Chapter 2 A chaotic and disorderly scene.

After the discussion session ended, the number of students looking up in Jin Zhao's class began to decline. But she didn't give up. Even if you can't force it, you have to keep trying. Later, she used methods such as randomly selecting students to answer questions on the spot to attract all the students' attention back to the screen.

They were still young at heart, both afraid of being called on to answer questions and eager to see their classmates make fools of themselves. So whenever the numbers were drawn on the spot, the students were very enthusiastic, their eyes shining as they stared intently at the names and student numbers flashing on the screen. When the answer was revealed, the whole room burst into laughter.

Some people even took the opportunity to record their classmates' embarrassing moments when they were chosen by the lottery.

The two classes passed quickly. After class, a student came up with a past exam paper for the College English Test Band 4 and asked him a question. Jin Zhao patiently explained the question, packed up his things, and left.

She glanced at her phone as she left the classroom and saw a message from the department head asking her to go to room 419 of the Academy of Fine Arts to find counselor Wang Nan to get the make-up exam paper from last night, grade it, and post the results on the academic affairs system before September 28th.

Last night was a makeup exam. According to the rules, the instructors need to collect the students' exam papers from the exam office within 10 minutes after the exam ends. Jin Zhao only started teaching this semester, so she wasn't the instructor last semester and naturally didn't need to collect them. The headmaster is now asking her to collect Teacher Sun's assignment. Teacher Sun is on maternity leave this semester, and two of the classes she previously taught have been assigned to Jin Zhao.

The email address and password for the academic affairs system, belonging to Teacher Sun, were attached at the end.

Jin Zhao replied: Okay, Director.

This classroom is also on the fourth floor. You can go directly to the Art Academy 419 via the connecting corridor between the two buildings.

Wang Nan is a counselor in the oil painting department and a new teacher who joined the faculty at the same time as Jin Zhao. They were even classmates during the provincial university teacher training program over the summer, and they have exchanged WeChat contacts. Jin Zhao sent a message to Wang Nan on Zhao Road, asking if she was in her office.

Wang Nan quickly replied: Zhao Zhao, are you coming over?

Jin Zhao typed as he walked: "Okay, I'm here to pick up last night's make-up exam paper."

Wang Nan: I'm here with my students. You can just come in when you arrive.

In just a few words, they arrived at office 419. The door was ajar, and Wang Nan's voice came through the crack, carrying the irritation a teacher has when dealing with a bratty student: "Look at you! How could you cause such a mess? For the school anniversary celebration, the school arranged outdoor exhibitions in several iconic locations. The ceramics exhibition on No. 3 Road had been in preparation for months, and the three final pieces were even borrowed from the Suiyi Art Museum by the dean himself. And you, you smashed them all, leaving nothing for anyone. The dean wants me to give her an explanation. Tell me, how am I supposed to explain this to her?"

A girl stood in front of Wang Nan. She had a slender figure, long curly hair, and her head was lowered. She timidly apologized, "I'm sorry, teacher, I was wrong."

Wang Nan looked serious, tapped her fingers on the table twice, and was about to say something when Jin Zhao pushed the door open and called out with a smile, "Teacher Nan Nan, I've come to get the test papers."

When Wang Nan saw her, her expression softened, and she stopped scolding the students. She got up from her chair, picked up a brown paper file folder from the printer, and handed it to her with a smile: "Here, there are a total of 6 students who need to retake the exam, and 1 student missed the exam. Take a look."

"Okay." Jin Zhao took it.

Wang Nan casually asked, "Do you have class today?"

"Ah, 8 a.m., just finished class."

"Shall we have lunch together?"

"I can't come today. My aunt called me to lunch today, saying she booked Luxi Villa a month ago and it was so hard to get a table. How about the day after tomorrow? I have classes in the first two periods the day after tomorrow, I'll come find you at noon."

"Okay, let's have dinner together the day after tomorrow."

"Then I'll be going now." Jin Zhao said, bending down to open his canvas bag and putting the file folder inside.

Wang Nan turned her head, ready to continue lecturing the girl in front of her.

