Chapter 152: Chapter 152: This Kid Is Too Fierce

He pushed the box toward Shanshan.

To his surprise, the young girl only glanced at it and didn’t reach out to take it.

She took a slight step back, a smile still on her lips.

"Thank you for the kind thought, but I can’t accept something so exquisite. I appreciate the sentiment, though. It’s very sweet."

"Shanshan!"

Qin Haoyu grew anxious. His voice rose, and his face instantly flushed red.

"Actually, I..."

Ling Zhiwei, who had been eavesdropping from around the corner, heard this and knew something was wrong.

He took a few steps out of the hallway shadows, deliberately making his footsteps loud.

"Well, well, look what the cat dragged in! Qin Haoyu, what wind blew you here today?"

As he spoke, he walked between the two of them, intentionally or not, blocking their line of sight.

His gaze swept over Qin Haoyu’s flushed face, and his heart skipped a beat.

’Damn, I was right.’

’This kid is serious. He’s actually here to confess!’

’Good thing I reacted fast and got here in time!’

But before his relief could even settle in, Qin Haoyu surprisingly didn’t back down.

Instead, he stepped forward, walked right past Ling Zhiwei to stand directly in front of Shanshan, and spoke even louder.

"Shanshan, I like you! I’ve liked you since the first time I saw you when we were kids! This pendant wasn’t just some random purchase, either. The raw stone it came from was supposed to be big enough for a pair of bracelets, but after cutting, this was all that was left, and I saved it all for you! Don’t think it’s too small. I’ll buy you something even better in the future!"

He took two sharp breaths after he finished.

Standing to the side, Ling Zhiwei was completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape wide enough to fit an egg.

He never expected this seemingly gentle boy to suddenly erupt with such courage.

’This kid is way too bold, isn’t he?’

’How dare he say that with her brother standing right here?’

Just as he was about to say something to control the situation and ease the tension, footsteps suddenly sounded at the door.

"I appreciate you taking the time to show Shanshan such kindness. However, you’re both still young, so there’s no need to rush into matters of the heart. This is valuable. You should take it back and have your parents keep it safe."

Ling Anxun stood there, still in his sharply tailored black suit.

Ling Zhiwei silently shuffled back a couple of steps, his back unconsciously straightening.

He had been terrified of this man since childhood, and now he didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

’Why is Uncle so scary today?’

"Dad! You’re back? Where’s the book you bought me?"

Shanshan, completely oblivious to the heavy atmosphere, bounced over and hugged Ling Anxun’s arm.

Ling Anxun’s expression softened slightly as he raised his other hand to gently pat her shoulder.

"Here, it’s right here."

"Shanshan is busy right now, so please excuse our poor hospitality. Haoyu, why don’t you come over and play another day?"

Qin Haoyu stared at the floor, his fingers tightly clutching the hem of his clothes.

"Oh, o-okay! I... I’ll come again next time! Goodbye, Shanshan! Goodbye, Uncle! Goodbye, big brother!"

Qin Haoyu practically scrambled out the door.

Ling Anxun’s gaze swept coolly over the shrinking figure at the door, but he said nothing.

He didn’t pull his gaze back until the pathetic silhouette had completely disappeared around the corner.

When he looked down at his own daughter, she was already sitting cross-legged on the sofa, engrossed in her book.

’This girl... It feels like she’s been running on wind and fire wheels every step of her life.’

’She started reciting poetry as soon as she could talk and was reading elementary school textbooks in kindergarten.’

’While other kids were still struggling with pinyin, she could already write out entire lessons from memory flawlessly.’

’Other children go through school one step at a time.’

’But her? She could skip several grades in a single leap.’

’She’s still so young, and in the blink of an eye, she’s about to take her exams.’

’She’s at an age where she should be in middle school, but now she’s preparing for her high school graduation exams.’

’What’s even more absurd... a boy already has his eyes on her?’

Just the thought gave Ling Anxun a headache. He was terrified that one day he’d open the door to find his daughter bringing home a boyfriend to meet him.

’Not now. Absolutely not.’

Feeling uneasy, he tentatively asked Shanshan about it.

She just said, "That classmate was spouting nonsense. I ignored him."

"Shanshan, if any male classmates tell you they like you in the future, ignore them, and definitely don’t accept any gifts. The most important thing for you right now is your studies. We can talk about other things after you’re an adult."

"Mm, I know."

Shanshan replied casually, only half-understanding what he meant.

The incident churned in Ling Anxun’s mind for several days.

But Shanshan had already put it out of her mind. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

She stuck to her daily schedule.

She had long since finished learning everything she needed to; now, she was just waiting for test day to arrive.

She stopped exploring new topics and instead focused on repeatedly reinforcing the knowledge she had already mastered.

Ling Zhenkang went so far as to clear out his small kitchen for her so she could read and do practice problems in peace.

He cleaned up the stove, brought in a wooden table, covered it with a green tablecloth, and even bought a special eye-protection lamp.

"You can study here with a clear mind. No one will bother you."

One day, she had just stepped out, planning to go hunt for some new study materials.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Cao Daqiang on the street again, and he was with that woman and her child.

They were standing in front of a small stall across from the bookstore, and Yangyang was holding an ice cream.

"Yangyang’s grades have been dropping badly lately. Just buying these books hasn’t helped. Why don’t we... find him a tutor?"

The woman said in a soft, quiet voice.

The moment she finished speaking, Cao Daqiang’s gaze darted over toward Shanshan.

’What is he trying to pull now?’

Shanshan frowned, about to turn and take a different route.

But Cao Daqiang had already spoken up.

"Shanshan, what are you doing just standing there? Can’t you even greet someone when you see them? Quick, say hello to Aunt Xu."

He put on a parental air, his tone scolding.

Shanshan rolled her eyes and ignored him completely, heading straight for the checkout counter with her books.

Onlookers cast curious glances her way, but she paid them no mind, keeping her eyes fixed on the row of counters ahead.

"What are you doing with those books? Aren’t you taking the college entrance exams? Instead of properly memorizing your material, you have time to read this kind of miscellaneous junk?"

As he spoke, he reached out to snatch the books from her arms, but Shanshan stepped back and dodged him easily.

Her expression didn’t flicker in the slightest; she just gave him a cold glance.

"So you won’t listen to me, is that it? Since you have so much free time, you can tutor your Aunt Xu’s son. I’m giving you a chance to do something useful."

He straightened up, a self-important, serious look on his face.

The scene fell into a brief silence.

Shanshan looked utterly baffled, but Kang Yueyue’s expression grew subtle.

Her gaze lingered on Shanshan for a few seconds before she quickly looked away.

"Your mother passed away early and no one taught you any manners. I can’t just watch you run wild like this..."

Cao Daqiang continued relentlessly, his tone growing sterner.

However, Shanshan still had no reaction, not even turning her head.

Cao Daqiang was still droning on endlessly, but Shanshan didn’t even lift an eyelid.

"Daqiang, look, she’s glaring at you again. So disrespectful. Only you could tolerate such an ill-mannered child. No one’s looked after her since she was little, no wonder her personality is so warped."

Kang Yueyue finally spoke, her words coming out quickly.

After speaking, she gave Cao Daqiang’s sleeve a gentle tug.

Seeing how things were, Kang Yueyue knew she would be seeing a lot more of this girl in the future. Feeling displeased, her words became barbed.

She had originally wanted to maintain some semblance of decorum, but now she clearly couldn’t be bothered.

The two of them went back and forth, their bickering making one’s ears ache.