Ji Ran didn’t expect Shen Zhi to suddenly touch her forehead. When she came to her senses, she instinctively wanted to step back, but Shen Zhi let go of her hand first.

Xu Yihang and the others beside them were still excited.

“We should let these guys see who the real boss is,” Xu Yihang exclaimed excitedly.

Chen Song chuckled, “I think you got the generations mixed up, Xu Yihang. It should be, ‘Let these people see who the real grandfather is.'”

Xu Yihang raised his hand in an apologetic gesture and said with a playful smile, “Sorry, my mistake.”

But when Xu Yihang finished speaking, he glanced at Xia Jiangming, who had been keeping his head down. He playfully nudged him and said, “Xia Jiangming, say something when you’re this happy.”

Little did he know that Xia Jiangming didn’t speak; instead, he let out a very low sob.

The few boys were taken aback.

Xu Yihang looked as if he had been startled and said in a low voice, “Are you going to cry, dude?”

Chen Song gave him a sidelong glance and said, “This is the moment you should hold your head high and wait for that idiot to come and apologize to you.”

Xia Jiangming still kept his head down until Shen Zhi reached out and placed his hand on his shoulder, saying lightly, “The more important it is, the less you can let your enemies see your tears.”

“Look up.” His almost admonishing tone made Xia Jiangming hold back all his emotions instantly and raise his head.

Yes, the more crucial it is, the less you can back down.

At this moment, Ma Hao finally returned with the red-haired girl. Since they had already lost, the mood on the other side wasn’t very high. When Ma Hao got off the motorcycle, he even lost his temper and kicked the motorcycle.

The red-haired girl held a small flag, trembling in the background, and dared not say a word.

But it’s not really her fault that they lost. It’s not like she didn’t beat the girl on the other side; it’s just that Shen Zhi had left Ma Hao far behind from the start.

Ma Hao took out a pack of cigarettes, intending to smoke one first, but unexpectedly, Shen Zhi suddenly spoke, “Shouldn’t we take care of the main business first?”

His tone was casual, as if he were talking about the most effortless thing in the world.

Apologizing in public and kneeling in front of others was something not even a tough guy like Ma Hao could bear, let alone an ordinary person.

Ma Hao glared at Shen Zhi fiercely, looking as if he wanted to eat him alive.

Shen Zhi lightly licked his lips, completely unfazed by the intimidating gaze from the other side.

“That’s right. What are we waiting for?” Xu Yihang said.

Xia Jiangming remained silent, still holding the small flag in his hand, as if it were the source of all his courage.

Someone on the other side couldn’t accept it and said, “Don’t go too far, you guys. You want Ma-Ge to kneel down in front of that kid? Is he even worthy?”

Upon hearing this, even Ji Ran frowned unhappily.

She knew these hoodlums wouldn’t be so easy to deal with.

Shen Zhi, in a rather indifferent tone, said, “Can’t you accept losing?”

Ji Ran couldn’t help but look at Shen Zhi. She finally understood that in her previous life, she was generally composed, but she couldn’t help but get angry when she encountered this man.

Because the way he talks really deserves a beating.

Despite his slow and deliberate tone, he could easily provoke others’ anger.

As expected, curses started flying from the other side again.

On this side, Xu Yihang and the others weren’t easy to mess with either. They immediately taunted, “No one forced you to bet earlier, so why do you only want the money when you win and act like a sore loser when you lose?”

Ma Hao was clearly on edge because of the ongoing taunts. When Shen Zhi had suggested using the race to settle the matter earlier, he had agreed. It was indeed his own decision to chase after the ten thousand yuan.

He only had eyes for the hundred thousand and deliberately ignored the fact that he could also lose.

Ma Hao held a cigarette in his hand, and his ears were filled with the curses of his friends.

“Alright, I apologize,” Ma Hao suddenly said, squeezing the cigarette.

There was a brief silence, and then the people on the other side started making noise again.

