Yin Fang was essentially trying to poach Gu Shiyun right in front of everyone!
Gu Shiyun laughed softly and said, "Thank you for your appreciation, but I've been in Class Two for quite a while, and I'm very happy here."
"Hey, hey! Teacher Yin, how can you try to steal my student right in front of me?" The Class Two teacher exclaimed, clearly agitated. "If that's how it is, I'll go to your class and snatch some of your students!"
Yin Fang chuckled and retorted, "Take anyone you want, but leave Gu Shiyun to me!"
As if thinking of something, she suddenly laughed, "How about you take Gu Xuejiao? Same surname, both Gu!"
"Keep dreaming!" The Class Two teacher rolled his eyes at her.
Gu Shiyun chuckled again and said, "Teacher, I'll take my homework back to the classroom now."
"Go ahead."
Gu Shiyun turned and walked away. Yin Fang stared at her gentle, retreating figure and sighed as she recalled Gu Xuejiao's stubborn personality and inconsistent performance.
"Two people with the same surname, but why are they so different?" she murmured.
The next day, Cheng Mingjiao arrived in class with a stiff and unpleasant expression on her face. She didn't say a word to anyone.
Xuejiao didn't know what the Cheng family had said to her, but for several days, Cheng Mingjiao stayed silent in class, not even glancing in Xuejiao's direction.
Xuejiao felt utterly at ease.
At home, the Cheng family avoided bringing up Cheng Mingjiao's name. Li Sitong, in particular, went out of her way to flatter Xuejiao, which was a rare sight.
Xuejiao buried herself in her studies.
"Finish the exercises after class. I'll check them in the next session," the math teacher instructed before leaving.
There were two back-to-back math classes that morning. As soon as the teacher left, most students immersed themselves in writing.
Yi Tianyu, however, was half-asleep at his desk. Hearing the words "homework" vaguely in his dream, he suddenly opened his eyes, startled.
Instinctively, he glanced at Xuejiao. She was flipping through her book, earnestly previewing the next lesson.
Her posture was as upright as a disciplined schoolchild, her side profile delicate and captivating. Her pale earlobes, petite nose, and faintly rosy lips caught his attention.
Yi Tianyu found himself staring, mesmerized, until the bell rang.
"Alright! Let me check your work," the math teacher announced, re-entering the classroom and walking to the back rows to inspect the students' notebooks.
Yi Tianyu froze. His eyes darted toward Xuejiao's open book, realizing he hadn't even touched his homework.
The math teacher stopped beside him, his face darkening. "Yi Tianyu! You didn't write a single word? What kind of attitude is this?!"
Yi Tianyu stared blankly at his desk. Homework? What homework?
"Stand up! You'll attend this class on your feet!" the teacher barked.
Yi Tianyu rose slowly, bewildered. As the teacher moved on, he bent slightly and whispered to Xuejiao, "Hey! Homework? Why didn't you write anything?"
Xuejiao raised her head slightly and arched an eyebrow, smiling faintly. "I finished it a long time ago."
She gestured toward her notebook. Yi Tianyu peeked over and saw rows of completed exercises.
In contrast, his own book was blank.
Yi Tianyu: "..."
Seriously? Did she have to be so diligent?
He had assumed she hadn't done the homework either since she had been reading earlier. Turns out, she had been so proactive that she'd finished everything well in advance!
Seeing his dumbfounded expression, Xuejiao couldn't help but laugh softly.
Her smile was radiant, and for some reason, Yi Tianyu found himself grinning as well.
A piece of chalk suddenly hit him squarely on the shoulder.
"Yi Tianyu! Not only did you not do your homework, but now you're laughing? What's so funny? Go stand at the back of the classroom!"
Yi Tianyu: "..."
That evening, Yi Tianyu ran home in a foul mood.
"Son! Why are you sweating so much?" his mother asked.
"I ran back," he replied casually, heading straight to the fridge. He carefully retrieved the lollipop he had been keeping in his pocket all day.
As he inspected it, he muttered, "Gu Xuejiao, what kind of candy is this? It's so fragile it almost melted in my pocket..."
He placed it in the fridge with utmost care before heading upstairs.
His mother, watching his odd behavior, shook her head in confusion and took a sip of water. Opening the fridge later, she noticed the lollipop.
"Huh? Why is there a lollipop in here?" she wondered aloud. Picking it up, she inspected it further. "It's all melted. I might as well throw it away..."
