Chapter 2
Jiang Shangwan flipped through the report card the principal handed her. It was supposedly the results from the most recent monthly exam. At the very top, two names instantly caught her eye—because both had scored over 700 points, an astounding achievement.
Rank 1: Shi Yu – Chinese: 139, Math: 150, English: 150, Science Composite: 289, Total: 728
Rank 2: Gao Lulu – Chinese: 139, Math: 135, English: 144, Science Composite: 282, Total: 700
Rank 3: … Total: 638
—
A nearly insurmountable gap.
“Shi Yu and Gao Lulu—these must be the two students with a real shot at getting into Tsinghua or Peking University, right? There are only a few months left before the college entrance exam. I hope they can surprise me,” Jiang Shangwan said with a light smile. “Which ones are they? I’d like to see them.”
The principal, still sweating a little from the earlier incident, led her to Class 3-1—the elite Rocket Class of Haidi High School. He knocked on the door and stepped inside, clearing his throat.
“Ahem… Shi Yu, Gao Lulu, please stand up. President Jiang, who donated to our school before, is here to check on your studies.”
As soon as he finished speaking, under the curious gazes of the entire classroom, Jiang Shangwan stepped in. A chorus of gasps and envious stares followed as her stunning face was revealed. At some point, her hair had been tied up high, showing off a small, delicate face. Her lips were lightly tinted with pink lipstick, yet it couldn’t hide her sharp, striking features.
She was like a fragrant, blooming flower—impossible to look away from, yet giving off an air of untouchable elegance. Jiang Shangwan lifted her gaze and saw a short-haired girl with bangs covering her forehead standing up timidly, biting her lip as she looked at her.
Then, another figure stood up slowly—a familiar one. He looked straight at her.
His eyes were bright and intense, staring directly at her as if trying to read every detail of her expression and movement.
Jiang Shangwan raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise.
She vaguely remembered him. This student was unusually tall, and up close, his features were deep-set. His eyes were clear and spirited. Although still a bit youthful, his eyebrows and overall aura were especially striking.
This “Shi Yu,” the top scorer by a landslide, the student with the best shot at getting into Tsinghua or Peking University, had both outstanding looks and a scholarly, sunny vibe.
And yet—he was the very same young man who had ruthlessly thrown someone to the ground in the cafeteria earlier.
Jiang Shangwan admitted she held some stereotypes about top students. For instance, the young man before her didn’t look like someone who always came in first place. Nor did he have the air of a school bully who would physically assault others.
But she quickly pushed aside those thoughts and acted as if she were completely unaware of the cafeteria incident. She lifted a finger and signaled to the assistant waiting by the door.
“I’ve heard your grades are excellent. You’ve worked hard. We’ve prepared a small gift for you two. Of course, the rest of the class will get one as well.”
The assistant stepped forward and handed each student a large
[efn_note]Gaokao (高考) refers to China’s National College Entrance Examination — it’s a highly competitive, standardized test that determines whether and where students can attend university in China. Think of it as a mix between the SAT/ACT and final high school exams, but far more intense and with much higher stakes.[/efn_note]
Gaokao support package. It included scantron pens, writing pens, erasers, a geometry set, scratch paper, and more—along with complete sets of practice exams and study guides. In addition, Shi Yu and Gao Lulu each received a separate gift bag.
Gao Lulu’s deskmate curiously nudged her arm. “What is it? Let me see.”
Gao Lulu frowned and bumped her back, then lightly shook her head, gesturing that someone was still watching.
After a few simple words of greeting, Jiang Shangwan prepared to leave, not wanting to disturb the students’ studies any longer. She left them with a final parting wish.
Her lips parted slightly, and her voice was no longer the immature tone of a teenage girl. It carried the softness and charm unique to a mature woman, brushing lightly against the heart like a feather—leaving behind a lingering tickle and shiver.
“
[efn_note]“A good wind can lift you high into the sky” is a metaphor. It means: With the right opportunity or support, you can achieve great success. “A good wind” represents a favorable situation, help, or timing. “Lift you high into the sky” symbolizes reaching a high position or achieving your dreams. It’s similar to saying “Ride the wave” or “Make the most of a good opportunity.”[/efn_note]
A good wind can lift you high into the sky. Life doesn’t offer many truly fair chances—Gaokao is one of them. I hope this gift brings you extraordinary luck, so that you perform to your fullest—maybe even beyond that. Good luck on the exam, and may your name shine on the golden list of top scorers.”
Shi Yu’s eyes stayed fixed on the doorway long after she had gone. No one knew how long she’d been gone already, yet he was still clutching the gift box tightly in his hand.
Meanwhile, Gao Lulu happily opened her special gift bag—only to freeze the moment she looked inside. It wasn’t school supplies. To her surprise, it was a delicate skincare set, along with a small sticky note that read:
“Don’t forget to love yourself while you study. Senior year means many sleepless nights—this gift is perfect for girls who stay up late.”
As a teenage girl who loved beauty but came from a modest background, receiving such a thoughtful and expensive gift made her eyes turn red with emotion. Overwhelmed, she excitedly stuffed the box into her desk, then instinctively glanced toward Shi Yu.
But he was still staring at the door, looking lost in thought.
Her heart suddenly felt sour and strange. She thought, If only I were as beautiful as that older sister… would Shi Yu also look at me for a long time?
Her deskmate’s eyes widened, nearly green with envy. “Being a top student is amazing. Is that makeup? And that C-logo… is that Chanel? It totally looks like something super fancy and expensive!”
