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Second Period
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Because of that strange person, Jiang Huihui was late by ten minutes today. Fortunately, her homeroom teacher didn’t say anything.
Jiang Hui Hui’s deskmate asked, “Ran into those people again?”
Jiang Huihui recalled that young man called Zhou Yanli and nodded her head.
She took out her textbooks from her backpack, then placed her backpack inside the desk.
Her deskmate indignantly said, “Wasn’t it just because the guy their boss likes passed you a love letter? It’s not like you agreed. How I see it, she’s just jealous of you.”
Jiang Huihui didn’t answer. She flipped open her textbook. A card slid out from inside, falling onto the ground.
She blanked for a moment, bending down to pick it up.
It was an ID card. The person on the ID was precisely that boy called Zhou Yanli that she’d encountered earlier.
He was expressionlessly looking at the camera. He had slightly upturned slender peach blossom eyes, a tall nose bridge, and well-defined facial features.
Her deskmate’s eyes lit up as she leaned over, excited to the point where she stumbled on her words, “Who’s this? So handsome!”
She took the ID card and looked over it.
“Must be fake, the date is even twenty years in the future.” She took another closer look, “Don’t you feel he looks a bit familiar?”
Jiang Huihui shook her head. She was just thinking about how to have this obviously fake ID returned to him.
Even the date of birth was randomly filled in.
Her deskmate kept feeling that he looked like someone, clearly remembering, but unable to recall in the moment.
That period was language arts class. There was a monthly exam next week that was connected to the year-end scholarship, so Jiang Huihui was very focused on her studies.
Her tuition every year was all paid using the scholarship from the school. Without the scholarship, she won’t be able to attend school.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The money at home was all left for her ten year old younger brother. Her mom said, her younger brother’s tutoring fees and living expenses all require a very large sum of money.
The bell rang. Her deskmate coiled around Jiang Huihui’s arm, begging her to go with her to see the student council.
“The basketball club’s cheerleading squad is currently recruiting. What if I make it? You come with me!”
The basketball club had many good-looking guys. In order to more conveniently see handsome guys, her deskmate vowed to join the cheerleading squad.
Jiang Huihui nodded, “Okay.”
Her personality was gentle and easy to talk to, the good girl in the eyes of the teachers and parents.
Pingjiang High School’s school uniform got influenced by the west a few years back, changing from the traditional sportswear to a blazer with a dress shirt. The girls’ version came with a skirt, while the boys’ version came with trousers.
Thus, throughout the school grounds, you can always see those that had the uniform worn sloppily.
But, there were also those that wore it properly, looking elegant and refined as if they were ready to attend a banquet at anytime.
Jiang Huihui didn’t know how she accidentally entered this place either. Whenever her deskmate gets nervous, her stomach will just act up. Before going to the bathroom, she let Jiang Huihui go help her find out which classroom the interview was being held in first.
This building was too big and also too exquisite, so elaborately carved and polished that it didn’t seem like a building belonging to Pingjiang High.
It was as if it’d been directly moved over from some palace.
Starting from a few years ago, several prominent and influential figures gradually came to Pingjiang City. Jiang Huihui wasn’t clear about their origins, but whenever the adults idly chatted, she more or less would hear a little.
They came from the capital city, heard that there was some reform, and that the above has marked Pingjiang City as a key area.
The children of those big shots also came.
This building was separately built, in the name of creating a good learning environment for the top students. But, in reality, it was exclusively reserved for those wealthy young masters and young misses.
This should be an art classroom.
At the front, there were some plaster statues, and in the middle, there were a few unfinished paintings.
Fortunately, there were no students in class, else her accidental entry certainly would’ve disturbed them.
Jiang Huihui was just about to leave. However, that faint smell of smoke in the air caused her to sneeze.
The sound seemingly stopped, the inside of the classroom returning to silence.
When she was about to leave again, footsteps approached from afar, stopping before her.
What Jiang Huihui saw first was that pair of dark brown leather shoes, and then the black trousers. It seemingly was particularly fitting on him. Not a single wrinkle could be seen.
The boy’s legs truly were long. Her line of sight had to shift upwards for a long while before finally catching sight of the white hem of his dress shirt.
