Chapter 40

Chapter 40

After morning classes, everyone headed to the cafeteria for lunch. You Nan, revitalized after the intellectual grind, took his meal card and joined the queue.

As he walked, You Nan's eyes darted around, taking in the sights and feeling like he was gaining a lot of new experiences. This private high school boasted luxurious surroundings and top-tier facilities, especially the cafeteria food. Even at the cheapest counter, costing thirty or forty yuan (roughly $4-6), you could get an extra serving of steak for free.

You Nan had spent half the day in class, exhausting countless brain cells and only managing to grasp some knowledge through sheer memorization. His stomach was rumbling with hunger.

Standing in the cafeteria, the enticing aroma of food filled his nostrils, making his stomach growl even louder.

After a short wait, it was finally his turn.

You Nan handed over his card and began rattling off his order: "One serving of sweet and sour pork ribs, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, steak, and milk."

The lunch lady, who saw him daily, recognized him and cheerfully served him the meat dishes, adding two vegetable dishes. "Come back for more if it's not enough."

You Nan smiled, his eyes crinkling, "Thank you, auntie."

The cafeteria was spacious, and not many students ate in the ordinary dining area on the first floor. Most of the affluent students who enjoyed luxury preferred the upper floors, where the food was more expensive and delicious.

You Nan found a quiet corner to eat. The moment the food touched his tongue, his eyes widened in surprise. It was incredibly delicious.

His seat faced the cafeteria elevator. Several sharply-dressed, tall boys were chatting when, suddenly, one of them glanced over.

"Yi Jiahe, isn't that someone from your class?" A handsome and refined boy lifted his chin. His features were a blend of youthful and mature, with dark eyebrows and eyes, red lips, and white teeth. A perpetual smile graced his lips, making him appear sunny and elegant.

Yi Jiahe followed Zhang Chun’s gaze, his eyes landing directly on the boy who was devouring his food as if he hadn't eaten in ages.

You Nan was relatively tall for a boy but had a slender build with a small head and face, making him appear very young.

His individual facial features weren't outstanding, but together they created an indescribable charm, becoming more captivating and impossible to look away from the longer one observed.

Yi Jiahe withdrew his gaze. He had no interest in You Nan. "What about him?"

Zhang Chun had just suddenly remembered You Nan's presence in their school. "Cheng Mi, your uncle arranged for him to enroll, right? I remember he even gave him ten thousand yuan (roughly $1,400) to encourage him to study hard. How has he been lately?"

Cheng Mi was engrossed in his phone. He was the youngest in their group, with fair skin, delicate features, and a hint of spoiled arrogance in his expression.

Cheng Mi was well aware of his uncle's arrangements. His uncle had only enrolled You Nan for the online attention he garnered at the time.

Cheng Mi naturally hadn't paid much attention to You Nan. "I don't know, I'm not sure. Yi Jiahe is in his class. Ask Yi Jiahe."

Yi Jiahe did have an impression of You Nan’s academic performance.

When You Nan first joined their class, the homeroom teacher had called Yi Jiahe to the office and asked him to mentor You Nan.

You Nan's previous studies were entirely different, and without assistance, he would struggle greatly.

Yi Jiahe was a responsible class president, and the teacher trusted him to guide You Nan.

Yi Jiahe lowered his eyes and answered Zhang Chun’s question, "Not very well."

He could tell that You Nan initially wanted to excel academically and worked hard. He had even lent You Nan his class notes, but You Nan needed to work part-time to support himself and his younger brother, so his focus quickly shifted. Eventually, You Nan returned the notes.

Yi Jiahe didn't ask for them back. He had an excellent memory and had already internalized the notes. Since he had given them to You Nan, he let him keep them.

He still remembered You Nan's grateful expressions, repeatedly thanking him.

Seeing that You Nan had made his own decision, Yi Jiahe stopped actively monitoring You Nan's studies.

You Nan went to work part-time after class and often dozed off during the day due to exhaustion. He couldn't keep up with the coursework, and in the last test, he ranked at the very bottom of the grade.

As the three boys talked, the elevator arrived. They stopped discussing the person who had suddenly appeared in their sight and went upstairs.

The fourth floor had a long queue. Zhang Chun’s eyes scanned the crowd and easily spotted a familiar face. His eyes lit up suddenly: "Jiang Songen!"

He shouted.

Zhang Chun quickly walked over, elbowed aside the classmate next to Jiang Songen, and reached out to put his hand on Jiang Songen’s shoulder, but Jiang Songen swiftly dodged him.

Zhang Chun’s face showed a look of genuine hurt. "Why didn't you invite me to eat?"

The boy named Jiang Songen possessed exceptionally striking features—a classic, dignified look with long, narrow eyes, clear eyebrows, a piercing gaze, red lips, and white teeth.

Seeing Zhang Chun’s expression, he frowned, a gesture that made hearts flutter.

Jiang Songen didn’t want to engage with Zhang Chun. He pulled back the friend Zhang Chun had pushed away and didn’t even glance at Zhang Chun. "Why should we invite you? Let's go!"

Many students nearby witnessed this scene, their hearts tightening, fearing an argument would erupt between the two.

There had been numerous conflicts between Zhang Chun and the school beauty since Jiang Songen enrolled. From their first meeting, Zhang Chun had always disliked him and constantly picked on Jiang Songen.

