9

Lin Tiao ate until she was about 60% full. When she put down her chopsticks, Jiang Yan, the big boss, asked with concern, "Are you full?"

She quickly replied, "Yes, I'm full."

"Alright." Jiang Yan neatly stood up, picked up the bag of stuffed toys that Lin Tiao had placed on the side chair, and said, "Let's go."

Lin Tiao nodded and followed him as they walked down the street.

The street led to a subway station, which was busy with people coming out and flooding into the alley.

In the crowd, Lin Tiao accidentally stepped on Jiang Yan's heel and bumped into his back.

Her soft cheek pressed against his white T-shirt, and she was enveloped in the clear, youthful scent that was uniquely his.

Flustered, Lin Tiao stepped back a bit, her bangs falling around her face, her cheeks flushing red. Her voice was a bit hurried, "...Sorry."

The dim, soft light of the street cast a gentle glow on them. Jiang Yan glanced at her and shrugged nonchalantly, "It's fine. Let's go."

Lin Tiao sighed in relief and lowered her head, following him.

After a few steps, Jiang Yan slowed his pace and moved to Lin Tiao's left side, separating her from the rest of the crowd.

The rest of the way was quiet. When they reached the bus stop at the end of the alley, Jiang Yan checked the bus sign and asked, "Which bus are you taking?"

Without looking at the sign, Lin Tiao quickly gave the bus number, "Bus 33."

Jiang Yan glanced at the sign, found Bus 33 at the bottom, and checked the stops. "Which stop are you getting off?"

"Huayuan Community." Lin Tiao looked up at him and finally remembered to ask in return, "Which bus are you taking?"

"I'm taking Bus 8."

"..."

Jiang Yan chuckled, saw that Bus 33 was arriving, and tilted his chin. "The bus is here. Let's go. I'll take you home first."

Before Lin Tiao could refuse, she was already being guided onto the bus by him.

They sat in the back row of the bus. The window was half open, and a cool breeze flowed in as the bus moved.

"Are you going to school tomorrow?" Lin Tiao casually asked after a while.

Jiang Yan looked away from his phone and gazed out at the passing scenery. "It depends. If I wake up, I'll go."

"..." Lin Tiao really wanted to remind him that he might soon be expelled. "Is that so? I mean, Li Kun won't look for you?"

"If he does, do I have to go?" The teenager looked very nonchalant, with a slight smile on his lips.

"..."

Alright then.

Lin Tiao bit her lip, swallowing her words about his possible expulsion.

Since he wasn't worried, there was no need for her to worry.

They fell into silence again.

Jiang Yan continued to play on his phone, and Lin Tiao glanced at his screen, surprised to see he was playing a palace drama simulation game.

"..."

At that moment, Jiang Yan frowned slightly, clearly stuck on a problem. Lin Tiao leaned over to take a look.

On the screen was a dialogue from the game: "Empress Xi, the Emperor has seldom visited Huayang Palace recently. Shouldn't you consider doing something?"

There were two options: a) The Emperor is the Son of Heaven with thousands of beauties in the harem; he can't only focus on me; b) You should instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare a feast for the Emperor in Huayang Palace.

Noticing Lin Tiao's gaze, Jiang Yan moved the phone closer to her and asked seriously, "Help me decide how to choose this question."

Lin Tiao: "..."

---

"Huayuan Community has arrived. Passengers getting off, please use the rear door."

The bus arrived at Lin Tiao's stop. She stood up and waved goodbye to Jiang Yan. "I'm getting off now. See you."

"Okay." Jiang Yan, looking a bit tired, responded with a lackluster tone.

Lin Tiao thought to herself that it was surprising to see such a big shot already feeling sleepy at just 9 p.m.

Of course, she would never say this in front of Jiang Yan. She hurriedly got off the bus, waited for it to restart, and then turned to walk into her community.

When she got home, her parents weren't back yet. Lin Tiao took a shower, chatted with Meng Xin for a while, and fell into a light sleep.

In her dream, Lin Tiao became a humble palace maid with no power. During a banquet, she caught the Emperor's eye and transformed from a maid into a highly esteemed concubine.

The scenes in Lin Tiao's dream were chaotic and swift, and at one point, she clearly saw the Emperor's face.

He had the standard sword-like eyebrows and phoenix eyes, with a smile that was identical to someone she knew.

"...!"

She was jolted awake by the shock, and as she opened her eyes, her alarm clock went off. The sound of rain drizzling outside made her sigh in relief.

It was just a dream.

While brushing her teeth, Lin Tiao looked at herself in the mirror and thought about Jiang Yan's face from the dream. She shook her head vigorously.

It must have been influenced by seeing him play that game last night.

Not dwelling on it, Lin Tiao quickly got ready and grabbed her school bag, heading out for school.

---

After the morning reading period, the usual Monday flag-raising ceremony was canceled due to the unexpected heavy rain. The speech prepared by the headmaster, Li Kun, was delivered over the intercom instead.

When Jiang Yan entered the classroom, the broadcast was saying, "Last Friday, Jiang and his classmates Xu, Hu, and Song from Class 28 had an altercation with Yang and others from Class 6 in the back garden, causing a very negative impact. Fighting is a serious violation of school rules…"

Li Kun, the headmaster, droned on for ten minutes, "...In conclusion, after a unified discussion by the school, the mentioned students will receive a serious demerit, be required to write a 5000-word self-reflection, and speak about it under the flag next Monday. Any further violations will result in immediate suspension!"

The broadcast ended, and the classroom fell silent.

Lin Tiao glanced at Jiang Yan, who was sitting next to her, propping his head with one hand while twirling a pen with the other. She couldn't help but comment, "You really are carefree."

Jiang Yan didn't respond immediately. After a few seconds, as if just snapping back to reality, he looked up at her. "Hmm? What did you say?"

Lin Tiao pursed her lips. "Nothing, just a reminder that the Jiang mentioned in the broadcast might be related to you."

Before Jiang Yan could say anything, several figures burst through the door.

Hu Hanghang immediately threw his arms around Jiang Yan's neck, crying, "Bro, where did you go last night! We waited outside your house for hours, knocking on your door, and you didn't answer. We almost thought you might have harmed yourself."

Jiang Yan was grabbed and pinched by Hu Hanghang's meaty arm. "Let go of me, or I'll strangle you."

Song Yuan and Xu Yichuan, being more rational, pulled Hu Hanghang back. "Brother Yan, where did you go yesterday? We couldn't reach you."

Jiang Yan leaned back lazily against the wall, rubbing his neck. "I didn't go anywhere. I went back to the old house and took a tour around the city center."

When they heard he went back to the old house, the three of them immediately became serious. They wanted to say something but hesitated when they saw Lin Tiao sitting nearby.

Jiang Yan knew what they were thinking and said nonchalantly, "Just say it. My desk mate isn't a stranger."

Lin Tiao, who was considering whether to avoid the conversation, was taken aback by this comment. Before she could react, Xu Yichuan and the others continued, "Did your family give you any trouble?"

Jiang Yan looked down at his phone. "No."

"And your dad? Didn't he hit you? What about that crazy uncle of yours? Didn't he cause any trouble?"

"No, I just went back to get some things."

The three of them sighed in relief. "That's good."

Sitting next to them, Lin Tiao found something odd about their conversation.

Trouble? Beatings? Problems?

"What kind of plot is this? A rebellious school bully suddenly becomes a wealthy heir with a tragic backstory?"