Chapter 17

Qu Wenyao’s profile picture was a round, white little rabbit, cute and somewhat resembling the Qu Wenyao in Yu Mo’s memory.

Yu Mo didn’t know where she had gotten her contact information; she was a little surprised but still clicked ‘accept.’

Her phone vibrated—it was the system’s automatic message: [You are now friends and can start chatting.]

Immediately after, Qu Wenyao sent a message: [Yu Mo, hello.]

It was a very ordinary, polite greeting.

[Mm, hello.] Yu Mo replied.

Seeing Yu Mo’s message, Qu Wenyao shot upright from her soft bed in an instant. Under her white lace short pajama shorts, a pair of long, fair legs nimbly crossed into a lotus position.

Her almond-shaped eyes were buried in a white teddy bear, glinting and lively.

She stared at Yu Mo’s message, full of smiles.

Qu Wenyao nervously and carefully tapped on the screen: [Yu Mo, you left so hurriedly that day that I didn’t get to properly say thank you. [Thank you]]

Qu Wenyao sent a bunny sticker, similar to her profile picture.

The soft, cute bunny extended its little white paws, bowing repeatedly, its little nose twitching.

Even through the screen, Yu Mo could feel the bunny’s soft, adorable nature, and a smile unconsciously crept into her eyes.

Yu Mo: [No need to be so polite. It was just a little effort on my part.]

Qu Wenyao hugged the teddy in her arms, thought for a moment, and asked with concern: [How is Yu Mo’s wound? Is it any better now?]

Yu Mo glanced at her wound, which Yang Aiyuan had just re-bandaged, and replied: [It’s nothing serious. Your bite wasn’t deep.]

After a moment’s thought, Yu Mo added: [It’s just that it wasn’t treated in time that day, so it bled a bit more and looked severe.]

Qu Wenyao recalled Yu Mo’s pale, bloodied arm from yesterday, feeling guilt-stricken. [I’m really sorry, Yu Mo. I caused you to suffer this ordeal for no reason.]

Yu Mo hadn’t blamed Qu Wenyao in the first place. Seeing her so remorseful, she felt even more reluctant and quickly replied: [Please don’t be like that. I’m not blaming you. It’s almost healed; the medicine from the School Infirmary works very well.]

Mentioning medicine, Qu Wenyao looked up at the small box on her desk.

The small box was wrapped in an exquisite, light pink gift paper, topped with a tiny bow.

Qu Wenyao held the small box in her hand and examined it several times. [I have a tube of Medicated Ointment at home that’s especially effective for wound recovery. I’ll be back at school tomorrow, so I’ll bring it to your class for you then.]

Yu Mo habitually declined: [No need. I still have plenty of medicine from the School Infirmary here. I can’t even use it all.]

Qu Wenyao looked at the carefully wrapped small box in her hand, gently biting her glistening lip.

Her fair little face was puffy with frustration, like a round dumpling.

Qu Wenyao wasn’t willing to let Yu Mo refuse her so easily. Her nimble fingers tapped away on the screen keyboard with a series of clicks.

[But this Medicated Ointment is just sitting at home unused. I had my dad buy it specifically for you.]

[As the instigator, you have to let me express my condolences for your wound, or I’ll feel very guilty.]

Yu Mo looked at the two messages Qu Wenyao sent in a row. They made sense.

So she stopped refusing and accepted her gesture.

Yu Mo agreed: [Alright. Message me when you get to school tomorrow, and I’ll come get it.]

[I’d rather bring it to you.] Qu Wenyao replied.

She was already impatient to go to Yu Mo’s classroom the moment she returned to school.

To give her the carefully wrapped ointment, watch her take it, and then see her smile the way she had that day.

Yu Mo replied politely: [Alright, I’ll trouble you then, Wenyao.]

Qu Wenyao, seeing the name “Wenyao,” smiled until her eyes curved.

The two little dimples beneath her lips were sweet, filled with delicious honey.

Qu Wenyao cautiously asked: [Yu Mo, can I just call you Yu Mo directly from now on?]

The teddy bear in her arms was hugged so tightly it had changed shape.

Yu Mo readily agreed: [Of course you can.]

[Really? That’s great!!]

The smile on Qu Wenyao’s face bloomed even more. She picked out an extremely cute bunny sticker and sent it to Yu Mo.

The round, chubby white bunny rolled this way and that inside the square frame.

Just like Qu Wenyao right now.

The two of them chatted about this and that for a while longer. To Yu Mo, Qu Wenyao was someone she had never met in her previous life, the first new friend she had made in this one.

Yu Mo looked at the “goodnight” sticker Qu Wenyao sent, lying on her bed and gazing out the window at the pitch-black night sky glittering with starlight, “A wonderful ending.”

The next day, it was drizzling continuously.

While the sky was still dimly lit, fine drizzly raindrops had begun to fall sporadically. By early morning, the rain had intensified.

The sun was still hiding behind the clouds, lazily providing no light.

A sense of tranquility permeated the entire campus.

The rain struck the newly sprouted flower buds in the garden beds, causing them to droop weakly.

Shen Shuyu, holding a pure black umbrella, crossed the connecting corridor and walked to the school’s administrative building.

She stopped in front of a mahogany door with gold lettering on a red background that read: Principal’s Office, and politely knocked twice.

“Come in,” a slightly aged voice came from inside.

Shen Shuyu, hearing this, pushed the door open.

