one came to meet her at the exam gates, watching other kids get swept up by their parents while she stood completely alone would make her incredibly sorrowful, wouldn’t it?
Securing Gu Qinghuan’s explicit backing, Xu Xinghe instantly felt vastly more validated. “See! Even the Class Monitor says so!”
“Says what?” Ming Xiaolan chimed in, stepping over.
“We’re organizing a plan to go pick up Yin Xisheng from her entrance exam,” Gu Qinghuan explained.
Ming Xiaolan understood immediately. “Count me in.”
The smile on Xu Xinghe’s face instantly petrified. “…Huh?”
Just then, Yu Xin also strolled over. “Why is everyone huddling up here?”
Ming Xiaolan clarified, “Doesn’t Yin Xisheng’s entrance exam conclude tomorrow? Everyone is preparing to go pick her up.”
“Then I’m going too, to see if my review notes actually paid off,” Yu Xin nodded.
Xu Xinghe… Xu Xinghe’s heart was already dead.
That being said, having so many people willing to go pick up Yin Xisheng together was fundamentally a wonderful thing. For Yin Xisheng, seeing this massive crowd supporting and accompanying her would undoubtedly bring immense satisfaction, wouldn’t it? Therefore, Xu Xinghe could only shed silent tears inwardly while actively organizing the pickup arrangements.
As it turned out, the members of Class Three fresh off their final exams behaved exactly like a pack of untethered, manic marmots—the moment they caught a whiff of top-tier drama, they charged faster than anyone else.
Xu Xinghe completely lost track of the tally. “Why is literally everyone going!”
Tao Shenxing stated with absolute righteousness, “Can’t we go see our future underclassman?”
Qin Yue, always loving a chaotic spectacle, suggested to Jiang Chuchu, “Hey, do you think we should make a giant banner that says something like, ‘Wishing Yin Xisheng spectacular success on her entrance exam’?”
Jiang Chuchu cast a thoroughly complicated look at him. “If it were me, I’d want to sever all ties with you on the spot.”
“That’s you. Who knows, maybe Yin Xisheng would absolutely love it?” Qin Yue argued validly.
Murong Tianjiao, meanwhile, was prying for intel from Xu Xinghe. “Does Yin Xisheng have any favorite anime or gaming characters? It’s super trendy lately to cosplay as the examinee’s favorite character for a pick-up. I can cosplay!”
Xu Xinghe maintained a deadpan expression. “No, she doesn’t. Give up.”
What is up with the girls in Class Three? Each one is more extra than the last! If this keeps up, where will there be any room left for him to shine!
Ultimately, a grand, majestic horde of marmots marched forcefully toward Yin Xisheng’s exam venue. Lian Fenghe stepped up, preparing a single, beautifully symbolic flower for each member of Team One to present to Yin Xisheng in a staggered rotation. Since Team One plus Gu Qinghuan only amounted to nine people, everyone felt it would be better to round the number up to ten for a perfect, flawless count. Since Shi Guanghui needed to handle photography, Murong Tianjiao and Ouyang Wushuang were subbed in to take up the remaining spots.
“This is an incredibly massive spectacle,” Jiang Chuchu massaged her temples. “I feel like we’re going to get interviewed by local news.”
“What is there to fear? We have the Class Monitor at the front line to absorb the impact,” Ji Tianxiao said calmly. “The last reporter from Le Yi who tried to interview her practically had his script hijacked. We should worry about the journalists hitting a wall instead.”
Jiang Chuchu reflected that this was true. If things went south, she would just shove Qin Yue to the front row.
Qin Yue: ?
Although everyone had begun their summer break and omitted their school uniforms, a massive group of teenagers gathering together remained remarkably conspicuous.
A nearby parent struck up a conversation out of pure curiosity: “Are you kids also here to pick someone up from the High School Entrance Exam?”
“Yes, we’re here to pick up our future underclassman,” Yu Xin replied with smooth composure.
During her exam prep, Yin Xisheng had asked Yu Xin a substantial number of questions, so Yu Xin had a solid grasp of her academic level. As long as she performed normally, she should smoothly secure admission to Mingde.
“Which school do you all attend?” the parent grew even more curious.
“We are students from Mingde,” Yu Xin answered.
The surrounding parents who were shamelessly eavesdropping instantly gasped in shock. Mingde? That Mingde?
Observing the lively crowd buzzing around them, Bao Qingsong fished a handful of melon seeds from his pocket. Cracking them open, he said to Ai Ning beside him, “I guarantee today is going to be absolutely unforgettable for Yin Xisheng.”
