The afternoon sunlight slowly drifted across the kindergarten classroom, and as the warm light stretched across the small tables and colorful floor mats, the children began preparing for their afternoon activity, which was drawing and sharing their artwork with the teacher.
The classroom felt calm again after the morning incident, and most of the children had already forgotten about the brief conversation between Zhao Yichen, Gu Wen, and Liu Ruyan. To them, it had only been a small interaction, something ordinary and meaningless, but for Zhao Yichen, it had only been the beginning of his carefully planned approach.
He sat quietly at his desk, pretending to draw while his eyes occasionally moved toward Liu Ruyan, who was still sitting beside Gu Wen and carefully holding her drawing like a small treasure.
She had not added any more figures to it.
It was still only Gu Wen and her under the bright sun.
And every time she looked at it, she seemed a little relieved, as if Gu Wen's words had protected her from something she did not fully understand.
Zhao Yichen's gaze slowly darkened.
So emotional pressure alone is not enough.
Then I need to change the situation.
He lowered his head and calmly finished his drawing, and after a few minutes, the teacher's gentle voice filled the classroom.
"Alright, everyone," the teacher said with a smile, clapping her hands softly, "please bring your drawings to me one by one and tell me what you drew."
The children immediately became excited and began lining up, holding their drawings proudly as they waited for their turn.
Liu Ruyan held her drawing tightly and looked at Gu Wen with slightly nervous eyes.
"Gu Wen… should I go?" she asked softly.
Gu Wen nodded calmly.
"I'll go with you."
The moment she heard that, her small face relaxed slightly, and she stood up beside him, walking slowly toward the teacher together.
Behind them, Zhao Yichen quietly stood up as well.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
As the children lined up, Zhao Yichen carefully stepped closer to Liu Ruyan and lightly bumped into her shoulder.
It was not strong.
Just enough.
Liu Ruyan lost her balance slightly, and the drawing slipped from her hands, falling to the floor.
"Oh…" she gasped softly.
Before she could pick it up, Zhao Yichen quickly bent down and picked it up first.
"I'm sorry," he said gently, his expression looking innocent and apologetic.
"I didn't see you."
Liu Ruyan shook her head slightly.
"It's… okay."
Zhao Yichen looked at the drawing again and smiled softly before handing it back to her.
But as he handed it over, he quietly folded one small corner of the paper, creating a small tear near the edge.
It was subtle.
Almost unnoticeable.
Then he stepped back calmly and returned to his position in line.
Liu Ruyan did not notice anything and continued walking forward.
Soon, it was her turn.
She stepped in front of the teacher, holding the drawing carefully, while Gu Wen stood beside her quietly.
The teacher smiled warmly.
"Liu Ruyan, what did you draw?"
Liu Ruyan slowly handed the drawing over.
"I… drew me and Gu Wen," she said softly.
The teacher took the paper and looked at it.
At first, she smiled.
But then she noticed the torn corner.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Why is the paper torn?" the teacher asked gently.
Liu Ruyan froze.
"Torn?"
She looked at the drawing in confusion.
Only now did she notice the damaged corner.
"I… I don't know," she said softly, her voice becoming uncertain.
At that moment, Zhao Yichen suddenly spoke from behind.
"Teacher," he said gently, "I saw Liu Ruyan throw the paper on the floor earlier."
The classroom became quiet.
Liu Ruyan's eyes widened in shock.
"I… I didn't…" she tried to speak, but her voice became small and weak.
The teacher frowned slightly.
"Did you throw it on the floor?" she asked calmly.
Liu Ruyan shook her head quickly.
"No… I didn't…"
But her voice was too soft, too fragile.
Zhao Yichen lowered his head slightly and spoke in a careful voice.
"Maybe she didn't mean to, teacher."
"She looked unhappy with the drawing."
The teacher sighed softly.
"Liu Ruyan, it's not good to damage your own work or throw it on the floor. You should take better care of your drawings."
The words were not harsh.
But they felt heavy.
Very heavy.
Liu Ruyan's small body froze, and her fingers slowly tightened.
She wanted to explain.
She wanted to say that she didn't do it.
But everyone was looking at her.
The teacher.
The children.
Even Zhao Yichen.
Her heart began beating faster.
Above her head, the captions flickered rapidly.
[Misunderstanding Detected]
[Emotional Pressure Increasing]
[Anxiety Level Rising]
[Danger: Emotional Breakdown]
Her vision became blurry.
"I… didn't…" she whispered weakly.
But her voice was too small.
Tears slowly filled her eyes.
Gu Wen's expression slowly turned cold.
At that moment, the system notification appeared clearly in his vision.
[Perfect Life System Alert]
[Emotional Damage Detected]
[Target: Liu Ruyan]
[Cause: Zhao Yichen]
[Trust Crisis Possible]
[Mission Activated]
[Clear Misunderstanding and Protect Liu Ruyan]
[Reward: Relationship Bond +10]
[Failure Risk: Emotional Dependence Collapse]
Gu Wen's eyes darkened slightly.
He stepped forward calmly and spoke in a steady voice.
"Teacher."
The teacher looked at him.
"Yes, Gu Wen?"
Gu Wen pointed calmly at Liu Ruyan's drawing.
"She didn't throw it."
The classroom became quiet again.
The teacher blinked slightly.
"How do you know?" she asked.
Gu Wen spoke calmly.
"I was with her the whole time."
"She never threw it."
His voice was steady and clear, without hesitation.
Zhao Yichen's fingers tightened slightly behind his back.
Gu Wen continued speaking.
"Someone bumped into her in the line."
"That's why it fell."
The teacher looked surprised.
"Is that true?"
Liu Ruyan looked at Gu Wen, her tearful eyes slowly filling with hope.
She nodded weakly.
"Yes… someone bumped me…"
The teacher frowned slightly and looked at the children.
"Who bumped her?"
The classroom became silent.
Zhao Yichen's expression remained calm, but inside, his mind was already calculating.
Gu Wen slowly turned his head.
And looked directly at Zhao Yichen.
Their eyes met.
Calm.
Cold.
Silent.
And for the first time, Zhao Yichen felt something unusual.
Gu Wen already knew.
The teacher followed Gu Wen's gaze and slowly looked at Zhao Yichen as well.
"Zhao Yichen," she said gently, "do you know what happened?"
The classroom atmosphere suddenly became tense.
Zhao Yichen stood quietly, his face still calm and innocent.
But inside, he understood one thing clearly.
Gu Wen…
was starting to fight back.
And this was only the beginning.