SDVPP Chapter 36

Although Rong Xu didn’t seem any different from usual, Chi Han just felt something was off.

Like he was silently sulking.

This mood lasted all the way into the next morning.

“I’ve got something to do today. I probably won’t be able to go to school at noon. The housekeeper will bring your lunch,” Rong Xu pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the corner of his lips, then looked over at Chi Han, his eyes deep and pitch-black. “Wait for me after school. I’ll pick you up.”

Chi Han nodded, not giving it much thought.

He had long known that school was never the center of Rong Xu’s life.

After getting out of the car, Chi Han walked to school alone as usual. Along the way, his phone wouldn’t stop vibrating—call after call from unfamiliar numbers.

When he hung up, the text messages started rolling in.

He opened the messages. Just from the opening lines, he could tell exactly who they were from.

Father Chi and Mother Chi.

The moment he left the private room last night, he had blocked all their contact methods without a second’s hesitation.

They must’ve realized what was going on this morning and figured out they’d been blocked, so they snatched their assistant’s phone and started bombarding him like crazy.

【When did you start living with Rong Xu?】

【The Rong family agreed to this?!】

【You must figure out the relationship between the Zhou family and Rong Xu today! Come back to the villa tonight. Your mother and I have something to say to you.】

【You also need to go explain things to the Zhou family. The way you acted last night completely disgraced the Chi family!】

……

Chi Han skimmed through the first few messages, then deleted the rest without even looking. He originally planned to block them all in one go, but after thinking it over, he figured there were still a few things that needed to be said.

He had no intention of turning his phone into a spam dump.

Half a minute later, Father Chi and Mother Chi, who were anxiously waiting in their office, received a reply from Chi Han:

【The Chi family has nothing to do with me anymore. Last night was the final time I appeared as your son. I’ve changed my phone number. This one’s yours to play with. Heh.】

Father and Mother Chi: “…………”

After a long moment, Father Chi’s face darkened as he tried to call Chi Han, only to find that no matter what, the call wouldn’t go through.

Enraged, he slammed his phone down and wanted to rush into No.1 High School to drag the boy back and give him a proper scolding. But Rong Xu’s cold, sharp eyes kept flashing through his mind.

Amid his fury, a trace of fear crept in.

Rong Xu… Just who exactly is he?!

***

Chi Han had already guessed those two would definitely try calling him, so he shut off his phone in advance.

It was still too early, and the places near the school that sold SIM cards hadn’t opened yet. He’d have to wait until after class to get a new one.

He originally planned to head out right after class, but before the morning self-study even ended, a loud rumble of thunder suddenly rolled across the sky outside.

The warm breeze, which had been relatively gentle, somehow turned fierce, carrying the scent of rain as it rushed in through the open windows, scattering the books on the desk into a mess.

Chi Han carefully packed Rong Xu’s books and placed them into the desk drawer. Staring out at the dark, heavy sky, his brows knitted slightly.

Rong Xu went out on business today. Chi Han didn’t know if he had brought an umbrella.

He grabbed his phone and went to the restroom. The moment it connected to the signal, a flood of text messages and missed calls poured in, nearly crashing the phone.

After waiting over ten seconds for it to settle, Chi Han dialed Rong Xu’s number.

The call was picked up quickly, just like always.

“Rong Xu! It’s going to rain heavily outside! Did you bring an umbrella? Should I ask the butler to come pick you up?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end. Then a stranger’s voice came through:

“Sorry, Mr. Chi. Young Master Rong doesn’t have his phone with him right now. I’ll pass your message on to him in a bit, is that alright?”

Chi Han: “……”

Chi Han: “Why doesn’t Rong Xu have his phone?”

The man replied, “Some clients came today to preview a batch of medical equipment. Everyone went to take a look. Since there’s some radiation involved, phones aren’t allowed. It should be over in about half an hour.”

Chi Han: “…Oh. Alright, then could you please tell Rong Xu to call me when he gets back?”

Man: “Of course, Mr. Chi.”

The man waited for the call to be hung up on the other end before setting the phone down.

Before leaving, Rong Xu had clearly instructed them: whenever Chi Han calls, the phone must be answered immediately, and everything he asks must be answered truthfully.

The man adjusted his glasses, a trace of something unusual flashing in his eyes.

Looks like their young boss is involved in something interesting.

***

With Rong Xu not around, Chi Han had no choice but to return to the classroom for class.

The first period ended. Still, there was no call back from the other side.

The sky outside grew darker and darker. The towering poplar trees, several dozen meters high, swayed wildly in the wind, their branches whipping about as if they might snap at any moment.

Suddenly, a cry rang out from the classroom. Geng Xue pointed toward something outside the window and shouted:

“The tree fell!”

Everyone immediately looked up. Sure enough, a large tree had snapped in half and crashed down with a heavy thud.

