Chapter 507: Chapter 173: The ’80s Prima Donna is Forced to Become a Top Student (8)

"I only asked for your name, but you’re so thoughtful you even told me where you go to school. I was originally thinking I’d wait until our fated third meeting to ask where you study."

Gong Zicheng looked at her quietly. "This is the second time?"

He knew he was handsome. Especially at his young age, his androgynous features held a fatal attraction for men and women, young and old alike.

He disliked people like this, who were drawn to him solely for his looks.

’Can a mere shell of a face truly overshadow all my other talents and hard work?’

’Besides, what’s the point of a boy being so pretty?’

Sheng Leyun chuckled and nodded. "That’s right. The first time was at the station, when you came to pick up Grandma Gong."

"I’m very grateful for how Grandma Gong took care of me on the journey. When I make something delicious later, could I trouble you to pass it along for me?"

Gong Zicheng looked her up and down in surprise.

He had heard his grandmother talk about the "pitiful little thing" she met on the train—a girl who was pretty, impishly clever, and very sensible and grateful.

He’d never heard his grandmother praise anyone like that before, so he had been curious. After all, he knew his grandmother had no resistance to beautiful people and things.

’Just how beautiful must this little girl be to earn such praise from Grandma!’

But now, looking at the little girl before him, he saw someone short and so thin she looked emaciated. Only her eyes stood out—beautiful, watery, and remarkably large. They blinked constantly, her long, curled lashes fluttering as if they could poke right into your heart.

He remembered her circumstances and couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He gave a faint nod. "Alright. Now, please let me pass. I should be getting home."

Sheng Leyun smiled and stepped aside. "What kind of food do you like? I’ll make a portion for you some other day to express my thanks."

Gong Zicheng acted as if he hadn’t heard and strode away.

Sheng Leyun lowered her hand, a satisfied smile on her face. Once her excitement settled, she reverted to her wilted, pitiful persona. The ride on the crowded bus had left her clothes rumpled in a very natural way.

This was the peak time for everyone to take a pre-dinner stroll, and the area was bustling with people coming and going—a lively scene usually only seen on weekends.

Sheng Leyun timed it perfectly, hanging her head and shuffling back one slow step at a time.

"Leyun, you’re finally back! Everyone was just out looking all over for you..."

"You can’t be so willful from now on. You should have gone with your parents. You shouldn’t take the bus by yourself when you don’t know the area. If you got lost or were abducted by traffickers, how would your mother cope..."

"That’s right, Yunyun. It’s not easy for your parents either. They can’t just give in to you on everything. You’re a child, you can’t tell right from wrong, you need adult guidance..."

The neighbors gathered around, each adding their two cents. The gist of it all was that she had been too willful, causing everyone to worry for the entire afternoon.

Sheng Leyun bit her lip, her eyes red-rimmed and the tip of her nose a tender pink from crying. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and faint, each word seeming to tug at the crowd’s heartstrings:

"I’m sorry, everyone. I... I didn’t know this would happen."

"I got on the bus just like Mr. Xiao told me to, but it was so crowded I was pushed off halfway through the route. Then I waited for another bus, but who knew... when I got off, I couldn’t find the Chemical Plant’s Second Dormitory anywhere."

"Someone told me I took the wrong bus, that I mistook the number nine for the number six."

"I wandered around a residential area for a long time before I found a bus stop. I saw the number nine bus and got on, thinking I’d go back and catch the number six. But... but I went in the wrong direction again..."

"...I was hungry all day, and I spent all my money on bus tickets, and even that wasn’t enough. In the end, I met a kind young man and followed him back..."

The crowd’s hearts ached listening to her. They could feel her panic and fear in her tone and words. How could they possibly blame her now?

"Speaking of which, how could Old Xiao just let the kid go on her own? The child says she’ll take the bus, and he just hands over the money? And he knew Leyun can’t read. She’s never had proper schooling, so it’s normal for her not to be able to tell a six from a nine."