The man who had been sitting quietly on the black leather sofa in the corner got up.

"Please convey our apologies to the dean. Also, please calculate the cost of all the damaged exhibits and inform us of the amount. We will definitely compensate for the damages without hesitation."

The sparse, cool tone fell in the slightly messy office, like the cold dew on the tips of bamboo leaves at dawn in the deep mountains of midsummer.

Jin Zhao's fingers trembled as he bent down to pack the exam papers.

"Thump!"

Something heavy suddenly fell to the ground.

Jin Zhao nervously looked down at it, still clutching the file folder in his hand, unconsciously tightening it until his fingernails turned white.

The teaching secretary in the same office brought back the printing paper. She piled up the packets, a thick stack, and carried it in her arms. As she entered, the top packet accidentally fell to the ground.

"Teacher Wang, come quick, come lend a hand!"

Wang Nan once again left the student who made the mistake and went forward to help: "With so much paper, why don't you borrow a small cart?"

"It's right next to 406, I thought it was just a few steps away."

As he was saying he was only a few steps away, he dropped two more bags on the ground.

Thump, thump...

Jin Zhao turned around, and unexpectedly, he was met with a pair of large, dark, almond-shaped eyes.

Those were the most beautiful eyes Jin Zhao had ever seen. The upper and lower eyelids were clearly defined, the corners of the eyes drooped slightly, and the eyelashes were very long. They should have been the shape of affectionate and gentle eyes, but the color of the pupils was extremely black, like thick ink that had not been smeared. In addition, the owner of these eyes had a high nose bridge and three-dimensional and clear facial features, which were even more outstanding than those of top celebrities, making his originally charming eyes inexplicably reveal coldness and sharpness.

He stood there, wearing a shirt and trousers of an unidentifiable brand. Tall and with long legs, he had one hand in his pocket, exuding an aura so powerful it was impossible to ignore.

He stared straight at Jin Zhao.

Jin Zhao also looked at him, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She didn't notice how Wang Nan helped her, nor did she see how the teaching secretary completely collapsed; in short, the entire stack of printed papers ended up falling to the ground.

Crackling and popping, chaos and turmoil.

*

The printer paper spilled onto the pile of colored ink on the floor, staining the pale paper with rich, vibrant colors.

When they came to their senses, Jin Zhao was already helping to tidy up.

This wasn't her office, so she didn't really need to tidy it up. She was just helping to move the unstained printer paper aside.

The secretary cleaned up the spilled ink cartridges, but she couldn't handle the marks on the white floor tiles, so she picked up her phone and called for support staff in a large group chat.

Wang Nan continued dealing with the students in front of her.

Jin Zhao lowered her head to organize the printed paper, trying to ignore the cold and powerful aura behind her, even though she had known for a long time that no one could ignore Meng Yanxi's aura.

Newcomers are always full of enthusiasm, like Jin Zhao, who enthusiastically tries to reach out to students; or Wang Nan, who devoutly follows the rules and deals fairly with students who make mistakes, never tolerating them.

"Besides compensation, there's also the issue of keeping pets on campus. According to the 'Student Dormitory Management Regulations,' students are prohibited from keeping pets in dormitories; otherwise, they will be disciplined."

The secretaries who were waiting for the logistics staff to arrive all looked at Wang Nan.

For students, disciplinary action is a huge deal, and it will be recorded in their files. Although dormitory regulations explicitly prohibit keeping pets, there are always students who secretly keep them, such as cats, hamsters, rabbits, etc. As long as their roommates don't object, the counselors won't interfere. Even if they find out, they usually turn a blind eye and ask the student to give the pet away. They won't actually record a disciplinary action for it in their files.

Wang Nan's actions were considered somewhat strict by the current Secretary of the Showa Church.

Upon hearing that she would be punished, the girl panicked and hurriedly explained, "That cat isn't mine; it's a stray. I just bought some sausages to feed it. It was probably too hungry. After finishing one, it saw the packaging in my hand, thought there were more, and pounced to snatch it. I was afraid it would scratch me, so I ran away. It chased after me... and accidentally smashed the nearby ceramics exhibition."

