Chapter 132 A Gentleman's Character is Like a Steadfast Jade Pendant (7)
After he finished speaking, he remained frozen in place, not moving for a long time.
After a long while, Shu Changyan avoided her gaze and awkwardly moved aside to give her some space.
I wonder how Shu Changyan slept last night, but she slept very soundly.
The next morning, Shu Changyan brought out breakfast, his eyes still showing faint dark circles.
He put down his bowl and plate and saw Shu Ningmiao leaning back in her chair, lazily holding the invitation card, typing on her terminal with her other hand, too busy to even look up.
Shu Changyan poked her cheek, bent down and leaned close to her, staring straight into her eyes: "Are you really going?"
"Why didn't you go?" Shu Ningmiao swiped back the chat interface displayed on the terminal, tilted her head back and was fed a small piece of scrambled egg by him. After a moment, she spoke again: "He invited more than just me."
It was already quite late yesterday, and it would be impolite to disturb others. She got up early this morning and asked around among her classmates who had been there, and surprisingly, quite a few of them had received invitations to the Shi family's charity gala.
That's why she was even more curious to see what Shi Yu was up to behind the scenes.
Shu Changyan did not deny her words, and silently put another small spoonful into her mouth.
As she ate the breakfast that Shu Changyan fed her, she raised her head from the angle between the back of the chair and his arm, and belatedly glanced at him.
He pressed his knuckles against the table, his fingers gripping the edge and rubbing it repeatedly, muttering to himself in a low voice, his breath trembling slightly as it brushed past her ear: "Everyone knows he's your fiancé."
Shu Ningmiao nodded: "It's not like they found out today."
Shu Changyan chuckled softly, annoyed by her, and could only reach out and gently rub her head with his palm. Shu Ningmiao hadn't tied her hair up that morning, and it came loose completely after he rubbed it. Shu Changyan was glared at by her, and wisely went to get a comb to re-comb her hair.
Long, slender fingers ran through her hair, the fingertips swirling around the ends.
Shu Ningmiao leaned back in her chair, gazing out the window. Sunlight streamed into her eyes, casting a transparent reddish-brown hue, a serene and remarkably clear-headed expression.
The morning light slanted in through the cracks in the window, dividing her fingers into piano keys of alternating light and shadow.
The sound of her tapping on the terminal suddenly stopped, and the shadow of her fingers just happened to cover the Shi family crest on the invitation.
Cornunos's classes were as usual, but compared to the dramatic events of the past, the calm and uneventful campus life was so boring that it was hard to sit still.
At this moment, nothing is more exhilarating than the arrival of a handsome new teacher for the practical class.
Following Yelüqi, Class A has gone through several substitute teachers whose faces are hard to remember, and now they finally have a formal new teacher.
After finding out who their new practical class teacher was, the class's anticipation never stopped.
Shu Ningmiao had dealt with this teacher long ago, but now she couldn't muster any interest in him at all.
Their new practical class teacher, a recent graduate and senior student, is the son of Principal Cornunos and a member of the school board. He is currently the most anticipated reserve pilot, the heir to the Belial family, a blond handsome man with eight-pack abs, and has so many titles—Mr. Luxbelia.
His confidence in his status, wealth, and appearance was overflowing, making him appear quite narcissistic and flamboyant on the surface—but Shu Ningmiao didn't believe that a cunning businessman like Principal Aloberia would raise his son to be a flamboyant good-for-nothing. As a reserve officer for the Executor, his own strength was beyond doubt.
In short, it has nothing to do with her.
If she hadn't happened to run into him in front of Edwina's office last time, she would never have gotten to know him so well.
Before Weston left the company, Shu Ningmiao had maliciously imagined how she and Weston would clash if they worked together.
It's a bit of a pity, but it would have been the same if it were Lin Shengyi.
After all, these two aren't the type to get along peacefully.
After Lux took over the superpower practice class, it became even more lax. Some of the practical training and superpower content he taught was quite useful, but he completely neglected discipline and didn't care whether they learned it or not. In the first class, he generously gave everyone full marks for their attendance, successfully winning the unanimous love of all the students.
Lin Shengyi was at the other extreme. After failing to get Shu Ningmiao to do the dirty and tiring work, he spent all his time wearing that smiling face and deducting points from everyone in Class A to establish his authority. If you didn't greet him in time, you would lose two points. In just a few days, he had become more disliked than Weston.
The two teachers in Class A have clearly gone to two extremes. Lin Shengyi is ostracized by the students, while Lux is more like a leader than a teacher.
The progress of her supernatural ability practice class is still stuck on the advanced use of Pandora, and the school's current pace can no longer teach her anything.
