Chapter 5, Chapter 5: Slaughter

Meng Shixu's appearance at the affiliated high school caused quite a stir.

Seventeen or eighteen-year-olds are far from understanding the true value of the name Meng Shixu. Their world is largely dominated by exams and grades, leaving little room for anything else. For them, Meng Shixu is just a vague concept: he's rich.

Rolls-Royce, bespoke Italian suits, assistants and bodyguards... but it is said that Meng Shixu's assistants and bodyguards never show up when he comes to parent-teacher meetings.

Jin Zhao had never met Meng Shixu before. The parent-teacher meetings for Class A were held separately and were not scheduled according to the grade's schedule.

It rained heavily that afternoon, and even after the rain stopped, a few raindrops were still falling. Jin Zhao came out of the office looking disheveled, still immersed in his unspeakable embarrassment, when he was suddenly bumped into by a classmate running past him, causing him to stumble.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!"

The girl who bumped into her turned around hurriedly, apologizing as she spoke, but her eyes were full of eagerness and excitement. Regardless of whether she knew Jin Zhao or not, she grabbed Jin Zhao's hand in a familiar manner: "Sister, come and see Meng Yanxi's father!"

The balcony was crowded with students. Jin Zhao was bewildered when her sister, whom she had met along the way, pulled her into the front row.

The afternoon downpour turned into a drizzle, which, when blown by the wind, slanted across the faces of the students who peeked out.

Jin Zhao felt a cool sensation on his face as he followed everyone's gaze downwards to a group of people walking towards him in the small square in front of the teaching building.

The man at the front was the tallest and most upright, wearing a dark shirt and trousers. He had very regular features, the kind of dignified and handsome man who could appear on the Spring Festival Gala, and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses on his nose.

He had long legs and a large, steady stride. To his right, the principal held up a large black umbrella to shield him from the drizzle.

He was followed by a group of school officials.

"Ahhh! Look! It's Meng Yanxi's dad, Meng Shixu!"

"My God! My father-in-law is still so handsome after six months! I'm going to faint from his good looks!"

“I’m different. I met my father-in-law this morning, and he told my husband and me to go home early after school.”

One of the boys couldn't stand it anymore and spat, "Pah! Have some shame, you two? Are you even girls?"

He turned his head and suddenly shouted downstairs, "Dad, do you need another son?!"

"roll!"

"You're the most shameless one!"

The teenagers were at an age where they were reckless and disregarded the immensity of heaven and earth. Taking advantage of being on the top floor, where the principal was out of reach, they laughed and cursed on the balcony, making a ruckus.

Jin Zhao couldn't help but laugh. The little bit of sadness that no one knew about was unexpectedly dispelled by Meng Shixu's sudden appearance.

A group of people quickly climbed the steps downstairs. The principal followed closely beside Meng Shixu, a smile plastered on his face, as he leaned in to say something. Meng Shixu lowered his head slightly to listen, displaying refined manners and elegant demeanor.

These classmates, though outspoken in private, still have their pride. Seeing Meng Shixu ascend the stairs, they quickly dispersed.

"I'm going to pick up my dad!"

"I'm going too!"

"I won't go. My father-in-law prefers me to be quiet. I'll go back to my studies first!"

They were all stubborn as ducks and ran faster than dogs; in the blink of an eye, they were all gone.

Jin Zhao was also preparing to return to the classroom, a smile still playing on his lips.

As soon as he turned around, the smile on his face froze.

Meng Yanxi came out of the office and walked right up to her.

His face was expressionless, his beautiful eyes cool and aloof. He must have overheard the group's jokes; he glanced downstairs, then quickly looked away, fixing his gaze on her face.

Jin Zhao's face instantly burned.

Thinking of her husband and father-in-law... the embarrassment of being overheard and recounting their conversation a moment ago vanished, replaced by awkwardness in an instant.

She looked around pleadingly, but the balcony, which had been crowded with people just moments before, was now completely deserted. Within a three-meter radius of her and Meng Yanxi, everyone else had vanished, leaving her the only one caught red-handed.

This feeling is just like when you were a kid and got into trouble with your friends, and everyone ran away except for her who got caught.

"I didn't say..." Jin Zhao didn't know what he was explaining, and awkwardly tugged at the hem of his school uniform.

Meng Yanxi stared at her.

The wind blew the drizzle in from the balcony, blowing her fine hairs across her forehead and letting them fall back down, briefly revealing her soft eyebrows, like distant mountains in the misty rain.

The rain was colder than before, and Jin Zhao thought to herself, "Oh no, I'm doomed." She must be blushing.

"Meng Yanxi".

