Listening to Qiujie Zhuo’s seemingly ambiguous words, Chi Yuzhou appeared momentarily stunned on the surface, but his thoughts remained crystal clear.
*See? That’s the "bad girl" for you.*
Protecting civilians was undoubtedly part of the duty tied to the uniform she wore at work.
Yet when Qiujie Zhuo pointed it out, the implication shifted entirely.
As if declaring that, to her, he—Chi Yuzhou—would always come first.
If he hadn’t built up resistance to such "bad girls" long ago, he might’ve already been completely bewitched by her few suggestive words, convinced she was his one and only.
Pity. To Chi Yuzhou, this kind of "bad girl" might have her tricks…
But he still had the upper hand.
A "bad girl" like her didn’t deserve a seat at the table.
So far, the only truly good woman he’d met was Heng Qinghuai of the Heng family.
Watching the two women seated side by side at the counter, Chi Yuzhou’s expression returned to normal, replaced by a perfectly measured smile.
To Qiujie Zhuo… this might just seem like shyness.
She knew well that winning over Chi Yuzhou wasn’t a race. She had all the time in the world.
Beside her, Heng Qinghuai listened quietly to their exchange, sipping her coffee in silence. She couldn’t join the conversation anyway.
She’d caught whispers of something dangerous… but as long as he was safe now, that was enough.
Besides, Chi Yuzhou no longer worked late shifts these days.
......
In the blink of an eye, another morning arrived.
Perhaps due to more rest, Chi Yuzhou felt exceptionally refreshed after sleep.
Or maybe it was just his imagination.
As usual, he filled his stomach with breakfast jelly cups. He left home a few minutes earlier than usual.
The moment he opened his door, he spotted his next-door neighbor—the landlord and teacher—stepping out of her room at the same time.
Before Chi Yuzhou could react, the neighbor nodded first.
"Good morning."
"Teacher Guan, morning."
They exchanged ordinary greetings, but the air between them fell silent for a split second.
Guan Mingxue was dressed in professional attire, radiating an intelligent, elegant beauty.
She’d moved in days ago, yet this was the first time Chi Yuzhou had bumped into her on the way to school.
The quiet hallway stretched between them until Chi Yuzhou broke it:
"I’ve washed the food container from last time. Should I bring it to you now?"
"No rush. I don’t need it yet."
Guan Mingxue didn’t mind his slightly chilly tone.
With nothing more to say, they parted ways. Chi Yuzhou politely declined her offer to share a ride, watching her familiar silver-white car slowly pull away.
Inside the car, Guan Mingxue—wearing gold-rimmed glasses—couldn’t hide a flicker of smug satisfaction in her eyes.
Truth was, she’d prepared plenty of those lunchboxes.
She’d planned to "accidentally" cook extra portions now and then, asking him to help finish them.
But strangely, when she’d timed her visits perfectly over the past few evenings, knocking on his door only to find him absent…
She’d missed chances to boost this "older brother’s" favorability. It frustrated her.
She doubted the solitary Chi Yuzhou could cook. His unnaturally pale skin hinted at poor nutrition.
Perhaps… the file she’d seen earlier was accurate after all.
A pitiful child whose parents had vanished. His absences were likely due to part-time jobs.
School rules existed, but in this case… she’d have to turn a blind eye.
A shame the file hadn’t included the white-haired little boy’s name.
......
On campus, the midday sun blazed at its hottest.
Chi Yuzhou stood at a distance, watching the long queue snaking out of the convenience store with lazy resignation.
Anticipation for the afternoon’s group cooking activity had students buzzing, making the store unusually crowded.
Since they’d need empty stomachs for the meal later, no one wanted to stay hungry now.
The line was too long. Chi Yuzhou had no desire to jostle in the heat.
If he got squeezed so hard he reverted to his child form, everything would be ruined.
Rumors might even spread about someone’s kid popping out from the crush.
Chi Yuzhou chuckled wryly at the thought.
Though he felt less drowsy these mornings, math class still inevitably stole a few winks from him.
Compared to sleeping through entire mornings before, this was already an improvement.
As time passed, Chi Yuzhou began considering the cafeteria instead—just as the store’s crowd finally thinned.
Luck was on his side. The last piece of his usual bread sat on the shelf.
But the hand reaching for it wasn’t his alone. Another slender, fair hand stretched toward it simultaneously.
“?”
Following that pale arm, Chi Yuzhou spotted Xiao Yingwan standing beside him.
He hadn’t expected her to eye the same last piece.
Before he could speak, Xiao Yingwan offered quietly:
"Take it. I’ll get something else."
"You can have it."
Chi Yuzhou’s belated concession came with polite reluctance.
"No, really."
"Alright."
Accepting her words, Chi Yuzhou didn’t push further.
His gesture had been mere courtesy—a nod to her hard work tutoring him.
Otherwise, why give up food already within reach?
He wasn’t that foolish.
Just as Chi Yuzhou grabbed the bread to leave, a vaguely familiar male classmate blocked his path.
Before the boy could speak, Xiao Yingwan’s voice turned icy:
"Sun Yiyang. What do you want?"
"Just wondering if this classmate is from our class. He looks familiar."
Sun Yiyang stepped aside smoothly, his handsome face showing no trace of discomfort.
Chi Yuzhou, puzzled, left without lingering.
The brief interruption changed nothing. Seeing Xiao Yingwan’s unreadable, cool expression, the classmate silently retreated.
Outside the store, Xiao Yingwan paused in the shade, staring at the alternative bread in her hand. An unexpected sense of defeat washed over her.
She’d stepped back twice. Why did he accept so matter-of-factly?
Did her tutoring mean so little that he wouldn’t yield even this small thing?
Or… was she truly unworthy of his compromise?
Fine. She’d see if he remained this unyielding once the afternoon activity began.
