The engine rumbled low and the car slid away, leaving only a string of taillights fading into the distance.
"Damn, isn't that the Si sisters? Whoever picked them up must be some Second-generation rich…"
"A rolls-royce… talk about pulling out all the stops…"
"My goddesses…"
Amid the scattered chatter lay the sound of hearts breaking, yet no one dared step forward.
The car soon merged into traffic and vanished; the pointing fingers and hushed whispers of the surrounding classmates snapped Lin Weiwei back to reality.
She remembered how Jiang Cheng had mocked her in front of all those people moments ago.
Lin Weiwei trembled with rage, lips quivering, yet not a single word came out.
She clenched her teeth so hard her nails dug deep into her palms, eyes brimming with resentment and unwillingness.
"Si Nian, Si Qing… and that man… just wait!"
She hissed under her breath, voice thick with frantic hatred.
But the luxury car had long since gone; it would never glance back at her again.
Inside the car, the windows slid up, shutting out the outside world.
Jiang Cheng tapped a fingertip against his knee, breaking the silence: "Does that Lin Weiwei usually give you two a hard time?"
Si Nian and Si Qing exchanged a look, their expressions turning uneasy, as though he'd struck a nerve.
Si Qing spoke first, voice vague: "Not exactly often…" She paused, leaning toward Si Nian, "Better to avoid trouble; we usually steer clear of her and keep our heads down."
Jiang Cheng gave a soft "Mm," then pressed, "So she bullies you?"
Si Nian pressed her lips together, voice even softer: "Sort of—just some snide remarks… If we ignore her, she loses interest."
Afraid Jiang Cheng might overthink, she added, "Actually she mainly targets the quieter kids in class; we're okay."
"Speaking of which, her temper reminds me of a news story I saw," Si Qing said suddenly, as though changing the subject.
"What story?" Si Nian tilted her head.
"It was about a Second-generation rich girl from Modu, named Zhai something." Si Qing took over, recalling, "The report said she used to bully classmates back in China. Once, a kid accidentally knocked over her cup; without a word she tore up the student's textbook and slapped them hard across the face."
Si Qing, listening from the side, couldn't help but cut in: "What? That's way over the top."
Si Nian nodded and went on, "Later her family shipped her to a private high school in Los Angeles, Pretty Country. Everyone thought a new environment might tame her, but abroad she got worse—formed a little clique and kept picking on others."
"Ah?" Si Qing gasped.
Si Nian continued, "According to the report, one time she dragged a classmate to an abandoned factory and left the kid covered in bruises. Another time, over some petty classroom spat, she locked the student up for more than five hours of torture—stripped the kid, burned her with cigarette butts, filmed her being forced to eat sand…"
"My god!" Si Qing's eyes went wide. "That's brutal!"
Yeah," Si Nian sighed. "Eventually the story blew up and hit the media. Thankfully the court sentenced her to thirteen years for kidnapping, and after she serves her time she'll be banned from Pretty Country for life—never allowed back."
Jiang Cheng had naturally seen that news too.
Back in 2016 it had shocked the whole nation.
Every major headline carried it.
Some second-generation riches are spoiled rotten from childhood, convinced they can look down on ordinary folk and their families will clean up any mess.
And the families always do.
Si Qing gazed at the streetlights flashing past outside and murmured, "Sometimes I think: throw your family's money around and bully people, and it usually ends badly."
After saying that, Si Qing seemed to realize something.
She shot Si Nian a look and quickly added, "darling, don't get me wrong—I'm not throwing shade at you."
Normally Si Qing wouldn't say such things in front of Si Nian.
There was only one reason she would.
Si Qing was pretending to be Si Nian again.
Jiang Cheng simply reached out and pinched Si Qing's cheek.
Then, holding her hand naturally, he played along: "Why would I take it the wrong way? I don't do things that would give me a guilty conscience."
Seeing Jiang Cheng's move, Si Nian—sitting on the right—curled her lips, mimicked Si Qing's tone, tilted her head toward Jiang Cheng, eyes still carrying the warmth that hadn't faded since daytime.
"Your car's way too flashy; by tomorrow the whole school will be saying we're being 'kept'."
After Si Nian spoke, Si Qing nodded with a laugh, fingertips brushing the leather grain inside the door: "Exactly—wish you'd parked farther away."
Hearing that, Jiang Cheng silently applied the affinity results he'd obtained from Bai Xiaoxiao and Qiao Yinyin a couple of days earlier to the two girls.
Now, with two identical faces sitting on either side of him,
Jiang Cheng figured this affinity boost suited them perfectly.
After tapping "Use," Jiang Cheng feigned surprise.
He stretched his arms out as if joking.
And casually draped them over Si Nian's and Si Qing's shoulders—one on each side.
"Really? That's wonderful—I've waited a long, long time for this day."