Chapter 44: Lin Shu Always Sees His Most Shameful Side
The weather forecast predicted overcast skies. Yet, before even reaching school, the snow began to fall. The examination hall felt chilly; even with the heater on, there was a persistent shiver. Lin Shu clutched her hand warmer, writing for a while, then warming her hands.
After two days of exams, she had a slight runny nose.
Today marked the start of the holiday.
In high spirits, Lin Shu sat atop the parallel bars, waiting for Zhou Ya. Poor Zhou Ya had been called away by the teacher to help out again.
The playground was sparsely populated.
By the time night fell, not a single person remained—only the security guard, an elderly man, patrolling with a flashlight.
“Why aren’t you going home yet?” the old man stopped, casting a disapproving glance at her.
Lin Shu replied that she was waiting for a classmate.
Zhou Ya came running over, breathless.
The security guard, holding his flashlight firmly, personally escorted the two out of the school.
Zhou Ya asked Lin Shu how the exams had gone.
“Not bad,” Lin Shu answered.
Zhou Ya admitted she had done terribly on the big questions.
“The second-to-last big math problem?”
“Yeah…”
“I left it to the end. I did write it, but didn’t have time to check, so I don’t know if it’s correct.”
“Well, at least you wrote something.”
Zhou Ya looked dejected.
They had planned to go for burgers, but Zhou Ya was in no mood, so Lin Shu didn’t push it.
Lin Shu wanted to comfort her, telling her that one bad exam wasn’t the end of the world. But if it were the old her, she probably would have fallen apart even more...
Final exams were different from monthly tests. Bombing them meant the entire winter break would be overshadowed by failure.
And if they had nosy relatives asking questions, that was truly hell.
Lin Shu patted Zhou Ya’s arm, saying, “I’m always here. If you want to hang out, just call me, okay?”
Zhou Ya paused, then asked, “Lin Shu, how do I adjust my mindset to be like you?”
Positive, optimistic, resilient—not caring about the competition around her, just following her own plan step by step.
Like grass pushing through stones, gradually breaking free from the weight above.
Compared to Ji Xingshen, the naturally gifted study machine, Zhou Ya admired Lin Shu’s state of mind more.
Lin Shu gently touched her friend’s face. “Xiao Ya, I used to be like you—caring about this and that. We have to learn to let ourselves go. Of course, it’s easier said than done. You just have to adjust slowly, one step at a time. I believe you can do it…”
Zhou Ya hugged Lin Shu.
Lin Shu patted her back.
They parted ways at the bus stop.
After a day of intense mental exertion, Lin Shu was a bit hungry. With some time before the bus arrived, she decided to buy a snack.
At the school gate, the most popular fried meat pies had no line today.
All the students had left.
She bought two, warm and fragrant, and bit into them.
Crisp and savory, tender meat inside.
From the nearby street came shouting.
It sounded like a group of boys smoking together.
She peeked out, but didn’t see Xie Buchen, so she withdrew her head.
It was winter break.
What would Xie Buchen be doing?
He’d probably be helping out at Tattoo Cousin’s coffee shop, hanging out with friends, maybe even falling and bruising himself again, since he was a silly dog.
What else?
Where would he spend the New Year?
Alone, or at relatives’ homes?
He definitely wouldn’t go to his father’s. From Lin Shu’s understanding of Xie Buchen, although he spoke casually, he probably hated his father and stepmother bitterly—he might not even want child support.
Lin Shu loved the New Year the most.
Red envelopes, fireworks, and endless snacks...
But Xie Buchen probably disliked it.
For a child without a home, the Spring Festival was like a trial.
Sigh.
Lin Shu chewed heavily, feeling heavy-hearted, when she heard a familiar voice. She leaned on the shop’s windowsill to look out.
The so-called street was really just a narrow lane, wide enough for only one vehicle.
Occasionally, students would shove each other there; she’d even heard about someone being mugged in that spot.
