Near 4th Middle School, there’s a place called “Sky Realm,” which is an all-in-one place for dining, entertainment, and leisure. It has restaurants, internet cafes, KTV, and even a skating rink on the seventh floor.

It’s a real ice rink, not a roller skating rink.

There are many entertainment options here, so it’s quite popular, but the only downside is that the cost here is quite high.

Normally, the cost of an hour in an ordinary internet cafe is two yuan, but the internet cafe in Sky Realm claims to have the best equipment and the fastest internet speed, and it charges ten yuan per hour.

Even working adults can’t afford to spend money here.

A few people didn’t want to go far, so they came to the familiar Sky Realm and reserved a private room on the top floor. They usually didn’t like coming to the bar here; most of them would either go to the chess and card room downstairs or the billiards room.

Shen Zhi is a quiet person and finds the bar too noisy.

Today, a few people wanted to indulge a bit, so they reserved a private room here.

This bar is similar to a quiet bar; it is not particularly noisy. The main reason Shen Zhi doesn’t like coming here is that every time he comes, girls keep coming over to talk to him.

He has a noble appearance, and when he has a serious face, he is even more charming.

Even though he doesn’t look very old, a bunch of older girls will come over to get close to him.

Xia Jiangming was particularly happy today, so as soon as he entered, he exclaimed, “Don’t worry about the money; Master Xia’s treating today.”

Xu Yihang playfully kicked his foot and scolded, “Who do you think you’re calling yourself’master’?”

Chen Song casually said, “I’ve noticed he’s really showing off now.”

Xia Jiangming didn’t care about their teasing and immediately had someone arrange a large private room for them, with comfortable and spacious sofas big enough for one person to lie down on.

Xu Yihang was about to sit on the sofa, but Xia Jiangming immediately blocked him, pointed to the one next to it, and said, “You sit on that sofa.”

“Why? Do you want to hog such a large space all to yourself?”

Xia Jiangming lightly stroked the sofa and said with a smirk, “This is reserved for Brother Zhi to lie down on.”

Xu Yihang couldn’t hold back his frustration and cursed at him.

Pointing at Xia Jiangming, he asked Chen Song, “Look at this bastard face; is he cheap or not?”

Chen Song sat down on the nearby sofa and chuckled. “If you ask him to warm Brother Zhi’s bed now, he won’t even say no.”

Unexpectedly, after Chen Song finished speaking, Xia Jiangming continued to say, “If Brother Zhi wants it, I am willing.”

This time, even Chen Song couldn’t stay calm, and he kicked Xia Jiangming, saying, “Get lost! You’ve given me goosebumps.”

Soon, the waiter brought all the things they had ordered. To celebrate their victory, Xia Jiangming specifically ordered champagne. He had a lot of pocket money, so he didn’t care at all.

In no time, Xu Yihang was drawn in by one of the bar’s girls at the counter and went over to play drinking games with her.

Xia Jiangming frowned, somewhat helpless, and said, “What’s wrong with Yihang? He always likes older girls.”

Xu Yihang also had a girlfriend, but he never found a girlfriend at school because his taste was for older women. The young and inexperienced girls at school didn’t interest him at all.

“What’s wrong with older girls? They are delicate and affectionate, but not clingy,” Chen Song chuckled.

Just as he finished speaking, Shen Zhi came over.

Xia Jiangming quickly gave up the large sofa to Shen Zhi and politely asked, “Brother Zhi, what would you like to drink?”

Shen Zhi sat at the end of the sofa, leaning back lazily. Without much thought, he asked, “Do you have cigarettes?”

Chen Song took out a cigarette box from his pocket and tossed it over. Shen Zhi caught it, took out a cigarette, and also retrieved a lighter from his pocket. After biting the tip of the cigarette, the flame sprang up in the air.

He leaned in slightly, took a gentle drag, and the tip of the cigarette glowed red.

In the dim light, the flame at the tip of the cigarette was particularly conspicuous.

Not long after, Xu Yihang returned and called out, “Shall we join a table together?”

