Green Tea Top Student Falls in Love with Me - Chapter 1

Early autumn had just begun, and the chilly wind cut through thin shirts. Outside the window, a light drizzle pattered against the glass, producing a gentle, rhythmic sound. It was dismissal time, and the school gate was crowded with parents picking up their children. The colorful umbrellas formed a unique scene.

Shi Wangui stood by the window. She hadn’t brought an umbrella, but it didn’t matter, she didn’t want to go home anyway. Today was a joyous day, a perfect day for a wedding. The house would be bustling with excitement, and it would be even better if she weren’t there.

Because the star of the wedding was her father.

“Wanwan, didn’t you bring an umbrella? I have an extra one here you can borrow it.” A girl with waist-length hair approached, a few strands of deep green subtly hidden within her locks.

That was Shi Wangui’s best friend, Sun Yi. Both of them had a bad reputation not only for their poor grades but also for frequently getting into fights. They were thorns in the teachers’ sides and irritants in their classmates’ eyes.

“No need,” Shi Wangui said casually, brushing aside her bangs. “You go ahead. I’ll leave in a bit maybe the rain will stop by then.”

Though her tone was light, Sun Yi didn’t take it as a joke. She shoved the umbrella into Shi Wangui’s hands and said impatiently, “Getting drenched will make you sick. Don’t let me see you taking sick leave on Monday. I’m heading off now. Don’t be too upset call me if you need anything.”

Watching Sun Yi walk away, Shi Wangui felt a mix of emotions. Now, she was the only one left in the classroom. No. 8 High School had a rule for Fridays: except for senior-year students, all others had to leave the campus by 6 p.m. The main reason was that senior students had exams after six, and younger students lingering around would disturb them.

Shi Wangui stuffed the umbrella into her desk, slung her backpack over one shoulder, and left. Before going, she couldn’t resist kicking the classroom door, but after doing so, she obediently locked it.

There was no way around it, it was the rule. The last person to leave had to lock up; otherwise, if anything went missing from the classroom, they’d be held responsible. Even if it had nothing to do with you, you’d still get dragged into it.

Her home wasn’t far from the school, but the usual ten-minute walk took Shi Wangui nearly half an hour.

The light rain continued to fall, trickling from her forehead to the corners of her mouth before dripping onto her clothes. In the early autumn chill, the cold had long seeped through her thin uniform. The rain seemed to penetrate her very bones, leaving an aching chill in their crevices.

She missed her mother a little.

Along the way, Shi Wangui became the center of attention for many. Was she a rebellious girl deliberately getting soaked in the rain, or a neglected child with no one to care for her? There were even a few boys from the same school who tried to offer their help, but Shi Wangui rebuffed them all with her unapproachable aura.

She was strikingly beautiful, with light-colored eyes that were her most distinctive feature. Such pale eyes should have given her an aloof, elegant beauty, but her thick lashes added a touch of charm. Her lips were a perfect M-shape with a pronounced Cupid’s bow, their reddish hue standing out against her fair, rosy complexion. Once, a teacher had even mistaken her for wearing makeup and made her wash her face on the spot.

Upon arriving home, the walls were plastered with numerous red double happiness characters—it was now someone else’s home. The courtyard was littered with the remnants of red firecrackers, washed into a messy scene by the rain. Colored paper scraps were scattered everywhere, resembling a rainbow after the rain. Unfortunately, the downpour had drenched the festive ribbons on the ground, staining them with mud and turning them black.

“Heh, what perfect timing from the heavens,” Shi Wangui muttered, kicking the doorstep. “Let’s hope it never clears up.”

She unlocked the door with her key and then kicked it open forcefully. Inside, the house was filled with people relatives from both sides. Seated right in the center were her father, Shi Qin, and that stepmother, rumored to be named Wen Yiyue. A woman from out of town, this was her second marriage, though her first husband had also been from here.

The loud bang of the door swinging open drew everyone’s attention. When Shi Qin saw his drenched daughter, there was no trace of concern or guilt in his eyes only reproach. “Why did you come back looking like this? Are you deliberately trying to ruin our mood?”

It was her aunt, sitting at the edge, who quickly grabbed a towel and rushed over to dry Shi Wangui’s hair. “Let’s not argue on such a joyous day. It’s raining outside, Wanwan must have sent us a message to pick her up, but we didn’t get it.”

Shi Wangui didn’t respond to him; she had no desire to.

Her aunt pretended to lightly scold her, then took her by the hand and led her upstairs to the bathroom, sighing softly. “Your father remarrying must be hard on you, but try not to show it too openly. Once you’re in college, you can leave all this behind. Why cause trouble now and risk getting less money?”

Her aunt had always been fond of Shi Wangui. Though she couldn’t stop her older brother from remarrying, the least she could do was ensure her niece received her rightful share in the end.

“Understood, Aunt,” Shi Wangui agreed. After all, there was no point in fighting over money. She had none now no allowance, and sometimes even her living expenses had to be earned herself. Her mother had left her some jewelry that could be sold, but it wouldn’t be enough to settle down comfortably in another city. So, for now, she had to keep up appearances, biding her time until she could claim what was rightfully hers years later.

“Good, that’s the way,” her aunt said, pulling a black dress from the wardrobe outside and pressing it into Shi Wangui’s hands. “Go wash up. On such a rainy day, you should’ve asked us to pick you up. Xiao Wang went to fetch that woman’s daughter. Make sure you dress up nicely and come down later, don’t let anyone steal your spotlight.”

