"He insulted my mom, so why shouldn’t I hit him!"

Qin Jiao said coolly, "Chen Feng, remember what you said today. Time will tell you what the truth is."

After she spoke, she realized she was still holding Shen Yi’s arm. He had been sweating from basketball, but the sweat had gone cold. He was damp all over, and his cheek was still red and swollen.

Qin Jiao said with a sigh, "Go put your jacket on, or you’ll get sick."

"I won’t get sick."

The two walked off, exchanging a few words. The surrounding students shot Chen Feng complicated glances before turning to leave.

"I never thought Chen Feng was that kind of person."

"Hey, why does Chen Feng always say people are bad-mouthing his mom? Did she really do something shameful?"

Hearing the whispers, Chen Feng finally snapped. "What nonsense are you talking about? Shut up, all of you!"

His usual good-guy image completely shattered. Right then, Chen Feng looked almost hysterical.

Qin Jiao glanced back. For some reason, Chen Feng’s current state seemed vaguely familiar.

A strange feeling flashed through her. When she turned back, she saw that Shen Yi, beside her, was completely silent.

Qin Jiao suspected Shen Yi had provoked Chen Feng on purpose. But based on his reaction, Chen Feng was clearly determined to stand by his mother.

’This war should have been fought by the adults,’ she thought. ’But instead, the children are on the front lines.’

Qin Jiao sighed softly, resolving to stay far away from the Shen Family’s murky affairs.

So for the rest of the afternoon, she didn’t say a word and just focused on her work. Shen Yi glanced at her silently several times, but in the end, he didn’t say anything either.

Before school let out, Sun Guotao announced the date for the third monthly exam. He also told the students to relax and just do their best. Then, with a wave of his hand, he dismissed them for the day.

Qin Jiao packed her bag, stood up, and started to leave. After a few steps, she noticed the person next to her hadn’t followed. She looked back and found Shen Yi still slumped over his desk.

’I can’t just leave him like this.’ 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Qin Jiao walked back and knocked on his desk. "Shen Yi, school’s out. Wake up."

Shen Yi looked like he had just woken up. His face was a little flushed, and his gaze was hazy as it rested on Qin Jiao.

Sensing something was wrong, Qin Jiao waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Shen Yi?"

"Oh, school’s out?" His voice was a little hoarse. He slowly got to his feet and sluggishly packed his books into his bag. After a long moment, he followed Qin Jiao out.

Most of the students were gone, and the bike shed was nearly empty. Their two bicycles were parked side by side, looking as if they were the only ones there.

Qin Jiao heard him breathing heavily beside her, and his steps were especially unsteady. She finally had to ask, "Shen Yi, are you all right?"

"I’m fine. Just... a little dizzy."

Qin Jiao froze. Just then, a light caught his face, revealing an unnatural flush. She reached out to feel his forehead—it was burning up!

In truth, Shen Yi was still quite lucid. After basketball, he had gone to the men’s restroom and taken a cold shower. After putting his body through all that, he had finally managed to catch a cold.

His entire body felt like it was burning in a furnace, but Qin Jiao’s hand felt delightfully cool.

The touch was fleeting.

Shen Yi’s eyes were half-closed as he instinctively tried to find that trace of coolness again.

But Qin Jiao frowned and said, "You’re running a fever! I’ll take you to the clinic."

In those days, the school didn’t have a nurse’s office. At best, some teachers might keep cold medicine for emergencies. But school was already out and most of the teachers had gone home, so a clinic was their only option.

As Qin Jiao was trying to remember where the nearest clinic was, Shen Yi spoke up. "No clinic. I’m going home."