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Suddenly encountering Lu Zhou left Shen Yihuan somewhat disoriented, even while showering.
Didn’t he go to Xinjiang after his third year of military academy? Why was he suddenly back, and when did he return? Was that female doctor his current girlfriend?
The more Shen Yihuan thought about it, the angrier she got. She fiercely knocked on her head, forcing herself to stop thinking about it.
She was the one who broke up with him; regretting it now would be too embarrassing!
And Lu Zhou... he was just a beast in human clothing!
In the eyes of others, Lu Zhou was cool and aloof, a top student, the school heartthrob, a favored son of heaven, an unattainable star in the hearts of all the girls at school.
Only Shen Yihuan knew that Lu Zhou had a bad temper, was easily angered and paranoid, and his need for control and possessiveness were so strong they were suffocating. As a teenager, she loved to play around and had many male friends.
No one knew that the seemingly distant “male god” in their eyes was like this when he was with Shen Yihuan.
Those usually cold eyes would ignite with fire when they saw Shen Yihuan, dark and suppressed, like a leopard fixating on its prey, or a drowning person grasping at their last piece of driftwood.
But Lu Zhou was indeed very good to her, Shen Yihuan thought.
So much so that in the three years since their breakup, Shen Yihuan had never again experienced such clear and profound love from anyone else.
She was someone who inherently lacked love and felt insecure. After being loved by Lu Zhou, she no longer had the capacity to be satisfied with the love others could offer her.
That’s why, over these three years, despite countless admirers, she had never been in another relationship.
________________________________________
Coming out wrapped in a bath towel and shuffling in white disposable slippers, her phone was lit up on her desk, vibrating slightly.
“Hello, Mom,” she said, putting it on speaker as she dried her wet hair with a towel.
“Why did it take so many calls to get through? Where are you now?” The voice on the other end was slightly impatient.
“At home,” she said calmly, unperturbed, softening her voice. “I was just showering, didn’t hear it.”
“Oh, come home tomorrow. Your sister’s back, we’ll have dinner together.”
It took Shen Yihuan three or four seconds to remember who this “sister” was, and then she instantly lost her appetite. Yet, she spoke sincerely, “Tomorrow night? I have work, I might not have time.”
“What kind of busy work can a photoshoot possibly be?” The anger in the voice was already unconcealed. “It’s a rare family reunion, can’t you avoid being a spoilsport?”
What kind of family reunion is this? Haven’t I been pretending to be good enough all these years?
Shen Yihuan took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, suppressing her emotions. Finally, she said into the phone, “Understood, I’ll be there tomorrow.”
________________________________________
The old Shen Yihuan resented restrictions and resisted discipline. She was a thorn in the side of school teachers, the center of male discussions and admiration, and the secret recipient of intense female jealousy.
In the key high school, she became the most unconventional presence.
Skipping classes, getting into fights, dating, wearing tinted lipstick, dresses that were slightly mature and frivolous for her age, long hair always smoothly cascaded, a dazzling smile that could be blinding, and being buddies with students from wealthy families who got in through connections.
She lived out her high school and the first two years of college like this.
Arrogant, overbearing, and influential.
What was truly most enviable was that even Lu Zhou liked such a girl.
He was indifferent to everyone, but Shen Yihuan was the exception.
She didn’t have many close friends at school but was always the subject of gossip, until one day, explosive news appeared in everyone’s conversations.
Shen Yihuan dropped out of S University.
S University had high tuition fees, and the photography major was particularly expensive. Students from less privileged backgrounds didn’t even dare to choose this major.
The rumors and speculations could drown a person, with all sorts of conjectures and doubts.
Shen Yihuan left everyone’s sight amidst the commotion and mockery. Her news only resurfaced two years later.
Her high school classmates couldn’t even believe it when they saw her again. The girl who used to be so arrogant and willful was now seriously working in a photography studio, with a neat high ponytail, ordinary and unassuming clothes, and a gentle, warm smile.
