Yun Xi patted Great White's head, and she stood up, raising her eyes to glance at Jiang Chenghuan.
She really couldn't understand his style of fashion.
He was always dressed in flashy, gaudy clothing that was even more ostentatious than a woman's.
A normal man wouldn't dress in this way. However, he looked even better than male models on a runway. She didn't know how he did it. It was incredible!
This chameleon's camouflage skills were superb.
Yun Xi looked at him for a while, then, as if implying sympathy for an illness, she sighed slightly.
"Young Master Jiang, sometimes I think that your life isn't as easy as it seems."
"Little Yun Xi, what do you mean by this?" Jiang Chenghuan adjusted his flashy coat and smiled at her mischievously.
"It's nothing. It's just that seeing you wear a mask every day to deal with so many people who roll their eyes at you seems so mentally exhausting."
Jiang Chenghuan seemed to be caught off guard, then smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Why are you so thoughtful at such a young age? With a golden goose like Young Marshal Mu, you could have whatever you want, settle accounts with whoever you want easily, right?"
"..." He had changed the subject so intentionally that Yun Xi suddenly didn't know how to answer him.
"Like the fight yesterday... A simple word from you was enough to make people go fight for you without even asking why. When you let this man spoil you so much that you can practically fight without using your own hands and walk without using your own legs, you have won! All the women in Jingdu are going to become jealous and resentful of you. How gratifying!"
"I understand your metaphor about fighting without using my own hands, but what on earth do you mean by walking without my own legs?"
In her previous life, walking without using one's own legs was usually used to describe how fathers spoiled their daughters by carrying them wherever they went.
This was probably not a compliment when Jiang Chenghuan said it.
Jiang Chenghuan was about to explain further when Mu Feichi's voice came from behind him. "It's cold outside. What are you all standing around out here for? Come on in!"
He said this to Yun Xi and Jiang Chenghuan, who quickly made a gentleman's gesture toward Yun Xi, inviting her to go in first.
If he had dared to enter the house first, that foolish tyrant would definitely have kicked him in the head.
In the cold weather, he'd left his beloved darling outside in the yard while they chatted happily. It didn't matter if he suffered a little cold, but if something happened to that girl, he would definitely make him pay.
They entered the warm, cozy home.
Because the Mu Mansion was built on the top of the mountain, the temperature was much lower than at the foot of the mountain. However, the indoor heating was very well done.
The wooden floor had underfloor heating, and they felt the touch of warmth immediately.
The central ventilation system changed the air every hour, so the air wouldn't feel stuffy even if one was in there all day long.
The housekeeper took a pair of white wool plush slippers from the shoe cabinet for Yun Xi. "Miss Yun, you may wear these. Young Marshal Mu has just bought them, but I don't know if they will fit you."
Yun Xi was a little intrigued that Mu Feichi would actually buy something so girly. She was very surprised.
Jiang Chenghuan glanced at the girly slippers and sneered. "I can't stand this forcible, oppressive PDA!"
"..." Yun Xi could understand the insinuations of his words, but she had to pretend not to understand.
This kind of romantically ambiguous topic, whether she answered or not, would only make her feel embarrassed.
After Yun Xi had put on her slippers, the housekeeper wiped the dirt off Great White's feet. Only then were they all allowed to go into the living room.
Mu Feichi came out of the kitchen holding a cup in his hand and handed it to Yun Xi.
Taking the cup, Yun Xi got a whiff of the strong scent of chocolate.
She held the warm cup of hot chocolate in her hand. It not only warmed her hands, but also made her feel warm inside.
"Hey, what about me?" Jiang Chenghuan saw that he had made a cup of hot chocolate for his beloved baby, yet had completely ignored him.
Without even looking at him, Mu Feichi turned and walked to the sofa to sit down.
Feeling like the odd man out, Jiang Chenghuan took a deep breath, "Butler, give me some dog food!"
"Huh? Second Young Master, there is no dog food here. Would you like some of the food that Great White eats?"
Yun Xi suppressed her smile and moved to sit across from Mu Feichi. Jiang Chenghuan also came over to sit with them.
"By the way, why is Young Marshal Mu looking for me today?"