Lux lectured quickly, and after the demonstration, he readily let them do as they pleased.
Shu Ningmiao stayed on the training field to run, her gaze thoughtfully fixed on the tall, blond youth. Morning light streamed through the domed glass of the training field, gilding Lux's blond hair into flowing, molten gold. He leaned against the control panel, surveying his students like a lazy lion.
Whether seeking guidance on his superpowers or simply admiring him, Lux is always surrounded by many students. Could his superpower be something like charisma?
She sensed someone's presence nearby, which gradually became steady, their breathing eventually synchronizing with her steps.
Shu Ningmiao withdrew her gaze and looked to her shoulder, where a head of flamboyant red hair, blown about by the wind, came into view.
The boy, like a nimble little cheetah, took three steps at a time to keep up with her pace, and as he passed by her, he brought with him a soapy scent mixed with the fresh, fishy smell.
You An casually threw on his school uniform jacket, over which he wore a vest and sweatpants. He was tall and muscular, with bright, clear eyes, and a slightly flushed face: "Why are you still running?"
After Yelüqi left, practically no one ran to improve their physical fitness during practical classes anymore.
"I'm warming up," Shu Ningmiao replied casually, her eyes fixed ahead.
The simulated combat machines in the practical training field are open to all students, and many people are playing with the machines.
Having overly sensitive senses isn't entirely a good thing. She can string these machines together with her eyes closed, and their attack trajectories are just a line in her field of vision. Simulation training is no longer of any real use to her, so she might as well run to activate her physical fitness as before.
You An stared at her with bright eyes for a while before turning to look at the group of people gathered around Lux and sighing, "He's not as responsible as the auntie who teaches in the village."
“Those who receive societal leniency tend to be particularly willful and stubborn,” Shu Ningmiao calmly replied. “Those with superpowers are simply not suited to be teachers.”
Replacing the teachers might not necessarily improve things. Truly capable individuals with special abilities have better career paths, and unless something unexpected happens, few are willing to stay in school and teach.
Superpowered individuals have existed for hundreds of years, and the most formal school for them is only String Light Academy. Although it's called a school, everyone's superpowers are different and vary greatly; it merely sets a framework for them to develop their abilities on their own.
He sighed, "I miss Weston a little now. He had a bad temper, but he was fair and conscientious."
Shu Ningmiao had no intention of agreeing with him; Weston was still threatening her with credits at the beginning of the semester.
But then I thought, if she had refused back then, Weston probably wouldn't have done anything to her, given his personality.
She agreed to Weston's offer largely because she saw potential in him. Her greedy and opportunistic nature was practically ingrained in her subconscious, often making decisions before her own mind could process them. By the time she realized it, she knew she would eventually suffer the consequences.
Perhaps believing Shi Yu was the biggest mistake she ever made.
Seeing that Shu Ningmiao's expression became somewhat subtle, You An guessed that she didn't like this topic, so she naturally steered the conversation to something else: "How is Lin Chuxu? When is she coming back to class? Oh, um, I remember you and she seemed to have a pretty good relationship..."
Shu Ningmiao paused, somewhat surprised by his thoughtfulness.
She and Lin Chuxu were classmates in preparatory school. They had a good relationship, but not to the point of being inseparable. How could he still remember?
Lin Chuxu is Lin Shengyi's niece, and they have a close relationship. Lin Shengyi himself doesn't care about such a bloody reputation, but Lin Chuxu is sensitive and easily influenced. After Lin Shengyi's dereliction of duty was exposed, she was forced to suspend her studies.
"I have no idea."
She saw all of this, but didn't delve into it. In fact, the whole thing started because of her.
She gradually picked up the pace, and the two of them ran laps around the training field one after the other. Before they were even out of breath while chatting, the others could barely keep up with them.
People who were chatting and joking around stopped and looked on.
Chris had just finished "asking" questions from her new teacher Lux when she noticed the noise around her gradually quieting down. She turned around and clicked her tongue in amazement: "Are those two crazy?"
You An caught up, and Shu Ningmiao finally spoke up: "It might be better if she doesn't come to school."
To be honest, Cornunos is a microcosm of society, where people are adept at judging others by their status, praising the powerful and belittling the weak. The other students' anger towards Lin Shengyi will inevitably be transferred to Lin Chuxu. And now that the Lin family is temporarily weak, others will treat her differently. Although it may not be obvious on the surface, this subtle sense of disparity is enough to make her feel uncomfortable.
“I know.” You An didn’t refute her words. He was always popular at school and had heard a lot of gossip. “But what Lin Shengyi did has nothing to do with her. She shouldn’t be involved.”