The Principal’s Office was brightly, even somewhat dazzlingly, lit. Shen Shuyu blinked a few times to barely adjust.

The old principal looked up at Shen Shuyu, who was putting away her umbrella at the entrance, closed the file in his hand, and smiled kindly at her: “Shuyu, what brings you here?”

Shen Shuyu stood before the old principal, posture straight. “Uncle Wu, I’ve come today to make a clarification regarding the incident in the Logistics Office the day before yesterday, where we assisted a student who had just undergone Differentiation.”

Shen Shuyu knew that bypassing her Homeroom Teacher and the grade head to come directly to the Principal was somewhat overstepping her bounds.

But she knew that in this matter, the only person who could contend with, and even overpower, Shen Lin was Shen Lin’s own teacher, the old principal of A University Affiliated Girls High School, Wu Yuanyong.

“Was there some misunderstanding about this matter? Yesterday afternoon, Director Wang specifically came to me to request recognition for your actions,” Wu Yuanyong said, no anger on his face. He removed his gold-rimmed glasses and listened seriously to Shen Shuyu’s explanation.

Shen Shuyu: “Actually, besides me, another classmate also helped that student. It’s my classmate, Yu Mo.”

“Yu Mo? I seem to have heard that name somewhere before…” Wu Yuanyong frowned slightly and pulled up the student records on the computer. “Oh… it’s the student who transferred from Lower City this semester.”

“Yes,” Shen Shuyu nodded slightly.

“Then why did Director Wang only report your name to me?” Wu Yuanyong pondered, undercurrents flowing in his eyes.

Having been a fox steeped in the business world for three or four years in her core, Shen Shuyu stood here and saw through Wu Yuanyong’s hidden thoughts without much analysis.

Director Wang wasn’t a dedicated teacher in this school, but a worm gnawing at this venerable, century-old flourishing tree.

Lying in bed last night, sorting out character connections, Shen Shuyu remembered something.

At approximately this time in her previous life, Director Wang had been investigated by the school leadership and driven out of the school in disgrace.

Perhaps she could use the momentum of this matter to fight for the honor Yu Mo deserved.

And incidentally, exact some revenge.

“That’s precisely why I’m here, Uncle Wu,” Shen Shuyu said.

“My mother, yesterday, initially disliked the idea of Yu Mo sharing the stage with me due to her status as a Lower City Resident. Director Wang, aiming to curry favor with my mother, led to this situation.”

A deep furrow formed between Wu Yuanyong’s brows.

He looked up at the young lady standing before him, a hint of surprise in his eyes, interrupting her: “Shuyu, do you know what you’re saying?”

Shen Shuyu met Wu Yuanyong’s gaze, her eyes still clear. “But I don’t want Director Wang’s actions to implicate an innocent classmate.”

The furrow between Wu Yuanyong’s brows relaxed slightly. He steepled his hands in front of him, his seasoned old eyes scanning Shen Shuyu up and down. “You’re different from the Shen Shuyu I usually know today.”

“Why are you going out of your way to speak up for a child from Lower City?” Wu Yuanyong asked.

“Because this is a school. There shouldn’t be distinctions between Upper and Lower City here, nor should there be privilege. I don’t think standing alongside a Lower City Resident is something shameful,” Shen Shuyu answered.

Every word came from the heart, resounding with conviction.

Hearing this, a smile bloomed on Wu Yuanyong’s wrinkled face. “These words really should be heard by that girl, Shen Lin.”

“Shuyu, you did very right this time,” Wu Yuanyong acknowledged. “This world is full of Upper Cities and Lower Cities, one city nested within another. No one is lowly, no one is noble.”

Saying this, Wu Yuanyong stood up from his seat and walked with vigorous steps over to Shen Shuyu.

He looked carefully at this young lady who had grown into a graceful, beautiful girl and placed his heavy hand on her shoulder. “When you first entered school, I thought you would grow up to be another Shen Lin. But now it seems you will surpass that girl.”

With that, Wu Yuanyong patted Shen Shuyu’s shoulder approvingly.

Shen Shuyu felt undeserving. The pat made her shoulder tremble slightly.

If it weren’t for Yu Mo’s existence, she truly would have become the next Shen Lin.

Arrogant, conceited, insufferably superior.

“Good child, go back to class. I will handle this matter personally,” Wu Yuanyong said.

“Then I’ll take my leave, Uncle Wu.” Shen Shuyu nodded slightly and walked out with her now-dry umbrella.

The rain that had started in the early morning finally stopped after morning self-study.

The sky was washed clean, a brilliant blue. Sunlight pierced through the heavy white clouds, streaking a dazzling gold.

On one side of the sky, it was especially piercing.

A gentle breeze stirred, lifting the hem of Shen Shuyu’s skirt.

The post-rain air carried the unique freshness of spring, leaving a slight coolness on Shen Shuyu’s milky-white skin.

Walking along the corridor, Shen Shuyu unconsciously felt her steps lighten.

She had finally done something for Yu Mo.

White clouds shifted gently, and more sunlight poured through the corridor’s glass, spreading a floor of golden light for Shen Shuyu.

The corners of her lips curved upward, a rare smile in her eyes.

But nearing the classroom door, the smile on Shen Shuyu’s face froze abruptly.

At the classroom door, Yu Mo was half-leaning against the corridor wall, with a petite girl beside her.

The sunlight refracted off the fogged-up glass, adding a hazy, ambiguous filter to the two.

Shen Shuyu recognized this girl.

Qu Wenyao.