Around seven o’clock the next day, Yang Haoran was awakened by his mother. He rarely woke up this early, and coupled with the “physical labor” from the previous night, he was still drowsy and bleary-eyed.
Amidst his mother’s incessant urging, Yang Haoran had no choice but to stagger back to his own room and collapse onto his bed.
He knew his mother was afraid of being discovered by Yaoyao. Even though his father hadn’t been home last night, if Yaoyao found out about the incestuous relationship between her mother and her brother, it would be no different from his father finding out, as far as his mother was concerned.
Yang Haoran buried his head and slept until after eight o’clock. When he woke up, Yaoyao had already left for school, and his mother, who presumably had gone to work, was also not home.
Fortunately, breakfast was kept warm in the heating cabinet. Yang Haoran’s rumbling stomach was soothed, leaving him feeling warm and content.
That day, Yang Haoran didnβt cause any trouble. He stayed home quietly the entire day. Out of the three learning-enhancing potions his mother had given him, he used one to watch English movies at triple speed, solidifying his foundation in English.
He fast-forwarded through some plot segmentsβhe was there to study, not to leisurely watch movies. Seeing how reluctant his mother had been to give them to him, he knew these potions were quite rare.
He couldnβt let down his motherβs heartfelt efforts.
After the effects of the potion wore off, Yang Haoran felt as if he had been enlightened. His English became increasingly fluent. If not for his strong Chinese accent, his proficiency would seem no different from that of a native speaker born abroad.
That evening, his father also returned home. His father was clearly still uncomfortable with this new dynamic with his mother, behaving as if he were returning from an affair and forcing smiles for the family.
Yang Haoran was pulled aside by his father for some small talk and concerned questioning. He responded with noncommittal murmurs, still feeling guilty toward his father. In a way, his motherβs current approach somewhat made up for what his father had lost.
Through their conversation, Yang Haoran learned from his father that Zhuang Hui had quit her job. She now spent her days gardening and walking the dog, living a leisurely and comfortable life.
Zhuang Hui was also very attentive to his father. It seemed that after experiencing the trials of the workplace, she had transformed into a truly devoted wife, preparing hot meals every night waiting for his father to return.
His father had also stayed over at Zhuang Huiβs place the previous night out of guilt, which made his return tonight feel like he was sneaking back after cheating on his mother.
Yang Haoran could see that his father still had feelings for his mother. He offered a few words of advice, suggesting that if his father could live harmoniously with Zhuang Hui for the rest of his life, it might help alleviate his guilt.
His father responded with a noncommittal smile, leaving Yang Haoran unsure if his advice had been taken seriously.
Perhaps his father still saw him as just a child!
When the sky lightened again, Yang Haoranβs sick leave also came to an end.
He and Yaoyao walked the familiar path they had taken countless times. The siblings chatted and laughed along the way, and to an uninformed observer, they might have seemed like a young couple in love. Except the girlβs figure had developed increasingly impressively, drawing countless gazes along the way.
The bus was somewhat crowded, so Yang Haoran had to protect Yaoyao by shielding her in a corner to prevent anyone from taking advantage of her.
Perverts on buses werenβt common, but crowded conditions provided the perfect environment for them!
After getting off the bus, Yang Haoran let Yaoyao go ahead. He lingered for five or six minutes before leisurely making his way into the campus.
Just like returning after summer or winter break, being away from school for a long time always left him feeling a bit uneasy. In truth, it was just his innate desire for freedom.
The campus was brimming with youthful energy. Yang Haoran didnβt see any familiar faces along the way and walked straight to the classroom door.
Inside the classroom, small groups of classmates were chatting and laughing, while others whispered in pairs. It was quite noisy. As soon as he entered, Yang Haoranβs eyes widened in anger.
He saw his deskmate, Ji Youxi, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt. Her exposed arms were slender and fair, like snow-white lotus roots. She sat alone on a stool, her features bright yet cool, with a hint of serene tranquility in herη§ζ°΄-like eyes.
Meanwhile, a seemingly older student was sitting in his usual seat, apparently trying to curry favor with Ji Youxi. He held an exquisitely packaged breakfast box, likely bought from somewhere, and seemed intent on giving it to her.
The classmates around them appeared accustomed to this scene.
Yang Haoranβs return to the classroom drew the attention of some students. They had learned from their homeroom teacher that Yang Haoran had been hospitalized due to an incident.
“Get the hell out of here,” Yang Haoran frowned, ignoring the murmurs of his classmates, and walked to his seat. He glared at the older student with clear hostility.
“Who are you?” Disturbed by Yang Haoran, the older student turned to look at him. Seeing Yang Haoranβs gloomy expression, he felt somewhat bewildered.
Ji Youxi watched with interest, a slight smile playing at the corners of her lips.
The eyes of many classmates in the room turned toward them. Recognizing Yang Haoran, the noisy discussions paused slightly.
They still remembered how this class underachiever had nearly beaten Zhao Jun to death in public last time, utterly lawless.
Zhao Jun also watched with amusement. Although he disliked Yang Haoran for dragging down the classβs academic performance, the beating from last time had left him with psychological scars. He felt it wasnβt worth stooping to the level of aζ··ζ··-like slacker.
“Heh, youβre asking who I am?” Yang Haoran chuckled coldly. “Youβre sitting in my seat and asking who I am? Do you think I should reason with you, or should we just fight?”
Under the gaze of everyone, and faced with Yang Haoranβs aggressive tone, the older student felt he was in the wrong but still found it hard to back down. He stood upβtaller than Yang Haoran by half a headβand glared at him, shouting, “You looking for a fight, kid? If Iβm in your seat, just say so. Iβm not an unreasonable person. Who the hell do you think youβre yelling at?”
His words instantly shifted the situation. The surrounding classmates felt he had a point, but Yang Haoran was one of their own. How could they side with an outsider? Especially since these older students had been frequently visiting their class lately, causing quite a bit of discontent.
Just as Yang Haoran was considering whether to directly throw a punch, worried about how to explain himself to his mother if he got into a fight right after returning to school, he heard Yaoyaoβs voice behind him.
“Classmate Yang Haoran, donβt fight.” Yang Mengyao, well aware of her brotherβs temperament, hurried over to stop him when she saw him about to clash with someone again.
As the class monitor, none of the classmates found it unusual. Hearing Yaoyaoβs voice, Yang Haoran decided to let it go and was about to tell the other guy to leave.
But the older student, sensing Yang Haoranβs hesitation, pushed further to avoid losing face in front of his crush. “Well? Cat got your tongue? Whoβs afraid of a fight?” he retorted, stiffening his neck.