Outside the window, little birds chirped incessantly. When Yu Shanshan woke up, it was already seven o'clock.
"Can you hurry up? If you dawdle any more, you'll miss the school bus."
Seeing her daughter dragging her feet, Jiang Xiufang felt anger flare up instantly. This child took after no one she knew; the moment it was time for school, all her energy vanished. Look at that lifeless look on her face—anyone who didn't know better would think she was being sold off to some remote mountain village to dig for coal.
"I know."
Yu Shanshan hadn't fully woken up yet. She usually got sleepy well before ten o'clock, but last night she had forced herself to stay up until eleven.
"Don't bother eating breakfast here; get something yourself when you get to school. Where's your backpack?"
Watching her precious daughter open the front door and prepare to walk right out, Jiang Xiufang was dumbfounded.
"..."
Yu Shanshan turned around and headed back toward her bedroom.
"Sigh, losing things left and right all day long. If your dad were here, he'd definitely be chewing you out again."
Jiang Xiufang let out a helpless sigh. Ever since her husband went abroad, her daughter had been like a wild horse with its reins cut, completely running amok.
After dawdling for another few minutes, Yu Shanshan finally left the house.
The warm sunshine spilled across her face, but she couldn't muster the slightest bit of interest. She had hated school ever since she was a little kid.
The school bus arrived just a few minutes after she started waiting. Once on board, Yu Shanshan mentally cursed her bad luck: Jiang Manni, holding onto Qiyue's arm, was standing right in the middle of the aisle.
To her surprise, she didn't see Lin Yi. A trace of a smile crept into Yu Shanshan's eyes—it seemed Lin Yi really had been turned to her side.
Hehe, pissed off yet?
Jiang Manni was indeed a little angry. Whether it was Lin Yi's attitude after school yesterday or that remarking "you're so annoying," both had left her feeling upset. She and Lin Yi had known each other since they were very young, and Lin Yi had always taken good care of her.
It must have been Yu Shanshan who said something to Lin Yi; otherwise, Lin Yi would never have treated her like that!
Hmph, a little bitch trying to sow discord, let's see how this plays out.
Many boys were stealing glances at Yu Shanshan. Jiang Manni casually glanced over at Qiyue and, seeing that his gaze was fixed entirely on the window, she withdrew her eyes with a satisfied look.
Hmph, so what if she's pretty? When she fails to get into college, we'll see what she does.
Ahead at the intersection, the school bus slowly came to a halt.
Yu Shanshan glanced out the bus window, and a smile instantly bloomed in her eyes.
"Driver, stop the bus."
Yu Shanshan walked quickly toward the door. She had spotted Lin Yi, and the crucial thing was that Lin Yi was riding an electric scooter—what a coincidence.
"What's wrong?"
The driver cast a glance at Yu Shanshan. Good grief, this girl was certainly pretty.
"I'm a little carsick, I feel like throwing up."
Yu Shanshan covered her mouth, putting on a miserable expression as if she were about to hurl the next second. Passengers weren't allowed to get off the bus midway, so she had no choice but to fake motion sickness.
"Hurry up then, and don't you dare throw up in the bus."
The driver hurriedly opened the door.
Jiang Manni wore a look of schadenfreude, but what happened next left her dumbfounded. Yu Shanshan, who a second before had claimed she was carsick and about to vomit, ran faster than a rabbit the moment she stepped off the bus.
"Lin Yi~"
Yu Shanshan's voice was full of cheer, completely ignoring the gazes behind her.
Lin Yi?
Jiang Manni hurriedly looked out the bus window. Wasn't that boy straddling the electric scooter none other than Lin Yi?
Why was Lin Yi riding an electric scooter? Wasn't he waiting for her this morning?
How could Lin Yi do this!
Jiang Manni's face grew darker and darker.
Qiyue kept his gaze lowered, the corners of his mouth quietly curling into a sarcastic smirk.
The driver shook his head. The girl had put on a pretty convincing act—even he had been fooled.
