northernbook Chapter 140 High School
Chapter 140 High School
My junior high school years have come to an end in the blink of an eye.
Shen Xi sat by the window, gazing at the elm tree outside, her thoughts drifting.
She tapped her knuckles on the table, Yan Ruo.
Yan Ruo, who attended high school in Yunxia Xiangli, eventually came to the capital and even moved into a famous villa area.
At that time, she hadn't paid attention to Yan Ruo's background and always thought he was living a carefree and happy life. It was only later that she accidentally saw his dull and lifeless face in the photo album.
She had only just glimpsed a sliver of the truth when she realized that Yan Ruo seemed to be a bitter gourd as well.
It looks like I'll learn a lot from this trip.
Shen Xi packed her own luggage. She packed a suitcase full of clothes and another suitcase full of other books and supplies. Before leaving, she looked back at the room, which was now empty after she finished packing.
She wondered, "Three years have passed since I left. Will she still be here after three years?"
Maybe she'll stay, maybe... she'll leave too.
Shen Xi always felt that she would return to the original time and space.
Just as I stepped out of my room, I heard a click as a door opened next door.
Shen Xi turned her head and saw that Jiang Ci's packing was even simpler. A simple black 28-inch suitcase was placed beside his legs. He was carrying a black backpack on one shoulder and wearing a black windbreaker.
This younger brother is definitely dressed entirely in black today.
Jiang Ci saw that Shen Xi was carrying two suitcases and had a white backpack obediently slung over her shoulder. He walked over, picked up the backpack, and took it off Shen Xi's back.
"No need, it's not heavy. You still have a backpack."
Jiang Ci took her backpack without giving her a chance to refuse and placed it on his own suitcase, saying casually, "I don't have as much stuff as you, so I feel more at ease with my backpack here."
Since that deep conversation in the third year of junior high, Jiang Ci has almost stopped calling her "sister." Subconsciously, Jiang Ci would subtly try to get closer to her, and sometimes she started to be more controlling, even giving her the illusion that Jiang Ci was her brother.
A figure flashed quickly past the second-floor stairwell.
"Young master, young lady, I'm here to help with the boxes. The car is already parked outside the manor, and the madam and gentleman have already gotten in."
At this time, Jiang Po did not yet have the muscular physique he would have ten years later; at this point, his body could even be described as that of a handsome young man.
Shen Xi had also seen Jiang Po in his later years, and now he found Jiang Po's appearance as a teenager quite strange. How could this delicate-looking boy, who looked like a little lamb, have become such a burly and strong man ten years later?
Time is a cruel mistress.
"Shen Xi, is he good-looking?"
A voice, tinged with melancholy and a hint of chill, rang in Shen Xi's ears.
She snapped back to her senses in an instant and saw Jiang Ci lift his eyelids, his dark pupils staring intently at her.
Jiang Po lowered his head in embarrassment under her gaze, and hurriedly picked up his young master's 26-inch suitcase, almost twisting his ankle from the weight.
Shen Xi watched Jiang Po walk away, then turned and said with a grin, "Why are you so angry? I've never seen this boy around you before?"
Jiang Ci's anger swelled even more when he saw that she was actually interested in inquiring about Jiang Po. His voice was low and deep.
“He’s the housekeeper’s son. Let’s go, they’re still waiting for us in the car.”
He casually mentioned Jiang Po's background, thus changing the subject.
Shen Xi didn't think much of it. Then another bodyguard came up and took away the suitcase. Jiang Ci carried two backpacks and walked outside side by side with Shen Xi.
After getting on the bus,
Hua Lan put away her phone, glanced at her son who now looked like he had two backpacks, smiled faintly to herself, and then looked at Shen Xi, who was smiling happily behind her.
“Xixi, Xiaoci. As for the school, Lao Jiang and I have discussed it with the school. You can go there to high school as soon as school starts. There is an upscale residential area a kilometer away from your school. I have reserved a house there in advance. For the next four years, you two will support each other in that place.”
Hua Lan and Jiang Hui also privately discussed whether they should stay there to continue watching over them.
But later, the company needed people to work every day, and Hualan didn't have many work assignments in this place; they were both very busy.
Jiang Hui, sitting in the passenger seat, glanced at the two strikingly good-looking children in the rearview mirror upon hearing this, and his head began to spin in a panic.
This was a place he never wanted to come back to, but he came three times.
I don't know what's so good about Yunxiaxiang.
President Jiang was depressed the whole way, but he still sat in the back diligently peeling oranges for his wife to cheer her up.
