Chapter 100: But For Your Sake

Before the bun shop, steam curled gently.

"I'll take three braised meat buns, two vegetable buns, one fried dough stick, and a cup of black soy milk." Jiang Nian reached the front, turned to look at Xu Qianqian, then added:

"Also, one vegetable bun and a cup of red bean soy milk."

Just as he was about to pay, Xu Qianqian snatched the scanner and tapped—beep—paying instantly.

"I've got it."

"Hmm." Jiang Nian gave her a suspicious glance. "Xu Qianqian, what dirty deed did you do, trying to bank virtue on me?"

As proven, proximity to vermilion stains red; proximity to ink stains black.

"You're the one doing dirty deeds—can't a girl still have a little leftover maternal love from her dreams?" Xu Qianqian's mouth was just as stubborn, though no one knew if what she held inside was soft.

"Do as you like. You treat me to buns, I'll give you a gift someday." Jiang Nian walked down the road, handing out the buns to Xu Qianqian, deliberately giving her an extra vegetable bun.

"You have that much money?"

"You know that too?" He walked steadily forward, biting into the fried dough stick. "Actually, I found a hundred-thousand-yuan check—I have to spend it on someone else to claim it."

"You're insane."

"You know that too? Did you sneak a peek at my medical records? Obviously you've got feelings for me—I love you even more, baby."

Xu Qianqian had almost become desensitized to Jiang Nian's occasional obnoxiousness; hearing him call her "baby" stirred nothing, but the line "you've got feelings for me" pierced her.

Instantly she felt guilty and quickened her pace to put distance between them.

"Too lazy to play along with your madness."

Autumn air was faintly cool.

On his way to school, Wu Jun Gu looked up at the sparse branches above.

Exhaustion washed over him like a tide, nearly forcing his eyes shut.

He'd been living with his aunt, and after much effort had convinced his parents to let him board at school—only for the paperwork to stall.

His girlfriend Yu Zhiyi's application had been approved, which only deepened his anxiety.

Last night he messaged Jiang Nian privately, but Jiang Nian said he couldn't help either. It wasn't Old Liu deliberately blocking it—Old Liu had no reason to do such a thing.

Yu Zhiyi couldn't adjust to boarding; she cried silently the first night.

Under the covers, tears fell without sound, while she texted him, pouring out her despair about dorm life.

Her roommate called her spoiled, mocked her by imitating her crying.

Laundry was inconvenient, showers required long waits, fetching water was a hassle, and her roommate shouted constantly.

Wu Jun Gu didn't know what to say, so he fought off sleep, comforting her over and over.

In the end, Yu Zhiyi snapped:

"None of what you're saying helps me at all!"

In that moment, Wu Jun Gu was no longer sleepy—but couldn't sleep either. He kept thinking, wanting to say something.

But remembering her current situation, he swallowed his own hurt.

So what was the point of all he'd done?

Buzzzz!

His phone vibrated. Wu Jun Gu glanced down at WeChat.

Yu Zhiyi: "Had breakfast yet?"

He'd deleted her custom nickname—once "Baby," now reverted to the default.

Nanfeng: "Yeah."

Wu Jun Gu's original WeChat name was Dan Wei Jun Gu, but after getting into a relationship, he changed it. Along with it, he changed his avatar, signature, and even his personality.

Yu Zhiyi: "I'm sorry—what I said last night was too harsh. I get anxious under pressure, I didn't mean to blame you, I just can't control it."

Wu Jun Gu stared at the stream of messages popping up in the chat window, his heart softening slightly.

"Mm, it's fine."

Yu Zhiyi came from a broken home; in middle school in the countryside, she scored below 80.

Later, her family moved to the county town, and only in high school did she gradually become more cheerful.

He first met her through late-night chats—he'd always been the one comforting her, listening to her past, hearing her endless troubles.

At first, it was just attraction; then, pity.

He wanted to save something—perhaps he could pull her out of her past shadows. That's what he thought then—but things didn't go as planned.

Yu Zhiyi: "Still mad?"

He replied: "Not mad."

After thinking, he added:

"Have you eaten?"

Yu Zhiyi: "Can't eat. Want to have lunch together? (smile)"

"Okay."

At the school gate, crowds surged; looking up, looking down—he'd reached the classroom door.

Wu Jun Gu had his phone on silent. Returning to his seat, he found Jiang Nian already there, apparently listening to Zhang Ningzhi explain a problem—the two were laughing and chatting, making him envious.

He and his girlfriend used to be like that too—too bad it was gone forever.

