Chapter 28: Wanting to See Him

Wen Xiao found himself held by Song Jingbai, his mind still a bit dazed.

What is Song Jingbai doing!

He managed to poke his head out from over Song Jingbai’s shoulder, eyes wide, staring at the other students crowding the hallway.

"Song Kaizhi is really here, oh my god!"

Nearby, high school students in black and white uniforms were whispering.

They were generally quite tall, and standing next to Wen Xiao, they always felt like they were building a high wall around him. And within that wall, there was only him and Song Jingbai.

"Song Kaizhi even wore casual clothes for the parent-teacher meeting today. I’ve only ever seen his programs on TV, and he’s always dressed so formally!"

"And Mrs. Leng is truly the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. She’s just gorgeous. If she went into the entertainment industry, she’d be an absolute sensation..."

"Only Mrs. Huo came for the Huo family. I remember she always rushes to the school because of Young Master Huo."

"The Huo family’s main residence isn’t in Jinhai City. They sent Young Master Huo all the way to St. Arland to study; it seems no one else from the Huo family will be coming."

Wen Xiao gradually came to his senses. He gave Song Jingbai a push, pressed his back against the wall, moved his head away to the side, and said, "Just get used to it if you want, it has nothing to do with me."

The smile on Song Jingbai’s face didn't fade in the slightest, though he didn't call Wen Xiao out either. After all, he knew that when Wen Xiao felt guilty, he would avoid eye contact.

So, Wen Xiao was feeling guilty and nervous.

It was nothing like what he claimed—that it "had nothing to do with him."

Outside the classroom, there was a commotion, but inside, an eerie silence had fallen. The reason was simple: the auras of certain parents were so overwhelming that others dared not speak easily.

Wen Xulai had done some research on these parents, so he took a deep breath before beginning: "First, I would like to thank all the parents for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this meeting. Welcome!"

Song Kaizhi sat at his desk, feeling a bit bored. He reached his slender hand into Song Jingbai's desk and rummaged around.

Song Jingbai’s desk was very clean; there were no scraps of paper with messy scribbles or little secrets.

Finding nothing, Song Kaizhi felt a touch of disappointment. He looked up and saw Wen Tianhe’s face, which was as dark as could be.

"At last year’s Jinhai City Economic Summit, weren't the seats for the Song Group and Wenfeng just next to each other? How come you didn't have such a big reaction back then?"

Song Kaizhi thought for a moment. "Could it be that you’ve been holding a grudge against me ever since I disagreed with your development proposal at that summit?"

Wen Tianhe’s face remained expressionless. He recalled that summit, where he had proposed focusing on developing the north for the next three years to expand the influence of the northern hub, while Song Kaizhi had insisted on opening a new hub in the south.

Taking such big strides without worrying about pulling a muscle.

"I am here to attend my son's parent-teacher meeting. Please be quiet, Mr. Song." Wen Tianhe swept a cold look at him. Every parent present sensed that the two men in the back were at odds.

Chen Ning couldn't help but let out an "oh," sitting on Huo Zhanyan’s desk to watch the show.

"On the tables are folders for each parent. This meeting is mainly to help parents understand the students' academic progress at school, and we hope to hear your opinions and suggestions regarding the school's educational work. There will be one more segment at the end of the meeting, but I won't reveal it just yet," Wen Xulai said.

"The top student in this midterm exam is our class’s own Wen Xiao. Wen Xiao took two months of medical leave previously, and since returning to school, he hasn't fallen behind in his coursework..."

Wen Tianhe held Wen Xiao’s report card, a sense of pride rising in his heart. He turned to look at Song Kaizhi and let out a light, cold scoff.

Song Kaizhi looked at the report card in his hand showing Song Jingbai’s third-place ranking. Although it wasn't many points behind the first place, he somehow felt it wasn't quite worth showing off.

Since seeing the blonde woman, Leng Shucheng’s posture had been exceptionally straight—not like a child waiting for a parent to attend a meeting, but like a soldier waiting to be reviewed.

He stood near the window, occasionally looking through the glass, his gaze resting on the woman’s exquisite profile.

The blonde woman held a report card in her hand; she looked at it for a few moments and then put it down, but the hand Leng Shucheng had pressed against the window tightened.

Wen Xiao noticed that Leng Shucheng’s face had turned pale, as if he were unwell. It seemed no one else had noticed.

Besides, if he remembered correctly, Leng Shucheng had just greeted Mrs. Leng. If something were truly wrong with him, how could she not notice?

Song Jingbai was right beside him and asked softly, "Are you concerned about him?"

Wen Xiao couldn't help but say, "I am not. I’m just worried that if he actually faints here, it will disrupt the meeting."

But didn't Leng Shucheng go with them to Old Master Wei’s birthday banquet last night?

He had attended too, but he wasn't as out of it the next day as Leng Shucheng.

A teacher from the office nearby saw too many people gathered, including students from other grades, and began shooing them away.

"Stop crowding here! You're blocking the path! Don't you have classes? If you really don't have class, bring your student IDs and register your names. I want to see if you really don't have class or if you're just pretending." After the teacher spoke, a large group of the older students gradually dispersed.

