Chapter 26

That night's events, as He Shanglu and Jian Fanyu had predicted, didn't cause much of a stir. Sang Wei returned to school as usual, appearing more composed during the day, though the dark circles under her eyes revealed her fear from the previous night. It seemed she hadn't slept at all.

Ruan Miao repeatedly resisted the urge to say something to her but didn't know how to comfort her. Sang Wei was usually very proud, and he felt anything he said would likely be of no help.

"Why do you keep looking at her?" Xi You nudged Ruan Miao, kindly reminding him, "I've heard about last night. You really shouldn't have gotten involved. That situation wasn't one you should have stepped into."

"Xu Hao is a madman. If he had really hurt you, you would have been crying by now!"

Ruan Miao turned his gaze away from Sang Wei and, after listening to Xi You's grumbling, asked thoughtfully, "Is Xu Hao a big deal?"

"Big deal? How could he be so arrogant otherwise?" Ruan Miao rolled his eyes, "He's not part of our circle. I heard he got transferred here because he got into trouble elsewhere. He doesn't have any connections with our local network; his background is solid."

"Don't cross him. Be careful of his revenge."

Ruan Miao shivered at the thought, recalling the terrifying scene of Xu Hao approaching him with a baseball bat under the moonlight. He trembled, "Would he really dare to hit me?"

"Unless your older brother really cares and can protect you," Xi You patted his head sympathetically and sighed, "So, you should rely on me a bit more. I can still protect you."

Ruan Miao looked at him doubtfully, thinking that Xi You, who was even smaller than him, didn't seem like he could offer much protection. "Never mind. I'll stick to clinging to my older brother's leg."

After chatting for a while, the break ended, and the math teacher entered the classroom to start the lesson. Ruan Miao focused on the class and quickly set aside the previous events. He wanted to be well-prepared before the end of the semester and hoped to achieve a better ranking. Yu Wenyan said he would help him with a study plan for the winter break and give him extra tutoring during that time.

Ruan Miao's talent in mathematics was evident to everyone. In just two months, he made a remarkable improvement, impressing everyone, including the teacher, who praised him in class for being a diligent and eager student, a prime example of turning one's life around.

Ruan Miao accepted the teacher's praise with some embarrassment, flipping open his mistake book filled with corrections and formulas written in red ink. He reviewed it daily, which led to rapid progress in his grades.

Fang Zhi glanced back at Ruan Miao from across the aisle, giving him an encouraging look. Ruan Miao smiled back and, as he turned his head, his eyes met Sang Wei's. Sang Wei was startled and quickly turned away, pretending it was an accidental glance.

Ruan Miao didn't understand girls' feelings and guessed that Sang Wei might be grateful for his help the previous night but was also embarrassed to face him.

In the afternoon, during music class, Ruan Miao, carrying his music book, entered the large music classroom with Fang Zhi and Xi You. The music teacher was a young, gentle, and elegant woman who was only a few years older than them. She remembered Ruan Miao's impressive performance last time and approached him with a smile.

"I remember you, Ruan Miao. Will you be performing again today?"

Ruan Miao was flustered and shook his head repeatedly, "No, no, no..."

The female teacher's smile remained unchanged, with a hint of mockery. "It's a pity. Our Ah Yu was very accommodating to you."

"Ah Yu?" Ruan Miao instinctively responded, "Do you know Jian classmate very well, teacher?"

Xi You rolled his eyes dramatically. "She's Jian Fanyu's real sister. Did you forget that?"

Ruan Miao widened his eyes. Upon closer inspection of the smiling teacher, he could indeed see some resemblance to Jian Fanyu. The Jian family really produced great beauties!

"Why are you standing here?"

At that moment, Jian Fanyu entered the room. He frowned upon seeing Ruan Miao and the others blocking the doorway, seemingly disapproving of their obstruction.

Ruan Miao quickly moved aside, apologizing, and took a seat with Fang Zhi. He felt Jian Fanyu's and the teacher's eyes on his back after he turned, which gave him an unsettling chill.

After he settled into his seat, Xi You went to the bathroom, and Jian Fanyu naturally sat down next to Ruan Miao. His expression remained calm and indifferent. Ruan Miao was stunned for a moment before he remembered to remind him, "There's already someone sitting here."

"So?" Jian Fanyu said lazily, not lifting his eyes from his music book. "Can't I sit here?"

Ruan Miao was at a loss for words. It was the first time he saw Jian Fanyu acting so unreasonably. He didn't understand why Jian Fanyu chose to sit next to him when there were other seats available. It couldn't possibly be for his sake, could it?

That thought seemed improbable.

This was Jian Fanyu! The Jian Fanyu from the original text, who was as perfect as a deity!

How could a deity be mingling with someone like him?

Before he could make sense of it, another figure arrived.

"Classmate, could you move to another seat?"

