Chapter 69.2
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
“Jiang Shu is a straight-A student, there’s nothing to worry about.”
Ji Yun’s eyes lit up, a little too eagerly. “That’s even more reason to go! I’ve never had the honor of being on that side of the table. I was always the one getting roasted—every report card was followed by a round of bamboo shoot pork stir-fry at home.” She grinned. “Let me live vicariously for once. Oh! Do they still have those ‘Outstanding Parent’ speeches? I’ll go up for you. I can wing it. I’ve got material.”
===
“Bamboo shoot pork stir-fry” (竹笋烧肉) is a pun. While it’s a real dish, Ji Yun uses it as dark humor to describe getting spanked with a bamboo stick after bad grades—a reference to traditional discipline, disguised as a joke about food.
===
Qiao Ziman rolled her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s high school, not a street fair. They’re not just gonna let you stroll in and join a parent-teacher conference.”
Ji Yun scoffed. “Why not? I’ll just pretend to be some random relative, walk in with you and your sister. Nobody knows me there. Who’s gonna call me out?”
Qiao Ziman wasn’t so sure about that.
In the end, she gave Ji Yun a fair warning. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Ji Yun grinned. “What would I have to regret?”
The two of them had lunch together, then stopped by a mall to pick out a few new outfits.
Around four in the afternoon, they drove to Yude No. 1 High School. Jiang Shu led them toward her classroom.
Trailing behind, Ji Yun whispered, “If anyone asks who I am, just say I’m your second cousin—the one who’s known you since you were running around bare-bottomed. Don’t mess it up.”
Jiang Shu scrunched her nose, clearly annoyed. “Can you not say the ‘bare-bottomed’ part?”
“And besides,” she added reluctantly, “our Teacher Yu… she already knows about my sister…”
Before she could finish, Qiao Ziman quickly raised a hand. “Shh.”
She wasn’t about to let this spoiler ruin the moment—she wanted to enjoy the show.
Teacher Yu? Which Teacher Yu? Same surname as that flashy peacock…
No way—
Ji Yun immediately shook her head, brushing off the ridiculous thought. As if!
She conveniently ignored the rest of Jiang Shu’s sentence. “Tsk, so thin-skinned for someone so young. It just makes us seem closer, that’s all. Anyway, say what I told you, and I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
Jiang Shu changed her tune instantly. “Deal.”
Ji Yun strolled along the tree-lined path, snapping photos of the flowers and greenery like she was reliving her high school days. “Ah, feels like a walk down memory lane.”
Then, trying to sound casual, she asked, “By the way… your homeroom teacher—are they strict?”
“She’s not strict at all,” Jiang Shu replied. “She might look serious, but honestly? She’s super gentle with us.”
Gentle? That word had nothing—nothing—in common with that flashy peacock, and Ji Yun finally relaxed.
The three of them arrived at the classroom. Ji Yun, clearly thrilled, was touching everything—poking here, tapping there.
“Second Cousin!” Jiang Shu called out. “Second cousin?”
“…”
Qiao Ziman sighed, stepped forward, and tugged Ji Yun’s sleeve. “Second Cousin, Jiang Shu’s calling you.”
Ji Yun: “Oh! Oh right, I’m Second Cousin. Sorry, forgot my role for a sec.”
She made her way to the very back of the classroom and slid into the most hidden seat she could find, then waved to Qiao Ziman. “Come on, sit here! Best real estate in the house.”
Qiao Ziman giggled. “Sounds good to me!”
Jiang Shu: “…Second Cousin, Sis… I’m a good student, you know. I don’t need to act like I’m hiding from the cops…”
Ji Yun and Qiao Ziman both gave sheepish little laughs. “Force of habit. Sorry.”
Jiang Shu: “…”
Eventually, the two of them moved to the front row. Ji Yun immediately switched on her social butterfly mode. She practically beamed, showing off: “This is my cousin! Just got first in her entire grade again!”
“Wow, that’s amazing! What a bright kid. How’d you raise her so well?”
Ji Yun waved a hand dramatically. “Ah, let me tell you, raising kids—it’s all about…” and off she went, launching into a full-blown parenting seminar.
Jiang Shu and Qiao Ziman exchanged a look, completely speechless.
As the class bell rang, Jiang Shu quickly leaned toward Ji Yun. “Our homeroom teacher’s coming.”
The moment she heard the words homeroom teacher, Ji Yun shot up straight like a soldier standing at attention, spine stiff, nervously gulping. It was the kind of fear etched deep into one’s bones.
Jiang Shu: “…”
“I’m out,” she mumbled, watching the students clear out of the classroom.
And then, a tall woman holding a lesson plan strode in with elegant composure. Her black hair flowed neatly over her shoulders. Her expression was cool and collected. A pristine white blouse—buttoned all the way to the top without a single crease out of place.
She stepped up to the podium and addressed the seated parents.
“Good afternoon, everyone. I’m the homeroom teacher for Class 2A. My surname is Yu.”
Even her voice carried a no-nonsense edge. Turning to the chalkboard, she picked up a piece of chalk and wrote three graceful, deliberate characters:
喻书颜 (Yu Shuyan)
Ji Yun: “!!!”
Her mouth dropped open—wide enough to fit a whole duck egg.
She looked up at the elegant, bare-faced beauty standing at the podium… then back at the name on the board. A second too late, she finally connected the dots between this ice-cold academic goddess and the glammed-up peacock from her memories.
Ji Yun smacked the desk and shouted—loud and clear:
“WHAT THE—?!!”
Instantly, the surrounding parents turned to look at her with disapproving stares. Even Yu Shuyan frowned slightly.
Ji Yun immediately slapped a hand over her mouth and ducked her head, sinking as low into her seat as physically possible. Please don’t see me, please don’t see me, she prayed in her head. Dear God, just this once, let me disappear.
But alas, the heavens were not listening.
The sound of footsteps approached—measured and inescapable. They stopped right in front of her desk.
“Excuse me,” came a calm, authoritative voice. “Which student are you here for?”
Ji Yun pinched her throat to make it sound more respectable. “Jiang Shu.”
“Is that so? And you are…?”
Crap. She knows Boss Chi… she probably knows Jiang Shu’s whole family tree by now! How am I supposed to fake this?!
Ji Yun clenched her teeth and made a split-second decision. “That would be me.”
She looked up and locked eyes with a pair of cool, crystal-clear eyes.
Her heart skipped—no, tripped—on the spot. The contrast is unreal. From flashy peacock to icy schoolmistress… This woman is out here redefining duality.
But just as Ji Yun started spiraling into admiration, reality hit back—hard.
Yu Shuyan didn’t miss a beat. Her tone was sharp, direct. “Ma’am, have we met before?”
Then, even colder: “If you’re not a guardian, I’ll have to ask you to leave the classroom.”
No way. If she got kicked out now, where was she supposed to put her old face? Ji Yun frantically blinked at Yu Shuyan, practically sending out an SOS in Morse code with her eyelashes. There was even a hint of genuine pleading in her eyes—a rare sight indeed.
Yu Shuyan’s lips twitched, just barely. The cold glint in her eyes sharpened as she looked directly at Ji Yun.
“I meant you.”
Her voice was crisp, clear, and merciless.
“Out.”
Ji Yun: “!!!”
Unbelievable. This was revenge—blatant, cold-blooded revenge!