Midway, Leng Shucheng went to the restroom. When he returned and passed by Wen Xiao, Wen Xiao couldn't help but tug on his sleeve.

Leng Shucheng was surprised to be pulled by Wen Xiao. His pair of emerald-green eyes looked at Wen Xiao with confusion.

"What time did you sleep last night?"

Leng Shucheng replied instinctively, "I didn't sleep very late."

Song Jingbai, standing nearby, said with a smile, "Saying it like that makes it seem like you're protesting too much."

Wen Xiao also stared at Leng Shucheng with suspicion. Leng Shucheng’s denial was too abrupt and didn't answer his question—he had asked what time he slept.

He only asked out of concern because Leng Shucheng had helped him last night, and because of their shared experience facing Wei Chuan.

"Do you want to be first place that badly?" Wen Xiao racked his brains and could only think of this possibility.

"It's not about being first." Leng Shucheng said, but didn't elaborate. Although his body was tense, he didn't mean to shake off Wen Xiao’s hand.

Wen Xiao blinked: "When you're tired, do you tell your mom and dad?"

He had heard from Song Jingbai before that Leng Shucheng had to attend over a dozen training courses. A child’s body couldn't handle that; people aren't made of iron.

The other students had already made plans to go play on the playground, and the number of students left outside the classroom was dwindling.

Leng Shucheng pursed his lips and didn't speak. It seemed he didn't intend to share. Wen Xiao didn't plan to press him further.

He was just about to let go when he heard Song Jingbai walk over and pat Leng Shucheng on the shoulder.

Song Jingbai smiled and said, "If you don't say anything, no one will care about you next time."

Leng Shucheng’s clenched fist loosened slightly, and he finally spoke: "I’ve never said it."

He looked through the glass window again at the beautiful blonde woman. "I’m just worried that if I can't do it, I will disappoint my father and mother."

If I am not a genius, I do not deserve to be their child.

It was the first time Wen Xiao had heard Leng Shucheng reveal his inner thoughts; otherwise, he truly wouldn't have known that Leng Shucheng carried such a heavy burden.

So, because he was afraid of disappointing them, Leng Shucheng agreed to every demand his parents made, even when those demands far exceeded his capacity.

"Have you ever thought about telling them that you're tired?"

Wen Xiao thought that given Leng Shucheng’s stubborn nature, he wouldn't speak up unless he was driven to a dead end.

Such a strong-willed personality meant that even when he was hurt, no one might notice.

Perhaps the head of the Leng family and Mrs. Leng thought he could handle it, which was why they made so many demands.

If Leng Shucheng showed even a hint that he couldn't handle it, his parents might have proactively offered to lighten his load.

"If your mom and dad love you, they definitely wouldn't mind letting you have a good rest."

Leng Shucheng didn't make a sound, as if he were still hesitating.

Suddenly, Wen Xiao saw his body sway slightly, and he began to tip over toward him.

Song Jingbai reacted quickly, grabbing Leng Shucheng’s left arm so he wouldn't fall and crash into Wen Xiao.

Wen Xiao reached out to support Leng Shucheng and found that his eyes were tightly shut and his forehead was covered in fine sweat. He had fainted.

Inside the classroom, Wen Xulai was organizing the final segment of the meeting: having the parents write a letter to their children on stationery. The sheets were small, only enough for three to five hundred words.

Wen Xulai’s intention was to bridge the distance between parents and children through these letters. After all, some things parents found difficult to say aloud could be expressed more easily with a pen.

Marianne took a pen from Leng Shucheng’s desk, along with a brochure.

She held the booklet and looked at it quietly. It was the St. Arland elementary division autumn field trip brochure; the destination was Moon God Valley, located at the junction of Jinhai City and Yunchun City.

She took off the pen cap and began to write on the letter paper.

"Teacher! Student Leng Shucheng has fainted!" A student ran to the classroom door and shouted.

Hearing the news, Wen Xulai was about to walk out when he noticed the blonde woman, who had been sitting quietly and reacting coldly, suddenly stand up and head toward the door.

The school doctor also arrived and took Leng Shucheng to the infirmary.

Wen Xiao stood at the doorway, thinking that Leng Shucheng could be described as disaster-prone.

He had fallen by the pool just last week, and today he fainted at the classroom door; he had been to the infirmary twice in less than half a month.

He saw a figure rush past him. The woman was wearing slim, high-heeled shoes, her silky blonde hair draped over her fur coat. Because she was walking so fast, she left a gust of wind in her wake.

"Mrs. Leng, don't worry too much. Student Leng Shucheng fainted due to low blood sugar. Just make sure he rests more and gets some sugar intake later." The doctor stepped aside to let the parent in.

When Leng Shucheng opened his eyes, he found a very beautiful woman sitting by the bed. Her long golden hair draped over her shoulders, and even her posture was elegant and flawless.

"Mother..." Leng Shucheng called out softly. The quilt covered his chin, revealing only his nose and his pair of emerald-green eyes.