Dedicated to studying, yet forced into a chaotic situation.

Chapter 53 She used to be bullied at her school in the countryside.

After promising to bring lunch to her classmate in the future, Shi Sui finally opened her phone to check the transfer amount. Goodness, there were several zeros again, 10.

Shi Sui: [System, I feel I don't need you anymore. You can bind to someone else.]

The system remained silent for a long time. It was undeniable that the money it was offering was less than a fraction of what its host's classmate had received, but—

System: [Host, men are unreliable. If you want to change your fate, you can only rely on your own learning.]

Shi Sui was just joking. Who wouldn't want more money? It would be even better if they could squeeze more out of the system.

After chatting with the system for a few minutes, the star chef quickly prepared lunch. The chef, wearing a chef's hat, was very tall, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his strong arms honed from years of wok-frying. He then handed the food cart to Shi Sui.

"This is Young Master Chi's lunch today. The appetizer is beef tartare, a blend of beef, flounder, foie gras, oysters... multiple flavors intertwined and blended, yet distinct in layers, drizzled with beetroot juice and mayonnaise. This is French lobster bisque, made with fresh Boston lobster flown in this morning. Today's salad is Mediterranean marinated smoked salmon with arugula, drizzled with black truffle sauce and skirt sauce that has been marinated for half a year in advance... The side dish is king crab dumplings... The main course is herb steak... Dessert is Brest..."

Shi Sui listened attentively to the chef's rambling as if she were in class. When she saw that the chef was still panting after finishing his speech, she immediately turned around, pushed the food cart, and left quickly.

If we don't leave now, we won't be able to remember all these random dishes.

On the other side, Yan Ze secretly glanced at the window and found that Shi Sui had not returned yet. He gossiped, "Brother Chi, I have never seen anyone more considerate to you than Shi Sui. As soon as you come to the cafeteria, she rushes to serve you food. Now she is so patient in listening to your nonsense. She is trying to figure out your tastes."

Chi Yan's lips unconsciously curled up upon hearing this, but after trying his best to suppress it, he pretended not to care and said, "Tch, all you know is how to flatter me. I'm not falling for that."

Yan Ze was confused: Does Brother Chi have any feelings for Shi Sui?

He subtly observed Chi Yan's expression and noticed that the boy's eyebrows were slightly raised in disdain. So—did he offend Chi-ge by saying a few nice words for Shi Sui?

“Exactly, I would never be interested in her,” Yan Ze said seriously. “When she comes over, I’ll say a few words to her. Don’t waste your time, she’s so stupid.”

Chi Yan glared at him: "You're the stupid one."

Yan Ze: ...Okay, I'll mute myself.

Shi Sui pushed the food cart back, her mind filled with the chef's words, and didn't notice Song Xinying and the others just a few steps away.

I served each dish to the table, repeating the chef's words like reciting a memorized script. Once I finished speaking, my mission was accomplished. I wasn't tired, but my mouth was very dry.

"Wow, he can even memorize what that long-winded old man said." Yan Ze stared in disbelief, then took a couple of bites of his steak.

Chi Yan didn't say anything, but he knew exactly what was going on.

My deskmate memorized the chef's words to figure out his tastes, and he absolutely adored him.

Shi Sui had already eaten, but she was thirsty, so she bought a cup of milk tea and was scrolling through Redbook while watching cooking videos.

Chi Yan glanced at her phone, his lips curling into a smug grin. "Don't ask, the only reason is that today's lunch was exceptionally delicious."

Song Xinying walked slowly toward them and deliberately sat at a table behind Shi Sui, so that she could watch Chi Yan eat from her angle.

She had just observed that the country girl was merely a tool for Chi Yan to push the food cart; after placing the dishes on the table, she hadn't exchanged a single word with Chi Yan.

How is this any different from being a waiter? How is this any different from the work Yan Ze usually does?

The country girl was just one of Chi Yan's many underlings.

Chi Yan would never be interested in her.

As she thought about it, Song Xinying's mood became cheerful.

Just then, Jiang Tianyao walked over with a steak. When she saw Shi Sui, she pursed her lips and said in a low voice, "Xinying, I think we should stay away from Shi Sui."

"What's wrong?"

Jiang Tianyao frowned, looking conflicted, and whispered, "Didn't you get bullied by her this morning...?"

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because as soon as Song Xinying was brought up, she thought of the unbuttoned buttons on her chest, blushed, and her voice became hurried: "No, don't, don't talk nonsense."

Jiang Tianyao sighed and said, "Let's stay away from Shi Sui from now on. She used to bully her classmates a lot when she was in school in the countryside."

“What?” Song Xinying was stunned.

“Yes, didn’t you say she pulled hair, stuffed rags in her mouth, pinned her to the ground and slapped her?” Jiang Tianyao whispered. “Although she seems quite quiet on the surface, she’s actually very violent.”

"Did she really bully students at school?" Song Xinying frowned.

“No wonder.” One of the girls realized, “No wonder she was so skilled at pulling hair when she said it; she used to bully her classmates like this.”

"She slapped Gu Chenyi last week; she seems like the kind of delinquent girl who's good at fighting."

"Wow, is she really such a scumbag? She bullied classmates in her old school, and now she's pretending to be a good student at our school. Let's see how long she can keep up this act!"

"that is--"

"What is it?" Shi Sui, holding a milk tea in one hand, appeared beside them at some point, moved a chair over, sat down at the same table with them, and smiled, "Go on, tell me."

The girls fell silent, exchanged glances, and got so engrossed in their gossip that they accidentally raised their voices, which were overheard by the person in question.

Shi Sui bit her straw, calmly glanced at them, and then said, "I think we are all classmates and there shouldn't be any misunderstandings. If you have any opinions about me, you don't have to tell me behind my back. Just say it now."

Jiang Tianyao has been waiting for this moment.

She deliberately steered the conversation to reveal that Shi Sui was a bully at school. Song Xinying, who liked Chi Yan, naturally disapproved of Shi Sui. With such leverage in her hands, and being impulsive and easily angered, she was bound to spread it around.

When Shi Sui is associated with the term 'school bullying', she can forget about staying at school.

Jiang Tianyao looked at Song Xinying: "Speak up! Tell us about how you were bullied by that country bumpkin this morning, and make it clear that she's a school bully!"

Song Xinying had mixed feelings. She looked up at the girl across from her who was drinking milk tea. Her hands were slender and delicate, and the hands holding the milk tea cup seemed weak but were actually very strong.

During morning reading, she grabbed her tie with this hand, her breathing becoming erratic.

In the activity room, she not only used this hand to break the apple open, but also braced herself beside her, trapping her in her shadow, and fled in panic.

“You,” Song Xinying said.