On the street—
Ji Xingshen was cornered by several people.
One grabbed his collar while the others shoved him around.
He tried to run but was dragged back.
His clothes were torn.
From their words, they were asking why he hadn’t passed on the answers this time—how many people were waiting for them, and yet he dared to stand them up.
Ji Xingshen said, “The school already knows. The exam rooms have signal blockers—no cell reception.”
“Nonsense! Our exam room had signal!”
“Yeah, don’t think just because you have good grades, we won’t touch you. You’re messing up everyone’s class placements next semester. You’ll pay for this.”
“Stop wasting time talking to him!”
“Get him!”
A burly boy pinned Ji Xingshen’s shoulder and rummaged through his pockets and bag, quickly pulling out the latest iPhone.
The burly boy weighed the phone, eyes lighting up.
“Damn, top of the line. Must be worth ten grand. So rich... I heard your family even drives a Bentley?”
Ji Xingshen leaned against the wall, slowly shaking his head.
The skinny boy nearby shouted in a rough voice, “Yeah, Bentley. I saw it myself at the start of senior year—there was even a driver in a suit!”
“Oh, that’s badass.”
“Right? Good grades, rich family, popular with the girls—totally different from us losers.”
“Rich and handsome—lend us your phone for a couple days.”
Anger flickered across Ji Xingshen’s face. “This is robbery.”
“Robbery?” The burly boy paused, then laughed, “Borrowing stuff—how’s that robbery?”
Ji Xingshen straightened up.
The others pushed him down again.
Ji Xingshen said, “If you take it, I’ll call the cops right now. Let’s see what you do then.”
Hearing ‘call the police’, the boys stopped laughing.
They said Ji Xingshen wouldn’t dare.
Ji Xingshen had had a high fever for three days, gaining some memories of adulthood through his dreams. His mindset wasn’t childish anymore.
In the past, he wouldn’t have dared.
Poor kids fell into two extremes: some fearless and reckless, others avoiding trouble even if beaten, swallowing their pain silently.
He was the latter.
But now, with a bit of grown-up wisdom, he knew he couldn’t indulge these bullies.
If he gave in today, he’d always give in.
Seeing his reaction, the bullies sensed he was serious. They were a bit scared but still unwilling to back down—they wanted to teach him a lesson.
They conferred and came up with a plan.
In front of Ji Xingshen, the burly boy swaggered to the road’s drainage grate and tested it before tossing the phone through the gap.
“Hahaha, go pick it up now.”
Ji Xingshen lunged forward, throwing a punch, cursing, “You little bastard.”
Unsurprisingly, with no habit of exercise, he was immediately grabbed and thrown back by the burly boy.
They mocked him as a weakling and a sissy, good only for studying.
“If there was a war, a nerd like you would be the first to die.”
Their cruel laughter was so loud that even through the window, Lin Shu could hear it clearly.
The boys left.
Ji Xingshen was left alone, his belongings scattered all over the ground.
Lin Shu finally understood why Ji Xingshen, despite his good grades, still helped with cheating.
He was being threatened.
Come to think of it, Ji Xingshen didn’t seem to have any male friends; only girls surrounded him.
If he had even one friend helping pass messages, he wouldn’t be left alone like this.
Even the classmate with the worst habits, Stinky Feet Brother, had two good friends.
Silently, Lin Shu stopped recording, compressed the video, and sent it to the homeroom teacher, Li Gang.
Ji Xingshen knelt beside the grimy iron grate, bending down to retrieve his phone. His refined face pressed against the weathered sidewalk steps, slightly distorted.
He looked utterly miserable.
Yet his back remained straight.
Lin Shu finished her meat pie and left.
Ji Xingshen saw the girl’s retreating figure and recognized Lin Shu. His lips pressed into a thin line, a flash of anger igniting in his eyes.
Why…
Why did she always see his most disgraceful moments?