She paused, changed her mind, and popped it into her mouth instead. "Strawberry flavor? Hmm, not bad..."
The next morning.
"Ahhhhh! Where's my lollipop?!" Yi Tianyu's wail echoed throughout the house.
While Yi Tianyu dealt with his missing candy, Lin Zhihua wasn't having a great morning either.
"What did you say?" he asked coldly, staring at his parents.
Lin's mother forced a smile. "Zhihua, listen. Aunt Xu and I are old classmates. You've even met her daughter before—Miss Xu! You went to kindergarten together!"
"Kindergarten?" Lin Zhihua raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Lin's mother brightened. "She's an exceptional girl. She's been overseas since junior high school and is highly educated. She's even willing to provide her eggs for a child, so there's no need for surrogacy—"
Lin Zhihua interrupted with a cold sneer. "First, I don't know Miss Xu. Second, if I recall correctly, I only attended kindergarten for three days because the teachers were too incompetent. So, sorry, but there's no nostalgia here."
Lin's mother froze, her smile faltering.
Lin Zhihua stood, grabbed his coat, and headed toward the door. Pausing momentarily, he added, "Don't meddle in my affairs. I know what I'm doing."
Then he left, leaving Lin's mother clutching her chest. "Oh, my poor life! Will I ever see my son married?!"
Lin Zhihua drove himself to a villa, where a young man was waiting outside. The man smiled warmly upon seeing him.
"Lin Zhihua! What brings you here?" the man teased. "I never thought you'd actually come see me."
Lin Zhihua ignored the comment and walked inside. The young man followed, his curiosity piqued.
"Did something finally happen to make you change your mind?"
Inside, Lin Zhihua sat on the sofa, leaning back. "I've started to feel something... for someone," he admitted.
The young man, Liu Xu, nearly dropped his glass in shock. "You? Feel something?!"
Lin Zhihua frowned. "I think it's abnormal. I want to see her every day. When she cries, I feel irritated. When she talks about others, I feel..."
"Jealous?" Liu Xu supplied, grinning.
Lin Zhihua didn't answer but glanced outside the window.
Liu Xu slapped his knee. "Boss Lin, you're in love!"
Liu Xu patted his thigh. "Good news! Get married!"
He was genuinely happy. As one of Lin Zhihua's few friends, Liu Xu understood the immense pressure Lin Zhihua faced.
Lin Zhihua's resistance to women had given his second uncle hope that he could wrest control of the company from him.
The Lin family patriarch, determined not to let the company fall into the hands of outsiders, had firmly supported Lin Zhihua in consolidating his power.
Meanwhile, Lin Zhihua's parents constantly fixated on the idea of him having a child, hoping for an heir to secure the family's future.
Even within the company, outsiders eyed Lin Zhihua's position greedily. If it weren't for his ironclad methods, someone would have already seized power.
In a family enterprise as large as Lin's, the existence (or lack) of an heir held significant influence, attracting opportunists eager for a chance.
That's why Liu Xu felt genuinely happy about the news. Yet, he was also intensely curious about the person who had managed to capture Lin Zhihua's heart.
No matter who it was, this person would become the only one capable of standing by Lin Zhihua's side.
If she could bear his child, she would not only secure her position in the Lin family but also reinforce Lin Zhihua's hold over the enterprise.
"So, when are you planning to bring her home? Let me meet her! Can we expect a wedding this year?" Liu Xu leaned forward eagerly, already imagining the shocked expressions of those in their social circle who had believed Lin Zhihua was destined to remain a solitary figure forever.
"No way," Lin Zhihua replied firmly.
"Why not? Is it because of her identity?" Liu Xu's thoughts raced, only to be stopped in their tracks by Lin Zhihua's blunt response.
Lin Zhihua tapped his fingers rhythmically against his teacup, his expression unreadable. "I shouldn't have developed feelings for her..." he admitted quietly. This, clearly, was the primary reason for his inner turmoil and why he had sought out Liu Xu.
"Why not?" Liu Xu asked, confused.
Then, as though a light bulb went off in his head, Liu Xu's eyes widened in shock. "Wait! Is she a divorced woman?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
Lin Zhihua shook his head.
"A married woman, then?" Liu Xu's voice now carried a hint of panic.
Lin Zhihua continued shaking his head.
Liu Xu's jaw dropped. "What the—don't tell me… is it a man?!"