"Exactly! Old Xiao knew there were a lot of kids at home, so he shouldn’t have gone by bike in the first place. They have to take the bus to take the kids downtown to play anyway..."

"Right? Besides, children are sensitive about relationships. Taking Leyun to the Lan Family’s house... tsk, is that really appropriate?"

They remembered the arrogant and bossy way the child’s grandparents acted.

It was as if only the Lan Family’s daughter was exceptional, and everyone else was too common to even speak to them.

They were all city folk, yet they were treated like country bumpkins. No one could stand that kind of treatment.

He’s just a retired former factory director, isn’t he?

What’s so great about that?

Soon, the crowd’s opinion shifted completely, invalidating the heartfelt performance Xiao Xuezhen and Ren Xingchen had put on earlier.

Someone delivered the final blow: "Sheng Leyun never even met up with them from the start, yet they came back only after having a grand time shopping with the other two kids."

"Saying the kids’ maternal grandparents took them out? That they spent the whole day outside looking for someone? Tsk, tsk, they can’t even lie properly..."

"They probably can’t wait for Sheng Leyun to disappear so she’s not an eyesore to them. They’re just stalling for as long as they can. And they even roped us into their act..."

"Definitely. You guys didn’t see them yesterday. Those two couldn’t wait a single moment. To get what they wanted, they kicked the poor child out..."

The crowd’s attention was diverted. Xiao Xuezhen and Ren Xingchen’s public image was already poor from the start, tied up as it was with romantic affairs. Adding to that was their relationship: one was the partner Sheng Xibao had died to protect, and the other was the wife Sheng Xibao had cherished.

What kind of shameless people would do something like that?

If either of them had truly held Sheng Xibao in their hearts, they never would have gotten married so openly!

The neighbors pursed their lips. If it were them, wouldn’t they be so disgusted they’d crawl out of their own graves?

Then, they started whispering instructions to Sheng Leyun: "Leyun, if your Mr. Xiao and your mom hit you later, just cry and run outside. We’ll all stand up for you..."

"Hurry home now. If there’s no food at your place, just come over to mine..."

"Take a nice bath tonight. Look how tired the poor child is after running around all day..."

Bathed in everyone’s concern, Sheng Leyun tearfully thanked them over and over. In the end, she was so "moved" that she broke down, covering her mouth and sobbing uncontrollably.

The moment she got home, she wiped her tears away and transformed back into the defiant little rascal who was always ready for a fight.

"So you decided to come back!" The second she walked in, Ren Xingchen couldn’t stop herself from throwing the rag in her hand at her.

Sheng Leyun dodged to the side, and the rag WHIZZED past her through the corridor and fell down below.

"You—" Not expecting her to dodge, Ren Xingchen was furious and started looking around the room for something else to throw. "Sheng Leyun, why do you have to be so much trouble..."

Sheng Leyun tilted her head with a soft chuckle, grabbed the thermos next to her, and, not caring whether the water inside was freshly boiled, hurled it into the room.

The rattan-wrapped thermos CRASHED to the floor. The glass liner inside shattered, and hot water spilled everywhere.

Xiao Xuezhen shot up from his seat, unable to stay still any longer. "Xiao Leyun, what do you think you’re doing?"

Sheng Leyun clapped her hands with a smile. "Ah, my bad. I was starving and thirsty all day, so I wanted to get some water, but my hand slipped..."

"But it’s okay. My father should have left me a lot of money. Mom, you can just deduct it from that. I hear it was thirteen hundred yuan."

Ren Xingchen froze. "What money did your dad leave you? What thirteen hundred yuan? Didn’t they just mail some medal and two hundred yuan?"

"Just two hundred yuan! That’s not even enough to support the two of us for a year!"

Xiao Xuezhen’s expression, however, changed. He never expected that after three years, after he had already married Ren Xingchen, someone would bring this matter up to Sheng Leyun!

He asked impassively, "Where did you hear that?"

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