Her face was incredibly malleable; she could express anything she wanted to.
Three years ago, her father, Shen Fu’s company went bankrupt. Unable to bear the failure, he committed suicide by jumping from a building, leaving behind immense debts. His wife and daughter had to sell their property and belongings to pay it off. Her mother, who had lived a life of extravagance for decades, had no earning ability, and life after clearing the debts seemed even bleaker.
Shen Yihuan fell from a high pedestal, helpless and disheartened.
No one was willing to gratuitously help an orphaned mother and daughter who could not possibly generate visible benefits.
Until her mother remarried Shi Zhenming, who was in the home appliance industry at the time. Both were second marriages, both with a daughter. Shen Yihuan and the so-called sister, Shi Jin, disliked each other from the first glance.
Shen Yihuan had never suffered hardship since childhood. All her restraint and patience were learned in that household where she lived dependent on others.
And through repeated endurance, she learned to disguise herself, to grind down her sharp edges and contain them, to protect herself with a facade of innocence and kindness.
She no longer bared her fangs or acted recklessly. She became the “good girl” in most people’s eyes.
Living earnestly, striving positively.
No sharp edges, smooth and gentle.
________________________________________
After hanging up the phone, she slowly stretched and then flopped onto the soft bed.
She turned her head to look at the city nightscape outside the window—a scene of dazzling lights, bustling and noisy, as if there was no quiet place, no hiding place for her.
Even the air was sticky and hot.
She suddenly remembered eight years ago, it was also a summer like this.
...
The military training at No. 1 High School was held every year in mid-August, right after the plum rain season, when it was most stiflingly hot. And they had to enter school half a month early for military training, with classes starting directly after it ended.
On August 16th, Shen Yihuan walked into the high school campus, carrying a cute, limited edition small crossbody bag.
The girl’s skin was transparently fair, her pleated skirt and white shirt exuded youthful exuberance. Half of her shirt was tucked into the skirt, the other half hung loosely, appearing translucent under the dazzling sun. Her long legs were fair and slender, and the hollows and lines of her knees were utterly captivating.
She was truly beautiful, becoming a unique sight in this high school known for its high university admission rate.
Amidst the scrutinizing glances, Shen Yihuan clutched her admission notice and wandered to the door of Class 1, Grade 1.
Her middle school exam results weren’t great; being able to get into this school and this key class was entirely due to her father, Shen Fu’s connection with the principal.
She arrived late. The classroom was already full. Before uniforms were issued, everyone wore their own clothes, yet none were like her, exuding a delicate charm that bordered on girlhood and womanhood.
“Report!” Her voice was clear and crisp.
“Come in...” The homeroom teacher’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds. “Pay attention to your attire in school from now on.”
“Oh,” Shen Yihuan nodded perfunctorily.
Her gaze swept around the classroom. There was only one empty seat left in the back corner. When she clearly saw her deskmate’s face, Shen Yihuan paused slightly, then a playful glint quickly appeared in her eyes, and she walked quickly towards him.
“Hello, classmate. I’ll be your deskmate from now on!”
Shen Yihuan greeted him, her tone soft and just right, slightly nasal, like a boneless flirtation, or perhaps an ill-intentioned seduction.
His fringe fell over his forehead, even more handsome up close. His eyes were clear, his pupils light brown, appearing even lighter under the sunlight, giving Shen Yihuan a very pure and ascetic feeling.
It made one’s throat unconsciously itch.
Lu Zhou lowered his gaze, his eyes sweeping over her skirt hem, then subtly looking towards the blackboard, ignoring her.
She scooted her chair closer, the chair legs scraping the floor with a sharp sound.
The homeroom teacher frowned on the podium. “Shen Yihuan, if you want to talk, go outside and talk your fill! In our class, we have our class rules!”
The other students turned their heads at the sound and saw the girl and boy sitting extremely close, the girl’s body even leaning slightly towards him, bold and reckless, while the boy’s expression was indifferent, seemingly unaware of her small movements.