Jiang Chenghuan sat down on the sofa and asked the butler to pour him a cup of hot water. He was freezing to death.
It was a November winter in Jingdu, and the weather was cold and dry. Since the Mu Mansion was at the top of the mountain, the temperature was even colder there.
"What do you think about letting him take care of the eldest lady of the Zhao family?"
In a tone that sounded as if he was asking her opinion, Mu Feichi turned his head to look at Yun Xi. His eyes fell on the slippers on her feet.
Stunned, Yun Xi raised her head. However, she quickly snapped back to reality and looked at the indolent man on the sofa.
"Is he reliable?" Although she knew that Jiang Chenghuan was only pretending to be a no-do-gooder, she really didn't know how trustworthy he was
For Mu Feichi to recommend him, he must have his reasons.
"Even if he's a bit unreliable, he is still the most suitable option. The experiences and environments of these two people are very similar. If I asked Huo Tingxiao to do it, he wouldn't be as gentle and compassionate as Second Master Jiang."
Yun Xi sat pondering it. If their experiences and environments had indeed been similar, if they'd suffered from the same internal domestic conflicts and greedy relatives, then they would be invincible together.
For Jiang Chenghuan to have survived to this day, and to even have taken over as the heir of the Jiang family, he probably wasn't someone to be underestimated.
"Okay! I agree with you. Let it be him."
"Hey, hey, what are you two talking about? Why am I so confused? Miss Zhao? Why, you want to send me a beauty in this cold weather?"
Yun Xi frowned and glared at Jiang Chenghuan. "If you dare to kidnap her to take her to your bed, I will chop you up!"
Frightened by Yun Xi, Jiang Chenghuan immediately sat upright with fear on his face.
Mu Feichi glanced at him coldly, then picked up the pillow beside him and threw it at him.
How dare he act so inappropriately in front of his darling. His actions might tarnish her.
"Shut up!" Mu Feichi said as he threw the pillow over. Jiang Chenghuan stopped fooling around and curled up on the sofa holding the pillow.
Jiang Chenghuan loathed how unreasonably biased Mu Feichi had become.
His woman was the one who'd acted so arrogantly and brazenly first, and he had simply had a normal reaction. Why was he the one being rebuked?
Mu Feichi was being way too protective of Yun Xi.
"I have to say, you act all worried about her, but why aren't you worried about me? What if Miss Zhao is attracted to me? I am so good-looking and irresistible, and I can't help it if she starts to like me."
"You just watch yourself. She won't fall for just anyone."
"Hey, you make me sound like someone untouchable."
"Second Young Master Jiang, can you please give me a precise answer."
"When have I ever been impotent?"
Being provoked, Jiang Chenghuan stood up from the sofa and quickly used the pillow in his arms to hide his private parts.
Only then did Yun Xi realize what she'd implied. One could question a man about anything besides his potency.
Although she hadn't meant that, she decided to treat the situation as if Jiang Chenghuan had agreed.
"Okay. Then I'll treat it as a promise. Since you've agreed, you have to give it all you've got."
"Then you have to tell me what kind of person you've saddled me with first."
Mu Feichi leaned against the back of his chair casually as he looked at Jiang Chenghuan. The serious expression in his eyes made Jiang Chenghuan stop being so frivolous.
"After what has happened with the Han family, they're not going to let this girl off the hook so easily. Thus, I've decided that I'm going to let the Zhao family replace the Han family in order to balance the four great clans."
"You're going to prop up the Zhao family?" Jiang Chenghuan became serious now.
Mu Feichi raised his eyebrows. He always remained calm when he spoke. "Why not?"
"Okay, whatever you say!"
Who would ever dare to challenge what Young Marshal Mu had decided?
"Propping up the Zhao family will take several years. Your job is that you have to make sure that Miss Zhao is capable of ruling the Zhao family. I won't make the change if someone is incapable and can't be helped. I don't take on charity cases."
Yun Xi took a sip of her hot chocolate and said nonchalantly, "I'll bring her over tomorrow. You can think more about it after you have met her."
What Yun Xi wanted was for Jiang Chenghuan to teach Zhao Yumo with all his wisdom. She didn't want him to just deal with it in a perfunctory manner.
