Reborn and awakened, this time I won't be a love-struck fool.

Lin Wu was stunned.

She met those dark eyes, like a tranquil sea under the night sky—calm, yet giving off a sense of impending danger.

It's kind of pitiful.

"Oh dear." She reached out and patted the boy on the shoulder, saying with great loyalty, "Don't overthink it, you're my friend."

Xu Jingwang's lips curled slightly, a smile that vanished in an instant. "Really?"

"More real than real gold," Lin Wu said firmly.

She secretly thought to herself: It's a miracle that someone with such a fragile heart could start from scratch.

After a few seconds of silence, Xu Jingwang said slowly, "Thank you. I'm very happy to have made my first friend."

Why does this sound so pitiful?

Lin Wu comforted her, saying, "You'll have many more friends in the future."

Xu Jingwang shook his head: "There shouldn't be any more."

Lin Wu was taken aback, blinking her eyes: "How could there not be?"

The boy stared at her intently, then suddenly laughed after a few seconds.

"With pearls and jade before us."

He spoke in a low voice, "They can't compare to you."

Therefore, it's hard for me to accept other people anymore.

"..."

With just a few simple words, Lin Wu understood why this person was able to start from scratch.

They're such good at flattery; every word they say makes people very happy.

She had heard so much praise and compliments since she was a child that she was immune to them.

But coming from the mouth of Xu Jingwang, such a cold and shy person, it felt different.

"I'll remember that," she said meaningfully, "because I'm afraid you'll stop talking to me."

After all, in his previous life, this person's achievements were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

"No," he said firmly, "I won't ignore you..."

Before Lin Wu could feel moved, Han Qi's slightly teasing voice came from the back door of the classroom.

"Stop looking so long... Why are you so irritable all the time?"

Lin Wu subconsciously looked towards the back door of the classroom.

Xie Yanhuai's face was ashen. When he met her gaze, he paused for a moment, then pursed his thin lips and looked away in annoyance.

Lin Wu pursed her lips.

She had grown up with Xie Yanhuai since childhood and knew very well that he was deliberately giving her a hard time.

In the past, Lin Wu would have gone to check on him and offer words of comfort in the morning.

She doesn't have any special skills when pursuing someone; she just gives them all sorts of gifts and surprises, and shows concern for their well-being.

This time, Lin Wu pretended not to see it. She looked at Xu Jingwang, one hand on the edge of the table, and said, "I've remembered everything you said."

Xu Jingwang was taken aback; he could feel Xie Yanhuai's gaze directed at him.

There were feelings of dislike, aversion, contempt, and bewilderment... It seemed they couldn't understand why Lin Wu was now willing to talk to him.

Xu Jingwang's fingertips trembled slightly with excitement. Because they were close enough, he could clearly smell the faint, moist scent of jasmine on her body.

She has a special fondness for this flavor; it's the same flavor in both her past and present lives.

Xu Jingwang knew that this perfume was expensive.

In his previous life, when he earned his first pot of gold, he was like an addict, buying many bottles.

But the smell was always different from the smell on Lin Wu.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was different.

Those perfumes were treated like junk and ended up in the storage room, never to be taken out again.

"it is good."

He maintained his composure and spoke in a hoarse voice.

Lin Wu nodded in satisfaction: "Then I'll be going now, I have some things to do."

"Mmm." He nodded, suppressing his desire to get closer, the veins on his arms bulging beneath his sleeves.

Lin Wu pulled a mineral water bottle out of her schoolbag. She hadn't expected Li Ma to arrive so early. She wished she hadn't gone back to the classroom and had just waited at the door.

-

After Lin Wu left, Xu Jingwang also left.

Only Han Qi and Xie Yanhuai remained in the classroom.

Han Qi pondered for a moment, then casually sat down on Xia Ruoruo's desk. Looking at Xie Yanhuai's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why isn't Lin Wu paying attention to you?"

"Shut up," Xie Yanhuai said unhappily.

He irritably pulled the athlete's number from his desk drawer, took a couple of deep breaths, and thought, "I'd rather ignore her; I find her annoying anyway."

Han Qi leaned back, one hand on the table. He was wearing a shirt with the top two buttons undone, revealing his deep collarbone. He said, "Why do I feel like you're upset because she's ignoring you?"

Xie Yanhuai remained silent.

"Girls are just throwing tantrums, a little coaxing will fix it." Han Qi smiled. "Your birthday is coming up soon, and Miss Lin will definitely prepare a gift for you. Just take the initiative to talk to her and give her a way out, she'll be very happy."

Xie Yanhuai raised his eyes: "Really?"

"Really." Han Qi raised an eyebrow at him. "You have to believe what a friend of women says."

Xie Yanhuai tightened his jaw and nodded coldly.

-

Lin Wu left the school without any hindrance, where a taxi was parked at the school gate.

Li Ma stood at the front of the car, looking around. When she saw her, her eyes lit up, and she stood on tiptoe to wave.

As Lin Wu approached, Li Ma quickly said, "Miss, I took a taxi as you told me to."

"Okay." Lin Wu asked in a low voice, "Did you bring the hair?"

Li's mother took out a sealed bag from her bag, inside which was a long, black hair.

"Are you sure it's my mom's?" she finally asked to confirm.

Li Ma nodded: "I took it from Madam's comb."

Lin Wu handed the mineral water bottle in his hand to Li Ma, "Notify me immediately after the results are out, and don't tell anyone without my permission."

Li Ma was taken aback: "Can't the madam and master tell either?"

"If they are not biological mother and child, then there is no need to mention it. If they are..." Lin Wu fell silent, feeling a bit of a dilemma.

The problem is that Zou Xun is fourteen or fifteen years old, not four or five.

He had his own thoughts. He and Zou Lian had depended on each other for so many years. Even though they lived in poverty, their feelings for each other remained.

The question of whether the debt of giving birth or the debt of raising is greater remains a controversial topic to this day.

Moreover, after interacting with Zou Xun at noon today, she found that Zou Xun was extremely guarded.

Even after leaving Zou Lian, he doesn't seem like the type to easily integrate into a new family.

He appears optimistic and cheerful, and talks a lot of nonsense, but deep down he is actually very insecure and withdrawn.

Ms. Jiang herself is somewhat depressed.

She needs to think carefully about how to tell Ms. Jiang.

Lin Wu sighed, "Listen to me."

Li Ma held the bottle, staring blankly at Lin Wu.

She vaguely felt that the girl in front of her was a bit unfamiliar, unlike the young lady she was used to and familiar with.

After a few breaths, Li Ma made up her mind, "Okay, I'll listen to Miss."

I watched as Li Ma got into the taxi.

Lin Wu turned around and went back to school.

As she entered the school gate, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice came from behind her.

"Misty."

Lin Wu froze, stopping in her tracks.