Chapter 56: Wronged, She Comes to Mind

Zhou Ya was back.

Along the way, she brought Lin Shu a whole suitcase filled with internal reference materials from educational institutions.
……
Please do not bring souvenirs like this, Ya!
……
She had changed her flight, hoping to come back to see Lin Zhou off, but unfortunately, Zhou Ya’s flight was delayed while Lin Zhou’s departed on time.

They missed each other at the airport by a mere half-hour.

When it comes to playing cruel tricks on people, heaven remains undefeated.

Lin Shu placed the box of materials and Zhou Ya’s backpack on the trolley, while Zhou Ya pushed her own suitcase.

The two walked side by side.

Lin Shu chattered excitedly about the time she stole a dog over the Lunar New Year, leaving Zhou Ya in utter shock. Zhou Ya asked if Xie Buchun’s father hadn't held them accountable for trespassing.

Lin Shu gave an awkward, sheepish laugh.

"Well... his dad seems to know my parents, and he even explained it to us. The dog is usually taken care of by a nanny when left outside, but the nanny was busy with the New Year celebrations those couple of days and didn't have time to look after it."

"Consider yourself lucky. How on earth did you get so bold lately?"

Zhou Ya shook her head repeatedly.

Lin Shu grinned widely, showing no signs of remorse whatsoever, and even looked rather smug.

The Lin family’s driver helped load the luggage into the car.

Zhou Ya wasn't in a hurry to go home since she’d be the only one there anyway.

"Hey, I'm coming over to your place to see the dog."

"Sure, but you are definitely not allowed to steal my dog, Ya."

When it came to twisting the narrative and calling black white, Lin Shu was a once-in-a-generation genius.

……

Before the car even came to a complete stop, the two girls tumbled out one after the other.

Upon hearing footsteps, Snow-ball immediately came trotting out, wagging its tail, with its jet-black eyes, apple-like little face, and fluffy white curls.

It was the quintessential dream dog.

Zhou Ya squatted down and vigorously rubbed the dog’s head. "Oh my god, so cute! It looks exactly like Xie Buchun’s profile picture!"

"Didn't I tell you?"

The two carried the dog inside and pulled out all the stops to dress it up.

Eventually, they decided that a pink bow tied right between its ears looked best—giving it a very ladylike appearance, despite it being a neutered male.

"Snow-ball, look at the camera."

Zhou Ya pressed her cheek against the dog and flashed a peace sign.

Lin Shu also wrapped her arms around the dog's front paws, revealing a row of neat white teeth as Zhou Ya snapped the photo.

After dinner, Zhou Ya finally went home with lingering reluctance, reminding Lin Shu before leaving that she absolutely must look through the reference materials she had brought back, as the educational resources in the capital were undeniably powerful.

Lin Shu nodded repeatedly.

Zhou Ya pointed at her in exasperation. "Your nodding is way too perfunctory. Do you have any idea how much baggage fees cost me?"

"Mm-hm."

Lin Shu nodded again.

Zhou Ya could do nothing with her. She got into the car and kept her eyes locked on Lin Shu through the window with a death glare until the driver finally pulled away.

That night.

Lin Shu and Zhou Ya changed their profile pictures.

Both were group photos with the sweet little dog.

They used a retro filter, and it turned out quite nice.

When people in their class noticed their close bond, they talked about it in the group chat, teasingly calling them best-friend matching avatars.

……

Meanwhile.

Someone dug out an old tablet he hadn't used in a million years and was currently using a capacitive stylus to go through free online test banks.

While slacking off, he caught sight of Lin Shu’s new profile picture. Then, glancing at his own avatar, the corners of his lips curved upward in silence.

"Snow-ball, good doggy."

The layabout spun the stylus between his fingers, looking back and forth between his and Lin Shu’s profile pictures.

Not long after, he spotted Zhou Ya’s avatar lingering near the bottom of the list, and stopped spinning his pen.

……

Fine.

Affection among three people was a bit crowded.

Still, they’d just have to squeeze in together.

……

There were only three days left before the start of the semester.

In the Class (1) group chat, everyone was busy discussing what stationery to buy and whether they needed to wear school uniforms on the registration day.

In the past, Ji Xingshen would have chimed in.