"Okay, we'll talk more about it tomorrow. I will think about it."
November was already winter in Jingdu, and the weather was dry and cold. The cold wind that blew on everyone's faces felt piercingly painful.
The two ginkgo trees in the villa complex's courtyard gave the whole area a golden hue. From the security pavilion at the entrance, it looked as if the entire courtyard had been paved with gold.
What had puzzled her a little was that from the intersection of the villa outside the courtyard to the sentry post and then all the way to the Mu Mansion, there were rare Dharma phoenix trees planted up and down.
The straight avenue up to the mansion was mighty and majestic.
Planting a phoenix tree allegedly brought good fortune. The phoenix tree was also a symbol of auspiciousness.
In Jingdu, where ginkgo trees were planted all over the place, the phoenix trees on Mu Feichi's Tianyu Mountain were the most impressive.
She vaguely remembered from studying history that some European families had used phoenix trees to describe men.
The Green Knight medal was designed based on the characteristics of the French phoenix tree.
This kind of medal was used to reward those brave and tenacious fighters and knights who had defended the stability of France's upper classes. It was a symbol of nobility.
Mu Feichi had chosen to plant these phoenix trees on his own territory. It was obvious that although he was powerful in the bustling city of Jingdu and in the cutthroat business world, his worldliness was second to none.
As she got off the bus that had taken her to school, Yun Xi saw Han Yaotian waiting at the school gates.
In her last life, she had loved this man to death. She had done everything for him.
In this life, now, before she had enough ability to directly compete with him, she wanted to avoid him.
Because she felt as if she had to force herself to suppress the urge to kill him every second that she was in his presence.
She needed to gain more patience now, instead of trying to gratify her desire for revenge.
"Miss Yun." Han Yaotian saw her getting off the bus and walked over.
A young heiress from the affluent villa complex was taking the bus to school? She was as independent as he had imagined her to be.
"Mr. Han, do you need me for something?" Yun Xi didn't want to waste any time talking to him, so she got straight to the point.
"I came over to apologize to you for what happened at the banquet the other day. I'm really sorry for what happened. Miss Yun must feel wronged."
Showing no sympathy for Han Yaotian's humble apology, Yun Xi tugged at the corner of her mouth in a mocking fashion.
"Mr. Han, you don't have to apologize to me. Compared to me, Ms. Lin must feel much more aggrieved. Besides, the Eldest Heir has already apologized, so you didn't have to put in the extra effort of making a special trip to come see me."
She could let bygones be bygones for the Eldest Heir's sake, but that didn't mean she would do the same for Han Yaotian.
"Does Miss Yun harbor some misunderstandings about me? I always feel as if you somewhat dislike me?"
If she acted like this to everyone, then he was okay with it.
But that definitely wasn't the case. It was certain that she didn't act rudely or disdainfully toward Chen Yichen or the mysterious Young Marshal Mu. She seemed to have always acted with the cultivation and sophisticated etiquette of a lady when she was around them.
He didn't know why she was so cold to him, or why she never spoke to him courteously.
He was used to people showering him with praise, while women resorted to all sorts of tactics to get into bed with him. Everyone kissed up to him.
He found it very interesting to have met such an icy beauty who didn't bother paying him any attention at all.
Yun Xi's hands clenched her coat tightly, and the smile on her face seemed extremely stiff.
"Mr. Han is overthinking this. I am not familiar with you, so we'll just let bygones be bygones. You definitely didn't have to come all the way here just to apologize to me."
"I was one of the organizers of the event, and you were also my guest. Our lack of hospitality reflects a certain negligence."
"So what do you want, President Han?"
His apology seemed to be just an excuse to hide his true ulterior motives.
"If Miss Yun is free, could you give me a chance to apologize to you properly? This way I won't have to keep worrying about it in the future."
Yun Xi smiled coldly. "Does Mr. Han treat every guest so wholeheartedly?"
"I'm new to this world, so there are many things I haven't done sufficiently. Please be patient with me, Miss Yun."
"Okay! I'll be patient, but you don't have to do anything special for me in order to apologize. I have to go to class now, so I'll have to cut this conversation short.
"How about if I wait for you to finish school, and we can eat a meal together? Would that be acceptable to you?"