Gao Lulu didn’t reply. She tilted her head and called out, “Shi Yu, what did you get?”
Shi Yu finally snapped out of it, lowering his head as if waking from a dream. He glanced at the gift box in his hand, then expressionlessly stuffed it into his backpack. “Nothing special.”
By the time school ended at noon, Shi Yu was still hunched over his desk, working on practice papers. Even when his dormmates called him to go eat, he didn’t move.
“Fine, fine, you keep writing. I’m going to eat,” one said before leaving.
Once the room emptied out, Shi Yu finally put down his pen. He quietly took the hidden gift box out of his backpack and slowly opened it.
After untying the ribbon and peeling off the wrapping paper, inside was a brand-new set of athletic clothes. A sticky note was attached:
“Don’t forget to exercise while studying. Make sure you stay active.”
Shi Yu silently tore off the sticky note, folded it carefully, and placed it in his pencil case. Although he thought such a thoughtful note didn’t seem like something a dazzling person like her would write. She was like a proud, dazzling peacock—how could someone like that be so considerate?
Still… he couldn’t help but wonder—
How did she know he liked playing basketball?
—
After leaving the school, she was already very tired. The weather and temperature in Haishi were really hard for her to handle. Her nose felt a bit sore and dry—she seemed to be coming down with a cold.
Jiang Shangwan said, “The gifts were very well prepared. To get everything so complete in such a short time is impressive.”
Since learning about these two kids, she had been paying close attention to preparing a gift. Something too expensive would be inappropriate, but it had to be thoughtful enough.
“It’s the least we could do,” the assistant hesitated for a moment, then said, “Miss Jiang, I took some time to find out about the boy who was involved in the fight at the cafeteria today. Apparently, the one who got beaten is a notorious troublemaker at school who often threatens high-achieving students to do his homework for him.
He happened to run into that kid named Shi Yu in the cafeteria. I heard Shi Yu is a top student in the Rocket Class. The troublemaker threatened him to write his homework, but Shi Yu refused. Then the troublemaker tried to throw soup on him, and that’s when the fight broke out.”
Jiang Shangwan rubbed her brow, recalling that young man’s temperament—delicate and upright. No wonder he didn’t seem like a troublemaker, just defending himself in self-defense. But she soon dismissed the thought and started to feel drowsy.
To her, the world of benefactors and those they help were two completely separate worlds, like two parallel lines that would never meet. To these kids, she was just an elder who greeted them briefly—a passing acquaintance with only a fleeting connection.
Jiang Shangwan lit a cigarette, holding the slender cigarette between her fingers. She inhaled and exhaled a smoke ring, as if the faint, suppressed sadness inside her was slowly dissipating with each breath.
Most adults restrain their negative emotions and digest them silently. As the current head of the Jiang family, Jiang Shangwan was no exception.
This trip was not in vain after all. Thinking of her parents’ legacy of philanthropy, she felt somewhat more at peace.
Jiang Shangwan thought Haishi left a fairly good impression on her. Although rundown and bleak, it was one of the few places that made her feel grounded and genuine—just like the cold, sharp air that blew against her face, straightforward and simple.
—
After returning to Jiangcheng, even after taking medicine in time, Jiang Shangwan developed a fever. Half asleep and half awake, she seemed to feel her soul being pulled away, floating lightly without knowing where she was.
She seemed to dream of her mother smiling as she took her hand to play the piano, and also saw her father carefully teaching her how to read contract terms word by word when signing papers. Silent tears fell as Jiang Shangwan opened her eyes in confusion. It was pitch black before her. After lighting up her phone screen, she found it was 4:05 in the morning.
In the boundless darkness, she once again felt the long loneliness. People say only those who desire money have desires, but money had been an endless resource for her since birth. She had everything—anything she wanted came easily. She was a person with very little desire.
Yet at this moment, she suddenly felt a strong desire to be accompanied.
Her fingers opened WeChat and scrolled up the contacts. She sent to Shen Luo: “188 male model, come keep me company now.”
The reply was quick, as if he had expected it—sure enough, he was up late.
Shen Luo: ??? You’re back?
Shen Luo: What’s the address?
Jiang Shangwan frowned. She never brought her playthings home, and only extremely close friends knew where she lived. This was a rule that everyone knew. But now, while she was at home, burning with fever and confused, she had actually forgotten her own rule.
Jiang Shangwan: Forget it.
Obviously, her current thought process wasn’t clear-headed—her overheated body from the fever had clouded her brain, leading her to give the wrong command. She hated the feeling of being irrational and losing control.
Shen Luo: Alright then, get some rest if you’re okay.
Jiang Shangwan turned off her phone screen. Her desire for sex or lust was extremely low. Even when friends sent her playthings with stunning appearances, at most she would only engage in a kiss or a hug—physical contact was rare. Relationships that lacked a mental connection simply didn’t interest her.
This also had to do with her past romantic experiences. Her first love left her with a terrible impression—there was far more pain than comfort, which left her with trauma and a strong aversion to deeper intimacy.
She had simply fallen for the illusion created by her brain in a moment of temporary loneliness. She didn’t actually need companionship—what she truly needed was a sense of security that allowed her to completely relax mentally.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Shi Yu suffered from insomnia for the first time in his life.
He tossed and turned, unable to get the image of that elegant figure—surrounded by a crowd and walking away—out of his mind. The curve of her eyelashes when she looked up, the way her lips pressed together when she spoke… it was all so vivid.
Shi Yu suddenly felt a bit irritated. Compared to straightforward problems and basketball, women were such complicated creatures—they made him feel deeply uneasy inside.