Chapter 46: Finding an Opportunity Even to Video Call Him? Is This an Affair?

Cheng: – [Wifey, have you arrived at school?]

09:35

Cheng: – [Class is over, right?]

11:03

Cheng: – [Wifey fell off the grid again…]

12:38

Cheng: – [Transferred 100,000 yuan] Note: Voluntary gift.

Shi Kezhen returned the transfer.

Yao: – [Why are you transferring money to me again?]

Cheng: – [Scared me to death!!!]

Yao: – [???]

Cheng: – [You didn’t reply all morning; I thought you were playing the disappearing act again, wifey.]

Yao: – [#Sweating#]

Cheng: – [Wifey, can we video call now?]

Yao: – [Hubby, not right now.]

Cheng: – [Why the hell not?]

Yao: – [I’m on campus, and students are everywhere; it’s not convenient.]

Gao Cheng recalled the multiple occasions he had seen Shi Kezhen trailing silently behind Shi Yanzhou, and anger flared within him.

Cheng: – [Tons of students make video calls on campus, yet you’re the only one who finds it inconvenient.]

Cheng: – [Is it actually inconvenient for you to make a video call, or is it inconvenient only because the person you’re calling is me?]

Looking at these two messages, Shi Kezhen felt somewhat puzzled.

Usually, when she said it was inconvenient, he wouldn’t push the matter much.

After all, they had been dating online for so long; he should have gotten used to her habits by now.

Why was he so displeased today?

Yao: – [?]

Cheng: – [You clearly promised me last night that you would take the initiative to video call me today.]

‘Oh, so he’s just being impatient and throwing a mini-tantrum,’ Shi Kezhen realized.

Her lips curved slightly as her fingertips flew across the screen.

Yao: – [Yes, yes, I remember, but right now really isn’t good. Later, by evening at the latest, I’ll definitely find an opportunity to video call you.]

Yao: – [Hubby, don’t be angry anymore. Love you, mwah.]

Before, it didn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary, but now that he knew Yao was likely the Shi family’s adopted daughter, Gao Cheng couldn’t help but overthink every single word she said.

‘Finding an opportunity even to video call him?’

‘Is this an affair?’

Gao Cheng clicked his tongue.

He could accept the real-life Yao being an ordinary girl—average looks, average family background, average everything.

None of that mattered.

What he couldn’t accept was his Yao calling him hubby while holding another man in her heart.

And to top it off, that man seemed to hold a position in her heart ten thousand times more important than his.

The jar of jealousy in his heart had been thoroughly overturned, its sourness impossible to suppress.

Gao Cheng let out a cold laugh and continued typing.

Cheng: – [Not angry anymore. Hubby loves you too, mwah.]

Shi Kezhen checked the time; it was already past 1:40 PM, and she had a major course at 2:00 PM.

Having skipped two major classes in the morning, she planned to attend this afternoon’s class properly.

It wasn’t because of what Shi Yanzhou had said; she simply wanted to avoid trouble.

Skipping class constantly wouldn’t be fun if word got back to Mother Shi.

Mother Shi already thought she was getting wild-hearted and was keeping a close eye on her.

Yao: – [Hubby, I have class at two, so let’s stop chatting for now.]

Cheng: – [Alright, don’t forget what you just said; I’ll wait for you.]

Yao: – [Yes, yes, I won’t forget. Bye-bye~~]

After sending that final message, Shi Kezhen switched the system back to the main space.

She then stood up, smoothed her skirt, and slowly walked out of the small woods.

On the unavoidable path to the Business School building, several girls holding flyers suddenly emerged.

The moment they saw Shi Kezhen, they enthusiastically swarmed around her, chattering non-stop.

“Hello, junior! We’re from the Woodcarving Club, and we’re recruiting new members. Would you like to join our club?”

A girl with a high ponytail eagerly handed out a flyer.

“Yes, exactly! Junior, you’re so pretty and your hands are lovely; come join us!”

Another round-faced girl leaned in as well.

