Born in the 1980s, she was remarried and became a stepmother; a cold, rough man doted on her, pinchi

Chapter 155 Dating a Thug
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the dappled leaves and fell on Shi Ning's way to school.

Shi Ning hummed a little tune, her steps light and quick. She wore a headband given to her by Chen Yu, its tiny rhinestones sparkling in the sunlight like twinkling stars, adding a touch of liveliness to her delicate features.

As soon as Shi Ning entered the classroom, she felt the gazes of her classmates. Several girls who were usually on good terms with her surrounded her, their eyes full of envy.

"Shi Ning, your headband is so beautiful!"

"Yes, where did you buy it? Tell us quickly."

Everyone chimed in with their comments, and Shi Ning smiled a little shyly, "It's a birthday present from a friend." However, the praise didn't last long.

In the corner, Liu Yue and a few other girls were whispering amongst themselves, their eyes occasionally glancing at Shi Ning, filled with jealousy.

Liu Yue comes from a wealthy family and always acts superior in class, unable to bear seeing others shine. Seeing Shi Ning wearing a pretty headband and being praised by her classmates made her feel very resentful.

"Hmph, she usually dresses so poorly, where would she get the money to buy such a nice headband? She probably got it from somewhere."

Liu Yue deliberately raised her voice so that the students around her could hear her.

"Exactly, maybe she met some rich thug off campus and he gave it to her."

Another girl chimed in.

These harsh words reached Shi Ning's ears, and her smile froze instantly, her face turning pale and then red.

She never imagined that simply wearing a headband would attract such malicious speculation.

She turned her head and looked angrily at Liu Yue and the others, "Don't talk nonsense. This is a gift from my friend, a completely innocent gift."

"Friends? What kind of friends? Could they be some shady characters?"

Liu Yue showed no restraint; instead, she intensified her actions, walking step by step towards Shi Ning with a mocking smile on her face. Shi Ning's eyes reddened; she bit her lip tightly, her hands clenching unconsciously.

She didn't know how to refute these unfounded accusations, feeling both wronged and angry. At this moment, the surrounding classmates began to whisper among themselves, their previously friendly gazes now tinged with suspicion.

"Don't listen to her nonsense, Shi Ning isn't that kind of person."

At the crucial moment, Xiaolin, who was sitting next to Shi Ning, stood up and looked Liu Yue straight in the eye, saying, "If you don't have any evidence, don't slander others."

"Xiaolin, mind your own business. You might know something about her shameful affairs."

"You..." Xiaolin was so angry she couldn't speak. She hadn't expected Liu Yue to be so unreasonable. Just as the atmosphere was becoming tense, Chen Yu walked into the classroom.

He immediately noticed Shi Ning's red-rimmed eyes, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly went over to her.

"Shi Ning, what's wrong?"

Chen Yu asked with concern. When Shi Ning saw Chen Yu, a feeling of grievance welled up in her heart, and she told Chen Yu the whole story.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yu's face darkened. He turned to look at Liu Yue, his eyes filled with anger.

"Liu Yue, you've gone too far. This headband was a birthday gift I gave to Shi Ning. What right do you have to spread rumors and cause trouble here?"

Chen Yu's voice was deep and powerful, and the entire classroom fell silent instantly.

Liu Yue was taken aback by Chen Yu's sudden appearance, which even stood up for Shi Ning and accused her. Her face turned pale and then flushed, and she felt flustered, but she still refused to admit defeat.

"You think it's a gift just because you say so? Who knows if you're just covering for her?" "You..."

Chen Yu was furious at Liu Yue's words. He was about to step forward to argue when Shi Ning grabbed his arm.

"Chen Yu, don't take it to heart. We have a clear conscience."

Shi Ning spoke softly, her voice trembling slightly. Chen Yu looked at Shi Ning, his heart filled with heartache.

He nodded and said to his classmates, "If you don't believe me, you can ask my parents. I picked out this headband with them at the mall. Shi Ning is a good girl, and I hope you won't be misled by false rumors."

After hearing Chen Yu's words and seeing Shi Ning's aggrieved expression, the students' doubts gradually dissipated.

Everyone started criticizing Liu Yue, and seeing that things were not going well, Liu Yue slunk back to her seat and dared not say another word.

Although the storm has temporarily subsided, Shi Ning's mood remains unsettled for a long time.

She never expected that a small headband would cause such a big problem.

She took off the headband and carefully put it into her schoolbag, secretly deciding that she would never wear it again. She didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble because of these external things.

However, Chen Yu did not want Shi Ning to give up what she liked because of this.

During the break between classes, he found Shi Ning, took out the headband again, and handed it to her.

"Shi Ning, don't give up on what you like because of what others say. This headband is something I carefully chose for you; it's beautiful, just like you. You haven't done anything wrong, so don't let those people's malice make you doubt yourself."

Chen Yu's gaze was firm yet gentle, and his words were like a ray of warm sunshine, shining into Shi Ning's heart. Shi Ning looked at Chen Yu, tears welling in her eyes.

She took the headband and nodded gently. "Thank you, Chen Yu. I will face it bravely."

As she spoke, she put her headband back on, straightened her back, and gave a confident smile.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the campus in a warm orange hue, and as soon as the school bell rang, students poured out of the classrooms like a tide.

Shi Ning was leisurely packing her schoolbag, thinking about the events of the day, and a smile unconsciously crept onto her lips.

Just then, Shi An came running up, panting, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, clearly having run all the way. "Ning'er, wait for Chen Yu."

Shi An, with his hands on his knees and slightly out of breath, said, "The basketball club had extra practice today, so it ended late. I'll have Chen Yu take you home. Be careful on the way."

Upon hearing this, Shi Ning's face flashed with surprise, but she quickly regained her composure and nodded gently, saying, "Okay, I understand. Brother, you can go train with peace of mind."

Looking at her younger sister's obedient appearance, Shi An reached out and patted her head, smiling as she instructed, "Alright, once Chen Yu arrives, you two should hurry home and not linger on the way."

After saying that, Shi An hurriedly ran towards the basketball club.

Shi Ning stood at the classroom door, quietly waiting for Chen Yu.

A gentle breeze stirred her hair, and she felt a strange mix of nervousness and anticipation.

A moment later, Chen Yu appeared at the end of the corridor. He was wearing a basketball uniform, and sweat was still dripping from his forehead. When he saw Shi Ning, he smiled brightly.

"Shi Ning, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Let's go."

Chen Yu walked quickly to Shi Ning's side and said softly. Shi Ning looked at Chen Yu and returned a sweet smile, "Okay, let's go."