Yun Xi glanced at her classmates who were staring at her from beyond the school gates. "Let's talk about it some other day. I'm going to be late for class now."
Not wanting to continue to talk this nonsense with him, she walked toward the school speedily.
She knew that because of her perfunctory attitude, Han Yaotian would not give up so easily.
That's all right. If he wanted to wait, he might as well wait.
In her previous life, Yun Xi had always followed Han Yaotian's orders.
She had been let down again and again by him, and the cold equipment in the laboratory had been the only things that kept her company.
In this previous life, she had used up all her strength and courage, and the only thing she'd accomplished was to test her medicine on herself.
And the result...?
In addition to betraying, framing, and exploiting her, he had murdered her in cold blood!
She could have had a better life except for him. She had become a fool with only love on her mind.
God had been kind to her and had allowed her to be reborn.
She definitely wasn't going to be merciful to those who had hurt her...
...
After the second period ended, classmates from the front row wrote a question for Yun Xi and asked her to answer it on the blackboard.
Li Sinuo took advantage of the crowded classroom and asked Yun Xi loudly, "Yun Xi, why do I see different men waiting for you at the school gate almost every day? Are they all your friends? You have so many friends who are either already out in society or rich men driving luxury cars. How very impressive it is!"
Everyone could hear the insinuations that Li Sinuo had put in her questions. She was basically implying that Yun Xi was so impressive that she could hook up with any man.
All the classmates waited, wanting to see how Yun Xi would answer the question. However, when Li Sinuo said this, they all looked at Li Sinuo instead.
"What are you all looking at me for? I'm not lying. Everyone has seen what goes on at the school gates. The one who was here this morning is still waiting for her at the school gates. If you all don't believe me, go and take a look. His car is a Porsche. He wouldn't be able to afford that unless he's worth 3 or 4 million. Another one came a few days ago driving a 2 to 3 million off-road vehicle, and last week..."
Yun Xi was busy answering the questions on the blackboard. Hearing Li Sinuo's voice, she raised her eyebrows and finished the question before turning her head.
"Li Sinuo, I didn't realize you were so concerned about my affairs."
Putting down the chalk, Yun Xi sneered, "What are you implying? Are you saying that I have deep social connections or that I'm involved in some shady business? Or that my methods are unconventional?"
"It's only how impressive you are! So many men are circling around you. Our school prohibits senior high school students from dating. Are you dating all of them at the same time? You are really something else. So many men at your fingertips..."
She continued to slander her aggressively and self-righteously.
Yun Xi's mind was really blown by Li Sinuo's shamelessness.
If she fell for Li Sinuo's intentionally provocative tactic, she would basically be admitting guilt.
However, she was not stupid enough to imply guilt.
Without saying anything or explaining herself, she turned sideways and pointed to the question on the blackboard.
"Do you guys have any questions about this problem set?"
Yang Lu glanced at Yun Xi anxiously. She'd wanted to defend her, but Yun Xi glared at her to make her shut up.
Since the two of them had been sitting at the same desk for such a long time, there was this tacit understanding between them.
Li Sinuo was harassing Yun Xi, and Yang Lu didn't understand why Yun Xi didn't defend herself.
Disregarding everything else, taking advantage of how their classmates were still confused about Li Sinuo's words, Yang Lu quickly raised her hand to divert attention and change the subject.
"Yes! Yun Xi, this question is so complicated. Is there an easier way to answer it? You have already set three formulas there."
Yun Xi pointed to the problem-solving method on the second-to-last row. "It's four! Here in the second-to-last row."
Yang Lu replied, acting stupid. "I just don't get it."
Their classmates started laughing at Yang Lu. Seeing that her provocation had not achieved its intended effect, Li Sinuo glared at the figure at the podium with annoyance.
After her previous incident, their homeroom teacher had stripped her of her position as class monitor, and thus she no longer had any authority in the class.
In the eyes of the students, Yun Xi, an academic star, was more respectable and enviable.
She couldn't understand why Yun Xi, a slut, had better grades than she did. She also couldn't understand why the entire class followed behind her like slaves?
Entering the police station had been the biggest shame of her life. She was definitely going to settle accounts with Yun Xi sooner or later.
