Chapter 6, Chapter 6: As Clear as Day

"It ate and then ran away."

Jin Zhao held up the sausage packaging in his hand to show him, trying to prove himself.

Meng Yanxi's gaze swept over the red plastic strip, which the girl was holding between her milky white fingers.

Meng Yanxi: "Is it delicious?"

Jin Zhao: "..."

She went on to explain, "What's the point if it's not something she ate?"

Whatever, just consider it her food.

Jin Zhao gave up and got up from the ground. She was going back to class; if she had the guts, she could kill her to silence her.

"Proving yourself won't make your situation better."

Meng Yanxi stood still, and as she stepped out of his sight, he suddenly spoke softly.

Jin Zhao raised his eyes.

She didn't understand what he meant at first, and the height difference between them made her look up in confusion.

It had just rained in the afternoon, and her eyes looked as if they had been washed by water.

Meng Yanxi: "In that situation just now, you should accuse me of scaring the cat away."

Jin Zhao didn't understand why this seemingly aloof top student would suddenly talk to her so much. In fact, she had been in Class A for over a month, and before today, he had said no more than ten words to her in total.

No, let her count them, that's easy—

Sorry, give it to me.

Thanks.

There are only seven characters in total, which averages out to 0.1 characters per day. This is thanks to the short time she's been there, making the denominator very small. If the time were longer, the answer would approach zero.

She didn't understand, but honestly and gently said, "Not necessarily. It used to run away after eating, so it's not your fault."

"Does it matter?" Meng Yanxi looked down at her, her gaze following the corner of her eye downwards, revealing a cold arrogance.

"Huh?" Jin Zhao looked bewildered. "Isn't it important? I can't possibly wrong you."

Meng Yanxi suddenly chuckled very softly, but strangely, the chuckle did not make him seem any more approachable.

Meng Yanxi: "Kindness is a noble virtue."

Jin Zhao took it as a compliment and said, "Thank you."

Meng Yanxi: "But you are not worthy of it."

Jin Zhao: "..."

Meng Yanxi's Adam's apple was as sharp as his mouth, a protruding, angular piece that bobbed up and down as he spoke.

“Kindness is predicated on self-preservation.” Meng Yanxi looked into her eyes, paused, and said, “I’m not talking about cats.”

It wasn't until Meng Yanxi had walked away that Jin Zhao understood what he meant.

She turned around abruptly, her gaze following the direction.

The boy was tall with long legs, his steps were slow but large, seemingly leisurely, yet each step was steady and powerful. In the blink of an eye, he had entered the school.

Just then, two girls came out of the guardhouse with their things. When they looked up and saw him, their faces instantly lit up with joy, but they quickly regained their composure. After Meng Yanxi had walked away, the two girls tugged at each other, silently excitedly watching his retreating figure.

He wasn't talking about the cat; he was talking about her.

She studied hard and strived to climb the ladder, wasn't she trying to prove herself with her grades? To prove her worth to her father, hoping to win his love in the process.

She understood her father's hardships and that it was only natural for a man to remarry. As for the children from his previous marriage, some hardship was inevitable. So even when Lin Yao tested her limits, took advantage of her, and even allowed the nanny to bully her, she endured it all with resentment.

Meng Yanxi told her that kindness is a very noble virtue, but she, who couldn't even protect herself, didn't deserve to have it.

Jin Zhao let out a soft breath.

She never expected that, after just an unexpected encounter outside the office, this star-studded, privileged young man would be able to see right through her embarrassing situation.

However, looking back on his conversation with Meng Shixu, it doesn't seem so hard to understand.

They must be facing the same predicament.

The difference is that Meng Yanxi's personality and methods are far more ruthless and assertive than hers; she actually sent her father condoms directly.

She suddenly became curious about the occasion in which Meng Yanxi gave her the condoms. It couldn't have been a birthday present for Meng Shixu, could it?

From their conversation, I learned that he also has a younger sister.

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

Even now, when Jin Zhao recalls those words, he can still feel the murderous intent beneath that calm surface.

Meng Yanxi was so certain, it was almost like a warning. A warning to Meng Shixu that if anyone threatened his and his sister's interests, he would retaliate without hesitation.

Jin Zhao suddenly felt very envious of his younger sister.

When her mother passed away, she was lying in bed. The long-term pain from her illness had clouded her mind. Her withered hand held her tightly, tears streaming down her face as she murmured over and over again, "Lingling, after your mother is gone, no one will cherish you anymore."

At that time, her father and grandmother were by her side, and to reassure her mother, they repeatedly promised to take good care of her.

Tears streamed down her face as she gently shook her head: "No, it won't happen again..."

She was too young then to understand her mother's grief. Later she realized that in a family, a child's position is often maintained by the mother.

She lost her mother, and from then on, she had no one to rely on.

She could only study desperately to become stronger.

