Chapter 70: Was It a Gift from Qing?

“Young Master Liu, what brings you here today?” The chubby boy leaned half his body against the corridor railing, grinning as he watched Liu Yichen approach.

Liu Yichen strutted over with a swagger, stopping beside the chubby boy and replying in a deliberately rough voice, “Well, I’m gracing your humble abode with my presence. Consider it illuminated by my arrival.”

The chubby boy shot him a sidelong glance. “Tch! Get lost! Go bother your buddy Lin Ruiyang.”

“Hey!” Liu Yichen let out a heavy sigh and reached out to pat the chubby boy’s round belly.

“Our Lin Ruiyang, I really don’t know who’s gotten under his skin. He sulked through the whole evening self-study, acting like the whole world owes him money.”

“Tsk! Is there really anyone in this world you, Young Master Liu, can’t handle?”

The chubby boy was genuinely puzzled. Liu Yichen was a third-generation rich kid, good grades, good nature, popular everywhere—he definitely didn’t lack friends. Who knew what spell he was under to cling to Lin Ruiyang, that perpetual ice-face, every single day.

“Liu Yichen, Lin Ruiyang doesn’t even bother with you. Why don’t you stop hanging around him?” The chubby boy wasn’t familiar with Lin Ruiyang; it was only when Liu Yichen dragged him over for group meals that they’d ever shared a table, and barely exchanged a few words.

Liu Yichen paused for a moment, then shook his head. “If I don’t hang out with him, he really won’t have any friends at all.”

“Oh! So you’re the loyal, sentimental type? I’m impressed!” The chubby boy wasn’t surprised at all by this from Liu Yichen.

“Your belly isn’t as round as it used to be.” Liu Yichen gave it a firm pat, noticing it felt different than before.

“Don’t bring it up! I scored exactly 480 on the recent monthly exams, and my mother’s expression… I haven’t dared to eat much since.”

“480’s not bad for your first science comprehensive,” Liu Yichen said, offering a half-hearted consolation.

The chubby boy shot him a look. “Easy for you to say, Mr. 666.”

Liu Yichen burst out laughing. Even their homeroom teacher had chuckled when the grades were released—such a lucky number.

Seeing Liu Yichen and the chubby boy chatting happily at the door, Chu Yu slipped out the back.

“Brother Chu!” Liu Yichen greeted, slinging an arm over Chu Yu’s shoulder.

“Huh? I didn’t see your Sister Qing yesterday when I stopped by. Where’d she go?” Liu Yichen peered in through the back door. The desk next to Nie Huan was empty.

“No idea where she went. You looking for Sister Qing?” Chu Yu leaned against the railing, eyes falling on Nie Huan inside the classroom.

Liu Yichen suddenly stiffened and quickly said, “No, not at all.”

He had once thought about getting closer to Shen Qing, but her fighting prowess… well, he was no match for her. Besides, she looked fierce. If he ever ended up a victim of domestic violence, he’d never get away.

“What’re you staring at?” Liu Yichen nudged Chu Yu’s arm and followed his gaze. The girl in the classroom was eating candy.

“Whoa!” Liu Yichen rubbed his eyes, staring.

“What’s up?” The chubby boy was a bit startled by Liu Yichen’s reaction.

Liu Yichen slipped into the classroom, circled quietly around Nie Huan, then came back out.

He hooked his arms around Chu Yu and the chubby boy, whispering, “Did your Sister Huan win the lottery?”

“No,” the chubby boy replied, utterly confused.

“Do you know how expensive those gummies she’s eating are?”

“Maybe a hundred?” The chubby boy shrugged. It was just a bag of candy—how expensive could it be?

Liu Yichen shook his head, putting on an air of mystery. “Just for that little bag, it’s this much!” He held up three fingers. “Thirty thousand!”

“Damn!” The chubby boy was shocked. Was she eating gold?

Chu Yu frowned slightly. He had searched for the candy online with his phone earlier in the day but hadn’t found any information.

“Would I lie to you?” Liu Yichen withdrew his hand, eyes shifting to Chu Yu. “Brother Chu, did you give her that candy?”

Chu Yu’s family ran a sizable business, and he got a generous weekly allowance. Thirty thousand was well within his means.

Chu Yu shook his head. He’d never even heard of that brand, let alone bought it.

“I think it was Sister Qing who gave it to her.” He’d seen Sister Qing hand-feed Nie Huan that morning.

“Sister Qing’s that loaded?” The chubby boy was stunned. He always saw her in school uniform, day in and day out, and assumed her family was ordinary. But thinking about it, with grades as bad as hers and still managing to get into No. 1 High, it made sense if her family had money.

“Sister Qing?” Liu Yichen was surprised as well. For some reason, the face of Teacher Gu from Class Three suddenly popped into his mind. He had to think—where had he seen this before?