Chapter 451

Li Hua woke up and stared blankly at Ji Ming for a few seconds.

"Huh?"

"Huh what?!" The grade leader scowled, pointing a finger vaguely. "Li Hua, is morning self-study for sleeping?"

"What did you do last night to be this tired?"

Jiang Nian grinned. "Maybe he's obsessed with Taoist culture."

"Shi...

In front of the grade leader, Li Hua didn't spit it out.

"Taoist?" Ji Ming didn't catch it, sighing in frustration. "You, you—your English has never improved in all these years."

"Back in Gao Er, the leadership already mentioned you. Now you're in Gao San, and your English is still like this?"

Li Hua lowered his head and pretended to be dead.

"Teacher... I really want to improve, but English is so hard."

Ji Ming fell silent, then demanded.

"Where's it hard? When I was in high school, learning English was like drinking water. Reflect on yourself—have you even tried?"

Li Hua:

After Ji Ming left, Li Hua grabbed Jiang Nian by the throat.

"Shi shi shi!"

"Bro, give me some air."

"Give it to your sister!" Li Hua's face turned red, teeth clenched. "Damn it, didn't I tell you to wake me when the teacher came?"

Jiang Nian broke free and replied calmly.

"Yeah, but Ji Ming isn't a teacher."

Hearing this, Li Hua let out a bitter laugh.

"You bastard, playing this game? Your wife isn't a child, and your son isn't a woman, right?"

Jiang Nian wasn't fazed at all—he started interrogating Li Hua.

"Hua, pretending to be clueless? Why are you scared when Ji Ming shows up? What's he gonna do to you? Aren't you already acting like a fool?"

"What am I acting like?"

"Still lying? You're a 608-point low-scorer—why does Ji Ming remember you specifically?"

"Why not mention Huang Fang? Why not mention Zhang Ningzhi?"

"I know this." Zeng You turned around from the front row, grinning. "The fallen genius, Chapter One of 'Dou Po'—yeah, Ji Ming, that old geezer, is mourning the fallen genius Li Hua." Jiang Nian began praising. "Too bad he's lopsided—only fit to fall."

"Is... is that so?" Li Hua scratched his head.

Ma Guojun chimed in. "Li Hua needs to rise up—only then will the world realize what kind of demon they've unleashed."

Li Hua began to swell with pride. "Really?!"

"Then again, if Jiang Nian's English score were given to me..."

Damn, now I'm dreaming during the day.

Zhang Ningzhi leaned on her desk, watching the entire charade. She glanced at Li Hua, her gaze

carrying a hint of pity.

The group leader seems... kind of dumb.

Midday running drill.

Lin Dong invited Jiang Nian again, wanting to team up for a scheme.

"Bro, if you don't come, I feel uneasy."

"No." Jiang Nian shook his head, uninterested. "On the contrary, we're better off apart—then we can each shine."

He saw at a glance that the profit was limited; the risk was secondary—mainly, Ji Ming couldn't object.

Only Ji Jiayu and Li Hua could convince Ji Ming.

"I won't get involved. You guys do your best."

"What are you getting involved in?" Wang Yuhe popped out from the line, looking at Lin Dong. "Group leader, what are you talking about?"

"Nothing." Lin Dong didn't want to say.

"Tell me, what's it about?" Wang Yuhe stared at Lin Dong. "I'm very discreet—I'll only tell Chen Yunyun."

Chen Yunyun walked over, ready to pull her away.

"Sorry, I wasn't watching her."

"It's fine, just chatting." Jiang Nian didn't hide it from Chen Yunyun. "Your group leader wants to sell apples. Don't tell anyone."

Chen Yunyun nodded, pursing her lips.

"Oh, okay."

Wang Yuhe frowned, staring fixedly at Jiang Nian.

"Why didn't you tell me just now?"

Jiang Nian grew impatient. "Aren't you aware now?"

"You told Yunyun—I overheard it." Wang Yuhe glared at him, muttering. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Jiang Nian had no way with her. "I was afraid you'd blab."

Hearing this, Wang Yuhe immediately patted her chest.

"I'm the best at keeping secrets!"

The three of them gathered loosely at the back of the running line; few paid attention. Jiang Nian thought for a moment and said to her:

"I'll tell you a secret—don't tell anyone else."

Wang Yuhe immediately got excited. "Okay, okay!"

Chen Yunyun looked at him, hesitating to speak.

Jiang Nian beckoned Wang Yuhe over, gesturing for her to come closer. He whispered something in her ear, wearing a mysteriously sweet smile.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone."

Wang Yuhe's expression shifted several times. She looked at Jiang Nian and swallowed her grievances in silence.

"Oh."

That, however, piqued Chen Yunyun's curiosity. After the morning exercises ended and the students were dismissed, she quietly asked Wang Yuhe.

"What secret did he tell you?"

Wang Yuhe wore a conflicted look and said sullenly.

"Nothing."

Chen Yunyun: "?"

The morning passed in a flash.

After school, the students in the classroom scattered in an instant.

Jiang Nian stepped out of the classroom right as the dismissal bell rang. He didn't go to the cafeteria to eat, but instead browsed two more residential compounds near the school.

His luck wasn't bad this time—he actually found a decent place.

Less than a kilometer from Zhennan Middle School, with a supermarket outside the compound. Three bedrooms, one living room, renovated and aired out for two years but never lived in.

The wife ran off with another man, leaving behind a kid who doesn't even look like him.

Disheartened, he planned to sell the house and leave this place of heartache. He moved to the South of the Clouds to settle down, hoping for a romantic encounter in Lijiang—alas, the house wasn't easy to sell, and after letting it go he still couldn't afford the bride price for a second marriage.

After weighing his options, he chose to list it for rent first.

Jiang Nian got the parking lot phone number from the security guard and called to state his purpose.

The owner didn't want to rent at first, but ran into the "add money" ultimate technique. Considering it was just a student using it for going to and from school, he agreed.

What remained was viewing the house and picking a day to sign the contract. There was no rush—the owner was still freezing and shivering in Daocheng Yading.

Back at school.

Before the lunch break, Jiang Nian ate with Chen Yunyun, who had just washed her hair, and Wang Yuhe in the teachers' cafeteria. During the meal, he glanced at Wang Yuhe.

Seeing her eat in complete silence, looking utterly miserable.

Jiang Nian laughed.

After the meal.

"What's wrong with her?" Chen Yunyun poked Jiang Nian and tilted her head to gesture for him to look. "Yuhe has had that expression all morning."

"Serves her right, big mouth." Jiang Nian curled his lip.

"I'm not a big mouth!" Wang Yuhe was furious at hearing that and snapped angrily, "Until now, I haven't told anyone!"

"Oh, very impressive." Jiang Nian, sporting a pair of dead-fish eyes, clapped slowly. "Then keep it up, do your best."

Chen Yunyun: "?"

The lunch break bell rang, and the three of them walked back toward the Gao San floor.

She walked on Jiang Nian's left side with her hair down, turned to glance at Jiang Nian, then at Wang Yuhe, her curiosity itching even more.

These two... all secretive and mysterious.

She was so lost in thought that she almost tripped going up the stairs. Jiang Nian, quick-eyed and fast-handed, grabbed her in one swift motion and asked, puzzled.

"What are you spacing out about?"

"I.