Chapter 54: PAST-TWLEVE.
The hum of the classroom buzzed softly in the background—pages turning, pens scratching, half-hearted murmurs among students waiting for the teacher to arrive. Hua Rong sat near the window, her cheek resting on her palm, eyelids heavy with exhaustion. Her thoughts circled like a restless storm cloud, replaying the image of that suspicious man peering into the cafeteria—and the name he uttered.
Zhao Mingyu.
Just the thought made her jaw clench.
"Hua Rong!" a gentle voice cut through her haze.
She blinked and looked up to see Lin Yumo, a classmate with kind eyes and a dimpled smile, standing beside her desk. "Are you okay? You spaced out completely."
She straightened up quickly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear and forcing a smile. "Yeah... yeah, I'm fine," she said, rubbing at her eyes. "Just didn't sleep much."
Lin Yumo chuckled, lowering himself into the seat in front of her. "Figured. You look like you just came out of a four-day exam nightmare."
"Close enough," she muttered.
From across the room, a smug voice piped up. "Well, how could she sleep properly?"
She knew that voice.
Jiang Weiren.