“Ma-Ge, why are you apologizing to him?”

Ma Hao slowly moved forward and looked at Xia Jiangming. He extended his hand and beckoned, “Come on, move forward a bit; come on, let big brother apologize to you.”

His mocking tone made the gang of hoodlums burst into laughter.

Ji Ran turned to look at Xia Jiangming beside her and saw him clutching the small flag in his hand, slowly tightening his grip.

Shen Zhi didn’t say anything; he just took a cigarette pack out of his pocket. He wasn’t a heavy smoker and only smoked occasionally.

For some things, no matter how much others help, you have to stand up for yourself.

Finally, when Shen Zhi took a cigarette and bit it between his lips, Xia Jiangming raised his foot and walked in front of Ma Hao.

Ma Hao had never really paid any attention to Xia Jiangming, even if he looked decent now. In his eyes, he was just leaning on Shen Zhi’s power. This coward had been bullied by him for three years and couldn’t turn the tables.

He was about to smile, but suddenly, Xia Jiangming stared at him fiercely and said, “How do you dare to speak to my grandpa?”

Ma Hao’s smile froze on his face. The next moment, Xia Jiangming punched him in the face and roared, “Damn you, do you really think I’m a coward? Are you having a good time spending your grandpa’s money? Huh?”

Ji Ran blinked her eyes, her fair little face showing no sign of confusion.

At the moment when Xia Jiangming punched Ma Hao, the people from the other side rushed over. Xu Yihang and Chen Song went to help, but Shen Zhi didn’t move. He took the cigarette out of his mouth.

Another wasted cigarette.

Before he threw the cigarette on the ground, he turned to her and said in a low voice, “Ji Ran, stand back.”

Ji Ran’s gaze settled on his face, and she nodded, “Okay.”

There was a kind of inexplicable obedience in her, soft and gentle.

…

As it turned out, whether it was racing or fighting, Shen Zhi was reckless. He had a natural fierceness about him, and even when the other side had more people, the situation instantly changed when Shen Zhi joined the battle.

Ji Ran held the helmet in her arms and obediently stood aside.

It wasn’t until Shen Zhi finished fighting and pulled her hand to run towards the motorcycle, saying, “Let’s go,” that Ji Ran realized that even though he had won, he was in such a hurry to leave. However, she let him pull her along, and they quickly started the motorcycle.

Xia Jiangming and the others were driving a sports car and soon caught up.

The convertible roof of the sports car was opened, and the three young men inside were shouting like crazy, their howls echoing through the valley.

“Jiangming, is it fun?”

“I’ve finally taken revenge and beat up that idiot, Ma Hao. It’s satisfying!”

Ji Ran sat in the back of the motorcycle, quietly listening to their shouting. However, for the first time, she felt an inexplicable emotion deep inside her.

The Shen Zhi in her memories was unsmiling, proud, and aloof.

But the young man riding the motorcycle, even though he was still silent, exuded a vibrant and energetic aura, full of youthful spirit.

The 27-year-old Shen Zhi, compared to now, felt like stagnant water.

When they returned to the city, it was already past 9 o’clock, and several hours had passed since the end of school. Ji Ran was anxious to get home, so she asked Shen Zhi to drop her off at the intersection.

“Ji Ran, you really don’t want to come with us to celebrate?” Xu Yihang said it with a playful smile.

Ji Ran shook her head. “It’s too late, and I have classes tomorrow.”

Their group of friends wasn’t worried about being late for school or returning home late, but Ji Ran had to be more responsible.

Fortunately, they didn’t insist, but Xia Jiangming asked, “Ji Ran, how are you getting back? Should we give you a ride?”

Ji Ran shook her head, about to suggest that she could just take a taxi home.

However, Shen Zhi looked up and said to the guys in the sports car, “You guys go ahead; I’ll join you later.”

The others immediately made strange sounds of understanding and then drove away.

