Where could the money have gone? It was donated, of course.
Between the two donations, nearly 700 yuan—a huge sum for a junior high student. The second donation wasn’t known to Yue Shanni or most classmates. Song Shao only learned of it by chance, delivering papers to the teacher’s office.
Seeing Wen Ying stand awkwardly, flashing a fawning smile at Yue Shanni’s group, clumsy and pitiful, Song Shao couldn’t help but soften.
Spending money on Yue Shanni’s crew was worse than donating it!
Because of this, Song Shao advised Wen Ying, hoping she’d gain courage and confidence to break free from Yue Shanni’s unreasonable demands.
Wen Ying nodded eagerly then, and Song Shao thought she’d taken it to heart.
Then came the diary incident during study hall.
Song Shao was furious. Bullied like that, Wen Ying didn’t resist, acting like a spineless, sticky doughball with no principles. It deeply disappointed him!
He washed his hands of her.
Let others mock or tease her—it wouldn’t affect Song Shao. Wen Ying’s weakness meant she’d face the consequences.
After the study hall incident, Wen Ying stopped talking to Song Shao, even avoiding his gaze, terrified of being teased or mocked again.
By their third year, though still classmates, they didn’t speak.
Then came the high school entrance exam.
Wen Ying got into Provincial Key; Song Shao went to Rongcheng Ninth.
Ninth might be slightly inferior to Provincial Key, but Song Shao could’ve made Provincial Key. After careful thought, he chose Ninth.
Better to be a chicken’s head than a phoenix’s tail.
Besides, the gap between Ninth and Provincial Key was hardly chicken versus phoenix.
The class teacher mentioned Wen Ying went to Provincial Key.
Song Shao thought, what’s that to me? We’re not on the same path.
Unexpectedly, Wen Ying added him on QQ, apologizing and thanking him for his “help”… help so trivial Song Shao had nearly forgotten.
She also mentioned refusing Yue Shanni’s “loan” request.
The sticky, spineless doughball had grown a backbone?
Song Shao was skeptical.
But if this was Wen Ying’s attempt to signal for help, ignoring it might make her retreat into her shell. So, he left his contact info.
One last chance.
If she remained hopeless, he was done.
Song Shao waited, but Wen Ying never called.
Yue Shanni wasn’t one to give up easily. A soft target like Wen Ying was rare.
Wen Ying must’ve caved, “lending” Yue Shanni the money.
Song Shao wasn’t surprised.
Disappointed, but not meddling.
Then he heard Yue Shanni was expelled for extorting classmates and sent to the police station—Wen Doughball did *that*?
Wen Doughball had grown tough!
Song Shao quietly helped Wen Ying.
If she hadn’t reached out on QQ, he wouldn’t have taken credit. But she did, and he was online.
He thought, why not meet Wen Ying and see what Wen Doughball’s like now?
Wen Doughball… no, Wen Ying now.
She’d slimmed down, tanned a bit, her hair in a ponytail, wearing a fitted tracksuit, looking vibrant.
Her back was straight.
Her shoulders were open.
Her figure wasn’t curvaceous, but youthful and energetic.
Most importantly, her gaze was direct and open, free of timid self-doubt.
Song Shao couldn’t help but smile.
Why slouch and bow if you’ve done nothing wrong?
This was more like it!
“Class Monitor?”
Wen Ying jogged up, no trace of shyness. “Long time no see, Class Monitor!”
Over a decade apart!
Missing the junior high reunion, yet crossing time to meet again in 2004 Rongcheng. Song Shao was the boy from her memories, filling Wen Ying with emotion.
Song Shao grinned, “Wen Ying, you’ve changed a lot. This is good.”
Wen Ying smiled, “I used to be a mess, always hesitating. Were you mad at me, Class Monitor? My QQ apology lacked sincerity, so today I want to apologize again and say thank you.”
Thank you for your kindness.
Thank you for reaching out to a self-conscious girl.
Her earnestness surprised Song Shao.
“We’re classmates, no need to be so formal. Let’s walk and talk, not just stand here.”
If Wen Ying was willing to change, Song Shao wouldn’t judge her by old standards.
Not about classmate bonds, he’d only disdained her spinelessness, never her character.
