Chapter 19: Childhood Sweethearts

Jiang Liangjin sat down, neither playing with his phone nor sleeping, just propping his chin with one hand, a smile tugging at his lips, his good mood evident, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the side profile of the girl beside him.

That gaze was too scorching, as if it carried heat, burning Mu Youyu to the point she could hardly focus.

Finally, feeling uneasy under his stare, she could bear it no longer and turned her head, only to collide unexpectedly with Jiang Liangjin's deep, smiling eyes.

At the moment their eyes met, her heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she quickly looked away.

Because of classroom discipline she didn't dare speak and disturb others, so she wrote a line on her notebook and pushed it over to him: "What are you staring at me for?"

Jiang Liangjin looked at it, then picked up his phone and waved it at her, the QR code clearly displayed, the meaning obvious.

Mu Youyu startled, she had changed her contact method when she went to A City earlier, so the two of them weren't friends yet.

After only a moment's hesitation, she didn't refuse, took out her phone and scanned it, and her phone popped up Jiang Liangjin's WeChat info.

His avatar and name were still the same as before—the avatar was a back-view photo of a girl in a skirt, taken by him when Mu Youyu was eleven on her birthday.

His name is just the character "Jin".

Seeing the avatar, a fleeting, complex, hard-to-define emotion crossed Mu Youyu's delicate eyes.

She quickly suppressed the surging waves in her heart, clicked to add him, and Jiang Liangjin approved immediately.

The class bell rang, and the teacher hurried out of the classroom.

It was lunchtime now.

Jiang Liangjin didn't say much, merely giving her a look filled with emotion, then he stood up and left the classroom together with Yu Ci and Gu Xingnan behind him.

Mu Youyu remained seated in silence for a long time, her mind in turmoil.

Almost all the students in Class A turned their gazes toward her, whispering.

"Holy crap, they really are childhood sweethearts with Jin-ge?"

"Didn't Nan-ge and Ci-ge say so?"

"Haven't you seen the way Jin-ge looks at her?"

"……"

It was a bit noisy, but Mu Youyu wasn't in the mood to listen closely; a buzzing rang in her ears.

Ten minutes passed, and the students in the classroom had mostly left one after another.

Mu Youyu lifted her gaze to look at Bai Yun, who was doing homework in front of her.

Bai Yun seemed to sense it, turned her head, and their eyes met; both unconsciously smiled.

She walked over to Mu Youyu first and said, "Xiao Yu, want to go eat together?"

Mu Youyu answered yes, and the two left the classroom together.

On the way, Bai Yun turned her head to look at her, eyes gleaming with gossip: "Xiao Yu, you and Young Master Jiang, Young Master Yu, and Little Master Gu… are you childhood sweethearts?"

Mu Youyu didn't deny it either: "Yes."

Bai Yun's eyes shone: "Why didn't you say so before?"

Mu Youyu let out an "Ah," "Nobody asked you guys…"

Bai Yun laughed helplessly and waved her hand: "Alright, but who could have imagined that…"

Seeing the other's lips curl slightly, Bai Yun lowered her voice to warn: "With your looks and status, you might well incur the envy of Lan Lin students!"

Mu Youyu's steps faltered, her thoughts drifting; she didn't respond, only asking: "Why… do I get the feeling you're all a bit afraid of Jiang Liangjin?"

Bai Yun looked around.

Most of the students were paying attention to the two of them, some even taking photos with their phones, and there were no acquaintances.

Bai Yun whispered: "Young Master Jiang's status is that he's the sole heir of the Jiang family, a heaven‑favored genius—not just people at school, but hardly anyone in C City dares to provoke him…"

Mu Youyu's heart gave a slight twitch—was it merely because of his status?

Before she could speak, Bai Yun continued softly: "Besides, when school started, Young Master Jiang beat up a young master from West City! Tsk tsk, I happened to be there then—blood spilled all over the ground, terrifying! To this day I've only seen him lose control once."

"At that time, neither teachers nor students dared to pull him away—not even Yu Ci and Little Master Gu could budge him; later, it was Nan Feng's Young Master Xi who stepped up and punched him without a word, finally settling the matter. Still, I've only seen Jiang Liangjin get hit once and not fight back—that Xi is something too!"