Shu Ningmiao turned her gaze to You An and said with a hint of surprise, "When people want to be hostile to others, do they need so many reasons?"
“It takes many reasons to be hostile to someone, but not necessarily to be hostile to them.” You An didn’t seem to be affected. After a moment of contemplation, he looked at her with bright, smiling eyes: “So, if anyone talks about her because of this, I will definitely try my best to stop them. Please tell her not to be afraid because of this.”
Seeing that Shu Ningmiao remained noncommittal, You An slowed down and pointed to the people standing in the training field.
“Not everyone is so annoying, uh… like Rennagi… and… Chris, Eric, they’re not.” He counted the heads and nodded in satisfaction: “There are still more good people in this world.”
After hearing what he said, Shu Ningmiao gave a faint smile, which was neither affirmation nor sarcasm.
A few strands of black hair softly swayed across her face. You An stared in amazement for a moment, then a smile even wider than hers curved at the corners of her mouth.
He stared intently at Shu Ningmiao. Ever since he met her, she seemed to have always been indifferent, showing no concern, worry, or tension. Nothing seemed to matter to her.
But he still really liked Shu Ningmiao.
From the first glance.
Perhaps liking someone is an irrational emotion that throws one's emotions off balance and disrupts reason. You An secretly observes her, despising himself for being a pervert. He is as happy as a child who has received candy because of her smile, yet suddenly feels lost because he cannot enter her life.
But he wasn't bothered by this small, pure infatuation. Instead, he fully enjoyed the bittersweet feeling of liking someone for the first time, and all the different emotions that arose because of this person.
She is different.
He swept his damp, dark red hair back, making him look like a flickering flame: "By the way, Mimi seems to have run off to play. She hasn't been seen since yesterday afternoon and hasn't come back yet. If you see her on campus, could you send me a picture? And tell her that if she doesn't come back soon, she won't have any freeze-dried food left."
Hearing him call a wild, untamed serval "Mimi," Shu Ningmiao couldn't help but show a strange expression. She just hoped that tomorrow she wouldn't see the bizarre news that all the swans in the school lake had been eaten to death.
Lux announced the dismissal, and they slowed down. Shu Ningmiao didn't even break a sweat; she put on her coat and left on her own.
People came over and started playfully shoving and jostling You An, filling the entire training ground with laughter and noise.
After a bit of playful fighting, someone nudged him with their elbow and whispered, "What are you doing, kid? You think you can act like a tyrant just because Young Master Shi isn't around?"
You An walked up to the vending machine and bought a can of carbonated drink. Upon hearing this, she curled her lip and said, "Shi Yu and her are just in a political marriage."
"Oh, oh, oh~ you even know what a political marriage is?" the person teased him with a chuckle.
"Even people from the countryside can use terminals, you know?" You An raised an eyebrow, biting the edge of the soda can, clamping the man's shoulder, and lightly kicking his knee with her long leg.
"What are you looking at on that terminal all day? You're not reading about how your rich husband dumped you and you ran away with ten kids, are you?" The man asked suspiciously. "Let me tell you the truth, there are arranged marriages, but these two aren't."
You An paused for a moment: "How could it not be?"
It is clearly true.
"They have a really good relationship, it's not fake." The man also bought a drink, shrugged, and said, "They grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Wouldn't you like them?"
"Not necessarily." You An crushed the empty can and threw it into the trash can, his voice stiff as he uttered each word: "There's a whole bunch of people I've known since childhood, and I don't like any of them, so what are they?"
"I guess it's because there are a lot of people in your village." The man patted him on the shoulder: "Good brother, to be honest, I wouldn't hurt you."
He looked around before lowering his voice and asking, "Do you know the Church of Praise?"
You An looked up at the sky for a while, seemingly searching his memory.
The man patted him on the shoulder speechlessly and said with a gossipy look, "Shi Yu's mother believes in this. She goes to the church in Xindi to worship every time. When Shi Yu was little, he couldn't talk, but he believed in this and it was good. Even now, his mother often takes him with her when she goes to the church in Yangsong."
“That…” The man scratched his head: “Every year at the end of the year, after the believers finish their worship, they write their wishes on slips of paper given by the church and throw them into the charcoal brazier to pray. The year before last, I accompanied my uncle to the new local church to get holy water, and I never expected to run into Shi Yu.”
"The service had just ended, and he was the last one. He was the only one who hadn't folded the piece of paper; it was blown up by the steam and ended up facing us."
"I saw Shu Ningmiao's name written on the paper." The man clicked his tongue lightly. "Only those three words, only her name."
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