The girl looked at Wang Nan with tears welling up in her eyes. Only then did Jin Zhao notice that she had a pair of eyes almost identical to Meng Yanxi's. Both had large, captivating eyes, distinct upper and lower eyelid curves, and slightly drooping corners—both were naturally beautiful eyes. The only difference was their gaze. Meng Yanxi's eyes were jet black, seemingly flirtatious, but actually concealing a sharp edge. The girl before her had longer, curled eyelashes, and her clear, bright eyes couldn't hide anything, possessing a kind of innocent, adorable charm.

Jin Zhao suddenly realized something.

It's his younger sister, Meng Zhuxi.

Meng Zhuxi has grown up so much. I still remember when she was a little girl. Every time Meng Yanxi forced her to go dancing, she would argue with her brother. If she couldn't win the argument, she would cry loudly, but it was no use. In the end, Meng Yanxi would still ruthlessly throw her into the dance studio.

Meng Zhuxi stepped forward, looking sincerely at Wang Nan with her big eyes: "Teacher, please believe me, that cat really isn't mine. I don't keep any pets in the dormitory."

In fact, Wang Nan had considered that the cat did not belong to Meng Zhuxi. She had even investigated beforehand. However, He Qi, Meng Zhuxi's roommate, reported that the cat belonged to Meng Zhuxi. He said that Meng Zhuxi relied on her family's wealth and power to disregard school rules and regulations. The other two roommates had received benefits from her and did not say anything.

Wang Nan disliked students who disregarded the rules, and her face darkened: "I have already..."

"Is it the cat from Road 3?" Jin Zhao suddenly asked.

She tried her best to ignore the gaze that followed her as soon as she opened her mouth, and focused her attention on Meng Zhuxi.

Meng Zhuxi nodded in delight: "Yes, yes, that's Road No. 3!"

"A bit thin, with round eyes, soft fur, and sharp claws?"

"Yes, yes, that's the cat!" Meng Zhuxi exclaimed happily. "Teacher, have you seen it too?"

“Ah, I’ve seen it before.” Jin Zhao blinked. “It must have been wandering for too long and was hungry, which is why it pounced on people. It almost scratched me last time too.”

"That's right!" Meng Zhuxi nodded vigorously, almost bursting into tears of joy.

Waaaaah, finally someone has cleared her name!

Wang Nan looked at Jin Zhao: "Why haven't I heard you mention this before?"

Jin Zhao smiled at Wang Nan, revealing two small, white, pointed canine teeth, which added a touch of playfulness to her beauty: "I didn't manage to scratch it, did I? I'll complain to you when I do."

Who can resist a beautiful woman's smile? Wang Nan's anger dissipated at her smile, and she pointed at her, laughing and scolding, "You should hope for yourself instead."

Because Jin Zhao testified that she had encountered the stray cat, proving that it was not stolen and kept by Meng Zhuxi, Meng Zhuxi was exempted from the demerit punishment. However, since it was because of her that the cat smashed the exhibited ceramics, she still had to bear the responsibility of compensation.

This exhibition is in preparation for the school's anniversary celebration, and everything is of high quality, especially the three pieces borrowed from the Suiyi Art Museum. It's obvious that Meng Zhuxi will have to pay a huge sum of money for them.

However, Jin Zhao was not worried about her; this amount of money was nothing to her brother.

*

It was just a drop in the ocean, but Meng Zhuxi was still incredibly anxious. Leaving the counselor's office, the siblings remained silent the whole way. Meng Yanxi didn't speak, and Meng Zhuxi naturally dared not say anything either, timidly following behind him, pretending she didn't exist.

Meng Yanxi used to punish her for even the smallest mistakes. Although he never hit her, his words were incredibly sharp; she was even worried that he might lick his lips and poison her. This time, suddenly demanding so much money from him—big capitalists may have a lot of money, but they're not stupid. It's no wonder he'd be cursing her to death.

Meng Zhuxi followed Meng Yanxi out of the building. The sun was blazing hot, and she didn't dare to use an umbrella, so she kept her head down.