Shen Zhi had dropped Ji Ran off at her home once before, and this time, he didn’t even ask for her address. He drove in the direction of her neighborhood. Just like last time, he dropped her off on a street near her residential area.

After getting off the motorcycle, Ji Ran said obediently, “Thank you.”

But Shen Zhi couldn’t help but laugh. Ji Ran looked up at him, and he stood on his tiptoes, looking down at her, saying, “Are you silly or what?”

He forcibly took her to Luoying Mountain last time, and now she is saying thank you to him.

Ji Ran thought this guy was too unpredictable. She decided not to pay him any mind and turned to leave.

However, when she didn’t turn back, she didn’t know that Shen Zhi had never left. He continued to watch her until her figure disappeared completely.

Meanwhile, at the Ji residence, Ji Qingli had just arrived home. Jiang Liqi approached him with a gentle smile and began speaking tenderly.

But she looked somewhat distressed, and Ji Qingli naturally noticed it. He asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Ji Ran hasn’t come back yet,” Jiang Liqi said hesitantly.

Ji Qingli frowned. “What’s going on? Have you tried calling her?”

Jiang Liqi replied, “I called, but she didn’t pick up.”

Jiang Yi, who was upstairs, heard the sound of Ji Qingli’s car entering the yard. She knew that Ji Ran still hadn’t returned home and decided to seize the opportunity to go downstairs and report to Ji Qingli.

She had never forgotten the humiliation that Ji Ran had subjected her to.

“What’s wrong with this child?” Ji Qingli frowned, clearly a bit displeased.

Jiang Yi happened to hear this when she was coming down the stairs. She suppressed her laughter and whispered when she walked over, “Dad, don’t be angry. It’s all my fault. I should have taken better care of Ran Ran.”

“Exactly. How could you come back alone and leave your little sister behind?” Jiang Liqi wore a reproachful expression as she softly scolded Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi lowered her head in silence, looking like she acknowledged her mistake.

Jiang Liqi then asked, “Do you know where Ran Ran went?”

Jiang Yi hesitated for a moment, but eventually Ji Qingli said, “If you have something to say, just say it.”

“I heard from someone that there was an incident at school where a boy got into a fight for Ran Ran. They seemed to be close…” Jiang Yi hesitated as she spoke.

The incident of Shen Zhi reprimanding He Han at school had become widely known.

It was said that He Han bullied the new transfer student, and Shen Zhi had intervened, even making He Han read an English book.

Jiang Yi was close to exploding with anger when she heard about this. She liked Shen Zhi.

It wasn’t unusual at all; at least half of the girls at their high school liked Shen Zhi. Some were more obvious about it, while others kept it hidden. So, when she heard about Shen Zhi’s connection with Ji Ran, she felt insanely jealous.

In her first year, she was in the same class as Shen Zhi. However, in the second year, when they were reorganized into classes, she ran into Shen Zhi on the street and attempted to greet him. He just walked by without even a glance, as if he didn’t remember her at all.

That’s why when Jiang Yi mentioned this to Ji Qingli, it was her way of trying to get Ji Qingli to lecture Ji Ran and keep her away from Shen Zhi.

Parents tend to be sensitive about their children’s early romantic relationships.

Jiang Liqi, on the other hand, smiled and said, “Ran Ran has only just started school. She shouldn’t be dating already, should she?”

Jiang Yi didn’t actually say the word “dating,” but Jiang Liqi’s words, though seemingly defending Ji Ran, were actually implying the same thing.

Ji Qingli’s brow furrowed deeper. With Jiang Yi’s comments and Ji Ran still not being home at this hour, could it be that she was out with someone late at night?

Just as they were talking, the front door of the house was pushed open, and Ji Ran entered with her schoolbag on her back.

“Dad,” Ji Ran saw Ji Qingli and proactively called him out.

Seeing the three of them in the living room and the fact that they all turned to look at her as soon as she came in, plus Ji Qingli’s clearly unhappy expression, Ji Ran instantly assessed the situation.

