Chapter 13, "Ancestors".

A large group of girls had gathered around Sheng Yu in the audience, and when they saw his intimate actions with Tang Ci, they immediately went wild.

"What is Sheng Yu doing? I've never seen him be this intimate with any girl before."

"Is this girl also in Class 1? I've never seen her before."

“I’ve seen her on the display board… I think she’s Tang Ci, the top student in her senior year.”

"A top student? That doesn't seem like a good match for a school bully like Sheng Yu, does it?"

"They're not a good match in terms of looks either. This girl seems pretty innocent; she probably can't handle Sheng Yu..."

"I feel like Sheng Yu will find a prettier girlfriend, she definitely won't."

...

Hearing the whispers, Tang Ci lowered her head, calmly put on her glasses, cleared her throat, and said to Sheng Yu, "Thank you."

Sheng Yu raised an eyebrow, straightened up, and accepted the certificate from the teacher with an indifferent expression.

Tang Ci instantly understood that Sheng Yu was deliberately teasing her in front of the crowd. As for the purpose, it was probably a disguised warning to her not to do anything out of line with him again.

After receiving the award, Tang Ci and Jiang Chan went to the cafeteria for lunch.

Jiang Chan glanced sideways at Sheng Yu's figure surrounded by people and asked her, "What did Sheng Yu just say to you?"

Tang Ci thought for a moment and said, "He congratulated me on winning the award."

"He's actually taking this little fun competition quite seriously." Jiang Chan suddenly lowered her voice: "Then why is he standing so close to you? Could it be that he likes you?"

Tang Ci shook her head without thinking, "How could he possibly like me?"

Hearing her self-deprecating tone, Jiang Chan frowned. "Did you hear what those girls were saying? Don't listen to their nonsense."

"I think they're right."

Tang Ci smiled slightly, her expression indifferent, showing no discomfort whatsoever from the girls' chatter.

Jiang Chan helplessly took her arm. "I shouldn't have discussed things other than studying with you. Dating is beyond your level."

Tang Ci had given it her all in the competition just now, and she was holding her breath the whole time when she received the award. Now that she has relaxed, she feels tightness in her chest and a dull ache in her lower abdomen.

She avoided Jiang Chan's gaze, rubbed her lower abdomen, and then stared blankly at the pile of fallen leaves under the tree.

A small leaf was swept by the wind and rolled to her feet, lifeless.

Tang Ci thought sullenly that she would soon be like that too.

As her life was drawing to a close, she and Sheng Yu were indeed completely mismatched.

/

Once the autumnal equinox passed, the branches outside the classroom windows turned yellow, and withered leaves fell all over the campus when the wind blew.

The senior students are about to take the mock exam. During the break between the third period in the afternoon, the students in the class were unusually quiet and sat obediently in their seats to review and practice questions.

Old Xu walked into the classroom, tapped the blackboard with a ruler, and said, "Everyone, please stop what you're doing and listen to me."

After the students looked up, Mr. Xu continued, "Tonight, there will be a mobilization meeting for the senior students in the auditorium. Our class is in rows 6-12 of section B. We will assemble at 6:40. Everyone, please don't be late."

Song Ke took the lead in agreeing, and Lao Xu emphasized it again before leaving the classroom.

Due to time constraints, Tang Ci and Jiang Chan went straight to the cafeteria after school. After meeting Song Ke in the cafeteria, the three of them sat at a table together and ate before heading to the auditorium together.

They arrived early and found seats before students from other classes gradually came in.

When Sheng Yuzhou and Yi Yang arrived, the auditorium was already packed with heads.

Both of them were very tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. The basic autumn school uniforms looked like haute couture on them, and Sheng Yu, who was in the lead, had an indifferent expression, as if he were on a fashion show.

The girls sitting near the door all turned their gazes toward them.

Only Old Xu frowned, lowered his voice, and shouted, "You two hurry up and find me a seat!"