Ai Ning didn’t reply. Just as Bao Qingsong was wondering why, he heard her voice speak hesitantly, “By the way… does that person’s hand-banner have Yin Xisheng’s name written on it?”
Bao Qingsong followed the direction of Ai Ning’s pointing finger.
Shoving his melon seeds away, he whipped around and charged toward Gu Qinghuan: “Class Monitor! Disaster has struck! Ruan Tanyu is here!”
Chapter 296: Adaptable
As the head of intelligence, Bao Qingsong naturally recognized what Ruan Tanyu looked like.
He had previously posted a photo of Ruan Tanyu in the group chat, but Ai Ning had only glanced at it briefly and didn’t dare confirm it just now. Bao Qingsong was a different story—how could he possibly forget information he had personally investigated? He immediately recognized that the person holding the hand-banner with Yin Xisheng’s name written on it was indeed Ruan Tanyu.
Hearing Bao Qingsong say that Ruan Tanyu had arrived, Xu Xinghe’s complexion completely shifted. “How did he get here?”
Jiang Chuchu looked at Xu Xinghe. “Is Yin Xisheng still in contact with Ruan Tanyu?”
Xu Xinghe shook his head instantly. “No, she told me that Ruan Tanyu kept spamming her with messages and affecting her studies, so she deleted him and never added him back since.”
“Or maybe she posted a status on her WeChat Moments saying she was taking the High School Entrance Exam, and someone saw it and told him?” Yao Shali guessed.
“She didn’t post anything,” Xu Xinghe denied again. “She said all her other former classmates are already in high school while she took a gap year, so she felt too embarrassed to advertise it.”
Everyone couldn’t help but find it baffling. How on earth did Ruan Tanyu find out? Not to mention, there were several exam venues for the High School Entrance Exam—how did he lock onto this specific one?
Gu Qinghuan clapped her hands. “Alright, don’t worry about the reason for now. Let’s resolve the problem first.”
“Today is a great day for Yin Xisheng to finish her entrance exam. Meeting Ruan Tanyu at a time like this would completely ruin her mood.”
“So, drag him away,” Gu Qinghuan said, sealing the decision.
The marmots: What a wonderfully simple, crude, yet effective method.
Song Yi was brimming with drive. “I’ll go right now!”
“There are so many of us; it would be far too conspicuous if we all moved together. Just pick a few people to head over in a sequence so we don’t attract the attention of the surrounding parents,” Gu Qinghuan said.
Jiang Chuchu spoke up, “Count me in. If he dares to make a scene, I’ll use my family’s backing to crush him.”
The marmots: What a textbook case of abusing one’s power.
However, against Ruan Tanyu, this kind of method might actually prove highly effective, so Gu Qinghuan readily agreed.
Song Yi was responsible for physical suppression, so he was naturally included.
Yao Shali also signed up. “How did he know Yin Xisheng was taking her exam here today? I want to see if I can fish the answer out of him.”
Gu Qinghuan originally wanted to go, but Jiang Chuchu held her down. “He’s seen you before. If he sees you, he might grow alert, so don’t go.”
Jiang Chuchu’s point was reasonable, so Gu Qinghuan abandoned the idea, merely reminding Jiang Chuchu to be cautious.
Tao Shenxing raised his hand. “Add me too. In terms of height, I’m pretty intimidating.”
His height was 1.82 meters. Gu Qinghuan had previously visually estimated Ruan Tanyu’s height to be around 1.75 meters, which indeed couldn’t compare to Tao Shenxing.
“Alright then. Yao Shali will go first to make small talk and lock him down so he doesn’t run. Then Song Yi and Tao Shenxing will go drag him away. Chuchu, you’re the boss, so you step up last,” Gu Qinghuan arranged everything in a single breath.
Jiang Chuchu was highly satisfied with her status as the boss. “Let’s do it exactly like that.”
Ruan Tanyu had no idea what he was about to subject himself to. He was currently clutching the hand-banner with some irritation, thinking that he should have worn a hat.
There was still half an hour before the High School Entrance Exam concluded. Should he go sit in a nearby milk tea shop for a bit? Sitting by the window would still allow him to keep an eye on the school gates.
Based on his understanding of Yin Xisheng, it was impossible for her to turn in her paper early. Standing here right now was strictly to secure a front-row position to be conspicuous enough.
He intended to capitalize on the High School Entrance Exam to demonstrate to Yin Xisheng all over again how well he treated her. In the past, she had stated that she deeply envied other kids whose families came to pick them up after an exam; she was different, always slinking back entirely alone.
