Irreversible - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Poor Little One Eats (Part 2)

With Mu Zhilan acting as the reins for Su Nanfeng, this mediation meeting went extremely smoothly.

According to Su Tianyu’s capitalist instincts, she had originally intended to leave Gu Jing ruined and penniless. However, whatever persuasion Mu Zhilan used worked; the incident eventually concluded with Su Nanfeng being required to apologize to Gu Xizhou in front of the entire faculty and student body.

The Su family and Mu Zhilan paid two million yuan in compensation to the mother and daughter. Gu Jing took 1.5 million of that to establish an anti-bullying foundation. This foundation was placed under Mu Zhilan’s name—both as a reminder of her past negligence as a mother and to provide help to children who have no way to protect themselves.

Because of this move, the Su Group’s stock managed to bounce back slightly. Mu Zhilan used her own reputation and actions to protect her integrity; this meant that if Su Nanfeng ever did something like this again, she would drag her mother’s name through the mud forever.

Gu Xizhou received the apology she deserved. Everyone was satisfied with the resolution of the matter—except for Su Nanfeng, who lived in a state of extreme suppressed frustration.

After the storm subsided, Mu Zhilan ignored Su Tianyu’s cold glares and insisted on placing a female Alpha bodyguard by Su Nanfeng’s side. The guard’s job was to supervise her 9-to-5 school attendance, check her homework, and ensure she didn’t cause any more trouble.

After starting the school year with such a massive scandal, the lives of the freshmen finally got back on track after a week of chaos. It was time for the freshman military training.

In modern society, to temper the will of the students, the government had enacted regulations requiring every high school and higher education institution to send their freshmen to a nearby military base for two weeks of closed-off collective training during their first month.

Every September 1st, No. 1 High School would send its 800+ new students to the military base on Haiyan Island.

In 0820’s memory, these two weeks of high school military training were a total nightmare. The reason was simple: the training was inhumane. They slept on communal bunk mats, and students had to hand-wash their own clothes. As a pampered young lady, Su Nanfeng naturally wouldn’t lift a finger. Her lackeys wouldn’t either. For two full weeks, in addition to the grueling drills, Gu Xizhou had been responsible for washing the dirty laundry of Su Nanfeng and Ding Yi.

Because it took so much time, she often lacked sleep and was constantly late, leading to her class losing many points. Gradually, her classmates began to dislike her. The fact that she had no one to look out for her during her three years of high school was 100% Su Nanfeng’s fault.

Later, when Gu Xizhou seized the Su family assets, she conveniently bankrupted Ding Yi’s family. That lackey was left with a mountain of debt and was sent by Gu Xizhou to reclaim wasteland on black soil abroad. Word was that Ding Yi now spent every day tilling the earth, enjoying the “pleasures” of manual labor to escape poverty.

Recalling these old grudges, 0820 was not in a particularly good mood. However, existing in the subconscious of 1022, she felt as though she could re-experience it all and make up for the regrets of her youth.

Little Gu Xizhou was exceptionally proactive about the military training. The night before, she packed a ton of things, stuffing them into her small suitcase.

0820 sighed: “You don’t need that much. Just bring a few sets of disposable underwear and some T-shirts to wear underneath. Anyway, you haven’t developed at all—you’re like a little bean, you don’t even need to bring bras.”

The “little bean” was indignant. She bit her lip, puffed out her cheeks, and pressed her folded clothes into the suitcase with all her might. “I’ll grow!” she muttered while pushing. “I’m going to grow tall.”

She might not grow to 1.8 meters like her mother, Gu Jing, but there was still a chance to reach over 1.7 meters.

Seeing her so enthusiastic, 0820 couldn’t help but wonder: Should I adjust her height parameters later? Maybe to 1.8 meters? If she wanted her Zhiyi to believe this world had truly changed, wouldn’t her height have to change too?

