Chapter 112: The Mysterious You

When Liu Yunfei arrived at the classroom, he found another group waiting for him—this time, they were there to ask for money. But since Liu Yunfei had already promised to donate, and the donors were willing, even the principal personally came to invite him to the conference room for a chat.

“Little Yunfei,” the principal began, “after the tally, our school has 56 teachers, 28 staff members, and 9 security guards...” He glanced up at Liu Yunfei with a grim expression and quickly added, “Oh, the computers are only needed by the teachers. Those excluded, then. Would your parents prefer to donate money or computers?”

Of course, Liu Yunfei hoped for a cash donation. Fifty-six computers would be a huge business, and those computer companies might trample over his family’s doorstep with offers.

Liu Yunfei had already prepared the money he intended to donate. He pulled out some laptop advertisement flyers from his bag, took a sip of water, and said, “Let them pick their preferred models—each around ten thousand yuan—and they’ll pay the difference themselves. Then compile a list and give it to me; I’ll buy them and have them delivered.”

“That’s best, that’s best,” the principal sighed, resigned to missing out on extra perks. But at least there would be a computer. His son, now in grade three, had been pestering him for a new one, so this would save him ten thousand yuan.

Gao Yueqiu was feeling a bit down that afternoon. It was her first day at work, and despite her efforts to get along with the veteran teachers, she hadn’t quite integrated with them. That afternoon, the colleagues in her office were furtively filling out some forms. She wasn’t interested in gossip, but when she heard them mention Liu Yunfei, her curiosity was piqued—after all, he was her own student. She moved closer to listen, but as soon as the teachers noticed her approach, they fell silent and quickly stuffed the forms into a drawer.

What was going on? Why so secretive, like they were guarding against thieves? Gao Yueqiu’s mood darkened. But she couldn’t blame the teachers. As a new temporary teacher, she naturally wasn’t included. If she found out, she’d surely be upset and might even cause a scene with the principal. So, of course, they avoided her.

Because of Liu Yunfei’s guarantee and donation, when he requested leave from evening study sessions, Teacher Zhu didn’t hesitate to approve. But after Liu Yunfei left the office, Teacher Zhu suddenly recalled something Liu Yunfei had said—that he guaranteed to be top of the class in every exam. Was that a guarantee, a reminder, or a bargaining chip? Did Liu Yunfei mean that after donating, he must be rewarded with first place every time? If that were true, what would happen to the other teachers? Zhu, who taught Chinese, wasn’t confident in helping him, let alone the others.

As Liu Yunfei walked into the classroom, he noticed girls whispering and pointing at him. When they caught his gaze, they struck their most beautiful poses, flashed their most alluring eyes, and offered their most enchanting smiles. Liu Yunfei raised his right hand and waved, “Thank you for your hard work, ladies.”

In response came a chorus: “At your service, Liu Yunfei! Hehe.”

You can’t force a flower to bloom, but an accidental seedling might grow into a shade-giving tree. Although the willow tree had flourished, Liu Yunfei wanted a flower—not a willow—and certainly not a rose at this time.

As he entered, Liu Yunfei caught Zhang Xiaoli’s cold stare, sending a chill through him. That look was deeply etched in his memory—the same one she often cast after Wu Jiangya fell for someone else. It was like an arrow driven deep into his heart, touching it brought unbearable pain. To think Zhang Xiaoli had learned that look, too—was she about to plant a similarly cruel, sharp arrow into his chest?

Liu Yunfei forced himself not to meet her cold gaze, his mind echoing with a lyric from Jacky Cheung: “I’d rather go blind than see.” This time, his heart was truly breaking—without a trace.

At the moment Liu Yunfei turned away, Zhang Xiaoli’s eyes flickered with complex emotions: eagerness, regret, and pain. Did he really hurt her? Was she truly wounded? Had he been too harsh? But if she didn’t do this to make him give up completely, even greater suffering would fall on both their families. Those people were not to be trifled with—they were bullies, gangsters, capable of anything. Last night, they even threatened her parents: if she didn’t date him, they’d wreck her family’s business; if she was with someone else, they’d leave him in the hospital forever. They were ruthless.

