She nodded slightly and agreed.

Shen Mingzhu brewed a pot of jasmine tea.

Amid the lingering aroma of tea, Ren Jingshu softly told the reason why she ran away from home.

Shen Mingzhu listened carefully and occasionally added some hot tea to her cup.

Perhaps it was the first time she confided her innermost feelings to someone, Ren Jingshu couldn't help talking for more than half an hour.

When he finished speaking, the sky was already turning pale.

She held the tea to relieve her dry mouth and tongue. Under Shen Mingzhu's gentle gaze, she felt inexplicably depressed: "Aunt Shen, do you also think I'm too willful?"

Shen Mingzhu shook her head. "In this world, there is no real empathy. The snow falling on one's heart cannot be seen by outsiders. Therefore, I will not make any comments on your thoughts and actions."

"But as an elder, I can give you some guidance and direction. What are your plans for the future?"

Ren Jingshu was grateful for Shen Mingzhu's open-mindedness and wisdom, and her inner defenses melted away unconsciously.

"I plan to rent a temporary residence near the school."

Shen Mingzhu nodded. "The cost of renting a house is not low. Can you afford it?"

"I have saved some money from working, so it should be no problem to rent a cheaper place to live."

Seeing the girl's reluctance, Shen Mingzhu got up, went back to her room and took out five hundred yuan in cash.

"Take this money and rent a safe place to live. A girl living alone out there needs to know how to protect herself."

Ren Jingshu looked at the money in her hand and was moved to tears by Shen Mingzhu's caring advice.

"Aunt Shen, we don't even know each other, why are you so nice to me?"

Shen Mingzhu smiled at her and said, "What I did was just a small favor within my ability. I helped if I wanted to. There's no need to ask why."

"If you must ask, it's probably because I've also received selfless favors from others."

"Aunt Shen, thank you. I will definitely return the money to you as soon as possible."

Looking at the girl's serious face, Shen Mingzhu smiled slightly: "The college entrance examination is coming soon, you should focus on your studies first, and there is no rush to pay back the money."

After having breakfast at Pei's house, Ren Jingshu and Pei Tang went out together in Shen Mingzhu's car.

Pei Tang’s school is just one street away from his home.

After sending her daughter to the school gate, Shen Mingzhu planned to send Ren Jingshu to school as well, but Ren Jingshu refused and insisted on getting off the bus at the station to take the bus.

Shen Mingzhu didn't force it, but in her heart she admired the girl's tenacity and independence.

After returning to school, Ren Jingshu met her mother whom she hadn't seen for a long time.

"Where did you go last night? Why didn't you go home?"

Compared to Ren's mother's harsh words, Ren Jingshu was very calm: "Don't you know the reason why I didn't go home? Don't you think it's ridiculous that you come to question me about where I went last night? I should have been sleeping peacefully in my dormitory bed, but you forced me to have nowhere to stay."

Her attitude made Ren's mother furious: "How long are you going to be so willful? Look around you, everyone is studying hard for the college entrance examination in July. What are you doing?"

"For just a few bucks, you went to that kind of place to dance and ruined your reputation and future! Do you know what those people outside say about you, and how they view the Ren family, your father and me?"

"We have carefully nurtured you since you were a child. Even if you can't earn face for us, you shouldn't throw your father and me on the ground and let others trample on us, right? Have you fed your conscience to the dogs?"

Ren Jingshu was silent for a moment, then said, "If the price of having a conscience is to obey you and be controlled by you, then it's better not to have a conscience."

But as soon as he raised his hand, he realized that we were at the school gate, so he had to suppress his anger.

"Just come home with me, and I will forgive you for all your previous willfulness and rebellion."

Her eyes fell on Ren's mother's clenched right hand, and Ren Jingshu said with sarcasm: "I don't know whether you really don't understand me at all, or you just don't care about my thoughts at all."

"During the time I was away from home, I studied, practiced dancing, and made money every day, working hard for my future."

"But you, with just one word of willfulness, negated all my efforts and persistence."

Ren's mother didn't think she was wrong: "You are asking for trouble. What you have done only touched you. Others will only think you are ridiculous and stupid!"

There was no point in arguing since they were not on the same page. Ren Jingshu was too lazy to argue and went straight into the school.

…

In the office.

This work is organized and uploaded by Liujiu Book Bar~~

When Fan Jingmei heard that Ren Jingshu wanted to ask for leave, her brows were furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a mosquito.

She had already learned from Ren's mother that Ren Jingshu did not go home last night. Whether from the perspective of a mother or a class teacher, she was very disappointed with Ren Jingshu.

She rejected Ren Jingshu's request for leave and revoked her privilege of not attending evening self-study classes.

"From today on, you will attend evening self-study classes on time like the other students in the class, otherwise you will be considered absent."

Facing the head teacher's strong threat, Ren Jingshu did not compromise. "Teacher Fan, I can go to the evening self-study class, but you have to let me continue to live on campus. If I can't live on campus, I won't go to the evening self-study class, because my personal safety is more important than anything else."

Evening self-study ends at 10 o'clock, so boys don't have to be afraid, but for girls aged 17 or 18, walking on the street at night is extremely dangerous.

Those girls who live off campus either travel with friends or are picked up by their families.

Fan Jingmei originally wanted to cooperate with Ren's mother and force Ren Jingshu to go home, but she didn't expect Ren Jingshu to be so stubborn, and she got angry for a while.

"Jingshu, I can understand that a girl of your age is upset with her family, but no matter how angry you are, you shouldn't joke about your own future!"

"I'm not angry. I just want to take the path I want to take. No matter how difficult the road is, I will not give up."

"Okay, okay, I'm meddling in other people's business. Do whatever you want!"

"Then I'd like to trouble Teacher Fan to help me go through the school residence procedures again."

Although Fan Qingmei was furious, she was also afraid that her daughter would be unsafe if she rented a house outside, so she had to help her arrange for a school dormitory again.

After coming out of the office, Ren Jingshu did not return to the classroom, but went to the teaching building for the first year of high school.

"What do you want from me?"

Staring at Ren Jingshu who called her out of the classroom, Ren Yingying was both curious and defensive.

Ever since she was severely punished and warned by Ren Jingshu, she hated and feared Ren Jingshu. She would always take a detour when they met her at school, fearing that Ren Jingshu would go crazy and beat her up again. She was even more afraid that her family would find out that she had reported Ren Jingshu.

Ren Jingshu got straight to the point: "Bring my luggage and bedding to school in the afternoon."

Before Ren Yingying could refuse, Ren Jingshu suddenly smiled at her: "Or, do you also want me to go home and live? If I really go home, I guarantee that you will never have a good day."

Staring at Ren Jingshu's straight and slender back, Ren Yingying was so angry that she almost stomped the sole of her shoe to pieces. (End of this chapter)