There were several girls at the counter, and he was particularly fond of one of the girls with short hair. However, she had her friends with her, and she also happened to see Shen Zhi coming in, so she wanted to join them to play together. That’s why he came back to ask.

Xia Jiangming and Chen Song had no objections, mainly because of Shen Zhi.

“You guys go ahead,” Shen Zhi said indifferently.

After hearing Shen Zhi’s lack of interest, Xu Yihang knew what it meant. Since Shen Zhi didn’t object, he called the girls over. In no time, a few girls came over.

These girls were also not working professionals; they were students from a nearby university.

When they found out that they were high school students, the girls were all shocked.

“Really? How about I show you my student ID?” Xu Yihang said it with a cheeky smile.

The girl with short hair, who was getting along well with him, giggled and said, “Sure.”

However, Xu Yihang deliberately emphasized, “Then I want to see your student ID too.”

He had been asking for the name of the girl with short hair, but she hadn’t told him. At this moment, the girl with short hair was about to agree but remembered that her student ID not only had her name but also the name of her college. So she playfully punched him.

“Why are you so naughty?”

Shen Zhi, still playing a game on his phone, felt the sofa sink noticeably next to him. A stranger in a white dress sat down.

The girl wasn’t particularly lively, but she was immediately drawn to Shen Zhi.

His charm was too strong, enticing the girl to gather her courage and sit down.

But even when she sat down, the young man next to her didn’t lift his head and kept staring at his phone. The girl pursed her lips and cautiously glanced at his phone.

When she saw what was on his phone, she was somewhat surprised.

Shen Zhi was playing a number game, and after looking closely, she barely recognized that he was playing Sudoku. She didn’t expect this young man to be playing such a game at a bar, which gave her mixed feelings.

Bai Zhi gently bit her lip and became even more curious about him. Finally, she gathered the courage to ask, “Are you playing Sudoku?”

She had come to the bar with friends, and since the private room had a minimum spending requirement, they had been sitting by the counter and playing. She had seen Shen Zhi come in from outside and sit down on this side.

He still had a youthful appearance and didn’t quite fit into this bar, but he was exceptionally attractive. From the moment he entered the bar, he had been sitting on this small sofa, playing with his phone. However, countless girls had been stealing glances at him.

Bai Zhi had a pure and lovely appearance, and she was even called the “campus flower” in her college.

She didn’t expect that when she took the initiative to start a conversation, the young man acted as if he hadn’t heard her, not even lifting his head. For a moment, she bit her lower lip, feeling embarrassed and impatient.

“What’s wrong with your friend? He’s not being polite. Our Bai Zhi is the campus flower, and many people are chasing after me,” the girl with short hair said to Xu Yihang in a low voice, looking somewhat displeased that Shen Zhi completely ignored Bai Zhi.

Xu Yihang’s face, which had been smiling, darkened slightly. “Don’t say too much about Brother Zhi’s matters.”

While he wasn’t as exaggerated as Xia Jiangming, he also admired Shen Zhi a lot, which was why he had been following him. In his view, Bai Zhi’s look was just average, and Shen Zhi wasn’t one to pay attention to these girls. Ignoring her was normal behavior.

If anyone was to truly capture Shen Zhi’s attention, it had to be…

Suddenly, Xu Yihang’s mind flashed to the image of Ji Ran. She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen—the kind that made it impossible to look away.

At this moment, Xia Jiangming looked up from his phone and asked, “Did any of you see Ji Ran’s student ID?”

“Who?” Xu Yihang seemed momentarily confused.

Xia Jiangming clarified, “Ji Ran. She said she realized her student ID was missing when she got home and asked if any of us had found it.”

Xu Yihang and Chen Song shook their heads; they hadn’t found it.

When Xia Jiangming looked at Shen Zhi, he saw him squinting at him with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Xia Jiangming, not willing to give in, asked, “Brother Zhi, did you see it?”

Shen Zhi, holding his phone, stared at him and said, “Why do you have her number?”

He said this sentence very slowly, and while his tone wasn’t particularly emotional, it carried a sense of seriousness.