His dress shirt was also perfectly fitting, getting stretched open by his broad shoulders. He was like those mannequins displayed outside the stores in the mall. Regardless of what clothes he had on, he was all able to make them look good and feel expensive.
When her line of sight finally reached his face, meeting with his eyes, Jiang Huihui’s heart suddenly contracted.
His slender peach blossom eyes didn’t carry a trace of emotion, his skin pale, his facial features sharp and well-defined.
The person that you don’t want to offend the most in all of Pingjiang High School.
Jiang Huihui pursed her lips, apologizing to him, “Sorry for disturbing you.”
The boy held a half-burned cigarette between his slender and fair fingers. The smoke Jiang Huihui smelled just now most likely came from him.
He had the cigarette put out, his voice carrying an innate coldness, but this coldness absolutely wasn’t directed at Jiang Huihui.
He equally treated everyone the same.
He slightly lifted his chin, calmly asking her, “Which class, called what?”
Probably because he was looking down from above at this time, it made him look a bit like he was interrogating her.
Jiang Huihui’s left hand held her right thumb, scared to the point of not daring to breathe too heavily.
“Zhang Li.” She resorted to her old trick.
But, the father wasn’t as easy to trick as the son. The boy didn’t speak and just silently stared at her.
That pair of dark brown eyes seemed as if it could see straight through her.
Jiang Huihui felt uneasy under his gaze, thus quietly changed her answer, “Jiang Huihui.”
The other party still didn’t speak. She hurriedly explained, “It’s my real name. Jiang as in ‘the river that travels a thousand li from Jiangling in a day’; Hui is the ‘must’ from ‘one must reach the highest peak’[1].”
He had the extinguished cigarette butt placed in her hand, “Go throw it away.”
A very calm tone.
This move seemingly was a warning.
The cigarette butt was in her hand. If a second person finds out about this, then it will surely have come from her.
Actually, Zhou Jinwei didn’t care whether or not this matter will get found out by a third or fourth person.
Even if the whole school finds out, he similarly won’t care.
For people like them, as long as they don’t kill someone, no matter what, it can all be treated lightly.
But, unknown as to why, seeing this girl who was like a rabbit before him trembling in fear, he suddenly wanted to let her tremble even more.
Jiang Huihui entirely sank into an enormous pool of fear. That cigarette butt got tightly clutched in her hand, just fearing that it would drop or get seen by someone.
She certainly can’t give away Zhou Jinwei.
But if she were mistaken for the one who smoked it, not even jumping into the Yellow River can clear her name.
The outside suddenly became extremely noisy. Most likely the students that came for the interview were starting to leave.
Zhou Jinwei went around her and opened the classroom door.
However, they saw in the hallway Xu Lianyu blocking a boy who wasn’t wearing his uniform, asking him which class he was from.
The other party was nonchalant, “Who the hell are you? Move aside, don’t block my way.”
This vulgar language made Zhou Jinwei slightly frown. He seemingly extremely despised people who spoke so crudely.
Xu Lianyu’s expression didn’t change, still that cold look, “I’m with the disciplinary committee. According to the school’s regulations, not wearing the uniform will result in getting three points deducted.”
Zhou Yanli had one hand in his pocket. As he stood there, he was already two heads taller than her.
He slightly frowned, his patience completely gone, “Even if you deduct three hundred points, it’ll all have nothing to do with me.”
Probably because of very rarely seeing such a rude person, Xu Lianyu also revealed a rare look of disgust.
Just as things were heading towards an irreversible situation, Jiang Huihui hurriedly went over. She tugged Zhou Yanli’s sleeve and softly urged him, “Don’t be like this, if too many points get deducted, you’ll get expelled.”
Her voice was soft. When she spoke, it was like as if there was a ball of cotton in her throat.
Zhou Yanli lowered his head. Upon seeing her, he immediately changed from that unruly attitude just now, only having some childish annoyance and awkwardness left.
“I’ve been looking all over for you, where did you go?”
She stuttered and stammered, not daring to speak. In the end, she changed the subject and asked him, “Why are you looking for me?”
His reply was extremely calm, “What else can it be for? Wanted to see you.”
