Chapter 5: Don’t Mess with Him Again in This Lifetime

Shen Yi was the last to leave. He walked slowly, hands in his pockets, as if the whole ordeal had nothing to do with him.

Once all the students had left, Li Mei turned back to the principal in a panic. "Principal, are we really done with this? What if the Shen family blames us?"

The principal responded sharply, "If the Shen family has any complaints, they can take them up with Qin Ju! But you encouraged the students to drink? Go home and write a self-criticism. And if the Shen family does blame the school, you'll be held responsible!"

Li Mei felt utterly dejected but had no choice but to comply.

Meanwhile, Lin Nian caught up with Qin Ju, her expression no longer sweet and innocent. Her eyes darkened with anger.

"Qin Ju! Give me my student ID!"

Qin Ju turned around, looking up at Lin Nian, and waved the student ID mockingly. "You want your student ID back?"

It was summer vacation, and the student ID could only be reissued after school started. Lin Nian needed it for a job she planned to take in the county town during the break.

So she swallowed her pride and spoke gently, "Qin Ju, what happened earlier was just a misunderstanding. Please, just give me my student ID."

*Pah!*

Qin Ju slapped Lin Nian hard across the face, leaving her stunned.

Qin Ju sneered, "You ruined my life, and now you call it a misunderstanding?"

She then tore Lin Nian's student ID into tiny pieces, her expression cold and menacing. "Lin Nian, does it hurt? If not, there's more pain to come."

With that, Qin Ju turned and walked away slowly, leaving Lin Nian frozen in fear, drenched in cold sweat.

*Does Qin Ju know something?*

**

As Li Mei walked towards the bicycle shed, she suddenly recalled the last time she met Shen Yi's mother.

Shen Yi's mother had been dressed in the finest clothes, carrying a bag purchased overseas, adorned with jewels. The sight of her had left Li Mei breathless.

At that time, Shen Yi's mother had given Li Mei a large gold ring, asking her to take special care of Shen Yi.

Now, with Shen Yi in trouble, Li Mei couldn't help but fear the repercussions. If Shen Yi's mother held her responsible…

Just as she was leaving the school, Li Mei noticed a young man playing basketball alone on the playground. Recognizing him, she hurried over.

"Shen Yi," she called out with a forced smile, "the teacher needs to talk to you."

The fair-skinned boy was drenched in sweat, his eyes cold and distant. The basketball he dribbled hit the ground with rhythmic, echoing thuds—bang, bang, bang.

As Shen Yi approached, he didn't wait for Li Mei to speak. His voice was flat, almost emotionless. "If you ever embarrass Qin Ju again, you'll no longer be a teacher."

Li Mei stood there, stunned.

The boy before her was already walking away, the basketball tucked under his arm.

It suddenly dawned on Li Mei that Qin Ju wasn't the only one who had a stake in this matter—Shen Yi did too.

She shuddered at the thought. Fortunately, Qin Ju hadn't been expelled. If she had been...

**

Ping'an Middle School was the best in town, but during that era, the school buildings were worn and the playground was just a dirt field. There was no plastic track, and when the wind blew, dust would fly everywhere. On rainy days, the entire schoolyard turned into a muddy mess.

After returning to her dormitory, Qin Ju gathered her belongings and wrote a letter of denunciation. She carefully placed a stamp on it, dropped it into the mailbox, and then walked out of the school.

Ping'an Town was bustling in the 1980s. Although people were still poor, their daily lives were warm and simple. Factory workers returned home to hot meals with their families after a long day's work. Children skipped along the roadside, holding glass marbles, while an elderly man, leaning on his cane, watched them with a tender smile.

It was an ordinary, simple life—a happiness many people couldn't achieve.

The streets were lined with small restaurants, and the aroma of food wafted through the air. Qin Ju's stomach growled in response.

They had left before daybreak and only had steamed buns to eat along the way. Though Qin Ju had secretly drunk some spring water to stave off hunger, the sight and smell of food now made her heart ache a little. She decided to find a restaurant and treat herself to a meal.

But then she remembered the sad reality—she was flat broke. She sighed, realizing that at eighteen, she was too poor to even afford a bowl of noodles, let alone bus fare for the journey home tomorrow.

"Want some noodles? I'll treat you."

A familiar voice spoke up from behind. Qin Ju, who had been feeling a mix of calm and helplessness, froze in her tracks.

She turned around in surprise, staring at Shen Yi. "You're treating me?"

It was like seeing red rain falling from the sky or the sun rising in the west.

They'd had such a massive misunderstanding, yet the 18-year-old Shen Yi wasn't angry with her. Instead, he wanted to treat her to noodles?

"Do you even have the money to treat me?" she asked, unable to resist her usual sarcasm.

Shen Yi didn't respond, just stared at her with that same inscrutable expression.

Realizing that her tone hadn't changed from her previous life, Qin Ju mentally scolded herself. There was no need to antagonize him now. She had already decided to distance herself from him, and she intended to stick to that decision.

"No, thank you," Qin Ju said firmly.

She turned and walked away. As she did, Shen Yi watched her go, his eyes clouded with a mixture of emotions.

But then, just a few steps later, Qin Ju stopped and turned back. Shen Yi's eyes lit up ever so slightly.

She walked up to him, her expression thoughtful. "Forget about the meal. Can you lend me ten dollars? I'll pay you back when school starts."

When Qin Ju had returned to the dormitory earlier, she found that Lin Nian was the only one left. Lin Nian would definitely refuse to lend her money, and Qin Ju had no desire to walk all the way home.

Still, she was mentally prepared for Shen Yi to reject her. If he did, she'd think of another way.

But to her surprise, the boy suddenly placed twenty yuan in her hand.

His fingers brushed against her palm, and she was startled by the warmth.

"Not so much," she protested.

"No change," he replied simply.

Qin Ju carefully tucked the "huge sum of money" into her pocket and said, her tone now distant, "I'll return it when school starts."

With that, she turned and walked away.

She reminded herself not to lower her guard just because Shen Yi had been kind enough to lend her money.

After all, when Shen Yi lost control, he could be truly terrifying. Qin Ju decided it was best not to provoke him in this lifetime.

As she walked downstairs from the girls' dormitory, she noticed two familiar figures standing nearby.

(End of this chapter)

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