"Wang Xiao, wait!"
The unexpected voice brought Wang Xiao to an abrupt halt, his curiosity piqued.
He turned to find Chen Li, a short-haired boy from his class, looking at him urgently. "Wait for me, near the left entrance," Chen Li suggested before dashing back towards their classroom.
Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed as he watched Chen Li's retreating figure.
Without a word, he shouldered his school bag and made his way towards the left entrance, keeping a discreet distance from the school's boundaries.
As he walked along the perimeter, he noticed a particular section of the school's boundaries where the walls were slightly shorter, just enough for someone to jump over.
This infamous exit point was a well-known spot among students seeking to skip school.
Whoosh!
And then, with a sudden rush of air, a school bag soared over the wall, landing neatly on his side.
Following closely behind, Chen Li made his daring leap, jumping over the wall with a touch of uncertainty, nearly stumbling upon landing.
"Hahaha," Chen Li laughed, brushing off imaginary dust from his clothes. "I just heard that old bastard suspended you for one week!"
"Why did you come?" Wang Xiao handed Chen Li's school bag to him as they walked towards the nearest metro.
"Haha! Brother Wang, you didn't want me to stay there alone and face that witch, did you?" Chen Li grinned. "That Zhao Yang is a real piece of work. He actually reported you to the teacher, and that witch actually listened to him! Tsk!"
Wang Xiao sighed and gave a faint smile. "That 'witch' (Lei Xia) can't betray her master, after all."
"Brother, are you serious!?" Chen Li was taken aback, looking at Wang Xiao in astonishment.
Wang Xiao chuckled. "She has something going on with Zhao Yang's father."
"!!" Chen Li cursed under his breath, clearly disturbed by the revelation. But Wang Xiao wasn't done. "Not just that, Zhao Yang wants to give green hat to his own father, and Lei Xia is well aware of Zhao Yang's intentions towards her."
"Damn!" Chen Li's anger flared. "Tsk, that 'witch' turns out to be quite the player, huh? Brother, those father and son won't be sharing women, will they?"
"No idea," Wang Xiao replied, his gaze fixed on the path ahead.
Observing the dynamics between Lei Xia and Zhao Yang's father, he couldn't help but notice something amiss.
At the conclusion of their conversation, Lei Xia, instead of a simple handshake, had embraced Zhao Yang's father, pointedly ignoring his wife.
Throughout the exchange, Zhao Yang wore an expression that was a mix of ugliness and jealousy. The situation had complexities that ran deeper than Wang Xiao could fathom.
Wang Xiao toyed with the idea of revenge, imagining catching Zhao Yang and Lei Xia in a compromising situation and anonymously sending the evidence to Zhao Yang's father.
It was a tempting plan, but also an endeavor that demanded considerable effort. For the time being, he decided to shelve it.
As long as Zhao Yang didn't seek him out for further trouble, Wang Xiao was content with his days flowing smoothly.
His life had settled into a pleasant rhythm, and he had no desire to become entangled in petty rivalries or potentially involve his parents.
Chen Li, despite being viewed as intrusive by others, had a long history with Wang Xiao, dating back to their preschool days.
They had often skipped school together, and Wang Xiao had even taught Chen Li how to pilfer money from his father's stationery business, subsequently squandering it with him.
In times of financial need, Wang Xiao would turn to Chen Li, who had a steady stream of funds from his father's wholesale stationary business.
Although Chen Li was somewhat naive in Wang Xiao's eyes, he didn't mind as long as it benefited him.
The dynamic between them was one of opportunism, and Wang Xiao took advantage of it without a second thought.
Both Chen Li and Wang Xiao boarded the metro heading to Nanjing Road. Lujiazui Financial District was also an option, but Wang Xiao knew it would be risky with his father working there.
He couldn't afford to be spotted by him.
Once they arrived at Nanjing District, they whiled away the remaining hours playing games at the game parlour and indulging in their favorite eats.
As the time to return neared, a reminder of impending school closure rang in their minds.
Saying their goodbyes, Chen Li left for his home in Puxi, conveniently situated for his school-skipping escapades.
The school bus driver was a friend, ensuring Chen Li's absences remained under the radar at home.
With their homeroom teacher on their side, the school posed no issues either.
Just as Wang Xiao was heading back to board the metro, he noticed a familiar figure outside the display of a jewelry shop.
Normally, Wang Xiao would have simply walked past and ignored the scene, but today he found himself unexpectedly pausing and observing from a distance.
The figure outside the jewelry shop was that of a young girl, accompanied by three of her school girlfriends, all donned in their school uniforms—clearly playing hooky.
Wang Xiao could distinctly recognize the fair-skinned girl at the forefront: Fu Yuxin.
She wore a small smile as she gazed at a piece of jewelry on display behind the glass.
One of her friends nudged Fu Yuxin playfully, saying, "Xinxin, stop daydreaming and take a look at the price tag."
"Yeah..." Fu Yuxin smiled in a complicated manner, staring at the 10,000 yuan price tag. Her friends pulled her away, and they all began heading back to their respective homes in Puxi.
Fu Yuxin was Fu Chao's younger sister, and though Wang Xiao had never directly interacted with her, they had crossed paths on multiple occasions, allowing for recognition.
'The two simultaneous imaginary voices pulled Wang Xiao out of his thoughts, sparking a twisted contemplation within him. 'Hey, kid, how about seeking revenge on Fu Chao?' one voice whispered. 'Yeah, didn't Fu Chao try to hook up with Jiarong? Are you going to let it slide?' the other chimed in.
As he mulled over the idea, Wang Xiao continued his walk towards the subway, muttering to himself with a thoughtful look. 'The problem is how to lure her...'
Wang Xiao had never let Fu Chao off the hook, not merely because of Fu Chao's rejection by Wang Jiarong. He was still seeking an opportunity for revenge, one that wouldn't incur collateral damage.
'Hey, stop being stupid. Didn't you see her eyes when looking at that piece of jewelry? You can use that to lure her out,' one of his shadows suggested.
'It's a good idea, but if you do that, she'll recognize you and won't fall for it,' the second shadow cautioned.
'How about getting another ID and using that? You're suspended from school anyways. Go and have some fun with the girl!'
'Indeed, you must take revenge!'
For the first time, the shadows were in unanimous agreement, urging Wang Xiao towards revenge.
Wang Xiao nodded, acknowledging the good idea presented by his shadows. However, the challenge of potentially being recognized by Fu Yuxin remained.
Ultimately, he pulled out his phone and called Mo Xiang, requesting him to use his identity to procure an additional disposable SIM card that Wang Xiao could use to deceive Fu Yuxin.
If caught, it would be Mo Xiang losing respect, not him.
Now, with the means to establish a false identity in place, he tackled the issue of funding. "Hey, Wang Xiao, what do you need?" Fu Chao's voice unexpectedly rang from the other end, suggesting that he was out enjoying somewhere, surrounded by other voices.
Wang Xiao grinned wickedly, deciding to use Fu Chao's own money to deceive his sister.
He asked Fu Chao for some funds, promising to return the amount later.
In a similar vein, he also requested Chen Li to bring additional funds the next day.
The stage was set for his revenge plan.
With nothing to lose and revenge on his mind, Wang Xiao embarked on the next task: gathering information about Fu Yuxin's personal life.
He made his way back home, ready to scramble his brain for a strategy to carry out this plan.
The new phone number, even if investigated, was registered under Mo Xiang's name, leaving Wang Xiao relatively safe from any potential complications.
If Fu Yuxin didn't fall for his bait, at most, his plan would fail.
At the end, with nothing to lose and ample time on his hands, Wang Xiao started planning for his revenge.