Chapter 144: Chapter 144

"If he had any sense, he wouldn’t attend that girl’s birthday without saying a word beforehand. The world is full of treachery—if he doesn’t have ulterior motives, do you think those girls and their parents don’t have schemes?"

The woman’s face was icy cold, her sharp eyes gleaming.

"These ignorant fools dare to set their sights on my Xixi."

The woman curled her lips slightly: "Uncle Liu, take care of it."

Housekeeper Liu glanced at the second floor: "Madam, doing this behind the young master’s back—isn’t this a bit...?"

"He’ll find out sooner or later. I’m doing this for his own good."

Upstairs, cloaked by the shadows of darkness, the boy had been standing there silently for who knows how long.

After a long time, the corner of his lips tugged slightly—soundlessly.

He raised his hand to smooth the creases on his clothes, his fingertips brushing over the texture of the fabric as though touching some faint, wild flutter in his heart.

Like a tidal wave surging forth, overwhelming everything in its path.

In the blink of an eye, suppressed under the raging sea.

Mountains silent, waters deep.

"Shen You’an, why did you leave so early yesterday?"

On the way to the cafeteria, Gao Yuyue caught up with her.

Shen You’an replied lazily, "Boring."

"Alright, why do you look so out of it? Didn’t sleep well last night?"

Shen You’an gave a hum in response.

Song Xiaojing trailed far behind, her expression complicated as she stared at Shen You’an’s back.

Shen You’an ordered a chicken leg meal, but just as she was about to swipe her card, Gao Yuyue swiped hers first.

She waved her flamboyant meal card in front of Shen You’an. "I promised you—I’m covering your meals for three months."

Shen You’an smiled slightly, "Thanks."

She picked up her tray and left.

Gao Yuyue quickly picked out her own chicken leg meal and followed, sitting down directly across from Shen You’an.

The students in the cafeteria collectively turned their heads in surprise, their gazes fixed on the two.

Gao Yuyue suddenly behaving differently—this came as quite the shock to everyone.

But the topic that sparked the most discussion was Shen You’an’s sudden change in hairstyle and glasses.

Her revealed forehead accentuated the elegant contours of her petite face.

The new pair of thin-framed gold glasses added sophistication and elegance, along with an inexplicable touch of cool, mysterious aloofness.

In the blink of an eye, the plain and unassuming Shen You’an transformed into a refined goddess.

Her classmates, who had known Shen You’an since elementary school, were left struggling to process this shift.

"I never thought Shen You’an could clean herself up and look this good."

"Don’t you think her aura is so unique? I think she’s got even more presence than Qin Xiangge; she ought to be the school’s undisputed beauty queen."

"What nonsense. In what way can she compare to the school flower? The school flower is a future artist! Shen You’an—what does she have, her talent? She probably can’t even read sheet music, let alone compete there."

"Even though I agree Shen You’an has become much prettier, she’s leagues apart from the school flower. The difference in their family backgrounds is like heaven and earth. Out of school, mark my words, Shen You’an won’t even be qualified to serve Qin Xiangge as her assistant."

"That’s exaggerating for sure. Shen You’an is so smart, she’ll definitely be groomed by the Lanya Group for research—becoming a technical expert for the country is nothing short of enviable, even compared to an artist."

"Exactly, let’s not compare Qin Xiangge to our academic prodigy. Stick to what people are good at. In school, we compete on grades; societal standing can wait till after graduation. At Lanya High School, Shen You’an is our undisputed number one."

A lively debate ensued, none of them noticing Qin Xiangge sitting with her back turned to them in the far corner.

Gripping her chopsticks so tightly her knuckles whitened, the girl opposite her fumed, "You think those people even know what they’re talking about? Just wagging their tongues everywhere. I’ve got to teach them a lesson!"

"Let it go. One less problem is better than creating more trouble. If they want to talk, I can hardly stop them."

Qin Xiangge spoke in an even tone.

The girl, indignant, cast a glare in Shen You’an’s direction. "She’s nothing special. No way she’s prettier than you, Xiangge."

Qin Xiangge smiled lightly, "Always comparing and competing—you’re all too boring."

"Right, Xiangge, why did Yinyin take time off? Is she sick?"

Qin Xiangge lowered her eyelids, her expression unreadable. "I don’t know."

The girls continued their gossip, and the boys, naturally, were also engaged in excited chatter.

Teenage boys, full of fiery energy, weighed down by heavy school workloads, often sought a reprieve through boisterous banter during mealtime.

"Ren Chong, you’ve got vision—did you already know Shen You’an was good-looking?"

Ren Chong shot a look at Zhang Zirui, who had spoken, "I’m not as shallow as you guys—judging people on appearances. What I like about Shen is her pure and noble soul."

The group burst into laughter, clutching their sides.

"Ren Chong, if you’ve got guts, act on it! Don’t wait too long or your goddess will get snatched away—you’ll cry yourself a river then!"

"Ha, dream on. Shen You’an isn’t someone shallow folks like you can chase. Take a look at yourselves—pathetic."

Someone was already itching to try their luck.

Ren Chong, unwilling to humor their chatter any further, picked up his tray and walked away.

"Ren Chong, your phone," a classmate called out.

Ren Chong turned back, grabbing his phone before leaving.

But his luck seemed to have run out—just as he set his tray on the automated dishwashing platform, he accidentally bumped head-first into someone coming his way.

With a "crack," his phone hit the ground.

Burning with frustration, Ren Chong looked up at the person he collided with, and all his anger evaporated in an instant.

The boy stood tall like a jade tree, his eyes cool behind his glasses.

"No, no..." Ren Chong quickly waved his hands. "It was my fault—I wasn’t watching where I was walking."

Liu Runxi bent down and picked up the shattered phone.

The screen had cracked into fragments.

"What a shame. Your phone’s broken—I’ll replace it for you," the boy said softly.

Ren Chong shook his head fervently. "No need. It was my fault—how could I let you replace it?"

"How about this?" Runxi’s eyes curved into a gentle smile. "I’ll have it repaired and return it to you. If it can’t be fixed, I’ll buy you a new one."

Ren Chong stared blankly for a moment. "Huh? God Liu, you know how to fix phones?"

"I know someone who’s really skilled at it. I’ll handle this."

With that, the boy strode off, taking the damaged phone along with him.

Ren Chong remained where he was, unable to quite wrap his head around what had happened.

He watched as the boy’s towering figure gradually disappeared from the cafeteria, holding the phone that had been broken due to his carelessness.

God Liu was truly kind—offering to repair the phone for him.