Chapter 432: Day 37 into the Mary Sue Story

Chapter 432: Day 37 of Falling Into a Mary Sue Novel

When everything finally settled, the semester also drew to a close.

The wild and outlandish rumors that had once swirled around top student Leng Bingning and the F4 withered and faded as quickly as vines cut off from their water source.

Those malicious speculations, envious glances, and whispered gossip lost their breeding ground and the momentum to spread after Huang Fuxiao disappeared, Ye Ming dropped out, the Ouyang siblings fell silent, and Shen Muyu kept his distance. And gradually, they fell silent.

Leng Bingning's life underwent a dramatic transformation.

She no longer had to dodge certain people's "special attention" every day, endure those suffocating rumors and stares, or juggle multiple part-time jobs just to survive.

The anonymous compensation fund had greatly eased her financial pressure, allowing her to focus more fully on her studies.

She felt a genuine sense of relief from the bottom of her heart.

All of these changes began with that calm question An Yi asked at the turn of the corridor.

Leng Bingning carved this weighty debt of gratitude into her heart.

She was not someone who forgot a kindness.

An Yi said she didn't need to do anything—just live well and study hard—but she wanted to repay him in her own way.

She knew An Yi came from a prominent family, was exceptionally accomplished, and lacked nothing.

She also had no intention of becoming dependent on anyone.

The only things she could offer were her intellect, her diligence, and that stubborn tenacity that refused to back down.

She silently resolved to study even harder, to build up her knowledge and skills, and in the future, to rely on her own abilities to enter companies and industries connected to An Yi's family. She would use her talents to create value for him and repay that kindness.

She had already started looking into internship programs and future hiring requirements at some of the An family's companies, quietly making this her goal.

But she didn't plan to tell An Yi. She wanted to grow and work hard on her own, until one day she could stand before him with her head held high—not as someone who had been helped, but as a valuable working partner.

One sunny day, shortly before the semester ended.

Leng Bingning happened to run into An Yi on the lawn outside the library, where he sat on a bench under a tree waiting for Lu Lu.

"An Yi." Leng Bingning walked over and called out softly.

An Yi turned at the sound of her voice, and when he saw her, broke into a smile. "Leng Bingning, how's your exam prep going?"

"Pretty well, I think I'll be fine." Leng Bingning nodded, walked up to him, and stopped.

She looked into An Yi's eyes, which seemed especially clear and bright in the sunlight, and a thousand words surged up inside her, ultimately condensing into the simplest, most sincere sentence: "An Yi, thank you. Really, thank you so, so much."

An Yi smiled softly. He gave a slight nod, accepting her thanks.

"Keep up the good work," he said, his tone gentle.

Leng Bingning smiled as well and nodded firmly. "I will!"

Just then, Lu Lu came running back cheerfully holding two iced drinks, calling out, "An An! I got your favorite flavor!"

When he spotted Leng Bingning, he flashed a grin and said, "Hey, Leng Bingning!"

Leng Bingning watched as Lu Lu naturally pressed up against An Yi's side, stuck a straw into one of the drinks, and handed it over. An Yi took it and took a sip, perfectly at ease. An unspoken intimacy and understanding flowed between the two of them.

She smiled again, said "I won't disturb you two," and turned to leave, her steps light and firm.

An Yi watched her retreating figure, then looked at Lu Lu beside him—who was chewing on his straw, eyes sparkling as he gazed at An Yi, his expression practically screaming "Praise me for getting the flavor right!" He took a slow sip of the cold drink, the sweet-and-sour taste spreading across his tongue.

An Yi: "Ha~"

At last, his thoughts were finally at ease.

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The semester ended, and Saint Imperial Royal Academy entered its break.

And the relationship between An Yi and Lu Lu was no longer any secret.

Everyone knew full well that An Yi and Lu Lu were together.

The elders of both families had long since reached a silent understanding, and were even quite pleased with how things had turned out.

The An and Lu families had been friends for generations, with harmonious relations and extensive cooperation across political, business, and social circles. They knew each other inside and out, their interests deeply entangled.

Now, discovering that the two youngest children of the families had gotten together—this was practically a double blessing on top of an already close bond.

As for the fact that they were both men... that wasn't even something that needed special discussion.

Both families were open-minded and pragmatic. As long as the kids were happy and the family alliance was strengthened, everything else was just trivial detail.

And so, one evening, a family dinner was held.

It was a clear signal that the two families were growing closer, a ceremony where the elders formally and publicly acknowledged and blessed the relationship between the two young men.

An Yi's parents, An Yi's eldest brother, Lu Lu's parents, Lu Lu's eldest sister, Lu Lu's second brother, and—the two stars of the evening—An Yi and Lu Lu, each took their seats.

Lu Lu sat next to An Yi, visibly excited from the moment he sat down.

From the moment he sat down, his gaze kept drifting toward An Yi, the corners of his mouth impossible to hold down, radiating a bright aura of "I'm so happy, I'm so lucky."

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious from the start.

The two sets of parents were old friends, and the older siblings all knew each other well. Everyone chatted warmly, reminiscing about funny stories from their youth and discussing the latest developments in business and political circles.

Lu Lu's attention was clearly elsewhere.

Taking advantage of the two families being deeply engrossed in conversation, his hand under the table restlessly crept over to quietly grab An Yi's hand resting on his knee.

An Yi was slightly tilting his head, listening to his father and Lu Lu's father talk, when a warm touch suddenly reached his fingertips—along with the noticeably higher-than-normal heat coming from Lu Lu's palm.

He paused for a moment, a flicker of amusement passing through his eyes. Then his hand on his knee gently squeezed back.

Lu Lu's face immediately broke into a huge smile.

His expression didn't escape Lu Lu's mother, who had been quietly watching her son and An Yi from across the table.

She broke into a gratified, loving smile—though mixed into that smile was a hint of helpless exasperation. This silly son of hers was just too eager, too attached!

But... her gaze shifted to An Yi, taking in the young man who looked even more charming and magnetic under the soft lighting, and the slight disdain she felt for her son's "lack of restraint" melted into understanding—ah, no wonder her son was like this.

With an An Yi like this, who could possibly blame him?