Lu Jingyue's voice came over, and Meng Yanxi looked away.

Meng Shixu had arrived and was standing at the classroom door, with Lu Jingyue standing next to him.

"dad."

As Meng Yanxi walked past Jin Zhao, the scent of cold mountain pine mist mixed with the refreshing coolness after the rain wafted into her nostrils.

*

During the parent-teacher meeting, students are free to do as they please and will return at 7 p.m. for evening self-study.

This was equivalent to a holiday in most people's eyes. Si Tian and a few girls made an appointment to go to the snack street outside the school to drink milk tea. Jin Zhao declined their invitation and went to the library to do practice questions by herself.

The high school library was rarely crowded. After all, high school students were already overwhelmed with their studies, and sometimes teachers would even take over their morning and evening study sessions, leaving them with very little extra time for the library. They would occasionally come in just to find a book, borrow it, and leave quickly. However, the affiliated high school library did provide study spaces for students, with rows of solid wood tables and chairs placed by the windows.

It was already getting chilly in late September, and there was even an autumn rain today. Jin Zhao opened the window, and a refreshing breeze blew in through the half-open window.

There are several osmanthus trees downstairs in the library, their fragrance filling the air, mingled with the gentle breeze and drizzle.

Ji Haoxuan finally found the literary review book on the bookshelf and suddenly noticed Jin Zhao by the window.

She was writing a math test paper with her head down, her right hand holding the pen to do calculations, and her left hand occasionally smoothing the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the wind and tucking them behind her ear.

The girl had a slender and upright back, her long black hair was tied into a ponytail with a simple hair tie, and her neck was long and slender with a fair complexion.

Outside the window, a light rain fell on the sycamore trees, the sky was clear, her eyes were lowered, her profile was gentle and beautiful, and her skin was radiant.

Like a painting that is spotless.

Ji Haoxuan paused in his steps as he was about to leave, then turned around and sat down in the empty seat in front of Jin Zhao.

In two hours, Jin Zhao finished a math test paper, except for the last big question.

She wasn't weak in any subject, but math was relatively poor. And while she could make up for her shortcomings in other subjects with hard work, math was sometimes truly daunting. She struggled for another half hour without success, so she simply gave up.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jin Zhao started packing her things, preparing to ask Si Tian about it during evening self-study.

The person in front suddenly turned around.

Jin Zhao recognized his deskmate and greeted him with a slight smile: "Class monitor."

Ji Haoxuan seemed to only just notice her, and asked with slight surprise, "Jin Zhao, you're here too?"

"Ah, come do your homework." Jin Zhao picked up her schoolbag, said goodbye to Ji Haoxuan, "I'm leaving now, class monitor."

Ji Haoxuan put away his book and stood up. "I should go too. Let's go together."

Ji Haoxuan was tall and thin, wearing glasses, and holding Wang Guowei's "Words on Poetry in the Human World" in his hands, which reminded people of the talented scholars of the Republic of China era.

As the two walked out together, Ji Haoxuan took the initiative to start a conversation: "Are you getting used to the teacher's teaching pace?"

Jin Zhao thought for a moment and said, "It will be faster than before, and we will dig deeper, but it's still okay."

Ji Haoxuan turned his head to look at her, wanting to say, "If you don't understand anything, you can ask me."

On second thought, that sounded particularly immodest. After a moment of silence, she changed the subject: "I didn't see your parents at the parent-teacher conference today. Did they have something else to do?"

The smile on Jin Zhao's lips faded.

"drop--"

The library's security door alarm went off, and Ji Haoxuan, who was about to follow Jin Zhao out of the library, suddenly remembered that he hadn't checked out the books yet.

He quickly took two steps back, scratching his head sheepishly, "I'll go borrow a book first..."

He looked into Jin Zhao's eyes, wanting to say, "Wait for me."

Jin Zhao readily waved to him and said, "Okay, goodbye, class monitor!"

Ji Haoxuan: "..."

*

When Jinzhao left the library, the rain had stopped, so he decided to go back to the classroom to put down his bag and umbrella.

After the parent-teacher meeting ended, the classroom was empty except for Lu Jingyue and Meng Yanxi.

Jin Zhao didn't notice and went straight in through the back door. By the time he stepped inside, it was too late.

Meng Yanxi leaned back in his chair with his hands in his pockets, his long legs spread wide open without restraint. Lu Jingyue was sitting on the table in front of him, talking to him with his head down.

Both men are tall and handsome, equally eye-catching, and even share some resemblance in their features. However, Meng Yanxi's eyes are so striking that they make him look even more handsome, while Lu Jingyue's features are more cold and hard.

