Chen Ye watched Su Lili sway her hips as she walked out. If looks could kill, he would have pinned her to the floor to demand why, in his previous life, she had used forged evidence to frame him for prison.
In an era where the average salary was three to five hundred, Chen Ye, whose parents were both business owners, was clearly a hot commodity. Su Lili enjoyed his pursuit while pocketing his gifts and treats, all while remaining tangled up with thugs from the streets. By today’s standards, she was a top-tier "green tea" bitch—popular everywhere, though no one knew exactly which mouth she used to get by.
Especially at the bar street over by Yangping’s side. The Gege Bar she had just mentioned was one such place, offering every service you could possibly imagine. Thinking back on the string of idiotic moves he had made in his past life, Chen Ye wanted to slap himself twice. Now that he was back, he had to make money first and uncover the reason for Luo Hongli’s future suicide. As for revenge for his past life, once he had money, everything else would be easy to handle.
Chen Ye quickly finished his mother-made lunchbox. Just then, someone attacked his kidneys from behind.
"Datou, you—" Chen Ye cursed, then coughed, "Morning."
The mornings and evenings in Shancheng were quite chilly, and Luo Hongli’s nose was slightly red from the cold. She was clutching a stick tightly in her hand; it seemed that was what she had poked him with.
"Um, um, can I sit down to talk?" she asked cautiously.
Chen Ye’s seat was in the back row, and she was afraid other students would see her, though not many people had arrived yet. Luo Hongli reached into the inner pocket of her clothes and pulled out a wad of cash. Upon closer inspection, it was at least twenty or thirty yuan.
"This, this is the pocket money I’ve saved up. I, I’d like to pay you back part of it first, is that okay?"
Chen Ye was stunned. She was actually paying him back? He hadn't even intended for her to return it. However, to maintain his persona as a jerk, he snatched the money away. Her palm was soft and freezing cold.
"Tsk, it’s too little. I can't be bothered with bookkeeping. Save up more and pay me back all at once. Here, take it."
"Then, about the flag-raising ceremony in a bit..." Luo Hongli looked at him hesitantly, took the money back, and hid it in her inner pocket. She was clearly still on edge from his threat the night before, thinking Chen Ye would report her for stealing medication today.
"Don't worry, I’m a man of my word. Final exams are coming up. I have an idea that could use your help, and it involves making money. Are you in?"
At the mention of earning money, Luo Hongli’s eyes lit up. "Really? Is it... is it illegal?"
"Not at all, big sister. Do you think you have the constitution for illegal activities? Look at your scrawny build."
"You two, I, um, can I interrupt? The flag-raising is about to start, we need to go down." Datou, Lin Feng, spoke up from behind them with terrible timing.
Luo Hongli was so startled she jumped to her feet, lowered her blushing, delicate face, and scurried back to her seat.
Chen Ye glared at him irritably. "Are you a melonhead? How long have you been eavesdropping?"
Lin Feng grinned. "Not long, ten minutes."
"You damn—you heard everything!"
"Brother Ye, this is my seat. I watched you lean closer and closer to her. If I hadn't spoken up in time, you would've been pressed right up against her face! If student Luo told the teacher you were harassing her, Uncle Chen would beat you up again. Aren't you afraid of Su Lili getting jealous?"
"I couldn't care less if she was eating poop. So, does this mean I have to thank you?"
"You bet."
*Ding-dong~ Ding-ding~*
With the bell ringing, all the students in the school began running toward the playground. Running exercises here were basically a chaotic free-for-all, not like the northern schools where everyone moved in neat, synchronized squares.
Before long, Chen Ye spotted Luo Hongli. Because of her mother’s illness, she often had a faint scent of medicine about her. She didn't have many friends, and Zhang Bing was the one she hung out with most.
"Hongli, look, Chen Ye is slowing down. Is he coming toward you? I’m a bit puzzled—every time Chen Ye gets punished and no one wants to partner with him, you always help him. You wouldn't happen to be..."