They were in the same class. Later, Jiang Songen, unable to tolerate Zhang Chun, asked the dean to change classes but was refused. They had been in the same class ever since.

The onlookers couldn't help but sneak a glance at Zhang Chun’s expression. Zhang Chun’s face darkened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.

He was used to Jiang Songen ignoring him.

However, he didn't notice that while he was openly pursuing Jiang Songen, one of his friends tried to stop him, eventually just patting his shoulder, while the other bit his lip, resisting the urge to rush forward and protect Jiang Songen.

As soon as Zhang Chun saw Jiang Songen, he forgot about everyone else. His mind and eyes were filled only with Jiang Songen.

The three of them ordered food and ate in a small private dining booth.

Zhang Chun sighed repeatedly during the meal. Clearly, something was on his mind, and it was definitely related to the person who had slighted him earlier.

His two other friends ate in silence, not commenting on his behavior.

Zhang Chun was proud, and if someone slighted him, he would immediately seek to regain face. No one could make him unhappy.

But he had only ever suffered setbacks because of Jiang Songen.

Yi Jiahe and Cheng Mi could tell that the young man was experiencing an early infatuation but didn't make the connection.

Both of them harbored similar feelings for Jiang Songen, so they naturally wouldn't enlighten their friend and make him stop his mischievous attempts to attract the person he liked.

After Jiang Songen finished eating and went downstairs, Li Qiutian finally breathed a sigh of relief once the three rich kids were out of sight.

He quickly patted his chest in relief. "Zhang Chun looked really upset. He wasn’t going to attack you, was he?"

Jiang Songen said no. "If he fights, I can fight too."

Li Qiutian had seen Jiang Songen’s skills firsthand and summarized it as "Lin Daiyu uprooting a willow tree"—deceptively strong. Remembering the scene, he nodded repeatedly.

Yes, yes, others might think his friend looked delicate, but no one knew he could knock someone out with one punch.

There was truly no need to worry.

When they reached the school store entrance, Jiang Songen didn’t go in. "You go buy something. It’s crowded inside, so I won’t go."

Li Qiutian said, "Huh?" and went inside.

He knew Jiang Songen didn't like crowded places.

Plus, Jiang Songen also disliked people staring at his face.

Jiang Songen stood at the entrance, the boy standing in the wind, sunlight falling on him like a transparent, glowing veil.

Soon, the school store grew crowded, and everyone passing by kept sneaking glances at Jiang Songen's face and figure out of the corner of their eyes.

Noticing their gazes, Jiang Songen grew irritated and moved further into the patch of trees beside the supermarket.

You Nan was also in the supermarket, wanting to buy some snacks to bring back for his younger brother, along with two notebooks to review his notes.

He felt like he had only been looking around for about five minutes, but when he looked up, he found himself surrounded by people.

You Nan stood still and looked around. He remembered that when he entered, there were only about a third as many people as now.

Thinking about the homework assigned that morning and the after-school job he had to do after class in the afternoon, You Nan felt a wave of anxiety.

He wasn't sure if he could finish his homework today—there just wasn't enough time.

After struggling through the crowd to check out, You Nan finally sighed in relief.

Carrying his items, he headed toward the academic building and caught a glimpse of a figure in the nearby woods from the corner of his eye.

Subconsciously, he followed the shadow with his gaze and caught sight of half of a remarkably handsome face.

You Nan glanced briefly before looking away, not even pausing in his steps.

He couldn't recall the name of that person from the original body's memories. Probably, the original hadn't had time to pay attention.

You Nan didn't linger over Jiang Songen's beauty, only because his husband Yao Xianqing was incredibly handsome. Having gazed at that handsome face day in and day out, he had built up an immunity to good looks.

The boy was indeed good-looking, but in his eyes, he still wasn't as handsome as his husband.

While You Nan saw Jiang Songen, Jiang Songen also noticed You Nan on the other side.

The difference was, You Nan wasn't amazed by Jiang Songen, giving him only a fleeting glance before moving on, treating him as just a passerby.

Jiang Songen, however, felt a momentary daze as he looked at his face. Gazing across the woods, he saw You Nan like a deer that appeared suddenly and vanished abruptly.

Jiang Songen's gaze instinctively followed, but it was interrupted by Li Qiutian rushing out of the supermarket, "Hurry, hurry! It's almost nap time!"

Only then did Jiang Songen withdraw his gaze and replied calmly.

You Nan didn't take a nap at noon. Instead, he used his entire half-hour nap time to find the notes that Yi Jiahe had given the original body, opening to the first page and reading word by word.

But it was still quite challenging for him because Yi Jiahe had provided materials for the third year of high school, while You Nan's foundation from the first and second years was weak.

Fortunately, the notes included some example problems. By painstakingly memorizing, he finally managed to grasp a few questions.

By the time nap period ended, You Nan looked at the half-finished problems and felt a sense of accomplishment.

Yi Jiahe was really quite kind.

With his notes in hand, You Nan's anxiety finally eased.

He planned to accompany his younger brother while he did homework after returning from work in the evening, then open the notebook again to study other key concepts.

He would copy down the contents of the notebook and return it to its owner.

With the original body's memories, You Nan knew that Yi Jiahe's notebook was a highly sought-after resource everyone wanted. Though Yi Jiahe had kindly given it to him, he couldn't keep it indefinitely.

You Nan thought that he should make time to thank Yi Jiahe again.