Xia Jiangming hesitated; how did he have it? Well, he had simply asked Ji Ran for it directly.

Had Brother Zhi not gotten Ji Ran’s number yet?

The thought that he had not only Ji Ran’s phone number but also her QQ number on his phone made Xia Jiangming feel anxious.

Can he avoid death if he kneels down for Brother Zhi now?

Thankfully, Shen Zhi lowered his head to resume playing his mobile game. The others thought everything was fine and continued drinking and playing games. But just a few minutes later, Shen Zhi suddenly stood up.

“Brother Zhi, what are you doing?” Xia Jiangming asked hurriedly.

Shen Zhi replied indifferently, “It’s not fun. I’m going home to sleep.”

After saying that, he paid no attention to the others and walked straight out of the private room toward the exit. The group watched him leave, and no one dared to follow.

They exchanged a few glances, each feeling a bit perplexed.

Why did he suddenly become unhappy?

Could it be because of the phone number?

Ji Ran hadn’t expected to be so unlucky. She was going to school on a Friday, and she ended up being checked by the student council for her appearance at the school gate.

4th Middle School conducted weekly checks of students’ uniforms and name tag wearing.

These inspections were irregular in both timing and location.

Sometimes they occurred at the school gate, sometimes during recess. If a student was found in violation, they would have points deducted, which could affect the selection for the advanced classes.

Ji Ran hadn’t expected that there had been no inspections all week, but one occurred early on a Friday morning.

They were quite knowledgeable in psychology and understood that everyone would likely relax on a Friday. As expected, it didn’t take long before several people were caught during the inspection. At this time, students entered the school one by one, and she couldn’t even blend in with the crowd.

Ji Ran was about to accept her fate with her backpack on her back when suddenly there was a roaring noise behind her.

It was a motorcycle.

She felt a strange intuition and turned around, and to the astonishment of onlookers, Shen Zhi’s motorcycle stopped by the side of the road.

Ji Ran blinked, and when her gaze met his, she instinctively turned to walk towards the school.

Shen Zhi looked at her, deliberately avoiding her gaze as if he didn’t know her.

It was a feeling of both anger and amusement deep in his heart.

But he couldn’t help it and called out, “Ji Ran.”

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but Ji Ran heard it. She hesitated because there were still many students around the school gate.

Shen Zhi’s voice, with a half-smile, came from behind. “Aren’t you coming over?”

His voice wasn’t entirely angry; there was also a hint of helplessness.

Ji Ran pulled her backpack and turned around at last, slowly walking towards him. The students around the school gate looked at them with curiosity.

The renowned big shot from school and a particularly beautiful girl?

What grade is this girl in?

When Ji Ran approached him, Shen Zhi examined her, noting her clean and tidy uniform, but she was missing the school name tag that should have been on her left chest.

“You intend to enter the school like this?” he asked.

Ji Ran hesitated, gazing at him with her deer-like eyes, which were particularly bright in the morning, like feathers brushing against his heart when he looked at her.

Tingling and numb.

When Shen Zhi brought something over, Ji Ran initially didn’t react until he playfully asked, “Don’t want it anymore?”

She looked closely and realized it was her school name tag.

4th Middle School’s name tags not only had the school’s name but also the student’s photo, name, and class, so each person’s name tag was unique. Her photo was on this name tag.

“Take it. Don’t lose it again.”

After Shen Zhi said this, he simply rode away without entering the school.

When the motorcycle had ridden a considerable distance, Shen Zhi finally began to calm down. The early morning city had a different kind of warmth, not as cool as the mornings and evenings in the mountains.

Suddenly, Shen Zhi felt like he might really be going crazy.

Last night, he had left the bar and was almost home when he suddenly turned the handlebars, heading straight for the mountains. He had searched through the night, going back and forth along the mountain roads.

As the morning light illuminated the mountain paths, he found the school name tag in a grassy area at the side of the road and suddenly burst out laughing.

It only costs ten yuan for the school to reissue this thing.

Ji Ran stood still, not moving for a long time.

It wasn’t until she held the name tag and felt the slightly warm temperature on it.