The wires it hit sparked with a sharp burst of light, and just seconds later, the entire school was plunged into darkness.

Though it was only nine in the morning, the sky was so dark that the powerless classroom became dim and shadowy.

Class 1 handled it fairly calmly. But the class next door? Whether they were panicking for real or just causing a scene, their constant screaming echoed one after another.

The moment the power went out, Chi Han knew for sure that classes wouldn’t continue today. The school might have various ways to generate electricity, but in this kind of weather, the administrators would absolutely not risk keeping students on campus.

The best move would be to get everyone home as quickly as possible before the rain started falling.

Just as he expected, five minutes later, the homeroom teacher came in to announce that classes were canceled for the day. He also said they would notify everyone about whether or not to come in tomorrow based on how things looked.

Even after several more calls, Rong Xu still hadn’t returned.

Chi Han stood at the classroom door, the hem of his short-sleeved shirt pressed tightly against his waist by the wind, outlining a slender waistline.

It was better to have the butler come and pick him up first. If that didn’t work, he’d go wait for Rong Xu at his workplace.

Just as Chi Han was about to call the butler, his phone suddenly started vibrating in his pocket.

It was a call from Rong Xu.

Chi Han’s furrowed brow relaxed, and he quickly answered the phone.

Rong Xu’s cool, steady voice carried a strangely calming power. It soothed Chi Han instantly.

“I’ll be there in ten minutes. Wait for me at the gate. Don’t make any calls on the way—there’s lightning.”

The corners of Chi Han’s eyes curved slightly without him realizing it. He responded with a soft “Mm.”

Just after hanging up, he was about to head downstairs when he ran into Zhou Ling at the corner.

Thinking of what had happened last night, Chi Han didn’t have much goodwill toward this girl. With a neutral expression, he moved to walk around her.

“Chi Han!”

Zhou Ling looked a little aggrieved as she stared at the boy who ignored her completely, her eyes slightly red.

Once he stopped walking, she bit her lip and looked up at him with tear-bright eyes like a frightened little deer. A few boys passing by caught sight of her and were instantly distracted by the sight.

Chi Han impatiently glanced at his watch. Three minutes left. Rong Xu would be here any moment. Could she hurry up and say what she needed to?

“I… I don’t know how to get home. Uncle Driver is stuck in traffic… Chi Han, can you walk me there?”

Zhou Ling lowered her head, nervously wringing the hem of her shirt, looking as pitiful as could be.

Chi Han looked outside. A faint mist of moisture had already crept into the air.

His voice was cool and crisp, his delicate features full of indifference.

“Your address.”

Though he looked like someone not to be approached, Zhou Ling was stubbornly fascinated.

Her cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes shining brightly.

“My home is at… Chi Han, you’re really so kind! Can you come over sometime? My aunt makes the most delicious snacks!”

Chi Han gave her a strange glance, then opened a certain map app on his phone and typed in the address.

“There’s a bus stop for route 15 right across from the school gate. You take it for five stops, then walk fifty meters, and you’ll be home.”

Zhou Ling: “……………”

She felt her heart shatter like broken glass, piece by piece falling to the ground.

There was no way to stick it back together.

Chi Han, completely unaware, urged, “The next bus arrives in five minutes. You’d better hurry. If you miss it, you’ll have to wait another fifteen. If the rain starts, you really won’t be able to get home.”

Zhou Ling nodded dazedly, her face wet with unshed tears.

If Geng Xue were here, she’d probably rush over and excitedly shout, “Sister!”

***

About twenty meters from the school gate, the rain suddenly fell like pellets. Chi Han had no choice but to duck into a shop by the gate to wait for Rong Xu.

The rain poured down in torrents. For a moment, all that could be heard was the sharp impact of raindrops hitting the ground.

A thin mist of water vapor rose from the surface, hazy and blurred, making everything hard to see.

In the dark, heavy sky, only the flashes of lightning briefly brought sudden bursts of light.

Chi Han stared at the heavy rain, an inexplicable anxiety stirring in his heart.

It was too dangerous to drive now; it was better to let Rong Xu find somewhere to wait until the rain eased.

Just as he was about to take out his phone, he suddenly caught sight of a black car slowly pulling up to the school gate. From the look of it, it was the same car Rong Xu had ridden in that morning.

At the same time, Chi Han’s phone rang, Rong Xu’s voice coming through along with the muffled sound of rain:

“The rain’s gotten heavy, wait—”

Before he could finish, a thunderclap exploded suddenly, and a poplar tree as thick as a person began to topple slowly, crashing down onto the black car beneath it.

Chi Han’s eyes widened in shock, a terrified shout bursting from his throat—but the heavy downpour swallowed every sound.

“Rong Xu!!!”

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