Now that he was here to pick her up, and had even specially customized a hand-banner with her name on it, Yin Xisheng would undoubtedly be incredibly moved and consequently get back together with him, right?
Just as Ruan Tanyu was thinking this, a girl suddenly approached from the side, looking at his hand-banner curiously before shifting her gaze to him. “Are you here to pick up your younger sister or brother?”
Ruan Tanyu shook his head. “No, I’m here to pick up my girlfriend.”
The girl froze for a fraction of a second, sizing him up a few more times before stating suspiciously, “Picking up your girlfriend? How do you not even have a bouquet of flowers?”
Ruan Tanyu’s movements stiffened.
When he and Yin Xisheng first got together, before they could even hit any holidays or anniversaries, disaster struck his family. He was far more than just penniless; if junior high school hadn’t fallen under the scope of compulsory education, he wouldn’t even have been able to afford school.
That being said, it only waived tuition fees. Miscellaneous expenses—such as meal costs and study materials—all required Ruan Tanyu to find a way himself. Under these circumstances, let alone giving anniversary gifts to Yin Xisheng, there were times when Ruan Tanyu’s cash flow was tight, and he had to rely on Yin Xisheng’s financial assistance.
In the very beginning, when the two went out together and saw a roadside flower stall, Ruan Tanyu would trace the money in his pocket, calculating the remaining balance to buy a single flower to present to Yin Xisheng. She was thoroughly surprised and delighted upon receiving it, yet after being happy for only a brief moment, she would say anxiously that he shouldn’t give them next time, and to save the money to spend where it actually needed to be spent.
As time went on, Ruan Tanyu completely stopped thinking about giving flowers to Yin Xisheng—just like right now.
Faced with the girl’s questioning, Ruan Tanyu could only explain awkwardly, “Actually, I—I did buy flowers on the way, it’s just that they got crushed while I was taking the bus…”
“Then go buy another bouquet.” The girl pointed toward a flower shop not far away. “Isn’t there a flower shop right over there?”
Since the words had been pushed to this point, Ruan Tanyu could only begrudgingly roll up his hand-banner, turn around to leave the front row of the pickup crowd, and walk toward the flower shop.
However, the exact moment he stepped out of the crowd, his shoulder was heavily pinned down by a boy who was vastly taller than him. “Are you Ruan Tanyu?”
Ruan Tanyu trembled out of pure reflex.
When he was being bullied in the past, those boys had done the exact same thing. They would pretend to be on great terms, coming over to drape an arm around his shoulder to drag him along. Even if they ran into a teacher, this posture wouldn’t look suspicious to others. Once they arrived in a secluded corner, it would be his turn to suffer.
Reason told him that those individuals hadn’t contacted him in nearly a year and couldn’t possibly manifest here, yet his calves still couldn’t resist trembling slightly.
He lifted his head, looking toward the boy beside him. It was an unfamiliar face; Ruan Tanyu was absolutely certain he had never seen him before.
Probably… not an accomplice of those guys from back then, right? Ruan Tanyu steadied himself slightly. “What do you want?”
The other party didn’t answer him, but instead pointed toward a relatively deserted alleyway by the roadside. “Let’s go over there to talk.”
Ruan Tanyu instantly raised his guard to the maximum. “What exactly is going on…”
“Aren’t you moving yet?” A voice chimed in as another boy strolled over. Seeing the manner in which the two interacted, Ruan Tanyu knew they were together.
Ruan Tanyu swallowed hard, acutely aware that he couldn’t run away. Ultimately, he followed the two into the alleyway.
Tao Shenxing was a bit surprised. “I thought he was going to make a scene. I didn’t expect him to be this compliant?”
Song Yi looked at Ruan Tanyu, whose back was currently glued flat against the wall. “It feels like he’s quite familiar with this kind of scenario?”
Yao Shali arrived first. “Didn’t the info say he used to be a victim of bullying too? Maybe it’s a habit cultivated back then?”
To Ruan Tanyu, the dialogue between Yao Shali and the others only served to make him infinitely more nervous. Wasn’t this the girl who just distracted him? It was intentional? These people even know about his past? They really targeted him specifically?
He thought rapidly. Since they mentioned the past, it meant they were people who knew his history and came looking for him. Could it be because of Yin Xisheng again?
He immediately cried out, “I was lying just now! Yin Xisheng isn’t my girlfriend! We already broke up!”
Jiang Chuchu had just walked over when she caught Ruan Tanyu’s words. Her mood turned highly subtle. “Does this count as him being… highly adaptable?”
