Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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The landscape painting being discussed had already reached its designated spot in front of Yan Han’s class. Yan Han rubbed his nose, his mind, now dulled, filled with the new physics concepts his teacher had just taught.
Then, suddenly, he heard someone call him… not “Brother Yan,” not his name, but…
“Sister Yan!”
… Usually, only unfamiliar people from other classes would call him that, and he’d been called that so many times he’d stopped bothering to correct them.
Looking up at the sound, he was shocked—
“Ji Changdong?!”
The spirited boy in front of him, wearing the Luze High School uniform and sporting a buzz cut, was completely different from the one he’d seen at the orphanage.
Yan Han remembered his name because he’d maintained contact with the orphanage for the past six months, mainly to prevent the bullies from bothering the children again.
He also knew Ji Changdong had returned to school for the second half of the year and was studying diligently, but he hadn’t expected this kid to appear at Luze High School!
Recognizing him, Yan Han smiled and walked over, giving him a playful punch on the shoulder: “Hey, little bro. Ouch, I was wondering why you didn’t tell me which high school you went to; turns out you came to our school!”
“I wanted to give you a surprise,” Ji Changdong said with an embarrassed smile. “Brother Lin enrolled me in a high school entrance exam prep class and also sponsored my schooling.”
“Brother Lin? Lin Jianlu?”
“Ah, that’s right.” Ji Changdong nodded excitedly, then looked around. “Where’s Brother Lin? He said you two are in the same class.”
“Oh, him? He’s off working. You’ll see him in a bit.”
It had been half a year since Yan Han last saw him. Ji Changdong seemed to have grown taller, his skin was tanned, but he was much more cheerful, more smiling, and looked much more mature.
Yan Han remembered what Lin Jianlu had told him when he returned to school from the orphanage… Many people just say things without meaning them, but Lin Jianlu was different; he always kept his word.
Indeed, in the past six months, no one had gone to the orphanage to cause trouble, and no one had made things difficult for Ji Changdong anymore—Yan Han knew this.
Unbeknownst to him, Lin Jianlu had silently altered a child’s future on top of all this…
For some reason, the older brother’s mood suddenly became somewhat turbulent.
—Because there was a person named Lin Jianlu in this world, he could always feel a warmth he had never experienced before.
Feeling genuinely happy and gratified, Yan Han patted Ji Changdong again and said, “Since you’re here, study hard. If anything happens, come find me in the second grade.”
“Okay.” Ji Changdong smiled at him, his tanned skin highlighting his white teeth. “Thank you, Sister Yan. We’ve received all the money you donated to the orphanage. Those little ones are still looking forward to your return!”
“Haha, okay.” Yan Han laughed heartily and said, “When I have time.”
He didn’t keep a single penny of the prize money from the academic competition; he gave it all to his grandparents. As for the prize money he won as the street dance king, he kept 30,000 yuan to pay for tuition and living expenses and donated the remaining 20,000 yuan to the orphanage.
Not even knowing if he could complete the mission and survive, Yan Han felt that keeping so much money was pointless.
He didn’t have many expenses in his life, and after thinking about it, he finally donated to the orphanage.
He had been there in person and saw firsthand how difficult life was for the children there. He helped as much as he could, and then the older brother forgot about it afterward. Now, Ji Changdong suddenly brought it up, making Yan Han a little embarrassed.
While the two were talking, Ji Changdong looked him up and down, then scratched his head and said awkwardly, “Sister Yan, why do I feel like you look so strange in a skirt…”
Perhaps the image of his Sister Yan, who could take on several people at once, was too deeply ingrained in his memory. Although he had been calling her Sister Yan all this time, in Ji Changdong’s mind, his Sister Yan could no longer be described as an ordinary person; she was practically a goddess!
Gods had no gender.
So he had always assumed that she was a passionate and strong-willed person and now seeing her in a skirt… it just looked strange from every angle.
Yan Han: “…”
Yan Han felt bitter inside, but he didn’t say anything.
