"Qingqiu!" Zhang Lu caught sight of Sheng Qingqiu and hastily sized her up and down several times. After confirming that she was okay, he finally managed to ease the anxiety that had been gripping his heart.
Sheng Qingqiu caught a faint whiff of sweat emanating from Zhang Lu and imperceptibly wrinkled her brow.
She calmly took a few steps backward, putting some distance between herself and Zhang Lu.
"Come in and take a seat," Sheng Qingqiu said, stepping aside to motion for Zhang Lu to enter.
Zhang Lu nervously rubbed his hands together. So tense was he that he even moved in an awkward, uncoordinated manner.
Sheng Qingqiu knew from Zhang Lu's demeanor that today's plan was likely to succeed.
Zhang Lu clumsily slipped on his slippers and then meekly followed Sheng Qingqiu.
Sheng Qingqiu was wearing a silk slip dress that perfectly accentuated her waistline. With every deliberate sway of her hips, she exuded an undeniable allure.
Zhang Lu felt a warmth rising in his nose and quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look at Sheng Qingqiu any longer.
"What would you like to drink?" Sheng Qingqiu asked with a sweet smile, her eyes full of charm as she sent flirty glances his way.
Zhang Lu was momentarily stunned and failed to respond.
Sheng Qingqiu lowered her eyes to hide the impatience in them.
"Ah?" Zhang Lu snapped out of his daze. Embarrassedly scratching his head, he stammered, "W - white... just plain water will do."
Sheng Qingqiu fetched a glass of warm water from the kitchen and said tenderly, "Drink slowly. You're not a child anymore."
Zhang Lu was completely overwhelmed by Sheng Qingqiu's beauty and found himself at a loss.
"So, you agreed to Sheng Qingqiu's request to take revenge on Ji Pei, right?" Jiang Cong listened attentively to Zhang Lu's long - winded account without showing any signs of impatience. Instead, he carefully analyzed the complex web of relationships that Zhang Lu had revealed.
Zhang Lu nodded reluctantly, biting his lips tightly. "I... I was just impulsive."
Jiang Cong gave a non - committal chuckle and said, "That's no excuse for your crime."
Zhang Lu stared at him with wide eyes and weakly retorted, "I... I didn't commit a crime. I just engaged in some school bullying."
Yang Heng scoffed disdainfully, showing utter contempt for the seemingly harmless words "school bullying" that Zhang Lu had uttered.
"I've already talked to Feng Bin, Sheng Qingqiu's former homeroom teacher, about that fight. Skip this part," Jiang Cong said.
Zhang Lu was a bit confused by Jiang Cong's abrupt change of topic. He stammered, "You've already talked to him? Then what should I say next?"
Jiang Cong straightened up and clasped his hands together. "Tell me what happened between you and Ji Pei later. You must have done some other things that no one knows about, right?"
Zhang Lu seemed hesitant to speak. He stammered and avoided answering Jiang Cong's question directly.
Jiang Cong wasn't in a hurry. He watched with amusement as Zhang Lu tried to cover up his misdeeds like a clown.
A sneering chuckle escaped his thin lips. "Still not going to talk? Your spot for the recommended admission probably wasn't obtained fairly, was it?"
Yang Heng was completely caught off - guard by this sudden turn of events. He struggled to pick up his jaw and reevaluate his worldview.
Zhang Lu looked up and met Jiang Cong's dark, knowing eyes. All his resistance melted away, and he decided to confess the secret that he had planned to take to the grave.
It turned out that after that inexplicable end to the school bullying, Zhang Lu started to pay even more attention to Ji Pei.
Part of it was because of Sheng Qingqiu. Zhang Lu knew full well that Sheng Qingqiu had unrequited love for Ji Pei.
In Zhang Lu's eyes, it was a great humiliation that the girl he liked had feelings for another boy.
But more importantly, it was deep - seated jealousy that drove him.
Zhang Lu came from an ordinary family. His parents were both working - class people with no connections or background.
It was extremely difficult for him to make a name for himself.
That's why Zhang Lu had matured at a young age and had become extremely adept at reading people's expressions.
At school, Zhang Lu was well - liked by both his classmates and teachers.
Only Zhang Lu knew that he was actually paving the way for his future.
Zhang Lu's academic performance was mediocre. Even if he studied hard, he could only manage to be in the middle of the class.
Even the teacher who got along with him best had once bluntly said that with such grades, it would be difficult for him to get into a second - tier university.
This was a devastating blow to Zhang Lu. Without the hope of going to college, how could he achieve success?
In contrast to Zhang Lu's confusion and despair, Ji Pei consistently ranked first in the grade.
All the teachers doted on Ji Pei and had high hopes for him.
Perhaps Ji Pei would be the next science champion in Beicheng.
No matter how much Zhang Lu refused to admit it, the brilliance that surrounded Ji Pei was something he could never hope to attain.
Driven by this indescribable obsession, Zhang Lu began to closely monitor Ji Pei's every move.
Whatever books Ji Pei bought or practice papers he did, Zhang Lu would do the same.
It was as if by doing so, he could become just like Ji Pei.
Zhang Lu had also managed to find out where Ji Pei lived.
He would often deliberately pass by Ji Pei's neighborhood, hoping to pick up some gossip about him.
Ji Pei was a solitary and quiet person. Despite Zhang Lu's best efforts, he couldn't find any dirt on Ji Pei.
This frustrated Zhang Lu greatly, so he came up with the idea of staking out in front of Ji Pei's house. Maybe he would get lucky.
And his efforts were finally rewarded.
One day, Zhang Lu followed Ji Pei home.
He quietly hid on the floor above Ji Pei's and patiently waited.
Before long, a man knocked on Ji Pei's door.
Zhang Lu pricked up his ears and listened intently to the commotion downstairs.
"Darling, it's been ages since you last came to see me!" Ji Ying coquettishly glared at the man and leaned against him, tracing circles on his chest with her fingertips.
The man reached out and pinched Ji Ying's buttocks. Hearing her startled cry, he grinned and lied, "I've been missing you so much. I've just been really busy lately."
Ji Ying didn't expose the man's clumsy lie. With a seductive look in her eyes, she asked, "Do you want to?"
The man wasn't surprised by Ji Ying's directness. He got even closer to her and pinned her against the door. "Is that brat at home? I don't want to see his disgusting face."
Ji Ying let out a series of flirtatious giggles. She opened the door and shouted into the house, "Ji Pei, go outside for a while. I've got something important to do."
In a moment, Ji Pei walked out expressionlessly with a book in his hand. "Watch out for diseases. I don't have the money to treat you. You're filthy."
Without looking back, he walked downstairs and disappeared.
Ji Ying ignored Ji Pei's sarcasm. She clung to the man's arm and eagerly closed the door.