Sheng Yu nodded his chin slowly and led Zhou Yiyang a few steps to the end of the first class area, where he sat down lazily.

Old Xu was furious at his arrogant attitude. He quickly walked to his side and warned in a low voice, "Your job today is to sit still and not cause any trouble, understand?"

Sheng Yu rested his elbows on his knees and sat up straight. "Don't worry, with so many leaders around, they'll definitely give you face."

A hint of hesitation flashed in Old Xu's eyes. After a pause, he said, "Chairman Sheng also came over today. He said he couldn't get through to you when he tried to call you."

Sheng Yu's upturned lips flattened, and his deep gaze turned to the first row of leaders' seats. In the middle sat a dignified middle-aged man, and the principal was offering him tea.

He scoffed coldly, fiddling with his phone without saying a word.

Looking at Sheng Yu's sharp and piercing demeanor, Old Xu sighed, shook his head, and left.

The main goal of this senior high school mobilization meeting was to inspire students' fighting spirit. After the school leaders finished speaking in turn, the grade director took the stage. He first urged the students to focus on the city-wide mock exam at the end of the month, and then praised the students who signed up for the scholarship tutoring program.

The grade director's original intention was to inspire everyone with the spirit of the bottom-ranked student who turned back from his misguided ways, but when he read out Sheng Yu's name, the audience erupted in uproar.

The main point of everyone's confusion was not that Sheng Yu had resumed his studies, but rather that they were shocked by his participation in scholarship tutoring.

For a time, the auditorium was filled with all sorts of discussions, including speculation, doubt, and confusion.

"Sheng Yu isn't short of money, so why would he participate in a scholarship tutoring program?!"

"Is it because of Tang Ci? I noticed something was off between them during the sports meet."

"Are they really together? That's Sheng Yu—so many girls in the whole school have tried to win him over but he hasn't been able to."

"Really? If they weren't together, would he agree to something like this? Is this even enough for Young Master Sheng to have a meal...?"

...

Tang Ci sat near the end of the corridor, drawing blatant stares from those around her, accompanied by hushed whispers—

"Is she Tang Ci?"

“It was her. I saw Sheng Yu speaking to her face that day with my own eyes.”

"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect a top student to be so resourceful."

Tang Ci gripped her pen tightly, forcing herself to ignore the surrounding noise, but when she looked up, she met a dignified gaze.

Sheng Hong turned around and looked precisely at Tang Ci through the crowd. His expression was solemn, exuding an air of authority without anger, and his contempt and suspicion were undisguised.

Tang Ci's heartbeat, which had been steady, suddenly became erratic, and her throat tightened, robbing her of air.

Seeing this, the dean of students quickly cleared his throat to stop the noise, "Quiet down! Quiet down! Next, please welcome the honorary board member of No. 1 Middle School to speak on behalf of the students."

Even though the accident had only lasted a few seconds, the noise still affected Sheng Yu, and the head of the teaching department broke out in a cold sweat. He was quite nervous when he handed the microphone to Sheng Hong.

Sheng Hong calmly took the microphone and even patted the dean of students on the shoulder. After standing on the stage, he showed the smile that he often wore during interviews.

It is both authoritative and approachable.

Sheng Hong spoke slowly and deliberately, first spouting a few high-sounding platitudes, then changed the subject, his next words carrying a clear warning.

"As you all probably know, besides being the president of Shengming Group, I am also a parent of a student. Finally, I will dare to say a few words in that capacity."

"Kids your age have no shortage of fighting spirit, but I still want to remind you that in addition to fighting spirit, you also need to have self-awareness."

After saying this, Sheng Hong turned his gaze to Tang Ci with a deep look.

"Everyone should do what they are meant to do."

"Don't forget your identity and your name."

Tang Ci heard the sarcasm and warning in his words, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head. Her hands, which were under the table, clenched tightly, and her body still trembled uncontrollably.

Sizzle—

A piercing sound cut through the almost frozen air.

Tang Ci turned around and saw Sheng Yu stand up from the dark, dense crowd.

