[HBU] Chapter 5

 Lu Mingyu was an easygoing person with thick skin. Even though he had underestimated the painting’s value at 3,000 yuan, he didn’t feel embarrassed in the slightest. Instead, he cheerfully left a comment:

[Expert, how much is this painting?]

His fans always kept up with his activities. The moment they saw his comment, they immediately pushed it to the top of the replies.

At the same time, they all came to the same realisation—this [A Fleeting Dream] was truly a master. But then again, it made sense. Without real skill, how could anyone dare to price their work at 3,000 yuan? And that was just the starting price.

Jiang Yu had turned off her phone after posting the painting. When she returned from the bathroom after taking a shower, she saw Lu Mingyu's message.

[How much is it worth…]

To be honest, Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment before typing 5,000. She knew her painting was good, but she wasn't famous. Even at 5,000 yuan, she worried she might scare off potential buyers.

Sigh, even a hero can be stumped by a lack of money!

Meanwhile, Lu Mingyu stared at the number 5,000, deep in thought. Based on his aunt’s assessment, this painting was worth at least tens of thousands. Who was this mysterious artist, selling their work at such a low price? Any well-known painter could easily sell their artwork for hundreds of thousands.

Maybe this person wasn’t in it for the money—just painting for fun online.

With that thought, Lu Mingyu replied: [5,000 yuan? That’s way too cheap. I’ll take it! Boss, send it to me, muah!]

The ‘muah’ made his aunt shudder. A tall, broad-shouldered young man, shamelessly acting cute—she found the world increasingly bizarre.

Jiang Yu’s eyes lit up when she saw Lu Mingyu’s reply.

5,000 yuan!

At least now, she wouldn’t have to worry about next month’s rent. She could breathe a little easier, even if only for a short while.

The next day, Jiang Yu shipped the painting to the address Lu Mingyu provided. She regretted not having a drawing tablet—if she did, she could have taken digital commissions too.

With her first earnings secured, Jiang Yu wasn’t as worried about the upcoming month. At the very least, she wouldn’t struggle to pay rent.

As for food, it suddenly dawned on her—she was still a student! She could eat at the school cafeteria. The cafeteria meals were way cheaper than eating outside.

But then she realised—she hadn’t been to school in nearly a week.

Looking at the textbooks in her bag, she reminded herself that she was a student in Class 5 of the second year of high school. This was the first semester after choosing between arts and sciences and she had opted for the science track.

She arrived just before class started, but as she glanced at the crowded classroom, she realised—she had no idea where her seat was.

"Jiang Yu, why are you standing there? Class is about to start!" A girl passing by noticed her and asked.

Jiang Yu answered honestly, "I forgot where I sit."

The girl: "…"

After leading Jiang Yu to her seat, the girl said, "You’ve been absent for over a week. Everyone thought you were dropping out."

Jiang Yu thanked her, glanced at the pile of books on her desk and casually flipped through them. "Something happened at home…"

She didn’t explain further and the girl didn’t press for details. Instead, she asked, "Is everything okay now?"

Jiang Yu nodded. "Yeah, it’s all settled."

The first class of the day was English, taught by their homeroom teacher, Teacher Huang. When Teacher Huang entered the classroom and saw Jiang Yu, she hesitated for a moment, surprised by her presence.

English wasn’t difficult for Jiang Yu. She was fluent and had no trouble communicating with native speakers. The lesson was easy for her to follow, though she figured she might need to review grammar—after all, in real conversations, strict grammar rules weren’t as important as understanding the meaning.

After class, Teacher Huang asked Jiang Yu to meet her in the office. The moment they left, the classroom erupted in chatter.

"Take a seat," Teacher Huang said as they entered the office, handing Jiang Yu a cup of water.

"I visited your home," she continued, sighing. "I know about your situation. But when I asked your uncle and neighbours, none of them knew where you had gone."

She looked at Jiang Yu with concern, misinterpreting the blank look on her student’s face as a sign of distress.

—Her family treated her like this; she must be heartbroken and devastated. Look at how pale she is.

Seeing this, Teacher Huang felt even more sympathy for Jiang Yu.

Jiang Yu’s skin was the type that many girls envied—cool and fair. With just a little warmth, it could turn almost luminous. Having spent the past week cooped up indoors without much exposure to sunlight, her skin had become even paler.

But in Teacher Huang’s eyes, she looked just like a wilted cabbage in a field, her face unnaturally white.

