After listening to her roommate's story, Shen Wan finally came to understand Xu Heng's past. She now knew that he came from the wealthy Xu family in the capital. He had skipped grades in his aristocratic high school for a year before returning to the capital's top school to further his studies. He was low-key, talented, and full of charming points. Thus, he left behind many legendary stories about him.
It was a pity that Xu Heng, who was originally a proud achiever, came back in a wheelchair many years later. Others heard that he lost the strength to fight for the family property and returned to this small city.
The elder's strength was unfathomable, so Shen Wan was not too surprised. What surprised her the most was that Xu Heng was actually Teacher Lin's nephew!
No wonder Xu Heng didn't come today. It was because Teacher Lin had returned. He didn't deliberately miss the appointment!
After thinking through this relationship, Shen Wan immediately felt much more at ease.
"Shen Wan, you heard everything we said, right?" Zhu Yan asked.
"Of course, I heard everything. Thank you." Shen Wan smiled.
"Eh, why do I feel..." Zhu Yan wanted to speak but stopped. She sized up Shen Wan and felt that her temperament had greatly changed. She couldn't help but say, "I feel like you're a completely different person from the last time we met!"
In the past, even though Shen Wan's grades were good, she was very timid and had an inferior personality. Not only did she go about alone and never interact with her three roommates, but her presence in class was also very meek. She always looked like she wanted to bury herself in the ground and hide.
However, the current Shen Wan walked with her head held high and chest puffed out. When she spoke, she would look directly at others. When she walked, she was natural and unrestrained, and she looked very confident in everything. It was a truly amazing turn.
Shen Wan raised an eyebrow. She had trained in the wondrous world for more than ten years. If she was really like the timid and self-abased Shen Wan of the past, then she could consider herself useless. She took the initiative to hold Zhu Yan and the others and teased, "Isn't this better?"
"Of course! Last time, we thought you didn't want to hang out with us!"
As they laughed and joked, Shen Wan and the girls walked away.
Once the monthly exams were over, the pace of the final exams increased. During this period of time, Shen Wan kept cramming high school knowledge. Soon enough, she made up for all the knowledge that she missed out on and had even improved quite a bit.
During the time she studied, Shen Wan did not see Xu Heng again. She only saw Lin Weihan's back a few times as she hurried through the school grounds and did not talk much with her.
Once the final exams were over, Shen Wan packed her luggage and prepared to return home for the New Year.
"Shen Wan!" Yang Li poked her head out from the curtain of the next bed and handed a thin wad of cash to Shen Wan. "This is the money the three of us owe you. We copied quite a few of your questions for the monthly and final exams, and we did well. Thank you so much!"
Seeing Yang Li's sincere expression, and the reward she deserved, Shen Wan did not decline. She took the money and put it in her pocket.
Seeing Shen Wan take the money, Yang Li smiled and said very happily, "When the two entrusted this matter to me, I was worried that you wouldn't accept it. Now, I'm much more at ease. Don't overthink things. This money is not only your reward but also a token of our appreciation. Take it as a New Year's gift that we owe you. Don't be reluctant to spend it!"
"I won't, see you next year!" Shen Wan smiled back at her, picked up her luggage, and left.
Shen Wan first went to a nearby shopping mall and bought a school bag for her sister, a pair of leather shoes for her father, and a sweater for her mother. Only then did she carry the full bag and sit on the bus home.
Just as she arrived at the door of the house, Shen Wan found that the yard was filled with broken pieces. Raising her head, she saw that the tiles of the house had all been shattered, and there was a large hole in it. The window glass had also shattered, and the wind was blowing in.
Deng Ying was using all her strength to support a door frame that had been taken down. Her entire face was red from the cold. When she saw Shen Wan, tears fell. "Shen Wan Our family..."
She couldn't say anything more and sat on the ground, sobbing.