I can’t be selfish. I can’t let my own love cause trouble for everyone. If sacrificing myself can bring peace to my family and happiness to the one I love, then what regrets do I have? Though it pains me, seeing them happy makes me happy, doesn’t it? But is he really happy? From his evasive actions, his pain is clear.

During class, Liu Yunfei knew Zhang Xiaoli had stolen countless glances at him, but he dared not meet her eyes. He feared that gaze; one look, and he would never want to see it again.

During the break, Yu Xiaowei asked, “My Casanova brother, what’s with you and Zhang Xiaoli? Having a fight? Sulking?”

“Heh, no fight. Just not talking,” Liu Yunfei smiled bitterly.

“The little whirlwind Liu Yunfei is now surrounded by beauties, dazzled and spoiled. Are you ignoring Zhang Xiaoli now? If you don’t want her, why did you publicly announce you’d been with her? Isn’t that just hurting her, making everyone know you played her and dumped her?” Yu Xiaowei didn’t hold back, criticizing Liu Yunfei harshly. He believed true friends should be honest, even if after a summer they barely understood each other. If Liu Yunfei didn’t want a friend like him, then he didn’t want an ungrateful friend.

“You guessed wrong. It’s the other way around—I was dumped,” Liu Yunfei continued to smile bitterly.

Yu Xiaowei was stunned; the truth was completely opposite to what he imagined and found it hard to believe. “No way. Did you do something wrong? Hurt her feelings?”

“Nothing like that. It’s just baffling. We were fine before last night’s study session, then suddenly she told me she already has a boyfriend.”

“Ah, I’ll call Zhang Juan to ask around. She might not tell you, but she’ll tell a good friend. This is a classic ploy in the game of love—indirect attack. Sometimes they team up for a double takedown. But I’m not interested in Zhang Xiaoli, so don’t overthink it.” Yu Xiaowei waved Zhang Juan over.

It seemed the little girl was indeed under Yu Xiaowei’s spell—her eyebrows carried a coquettish charm. Upon hearing that it was about a friend, her gossip instinct kicked in. “Here’s a secret: Zhang Xiaoli’s parents introduced a boyfriend to her. She didn’t want it but couldn’t refuse. She’s been troubled lately.”

“She told me her parents favor sons and treat her badly. They must be after some rich guy. Isn’t this selling their daughter?” Liu Yunfei said bitterly.

“That’s your fault; you should’ve opened your eyes earlier. Maybe she’s already pregnant, so no one else matters now,” Yu Xiaowei teased wickedly.

“Oh, really? You and Zhang Juan, huh? Don’t forget to send me some red eggs. Haha.” Liu Yunfei, understanding Zhang Xiaoli’s rejection, felt his frustration ease somewhat. If Zhang Juan’s words were true, it was simple—now he was a wealthy man.

The class bell rang, and Zhang Juan hurriedly said, “You scoundrel, Fei, don’t tell anyone I told you. Zhang Xiaoli wants us to keep it secret.”

Liu Yunfei thought, You’ve told everything already, and now you want me to keep quiet? But Zhang Xiaoli would thank you later, not blame you.

Finally, the school day ended. Liu Yunfei packed up and dashed out, driving his Porsche toward the city hospital. Unexpectedly, he hit traffic just outside the school gate. Private cars were increasing, yet the city’s infrastructure lagged behind. The number of traffic jams during rush hour was growing, and Liu Yunfei felt driving this car was actually slower than walking.

He turned on the radio. The clear voice of a local traffic host came on: “Up next is a request from Sanny—a mysterious song. This new single by famous singer Lin Ruoxue was inspired by her personal experiences.”

A slow, melodious tune began, tenderly sung as if whispering into a lover’s ear—exactly Liu Yunfei’s style.

“You are my savior, you are my lover, you are a mysterious one; I have met you, feared you, yet cannot forget you.”

Liu Yunfei couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Ruoxue was singing about his benefactor. Did she have other benefactors? Hadn’t he saved her life? The “mysterious one” probably referred to his dual identity—sometimes student, sometimes prince—or perhaps this was truly her personal story. Was she really singing about him?