Shi Wangui remembered, that woman also had a daughter, said to be the same age as her, named Wen Youren. Rumor had it she was exceptionally bright, a legend even at their school, No. 8 High.

But to Shi Wangui, that was all nonsense.

Right now, though, she was genuinely feeling the chill, her body trembling uncontrollably. The hot water poured over her cold skin, the alternating sensations of heat and cold bringing a momentary relief, as if she were floating on a distant storm cloud, shading the scorching sun. Ahead lay clear skies, while behind her, a torrential downpour raged.

Shi Wangui took her time in the shower, deliberately turning up the water volume to drown out the laughter and chatter from downstairs. She set the temperature high, refusing to lower it even as her skin reddened from the heat. After getting caught in the rain, it only made sense to turn up the warmth anything less would be a disservice to her own body.

After finishing her shower, she casually dried her damp hair with a towel, plugged in the hairdryer, and leisurely blew it dry. Ugh, rainy days are so annoying, coming home is so annoying. Why can’t people just live alone, doing whatever they want? Why do they have to face someone they dislike every single day?

As Shi Wangui dried her hair, a wave of nameless emotions surged in her mind disgust, anger.

She changed into the black maxi dress her aunt had given her. She was still young, and the skirt flared out with some pleats at the bottom, blooming like a flower. For a sixteen-year-old girl, it was considered quite formal attire.

By the time Shi Wangui went downstairs, an uninvited guest had appeared in the living room likely the daughter of that woman, Wen Youren.

“Wanwan is here,” her aunt said, noticing Shi Wangui standing motionless on the staircase. She walked over, took her hand, and led her to the group, introducing her to the woman’s family: “This is my brother’s only daughter, Shi Wangui. She’s sixteen and studies at No. 8 High School.”

Aunt Wen stood up with a smile, though it was hard to tell if it was genuine or not. Adults were too good at masking their true feelings, making it impossible to discern their intentions. She approached Shi Wangui, intending to take her hand, but Shi Wangui took a step back and refused. Aunt Wen didn’t force it. “So this is Wanwan. She’s so pretty,” she said, then pointed to a short-haired girl sitting at the far end of the sofa. “This is my daughter, Wen Youren. She’ll be transferring to your class on Monday. You two should look out for each other.”

Shi Wangui ignored her, and Wen Youren didn’t respond either.

But Aunt Wen showed no intention of leaving. She just stood there, smiling at Shi Wangui, her eyes expectant, waiting for the next move. Her aunt had no choice but to step in and smooth things over. “Sister-in-law, where did you buy that necklace? It’s so pretty. My best friend’s birthday is coming up could you send me the link? I’d like to buy one for her.”

Although Aunt Wen was hoping for a reaction from Shi Wangui, she couldn’t neglect the other relatives. So, she returned to the sofa with Shi Wangui’s aunt and continued chatting with the family.

Shi Wangui had no desire to sit with that crowd. She casually grabbed a drink and headed toward the bay window, planning to lean against the large plush chair and play games for a while. But to get to the bay window, she had to pass by the edge of the sofa right where Wen Youren was sitting.

Perhaps it was a territorial instinct common among young girls. As Shi Wangui passed by Wen Youren, she deliberately paused, straightened her back, and looked down at her. Her fierce gaze seemed to say, “This is my turf. You’re just a visitor here. If I’m happy, you can stay. If I’m not, don’t expect to enjoy your time here.”

Wen Youren seemed to sense the stare. She closed the page on her phone, slowly lifted her head, and met Shi Wangui’s gaze.

It was only then that Shi Wangui got a clear look at Wen Youren’s face. She had heard about her reputation from the class monitor, a very popular academic achiever but no one had ever shown her a photo.

Wen Youren’s skin wasn’t pale but had a healthy tone. Her face was small, truly the size of a palm. Her eyes had inner double eyelids, and her eyelashes weren’t particularly long, the opposite of Shi Wangui. She had a high nose bridge, and her hair was short and slightly curly, just reaching her chin. The bangs in front were also wavy, not like chemically permed curls but more like natural waves. However, what left the deepest impression on Shi Wangui was the mole on her neck.

This girl isn’t bad-looking at all in fact, her looks are top-tier.

Wen Youren didn’t pay any attention to Shi Wangui, and Shi Wangui didn’t pay any attention to Wen Youren either.

She lay directly on the stuffed toys, took out her phone, and as soon as she opened it, she was bombarded with messages from her friend Sun Yi.

[Seventh Year: Did you take an umbrella?]

[Seventh Year: Are you home yet?]

[Seventh Year: I heard from Wang Hu that you walked home in the rain. Is it really that bad? If your dad doesn’t want you, just come live with me. I have a house in the countryside, I’ll make sure you have a place to stay.]

Seeing Sun Yi’s messages, Shi Wangui’s mood improved quite a bit.

[Shi Wangui: I’m home, it’s fine. I just wanted to walk in the rain, to make myself stand out and ruin their mood.]

Sun Yi replied quickly.

[Seventh Year: Alright, alright, you’re so clever. By the way, did you see that woman’s daughter? Wang Hu told me today that there’s a transfer student joining our class on Monday, and her name seems to be Wen Youren too. Is it her?]

Reading this line, Shi Wangui frowned, glanced at Wen Youren sitting at the edge of the sofa with headphones on playing games, and curled her lips.

[Shi Wangui: It’s her.]

[Seventh Year: What’s she like? Want me to help you mess with her a bit? If she treats you badly, just let me know.]

What’s she like Shi Wangui really didn’t know. It was their first meeting, but if she had to give a first impression.

[Shi Wangui: She’s a total poser.]

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