Chapter 4: Returning to School

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After a while, Jian Yu came out with two bowls of soy milk. He walked to their table and put them down gently. “Drink it while it’s hot. I’ve added sugar.”

“Thank you, Brother Yu.” Guan Tao smiled and wanted to show Jian Yu her gums.

Jian Yu said, “Don’t stand on ceremony.” He pulled a stool and sat down beside Jian Ai. Then, he felt around in his pocket and took out the rolled-up ten yuan. He handed it to Jian Ai and said, “Xiao Ai, have some good food at school.”

Jian Ai stopped drinking the soy milk and looked at the ten yuan. She blinked and said, “I have money. Brother, keep it for yourself.”

After entering high school, her mother would give her two hundred yuan as her living allowance at the beginning of every month. Two hundred yuan might be enough for an ordinary high school, but in Erzhong, a typical lunch would cost around five yuan. If she wanted to have a good meal every few days, she would spend two hundred yuan before the end of the month.

Fortunately, her brother would secretly give half of his salary to her every month. Their mother did not know about this. She always thought her brother kept half his salary as pocket money, but he gave all of them to her in reality. He knew what kind of school Erzhong was and was afraid that her classmates would look down on her.

This way, Jian Ai would have a living allowance of five to six hundred yuan every month, which was more than enough for an ordinary high school student like her. However, Jian Ai did not spend money extravagantly because of this. Every day, she ate the cheapest lunch and secretly saved up the rest of the money.

“Take it. I will receive my salary tomorrow.” Jian Yu stuffed the money into Jian Ai’s hands. Before Jian Ai could say anything, he stood up and said, “Finish your food and go to school. I am going to get busy.”

“Oh my, Big Brother Yu is too good to you!” Red hearts formed in Guan Tao’s eyes, and she had exaggerated her expression. “When I grow up, I must marry a man like Big Brother Yu.”

“Stop!” Jian Ai looked at Guan Tao and said, “You can like anyone, except my brother!”

Jian Ai poured a bucket of cold water over Guan Tao’s enthusiasm. “I know, I know! If I can’t, so be it. Who are you trying to scare?”

Looking at Guan Tao’s expression, Jian Ai wanted to laugh. She didn’t mean anything else. It was just that Guan Tao’s life in her previous life had been smooth sailing. She didn’t want Guan Tao to waste any more energy on her elder brother. It would save her a lot of detours.

Erzhong was located at the junction between Zhonglou District and Haicheng District. Every morning, they would take the bus from the bus stop at the street entrance and arrive at school about half an hour.

At this time, it was time for the students to enter the school. Jian Ai followed the crowd and walked through the main gate of Erzhong. Looking at everything she was familiar with in the past, she tried her best to remain natural but could not help but feel excited and nervous.

“Look, isn’t that Jian Ai?”

“Ah? Really? Didn’t she die from drowning?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. She was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment.”

“How many days has it been? Why is she here so soon?”

As soon as she entered the school, she heard many whispers around her. Although the other party deliberately kept their distance and lowered their voices, Jian Ai could still hear them. Perhaps this had something to do with her mental cultivation techniques.

However, Jian Ai did not seem to have heard these discussions. She did not remember the details of her falling into the water at all. Guan Tao said that Li Yunmei pushed her. As for why she had to slowly understand.