After hearing from Li Sinuo that Han Yaotian was still at the school gates, Yun Xi had no choice but to drag Zhao Yumo and Yang Lu to the school cafeteria for lunch at noon.
As soon as these two academic stars stepped into the cafeteria, all the students waiting in line for their food glanced over with admiration on their faces.
It was rare to see Yun Xi and Zhao Yumo come to the school cafeteria, so they all made way for them in the line.
Some especially ambitious students took advantage of the gap in the line to ask the two of them about yesterday's exam questions.
They discussed the exam questions as they waited in line, with all the surrounding students listening to what the two of them answered. They all wanted to continue the conversation and were unwilling to leave to eat their lunches.
The school ethos was rigorous, and the academic environment was also very good. Yun Xi couldn't help feeling moved by this scene of students from different classes gathering together out of a mutual thirst for knowledge.
They were all still at the young age of being students, and they could freely discuss academics and have dreams without any restraints.
She felt nostalgic for such a pure time in life.
At the end of the line, Li Sinuo, whose vision and hearing were blocked by the large group of people, stomped annoyedly as she watched the crowd that she couldn't squeeze into even if she'd wanted to.
She clenched her fists and roared in exasperation, "How can anyone eat?"
Upon hearing her roar, all the students turned around and looked at her.
Being stared at by so many people, Li Sinuo became worried that she might have antagonized the crowd, so she didn't dare act too haughty.
"If you're not hungry, could you please not get in the way of other students getting their lunch. If you want to discuss problems, can't you do so over on the side?"
With a cold snort, she glanced at Yun Xi and then walked straight to the front to swipe her lunch card.
Yang Lu had snatched the last three pieces of pork ribs from the canteen before Li Sinuo could. Li Sinuo was so angry she was fuming, and she shot daggers at Yang Lu.
Yang Lu looked at her furious expression, then looked at the last three large pieces of pork ribs she had snatched and smiled merrily.
"Oh, my bad, I remember that pork ribs are your favorite food. Too bad they're all gone!"
Li Sinuo's face got dark, and she gritted her teeth as she glared at Yang Lu. "What are you gloating about? Aren't you afraid of getting a stomachache from eating so much?"
"Even if I do, I still won't let you have any!"
Yang Lu sneered at her, then called Yun Xi and Zhao Yumo over with their trays.
The drama in the cafeteria had passed, and good new rumors started circling among the senior class. The two academic stars weren't stuck up at all, and they had lived up to their reputations as academic stars by answering questions brilliantly while also being as assertive as men.
Yun Xi had made an appointment with Zhao Yumo to go meet Jiang Chenghuan at the Mu Mansion. However, as soon as they'd left the school gates, they encountered Han Yaotian.
This annoying stalker had really waited for her at the school gates for the entire day!
In terms of patience, she had never seen him have any of it in her previous life.
Zhao Yumo had heard earlier about this man who had been waiting for the entire day, and she sized him up and decided he was despicable.
He appeared humble and polite, but was actually a pretentious scumbag.
There was no way he didn't have ulterior motives behind waiting at the school gates for the entire day.
People who approached others with ulterior motives were usually bad people.
"Mr. Han hasn't left yet? How tiresome it must have been for you to wait all day in the cold weather. Haven't you just taken over a company? Are you that bored?"
"I know my priorities, and I sincerely feel apologetic. I came here sincerely, and I hope Miss Yun will appreciate my humility."
Yun Xi sneered and smiled. She was really stuck in a catch-22 situation.
If she didn't agree, he would always have an excuse to come over and bug her the next time. What Li Sinuo had said today had reminded her of something. If this continued, the homeroom teacher would have to discuss the matter with her.
"Okay, okay. But I've invited my classmate home to do homework together. If you want to treat me to a meal, I can't abandon my classmate."
Displeasure flashed through Han Yaotian's eyes, but he didn't show it on his face.
"No problem, let's all go together! As long as Miss Yun accepts my apology."
Yun Xi didn't miss the gleam of displeasure in his eyes. She plastered a fake smile on her face. "Yumo, let's go and get our free meal."
"Okay!" Zhao Yumo was going to take delight in being a third wheel.