Chen Jinfeng was stunned. "Anxi, how could I take your money? Your family..."
"Take it." Gu Anxi didn’t say much, turned around, and left.
When she got back to the hospital, she received a call from Shen Wanqing. Shen Wanqing’s voice was agitated and angry, "Gu Anxi, what are you plotting? What do you mean by giving my mom three thousand yuan? Are you treating her like a beggar?"
Gu Anxi stood on the pebble path outside the hospital, kicking a small stone, silently listening to Shen Wanqing’s furious rant before hanging up without saying a word.
Some people, even though they have what others don’t, are still not satisfied.
The next day at school, Shen Wanqing didn’t try to hide her displeasure when looking at Gu Anxi; usually, she would put on an act, but today she couldn’t even be bothered to pretend.
Gu Anxi, for a change, wasn’t sleeping. She was propping her head up as she looked at the book Bo Xichen had given her.
Chu Yan nudged her arm. "Gu Anxi, why aren’t you worried at all?"
"Worried about what?" Gu Anxi’s gaze remained fixed on her book.
Chu Yan forced a smile. "What’s wrong with Shen Wanqing today? She looks like she wants to eat you alive. You..."
She asked gossipingly, "You didn’t go after her cheese, did you?"
"Qin Siyuan?" Gu Anxi asked, then stated indifferently, "Not particularly interested."
Chu Yan let out a long "Oh." "That’s reassuring."
A little later, she leaned closer again. "People say you’re very aloof, Anxi. No one dares to talk to you. If you just smiled, you’d definitely enchant a whole crowd."
"Boring." Gu Anxi looked as though she had no intention of saying anything more.
This was Professor Gao’s class, and he was thoroughly exasperated to see them whispering together. One was strongly vouched for by Principal Wang; the other, a recent transfer, was rumored to be a genius. But he couldn’t see any signs of genius in the latter—she was so inept she’d probably draw a chicken that looked like a duck. The two of them sitting together were, in his eyes, both hopeless cases—like rotten wood that couldn’t be carved.
At the end of class, Professor Gao announced, "This term, the art department will be holding an exhibition. Each class must produce ten artworks. I will now call out the names of the students who need to prepare their works."
He read out a list of his star pupils, giving Shen Wanqing a particularly warm glance when her name was called.
Chu Yan whispered, "Gu Anxi, I bet Professor Gao doesn’t know that Shen Wanqing is like a silent dog—the kind that bites back."
Gu Anxi glanced at her.
Just then, Shen Wanqing stood up. "Professor Gao, I would like to give my spot to Gu Anxi. After all, many people have had doubts about her since she returned to school. This is her best chance to prove herself."
As she spoke, she looked at Gu Anxi, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Anxi, right?"
Professor Gao nodded. "Miss Shen is right! By the way, Gu Anxi, your parent hasn’t come to the school yet, have they?"
"He’s sick." Gu Anxi lowered her gaze.
She was referring to Gu Yuntian.
Professor Gao grew even angrier. Not only was Gu Anxi unambitious, but she also lied! He had heard from Shen Wanqing that Mrs. Qin was perfectly fine and was only upset by Gu Anxi.
He left the room with a stern face.
The classroom fell silent for a moment before whispers of gossip started to spread—
"Why hasn’t Gu Anxi’s mom shown up yet? Is there some hidden reason?"
"She’s probably given up on her. I heard her mom has disliked her since she was a child and even thinks Gu Anxi brought disaster to the Gu family..."
Chu Yan chuckled. "Destiny by birth? Do people still believe in that nowadays?"
Just then, the class representative, Wang Qin, raised his hand. "I don’t believe it either. Seriously, what era are we living in?"