The girl just pulled back a bit, leaning her back against the chair, lazily saying “Oh,” her rebellious spirit undiminished.
“Classmate, what’s your name?” After a while, she couldn’t resist leaning closer to ask again.
As if annoyed by her chatter, Lu Zhou furrowed his brow slightly, paused for two seconds before speaking. “Lu Zhou.”
The homeroom teacher appointed Lu Zhou as the temporary class monitor based on admission scores.
Shen Yihuan swallowed, clicking her tongue. She talked a lot, and having just entered school, she had no friends to talk to, so she spoke to him again.
“You’re the temporary class monitor?”
“Mm.”
“The top scorer in Class 1 of No. 1 High School, are you the top scorer in the whole city?”
He paused, then shook his head.
Shen Yihuan was curious and asked, “Then who is it?”
“I don’t know, I was recommended.”
He closed his mouth after speaking, forming a tight line.
He listened to the girl beside him praising him in a sweet, seemingly genuine yet exaggerated voice, saying he was practically a ‘study god,’ followed by a flood of flowery compliments.
So annoying.
Lu Zhou lowered his eyes and could see the girl’s fair, slender thighs.
He stared for a long time, finally speaking, his voice hoarse and deep.
“Skirt.”
Shen Yihuan was startled, only then realizing that in the process of constantly leaning closer, her skirt had ridden up to her upper thighs, almost exposing her. She gasped softly and quickly pulled it back down.
When she turned her head to look at Lu Zhou again, she saw that his ears were already bright red.
...
At noon, Lu Zhou, as the temporary class monitor, brought back the military training uniforms. When Shen Yihuan returned after eating, she saw a set of clothes on her desk.
No wonder there were so many people in the restrooms on the way back; everyone was changing clothes.
The summer heat was oppressive. Shen Yihuan felt sleepy after lunch and was too lazy to squeeze into the crowded restrooms. She just leaned on her desk and fell asleep.
She was woken up again by the homeroom teacher’s knock on the door. She stood at the classroom entrance and yelled, “Gather at the drill ground at two o’clock for military training! Everyone put on your uniforms properly!”
Shen Yihuan took out her phone and saw it was 1:55.
The restrooms were still packed, especially the girls’ restroom. It was a sweaty summer day, and she really didn’t want to squeeze in and come out drenched in sweat. So, she carried her clothes back to the classroom.
Lu Zhou had already changed. His jacket was neatly buttoned to the very top, his collar perfectly pressed. His temples were cleanly shaved, and his short hair was fresh and sharp, revealing only a section of his cool, pale wrist.
His skin is really fair, Shen Yihuan thought.
“Class monitor,” she said, holding her clothes.
Lu Zhou looked at her indifferently.
“I need to change in the classroom. Can you block the door for me?”
Lu Zhou calmly raised one eyebrow. Shen Yihuan smiled sweetly at him.
Their seats were in the back corner, and Lu Zhou’s seat was against the wall, shielding them from surrounding gazes.
He stood up, let Shen Yihuan sit in his seat, and then stood with his back to her beside her chair.
Shen Yihuan directly pulled the baggy, coarse pants over her pleated skirt. The waistband was too large, requiring her to use the innermost hole of the belt to barely fasten it.
After getting dressed, she turned her head to look at Lu Zhou.
The boy’s figure was long and slender. The military uniform highlighted his straight, smooth shoulder line. His head was slightly lowered, looking tired and nonchalant.
Only his ears were red again.
Shen Yihuan put on the camouflage jacket, leaving the buttons undone. The top two buttons of her shirt underneath were open, revealing a large expanse of fair collarbone and the subtle, ample curve of a young girl.
She lifted her leg and gently brushed Lu Zhou’s bent knee with the tip of her foot.
“Hey.”
She held a subtle smile, knowingly curving her lips slightly.
“Why are your ears red?”
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