The two of them chatted freely before the flag-raising ceremony started, which startled the people around them.
Especially Ji Changdong’s classmates!
The first year of high school started a week earlier than the second and third years, and they had already begun their military training. Ji Changdong’s classmates had never seen him speak so warmly and friendly with anyone before.
Normally, when everyone gathered at the beginning of the first year, a classmate with a buzz cut and a tough-guy image in both physique and expression was already eye-catching enough. What’s more, this person was usually taciturn, expressionless, and had fierce eyes, looking like a tough nut to crack, someone no one dared to mess with. Those from privileged backgrounds or with better connections knew a little about Ji Changdong’s background— just an orphan from an orphanage. No wonder he seemed so fierce and unsociable.
Those who vaguely knew his background hadn’t taken him seriously, but even these few hadn’t expected that this very person would… be chatting and laughing with the school beauty?
And it seemed like the two of them were quite close?!
Whether they were Ji Changdong’s classmates or those who knew who Yan Han was, they all stared at them in astonishment. Among the first-year students, a chubby boy with eyes narrowed to slits listened to the surrounding chatter and was even more surprised.
“You guys say Yan Han is the school beauty?” the chubby boy asked his classmate incredulously.
“Yeah, a popular figure at Luze High School, always very popular,” Classmate one replied.
Classmate two: “Speaking of, Yan Guan, you also have the surname Yan, you two aren’t related, are you?”
The chubby boy, who looked like a small mountain, silently lowered his head, wishing he could hide himself.
His summer diet failed, and all the boasts he’d made to Yan Han were now a slap in the face… He couldn’t even remember what he’d said back then, only the way his so-called older sister looked when she got “fierce.” He was already afraid to mess with her, and now he suddenly got to know she was the school beauty, and he’d heard a bunch of boys were fawning over her… Thinking back to that rich second-generation guy…
Yan Guan suddenly felt that coming to Luze High School was a mistake from the start.
Having someone who was academically gifted, could earn money, and had immense popularity at school— someone who was his enemy in every way— how could he ever hold his head high?
What’s more, he had to study there for three years!
Yan Guan now only hated that he was too big to hide himself.
He didn’t want and dared not let other classmates know about his relationship with Yan Han.
After all, they had a grudge, and he didn’t think he’d get away with it if others found out he was the school beauty’s stepmother’s child.
But Yan Han didn’t notice him either.
In fact, he didn’t even remember he had a younger brother and had completely forgotten that he might also be attending this high school.
Just as everyone was finishing up, Lin Jianlu walked over. Ji Changdong, with his sharp eyes, spotted him first and waved enthusiastically, calling out, “Brother Lin!”
Lin Jianlu saw them and strode over to him and Yan Han.
His appearance and aura made him incredibly noticeable, so as he approached, many eyes followed him to the “siblings.”
Then, under everyone’s gaze, the three of them started talking as if no one else was around. Lin Jianlu didn’t say anything else, just asked Ji Changdong if he was used to living at school and if military training was tiring. Ji Changdong answered each question, and then Lin Jianlu said what Yan Han had said earlier: “If you need anything, come find me in the second year, or find your Sister Yan.”
Yan Han: …
After uttering the last two words, Lin Jianlu looked at Yan Han and saw his frustrated but helpless expression, which amused him. Even his long, narrow eyes narrowed slightly.
Having already seen Brother Lin’s smile, Yan Han didn’t mind.
He shoved Lin Jianlu close, saying only, “You didn’t even tell me about something this big happening at the orphanage, Brother Lin, you just wait!” He clearly ignored the visual impact Lin Jianlu’s expression was having on others.
—The usually stern and unsmiling icon was actually smiling!
And it was a smile they’d never seen before— a smile that was both indulgent and mischievous!
And what was with the school beauty and the top student both looking after a freshman? Why were they both speaking like parents?! The others couldn’t understand, and Ji Changdong’s classmates were completely bewildered.
But one thing they were certain of: regardless of whether Ji Changdong came from an orphanage or not, he was someone they didn’t want to mess with!
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