“Junior, your fingers are so slender; you’re truly suited for woodcarving. Please consider joining us!”

The third girl grabbed Shi Kezhen’s hand.

Forced to halt her steps, Shi Kezhen offered a polite smile and declined.

“I’m sorry, I’ve already joined a club.”

“Oh, that’s completely fine; you can always join another one!”

“Exactly, plenty of students here at Jingda join two clubs!”

“Besides, our club is very laid-back; we don’t require fixed hours. You can just drop by whenever you’re free!”

Shi Kezhen still shook her head politely.

“Thank you, but really, no thank you.”

At that moment, the round-faced girl suddenly grasped her hand and pressed a stamp onto the back of her middle finger.

“What are you doing?”

Shi Kezhen pulled her hand back forcefully, only to discover a deep purple butterfly stamped on her skin.

Her fingers were slender, and the purple butterfly had crisp, lifelike lines.

It looked almost like a deliberate tattoo on the back of her finger, presenting an unexpectedly striking contrast against her pale, cool-toned skin.

Even so, her expression darkened.

Stamping her hand without her consent was far too intrusive.

The round-faced girl who had stamped her quickly explained:

“This butterfly stamp was carved by one of our own club members; pretty, right?”

The girl with the high ponytail chimed in:

“We didn’t mean anything bad by it; we just wanted to show off the Woodcarving Club’s skill through this method!”

The other girl nodded along.

“Yes, yes, yes! Junior, look, isn’t this butterfly carved so lifelike, almost like a real one?”

Shi Kezhen: “…”

She glanced at the butterfly on the back of her finger, then looked at the three earnest, enthusiastic faces before her, swallowing her rebuke.

“Excuse me, I’m going to be late for class; could you please let me pass?”

“Oh, oh, sorry! Our bad!”

“Junior, hurry to class! If you’re interested in our club, remember to come look for us!”

Shi Kezhen offered a strained smile, picked up her pace to slip past them, and didn’t look back.

What she didn’t know was that at the corner of a nearby academic building, three figures stood quietly, taking in the entire scene.

***

Having picked a seat in the classroom early and currently chatting with classmates, Shi Yanzhou glanced toward the door from time to time.

Only when Shi Kezhen walked into the classroom did the stone in his chest finally settle.

Hearing her careless attitude at the canteen during lunch, he had truly feared she would just throw in the towel and never attend class again.

As it turned out, she had still shown up on time, even if she had cut it close.

A subtle, confident smile formed at the corners of Shi Yanzhou’s lips.

It seemed she wasn’t as indifferent toward him as she pretended to be; she still listened to what he said.

This made sense.

She had loved him for ten whole years; how could she suddenly stop loving him just because she said so?

Throwing a tantrum about wanting to leave the Shi family was likely just a scene she staged on purpose because he had gotten a girlfriend.

There was only one major course that afternoon, wrapping up at 3:30 PM.

Once class was dismissed, Shi Kezhen packed her textbook, grabbed her bag, and exited the classroom.

For the entire lecture, from the moment she entered to the moment she left, she hadn’t spared a single glance at Shi Yanzhou, who was in the same class.

She didn’t glance at him first upon entering, as she used to do.

Nor did she pack her books and sit in her seat waiting until he walked out, only to trail silently behind him.

Like a puppy quietly following its master.

Today, the puppy hadn’t waited for its master; it had left on its own.

Watching Shi Kezhen walk out before him, Shi Yanzhou couldn’t help letting out a sneer.

The sneer carried disdain, but also a faint, indefinable trace of discomfort.

‘What is she pretending for?’

‘She clearly cares so much, yet she insists on pretending not to care and intentionally ignores me.’

‘Playing hard to get—it’s just a woman’s cheap trick.’

‘There’s no way I’ll fall for it.’

He slapped his textbook onto the desk and stood up.

Beside him, Sun Yu was startled by his sudden movement.

“Yanzhou, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Shi Yanzhou grabbed his bag and strode out of the classroom.