To make matters worse, the stepmother was difficult to deal with, and it seemed there was a knife hidden behind her back—a sharp blade occasionally revealed from the darkness.

Meng Yanxi must know everything, which is why he said he wouldn't leave Suiyi until his sister turned eighteen.

Staying in Suiyi to personally oversee things and eliminate any potential dangers for the brother and sister might sound too cold-hearted and cautious, after all, Meng Shixu really seems like a good father and would never do anything to mistreat his children.

But for Meng Yanxi, whatever she did was perfectly reasonable.

—He was just taking over the place of his mother.

Jin Zhao really envies Meng Yanxi's sister.

*

Being sentimental can lead to mistakes; I almost missed evening self-study.

As soon as they reached the top floor, the bell rang, and Jin Zhao hurriedly entered through the back door.

Tonight, English teacher Ye Wei is supervising the self-study session. She is standing on the podium, her gaze silently sweeping over the students. The students are looking down, taking out their homework, and quietly working on it.

Meng Yanxi sat in her seat, holding an extracurricular book.

Jin Zhao walked past him, slowing his pace and indulging in his peripheral vision.

He just closed the book in his hand. The dark cover had a neo-Gothic building printed in the lower right center, brick-colored, looking like an ancient castle. Above that was the title: "History of the Black Sea".

The boy's fingers were pale and slender, his thumb pressing against the book cover.

There seemed to be a mole on the inside of his right wrist, a deep red one. Glancing at it briefly, Jin Zhao wasn't sure if it was a mole or a birthmark; it was small, like a butterfly wing.

However, it's too small; perhaps she's mistaken.

It was just a matter of passing each other by a seat; even if she walked slowly, it would only be a fleeting moment. Besides, she didn't dare to walk too slowly. But even so, Jin Zhao's heart began to beat faster, and she suspected it was because she felt guilty.

I felt guilty for secretly watching him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ji Haoxuan standing in the aisle, making room for her.

Jin Zhao's face was still warm from the heat. She glanced at him discreetly and whispered, "Thank you."

Their eyes met, and Ji Haoxuan's heart skipped a beat, like a deer's. He replied slowly, "No, you're welcome."

Jin Zhao's seat was by the window, and Ji Haoxuan sat down to her right. After a few seconds, he asked again, "Where did you go? Why are you so late?"

Jin Zhao looked down and took out his homework from under the desk, saying absentmindedly, "I went to get something to eat."

Ji Haoxuan wanted to say something more, but Ye Wei on the podium looked over and he lowered his head to do his homework quietly.

There's a ten-minute break between the two evening self-study sessions, during which students usually run around the classroom looking for someone to ask them questions. Ye Wei is the English teacher, and some students even go up to the podium with their English problems to ask.

Jin Zhao took out the math problem that had stumped her that afternoon and was about to ask Si Tian for help when Si Tian turned around and held up a small, exquisite glass bottle in front of her.

"Zhaozhao, this pudding is delicious, you can have some!"

Jin Zhao was instantly delighted and smiled as she accepted it: "Did you buy it at the back gate this afternoon?"

"Yeah! You wouldn't believe it if you hadn't been there, a new bakery opened near the back gate. This pudding has caramel in it, it's really sweet, just like you!"

Jin Zhao put the pudding into his schoolbag and said with a laugh, "That certainly won't be as sweet as your mouth."

Si Tianle was overjoyed: "It really is still a bit short."

In the back row, Luo Heng had just called Lu Jingyue over and was about to say something when he overheard their conversation. He couldn't help but gossip and deliberately asked Lu Jingyue in a "quiet" voice, "Hey, do you think Si Tian's parents know she's so shameless?"

Si Tian and Lu Jingyue lived in the same compound when they were children and were considered neighbors. Luo Heng's mother and Si Tian's mother were best friends who could talk about anything, and the three of them practically grew up together. Luo Heng deliberately asked Lu Jingyue a question, intending to let Si Tian hear it.

Si Tian laughed and told Luo Heng to get lost.

Luo Heng teased her a couple more times, and Si Tian got impatient, almost jumping up to hit him. Jin Zhao quickly used a math test paper to shield the two of them.

"Hmph, I'm going to start explaining the problem now, I'm not going to argue with you!" Si Tian picked up a pen from Jin Zhao's desk.

One minute later, he was successfully stumped.

Luo Heng was just waiting to see her make a fool of herself. When she couldn't utter a single word in a minute, he laughed loudly: "Hahaha, you've really blown your own horn, haven't you? Just tell me, do you even know what you're capable of?"

Si Tian glared at him fiercely, then waved the test paper in her hand, handing it to him across Jin Zhao: "You know how, you do it!"

Luo Heng accepted the offer without hesitation: "I'll do it."

