Using power to force marriage

(Starting updates for the "what if" side story! This assumes Ruan Fu and Zhao Jingnian are childhood sweethearts. Fu Fu's family background remains unchanged and happy. The unfortunate events of Zhao Jingnian's childhood won't happen; there are no villains like Grandpa Zhao and Zhao Qi, only loving parents.)

In the elite circles of Beicheng, the Zhao family and the Ruan family are old friends. Both families are prominent families rooted in Beicheng and have a close relationship and frequent interactions.

The two families' children were born in the same year; one was named Zhao Jingnian, and the other Ruan Fu, with only two months between them.

The two slept in the same cradle since they were little, childhood playmates, inseparable.

We went to kindergarten together, primary school together, junior high school and high school together, and were always in the same class and sat at the same desk.

The two also made a promise to apply to the same university.

Although they were childhood sweethearts who knew each other inside and out, their personalities were completely different.

Zhao Jingnian was calm and reserved from a young age, quiet and reserved. He consistently ranked first in his studies and possessed a maturity far beyond his years. He was an impeccable model student in the eyes of his elders.

Ruan Fu was the complete opposite of her; she was lively, enthusiastic, and playful, always laughing and joking. The thing she hated most was studying and doing things that were rigidly structured.

Despite their vastly different personalities, their relationship is unparalleled.

Zhao Jingnian was cold and taciturn to others, but he was an exception when it came to Ruan Fu.

He complained that she chattered away like a sparrow that never stopped, disturbing his peace and quiet. But in reality, he couldn't help missing her if he didn't see her or hear her voice for a day.

Over the years, he had grown accustomed to her constant entanglement and craved her lively and vibrant nature.

The elders of both families, seeing their close and harmonious relationship, often remarked that they were as close as siblings.

The older brother is sensible and reliable. He has always taken good care of his willful and playful younger sister, coaxing and indulging her.

When Ruan Fu heard this, she didn't think much of it. Her feelings for Zhao Jingnian were open and honest, and she took the phrase "brother and sister" as a compliment from an elder on their relationship.

But Zhao Jingnian was different; these words always made him feel awkward. Ever since he first experienced romantic feelings during puberty, his thoughts had already crossed the boundaries of what friendship should be.

Who would want to be her biological brother? He doesn't have the habit of randomly adopting younger sisters.

-

The two got into the same high school, and luckily, they were both placed in the same class in the placement test.

The experimental class at Beicheng No.1 Middle School.

This is recognized throughout the school as a concentration of top students, bringing together the most outstanding talents in the entire grade.

It was expected that Zhao Jingnian would be admitted to the experimental class; he performed as expected.

Ruan Fu was an unexpected case; she barely made it into the experimental class thanks to her lucky streak of always performing exceptionally well in major exams.

Zhao Jingnian consistently ranked first in the grade in every exam, while Ruan Fu was the most unique "bottom-of-the-class student" in the entire experimental class.

Even if she's last in her class, she's still last in the experimental class of a top-tier high school; no one would categorize her as an average underachiever.

Because everyone knows that even the last student in the experimental class is among the top students in the whole school.

She has a bunch of harmless little flaws; she always likes to use her cleverness in small ways and is lazy in her studies.

For example, slacking off and not liking to do homework, or dozing off in class, or secretly eating snacks when the teacher isn't looking.

Zhao Jingnian grew up with her since childhood and was often arranged by his elders to tutor Ruan Fu. He knew Ruan Fu best and knew that she was actually very smart and could understand things very quickly.

In addition, she has a lucky charm that others can only envy, and she always performs exceptionally well in major exams.

"Zhao Jingnian, let me copy your homework."

"Zhao Jingnian, you're not allowed to stop me from doing the back-scrubbing drill."

"Zhao Jingnian, I'm not handing in my workbook this week. Don't tell the teacher."

Relying on the fact that the class monitor was her childhood friend, she acted recklessly and cheated without restraint, confident that Zhao Jing would indulge her at the company's annual meeting.

Given Ruan Fu's temperament, she would cry and make a scene if he didn't do as she wished.

Thus, the most "upright and honest" class monitor in the experimental class became her protector.

She grew up in a comfortable and well-off family, never feeling the need to study hard or having grand ambitions in life.

While others are frantically studying for exams to get into prestigious universities and secure a better future, Ruan Fu just wants to enjoy her student days.

Some people advised her to settle down and work harder, but she retorted with these words, "I don't want to be the top scorer in the college entrance examination. According to the cutoff scores in previous years, my score is enough."

She wanted to study veterinary medicine at Beicheng University, and based on the previous years' admission scores, she was sure to be admitted, so she felt there was no need to work herself to the bone.

"Then you should try your best to get as many points as possible. What if the passing score has increased when it's your turn to take the exam?"

"Zhao Jingnian! Can't you wish me well for once?"

"I'm saying these things because I want you to get better."

The Zhao and Ruan families lived next door to each other, and the school wasn't far from their homes, just a ten-minute walk away. Every day after school, the two would walk home together.

Ruan Fu's schoolbag was slung over Zhao Jingnian's shoulder. She walked ahead with a light heart, skipping and hopping like a little rabbit.

"Great! I've already finished all my homework at school, so I can have a blast this Saturday and Sunday."

She only writes the amount of homework assigned by the teacher, not a single word more, let alone previewing, reviewing, doing practice questions, or taking tests.

"You didn't write your own homework; you copied it all from me."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Fu turned and glanced at him. "I copied your explanation because we're good friends. Why wouldn't I copy someone else's?"

"You can't always do this; it's not right."

He always said that, knowing full well that this behavior was wrong, yet he still indulged her time and time again.

"Oh dear, Jingnian, it's just copying homework, don't be so stingy!"

She always uses the same tactic, speaking in a sweet, coquettish voice, and he always falls for it.

"Then you must improve your ranking by ten places in the next monthly exam. If you don't, I won't let you copy my homework anymore."

He wanted Ruan Fu to score higher, so that her chances of getting into the college entrance exam would be better. Their scores couldn't be too different, because they had agreed to attend the same university.

If Ruan Fu hadn't gotten into the same university as him, his university life would definitely have been very boring and his studies wouldn't have been very interesting.

Ruan Fu thought that she was only in her first year of high school and would have to continue copying his homework for the next two years. If he stopped letting her copy, then things would be troublesome.

"Okay, okay, it's only tenth place. If you tutor me for two days before the monthly exam, I'm sure I can get in."

"You want me to tutor you?"

"Yes, you don't want to?"

Zhao Jingnian felt a secret thrill, a hint of pleasure radiating from his eyes and brows. "I'm willing."

He loved tutoring her and spending time alone with her.