She glanced at Jiang Yi and felt no fear in her heart.

Ji Qingli then asked, “Ran Ran, where did you go after school? Why did you come home so late?”

Ji Ran softly said, “Dad, I’m sorry for making you worry by coming home late.”

Her voice was naturally sweet and soft, and now she was apologizing proactively, making her appear all the more gentle and obedient.

Although Ji Qingli didn’t have strong feelings for the Pei family, Ji Ran was his only daughter, and he did like her to some extent. When he heard her say this, his tone softened, and he said, “Coming home so late, we were all worried.”

“Dad, the teacher asked us to buy reference books, so I went shopping with my classmates. After coming here, it’s the first time I’ve hung out with friends. No one used to accompany me before, so I got carried away. That’s why I came home late.”

Saying this, Ji Ran took off her schoolbag and took out a few reference books.

These reference books were indeed required by the teacher, but the books she had were the ones Wen Qianxia had brought her this morning because there happened to be a bookstore near Wen Qianxia’s house.

She bought her own books and, by the way, bought some for Ji Ran too.

She didn’t expect to use them now.

Ji Qingli looked at the books in her hands and nodded in satisfaction. “Dad knows that you’ve always been sensible and never let Dad down.”

Originally, Ji Qingli didn’t quite believe Jiang Yi’s words since he knew how Pei Yuan had raised Ji Ran. She had always been outstanding from a young age.

Ji Qingli nodded. “In the future, when you hang out with your classmates, pay attention to the time.”

“I understand, Dad.” Ji Ran nodded obediently and said softly, “It’s just that I was shopping with my friends for the first time, and I got so excited that I forgot about the time.”

Ji Qingli couldn’t help but glance at Jiang Yi and ask, “Dad has told you before; if you don’t understand something, you can ask your sister.”

“But I can’t even find her at school,” Ji Ran’s voice got lower, a little bit of grievance in it.

At this moment, Jiang Liqi inwardly called out, “This is bad.” She was currently focused on having Jiang Yi change her last name, and if Ji Qingli got a bad impression of Jiang Yi, it would be difficult to achieve.

She immediately said, “The two children are not in the same class, so it’s normal not to run into each other.”

Ji Ran looked at Ji Qingli and softly said, “Never mind, Dad, I have my own friends now, so I won’t trouble them.”

As Ji Qingli listened to her words, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with Jiang Yi.

He didn’t particularly like the girl brought by Jiang Liqi. He didn’t dislike her either; considering the Ji family’s wealth, having one more child wasn’t a big deal. But she didn’t even help with this small matter.

And when Ji Qingli thought about what Jiang Yi had said to him earlier, as a shrewd person, he became even more dissatisfied with Jiang Yi.

But he wouldn’t show his dissatisfaction. He gently said to Ji Ran, “It’s late now; you should go upstairs to rest.”

“Dad, I want to buy some things this weekend. Can you give me some pocket money?” Ji Ran asked softly.

This was the first time Ji Ran had proactively asked Ji Qingli for pocket money, and Ji Qingli immediately smiled and said, “Of course, here’s a supplementary card. Just use the card for whatever you want to buy.”

So he took a card from his briefcase and handed it to Ji Ran.

Ji Ran said, “Thank you, Dad. I’ll go upstairs to rest now.”

Ji Ran knew that Jiang Yi had definitely played a part in today’s incident.

But that’s okay, because she was the one who came out on top in the end.

Ji Ran lightly pinched the card in her hand and held it up at just the right height for Jiang Yi to see. Sure enough, Jiang Yi’s face stiffened, and she stared fixedly at the black card in Ji Ran’s hand.

Clearly, she wanted to tattle on Ji Ran, but it didn’t turn out as planned.

Ji Ran tilted her head slightly and smiled at Jiang Yi, her eyes filled with an impenetrable coldness.

Don’t be in such a hurry; this is just the beginning.