He paused halfway through peeling the peel, then asked, "Xiaoxi, have you been living comfortably in the capital all these years?"
He asked casually, like a father greeting his daughter.
Shen Xi nodded sincerely, "Uncle Jiang, I'm doing very well in Beijing. You treat me no differently than your own daughter, and everyone respects me."
Jiang Hui placed the peeled oranges on a small plate and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. Uncle, being a grown man, sometimes inevitably doesn't understand what you young girls are thinking."
When Jiang Hui learned that Shen Xi wanted to return to Yunxia Xiang, his first reaction was—
Oh no, this girl is feeling wronged at home and is homesick.
He hurriedly had a short self-reflection session with his wife that night, but in the end, he was still not entirely at ease.
They discussed that someone should stay in Yunxiaxiang regularly.
Jiang Hui absolutely refused to let Hua Lan stay in Yunxia Xiang, after all, the Hua family was involved in politics, and Hua Lan was also a member of that family, so she could not leave the capital for a long time.
Then let's have Jiang Hui instead.
On the day Jiang Hui left, his assistant arranged his schedule as usual.
The assistant, holding a folder, asked him, "When are you going back to headquarters?"
He initially thought it was just a simple business trip.
To his surprise, Jiang Hui remained calm and replied, "I'll come back occasionally; I'll go and help the children with their studies."
Hmm, accompanying someone to study?
Is President Jiang going to accompany his child to study abroad?
He can understand each word individually, but when they're put together, he doesn't understand what they mean.
The young master is so independent, it seems he doesn't need a tutor!
Jiang Hui looked at him with an expression that said, "You don't understand."
Children are all debts.
And so, Mr. Jiang spent three years accompanying his child to school.
Occasionally, when his wife has free time, she will come to visit them, or when there are important decisions or business trips, he will leave Yunxiaxiang.
The first day of high school was a bright and sunny morning. Xiangtan High School required every student to wear their school uniform and attend the opening ceremony.
Shen Xi and Jiang Ci were both assigned to Class 7.
Aside from a nanny and the often absent CEO Jiang, Jiang Ci and Shen Xi usually walked to and from school together in Yunxiaxiang.
The road isn't far, and walking is a pleasure.
At first, Shen Xi considered living at school. After all, classes started at 7:50, and she could get up at 7:30, so every extra ten minutes or so was worth it.
But Jiang Ci sternly refused him, and then, acting like a spoiled young master, complained about how bad the school's facilities were, how six people had to live in the dormitory in a tiny space, and how everyone had to go to a large public bathhouse to shower, where they would all be completely naked.
Shen Xi immediately decided to apply for a day student visa.
The next second, Jiang Ci took out the student pass and had Shen Xi sign it, afraid that she might change her mind.
The music played at the opening ceremony of Xiangtan High School was very evocative, featuring Hong Kong songs from the 1970s and 80s.
When Shen Xi walked with Jiang Ci in her white and blue school uniform, she couldn't help but complain. She didn't understand why two such beautiful colors could be combined to create such an eye-catching school uniform.
But when Shen Xi turned around and Jiang Ci came out in his school uniform, she felt that even this ugly school uniform had become a fashion item.
Shen Xi, noticing the gazes that kept drifting back and forth towards Jiang Ci, teased, "Jiang Ci, Xiangtan High School doesn't have a campus forum. Guess if you'll instantly become the school's heartthrob the moment you enter the campus."
Jiang Ci's walk was as if it were planned with a ruler; every step he took was very standard. His back was thin and straight, and his posture was excellent.
After listening to Shen Xi's words, he casually glanced around, and after a moment, observing the gazes of the young boys, he raised an eyebrow, his tone ambiguous.
"Xiaoxi, you don't seem to have a very accurate understanding of your own position."
This was the first time Jiang Ci had called out to Xiao Xi, which startled Shen Xi.
As Shen Xi walked, she looked around and couldn't help but sigh, "Same here."
Jiang Ci scoffed.
The melodious music slowly began to play, and fallen leaves covered the paths of the campus. Students, filled with boundless aspirations for the future, entered the high school campus.
Only when he was there could Shen Xi truly understand.
—So, I'm back in high school.
—So, youth has returned.
For a moment, she suddenly felt like crying; an indescribable longing mixed with complex emotions welled up in her heart.
When they entered the classroom, Jiang Ci and Shen Xi sat together in the last row. They were a bit taller than their peers and didn't like areas where the teacher would focus their attention. Instead, the seats near the trash cans in the back were more interesting to them.
