Chen Yuan was completely stunned. The aura of a streetwise youth about him weakened as he stared at her face as if he had seen a ghost.
"You... went to study?"
The way he said it felt as absurd as hearing that a comet had collided with the Earth!
Qiao Nian retorted with total seriousness, "Can't I study?"
For a moment, Chen Yuan didn't know how to answer.
Whether Qiao Nian could study—based on her age, of course she could. But he knew her relationship with the Chengfeng Group was extraordinary; furthermore, she possessed medical skills... and her connections were so vast they were terrifying...
For instance, his father had been hospitalized at the City Hospital for a long time. It appeared he was in a standard four-person ward on the 6th floor of Nanyuan, yet by sheer coincidence, no new patients had entered that ward for an entire year, effectively making it a private room for his father!
In the City Hospital, only those with significant wealth and connections could afford a single room.
Not only had Qiao Nian secured a room for his father, she had essentially turned a standard ward into a private one.
The web of connections involved in this was far too complex to explain in a few words. She was like a mystery, and even now, he had only scratched the surface.
Now, being told that such a person was going to attend high school with him, and was even going to be in his class... the feeling... Chen Yuan thought about it and, for some reason, pictured a lion being locked in a cat's cage.
...
Not far away, Gu San and Ye Wangchuan had asked the staff at the nurse's station and confirmed that Qiao Nian was on the 6th floor.
They followed the path up and immediately spotted the girl standing out from the crowd at the end of the hallway.
That aura of rebellion.
Even from a distance in the dark, she would be recognizable at first glance.
But who was the boy standing next to Miss Qiao?
Gu San quickly glanced at his master's expression. He seemed alright; he didn't appear angry, though the coldness permeating his eyes was a bit heavy, and the prayer beads on his wrist looked as if they were about to snap under his grip...
Master shouldn't be jealous, right?
Well, his Master definitely wouldn't get jealous over such a trivial matter!
...
By the side of the hallway.
After ten minutes of contemplation, Chen Yuan finally understood.
"If you have a way to get me back into school, I can listen to you and go back to studying."
"You've thought it through?"
Qiao Nian felt somewhat lazy and lethargic. She didn't like meddling in other people's business, let alone helping manage a "troublemaker," but she couldn't ignore Chen Yuan.
"Since you've thought it through, once I get you back, you have to study hard and get into a good school. You can't have any more thoughts about running with the wrong crowd, otherwise, I won't be as easygoing as last time. I can't manage you directly, so I have to change my method of management. In my understanding, disobedient children need to be beaten; a few more hits and they become easy to manage once they're obedient!"
Did she mean that if he went back to the streets, she planned to find someone to beat him up?
Chen Yuan felt both amused and frustrated. He nodded solemnly, "A real man's word is his bond."
Qiao Nian trusted him for the time being. Catching a glimpse of Ye Wangchuan and Gu San in the corner of her eye, she withdrew her gaze and said to him, "I have some business to attend to, so I won't be coming back for a while. Let Auntie Chen and your father know."
She had always been elusive, constantly busy with various matters, and Chen Yuan had long since grown used to it. He waved his hand, "Go ahead, I'll tell my parents."
"Mm."
Qiao Nian had already taken a few steps away.
Suddenly, a low, heavy voice came from behind her, sounding like words that had been suppressed for a long time, searching for an outlet.
"Qiao Nian, do you think that for those from humble beginnings, studying is the only way to make something of oneself?"
"..." What did he mean?
Chen Yuan had been holding it in for a long time, and he just wanted to ask her: "My parents don't know, but I've always known you are incredible. I thought I could be as incredible as you even without wasting my time on studying, but only after going out into the world did I realize it's not that easy! Society has its own rules, and the rule of society is that the rich set the game, while the poor struggle within it..."
(End of Chapter)