"Good morning."
Seeing the Pikachu on Yu Shanshan's cap, Lin Yi couldn't help smiling.
"Give me a ride to school."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yu Shanshan hopped straight onto the back seat of the electric scooter, her little hands instinctively grabbing onto Lin Yi's school uniform.
"Alright."
Lin Yi didn't refuse. There was always someone eating breakfast on the school bus, and that smell was genuinely unpleasant.
"Giddyup~"
Yu Shanshan grabbed Lin Yi's uniform and gave it a shake.
"..."
Lin Yi was still slightly speechless.
The electric scooter slowly started moving.
"I saw Jiang Manni on the bus just now. How come you weren't with her?"
A flash of mischievousness crossed Yu Shanshan's eyes. Anyone with a normal brain wouldn't want to be used as a tool; she just wanted to see how Lin Yi would react.
"Oh."
Lin Yi's mood didn't fluctuate in the slightest.
"Looks like it's just the two of us from now on."
Qiyue's voice showed no trace of emotion, but his gaze carried an intriguing nuance.
"Mhm."
Jiang Manni kept her head down. She didn't want Qiyue to see her expression right now; her face must look terrible.
It seemed she had to find Lin Yi and have a proper talk with him; otherwise, if things kept going like this, Yu Shanshan might actually succeed.
Jiang Manni was still quite confident. No matter what Yu Shanshan had said, she was confident she could make Lin Yi stay away from that bitch. She and Lin Yi had known each other for over a dozen years—how many days had Yu Shanshan even known Lin Yi?
"Because of you, I didn't even sleep well last night."
Yu Shanshan let out a yawn.
"Don't tell me you dreamed about me?"
Lin Yi teased.
"As if! I usually go to sleep before ten, but yesterday I stayed up until eleven helping you solve math problems, and I could barely get up this morning."
Yu Shanshan said it as if it were the gravest matter in the world. I've helped you this much, the least you can do is show some appreciation!
"Then I'll treat you to breakfast."
Lin Yi was still pretty street-smart.
"Lacks sincerity."
Yu Shanshan was a little unhappy. Her allowance was for other things; if Lin Yi could treat her to meals every day, that would be great.
"Then what do you want?"
"I'll tutor you, and... well, from now on you'll cover my breakfast and lunch."
Yu Shanshan didn't hesitate at all. Even though her math wasn't great, she could act as a "delivery courier" for answers.
"Deal."
Lin Yi didn't refuse. In order to get into university, he didn't mind treating Yu Shanshan to meals.
When they went to the school supermarket to buy breakfast, Yu Shanshan followed behind Lin Yi like a little tail.
"I'm heading back to the classroom first. Don't forget to treat me to lunch."
Yu Shanshan grabbed her breakfast and skipped happily back to the classroom.
Before Lin Yi even stepped into the classroom, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw Wu Zheng with two massive dark circles under his eyes.
"What happened to you?"
Lin Yi couldn't help laughing. Wu Zheng was already on the chubby side, and paired with those two dark circles, he looked even more like a panda.
"Damn it, don't ask. Our guild was doing progression raids last night, and some idiot rogue in the group kept causing us to wipe all the way until three in the morning."
Wu Zheng looked half-asleep. He wanted nothing more than to beat that idiot to death; playing a rogue and constantly pulling mobs—he was just mentally handicapped, plain and simple.
"Awesome."
Lin Yi was still somewhat impressed. There was only a month left until the college entrance exams, and Wu Zheng still had the heart to stay up all night gaming.
"I was watching from behind for quite a while just now. What's actually going on between you and Yu Shanshan?"
"She's tutoring me, and I'm treating her to breakfast. What's with that look on your face?"
Just as Lin Yi finished speaking, Wu Zheng walked away. Yu Shanshan tutoring you? With her grades, what is she going to tutor you with—her sheer willpower? Damn Lin Yi, if you're going to lie, at least come up with a better excuse.