My girlfriend isn't as cute as me.

He couldn't possibly tell all those upsetting things, could he? He didn't need to gain the other person's sympathy, and he didn't think that telling them would change anything. It was better to bury these things in his memory.

Wang Yuting thought about it. She only ever saw Lin Jiu working at the convenience store; she knew nothing about her private life. It was impossible for her not to want to know—she was very curious!

"How about we start with your school? How are your grades now?"

"Uh……"

Lin Jiu's expression underwent a subtle change.

Wang Yuting immediately realized she had made a mistake and quickly comforted her, "It's okay! I know you've been working very hard, busy with work every day, and you're still a student but have to shoulder so much. I'll teach you from now on, don't worry! After all, I graduated from a university, high school courses are no problem for me! Tell me, which subject are you not good at, and I'll prepare."

"not me……"

Lin Jiu hesitated, unsure how to explain.

Wang Yuting looked at him, her expression softening even more, and reached out to pat Lin Jiu's head.

"It's okay! Even if you fail all your subjects, I will patiently teach you." Wang Yuting's lips curled up slightly as she said affectionately, "You will always be number one in my heart, you are the best."

Lin Jiu was stunned.

He felt the warmth of Wang Yuting's palm and suddenly felt his body relax a lot.

Since his grandmother left, no one has gently stroked his head or praised him like that.

There was always a little boy living in Lin Jiu's heart.

It's not that he doesn't want to get a high score, it's just that it wouldn't make sense to get one.

When his parents first divorced, his grandmother told him not to overthink it, to focus on his studies and exams, and that getting high scores might make his father happier. Lin Jiu was thirteen years old then, no longer a child, and capable of independent thought.

He didn't believe he could change the man, but he believed in his grandmother.

Grandma hadn't lied to him; everything she said was true.

Lin Jiu took the exams seriously and scored high marks in Chinese, math, English, and science, returning home with a certificate recognizing her as the top student in the entire grade. She eagerly wanted to show it to that man, but he never returned, so she simply placed the certificate on the table.

When he was woken from his deep sleep, he groggily pushed open the door and found many people playing cards in the living room.

Those people were smoking, drinking, and gambling. They made a huge fuss about winning and losing, and they were making a lot of noise.

The man ate the greasy barbecue, using Lin Jiu's certificate to hold bamboo skewers and bits of bone he spat out, treating it like waste paper, and finally wrapped it up and threw it into the trash can.

It's like garbage.

Lin Jiu silently returned to her room, locked the door, and curled up into a small ball on the narrow bed.

He didn't cry; he laughed, but it was a very sad laugh.

Grandma is lying.

From then on, Lin Jiu had an indifferent attitude towards exams, as long as she passed.

Even for the high school entrance exam, I only glanced at the admission score of the school closest to my home, and then easily passed the exam.

This behavior is immature and irresponsible. It's like when you encounter a teacher you dislike in school, you stop learning about the subjects taught by that teacher, even important subjects like Chinese, math, and English.

Everyone has experienced this kind of childish behavior.

The junior high school homeroom teacher had tried to contact Lin Jiu's parents to find out what was going on, but they never paid any attention. Every time there was a parent-teacher conference, Lin Jiu's seat was always empty; that man hadn't come even once in the three years of junior high.

Later, someone spread the word about Lin Jiu's family situation in the class, and everyone suddenly realized that Lin Jiu was not from a wealthy family. The people who saw him going in and out of the urban village were not mistaken; he actually lived there.

Gradually, no one walked with Lin Jiu home from school anymore. Those good buddies who used to be inseparable, practically inseparable, all distanced themselves from him and even gossiped about him behind his back.

"Do you think Lin Jiu, living in a place like that, might have some interaction with those older women?"

"Who knows? Maybe if you save your allowance to go see the world, you might even see Lin Jiu coming out to entertain guests."

"Wouldn't that be better? Uh, no, I mean... could you lend me some money? I need it urgently."

A group of people, preoccupied with their own expectations of Lin Jiu, were also preoccupied with their own disappointment in her. Rumors, slander, and pervasive passive-aggressive behavior abounded. They seemed to have transformed into messengers of justice, kicking a victim who was already mired in trouble. The more ruthless they were, the more satisfaction they derived from it.

After Lin Jiu was admitted to high school, she stopped having much contact with her classmates, partly because she didn't have time and partly because she felt it was unnecessary.

Lin Jiu's habit of casually taking exams remained unchanged. It wasn't that she wasn't interested in scholarships; the top student in the grade for a semester received 500 yuan as a scholarship, which, without any subsidies or night shift overtime pay, was roughly equivalent to the salary for working 37 hours at a convenience store.

But whenever he tries to get serious, the scene from that night always flashes through his mind.

No matter how many times he tears this page apart in his mind, it will always reappear unexpectedly.

The little boy in Lin Jiu's heart was always locked in a small room of less than ten square meters, with the sounds of a group of men playing cards, drinking, and smoking constantly echoing outside, endlessly replaying the same nightmare.

"..."

Lin Jiu held Wang Yuting's hand and murmured, "If I do well on my exams, will you be happy for me?"

"Of course! If you can get into the top 100 in the whole grade, no, the top 300 will do! If you can do that, I will give you a reward!" Wang Yuting thought for a moment and quietly lowered her requirements.

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiu gently shook her head.

Wang Yuting pursed her lips: "Too difficult?"