Fang Zhi looked at Yan Yang, confused and at a loss for words. Yan Yang, showing signs of recent hardship, had a worn and gloomy appearance, very different from his once confident and bright demeanor when Ruan Miao first met him.

Fang Zhi, bewildered by the situation, was moved by Yan Yang and was almost in tears, trying to cling to Ruan Miao. Ruan Miao reflexively tried to leave as well but was held back by Jian Fanyu's grip on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Jian Fanyu asked lightly, "Just sit here."

Ruan Miao finally understood why Jian Fanyu chose to sit next to him. It was to avoid Yan Yang and not to sit with him.

With Yan Yang's sullen and irritable demeanor on his left and Jian Fanyu's cold silence on his right, Ruan Miao felt immense pressure, unable to move between the two conflicting atmospheres.

When Xi You returned and saw his seat occupied, he noticed the two prominent figures silently competing, leaving poor Ruan Miao looking like a helpless little rabbit.

Timid, pitiful, and helpless.

Tsk.

Xi You shook his head inwardly, thinking how these two seemed to enjoy tormenting their family's little rabbit, completely unaware of how to show mercy. He swaggered over to his unfortunate older brother's side, figuring that only a fool would voluntarily become cannon fodder.

So, Ruan Miao, Yan Yang, and Jian Fanyu became the most eye-catching presence in the classroom. Everyone at school knew their relationships, and now that they were together, the buzz around the school was intense. Various groups were abuzz with gossip, creating a lively scene.

As the music class began, Yan Yang's mind was clearly elsewhere. He tried to talk to Jian Fanyu over Ruan Miao, but no matter what he said, Jian Fanyu ignored him, treating him like air.

However, Jian Fanyu's attitude toward Ruan Miao was different. He patiently explained the role of musical notes and corrected Ruan Miao's pronunciation from time to time. While his attitude was not exactly warm, it was far better than his treatment of Yan Yang. Yan Yang observed this with mixed feelings and began to understand Jian Fanyu's feelings when he was with Ruan Miao before.

So this was the taste of loss.

In his mind, Jian Fanyu had always been gentle, elegant, and pure. It was impossible for him to suddenly leave him, so... did Ruan Miao do something?

Yan Yang recalled the rumors about Ruan Miao being a "green tea" that he had heard privately. He initially thought these people were biased, but seeing Jian Fanyu's closeness to Ruan Miao, Yan Yang began to reconsider.

Perhaps he was the one who was blind from the beginning? Was Ruan Miao really scheming?

But what could his motive be? Why did he seem close to him before and now suddenly to Ah Yu? Could it be...

Could it be that he likes me?

Yan Yang had a sudden realization, and everything made sense now! If Ruan Miao didn't like him, why would he go to such lengths to drive a wedge between him and Ah Yu and deliberately try to bring Ah Yu closer to him in front of his eyes?

It must be because he likes me!

Yan Yang's confidence was suddenly restored. Sometimes he felt that being too popular was troublesome. Good-natured Ruan Miao had turned into a villain, and Ah Yu was being manipulated and lost his way. Both were deeply invested and foolish.

"Why does he look at me like an idiot?" Ruan Miao asked Jian Fanyu quietly. "Does he want to hit me?"

Jian Fanyu gave Yan Yang a side glance, having known him for years and even in their past lives, he understood Yan Yang's thoughts perfectly. Yan Yang's intentions could not be hidden from him.

"Don't mind him. His emotional and intellectual quotients are like that of an eight-year-old."

Ruan Miao nodded in understanding and thought of Yan Yang's past antics in the original story, agreeing, "I think so too. He really wasted that good-looking face."

Jian Fanyu's hand paused momentarily as he flipped through his book, seemingly casually asking, "Do you think he's good-looking?"

"Sure," Ruan Miao replied decisively. "If I looked like him, people would even hold an umbrella for me while I drove a tractor!"

Jian Fanyu: "…"

What a strange metaphor.

"Of course, you're good-looking too," Ruan Miao added with admiration. "In my eyes, you and he are equally attractive!"

The 'equally' here carried its usual meaning.

Jian Fanyu was silent for a moment, finding Ruan Miao's words quite peculiar. "Children shouldn't use such crude language."

"Don't learn to be bad."

He gently patted Ruan Miao's head, feeling a bit satisfied.

Still so soft.

____

Author's Note: There will be a one-day pause tomorrow. The day after, the story will enter VIP status, with three updates on that day. Thank you for your support and love. Love you all~

Upcoming Novel: From Shadow Guard to Empress [Transmigration] Warm and sweet story.

A university student, unlucky, transmigrates into a book and becomes the cool and powerful shadow guard of the protagonist. Expecting to handle a political drama, he planned to cling to the main character and eventually become their right-hand person, thus reaching the peak of life, becoming a CEO, and marrying a rich and beautiful woman. However, his path deviates, and instead of the anticipated main character role, he finds himself in a gay drama, ultimately rising to become the empress.

An inspiring tale of a shadow guard's misaligned path to promotion.