"Teacher Shen has already spoken to me. I'm working on applying for any available assistance for you. You're still young—you mustn't give up on your studies," Teacher Huang said softly, afraid that this child might act on impulse and drop out of school.

Jiang Yu replied, "I understand. I won’t give up on my studies."

Living through thirteen more years and facing another college entrance exam… Jiang Yu couldn’t help but feel exhausted just thinking about it.

After a few more words of comfort, Teacher Huang sent her back to class, just in time for the next lesson.

Jiang Yu's deskmate was a chubby girl with fair skin and large, round eyes—so round she looked like a little dumpling, incredibly cute.

"Jiang Yu, why haven’t you been in class these past few days?" Her deskmate asked while the teacher hadn't arrived yet.

Jiang Yu noticed the name sticker on her stationery—’Xu Ruyi’.

"My family had some issues," Jiang Yu replied.

Xu Ruyi nodded in understanding and kindly offered, "You must have missed a lot of lessons during this time. I can help you catch up."

Hearing that, Jiang Yu smiled and said, "Thank you."

Xu Ruyi blushed slightly, lowered her head and gave a shy smile. "I’m just happy to help."

The morning consisted of five periods, including the early self-study session. By 11:30, classes ended. The cafeteria was most crowded at this time. When Jiang Yu arrived, she saw a dense crowd of students packed inside—a sea of black-haired heads stretching as far as she could see.

Jiang Yu: "…"

She slowly queued at the back, waiting nearly twenty minutes before finally getting her meal. The cafeteria food wasn’t particularly tasty, but it was cheap—a meal cost only three yuan, which helped her save quite a bit.

After finishing her lunch, she returned to the classroom and saw Xu Ruyi sitting at her desk eating from an elegant lunchbox. Inside were three dishes, soup and even dessert—an incredibly lavish meal.

At that moment, Jiang Yu finally retrieved a memory about her deskmate from her past.

During her high school years, their class had a student from a very wealthy family—so rich that her family had donated both the school library and the sports field. They were the wealthiest family in S Province.

And now, that wealthy student was her deskmate.

"Jiang Yu, do you want some?" Xu Ruyi asked.

Jiang Yu shook her head. "I just ate in the cafeteria."

"Oh," Xu Ruyi responded, then pushed the dessert box toward her. "At least try the dessert! My mom specially hired a pastry chef from abroad and they make the best desserts."

She touched her cheeks and added slowly, "They're so good that I’ve gotten chubbier from eating them."

Jiang Yu was amused by her words and felt less inclined to refuse. She took a piece and tasted it.

She had to admit—Xu Ruyi wasn’t exaggerating. The pastry was indeed delicious: sweet but not overwhelming, soft in texture and truly delightful.

"Good, right?" Xu Ruyi said proudly.

After finishing one piece, Jiang Yu declined a second. Instead, she pulled out an A4 sheet of paper, picked up her pencil and casually started sketching.

Meanwhile, Xu Ruyi finished her meal at a leisurely pace, tidied up the table and then took her lunchbox outside.

As soon as she left, gossip erupted in the classroom.

"Look at her—fat like a pig, yet she still eats so much. Even has her family deliver lunch to school. She acts like she wants the whole world to know how rich she is. What a show-off!"

"Well, she is rich. I heard her family is even sponsoring Qin Ying’s education under the condition that he marries her. Ugh, ugly people really behave strangely!"

"Poor Qin Ying—he has to marry such a fat girl…"

The sour remarks were filled with jealousy and resentment.

Jiang Yu twirled her pencil in her fingers and turned to glance at the girls gossiping.

"What are you looking at?" One of them snapped loudly, her voice carrying a hint of guilt from being overheard.

Spinning the pencil between her fingers again, Jiang Yu calmly said, "I just wanted to suggest that next time you talk behind someone’s back, you should find a more discreet place. Otherwise, it might affect your reputation."

The girls: "…"

Xu Ruyi soon returned, her lunchbox gone—likely handed off to someone else.

The moment she sat down, her eyes lit up upon seeing Jiang Yu’s drawing. The sketch already had a rough outline.

"Are you drawing me?" Xu Ruyi asked, grabbing Jiang Yu’s arm excitedly.

Her enthusiasm was contagious, lifting Jiang Yu’s mood as well.

"Consider it a thank-you gift for the dessert. It’ll take about half an hour to finish and then I’ll give it to you."

"Okay!" Xu Ruyi nodded eagerly, her whole face lighting up with happiness. She even started humming a cheerful tune.

Jiang Yu chuckled to herself. This girl was truly adorable.

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