Si Zuochen didn’t know whether Si Youlin had really taken his words to heart. In any case, he didn’t mention Jiang Ran again for the rest of the way.

The two of them attended an elite private school. Given the status of the Si family, their classmates’ families should have long warned their children to keep their distance from them.

But ever since Si Yanxiao’s accident and coma—combined with Jiang Ran’s attitude toward them becoming common knowledge in high society—their situation had turned awkward.

As a result, the positions of Si Zuochen and Si Youlin at school became extremely delicate.

At this age, when everyone was competitive and hot-headed, it was inevitable that some people would try to ridicule them.

Not long after Si Youlin stepped into the classroom, a classmate came in and said someone was looking for him.

Whispers immediately rose around them:

“Probably that guy from the Fu family again. He’s always picking on Si Youlin—what’s the point?”

“Who knows? Maybe they just can’t stand each other.”

“But he’s the only one who dares to provoke that little devil.”

Si Youlin frowned slightly, put down his backpack, and walked out.

As soon as he left the classroom, he saw someone about his age standing there, with several lackeys behind him.

Si Youlin let out a cold laugh.
“You were looking for me?”

As if they were just naturally incompatible, Fu Yuyang felt irritated the moment he saw Si Youlin. Things were obviously tough for him, yet he still insisted on putting on a façade of glamour.

A sanctimonious hypocrite.

“Si Youlin! Are you sick or something? Always running to tell on people! If you’ve got guts, don’t pull sneaky tricks behind my back!”

Fu Yuyang accused him angrily.

Si Youlin was momentarily stunned, then reacted with a hint of mockery in his voice.

“Oh? No wonder it’s been so peaceful these past few days—I haven’t heard flies buzzing in my ear. Turns out you got scolded.”

“What happened this time? Locked up by Uncle Fu again?”

Fu Yuyang was instantly furious. If it weren’t for Si Youlin snitching, he wouldn’t have gotten chewed out.

His father usually doted on him, but the moment anything involved the two sons of the Si family, it was like he’d swallowed gunpowder.

He had explicitly ordered Fu Yuyang not to bully them at school and instead to help and look out for them.

Bah!

Si Youlin didn’t need anyone’s help. He dominated the school—Fu Yuyang was practically the only one who dared to mess with him.

And yet he still ended up getting punished.

“Do you have something to say?” Si Youlin couldn’t be bothered to engage.
“If not, I’m going back in.”

“Hey! Is that how you talk to my boss?” one of Fu Yuyang’s followers—a transfer student—suddenly spoke up, stepping forward as if to teach Si Youlin a lesson.

Si Youlin frowned. Just as the guy’s hand landed on his shoulder, Si Youlin grabbed his arm and twisted.

Bang!

A heavy body hit the ground.

Seeing this, Fu Yuyang couldn’t help rubbing his forehead.

So embarrassing…

By the time the transfer student came to his senses, he realized he was already sprawled on the floor.

At that moment, a voice came from behind them.

“What’s going on?”

Fu Yuyang jolted and turned around immediately.
“Brother Zuochen.”

Si Zuochen nodded in acknowledgment and walked up to Si Youlin. Seeing the person lying on the ground, he frowned slightly.

He said to Fu Yuyang, “Take him away. Don’t block the place.”

“Yes, yes.” The two students behind Fu Yuyang quickly helped the guy up.

Despite being the same age, Si Zuochen had carried an imposing, authoritative presence since childhood.

Fu Yuyang dared to provoke Si Youlin, but he never dared to say an extra word in front of Si Zuochen.

“The exam’s about to start again. Go in,” Si Zuochen said quietly to Si Youlin.

“Mm.” Si Youlin nodded, casting a provocative glance at Fu Yuyang before leaving.

Fu Yuyang forced himself to swallow his anger. The transfer student who had just been thrown rubbed his sore shoulder in confusion.

“What’s going on? Why did the boss just leave like that?”

A classmate beside him glanced at him sideways.
“You just transferred here, so you don’t know. Those two are the school’s real troublemakers. You’d better steer clear of them in the future.”

“And don’t be fooled—our boss might always go picking fights with Si Youlin, but if anything really happens to him, the boss would be the first to charge in.”

They might despise each other, but they were also best friends.

Ding ding ding—

As the bell signaling the end of the exam rang out, students gradually returned to their classrooms to continue lessons.

Meanwhile, Jiang Ran was enjoying herself wandering around when her phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number.

She hesitated briefly, then answered.

“Hello, are you the mother of Si Zuochen and Si Youlin?”

Jiang Ran froze. Her first thought was—again?

Don’t tell her they got “kidnapped” again.

Suppressing her displeasure, she replied, “Yes. Who is this?”

“I’m their homeroom teacher. Today was a mock exam, and classes resumed afterward—but they skipped class. I wanted to ask if you were aware of this?”

“No,” Jiang Ran answered bluntly.

“Skipping class will be recorded as a demerit. And every time we call you, you say you’re too busy. You even send the maid to parent meetings. Do you know how your children behave at school?”

Listening to the teacher’s accusations, Jiang Ran frowned.

So what was this supposed to mean?

Was she being condemned now?

When Jiang Ran didn’t respond, the teacher continued on her own.

“These two fight and skip class frequently. No matter what problems there are at home, you shouldn’t just neglect your children, should you?”

“Oh?” Jiang Ran finally interrupted.
“Then how are their grades?”

The teacher paused for a moment but answered honestly.
“Si Zuochen ranks first in the entire grade. Si Youlin is also among the top.”

“But grades don’t explain everything, ma’am.”

“Yes,” Jiang Ran nodded. “You’re right. But since I’ve sent my children to school, then during school hours, shouldn’t the school be responsible?”

“What’s the point of telling me about skipping class? Isn’t it the teacher’s job to educate them?”

After saying that, Jiang Ran let out a long breath.
“If there’s nothing else, teacher, I’ll hang up now.”

Without waiting for a response, she ended the call.

Heh.

Failing to fulfill her duty as a teacher, taking no real measures, and the moment the call connects—only accusations and moral condemnation.

What else could she do besides standing on a moral high ground?

Anyway, she couldn’t be bothered to care about those two brats. As long as nothing major happened, she wasn’t going to interfere.

On the other side, after skipping class and returning home, Si Zuochen and Si Youlin discovered that Jiang Ran still wasn’t back.

Even someone as composed as Si Zuochen couldn’t help feeling restless.

He hurried to the internet café basement. When he went inside, he found the window wide open—she was long gone.

“So she jumped out the window?”

After returning to the villa, Si Zuochen told Si Youlin what had happened. Si Youlin looked shocked.

“Yes.” Si Zuochen nodded, his brows tightly knit.

What he couldn’t understand was this: if that woman had climbed out through the window, her first reaction should have been to storm back to the villa and cause trouble for them.

So why hadn’t she exploded? Why had she disappeared without a sound?

Just as Si Zuochen was turning it over in his mind, unable to figure it out, the phone in the living room suddenly rang.

The two brothers exchanged a glance. Si Zuochen walked over and picked it up.

“Hello? Who is this?”

“A-Chen.”

Old Master Si’s voice came through the line.