The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

"Mmm, this is so delicious! Chili peppers really are the soul of good food!"

While eating the skewers in the plastic bowl, Wen Yao blew air into the bowl as she ate.

"You should eat too, Xi Bao~"

She picked up a skewer of beef balls covered in chili oil, intending to hand it to Xu Xi.

Xu Xi waved her hand.

"Never mind, your bowl is too spicy, I can't handle that much spice~"

She was also holding a bowl of skewers, which were also filled with red oil.

However, Xu Xi's bowl contained only a few scattered drops, while Wen Yao's bowl was filled with a whole layer of them.

Through the transparent plastic bowl, you could almost see that the layer of red oil was about half a finger thick.

"Hey, Xi Bao, let me tell you, in winter you have to eat this spicy food to keep warm and prevent you from catching a cold or fever."

Without waiting for Xu Xi to refuse, she stuffed the string of beef balls that looked like they would kill someone with spiciness into Xu Xi's bowl.

Helpless, Xu Xi could only blow hard on the red oil on top and then put it into her mouth in small sips.

In an instant, it was as if she had discovered the door to a new world.

"Mmm! It smells so good! It smells so good! It's so delicious!"

"Right? I told you only the spicy kind tastes the best, hehe."

A black Mercedes was parked on the side of the road.

Zhao Lin's gloomy face was reflected on the dark car window film.

"Miss, we've arrived."

The driver ahead reminded him.

Zhao Lin waved her hand.

"go home."

"But you specifically asked to buy skewers from this food stall..."

"Why are you talking so much nonsense? It's none of your business if I don't want to eat!"

Zhao Lin shouted irritably.

"Excuse me, miss, we'll be going home now."

The Mercedes engine roared as it sped off into the distance.

Zhao Lin leaned back in the car, closed her eyes, and kept replaying the heartwarming scene of Xu Xi and Wen Yao feeding each other in her mind.

In an instant, an unprecedented sense of loneliness surged into her heart.

At school, at least Song Jiayi could listen to him talk.

Even if it's always just me performing a solo act, and I never get a response.

But now, it seems everyone is against her.

Students from my own class and students from other classes would always whisper about me behind my back when they saw me.

"See her? She's the she-devil who made the top student in the grade drop out."

Even her own group of henchmen would only say a few words that pleased her when they were receiving money from her.

Hehe, isn't Song Jiayi the same?

Zhao Lin chuckled, tears welling up in her eyes.

Despite all her painstaking efforts and wholehearted dedication, it turned out that in his eyes she was merely a tool to provide material goods and money.

She longed to confide in someone, but found that she had no one to talk to.

The Mercedes drove into a quiet villa area.

"Miss, we've arrived."

Zhao Lin got out of the car and pushed open the front door of her house.

The house was unusually quiet today; there wasn't even the usual sound of the maid cleaning.

Even the incense ash under the mother's portrait seems to have been left uncleaned for a while.

"Linlin".

A solemn voice came from the study.

"Dad, why are you home today?"

Zhao Lin walked into the study and sat down on the sofa.

She looked at the man in a suit and tie, exuding an aura of authority, standing in front of the solid wood desk.

Her father, Zhao Ruilong.

At this moment, Zhao Ruilong was hunched over the table, writing something. Zhao Lin could almost see a few traces of vicissitude and fatigue creeping up the corners of his eyes.

"I've finished with work at the company, so I'll come back and spend some time with you."

Zhao Ruilong stopped writing, raised his head, and looked intently at his daughter.

There seemed to be a trace of lingering affection and reluctance in his eyes.

"Did you study hard at school?"

Zhao Lin turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

"Hehe... It's okay. When I was a kid, I was someone who failed exams and always went against your grandpa."

Zhao Ruilong got up, went to Zhao Lin's sofa, and sat down next to her.

Zhao Lin looked at him with a puzzled expression.

In her memory, her father had never spoken to her so gently.

"Once, my dad got a zero on a test and hid the test paper under a flowerpot by the front door."

"Your grandfather went to water the flowers that day for some inexplicable reason, and happened to find that test paper with a zero score."

"That night, your grandfather took the belt that your grandmother had just bought for him and whipped your father hard."

He asked, "What were you thinking about during the exam?"

"Dad said: I fell asleep and dreamed that I went back to the Han Dynasty, fought against the Xiongnu with Huo Qubing, and witnessed the restoration of the Han Dynasty with Liu Xiu. I also witnessed the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. If the bell hadn't rung to close the book, I would have stayed in that prosperous Han Dynasty forever."

As he spoke, Zhao Ruilong laughed.

This was the first time he had smiled genuinely since Zhao Lin's mother passed away.

"After a golden age comes decline."

Zhao Lin said in a nonchalant tone.

History class was the only subject she listened to attentively.

Zhao Ruilong wiped the smile off his face and touched the weathered wrinkles at the corner of his eyes.

"Yes, prosperity inevitably leads to decline."

"Linlin, if you were a person from the Han Dynasty, born during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, and experienced the prosperous reign of Emperor Wu, watching the country's power decline step by step, with uprisings breaking out everywhere, and never regaining its former glory, wouldn't you feel extremely disappointed?"

"No, the prosperity is not my achievement, nor is the chaos my fault. Having enjoyed the glory of the prosperous era, I can naturally face the turbulent times of chaos with a smile."

A look of relief appeared on Zhao Ruilong's face.

"Linlin, take good care of yourself from now on. No matter what happens, Dad and Mom will always love you."

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Zhao Lin sensed something was wrong.

I felt there was something strange about the atmosphere tonight; my father seemed completely different from his usual stern self.

Zhao Ruilong shook his head.

"It's okay, I'll take a day off tomorrow and go with Dad to see Mom."

"it is good."

......

"Yaoyao, let's go eat."

As the last class of the morning ended, Xu Xi shook Wen Yao's arm.

Wen Yao was frowning, diligently reviewing the formulas she had just learned in math class.

In the past, Wen Yao would always drag Xu Xi, who was studying hard, to finish class and eat on time. Now the roles are reversed, and it's Xu Xi calling for Wen Yao.

Wen Yao hung her head, looking listless.

"Ugh, so annoying! Xi Bao, you've already ranked 15th! I don't have any excuses left to keep slacking off, waaaaah..."

Xu Xi stuck out her tongue.

"Don't worry, next time my tutor comes to teach me, I'll just invite you to come along."

"Huh? You can do that?"

"Sure, he's my brother's friend, and he's an amazing lecturer! Otherwise, I wouldn't have improved so quickly."

Wen Yao immediately capped her pen and pulled Xu Xi towards the cafeteria.

"What are we waiting for, Xi Bao? Eating is the most important thing in the world! If you're not eager to eat, you're out of your mind!"