"Bingbing, don't, don't talk nonsense. I’m not. It’s just a coincidence. Oh, and thank you for the things you sent over last night. You’ve helped me too much, I..."
"Wait, I have a stitch in my side. Things? I didn't send anything." Zhang Bing clutched her stomach and stopped. "You keep running, I... I need to catch my breath."
Chen Ye happened to slow down and pull alongside her at that moment. "If you don't want the teacher to notice anything wrong, keep running. I'll stay half a step behind you."
Luo Hongli thought back to the previous night. Shortly after Chen Ye had left, the elderly lady had knocked on her door with the supplies, saying only that they had been paid for. Could it have been him? Was he crazy? Threatening her one moment and being kind to her the next?
"Help me get my grades up to the passing line for the finals, and I’ll take you along to make money."
"How? I’ll say this first, I won't do anything illegal, and I won't go to bars or anything like that."
Chen Ye was dumbfounded. Just how pathetic was his reputation before?
"Rest assured, it’s completely reasonable and legal. I can't tell you yet—what if you run off and do it behind my back?"
Luo Hongli glanced at him sideways, unimpressed. "Oh."
"By the way, from now until the end of the semester, you have to walk home with me after school."
"No!"
"Then you’d better wait for the flag-raising ceremony in a bit."
"Chen Ye, you—you’re being unreasonable! What if, what if someone sees us and says that we... that we..."
Chen Ye flashed a grin, took a long stride to get right beside her, and whispered, "Afraid people will say we're dating?"
Whether from the running or the embarrassment, Luo Hongli’s earlobes turned a delicate, rosy pink. He had no choice; if Su Lili really did bring Wang Qiang to give Luo Hongli trouble, he had to be there to ensure she didn't get hurt. In his past life, it happened at the Gege Bar. He had seen Wang Qiang reach his hand into Su Lili’s pants from behind, while Su Lili cried and pretended she was being forced. God knows if those two bastards had set him up. At Su Lili’s birthday party, all the guests were classmates; would they really let a thug bully her?
Chen Ye had lost his head on the spot. By the end of the fight, he realized that apart from Datou, who had been shielding him the whole time, all the other male students had run away in fear. In the chaos, no one knew how Li Cheng had ended up on the floor, or how he had been kicked so hard that his balls exploded, leading to his death in the hospital. That mystery had tortured Chen Ye for twenty years.
"What bad scheme are you cooking up again? I already agreed! Say something."
Luo Hongli’s voice cut through his thoughts. Chen Ye smiled as if nothing was wrong. "Look at you, getting impatient again. I’m not deaf. It’s settled then—walk home with me tonight."
Looking at his nonchalant attitude, Luo Hongli clenched her pink fists in frustration. She really wanted to smack him across the face.
Amidst her nervous anticipation, the flag-raising ceremony finally ended. The rest of the morning passed quietly. In the cafeteria, Luo Hongli spent five jiao on a bowl of rice and five jiao on a bowl of egg soup—which was, *ahem*, about as clear as tap water.
Chen Ye suddenly walked over and placed his tray in front of her and Zhang Bing.
"I have something to take care of and need to leave. I can't finish this; you eat it for me."
To Zhang Bing’s stunned silence, a full plate of meat and vegetables was dumped in front of Luo Hongli.
"Hongli, you two... are you a couple? Braised pork, dry-fried fish..."
"We are not! Who knows what’s wrong with him? He was threatening me yesterday... but is it okay to be this wasteful just because he has money? Since there’s so much food, might as well eat it! Let’s share."
Chen Ye, who hadn't managed to get an official leave, had already climbed over the school wall. The small fence of No. 8 Middle School was an easy obstacle to overcome.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Hello, is this Mr. Wang Tianlong? I have some information regarding your son Wang Qiang’s drug use and sexual assault, and I’d like to discuss it with you. You wouldn't want your company’s stock to plummet, would you? Go to you? I don't dare. Come meet me at the internet cafe. I’ll send you the address. And let me be clear: come alone. If I see a second person, we’ll see each other on the legal news channel tomorrow."