Chapter 116: The wooden beauty of Young Master Sheng
Chapter 116: The Value of Being Number One
"Chenchen!"
The car window opened, revealing a familiar face in the passenger seat – Xia Changli.
Although they often communicated over the phone, it had been a while since they last met in person.
Xia Changli was pleasantly surprised. "I'm currently tutoring a high school student preparing for the college entrance exam, the child of this gentleman."
She introduced the person in the car to Jiang Chenchen, a well-mannered middle-aged man wearing glasses.
The person in the car nodded towards Jiang Chenchen from inside.
After the initial surprise, Xia Changli asked, "Chenchen, where are you going?"
Jiang Chenchen felt someone in the rear seat looking at her through the shaded rear window, a gaze so intense it momentarily disturbed her thoughts. She replied, "I'm visiting a classmate who lives here."
"That's quite far." Xia Changli looked at the man in the driver's seat and said, "Mr. Zhao, can you give my friend a ride as well?"
The man in the car, Mr. Zhao, was also polite. "No problem, come on in."
So, Jiang Chenchen got into the car. When she opened the rear door, she noticed the person inside, someone she had seen a few times.
"What a coincidence."
Zhao Han greeted her, his long hair covering half of one eye, shielding it from the cold light.
"Oh, hello."
Jiang Chenchen responded, but he was sitting by the door and showed no signs of moving.
She looked at him. "Hmm?"
After scrutinizing her for a while, Zhao Han, with every nuance of his expression intact, only responded after hearing the reminder from Mr. Zhao in the front, as if he had just realized, "Ah, sorry."
He shifted inside, making room for Jiang Chenchen to sit.
"Chenchen, are you classmates? What a coincidence?" Xia Changli turned her head to look at Jiang Chenchen in the back. "Mr. Zhao's son has excellent grades. If you're classmates, you can ask him for help with your studies."
Before Jiang Chenchen could answer, Zhao Han interjected, "If you have any academic problems, feel free to ask. But, Teacher Xia, did you two become friends through private tutoring?"
He rarely engaged in casual conversations other than academic exchanges. He seemed unusually mature for his age.
This sudden question caught Xia Changli off guard, and she nodded, saying, "Ah, it's almost like that, but we're also good friends."
"Good friends." Zhao Han repeated the words in a low voice, casting a sidelong glance at the person beside him.
Jiang Chenchen noticed his gaze and looked at him. "What's wrong?"
Zhao Han's eyes flickered, and he shrugged. "Nothing."
He shifted his gaze to the window.
Soon, they arrived at the residential area. Jiang Chenchen got off first. Xia Changli waved at her, reminding, "Be careful. Take a taxi when you go back to school later; it might be too late for public transportation. Understand?"
She continued to offer advice, fearing Jiang Chenchen might have trouble managing.
Jiang Chenchen nodded, "Okay."
She then walked to Bai Junwen's house. The homeroom teacher had given her the address, and after locating the villa, she rang the doorbell.
Soon, a person came to open the door, a modestly dressed middle-aged woman. Seeing Jiang Chenchen, she asked with curiosity, "Whom are you looking for?"
Jiang Chenchen replied, "I'm a classmate of Bai Junwen, here to visit her."
The housemaid at the Bai residence was quite surprised that someone came to see Miss Bai. Miss Bai, with her personality, rarely interacted with people, maintaining the same demeanor even after being brought from the countryside three years ago.
She thought she might have misheard. "Are you here to see Miss Junwen?"
"Yes, Bai Junwen."
"Oh, wait a moment."
The housemaid gave Jiang Chenchen a few glances, closed the door, and after a while, opened it again, inviting her inside.
In the living room, a sophisticated woman greeted her, "Are you Junwen's classmate?"
Jiang Chenchen nodded, "Hello."
"I'm her mother. She rarely mentions classmates. What's your name?"
Jiang Chenchen stated her name.
Qü Peizhi examined her with her eyes, finding the girl beautiful and sensing that she came from a well-off family.
"My Junwen hasn't been going to school recently. I'm sure you classmates are worried. This child is really hard to manage, not responding to anything. Who knows what she's thinking!"
While saying this, she grabbed Jiang Chenchen's hand warmly, saying affectionately, "Go upstairs and talk to her. Encourage her to be more open-minded. Academic performance doesn't represent everything. We're not lacking in these things. Even if she marries into a good family, she'll have a good life."
After speaking, noticing the lack of reaction from the classmate, who looked just like her daughter in terms of facial expressions, she released Jiang Chenchen's hand and had the housemaid escort her upstairs.
Jiang Chenchen observed the sudden change in this aunt's demeanor, registered it in her mind, and went upstairs, reaching the farthest room.
The housemaid knocked on the door.
The knocking was quite loud and a bit impatient.
"Miss Junwen, you have a classmate here! She's called..." She turned her head, "What's your name?"
"Jiang Chenchen."
So, the housemaid shouted with more force.
This time, it had an effect.
The door opened, leaving only a crack.
Bai Junwen was in the room wearing a hoodie and large glasses, concealing herself in the darkness of the room.
When she confirmed seeing Jiang Chenchen, it surprised her.
"I came to see you," Jiang Chenchen said, standing outside the door.
Bai Junwen, looking through her large glasses, only had sincerity in her eyes. She hesitated, then opened the door, allowing Jiang Chenchen to enter.
Jiang Chenchen walked in.
The door closed.
The housemaid outside snorted, "What's going on, acting all nervy."
The room was very dark, with no lights on.
Jiang Chenchen reached out to turn on the light, but Bai Junwen softly pleaded, "Don't turn on the light."
Jiang Chenchen's hand paused, "Okay."
The two stood there without moving.
After a moment of silence, Jiang Chenchen asked, "Why aren't you going to school?"
Her voice was neither fast nor slow, lacking the coercive force of interrogation.
Bai Junwen continued to move backward, as if contemplating for a long time, and finally said, "I don't want to go."
"Really don't want to go?" Jiang Chenchen asked.
Bai Junwen remained silent, and there were shimmering tears in her eyes hidden in the darkness.
She lowered her head. "I'm not the number one anymore."
"Hmm?"
She didn't want to go to school just because she wasn't the top student anymore? Did she, as the last-ranked student, have the qualification to advise her?
She wasn't good at comforting others and didn't know what to say next.
Suddenly, Bai Junwen squatted down, burying her head with a voice tinged with a crying tone.
"I am the only existence valued as the number one. But I'm not number one anymore. I've lost my value, and also..."
She raised her head, looking at Jiang Chenchen through the darkness.
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