Chapter 26

Because I called the police.

Chu Lian stared in shock: "What?"

Shu Shu: "Shu Lingchen borrowed money from me to buy medicine for your mother; I went with him to the pharmacy and discovered the medicine was problematic."

Chu Lian rushed to the police station in a hurry, still unaware of the full details, only knowing that her mother and the pharmacy clerk's scheme to trick Shu Lingchen into buying effective medicine had been exposed.

She had been puzzled originally.

They had deceived this fool Shu Lingchen for so long, he never suspected anything; how did the truth suddenly come out?

It turned out…

As soon as Shu Lingchen came out of the office, Chu Lian immediately asked for the result.

"I've already signed the settlement, but the police said Aunt Chu can't leave yet; the settlement is discretionary, but the specific outcome still awaits notice."

In other words, Chu's mother must first be detained.

"Ah Chen, you handled this too impulsively." Chu Lian frowned delicately: "Mom really did wrong, but if you had consulted me beforehand and not called the police, perhaps we wouldn't have caused such a hassle at the station."

Chu Lian uttered Shu Lingchen's name, but while speaking she glanced at Shu Shu with a hint of blame and resentment.

It seemed as if Shu Shu, who chose to call the police, was in the wrong.

However, Shu Lingchen's thought process was overly simple; he didn't pick up on that "hint." Upon hearing Chu Lian say that, he truly felt ashamed and lowered his head, believing he had indeed been impulsive, completely forgetting that he was the victim.

Shu Shu curled her lips: "Classmate Chu Lian, you've wrongly blamed Shu Lingchen; initially I just thought the clerk and the medicine were problematic—spending so much money on fake medicine certainly warrants a police report."

"But who could have imagined your mother was in cahoots with the clerk?" Shu Shu said, tone exaggerated and astonished: "Who could have thought your mother wasn't ill at all, yet pretended to be sick from caring for Shu Lingchen, deceiving him of his guilt and so much money for years?"

"You didn't see, but just now those police were looking at Shu Lingchen like he was a gullible fool."

Chu Lian: "..."

Shu Shu patted Chu Lian's shoulder, apologetically comforting: "Classmate Chu Lian, if you really want to blame someone, blame me; this time I was rash. Next time, if your mother still deceives Shu Lingchen about something, I definitely won't call the police—I'll let you know beforehand. Does that work for you?"

"..." Chu Lian's expression almost broke; she tilted her head weakly toward Shu Lingchen: "Ah Chen, I don't mean that... I just simply feel things could have been simpler, causing you less trouble."

Before Shu Lingchen could speak, Shu Shu waved her hand nonchalantly: "Hey, it's fine; you've already bothered Shu Lingchen enough—what's this? He won't mind."

Chu Lian was again at a loss for words.

She pressed her breath, hurriedly stopped speaking, fearing Shu Shu would choke her again; she could only bite her lip, putting on a meek and weak appearance, as if she were the most innocent and kind.

Shu Shu looked at Chu Lian, then sighed and said: "Classmate Chu Lian, actually you don't need to work so hard like this."

Maintaining the pure little white flower persona in front of Shu Lingchen is so exhausting.

Now Shu Lingchen has no mansion, no living expenses; Chu Lian can't gain any benefit from keeping up her persona with him anymore.

Chu Lian looked at Shu Shu with a blank, confused gaze: "Classmate Shu Shu, what are you saying? I don't understand."

Shu Shu blinked, meaningful: "No worries, you'll understand soon."

The milk tea shop after school was bustling.

"Chu Lian, I didn't mishear, you want to go Dutch with us—AA?!"

On a small sofa seat, several girls in San Zhong uniforms sat gathered.

One of them was Chu Lian; at this moment she felt a bit embarrassed, because she could no longer afford to treat everyone lavishly as before, not even a few cups of milk tea.

She had already tried her best to avoid anything requiring spending.

However, maintaining social circle activities after school, she had declined three or four times; it wouldn't do to keep refusing, so she steeled herself to suggest going to a low-cost milk tea shop.

Everyone was already used to Chu Lian paying the bill.

So when she suddenly proposed going Dutch, everyone was stunned.

"Today isn't April Fool's, is it?" someone thought Chu Lian was joking, chuckling: "Who would have thought we'd hear the words 'AA' from the mouth of the Eldest Young Lady Chu; I originally thought it was already surprising enough for Chu Lian to come to such a small milk tea shop."

Chu Lian found it hard to speak; she had scraped together all her remaining balance, only able to afford this cup of milk tea.

She ordered the cheapest lemon water!

"……No." Chu Lian bit her lip and lied: "Yes, it's my dad; because I overspent badly last month, he confiscated my card outright, not letting me spend recklessly, making me honestly prepare for this month's monthly exam."

"Ah? No way, your CEO dad still cares about you spending extra money?"

"Of course he doesn't care." Zhang Lu, sitting beside Chu Lian, spoke up for her, dissatisfied: "Didn't you hear Xiao Nian say it's because Uncle Chu wants Xiao Nian to focus on preparing for the monthly exam? That likely means Uncle Chu intends to wait until Xiao Nian gets good grades, then properly compensate her."

"Given Chu Lian's solid ability to secure a top-three rank in the grade, this reward is practically a sure thing."

"Eh, I don't even want first place; Class Monitor Shi Jin, who transferred from Jing Shi, has continuously topped the grade for three months straight—this time he'll surely be first again."

Someone looked at Chu Lian with full curiosity: "Chu Lian, what rewards will your CEO dad give you?"

"……" Chu Lian: "Just bags, clothes, shoes, and such."

"Oh oh."

"By the way, Chu Lian, your dad's assistant mistakenly sold the property deed; has the new house been purchased yet? Do you still have to keep staying in a hotel? Wouldn't that be inconvenient?"

"What do you know?" Zhang Lu said proudly: "Xiao Nian stays in the presidential suite of a five-star hotel! That kind of suite—two rooms on an entire floor, costing tens of thousands per night—what could be inconvenient about that?"

"Wow~ I've never entered a presidential suite in my life, and I probably never will get the chance; Chu Lian, could you possibly bring us to see it?"

After the female classmate finished speaking, Zhang Lu also looked expectantly at Chu Lian.

She also really wanted to visit the presidential suite; during this time she has intentionally or unintentionally brought it up in front of Chu Lian, but never managed to.

One after another, timed-bomb-like questions were thrown at her; pairs of expectant eyes gazed over, Chu Lian's scalp went numb, her palms sweated, she forced a smile: "No, maybe next time; the monthly exam is coming up soon, I want to focus on reviewing first."

"Alright, alright."

Everyone felt a bit disappointed; not long after, they shifted the topic—

"Hey, have you guys heard lately that Class 12's Shu Lingchen and the transfer student Shu Shu are rumored to be dating?"

"What? No way." Zhang Lu glanced at Chu Lian, dead certain: "Shu Lingchen has liked our Xiao Nian for how long; how could he possibly be rumored with another girl? He's such a simp, he's most afraid of Xiao Nian misunderstanding."

"Really, I heard that lately Shu Shu not only prevents Shu Lingchen from sleeping in class, but also watches him to stop him from skipping; someone even saw Shu Shu ordering Shu Lingchen to wear his uniform properly—crucially, Shu Lingchen actually complied obediently, not daring to utter a word."

"What do you say—when a girl controls a guy like this, besides liking him, what other possibility could there be?"

"That transfer student Shu Shu lives in Yujingyuan."

"I don't even know what they see in Shu Lingchen?"

Chu Lian gripped the lemon tea on the table, listening to everyone's conversation, a dark light flashed in her lowered eyes.