With two such top-tier handsome men together, they're bound to make a bunch of girls' hearts flutter and their hearts race at any time.

But this doesn't include Jin Zhao; the series of embarrassing moments in a short period of time made her want to turn around and run away as soon as she took a step in.

Unfortunately, it was too late. Lu Jingyue was facing the back door, and he saw her as soon as he looked up.

To make matters worse, Meng Yanxi, who had been facing away from Lu Jingyue, suddenly turned around when she noticed Lu Jingyue raising her eyes.

The moment their eyes met, Jin Zhao quickly lowered his head.

She didn't know what she was feeling guilty about. Honestly, those calls of "husband" and "father-in-law" weren't made by her.

Whether it was because the air conditioning was set too low or because the classroom was empty, Jin Zhao felt a chill. He looked down at his feet, gripped his backpack strap tightly with his fingertips, and walked over with a forced smile.

As she passed by him, the scent of cold mountain pine mist once again wafted into her nostrils.

Jin Zhao heard Lu Jingyue say, "Does he really have to come to the parent-teacher conference?"

“Hmm,” Meng Yanxi’s voice was low, languid and indifferent. “Life is an experience. If you don’t experience it here, you’ll experience it elsewhere. Only when he has experienced enough with me will he stop thinking about being someone else’s father.”

Jin Zhao lowered her head to put her schoolbag into the desk drawer. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that Meng Yanxi was watching her.

That clear, cool gaze came from behind her, and her ears burned.

Lu Jingyue and Meng Yanxi's conversation was like a Zen talk; she couldn't understand it. After putting down her schoolbag, she quickly fled the classroom through the front door.

They seemed to say something again, but Jin Zhao couldn't hear it clearly. Passing through the back door again, Lu Jingyue's light sneer came through the open back door.

"What a cunning strategist!"

Is he talking about Meng Yanxi? Even a heartless person can have eight hundred schemes.

As Jin Zhao went downstairs, he couldn't help but think, how could Meng Yanxi, such a favored son of heaven, surrounded by admirers, and with such a powerful and charismatic father, have eight hundred schemes in his heart? He has no heart at all.

He couldn't even remember the name of his girlfriend.

There's a bustling food street behind the affiliated high school, always teeming with people and filled with the aroma of food during breaks. Especially on summer evenings, the scorching sun shines on the street filled with food, and seventeen- or eighteen-year-old teenagers rush around recklessly, fearless and unrestrained.

Jin Zhao liked to go there when she was in a good mood, but she didn't want to today. She avoided the back door and went out alone through the front door.

Across the street, opposite the school, is a park lawn, where the teachers park their cars. There are no vendors nearby, but a few hundred meters ahead there are a few small shops and a supermarket.

Jin Zhao ate dinner at a small shop and then went to the supermarket to buy yogurt and sausages. On her way back, she took a walk around the lawn across from the school and, sure enough, saw the stray orange cat again.

The orange cat recognized her, happily rolled around in the lawn, and ran over to rub against her legs while meowing.

Jin Zhao smiled and rubbed its belly, took out a sausage from his pocket, and squatted behind a row of cars to feed the cat.

*

After the parents' meeting, Meng Shixu went to the office and chatted with Chen Shu for a while. When he came out, all the students' parents had left, but his son was still waiting for him in the classroom.

"Have you eaten?" Meng Shixu walked over and asked.

Meng Yanxi stood up and said, "Lu Jingyue went to buy it. I'll see you out."

Meng Shixu nodded.

The father and son left the school together and met school leaders on the way. Meng Shixu politely declined their invitation to dinner.

Chen Shu told him that Meng Yanxi's grades were very stable, and with his national competition awards, he should have no problem getting into the top two universities in China, whether through raw scores or guaranteed admission. He would even have plenty of options for better universities abroad.

But Meng Yanxi's attitude remained unchanged.

"My aspirations haven't changed, and I'm still getting old."

In the parking lot, Meng Yanxi opened the door of the Rolls-Royce for Meng Shixu.

Meng Shixu quietly looked at his son.

Meng Yanxi and he looked very alike; both father and son had high brow bones, high nose bridges, and deep-set, three-dimensional features. The only difference was their eyes. Meng Yanxi's eyes resembled his mother's—large, almond-shaped eyes, with a striking beauty. Meng Shixu's eyes, on the other hand, were deep and seemingly gentle, but in reality, as deep as an ancient pool.

"Okay, it's fine as long as you decide."

Meng Shixu knew what he was thinking and didn't say much. She simply straightened his school uniform collar, patted his shoulder, and reminded him, "Remember to eat dinner when you get back."