Jiang Huihui’s eyes widened in shock, “Don’t……don’t say nonsense.”
Premature dating will cause even more points to be deducted.
She tugged him, wanting to leave, also explaining to the student committee member on the other side, “He’s a new student that just transferred over today, so still hasn’t received his uniform yet. He’s not deliberately not wearing it.”
Who knew, Zhou Yanli didn’t cooperate in the slightest, “I already got it, just too lazy to change.”
Jiang Huihui helplessly sighed, “Please stop talking.”
In this back and forth, the cigarette butt in her palm, unknown as to when, fell onto the ground.
Xu Lianyu pushed up her glasses, her gaze landing on Jiang Huihui.
“Smoking, deduct five points. Which class are you from, what are you called?”
Jiang Huihui instantly panicked, “It’s not me……I didn’t.”
“It fell off of you, could it be that my own eyes can even lie to me?”
Jiang Huihui glanced at Zhou Jinwei who was standing nearby. He was leaning against the wall, his posture laid-back, his gaze very cold, quietly watching all of this unfold just like that, like a bystander, while also like an arbiter.
Jiang Huihui naturally didn’t dare to have him given away. Even if she were to take the blame herself, she still wouldn’t dare to have him given away.
Just as she was about to nod her head, Zhou Yanli calmly took it upon himself, “I smoked it, however much you want to deduct, just deduct it altogether. Is there a discount, get fifty, minus thirty?”
This while, a lot of people have already gathered around, all coming over to see the commotion.
Seeing Jiang Huihui shaking like a sieve, Zhou Yanli knew she was scared.
He patted her hand that was tugging his sleeve, softly consoling her, “Don’t be scared. Even if the sky collapse, there’s still this young master holding it up for you.”
Jiang Huihui thought to herself, this person really was full of himself, daring to speak so unrestrainedly in front of these people.
Yet, strangely, a stream of warmth flowed through her heart. There has never been anyone who’s been this good to her before. Even her closest family, they would often, for the sake of that younger brother who was six years younger than her, let her be wronged and treated unfairly.
“Enough.”
A cold and deep male voice sounded from the side. It was Zhou Jinwei.
He finally stopped watching from the sidelines and made his way over.
“All of you go back to class.”
Xu Lianyu opened her mouth, “But……”
However, she got blocked by a glance from him.
“You go back too.”
Four completely emotionless words made Xu Lianyu shut her mouth.
In the entire school, even the entire Pingjiang City, or even if returning to the capital city, the one that must never be provoked was precisely this young master in front.
No matter how unwilling, she could only nod her head and leave with the notebook in hand.
Zhou Yanli stared at the boy who was able to settle everything with one word, from the initial doubt to the eventual shock.
This face……..
“Dad…”
The hallway that was still tightly crowded a moment ago was now open to the point of having an echo.
So that “dad” from Zhou Yanli echoed for a long time.
The onlookers who still haven’t left yet let out a very soft gasp of surprise, “Bro, impressive, able to know when to bend and when to stand. Even when it comes to picking a dad, you also know to pick the most impressive one.”
Zhou Jinwei stopped in his tracks and looked to the person who clearly was the same age as him, yet called him dad.
Zhou Yanli never expected that their family of three would just reunite like this.
He further didn’t expect that his dad, in his youth, would already have such a strong presence.
Zhou Jinwei looked at him, “What did you call me?”
Even if this person before him was the same age as him, but under the suppression of bloodline, Zhou Yanli was unable be arrogant.
That ferocious wolf that was baring its fangs and claws just now, this while, obediently retracted his teeth, “Dad. Otherwise, what else would I call you?”
Zhou Jinwei slightly raised his brow, his cold eyes carrying faint mockery, “I don’t need a son, but my dog at home just got neutered. He probably could use one.”
[1] Her surname Jiang(江) means river, a very common surname, while her name HuiHui(会会) is actually a very common character that can be used as a verb, noun, adverb, conjunction, etc. However, the meaning behind her name she mentioned here is a verse from a poem called ‘Climbing the Stork Tower'(登鹳雀楼) by Tang dynasty poet Wang Zhihuan(王之渙). In the context of the poem, it means one must climb to the highest peak in order to see the mountains below.
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