Because some of the group-purchased scratch pads and folders were genuinely useful...

Whenever he showed the slightest interest, Lin Shu would buy two and gift one to him.

Now, he no longer enjoyed that privilege. Even for a single sheet of paper, he had to pay for it out of his own pocket.

He had no money.

Not only could he not afford stationery, but he also couldn't afford to fix his phone, which kept shutting down.

At the same time, he couldn't bear to sell it to buy a cheaper one.

Through the introduction of a teacher from his previous cram school, he went to tutor the child of a wealthy family.

Their home was a luxurious, sprawling flat.

Even the elevator required a security guard to swipe a card.

Upon entering, he had to change into disposable slippers. Using rinse-free hand sanitizer for disinfection wasn't enough; the mistress of the house told him to go wash his hands again, claiming there were too many germs outside.

The young boy he was tutoring neither cooperated nor threw a tantrum; instead, he rested his chin in his hand, swaying his body back and forth, and asked Ji Xingshen how much he earned per tutoring session.

Upon learning the exact figure, a look of undisguised pity and contempt crossed the young boy’s face despite his tender age.

Before starting university, apart from Lin Shu, Ji Xingshen hadn't actually had much contact with other wealthy offspring.

He had naturally assumed that brandishing a good school and an excellent transcript would at least command basic respect, if not make people look at him in a new light.

After meeting Lin Shu, he had pretended to be wealthy at school for two years, basking in envious glances, and had almost forgotten what his life used to be like...

The invisible hierarchy of wealth among peers isn't something people usually flaunt openly on their faces, but the lingering gazes and hesitant tones had pierced him deeply in the past.

The child he was now tutoring plucked once more at that nerve he had thought was safely repaired.

Come to think of it, although Lin Shu’s family was clearly very wealthy, she had never once displayed any contempt toward him.

When she helped him, there wasn't even a trace of pity mixed in; initially, there had only been pure appreciation.

……Was that why he had ended up showing her his most sarcastic and ugliest side?

Do human beings always tend to fawn over those who treat them harshly, while looking down upon those who are good to them?

Ji Xingshen tilted his head, pressing his hand against his ear to push it downward. The tinnitus vanished, but the internal noise within his heart did not.

He had earned seven hundred yuan.

The mistress of the house was very satisfied with the result—her son’s winter break homework was finally finished before the start of term.

However, the mistress did not invite Ji Xingshen to stay for a meal, nor did she allow him to use the household restroom.

"Sorry about that, could you go down to the public restroom? My child easily catches a fever, and outsiders aren't allowed to use our bathroom either. It's nothing personal."

Ji Xingshen recalled the first time he went to Lin Shu’s house.

He hadn't changed his shoes.

She had wanted to give him Lin Zhou’s old clothes, yet fumbled over her words, too embarrassed to speak them aloud.

The domestic helper at her home had seen him carrying large bags of secondhand clothes without a shred of disdain, even proactively helping him carry them and praising him as a sensible, good child.

……

Ji Xingshen took the money and left.

He told himself that Lin Shu’s innocence and helpfulness had an ulterior motive; she was simply trying to win his favor and admiration by helping him out.

She must have read too many trashy novels.

Did she really think she was an angel?

He hadn't done anything wrong; he was merely teaching her a lesson.

Ji Xingshen got his phone repaired, and holding the remaining four hundred yuan, he wanted to take his grandmother to the pharmacy to buy some calcium tablets.

His father always said he would buy them.

Yet...

"Grandson, no need, I already have calcium tablets."

His grandmother lovingly brought out an opened gift box containing expensive, senior-specific calcium tablets.

"Grandma, where did these come from?"

"Oh, these? They were handed out by the community center. A kind-faced little girl gave them to me. Nobody else got them; she said I did a good deed, so she rewarded me."

The elderly woman smiled happily as she tucked the box away after showing her grandson.

With her hands clasped behind her back and gripping a pair of fire tongs, she headed back out to stroll along the street, picking up plastic bags and cigarette butts as she went.

His grandmother’s face was filled with pride.

She genuinely believed her good deeds had earned her a reward.

Ji Xingshen averted his gaze, catching his own disheveled reflection in the glass, and lowered his head in humiliation.