Somehow, before class began, Liu Fengying and Hua Shu had already separated and taken their seats, sitting with proper posture to avoid drawing the teacher's attention again.
Unlike the math teacher, who was known for his strictness, the other teachers at that high school taught in a much more relaxed manner, likely influenced by the belief that it wasn't wise to make enemies of the city's future elites. As a result, nothing unusual happened during classes up until the one-hour lunch break, and no teacher mentioned Liu Fengying's return.
In contrast, the students were buzzing with excitement, and Liu Fengying's name echoed through every corner of the school during breaks. Some, more interested in scientific progress, speculated about her seemingly miraculous recovery, while those with an eye on the business world focused on the state of her relationship with her family. Naturally, since most people are superficial, the majority of conversations revolved around how stunning she looked now.
All kinds of rumors began to emerge, each more detailed and outrageous than the last.
Most people believed that Liu Fengying had healed her face using some extraordinary treatments, since it was common knowledge that undergoing plastic surgery and fully recovering in just two weeks was impossible. However, not everyone accepted the idea that these treatments were rooted in traditional medicine—many were convinced that traditional remedies couldn't possibly be so effective. As a result, some assumed Liu Fengying was deliberately misleading them, trying to hide the existence of revolutionary new treatments by sending them on a wild goose chase.
As for who was responsible for developing these treatments, several theories circulated. The most popular one claimed that Liu Fengying's mother had created them before her death but never had the chance to make them public, and that, somehow, the formulas had ended up in Liu Fengying's hands without her father's knowledge.
Still, some found this theory hard to believe. How could Liu Fengying's mother have developed such miraculous treatments without anyone, including her husband, knowing? First of all, that kind of research would have taken years, and she likely wouldn't have had the time, given her responsibilities managing the company and developing its commercial products. Secondly, creating such treatments would require a state-of-the-art laboratory. What—did she have a secret lab hidden in a cave like a superhero? Maybe, but it didn't seem very likely.
It seemed more likely that her mother's former colleagues—the ones who had helped create the company's renowned products and who left after her death—were the true masterminds behind the treatments. Perhaps, out of loyalty or affection, they had allowed Liu Fengying to use the new products long before their official release. Or maybe Liu Fengying herself had played a role in the whole affair. After all, no one could deny her scientific talent, and that might also explain why she had distanced herself from her family, even though it brought her no immediate benefit.
Another theory, with far fewer supporters, was that Liu Fengying had never been disfigured at all, that she had disguised herself to seem like less of a threat in the battle for her mother's inheritance. Didn't she have issues with one of her legs? How come she didn't limp anymore? Moreover, the confident aura she now radiated couldn't have appeared overnight, no matter the physical changes. What kind of treatment could have such effects? Probably only a super-soldier serum—and that only exists in fiction.
Still, this theory raised more questions than it answered—the most important being: why would Liu Fengying drop her disguise now? She hadn't gained any advantage in the inheritance fight yet.
Naturally, someone eventually came up with an explanation: wouldn't Liu Fengying benefit most in the inheritance battle if she married someone from a very influential family? Now that she was nearing marrying age, it made sense that she would want to use every advantage she had to secure the best possible match.
It took only one person bringing up Liu Fengying's potential marriage for the conversation to shift entirely in that direction—after all, speculating about the future is always more exciting than dissecting the past.
Soon, this became the most talked-about topic surrounding Liu Fengying among the city's young elite. The social media platforms they frequented were soon flooded with posts and polls analyzing who her future husband might be.
Hua Shu received a notification about one such post while having lunch in the cafeteria with Liu Fengying. She barely restrained herself from slamming her phone when she saw what it was about.
"Those bastards! Do they think we're still living in the previous century? Do they believe a woman can't do anything on her own? Their mothers probably married for money, and now they think it's normal...", Hua Shu fumed, glaring around the cafeteria. The post had been made under a pseudonym, but it featured a photo of Liu Fengying standing in the cafeteria line, clearly taken just minutes ago. It was obvious that the person responsible was somewhere nearby.
But it was impossible to determine who the culprit was. Not due to a lack of suspects, but because there were far too many, as over a hundred people were sneaking glances at their table. And since the post's author was likely keeping a low profile to avoid being discovered, even those staring at their own plates couldn't be ruled out.
As sharp-tongued as she was, Hua Shu knew she couldn't take on the entire cafeteria. So, she did what she could: fired off a scathing comment and reported the post for sharing a minor's photo without consent.
Unlike Hua Shu, Liu Fengying was much calmer, as if she had no connection at all to the girl being paired online with all sorts of playboys and even married men. At that moment, her entire world seemed to revolve around the trays of food in front of her.
This wasn't just because of her increased appetite, but also due to the cafeteria's exceptional food quality, comparable to that of upscale restaurants. Wealthy parents, concerned with their children's health and happiness, donated generously to the school cafeteria, so it was no surprise that it was so well-run.
Of course, the prices were far higher than those of a regular cafeteria. That was why Liu Fengying had stopped coming here after her fallout with her father. If she had continued eating here, not only would she have been unable to save any money, but she probably wouldn't have afforded anything else either, as her part-time job pay paled in comparison to the allowances of rich kids.
But now, Liu Fengying had no intention of denying herself. She had enough money to live comfortably for at least two months and was confident in her ability to earn more soon. So, she ordered everything she craved—probably enough to feed three girls her age.
"Yingying, what do you plan to do about those posts? Are you going to report them to the school administration? No, they'll probably say there's nothing they can do. Maybe you should go to the police…?", Hua Shu, still stuck in her role as Liu Fengying's protector, didn't want the people tarnishing her friend's reputation to get away with it.
After spending the whole morning helping Liu Fengying fend off unwanted visitors, Hua Shu now felt closer to her than ever, naturally calling her by her nickname.
But Liu Fengying had no intention of wasting time on such things. The rumors didn't interfere with her plans at all. Besides, by the time the authorities took any action, people's interest would've already faded. Public attention for hypothetical drama was always short-lived.
"Well, I don't think anything can be done. Maybe this is heaven's punishment for being so charming…", said Liu Fengying, her voice laced with resignation. Whether she was joking or serious, her expression didn't give it away.
"What do you think, ShuShu? Is that possible?", Liu Fengying looked at Hua Shu with innocent eyes. It seemed as if she would burst into tears if she didn't get a satisfactory answer.
Unfortunately for her, Hua Shu was beginning to grow immune to her tricks. And the pile of food in front of Liu Fengying didn't exactly help the image of a delicate young lady she was trying to project.
"Well, I don't know much about metaphysical stuff, but I guess many of those posts were made by people who envy you—or who you've ignored...", said Hua Shu, pretending to be busy with her phone. It was too risky to give Liu Fengying attention when she was clearly up to no good.
The only thing that made Hua Shu feel somewhat relieved was that Liu Fengying had calmed down compared to earlier in the day. She was now content to just tease her occasionally.
That moment earlier, when Liu Fengying had held her, had shaken Hua Shu more than she liked to admit. Being captivated by someone's beauty was one thing—but being swayed by their touch? That was something else entirely. And since it was someone she could consider a friend, she couldn't help but wonder if her reaction had been too much. Wasn't it normal for female friends to hug each other?
Either way, Hua Shu definitely needed a break to sort out her feelings. Otherwise, who knew what might happen if she ended up in another ambiguous situation?
Liu Fengying wasn't fooled by Hua Shu's aloofness. After all, she had stood by her side all day like a knight in shining armor. Wasn't it obvious Hua Shu cared deeply about her feelings? Liu Fengying could only conclude that Hua Shu was a tsundere—probably the purest breed.