"No, that's too easy. We need to get first place."

Lin Jiu smiled confidently, his eyes seemingly shining, reflecting Wang Yuting's smile.

"Boom."

The long-sealed iron gate shook heavily, the mottled chains rattled, and thick dust was kicked up.

The little boy, curled up in the corner of the bed, slightly raised his head.

Chapter Seventeen: The Wounded Wildcat

A hot and restless night.

A male high school student going through puberty.

A young, single woman who is having her first intimate encounter with a man.

"Are we really going to do this?"

The boy was quite nervous, his breathing was heavy, his heart was racing, and he felt a strange, tingling sensation in his limbs. It was his first time experiencing something like this, and he wasn't completely averse to it, especially since he was with a beautiful older woman... However, his shame outweighed his joy; being so naive, he had never imagined such a day would come.

"Of course, that's a must!"

"But... I'm not mentally prepared."

"Don't be nervous, everyone has a first time. I believe you'll get used to it soon, Lin Jiu... Be bold! Be confident! You're the best in the world! I can prove to the whole world that you're the cutest."

"No, don't shout so loudly!"

Lin Jiu looked around, thankfully no one was around.

They are not at home now, but outdoors.

If this were back home, there wouldn't be a soul in sight by now. But this is S City, and specifically the most bustling Fukou District, where the streets are still filled with people even in the dead of night.

Lin Jiu had changed into a burgundy knitted dress, her hands clasped together shyly, her pretty face flushed with embarrassment, making her look incredibly endearing. At that moment, she resembled a girl who had stepped out of a painting, ethereal and dreamlike, making Wang Yuting want to grab a megaphone and shout to the whole world, "My Lin Jiu is so cute!"

The dress I wore before was too fitted and not suitable for going out.

The reason is simple: Wang Yuting doesn't have men's underwear, and Lin Jiu can't fit into her underwear either.

Lin Jiu had been sitting on his bare bottom all day, and he couldn't keep going like this forever. Even if Wang Yuting didn't mind, Lin Jiu himself would! After all, Wang Yuting's skirt was of such high quality, the fabric was incredibly soft, and it felt strangely itchy and cool against his skin. Plus, Wang Yuting was constantly exuding the charm of a mature older sister, which was a serious challenge for the hot-blooded Lin Jiu. Although he hadn't grown taller, all the other parts of his body had developed!

Having no other choice, Lin Jiu had to swallow her pride and ask Wang Yuting to help her buy underwear.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yuting's eyes lit up immediately, and she suggested that they go shopping together.

“It’s not just your shorts, we also need to buy some daily necessities. Think about it, toothbrushes, towels, cups, and slippers are essential, right? I’ll forgive you for not brushing your teeth today because of the special circumstances, but from now on you must brush them twice a day, morning and night. Our goal is to have no cavities! Besides, we don’t have any ingredients at home, we’ve finished our potato chips, and we don’t have any snacks to use for fried rice.”

"No, not all snacks can be used to make fried rice..."

In short, under Wang Yuting's persuasion, Lin Jiu was finally convinced.

Wang Yuting has excellent communication skills, mainly because she is confident in her abilities.

Her job involves dealing with all sorts of people every day. Whether it's dealing with her superiors, managing over a hundred people under her, or handling customer complaints, she can resolve them all perfectly.

It doesn't matter if you encounter unreasonable people.

She practices martial arts so that idiots will talk to her calmly.

She studies so that she can talk to idiots calmly.

"There's still a supermarket this late..."

Lin Jiu looked around curiously. He had lived in a similar place when he was young, but back then he always followed his mother around. Even though he still retained some of the memories, a sense of novelty still welled up inside him.

Having lived in an urban village for a long time, suddenly coming to such a high-end community will naturally make you feel elated.

"The supermarket closes at 1 a.m., the convenience store is open 24 hours, and these fitness facilities are free; they're part of the community service. I work at that shopping mall, and you can see the big sign from here!"

Wang Yuting was in high spirits, as if she were sharing her own kingdom, introducing Lin Jiu to every detail of her life. Unconsciously, Lin Jiu was infected by her smile, blinking curiously as she absorbed the scene before her into her memory, her tense shoulders relaxing considerably.

"There's a convenience store downstairs from your house... why do you always have to go to Wango convenience store?"

"My Lin Jiu still asked a stupid question."

"Who's the idiot?!"

"You are."

Wang Yuting snorted, refusing to accept Lin Jiu's rebuttal.

"You're so silly." Wang Yuting stopped and cupped Lin Jiu's face in her hands, looking directly into his eyes. "Of course I went to see you. Otherwise, why would I go so far? It's not even on my way."

"Oh……"

Lin Jiu instantly lost her temper.

She always does this, throwing the ball straight at you with a serious expression.

If Lin Jiu could find even a trace of hypocrisy in her expression and actions, he wouldn't be so bewildered and helpless, acting like a docile and obedient little wife.

"..."

Lin Jiu pursed her lips, her heart filled with emotion.

On the darkest day of his life, he was betrayed by his blood relatives, displaced, and homeless.

As he swayed precariously in the pouring rain, his exhausted body collapsed to the ground, and consciousness began to fade. He thought his life was over—but Wang Yuting carried him home, changed him into clean clothes, covered him with a warm blanket, and cooked him a comforting bowl of instant porridge. She told him not to be afraid; she had given him a choice: a new job… and a home.

Lin Jiu doesn't trust people.