Having spent the night helping Little Gu Xizhou pack, 0820 began to feel like a sixteen-year-old herself, filled with anticipation for the next day.

The next morning, Gu Xizhou woke up early, dragged her suitcase to the school assembly, and, under the guidance of the class teacher Song Qiao, boarded the bus to Haiyan Island.

The crowd of “little radishes” was bustling. Song Qiao held a megaphone, instructing the students: “Once you board, sit according to your student ID numbers! Fill the seats in order, don’t leave gaps, and don’t swap seats or sit randomly!”

The students were noisy and weren’t listening to her at all. Song Qiao got anxious, raised her volume, and shouted into the megaphone: “Did you hear what I just said?!”

The “little radishes” of Class 17 finally turned in unison toward their slender teacher and shouted: “We heard you!”

Soon, the classes ahead boarded, and it was Class 17’s turn. Sorted by height, the short Gu Xizhou stowed her luggage and was among the first to board, finding the seat corresponding to her ID number.

As the bus filled up, Su Zhiyi arrived at Gu Xizhou’s row, holding onto the back of the seats for balance. Her tall frame blocked some of the view. Gu Xizhou looked up and met Su Zhiyi’s eyes; both were a bit surprised.

“Ah… you’re number 21.”

ID numbers were assigned by entrance exam scores. Su Zhiyi had been so preoccupied with correcting and teaching Su Nanfeng lately that she hadn’t paid much attention to her own details. Seeing Gu Xizhou now, she was truly surprised.

Gu Xizhou was also a bit stunned. She nodded and said, “Mm.”

Su Zhiyi smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons. “I’m number 22.”

Gu Xizhou understood. She moved her legs outward to let her in. Seat 22 was by the window, but Su Zhiyi didn’t go in immediately. Instead, she asked considerately, “Do you get motion sickness? If you do, we can swap. You can sit by the window.”

Gu Xizhou was about to say she didn’t, but 0820 spoke up: “I suggest you swap with her. It’s a two-and-a-half-hour bus ride; I’m afraid you’ll feel like you’re dying from nausea.”

Gu Xizhou ignored 0820 and firmly made way for Su Zhiyi: “Thank you for the offer, but the teacher said to sit in our assigned seats. You go in.”

“Alright then.” Su Zhiyi didn’t push it. She stepped past Gu Xizhou and sat by the window.

The moment she sat down, Gu Xizhou felt as though someone had placed a giant bouquet of cherries next to her; the fruity scent was rich and incredibly tempting. How can someone smell so good? Did Su Zhiyi not put on a scent-suppressing patch? But if she hadn’t, the smell would surely be even stronger.

Sitting next to her, Gu Xizhou felt like she was being soaked in that fragrance. As her mind wandered, Su Zhiyi buckled her seatbelt and turned to ask: “How have you been lately? Are you feeling better?”

Gu Xizhou snapped out of it and looked at her blankly. “Ah, I’m fine now.”

Su Zhiyi didn’t seem convinced, examining her pale, thin face. “Your complexion is still a bit sallow. Have you not been eating or sleeping well?”

Her concern was so obvious it made Gu Xizhou’s heart skip a beat. Gu Xizhou bit her lip and asked hesitantly after a moment: “Don’t you mind?”

Su Zhiyi was confused. “Mind what?”

Gu Xizhou thought for a second and continued: “The thing between your sister and me. I made such a mess of your family… don’t you mind?”

Her self-preservation methods had been quite extreme, and they had even resulted in Su Zhiyi being scrutinized and judged by people at school and online over the past few days. Why could Su Zhiyi still care for her so naturally? Even for someone kind-hearted, there had to be a limit.

The awkwardness of youth was so apparent. Su Zhiyi was stunned for a moment, then she smiled gracefully. She looked at Gu Xizhou seriously and asked: “Then what about you? Don’t you mind?”

“I am Su Nanfeng’s twin sister. Do you hate me?”