The Maybach had been sitting in the parking lot in the sun all morning. When the door opened, the metal door handle burned the man's palm. Meng Yanxi turned around and suddenly noticed her younger sister following behind her.

"Why are you following me?" Meng Yanxi asked curiously. "Don't you have classes?"

Why bother with classes...? Meng Zhuxi cautiously tugged at her brother's sleeve, offering a fervent apology: "Brother, I was wrong, I was really wrong. Don't be angry, don't hurt yourself. If it's really that bad, I'll kneel down and you can beat me up to vent your anger?"

Meng Yanxi looked at her thoughtfully.

The sun shone down from above, casting dappled light and shadow on his handsome features, a sight even more pleasing than the artwork in a museum.

Meng Yanxi rubbed her head: "You did nothing wrong, no need to apologize. Feeding small animals is a good thing, feed them if you want."

Meng Zhuxi: "?"

Meng Yanxi has been possessed? Is this still her brother?

"Go back to class."

Today, Meng Yanxi was so agreeable that it seemed unreal. Meng Zhuxi felt like she was dreaming, and in a daze, she eagerly opened the car door for him: "Brother, get in the car."

Meng Yanxi gripped the car door with one hand and instructed, "Remember to thank the teacher who lied for you when you get back."

"Lying?" Meng Zhuxi was surprised, her big peach blossom eyes staring blankly at her brother. "You're saying that beautiful teacher is lying, that she's never even seen that cat?"

"Otherwise what?"

"How did she know what the cat looked like?"

Meng Yanxi scoffed, "Which cat doesn't have round eyes, soft fur, and sharp claws? What's the difference between that and saying you've seen a person with two eyes, a nose, and a mouth?"

Meng Zhuxi blinked blankly, then asked, "And she also said the cat on Third Road was skinny."

"The ceramics exhibition is on Road 3, so the culprit that caused the disruption is obviously on Road 3. Otherwise, could it be some kind of supernatural being that's attacking from afar?" Meng Yanxi looked at his sister like she was an idiot. "As for being thin, it's just a stray cat that's so hungry it's ready to pounce on people. It would rather be fat."

Meng Zhuxi: "..." That's right, this is the tone of her brother's voice.

Meng Yanxi got into the car, the tinted windows rolled down, and he reminded her again: "Remember to go and thank someone, don't forget."

When it comes to being sweet-talking and charming, Meng Zhuxi is a natural, but considering that the other party is a teacher, she humbly asked her brother for advice: "Should I bring her something? Fruit? Milk tea?"

Meng Yanxi leaned her elbow against the car window, remaining silent for a long while, her stunning peach blossom eyes slightly lowered.

"Bring her a card; I think she really likes cards."

Meng Zhuxi: "?"

*

Jin Zhao only had classes in the first two periods this morning. After picking up the exam papers, he went back to the Foreign Languages ​​Department office and corrected the five papers.

She didn't want the students to retake the course, so she kept calculating the scores for both objective and subjective questions. In the end, she managed to get all five students to score 60 points, no matter how hard she tried.

tired.

After uploading the grades to the system, sending them to the college's academic secretary for review, and then putting the exam papers back into the file folder for archiving, it was already 11:15 a.m. She had arranged to meet her aunt at 12 p.m., and now it was almost time to go.

Jin Zhao walked towards the west gate, and halfway there used Didi Chuxing. He skillfully canceled all the expensive car models, leaving only the cheapest express car, and was even able to use a 50% off coupon. He was happy.

Perhaps because it was so cheap, it took a full 6 minutes for a driver to accept the order, by which time she had already reached the West Gate.

Jin Zhao held a small floral umbrella and waited for the bus under the sycamore tree.

Outside the west gate is a waterway, and the main road at the entrance, though flat, is actually a bridge. A sycamore tree stands at one end of the bridge, and a black Maybach is parked by the roadside at the other.

To save face for his sister, Meng Yanxi always drove himself to the school whenever the school called his parents, never using a driver.

He sat in the driver's seat, staring blankly ahead. In the midday heat, the top two buttons of his shirt were undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms. Years of exercise had given him a low body fat percentage, with prominent veins that clung casually to the steering wheel—simply incredibly sexy.