He calmly walked down the stairs and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, went to Tang Ci's table, facing Sheng Hong on the stage.

Following Sheng Hong's example, Sheng Yu smiled before speaking and said to the school leaders in the leadership row, "As a student who has been commended at this conference, shall I say a few words?"

He spoke the interrogative sentence as an imperative sentence.

Before the school leaders could exchange glances and give their permission, he spoke up: "Who cares about their name or their identity?"

As Sheng Yu spoke, she lightly tapped Tang Ci's desk, "You decide what kind of person you want to be. What others say is just bullshit!"

He didn't have a microphone, but the auditorium was quiet enough that his deep, magnetic voice clearly reached the students' ears.

From the start of the conference, the repetitive speeches by the school leaders had already made the students in the auditorium drowsy.

Sheng Yu's words were like a string of firecrackers, sparks crackling and popping as they ignited in the young souls. The students exchanged glances, their faces filled with barely concealed excitement.

Zhou Yiyang was the first to tap the table and loudly echoed, "Yes—we should decide for ourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers erupted in the auditorium like rolling waves, and the sound of students banging on the tables created a stirring symphony.

Amidst the chaos, Tang Ci looked up and saw Sheng Yu's thick eyelashes slowly lower. The next second after seeing her, he gently raised the tail of his eyebrow.

Looking at his arrogant demeanor, Tang Ci felt every nerve ending in her body tremble, the vibrations reaching her heart.

One moment in a rush, the next in a rush.

It was about to burst through her chest cavity.

/

After the mobilization meeting ended, there was still one evening self-study session before school ended. Before class, Tang Ci was dragged by Jiang Chan to the convenience store to buy yogurt.

There were many senior high school students who had come from the auditorium inside the convenience store, and they were all talking about Sheng Yu.

Jiang Chan, holding a phone in one hand and a yogurt in the other, poked Tang Ci, who was wearing a mask and had her hair down, pretending to be invisible. "Do you think Sheng Yu is in danger? I saw in the group that Chairman Sheng got really angry and took Sheng Yu directly to the principal's office."

Thinking of the scene where she saw Sheng Hongchao throw a punch at Sheng Yu in the office last time, Tang Ci frowned and shook her head, somewhat at a loss.

When it was their turn to pay, there were hardly any people left in the convenience store.

Jiang Chan put the yogurt on the counter to pay, while Tang Ci tugged at the hem of her clothes, staring aimlessly at the display case in front of her.

A row of candies came into view, and she subconsciously reached out and grabbed a box of fruit hard candies.

I only realized after paying the bill that she had stopped eating candy a long time ago.

Tang Ci's habit of eating fruit candies dates back to elementary school, not long after her mother passed away.

Seeing Tang Jianwei and Qin Ling openly displaying their affection in front of her mother's portrait, she would grit her teeth and smash Tang Jianwei's teacup to pieces.

Afterwards, Tang Jianwei would always slap her. Tang Ci would shrink into the corner of the bedroom in pain and rummage through the drawer to find the tin box of fruit hard candy that her mother had bought for her.

After taking one, the pain really does subside.

She was diagnosed with lupus nephritis after graduating from elementary school, and has never touched candy since.

When they returned to the classroom, the bell for the last class had just rung.

The teacher in charge of the class had something to do, so Song Ke was asked to sit at the podium to keep an eye on discipline. Song Ke waved to the two girls, signaling them to quickly return to their seats.

Sheng Yu's seat is still vacant.

After Tang Ci sat down, she looked at the back of Zhou Yiyang's head in the seat in front of her, hesitated for a second, and did not ask.

She took out the test paper assigned by the teacher and did it, while also listing out the key points and difficulties for Sheng Yu.

After finishing writing a page, Tang Ci heard familiar footsteps coming from the back door.

The door opened slightly, and most of the students in the class turned to look.

Zhou Yiyang leaned on the back of the chair with his elbows and asked worriedly, "Brother Yu, are you alright?"