Perhaps the seating arrangement changed with the people; from the moment Jiang Ci and Shen Xi sat in the last row, the seats behind them were quickly snatched up by others.
On the contrary, very few people chose the front seats.
Jiang Ci wiped the table and chairs clean for Shen Xi before letting her sit down. At first, the people around them glanced back, and when they saw this scene, they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
Since none of us knew each other well, we simply guessed in our minds whether the two were siblings.
Look how protective the older brother is of his younger sister.
Shen Xi didn't care about the looks from her classmates. In her eyes, they were all kids, with mushroom haircuts and student-style haircuts, and they had innocent smiles on their faces, which made them look quite cute.
"Are we supposed to choose between arts and sciences in our second year of high school?"
Shen Xi looked around, somewhat bored, chattering away. The homeroom teacher hadn't arrived yet.
"Hmm, are you planning to choose humanities or sciences?"
Jiang Ci was still focused on straightening the books and stationery, it seemed her OCD had kicked in again.
That's true. The young master has never attended a regular school like this before, and now that he's in high school, he's not used to this kind of environment.
Shen Xi's eyes lit up instantly. "Wait, let's put science and humanities aside for now. I can choose art!"
In this time and space, she chose the art category and delved into her area of expertise. She had previously taught herself to paint in college, and as she painted more, her style gradually matured.
However, she has never received any systematic training. Even when she was doing makeup for trainees at Shen Ke's company, she didn't receive proper training; they just started doing it on her to see if it suited her.
Of course, if she weren't a good fit, she would have been rejected in the first place.
Jiang Ci looked at her, her eyes sparkling. She was genuinely interested in art. He wasn't surprised, since he had seen her paintings before. She loved to paint and had this inclination since childhood, from small flowers to large figures, houses, and even the universe.
Jiang Ci knew that she had also put in a lot of hard work in painting.
Whenever she explores a new art form, she absorbs knowledge like a sponge, sometimes painting until she is satisfied.
She seemed indifferent and unconcerned about many things, but Jiang Ci knew that this kind of girl cherished every opportunity to learn.
"—The homeroom teacher is here!!"
Suddenly someone shouted, and the classroom fell silent instantly.
All eyes were focused on the podium.
The homeroom teacher who came was a woman, who looked to be in her forties. She had a standard teacher's hairstyle and a small bee sling bag across her body.
"Hello students, my surname is Jiang, please call me Teacher Jiang. The school opening ceremony is about to begin. I'll keep it short. In a moment, please listen to the announcement and come downstairs one class at a time. Look for the class signs on the playground and participate in the opening ceremony there..."
Teacher Jiang wore glasses and spoke very fluently, explaining the entire process and precautions without uttering a single unnecessary word.
After that, there was no more unnecessary talk.
Shen Xi's eyes swept over all the classmates, looking at so many similar backs, but even after her eyes were blurry, she still couldn't spot the gloomy mushroom-headed guy.
Hmm? Isn't Yan Ruo in the same class as her?
Shen Xi was completely baffled. No way! If this timeline is the past of that timeline, then logically everything that happened in the past should happen again!
Or perhaps... Yan Ruo isn't in the same class as them.
What kind of connection led the three of them to take a group photo?
One of the few group photos from high school that Jiang Ci kept.
It seems this opening ceremony is worth watching.
An announcement came over the loudspeaker, instructing the students to come downstairs in an orderly fashion.
Jiang Ci walked behind Shen Xi, his broad shoulders shielding her from many unintentional bumps, ensuring that Shen Xi's every step was steady and firm.
When I stood on the playground, the sun was still shining, and the rubber track had a strangely pleasant smell.
Shen Xi twitched her nose and sniffed.
"Don't smell it too much, this smell is poisonous."
Jiang Ci noticed her wrinkling her nose and knew she was inhaling the strange plastic smell, so he couldn't help but remind her.
Shen Xi was very obedient. As soon as she heard that it was poisonous, she immediately stopped sniffing it and began to breathe carefully.
Temporarily positioned behind the Class 7 sign, Shen Xi and Jiang Ci once again stood in the last row, making the beautiful girl and handsome boy even more eye-catching.
"Good morning, dear students..."
The principal sat on the high platform and slowly began to speak official opening remarks, while the students looked listless from the sun.
Jiang Ci looked down at the girl in front of him, whose ears were bright red from the sun, and whose neck was also tinged with a thin layer of red. His eyes darkened slightly, and he deftly took off his coat and draped it over Shen Xi's head.
"Don't let it get too hot in the sun."