12. The Wealthiest Young Man in the Southern City

Summer in the southern city doesn’t truly end until October, and this month is the most beloved by everyone in the city and people across the country.

“Happy National Day, Min!”
“Enjoy your holiday, Min! See you after the break!”

Her classmates greeted Chen Ruomin one after another, full of enthusiasm, lugging their suitcases home in small groups. Chen Ruomin replied half-heartedly, unable to understand why everyone’s attitude toward her had suddenly turned so warm.

She waited patiently as Bai Jinyan finished organizing all her exercise books, and then the two of them left the classroom together.

“Any plans for the holiday?” Chen Ruomin was the first to speak.

“I’ll be at home, reviewing.”

“…You’re really no fun,” Chen Ruomin said, speechless.

“Well, the college entrance exams are coming up,” Bai Jinyan replied seriously.

“What about you? I heard Shuangxing is casting for a new TV drama? Knowing Uncle Chen, he’ll probably drag you along, won’t he?”

Chen Ruomin nodded. “They’ve just signed over a dozen big productions, all major IPs. The final selection is set for North City, so I’ll probably be asking for leave from school for the next month.”

“So you’ll be missing a whole month of classes?” Bai Jinyan’s face darkened. She knew Chen Ruomin had no intention of taking the college entrance exams, but to miss a month of classes right after transferring to this school... Why bother coming to No. 1 High at all? Why not just stay at the private school?

But since Chen Ruomin was leaving for her own family business, Bai Jinyan couldn’t say much.

The two of them chatted idly as they walked to the school gate. Just as Chen Ruomin was about to pull Bai Jinyan toward her family’s car, six or seven luxury cars appeared out of nowhere, surrounding her car from three sides, headlights glaring down on her.

Who on earth had the nerve to cause trouble for her in the southern city?

That thought had barely flashed through her mind when, all at once, the headlights snapped off and the car doors opened. Three young men and two young women stepped out.

“Min!”

The petite girl in the lead called out sweetly, darted over, and threw herself into Chen Ruomin’s arms with such force that Chen Ruomin stumbled back half a step. Bai Jinyan quickly steadied her.

The second was a medium-height girl with a few freckles on her face. She was far more reserved, giving Chen Ruomin a gentle hug from behind the first girl, her demeanor almost shy.

The three young men came over next, each giving Bai Jinyan a bear hug in greeting, but as they stepped forward to hug Chen Ruomin, the petite girl blocked their way.

“Min is mine! You boys aren’t allowed to hug her!”

The slightly chubby boy in front scowled, while the tall, pale-skinned boy behind him simply picked up the petite girl and tossed her into the arms of the last boy, then strode forward and hugged Chen Ruomin tightly.

“Jiao Jiao, why are you always clinging to Min? Go play with your boyfriend!”

Yanking herself free from her boyfriend, Geng Jiao Jiao flared up, grabbing the pale boy’s arm.

“Song Yunhui! I’m talking to you! Let go of Min! She’s mine!”

“Tch, you say she’s yours, but did Min agree?” Song Yunhui retorted as he dodged her pulling.

While Song Yunhui was being tugged away, the chubby boy seized the chance to give Chen Ruomin a quick hug, then complained to Geng Jiao Jiao.

“Exactly! You say Min is yours, but did Yan approve?”

Bai Jinyan, suddenly called out: “(⊙﹏⊙)”

“Man Hao! You’re bullying me too!” Geng Jiao Jiao, failing to pull Song Yunhui away, huffed, wriggled free from her boyfriend, and clung to Chen Ruomin’s waist again.

“Min! You have to stand up for me! Kang Wenbo, why aren’t you helping?”

It took all of Chen Ruomin’s strength to pry Geng Jiao Jiao off her, exasperated by this unexpected group.

“Seriously, what are you all doing here?”

“We’re here for you!” Geng Jiao Jiao clung to her arm, looking aggrieved at having been pushed away.

Song Yunhui, arm around Man Hao’s shoulders, chimed in. “Yeah! Why did you transfer here without a word? Since the tsunami, we’ve only spoken on the phone once, and you’ve dodged every invitation to meet up. We started to worry about you.”

These people were Chen Ruomin’s childhood friends—the richest kids in the southern city.

If someone threw a net and kidnapped them all at this moment, they could pocket a tenth of the city’s wealth in one go.

Chen Ruomin was the youngest of the group, but somehow, she’d become the leader.

They’d all attended her seventeenth birthday party, but none of them had been caught in the tsunami. In fact, Bai Jinyan hadn’t been dragged under either—she’d jumped in only to save Chen Ruomin.

After Chen Ruomin was rescued, she’d only called each of them once to confirm their safety. All her remaining attention was on Bai Jinyan.

“Exactly! Thank goodness I called Yan the other day, or I wouldn’t have known you’d transferred to No. 1 High here. Min, why would you do something so drastic?” Geng Jiao Jiao pouted, clinging to Chen Ruomin’s arm.

Man Hao echoed, “Min, you’re really ditching us for Yan. Not cool!”

Bai Jinyan, called out again: “(๑°⌓°๑)”

Chen Ruomin’s face darkened. Just as she was about to explain, Song Yunhui suddenly exclaimed in astonishment.

“Min, did your family go bankrupt?”

Chen Ruomin: Confused face.

Song Yunhui pointed in disbelief at the unremarkable BMW behind Chen Ruomin. “This car can’t even be worth half a million, right? I’ve never seen you ride in anything so cheap! What happened to your Ferrari and the Angel Team’s cars? Sold them?”

Chen Ruomin glared at Song Yunhui, exasperated. “Your family went bankrupt, not mine. This is school—try to keep a low profile, will you?”

She glanced at the flashy lineup of luxury cars behind them and urged, “Quick, take your cars and go. Why did five of you come in seven cars? What’s with all this fanfare? Go, go, get out of here.”

Song Yunhui and Man Hao exchanged a look and sighed in unison, staring at Chen Ruomin with deep sorrow.

“Min, you’ve changed…”