"Um."

Meng Shixu got into the back seat, while Meng Yanxi stood outside the car, one hand on the door, and suddenly asked, "Dad, did you use the things I bought for you last time?"

It would have been better if he hadn't brought it up, because Meng Shixu wanted to kick him as soon as he did. But since the man was already in the car, he couldn't do anything, so he could only point at him and mutter, "Meng Yanxi, you better stay away from doing those bastard things in the future!"

Meng Yanxi clicked her tongue: "How is that outrageous? You're in your prime, it's not shameful to say that. Just take precautions and don't cause any deaths."

To outsiders, Meng Shixu always appears calm and composed, but only he knows how much of a headache he gets from his two children, Meng Yanxi and Meng Zhuxi, especially Meng Yanxi.

Meng Shixu sneered: "I'm not ashamed, aren't you? You brought that thing back from school, do you even remember you're a high school student? Don't you care about your reputation?"

Meng Yanxi remained unmoved, saying nonchalantly, "The nearby pharmacy had a buy-three-get-two-free offer, so I just bought it. What do I need a reputation for? I'm not trying to build a monument to chastity."

Meng Shixu couldn't hold back any longer. He abandoned all manners and kicked Meng Yanxi while still in the car.

"Aww—" Meng Yanxi exclaimed exaggeratedly.

"What are you yelling for! Do you think I don't know you?" Meng Shixu cursed, but he was still afraid of hurting his son, so he didn't hit him again. He warned, "Meng Yanxi, focus on your studies and don't worry about things that aren't your business."

“Okay, I won’t worry about anything else, but I have to buy the condoms.” He said with a double meaning, “The ones I buy are high quality and not easy to puncture.”

A high school student buying condoms for his own father—this sounds utterly shocking. Anyone who didn't know better would think it was a joke, but Meng Shixu knew Meng Yanxi wasn't joking.

The Rolls-Royce's black body reflected a somber, dark light in the boy's eyes.

Meng Yanxi wasn't talking about condoms, maybe she was, but it wasn't just that.

Since Mrs. Meng passed away five years ago, leaving behind a son who was not yet twelve years old and a daughter who was five years old, the Meng family has been without a mistress. It's not that Meng Shixu hasn't considered remarrying, nor that there aren't suitable candidates, but rather that Meng Yanxi has repeatedly obstructed his plans.

Meng Shixu is rich, charming, and a good father. But people's hearts are fickle; who knows what he might become?

Rather than being exhausted by endless variables in the future, ultimately resulting in the depletion of family ties and mutual destruction, it is better to stop it firmly from the beginning and cut off the source of the problem.

Even if it means resorting to any means necessary.

Meng Yanxi never considered herself a good person.

“Dad, I will not leave Suiyi until my sister turns eighteen. You will only have my sister and me as your children.”

Meng Yanxi stared intently into Meng Shixu's eyes. Those beautiful peach blossom eyes lost their playful edge, turning dark and cold, reminiscent of the murderous aura of war.

Jin Zhao squatted behind a Volvo, caught in a dilemma.

It seems she overheard a secret about the Meng family. If this were a political drama, would she be silenced?

Fortunately, no one was around at that time, and the father and son didn't notice her. The Rolls-Royce quickly drove away, smoothly entering the tree-lined road in front of the affiliated high school.

At this moment, the orange cat finished the sausage in her hand in small bites and meowed contentedly.

Jin Zhao was startled and quickly put his index finger to his lips to silently stop it.

Meng Yanxi was about to go back when she suddenly heard a cat meowing not far away, and she turned around.

The orange cat sensed someone approaching with hostile intent and immediately ran away without a care in the world.

Hey you—keep it down!

Jin Zhao was futilely anxious just a second ago, but the next second, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her.

The rain stopped completely, the clouds dispersed, and the sun peeked out. The setting sun shone obliquely through the gaps between the school buildings, illuminating the tall and slender boy.

Meng Yanxi's shadow fell to the ground, just covering Jin Zhao, who was squatting on the ground.

The shadow remained motionless, and Jin Zhao felt a chill run down his spine.

She slowly turned her head and looked up at the owner of the shadow.

Meng Yanxi lowered her eyes and looked at her expressionlessly.

Their eyes met; one was squatting on the ground, and the other stood with his back to the light.

There was no one around, only a car driving by, its tires making a rustling sound and bringing a dull vibration as they rolled over the road.

Jin Zhao finally spoke up, his voice dry and strained: "I was just feeding the cat."

Meng Yanxi: "Where's the cat?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

You might not believe it, but I ran away.

A note from the author:

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