Yue Shanni was clearly wrong. Fang Hui, in another classmate group, slandered Wen Ying, saying she was a failure, even her cousin targeted her, claiming their feud got Yue Shanni expelled. Classmates pried for details, but Song Shao shut Fang Hui down and forced her to confess to the police.
If Fang Hui refused, Song Shao would’ve reported her. Reluctantly, she gave the police leads.
Song Shao’s class clout was immense; many owed him favors. If Fang Hui defied him, and he deemed her untrustworthy, she’d be ostracized among classmates. Small towns worked like that—junior high classmates could end up in high school together. Staying local, Fang Hui couldn’t escape her junior high ties.
Unless, like Wen Ying and Song Shao, you tested into a provincial high school, breaking free to a new world.
Come to think of it, only he and Wen Ying made it to Rongcheng’s high schools, sparking a sense of kinship in Song Shao.
Even without Yue Shanni’s expulsion, she wasn’t his kind.
Her grades were poor; she attended a Rongcheng high school via local residency and school choice.
Wen Ying earned her spot at Provincial Key fair and square.
Song Shao asked which class Wen Ying was in. She said sixteen, earning his respect.
“Sixteen’s the experimental class at Provincial Key, right?”
With her exam scores, could she make the experimental class?
Song Shao recalled their teacher saying Wen Ying’s English overperformed in the entrance exam, usually scoring around 130 but nearly perfect then.
Even so, she shouldn’t have hit Provincial Key’s experimental class cutoff.
Before choosing Ninth, Song Shao researched Provincial Key’s admissions. Small-town education lagged behind the provincial capital. His high small-town score wouldn’t rank top-tier at Provincial Key.
Unlike Ninth, where experimental classes were numbered first, Provincial Key’s were at the end.
So, sixteen wasn’t the top experimental class—eighteen was.
Wen Ying blushed, “It’s the experimental class, but my score was just shy. I got in for other reasons.”
She couldn’t say “connections” to Song Shao.
In her mind, Song Shao was upright. Admitting she used connections to join the experimental class would lower his opinion of her.
After two lives, few things mattered to Wen Ying, but Song Shao’s view was one.
He wanted to meet her to see if she was changing for the better, right?
Song Shao understood instantly.
He didn’t look down on her.
Connections were a form of strength, not Wen Ying’s own effort, but a favor her family called in.
Didn’t parents strive for their kids?
If a favor got their child into a better high school, class, and university, 99% of parents wouldn’t hesitate.
Far from scorn, Song Shao reassured her, “Then you’ll need to work hard to keep up with the experimental class. Falling behind now doesn’t matter—high school’s a new starting line. Work harder than others, and you’ll catch up, even surpass!”
Song Shao was such a warm guy!
Wen Ying felt her second monthly exam likely improved over the first, aligning with his words.
Catch up now, surpass later.
One day, she’d proudly say that, though she joined class sixteen via connections, she worked hard, leaving no shame on her class.
“Class Monitor, thank you!”
Wen Ying was sincere. Song Shao shook his head, laughing, “All you say is thank you?”
Because she couldn’t find more fitting words.
Song Shao’s smile faded as he asked, “Is there more to Yue Shanni extorting you? Fang Hui said your cousin’s targeting you. What’s that about… if it’s hard to say, forget I asked.”
Song Shao vaguely recalled Wen Ying’s cousin.
A year below them, very popular at school.
Wen Ying was a sticky, timid doughball; Shu Lu was a proud little swan. Wen Ying wore ill-fitting, drab clothes, looking dull. Shu Lu’s clothes, though not pricey, were always flattering, her fair skin giving her a pampered air.
Would such a girl orchestrate Yue Shanni to extort Wen Ying?
With a cousin like that, Song Shao suspected Wen Ying’s days at Provincial Key were tough.
Wen Ying didn’t say much, briefly mentioning her family’s feud with her aunt’s, “…That’s the deal. If there’s solid proof Yue Shanni was acting on Shu Lu’s orders, I might get some peace at school.”
Song Shao mused.
This cousin had quite the scheming mind.
Wen Ying’s current state was worlds apart from junior high. Song Shao preferred this confident Wen Ying, but Shu Lu wanted her back to her timid, insecure self—what a nasty piece of work!
Song Shao thought, “Let’s find a way to catch your cousin out.”
