Lin Nian looked up and also glanced at the handsome, slender figure from behind.

Gu Yunqi. He was the third male lead in the period novel she had read. Though he was introduced as an outstanding character, he was always just a step behind Chen Feng, and not quite as handsome.

As for family background, the gap was even wider.

Chen Feng was the son of Shen Zhengfeng, the richest man in North City. In contrast, Gu Yunqi’s parents were just minor managers at an ordinary factory. Even after they got lucky and were transferred to North City, they were still no match for the Shen Family.

As for Gu Yunqi’s consistently excellent grades, they were later surpassed by Chen Feng as well.

Lin Nian withdrew her gaze. She wasn’t actually that concerned about Gu Yunqi, who was destined to be cannon fodder. She was more worried about the female lead’s halo hovering over Qin Jiao’s head.

She wasn’t worried that Qin Jiao would do too well; she was worried about what would happen if Qin Jiao’s excellent academic performance caught Chen Feng’s attention!

Especially over the past month, Lin Nian could feel Chen Feng’s coldness toward her. He seemed completely focused on his studies, ignoring his mother and paying little attention to her.

Even though he was still the same gentle Chen Feng, Lin Nian had a feeling that he was slipping from her grasp.

Feeling uneasy, Lin Nian was distracted during the exam...

**

The New Year was approaching. Li Xiaomei had lost a great deal of weight because of recent events. She had asked Shen Zhengfeng to come see her several times, but he never came.

Finally, Li Xiaomei played her trump card.

She called Shen Zhengfeng and told him she was sick—that she’d had a miscarriage.

The two of them had been intimate at her home once when Li Xiaomei had a day off. The timing fit, so when Shen Zhengfeng heard the news, his heart ached for her.

He couldn’t marry Li Xiaomei within the next five years, nor could he publicly acknowledge his son. Now, hearing that the miscarriage had damaged her health, he was overwhelmed with distress. He made up an excuse about a business trip to another city and secretly came to Ping’an Town again.

But little did Shen Zhengfeng know that right after he left, Du Liya received a phone call. A woman on the other end told her to make a trip to Ping’an Town and gave her an address.

Du Liya thought the caller was being ridiculous. The person said nothing else, just told her to go to Ping’an Town.

At first, she wanted to ignore it, thinking it was a prank. But then she remembered that it had been a long time since she had visited her father and son in Ping’an Town. So, she packed her things and took a car to Ping’an Town, leaving half a day after Shen Zhengfeng.

Shen Zhengfeng knew nothing of this. He wore a hat, sunglasses, and a scarf, wrapping himself up tightly. After arriving at Li Xiaomei’s house, he immediately opened the door and went inside, careful not to be seen again.

When he saw Li Xiaomei’s thin and haggard appearance, he had intended to blame her for being so careless, but his heart immediately softened.

"Xiao Mei, how did you get like this?"

"Zhengfeng, I missed you so much!" Li Xiaomei threw herself into Shen Zhengfeng’s arms and began to cry weakly.

Her tears were, in fact, partly genuine. After all, her son’s behavior had changed so much recently, and his grades had plummeted.

Li Xiaomei had also heard that Shen Yi’s grades were actually getting better and better. If he continued at this rate, he might surpass Ah Feng in the future.

This was not something Li Xiaomei wanted to see.

Moreover, Shen Zhengfeng’s relationship with that Du Liya had seemingly improved recently. Li Xiaomei had called Shen Zhengfeng several times, but he hadn’t answered, making her even more uneasy.

So, Li Xiaomei didn’t want to wait any longer!

’Since Shen Zhengfeng can’t bring himself to make a decision, then I’ll make it for him!’