As soon as he sat down, Jiang Nian poked his back.

"Hey, Jun Ge, are you going to talk to Old Liu today?"

Wu Jun Gu thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes."

Jiang Nian paused, half-ready to persuade her, then decided against it. Respect others' fates.

He figured he'd be in the office during break.

"Alright, thanks."

He'd talked with Wu Jun Gu last night and got a general sense of his situation.

Originally, Jiang Nian had envied Brother Wu for having a full-bodied girlfriend on Monday—after all, that kind of feel wasn't something everyone got a chance at—but then he found out

this bitch wasn't any good.

If Zhou Yuting was the standard for evil girls, then Wu Jun Gu's little girlfriend was probably a Three-Zhou.

Zhou Yuting really wasn't a decent person—slightly green tea, indifferent to others' feelings, loved using people to achieve her goals, loved fishing for attention, loved making others compete for her affection.

But someone like her wouldn't easily give herself away; her danger level was limited.

The most terrifying thing was encountering an emotionally unstable girl—she'd share her pain with you, dragging the people closest to her into an emotional vortex, never letting them rest.

Always emotional, emo, yuyu, bipolar, somatization. Don't follow me, I want to be alone for a bit—you simply can't understand me.

Being a lickspittle to Zhou Yuting won't get you into a top university. Don't even bother trying to date Brother Wu's girlfriend—you won't even pass the junior college entrance exam; not being yuyu is already a win.

So Jiang Nian just tossed the whole thing out of his mind.

After the big break.

Li Hua, Ma Guojun, Jiang Nian, and Lin Dong huddled by a large window, staring blankly at the playground—all four were big, burly men, completely blocking the aisle.

Jiang Nian's face was cold and stoic. "I'm opening the book—I bet they won't make us run. Whoever loses gets Aruba."

Li Hua swallowed hard—he'd always been the one getting Aruba most often. Now, finally, his chance at revenge had come; he clenched his fists.

"I bet they'll run! They definitely will!"

Jiang Nian turned his head. "Hua, your comment sounds like a defeated dog."

Ma Guojun jumped in. "The playground's almost dry—there's a high chance the idiot leaders will make us run, so I'm betting against it."

Li Hua laughed outright. "Weakling."

Lin Dong was participating in this little group bet for the first time and was extremely nervous. He suddenly felt a bit of admiration for Jiang Nian—how could he get along so well with Li Hua and Ma Guojun?

Li Hua's dad worked at the Procuratorate. Ma Guojun's dad worked at the People's Hospital. Few people in the class knew this—but those who wanted to know could find out.

Lin Dong had stumbled upon the info by accident, then didn't know how to talk to these guys anymore. To avoid offending anyone, he chose to go along with the crowd.

"I think we won't have to run."

As soon as he finished speaking, the loudspeaker crackled and hissed, then someone slapped the mic.

"Hello! Hello!"

"Announcement! Gao San will cancel morning run! Repeat: Gao San will cancel morning run!"

"Naisi!" The class erupted in cheers.

"Let's go! Buy food at the cafeteria! No run!"

In an instant, a third of the class collapsed onto their desks, a quarter rose from their seats.

Unfortunately, joy and sorrow don't translate between people—in Class Three of the Olympiad, a class traitor stood up and boldly voiced the most despairing opinion.

"No! How can we not run?! Ah, you idiots!"

This act naturally enraged everyone—the eighteen Luohan in the class all turned their heads, each pair of eyes glowing red as they fixed on Li Hua.

Jiang Nian and the others laughed. No call was needed—boys surged forward one after another.

"I'll grab his hands!"

"Got his feet! Carry him out, carry him out!"

In the chaos, a boy was tripped by a desk. He stumbled forward, about to fall—his direction directly toward Zhang Nenzhi's desk, tucked deep in the row.

Zhang Nenzhi heard the shouts and instinctively turned around—she was nearly terrified into shock.

Just as he was about to crash into her, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and yanked her sideways—then a figure sliced through the gap, blocking it outright.

This chapter has been revised; I'll tidy up the edits before posting the next one.

Friendly recommendation: The new book by the author of "404 Record"—In the Gaokao, the Baby System Is Eighteen Years Late!

Growth Task: Li Mengya Learns to Speak (0/1000), unlocks talent 【Fluent Tongue: You've mastered a skill of mimicry, capable of effortlessly weaving Chinese knots】, bonus +2000

By achieving growth goals, you unlock various talents and rewards—so Fang Yi, through his "unrelenting effort," rekindled his childhood sweetheart, left the past behind, and ensured his youth held no regrets.