Chapter 44: Failing a course is failing a course

She wiped the anger from her face, her voice dropping a notch as tears welled in her eyes, making her look pitiful and fragile.

“Yanzhou, do you really treat me as an outsider?”

Ordinarily, whenever she acted cute and pitiful like this, Shi Yanzhou would definitely lower his stance and come to coax her; he feared her tears the most.

But Shi Yanzhou didn’t even look at her, throwing his tantrums as a young master instead.

“Think whatever you want, don’t follow me.”

With that, he turned and strode away without a shred of hesitation.

Li Yunshu watched his decisive back, somewhat shocked by this unexpected turn; this was the very first time he had lost his temper with her since they started dating.

‘Just for that non-blood-related sister of his?’

Her gaze followed Shi Yanzhou continuously, watching him walk straight toward Shi Kezhen and sit down opposite her.

Li Yunshu glared at Shi Kezhen with jealousy, her eyes filled with venom and her expression turning somewhat distorted with anger, completely devoid of her usual sunny, bright appearance.

‘Shi Kezhen, I won’t let you snatch him away.’

‘Absolutely not.’

***

When Shi Yanzhou sat opposite Shi Kezhen, she was currently eating her meal.

Seeing someone sit opposite her, she instinctively raised her head to glance at him.

Seeing it was Shi Yanzhou, she was slightly surprised, but she didn’t care much, lowering her head to continue eating.

Shi Yanzhou looked at her dining mannerisms, which were completely out of place with everyone else’s, and knit his brows.

“Why are you eating so late?”

Shi Kezhen did not respond, and her movements of eating did not pause.

“I’m talking to you,” Shi Yanzhou said, a trace of annoyance entering his voice as he saw her ignore him again just like in the morning.

“Also, why didn’t you go to class this morning?”

Shi Kezhen still did not respond, not even sparing him a glance, acting as if he were thin air.

Shi Yanzhou’s handsome brows knitted together, but his tone wasn’t as aggressive as before; instead, it carried a clumsy concern that he hadn’t even noticed himself.

“You haven’t been to school for two weeks, and you’ve already fallen far behind in your major classes.”

“If you don’t attend classes properly, be careful not to fail.”

***

On a table in the row behind them, Gao Cheng, Jiang Zhexi, and Jiang Chengshuo were dining.

Ever since Gao Cheng discovered that Yao was likely a student at Jingda, the three brothers had frequently dined in the school canteen.

Quite a lot of food remained on their trays; all three of them were highly picky eaters, and the canteen food was truly difficult for them to swallow.

Jiang Zhexi and Jiang Chengshuo were genuinely loyal, suffering with their stomachs every day for the sake of their brother; now, their dormitory was stocked with large boxes of snacks daily.

Gao Cheng’s chopsticks picked up a few grains of rice, but as he brought them to his mouth, they suddenly paused.

He heard Shi Yanzhou’s words, especially that sentence: “You haven’t been to school for two weeks.”

His chopsticks hovered in midair for two seconds before he slowly set them down.

Two weeks.

‘What a coincidence.’

His gaze shifted unconsciously; he didn’t look back, but merely tilted his ear slightly.

Jiang Zhexi and Jiang Chengshuo had heard it too; the two exchanged a glance without speaking, but their legs nudged each other under the table in a silent understanding.

Gao Cheng placed his chopsticks on the edge of his tray, finally unable to hold back; he turned his head to look in Shi Yanzhou’s direction.

Shi Yanzhou was sitting with his back directly to Gao Cheng; upon looking back, he could see Shi Kezhen sitting right opposite him.

Her posture was excellent, her back held perfectly straight, keeping her head lowered as she chewed her food in small bites.

Her chin was pointed and she looked very thin—seemingly even thinner than when he had seen her at the basketball court last time.

Her complexion wasn’t very good either, looking somewhat sickly; had she been absent from school for two weeks because of illness?

Gao Cheng recalled that night at the Zhang family birthday banquet once more—the mole on her collarbone was exactly the same size and in the same position as Yao’s.

Jiang Zhexi nudged Gao Cheng with his elbow, whispering.

“What do you keep staring at the Shi family’s adopted daughter for?”

Gao Cheng withdrew his gaze, turned back, and said nothing.

Sitting opposite him, Jiang Chengshuo leaned in, lowering his voice even further.

“Did you hear that?”

“Shi Yanzhou said she hasn’t been to school for two weeks.”

“Didn’t your online wife happen to disappear for two weeks as well?”

“This is far too much of a coincidence.”

Gao Cheng pursed his lips tightly and said nothing, nor did he look back again, yet he still listened closely to the conversation between the two behind him.

Jiang Zhexi and Jiang Chengshuo exchanged a glance and did not speak further.

By tacit agreement, the three brothers began to eavesdrop.

***

Shi Kezhen finally raised her head, looking fixedly at Shi Yanzhou, her gaze very calm.

Shi Yanzhou felt somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze, turning his head to avoid her eyes.

After a moment, he turned back, his voice stiff.

“Don’t overthink things; I’m only giving you a friendly warning.”

“The consequences of failing your major classes are quite serious.”

Shi Kezhen finally spoke, her voice not loud, but every word was very clear.

“It doesn’t matter; in any case, even after I graduate, I won’t have the opportunity to go out and work.”

“If I fail, I fail.”

“Even if I can’t get a graduation certificate, it isn’t a big deal.”

Shi Yanzhou was very surprised that she would say such things, and equally surprised that she harbored such thoughts.

He suddenly recalled the words Mother Shi had spoken at home over the weekend, leaving him momentarily speechless.

He turned his head away, avoiding Shi Kezhen’s gaze once more, and only after a long pause did he speak with some lack of confidence.

“Don’t say that.”

“Mom just doesn’t like you showing your face in public outside.”

“But if you really want to work, we can arrange a position for you at the Shi Group after graduation.”

“You are studying Business Administration like me; in the future, when it comes to work… you can help me.”

Shi Kezhen still looked at him fixedly, but a faint, barely perceptible mockery surfaced in her eyes.

“Weren’t you eager for me to stay far away from you and stop being an eyesore?”

“To hear you say this is truly out of my expectations.”

Shi Yanzhou’s ears turned slightly red; even he himself felt that taking the initiative to say these things to Shi Kezhen was highly incomprehensible.

In the past, he couldn’t wait for Shi Kezhen to vanish from his sight, but now…

With Shi Kezhen treating him with such coldness, he suddenly felt an indefinable sensation in his heart—it was… a sense of unease.

“Since you are back at school, attend your classes properly.”

Shi Yanzhou stood up, his voice returning to its commanding stiffness.

“This afternoon… don’t skip class again.”

With that, he didn’t look at her, striding out of the canteen.

Shi Kezhen withdrew her gaze and continued to eat quietly, offering no reaction to what he had just said.

The three of them had been silently listening to their conversation.

Gao Cheng in particular listened very closely; although her voice was very soft, he had caught every single word.

“In any case, even after I graduate, I won’t have the opportunity to go out and work.”

“If I fail, I fail.”

“Even if I can’t get a graduation certificate, it isn’t a big deal.”

These words didn’t sound like self-abandonment, but more like a calmness after resigning herself to her fate.

A coldness that said, ‘I simply don’t care anymore.’

The version of her today seemed different from the few times he had seen her before, differing from his impression.

She seemed to lack a bit of her submissiveness and rigidness, possessing more of a cold and aloof aura; although she still wore the same conservative attire, her entire temperament seemed to have undergone some changes.

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