Bai Yun spoke with shining eyes, filled with admiration.

Meanwhile, upon hearing the name 'Xi,' Mu Youyu began to be stunned.

"Second Brother?"

Second Brother, like her, had known Jiang Liangjin since childhood and grew up with him.

"How could he possibly have hit him!"

But what could make Jiang Liangjin lose control?

Could it be because of that girl…

Those questions swirling in her mind multiplied; after a moment's hesitation, she simply suppressed them.

Mu Youyu slowly nodded to Bai Yun, her lashes lowering to hide the complexity in her eyes.

Seeing her calm expression, Bai Yun continued: "Young Master Jiang, Young Master Yu, and Little Master Gu are three of our school's four top hunks; you and these three hunks… especially being childhood sweethearts with Young Master Jiang, you're bound to be talked about by their little fans."

"Xiao Yu, you can check the campus forum."

Mu Youyu had looked before and found nothing; she gave a faint reply.

Bai Yun remembered her identity and quickly laughed: "Right, you must already know all this—just pretend I didn't say anything!"

As childhood sweethearts, the two of them certainly understand each other better than anyone else!

The two had just reached the cafeteria entrance.

As soon as they sat down, countless gazes from all around swept over them.

"Is this the transfer student from Class A? This must be Jiang's gang's childhood sweetheart?"

"Yeah, and she's Jiang's desk mate—I personally saw Little Master Gu move this transfer student's desk next to Jiang's."

"She's even walking together with Miss Bai!"

"I also saw Jiang Liangjin pinning her against the wall at the second‑floor stairwell!"

That girl was still walking together with Young Master Jing yesterday! Young Master Xi also circled around her, and even smiled at her!

What is this girl's identity? Even the most noble Young Master Xi and Young Master Jing from neighboring Nan Feng know her!

"......" At the same time, there were also many unfriendly voices.

What ability does this person have, daring to get involved with Young Master Jiang!

She's even childhood sweethearts with my family's Young Master Gu Xiao? I don't believe it!

Yeah right, still walking together with Young Master Xi and Young Master Jing? What kind of people are they, how could they possibly pay attention to a girl?

"......"

Those voices were suppressed very low; Mu Youyu didn't hear them clearly, but many gazes were directed at her, with various expressions.

She picked out the scallions in the dish, receiving various gazes, feeling somewhat speechless.

It seems we'll still have to go out to eat.

After hastily finishing lunch, the two returned to the classroom.

As soon as she sat down, she took out her phone and opened the campus forum.

Looking at the screen with several of her own photos, Mu Youyu furrowed her brows, then turned to the comments section.

【Ten minutes, I want all the information about this beauty!】

【Good, good, good, I want it too!】

【+1】

【You guys still dare to snatch a person from Young Master Jiang?】

【Young Master Jiang? What does that mean? How come it's still related to Young Master Jiang?】

【Information has arrived! This person is a transfer student from Class A, just arrived at school yesterday, desk mate of Young Master Jiang, and also childhood friends with Young Master Jiang, Young Master Yu, and Young Master Gu Xiao! Yesterday noon and today noon she also went to eat with Miss Bai! Then yesterday afternoon she walked together with Young Master Jing and Young Master Xi, Young Master Xi smiled at her very gently, and she even got into Young Master Jing's car, sitting in the passenger seat.】

【Childhood sweethearts with three campus hunks? No way, right?】

【Hiss, 666, isn't Miss Bai disdainful of interacting with people? I've only seen Young Master Xia, a male, able to walk with her.】

West City's fifth-ranked aristocratic family, Miss Bai Yun of the Bai family, ranks in the top ten of the school, one of the Five Campus Belles, naturally arrogant; she appears gentle, beautiful, and easy to get along with on the surface, but inside she is indeed quite disdainful.

Back then, some young masters and misses, heeding their parents' words, wanted to get on good terms with Bai Yun, constantly pestering her.

Bai Yun, due to her upbringing, always merely gave polite responses, never chatting more, and never forming deep relationships.

Later, when asked, she said she didn't like walking together with boys.

As for that girl? She said she didn't want to play with affected, pretentious misses.

At school, one could often see Bai Yun walking together with her childhood friend Xia Chao Yi; who would have thought that now another girl has appeared?