"More than a year has passed, and I still like to deceive myself."

One sentence shattered all of Song Xiaoyang's illusions.

His eyes were frighteningly red, and he practically spat out each word through his teeth, "When did you get better? Were you lying to me all along?"

They lured him into a trap, and now they're gloating over the evidence, ruining his future?

The students, gradually coming to their senses, showed expressions of mixed feelings upon hearing Song Xiaoyang's blatant escapism.

Are you alright? Who's so bored as to lie to you about spending three years in a wheelchair? It's like someone's forcing you to fight at gunpoint.

Pumpkin Bro, to be precise, was a sports student who had just returned from training. He was wearing a sleeveless jersey but was still sweating profusely. As soon as he turned the corner, he wiped his sweat, looked up, and was dumbfounded by what he saw.

What are you all doing gathered here?

He grumbled in dissatisfaction, shooed away the classmates blocking his way, and when he turned around and saw the focus of the crowd, he was completely dumbfounded.

No? Why is Pei Yushen at school?

Wait! Why did he stand up?!

Pumpkin Bro was stunned on the spot. Instantly, the heat of training receded like a tidal wave, and his heart was as cold as a spring day.

Meanwhile, ever since he heard that Pei Yushen had not only returned to school but also gone upstairs, the fat boy, whose huge body was squeezed under the desk, was trembling.

No way? You're going to travel all that way just to beat him up again?

It was all Qiu Zhewen and his buddy's bad idea, it has nothing to do with him!

Right now.

Faced with Song Xiaoyang's aggressive questioning, Pei Yushen remained silent. He only gave Song Xiaoyang one last cold glance before turning and walking towards his wheelchair.

He could only hold on for another seven or eight seconds.

This was the first time he had stood for such a long time without using crutches.

A wisp of wind suddenly brushed against the back of my silently tense hand, accompanied by the ticklish sensation of my fingertips being brushed by downy hairs.

Pei Yushen's heart skipped a beat, and he paused in his tracks.

As Chaochao ran over to try and help him quietly, she saw the boy walking in front of her suddenly raise his hand, which had been hanging by his side, and brush past the top of her head, as if he had foreseen it.

Chaochao was slightly puzzled. With her back to everyone, she raised her head to meet the boy's lowered gaze. Her soft, clear almond-shaped eyes revealed a hint of worry, as well as a strong sense of encouragement.

Brother Yu Shen, you can use me as a crutch!

She winked knowingly, and while "communicating," she obediently and expectantly nudged her head toward Pei Yushen's hand.

No one else noticed, but Chaochao could tell that Yushen was actually having a very hard time walking.

Seeing her anxious expression, as if she was worried that she might collapse at any moment, Pei Yushen's light-colored lips curved slightly, and then he reached out his hand.

But it wasn't placed on the little dumpling's head.

Instead, he bent down and took her little hand.

Instead of finding a place to rest their heads, Chaochao, whose hands had been pulled up, looked once again in confusion at her brother Yushen, who never played by the rules.

Pei Yu smiled calmly at her. His slender fingers tightened subconsciously the moment they grasped hers, but he immediately released them after realizing what he had done. Then, with steps that seemed no different from those of an ordinary person to others, he led Chaochao slowly to the wheelchair.

Xiao Qi: Welcome Consort Pei back to the palace! (High-pitched voice)

The system, feeling a sense of déjà vu about the scene, added emotional background music. After finishing, it suddenly realized something was off, "..."

What about its beloved cub?

The others were suspicious when they saw Pei Yushen sit back down, but dared not speak.

If you can walk, why do you still need a wheelchair?

Could it be... that he's really pretending to be weak while actually being strong?

Over here, after safely returning her brother to his wheelchair, Chaochao, who was about to smile, suddenly froze, resting her chin on her hand in deep thought.

Why couldn't she just push the wheelchair over to Yu Shen?

Chaochao's little expressions are becoming more and more intriguing: "..."

Hmm...

"Pei Yushen!"

A loud, clear male voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the little dumpling's brain development process.

In a daze, Pumpkin Bro pushed aside the boy blocking his way and strode aggressively toward them, shouting, "What else do you want to do here? Haven't you made us suffer enough already?!"

He didn't mention his experience in the dessert shop restroom that day to his other brothers, because it was too embarrassing to be bullied by Pei Yushen, a man in a wheelchair.

But this is school now, and everyone knows about Pei Yushen's hurtful act. Pumpkin Brother, who occupies the implicit moral high ground, thought he would get the support and agreement of his classmates when he spoke.

But the truth is quite the opposite.

"How can you be so shameless? Who exactly was wronged by whom and suffered such a terrible fate..."

The boy he pushed away looked at him with disdain and resentment, and left after making a disgusted "tui" sound. Moreover, he wasn't the only one; many other students who were watching also showed the same expression.

It was as if he were the one who hurt the person.

What on earth is going on?!

Overwhelmed by anger and unease at being criticized and pointed at, Pumpkin Bro strode straight at Pei Yushen, demanding, "Tell me now—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was unable to take another step forward and stood frozen three meters away from them.

Pumpkin Bro's shoulder was cleverly restrained, and he stared stiffly at the person who had appeared silently.

"W-Where did you come from?"

“I’ve always been here.”

Wang Jie, expressionless, increased the pressure on her hand. "Please calm down, classmate."

Pei Yushen pushed the wheelchair through the crowd. As Chaochao followed her brother, she couldn't help but stop and look at the students in the class who seemed to want to say something but couldn't.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!