The traffic light in front of him turned red and green, then green and red again, going back and forth, with cars passing by him time and time again. His car remained parked on the side of the road, motionless.

Jin Zhao was playing on his phone while waiting for the bus.

The driver came from four kilometers away. I don't know if it was because the road was too congested, there were too many red lights, or because the price was too low, but the driver didn't want to come. She had been waiting by the roadside for more than 10 minutes.

Jin Zhao suspected it was the latter, so he called his master.

The driver said on the phone that he would be there soon and asked if she was standing under the sycamore tree with a small floral umbrella. Jin Zhao said yes. The driver had said he would arrive at the traffic light.

The numbers ticked up: 10, 9, 8... 2, 1, and the red light turned green.

The Maybach, which had been parked by the roadside, finally started and merged into the traffic.

Jin Zhao is slightly nearsighted, but the prescription isn't high. She loves beauty and usually refuses to wear glasses. She pushed the parasol up a bit, squinted at the oncoming traffic, and tried to find the car she hailed by its license plate.

Her phone rang, and she looked down at it again.

Her aunt sent her a voice message, and she casually opened WeChat.

Just then, a black sedan stopped in front of her. With a click, the car lock opened.

Jin Zhao naturally opened the back door of the car, got in, and at the same time tapped on his aunt's voice message—

"Lingling, your uncle and I have something to do and may be more than ten minutes late. Order your food when you get there."

Jin Zhao closed the car door, and the black sedan smoothly drove out.

She was holding her phone with her head down, about to reply, when another call came in. Jin Zhao answered the phone.

The phone rang with the loud voice typical of a middle-aged man, tinged with annoyance and a strange mix of amusement and exasperation: "Hey buddy, how dare you do that? That's a Maybach, worth over ten million!"

A sentence that seemed to come out of nowhere left Jin Zhao stunned: "Huh? What?"

"I said, you got on the wrong car! You took my car, and I was honking the horn like crazy behind you, didn't you hear me?"

Jin Zhao turned around and saw a black car following behind. Because it couldn't keep up with the speed, it was left far behind in just a few words. It could only honk the horn frantically to attract her attention.

Jin Zhao immediately turned his head to look at the man in the driver's seat.

Hello, you—

Before she could even speak, the man gripping the steering wheel slowly glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

Caught off guard, through the thin rearview mirror, Jin Zhao once again met those aloof, large, almond-shaped eyes.

Something suddenly choked him, and Jin Zhao fell silent.

On the phone, the driver's voice grew louder and louder, coming through the receiver: "Young lady, what's wrong with your car? Why are you going faster and faster? Have you run into some bad guys? Should I call the police for you?"

The ride-hailing driver was vigilant and loyal. Sensing something was wrong, he relentlessly chased after the Maybach, but unfortunately, he was powerless to stop it and was about to be completely outmaneuvered.

Jin Zhao snapped out of her daze and quickly said, "No, no need, it's my friend. Thank you, Master. I'll cancel the order. Thank you for your help."

After hanging up the phone, the carriage fell silent.

Meng Yanxi only glanced at her in the rearview mirror once, then looked away and focused on the road ahead without saying a word.

Jin Zhao awkwardly gripped his phone, his fingers turning white from unconsciously tightening them.

She was sitting on the right side of the back row. From this angle, all she could see was the man's sharp jawline and his right forearm with his shirt sleeve rolled up.

His skin was pale and thin, with smooth and powerful lines. His hands, gripping the steering wheel, were large, with veins extending from his forearms to the back of his hands.

Outside the car window, the plane trees gradually receded into the distance, and the sunlight was scorching and blinding.

She suddenly remembered that she had just said Meng Yanxi was her friend. Actually, they couldn't really be considered friends; at most, they could only be considered classmates.

The school brought people from two different worlds together briefly...

A note from the author:

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Note: The Didi driver's words are from an internet meme. A girl didn't recognize the Maybach logo and thought it was the car she had booked. She tried to open the car door but couldn't. The driver asked her how she dared to do that.