Then, Luo Heng fell silent. Staring at the exam paper, he struggled for a long time before finally managing to utter a single, bold, and powerful character: "解" (jie).

Si Tian slapped the table and laughed hysterically: "Luo Heng, with your level of skill, how dare you laugh at me?"

Luo Heng: "Ku Ku, you can say whatever you want, but don't resort to personal attacks."

司恬的名字是爷爷取的，取义忆苦思甜，骆珩小时候就爱逗她，小男生憋着坏水儿，非要喊她“苦苦”，被司恬听一次揍一次还学不乖。

Si Tian was about to rush up and punch him again when Ji Haoxuan coughed lightly and said, "How about I give it a try?"

"Okay, let the class monitor handle it."

One minute later, the squad leader also died.

Si Tian lay on the table, laughing as she counted, "How awful, one little bitter melon, two little bitter melons, three little bitter melons, four little bitter melons..."

She tapped her finger across Jin Zhao, herself, Luo Heng, and Ji Haoxuan in turn. When she touched Lu Jingyue, who had temporarily sat down next to her, she paused and asked, "Brother Yue, do you want to be the fifth little bitter gourd?"

The students in Class A can be roughly divided into four types—

The first type is someone who is good at solving problems but doesn't explain them to others, like Meng Yanxi. He might let you copy the answers, but he won't explain the problems to you.

The second type is someone who is skilled and can also explain the problems, like Si Tian.

The third type is someone who is bad at the subject but loves to explain problems to others everywhere; a representative figure is Luo Heng.

The last type is someone whose skill level is unknown, but who definitely doesn't like to discuss problems with others, like Lu Jingyue.

Compared to Meng Yanxi, Lu Jingyue was a rather mysterious figure in Class A and even in the affiliated high school. He and Meng Yanxi were cousins, and both came from similarly good families and had similar appearances, but Lu Jingyue's brilliance was much weaker. Even his grades had always remained in the middle, neither outstanding nor bad.

Strictly speaking, Lu Jingyue fits the general public's impression of a prodigy: excellent conditions, wide range of interests, decent grades, not outstanding, but always passable.

On the contrary, Meng Yanxi, who excels in everything and is so stunning, doesn't seem like a rich second generation at all.

Lu Jingyue was casually sitting on the chair next to Luo Heng, watching the show, when suddenly he was stared at by the four little bitter gourds. He chuckled and reached out: "Give it to me."

Luo Heng quickly offered it with both hands, saying solicitously, "Brother Yue, please!"

Lu Jingyue actually knows how to do it.

He glanced at the problem statement, quickly sketched a line of calculations on the draft paper with his black pen, and found the solution. He was also very good at explaining problems, pointing out three key steps without saying much. The four little bitter gourds next to him suddenly understood.

"Wow, so that's how it is!" Si Tian exclaimed. "As expected of you, Lu Jingyue!"

Luo Heng clapped exaggeratedly in his ear, shouting, "Brother Yue! Brother Yue!"

This prompted Meng Yanxi, who was diagonally behind them, to look up at them.

Jin Zhao smiled as she looked at Lu Jingyue, who was in the direction of Meng Yanxi. Caught off guard, she met Meng Yanxi's gaze, and her heart skipped a beat.

Meng Yanxi quickly looked away and continued reading the book in her hands.

"The History of the Black Sea"... Is it a history book? It sounds like a history book, Jin Zhao thought to himself. Is he interested in history? Then why doesn't he study humanities?

"Which Zhao is your Zhao?"

Lu Jingyue suddenly looked at her and spoke to her. Jin Zhao took half a second to come back to her senses.

"What?"

Across the street, Lu Jingyue asked again, "Is your name the 'Jinzhao' of 'drink today, for tomorrow we may die'?"

Jin Zhao: "No, it's the 'Zhao' in 'the sacred flame shines brightly'."

Lu Jingyue seemed to remember something, leaned back in his chair, and chuckled enigmatically: "The sacred flame shines brightly."

Luo Heng thought he hadn't understood, so he explained it again, as if he were being clever: "It's the 'Zhao' in 'obvious as if revealed,' the 'Zhao' in 'Sima Zhao's heart is known to all.'"

Jin Zhao: "..."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that the figure was engrossed in reading and hadn't noticed them. But when she heard Luo Heng's terrifying explanation, Jin Zhao's heart skipped a beat again, filled with guilt.

A note from the author:

----------------------

Jin Zhao: Terrifying! What a jinx Luo Heng is! Retreat, retreat, retreat!

Lu Jingyue: The "Zhao" in "the sacred flame shines brightly" is the same as my wife's name.

Meng Yanxi: What Sheng? Surname Sheng? Ha, what a misnomer.

——

Sorry, I accidentally clicked "publish" instead of "save draft." I was supposed to publish at 8 PM... *facepalm*

There's an extra chapter today, and another one tonight! Mwah~