Autumn has passed and winter has come; another year has passed in the blink of an eye. Spring has lifted the white veil of winter, revealing vibrant green.
Shi Lan received her official admission notice in the early spring when the weather was still chilly. This meant that she would be studying under Professor Wang for the next few years. Cheng Hao was very happy for her when he found out.
Shi Lan had been taken care of by him ever since she arrived here, so she wanted to take this opportunity to treat him to a nice meal. Cheng Hao had recently introduced Shi Lan to several jobs and knew that she had some spare money, so he didn't refuse. The two agreed to meet at the entrance of the school library.
As evening fell and the sky was ablaze with sunset colors, Shi Lan rubbed her eyes as she came out of the reading room. Turning the corner of the stairs, she saw a person huddled behind the stairs, looking like someone who couldn't be seen by anyone.
Shi Lan tilted her head and looked at the person.
The man seemed to notice, turned his head, saw Shi Lan, and grinned, "Lanlan."
The moment Shi Lan saw him, she felt a wave of unease, and her face immediately fell. "Liu Jinxiang, what are you doing here?"
Shi Lan's tone was unfriendly, and Liu Jinxiang, who was about to go upstairs, stopped and looked up, saying, "It's been so long since we last met, I missed you a bit, so I came to see you."
Shi Lan glanced at him sideways, her face full of mockery, "You actually came to see me?"
Since the coffee-throwing incident, Liu Jinxiang has never shown his face again. If it weren't for the occasional mention of the adultery scandal, Shi Lan would have almost forgotten about him.
Liu Jin recognized Shi Lan's unspoken message, looked embarrassed, chuckled awkwardly, and, with a thick skin, stepped forward again, "Lanlan..."
Shi Lan stepped back and said unfriendly, "Stay away from me."
Liu Jinxiang saw her bright eyes narrow slightly, a cold glint flashing within them, and for some reason, he felt a chill run down his spine and unconsciously shrank back.
Shi Lan glanced at him coldly, then slowly walked down the stairs, her expression indifferent. "Let's talk outside."
Liu Jinxiang had been waiting for these words, so he quickly nodded and followed Shi Lan obsequiously.
Shi Lan led Liu Jinxiang to the side of the library before turning to him and asking, "So, what do you want from me?"
Liu Jinxiang gave an awkward grin, stammered for a while, and finally said, "It's nothing."
Shi Lan glanced at him; his face practically screamed "I'm busy," but since he wouldn't say, she wasn't interested in knowing.
"Since everything's alright, I'm leaving," Shi Lan said, tossing her braid as she turned and walked away.
Liu Jinxiang panicked and, forgetting all about the atmosphere he had planned to create, hurriedly reached out to stop her. "No, Lanlan, we haven't seen each other for so long. I rarely come here, and even if you don't welcome me, you should at least take some time to talk to me. We've known each other for several years, how can you just leave like that without any regard for our past?"
Shi Lan looked at him coldly. Old feelings? Who had any old feelings for him? The one who showed him mercy was long gone; what remained was her, burning with the flames of revenge.
"If you have something to say, say it; if you don't, get lost."
Shi Lan spoke very bluntly, and Liu Jinxiang's face stiffened. After a while, he finally composed himself and managed a weak smile. "To be honest, Lanlan, you know me best. I did come here today because I have something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Shi Lan squinted at him, looking at him with hostility.
I knew he was a weasel paying respects to a chicken; he had no good intentions.
Under her intense gaze, Liu Jinxiang guiltily looked away and touched his nose, saying, "This isn't difficult. I want you to help me put on a show so my dad will think we're doing well and haven't broken up yet."
Shi Lan curled her lips slightly, looking at him with a mocking expression.
Judging from his appearance, he probably didn't get anywhere with Liu Shizhu. With information so readily available now, and the scandal of catching someone in adultery being so sensational back then, Liu Shizhu probably couldn't handle it anymore and looked down on this son.
Shi Lan glanced at him disdainfully and snorted, "It's not even dark yet, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Before Shi Lan could finish speaking, Liu Jinxiang's expression changed.
He had been behaving subserviently since the beginning, all in an effort to get her to agree to help. Now that he hadn't achieved his goal, there was no need for him to lower himself any further.
Liu Jinxiang's temper flared, his eyebrows shot up, and he looked fierce. "What did you say? Do you want to be beaten up?"
Shi Lan turned her head to look at him and saw that he was all bark and no bite, showing no fear whatsoever.
He still dares to show off to her? He probably doesn't know who he was tricked by the last few times. It seems he's itching for a beating again.
Shi Lan secretly clenched her fingers, pondering whether to slap him with her hand or kick him with her foot. She was a little afraid of the pain if she used her hand, so she decided to use her foot instead. Although she was wearing soft-soled shoes today, it would still hurt just as much if she kicked him.
"Liu Jinxiang, what do you want to do?" A few steps away, Cheng Hao, who had just arrived, rushed forward, pushed Liu Jinxiang aside, and shielded Shi Lan behind him.
Liu Jinxiang looked at Cheng Hao, who was half a head taller than him, and put away his fist. "What can I do? I'm just here to see my fiancée, is that not allowed?"
Cheng Hao stared at him, his expression stern. "So, you're tired of living like this and want to cause trouble, huh?"
Liu Jinxiang grinned, glared at her, and said, "Who are you? Looking for a fight?"
Cheng Hao smiled slightly, "Who I am is not important. You should take care of yourself first."
Liu Jinxiang looked at him suspiciously, somewhat bewildered.
Cheng Hao clenched his fist and punched him hard in the face, aiming straight for his white teeth.
Liu Jinxiang cried out and covered his mouth, staggering backward two steps before regaining his footing. When he raised his hand, he saw blood all over it, and a snow-white tooth lay in his palm with a few streaks of blood on it.
"You, you don't go! How dare you commit violence in public! I'm calling the police!" Liu Jinxiang shouted incoherently, covering his bleeding lips.
Cheng Hao clenched his fist and took a step forward.
Liu Jinxiang was so frightened that he quickly backed away, shouting in his panic, "You wait, I won't let you get away with this, Shi Lan, you just wait."
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