Sheng Yu's voice remained unchanged, flat and languid with no emotional fluctuations, "What could possibly be wrong?"

Hearing his arrogant tone, Tang Ci, who hadn't turned around, felt relieved, but still didn't turn her head to look. She just listened intently to the sound of Sheng Yu sitting down.

With the mock exam just around the corner, even though the classmates were very curious about Sheng Yu, the commotion only lasted for a moment.

Tang Ci waited until the commotion around her had completely subsided before quietly glancing at Sheng Yu.

Compared to his nonchalant tone, Sheng Yu's expression was noticeably more serious. His already sharp brows furrowed, and he unconsciously fiddled with a gray-silver lighter in his hand. The moment his fingertips flicked the flint wheel, a bluish-red flame ignited from his cold, white fingertips.

The flames licked at his tiger's mouth, but he felt no pain whatsoever.

Tang Ci's temples throbbed, and without thinking, she grabbed his wrist.

Sheng Yu loosened his grip, and the flame from the lighter finally went out.

His gaze was cold and unfeeling as he gave Tang Ci a sharp look.

"release."

Tang Ci blinked, slowly released his hand, took the box of fruit candies from the drawer, and pushed it onto his table.

"Sheng Yu, do you want some candy?" she asked softly.

He scoffed, "Do you think I'm a child?"

Tang Ci opened the lid of the tin box, tore open the aluminum foil packaging, and pushed it toward him.

"If you want to be one."

The provocative words were spoken seriously, leaving Sheng Yu at a loss for words. She frowned and pushed the iron box away.

"Leave me alone."

Tang Ci sadly closed the candy box again and stood there for a while. She remembered the test paper the teacher had assigned during this self-study period, and Sheng Yu hadn't even touched it.

And evening self-study is about to end.

Tang Cixin gritted her teeth, spread the test paper out on Sheng Yu's desk, and offered her sincere advice with a forced smile.

"If you can't sleep when you get home, you can do this set of test papers."

As she finished speaking, she tried to pull her hand back, but Sheng Yu suddenly raised his hand and grabbed her arm. He suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Can you even understand human language?"

Tang Ci met his dark eyes, shrank her shoulders slightly, and whispered, "You promised, you have to listen to me this semester."

Sheng Yu narrowed his eyes in anger.

Tang Ci lowered her eyes and remained motionless, seemingly easy to bully, but in reality, she was as stubborn as a silent statue.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sheng Yu caught a glimpse of blue. Shifting his gaze downwards, he saw the marks of repeated needle pricks on Tang Ci's arm veins.

He slowly ground his back teeth and shook off her arm.

The bell rang suddenly, and Tang Ci rubbed her arm. After the bell rang, she said, "Don't forget to write it. I'll supervise you."

Sheng Yu stood up with a cold expression, then gave a helpless "hmm" as if she had been pestered.

After arriving home, Tang Ci reviewed her lessons and then sent a message to Sheng Yu.

How did your test go? Feel free to ask me anything you don't understand.

After waiting for a while without receiving a response, she went to the bathroom to take a shower. When she came out of the shower, she still hadn't received any messages on her phone.

After estimating the time, she figured she should have finished the test paper long ago, so she tried making a voice call to Sheng Yu.

Having no experience making voice calls to others, she accidentally dialed a video call instead.

When she saw her own face appear on the screen, she was startled and quickly tried to hang up, but the other end suddenly answered.

"Are you ever going to stop?"

Sheng Yu must have just finished showering; her jet-black hair was dripping wet, and she was impatiently brushing the wet hair hanging between her brows behind her head.

Tang Ci swallowed hard. "I told you I would keep an eye on you."

Sheng Yu picked up the completed test paper from the desk and shoved it directly at the camera: "Grandpa, is it done yet?"

Tang Ci peered at his tall figure through the thin paper, paused for a second, and then asked softly, "Sheng Yu, are you feeling any better now?"