Don't underestimate the poor and elderly; I was thrilled to refuse the class beauty's adva

After Zhao Rong finished speaking, she turned around and started flipping through her textbooks, humming a popular pop song, looking completely nonchalant.

After a while, a finger hesitantly poked Zhao Rong's back.

Zhao Rong turned around.

Lin Wanqing bit her lip, not daring to look at her. Her eyes were still red, and wet tears still clung to her eyelashes. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Rongrong...is your cousin...really reliable? He won't...he won't betray us, will he?"

Zhao Rong's lips slowly curled up, revealing a smile she had long expected.

She placed her hand on Lin Wanqing's and patted it gently: "Don't worry, my cousin is very reliable."

Zhang Yifan followed behind Shen Zhiyi without saying a word the whole way.

It's not that I don't want to talk, it's that I don't know what to say.

He knew that the girl in front of him liked him.

The system clearly stated that she had a crush on him in high school, invited him to Beijing after the college entrance exam results were released, was rejected by him, and remained single for decades. She is a female entrepreneur, and in a TV interview, she said, "Even he can change, so who can't?"

All this information was piled up in his mind, but when he faced Shen Zhiyi in person, it became a burden.

He only met her a few times.

We competed on the leaderboard in our first year of high school, winning and losing to each other, but we barely exchanged a few words.

Later, he went after Lin Wanqing, and the only time the two of them crossed paths was when she was first and he was second or third on the list after each monthly exam.

Then, just yesterday, she came to issue a challenge.

Including yesterday, he had spoken no more than twenty sentences to Shen Zhiyi face to face.

If you've only spoken twenty words to a girl, and you know she likes you, and you know she'll wait for you until she's an old maid, how do you start talking to her?

Saying "Hi, I know you like me"? Saying "Thank you for your challenge, I like you too"? Neither is correct.

As he was lost in thought, Shen Zhiyi, who was in front of him, stopped.

Zhang Yifan looked up and was immediately stunned.

Several willow trees stood crookedly by the lake, their branches drooping over the water, creating ripples when the wind blew.

A young couple in school uniforms sat on a bench by the lake. The girl leaned on the boy's shoulder, but quickly moved away when she saw someone approaching, pretending to be reading a book.

A faint scent of grass and the fragrance of gardenias wafted in the air.

Xiaoxihu, a popular dating spot for couples, a base for early romances among middle school students, and a place where the Political Education Department conducts surprise inspections every Monday and catches three couples.

Why did Shen Zhiyi bring him here?

Zhang Yifan looked at Shen Zhiyi's back and felt a tightness in his spine.

Wait a minute, is she going to confess her feelings to me?

The system announcement is one thing, reality is another.

He's not ready yet!

Shen Zhiyi suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Zhang Yifan was lost in thought as he followed behind her, not noticing that she had stopped, and bumped right into her.

Shen Zhiyi was knocked forward by him, her center of gravity shifting forward instantly, and she was about to fall onto the gravel road.

Zhang Yifan reacted quickly and reached out to grab her.

He misjudged her; his fingers didn't reach her arm, but instead hooked onto a thin, elastic band through her clothes.

He instinctively clenched his fingers and pulled back forcefully.

Boom——

He pulled the strap a long way, then it bounced back at an extremely fast speed, striking Shen Zhiyi's back crisply.

Shen Zhiyi was jolted by the bouncy force, but she was pulled back and didn't fall.

The air froze for about two seconds.

Zhang Yifan looked down at his hands, then at Shen Zhiyi's still slightly trembling back, and his mind went blank.

Shen Zhiyi turned around, her face flushed crimson, her lips pressed into a thin line, and her ears and neck were tinged with a very light pink that spread all the way to her collarbone.

Before she could speak, Zhang Yifan interrupted, his words coming out in rapid succession: "Let me think about it! I'll give you my answer after the college entrance exam!"

Shen Zhiyi was stunned.

Her mouth was open, but the words she was about to say were cut off, and she couldn't utter a single one.

What does "think about it first" mean? What does "the answer will be given after the college entrance exam" mean?

Wasn't she taken advantage of? Wasn't she the victim? Why does this person seem to be forced to make a statement by her?

Shen Zhiyi forcefully suppressed the embarrassment rising in her throat, her brows furrowing slightly, her eyes filled with confusion: "What are you talking about?"

Looking at the expression on her face, Zhang Yifan suddenly realized what was going on.

She genuinely didn't know what he was talking about, and she had no intention of confessing her feelings.

She didn't call him out to talk about that at all; what he just said was completely wishful thinking.

His ears started to burn, but he quickly composed himself, cleared his throat, and spoke in a calm tone as if nothing had happened:

"Oh, I meant I accepted your challenge yesterday. Whatever your problem is, I hope to resolve it after the college entrance exam. That's all."

"What a load of nonsense."

Shen Zhiyi frowned and muttered something.

However, Zhang Yifan's interruption made her forget the embarrassment of being flicked on the belt earlier.

She straightened her school uniform collar, put on her indifferent expression again, and her tone returned to its usual calm.

"Let me get down to business. I'm the one who reported Principal Meng."

Zhang Yifan was taken aback. A student reporting the principal wasn't something that could be resolved with just a phone call.

You have to sign your name, submit materials, answer inquiries, and face all the unpredictable consequences.

Is she doing all this because she likes herself?

Shen Zhiyi didn't notice the change in his expression and continued, "And then there's Peng Kaifei. With Principal Meng being taken away, the Discipline Inspection Commission can easily find out about his dealings with the Peng family. His family won't last much longer either."

No one will bother you anymore. You can focus all your energy on your studies, and we'll compete fairly and squarely in the college entrance exam.

When Zhang Yifan heard the last sentence, he almost couldn't hold back his emotions.

So, this girl went to all this trouble just to compete with him in the college entrance exam? Her competitive spirit is just too strong.

But then she thought again, how could she possibly report the principal just out of a competitive spirit?

"If you lose, you lose."

"Alright."

Zhang Yifan didn't continue the conversation.

But my mind was in turmoil. No, I absolutely cannot lose!

If we lose, our status in the family will be significantly lower.

An image involuntarily flashed through his mind:

A few years later, the two disagreed on something. Shen Zhiyi, holding a water glass, slowly said, "You didn't score as high as me in the college entrance exam, so listen to me." He didn't even have the right to argue.

Moreover, once you're in a subordinate position, you won't have enough leverage when discussing who's above and who's below you.

terrible!