Locking away my heart and love! Going back to 2000 to be a top student again.

Changshi, Kangxian No.1 Middle School.

As Xu Su emerged from the cafeteria, she once again felt like she was being secretly watched. She frowned slightly, glanced around, and quickened her pace.

As soon as she entered the classroom, a classmate told her that the homeroom teacher wanted to go to the office.

The homeroom teacher of Class 2, Grade 3 was a middle-aged woman in her forties named Li Xiulan.

Seeing Xu Su come in, she smiled and pointed to the chair opposite her, saying, "Sit down."

"I have good news for you." Li Xiulan took a paper cup, poured some water, and handed it to her prized student, saying in a kind tone, "You know the SC Group, which has been donating scholarships to our school for the past few years, right?"

Xu Su took the water glass and nodded gently.

Throughout her three years of junior high school, she received the top scholarship every semester, an amount large enough for her to squander. As for who the scholarship donation group was, the entire school probably knew about it.

Li Xiulan said, "Because you have been an outstanding student for three consecutive years, you are one of the two guaranteed admission spots for high schools in Shanghai provided by SC Group, after discussions among the school leaders."

SC Group is headquartered in Shanghai, and it's unclear why they chose Kang County, a poor and remote area, to set up the scholarship. Starting four years ago, the group has been supporting primary and secondary schools in various towns and villages in Kang County.

They also offer two guaranteed admission spots to prestigious high schools in Shanghai each year.

Students who are recommended to study in Shanghai receive a full tuition waiver and a monthly scholarship of 5,000 yuan, which is said to continue until they graduate from university.

The only requirement seems to be that after graduation, one should have priority to work for SC Group.

There are only two slots available for the entire county each year. Xu Su had thought she might be selected, but when it actually happened, she still found it hard to believe.

After all, she was just a rural student with no connections, while the opportunity to attend a prestigious high school in Shanghai was coveted by countless middle-class and even upper-class families throughout Kang County.

Li Xiulan said, "The people from SC Group have just arrived. If it's confirmed, we'll finalize the contract today. Do you want to call your family and discuss it?"

"No need. I've already talked to my family about this before, and they all agree."

She consistently ranked at the top of her class in every exam. She had already discussed it with her grandmother and uncle, and had also called her parents in Changshi. The whole family agreed to the plan.

"That's good. It's a rare opportunity, and we really shouldn't miss it," Li Xiulan smiled, then added with concern, "You have good grades and are beautiful. A young girl like you should focus on your studies in Shanghai and not get involved with..."

As the teacher and student were talking, a figure appeared at the door of the office, which was not closed, and knocked on the door.

Xu Su turned around upon hearing the sound.

A tall, slender young man stood against the light at the doorway.

Just as I was wondering if I could see the other person's face clearly, I saw them walk in a few steps.

Very handsome.

She glanced at it a couple more times, then looked away.

Turning around, I saw that Li Xiulan had already stood up and greeted the newcomer with a polite smile: "This is classmate Xu Su."

Xu Su suddenly realized that this must be someone from the SC Group.

A hand with fair skin and long, slender fingers reached out in front of me.

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Shen Chen."

...and her voice is nice too.

This was the first time someone had shaken hands with a sixteen-year-old girl like this.

Xu Su paused for a moment, then reached out her hand.

The other person grasped it, then released it.

Everything seemed normal, but Xu Su inexplicably felt that something was wrong.

The contract was signed smoothly. School leaders came, and after calling Xu Suyuan's parents in Changsha to confirm their agreement to their daughter studying in Shanghai, the contract officially took effect.

Because she was admitted through a special admission program, Xu Su did not need to take the college entrance examination.

Because it was a guaranteed admission program, I had to accept the SC Group's arrangements and go to Shanghai in advance to catch up on my studies.

Xu Su packed her things and left school to go back to her maternal grandmother's house in the countryside.

Before I could even carry my bags out of the school, I was stopped by a man from SC Group named Shen Chen as I passed the parking lot.

The other person sat in the driver's seat of a very impressive car, the window slowly rolled down, and said, "I'll give you a ride."

Just as Xu Su was about to refuse, he said again, "I'll take you back, and then you can come to Shanghai with me."

This is indeed written in the contract. She is still a minor, so of course I'm not comfortable letting her travel to Shanghai alone.

Can……

Xu Su looked at his young face and hesitated for a moment, but he had already gotten out of the car and put her several bags of luggage into the trunk.

He opened the passenger door and smiled at her, saying, "Don't worry, I don't eat people."

"..." Xu Su glanced at him, then got into the car.

With a press of the accelerator, the car slowly drove out of the school gate.

The man in the driver's seat smiled and said, "We're heading to Shanghai. Is there anything you want to ask?"

Xu Su paused for a moment, then asked, "...Where should I stay?"

“Live with me.”

"!!!" Xu Su turned to look at him in shock. "What?!"

The man turned to look at him, his handsome face full of smiles. "Don't you know? The contract states that I, Shen Chen, will take care of your food, clothing, housing, and transportation in Shanghai."

Xu Su: "..."

She was dumbfounded.

"So scared?" As the car stopped at a traffic light, Shen Chen pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. "Don't look like you've been kidnapped. How about I leave you my ID?"

…………

Xu Su actually took the ID card from his hand.

She looked at the birthdate on the certificate, did some calculations, and asked, "Are you twenty this year?"

Shen Chen hummed in agreement, turned the steering wheel, and drove the car onto a country road. "What?"

Xu Su asked, "...Don't you go to school?"

"Of course I'm coming! I just graduated." Shen Chen chuckled. "I came to pick you up right after graduation, isn't that kind of me?"

"..." Xu Su fell silent.

I don't like this person's overly familiar tone.

It's as if they came specifically to pick her up.

The country roads were unpaved, and even a very stable off-road vehicle still made Xu Su's brows furrow from the bumpy ride.

Shen Chen glanced at her, "Motion sickness?"

Xu Su shook her head: "I'm not dizzy, it's just that the jolting makes my stomach hurt."

The car slowed down.

Shen Chen said, "This road will be repaired when you come back next time."

"???" Xu Su was genuinely shocked. "Was it repaired with donations from your SC Group again?"

“Yes, the funds have been allocated, and construction will begin immediately.” Shen Chen pointed to the area in front of her and said, “Open the lid, there’s a small refrigerator inside. Grab a bottle of water.”

As he spoke, worried that she might feel awkward, he simply reached out and took it himself.

Xu Su quickly pulled her legs back and moved aside until she held a bottle of chilled drinking water in her hand.

It all felt too surreal.

Did Kang County do something to save the SC Group's boss, by building bridges, repairing roads, and establishing huge scholarships for all the schools in the county?

Thinking this, she actually asked it out loud.

Upon hearing this, Shen Chen chuckled and agreed, saying, "Maybe it really is."

"Do you know your boss?"

“I don’t have a boss.” Shen Chen looked at her and said softly, “I am the boss of SC Group.”

"..." Xu Su paused for a moment, then chuckled at his words.

The initial awkwardness of meeting for the first time gradually disappeared with that smile.

For some reason, although it was the first time she had met this person, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

I also inexplicably felt that this person had no ill intentions towards me.

Otherwise, given her personality, she wouldn't easily get into a stranger's car.