A black sedan had long been waiting downstairs.

The sky remained dim. The rain had lessened from last night’s downpour but still fell steadily.

Uncle Wang tilted his black umbrella, shielding Lingyuan and Yanxi as they got into the car.

"Good morning, young master, miss."

"Good morning, Uncle Wang," Yanxi replied politely with a wave. Lingyuan remained silent.

Uncle Wang slid into the driver’s seat, closed the door, then turned with a bank card from his pocket. "Ms. Yan asked me to give you this for living expenses. The PIN is your birthday."

Before Lingyuan could refuse, Yanxi took the card with a smile. "I’ll thank Mom on your behalf, brother." She shot Lingyuan a meaningful glance and slipped the card into his backpack.

Lingyuan ignored her expression and asked coldly, "How much is on it? If it’s too much, I won’t take it."

Uncle Wang chuckled awkwardly. "Ms. Yan anticipated this. There’s five thousand yuan—extra allowance for this semester. She also asked me to remind you: in ten days is the old master’s 40th birthday banquet. She hopes you’ll attend… for his sake."

"We’ll see," Lingyuan muttered, leaning back against the plush seat. *Rich people’s cars really are different.*

*Though not as soft as Yanxi’s—*

He caught himself staring. Yanxi wore her summer uniform, the top button undone. Being a head taller, Lingyuan glimpsed snow-white skin like peony petals. His heart lurched.

*Hiss—*

He snapped his gaze away, ashamed. He didn’t understand cup sizes, only that Yanxi’s chest was… *big*. A frequent topic among classmates.

"Brother, please go," Yanxi urged, her voice shifting to a controlled, elegant tone. "Father often asks about you."

Lingyuan sighed, watching her tilt her head politely. "Fine." He turned to the window, avoiding the topic. He knew better than to ask why she’d changed her tone. Her answer would always be: *"Outside, I’m a noble young lady. I can’t tarnish that image."*

Only with him did Yanxi show her true self.

Thanks to Yanxi staying over, Lingyuan was never late—but today his head throbbed worse than usual.

*All because of yesterday’s ranked matches…*

At 6:50 AM, the classroom was nearly empty. Early arrivals were either diligent students or those scrambling to finish homework, like Lanfeng. His pen flew across the page—probably copying Chinese assignments.

Lingyuan dropped his bag and slumped onto his desk, desperate to reclaim lost sleep.

"Huh? No homework today, bro?" Lanfeng twisted around, stunned. Teachers had long given up on Lingyuan; turning in assignments was rare enough. But after the class monitor’s scolding two days ago—and him actually doing homework yesterday—why quit now? Unless he’d finished it?

*Impossible. I saw his 15-loss streak last night. He was gaming all night.*

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Lingyuan snapped up, yesterday’s toxic teammates still fueling his irritation.

"Aren’t you scared the monitor will—"

"Let her yell. I don’t care." *A dead pig isn’t afraid of hot water.* Nothing mattered more than sleep.

He’d barely rested his head when someone tapped his desk.

"Not done." He didn’t look up.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Yixinxue’s voice. Lingyuan lifted his head to find a stack of test papers on his desk. She smiled warmly—a doting mother’s kindness that blurred his sleep-deprived vision. His mouth moved before his brain caught up.

"Okay."

"Oho? So obedient today." Her smile sharpened. "But it’s Friday. Don’t forget last night’s promise."

The classroom froze. Dozens of eyes locked onto them.

*Why emphasize it?! Is she actually planning something?!* Her gaze—cold, unfamiliar—sent chills deeper than her usual anger. Lingyuan’s pupils dilated in pure horror.

Yixinxue gave a satisfied nod, then pivoted to the podium, her expression icy as she sorted papers.

"Hey…" Lanfeng whispered. "What did you promise the monitor? Why’s she acting like this?"

"Yeah?" A classmate leaned in. "Spill."

"Holy crap! These are the monitor’s answers!" Lanfeng gasped, flipping through the papers. He glanced up—only to meet Yixinxue’s frosty stare. The crowd around Lingyuan scattered instantly.

Homework resumed. Morning readings began.

Only Lingyuan groaned, head in hands, staring at the untouched papers. Six subjects daily—Chinese, English, Math, Physics, Chemistry, Biology. Ten minutes until class.

*No way I can finish.*

Chinese characters blurred into an illegible wall. He shot Yixinxue a pleading look: *Just let me sleep.*

She tilted her head, eyes soft with concern: *Why aren’t you copying?*

He rolled his eyes and grabbed a pen.

*Fine. English and Chem. That’s enough.*

He copied answers, altering three-fourths to mimic his usual accuracy. Yixinxue’s handwriting was art—neat, elegant, uniquely hers. Nothing like Lanfeng’s scribbles from yesterday.

After returning her papers via the group leader, Lingyuan’s sleepiness vanished.