The divorce comeback system arrived right after I was born.

The gray Zhongshan suit looked particularly worn under the classroom's incandescent light, with frayed edges on the cuffs resembling a ring of fine, withered grass.

Li Zhiyi helped the old man sit down in his seat.

The old man sat very stiffly, with only half of his buttocks touching the bench. He gripped his deformed cloth hat tightly with both hands and kept his legs close together, as if afraid that he would take up too much space and dirty the bright and clean air around him.

The parents around them, dressed in business attire and wearing perfume, moved their chairs to the side, seemingly unintentionally.

A noticeable vacuum appeared in the classroom, where the previously buzzing conversations had been replaced by a quiet space.

As Chen Zhi watched this scene, the suffocating sense of guilt had not yet dissipated when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his right shinbone.

"hiss--"

He gasped, nearly jumping off his chair.

Lin Wanwan on the left was taking back the offending sneaker, her cheeks puffed out even higher than before, her two big eyes staring at him intently, as if saying, "Are you out of your mind?"

She leaned closer, lowered her voice, and spat out the words through gritted teeth.

"Chen Zhi, did you leave your brain in your mother's womb?"

Chen Zhi rubbed his calf, not daring to utter a sound.

Normally, he would have retorted or even physically pulled Lin Wanwan's hair out.

But now, he is in the wrong.

Not only are they in the wrong, they are utterly sinful.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lin Wanwan got even angrier and reached out to pinch the soft flesh of his arm hard.

"That's their sore spot, and you insist on shouting it out over a megaphone? Where did your quick wit, always getting first place in exams, go?"

The girl's chest heaved with anger, her low voice filled with frustration and disappointment.

"If you can't speak, you don't have to! Nobody's going to sell you off because you're mute!"

Chen Zhi let her twist him, without even trying to dodge.

The physical pain actually made him feel a little better.

If he could travel back two minutes, he would definitely sew his mouth shut without hesitation.

"It was my fault."

Chen Zhi dejectedly admitted that he had completely lost the arrogant demeanor he used to have as the top student in the entire school.

Lin Wanwan released her grip, snorted, and turned to look at Li Zhiyi.

The quiet new student was squatting next to the old man, taking out a chipped enamel mug from his backpack, unscrewing the lid and handing it over.

"Grandpa, have some water."

Li Zhiyi's voice was very soft, with a hint of cautious flattery.

The old man took the water cup, his hands, as bare as withered tree bark, trembled slightly.

This humble, even disdainful, demeanor was like a thorn, making Chen Zhi's eyelids twitch.

Something has to be done.

If he doesn't smooth things over, Chen Zhi will feel guilty for the rest of his life, and might even develop inner demons, making mistakes with decimal points every time he takes a math test.

Just then, the classroom front door was pushed open forcefully again.

"Oh dear! I'm late! I'm late!"

Before you see him, you hear his voice.

Zhang Guifang rushed in, carrying her signature sequined handbag, her high heels clicking loudly on the floor.

Her bright red trench coat, so red it resembled a walking flame, instantly ignited the dull atmosphere in the classroom.

"Chen Zhi! You little brat, don't you even come to the door to greet your mother!"

Zhang Guifang spotted her son sitting in the middle of the first row at a glance.

Chen Zhi clutched his forehead in pain.

A savior has arrived, but the way this savior makes his entrance is a bit too hardcore.

Zhang Guifang rushed to her seat, slammed her handbag on the table, and was about to continue scolding her son when her gaze was suddenly drawn to the drab gray Zhongshan suit next to her.

She froze for a moment.

As a bank teller, Zhang Guifang has seen countless people and can immediately discern the value of their attire and the family circumstances it represents.

The air froze again.

Chen Zhi's heart was in his throat.

He knows his mother too well; she's a typical common woman, vain, competitive, and always talking without thinking.

Li Zhiyi was clearly nervous as well, and subconsciously moved closer to her grandfather, burying her already lowered head even deeper.

The elderly man was even more uneasy, shifting his position in the chair as if he wanted to stand up and offer his seat.

"mom."

Chen Zhi suddenly stood up and grabbed Zhang Guifang's arm before she could speak.

He had to cut off any potential negative reactions from his mother.

"This is my new deskmate Li Zhiyi's grandfather."

Chen Zhi emphasized his words, forcing a bright, even slightly obsequious smile onto his face, and began his rapid-fire introduction.

"Li Zhiyi studies exceptionally hard, and her handwriting is even better than mine! The teachers all praise her!"

This is pure fabrication.

Li Zhiyi's handwriting can only be described as neat; it's far from "beautiful," and Lao Wang has never praised her for it.

But at times like this, who cares about the truth?

All we need to do is shift the focus of this big Buddha's attention to the safe topic of "grades".

Zhang Guifang was taken aback by her son's sudden enthusiasm.

She glanced at Chen Zhi suspiciously, then turned to look at the timid little girl and the reserved old man.

Chen Zhi's palms were sweaty as he gripped his mother's wrist tightly, his eyes screaming: Don't cause trouble! Please don't cause trouble!

Zhang Guifang stared at the old man and the child for a full three seconds.

Those three seconds felt like an eternity to Chen Zhi.

Suddenly, Zhang Guifang's expression changed.

That shrewd, street-smart look vanished instantly, replaced by an extremely warm, even somewhat overly familiar, smile.

"Oh! It's the new student's parent!"

Zhang Guifang shook off her son's hand, stepped in front of the old man, and naturally took his rough hands in hers.

"Uncle! Hello, hello! I'm Chen Zhi's mother! It's fate that our two children are sitting at the same table!"

The old man was clearly taken aback by the sudden enthusiasm, and helplessly let Zhang Guifang hold his hands, his lips trembling as he couldn't speak for a long time.

"Your granddaughter is so pretty! She has such a sweet, gentle face!"

Zhang Guifang completely ignored the old man's silence and continued praising him, even reaching out to pat Li Zhiyi on the head.

"Unlike my little devil at home, who's always making me angry! I'll have to trouble your daughter to look after him more often and teach him how to sit still!"

Is this still the "number one parent" who always holds his chin up to the sky at every parent-teacher meeting?

Zhang Guifang's series of moves not only resolved the awkward situation but also directly brought Li Zhiyi's family into her camp.

The parents who had been eyeing the elderly woman with strange looks felt embarrassed to put on airs when they saw the mother of the top student in the school being so enthusiastic. They all looked away, and some even laughed along.

The old man's tense body slowly relaxed, and a tear of gratitude welled up in his cloudy eyes. He could only repeat, "Thank you... thank you..."

Li Zhiyi looked up, staring incredulously at the rosy-cheeked aunt in front of her.

Zhang Guifang, without any hesitation, plopped down in Chen Zhi's seat, making the chair creak as she sat down. Then, she casually pulled a handful of sunflower seeds from her bag and stuffed them into the old man's hand.

"Uncle, don't just sit there, have some sunflower seeds! These are some I brought from work... cough, I mean, they're spiced!"

Looking at this scene, Chen Zhi suddenly felt that his mother's bright red lips looked especially cute.

He let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if all the bones in his body had become lighter.

This is a sure thing.

Lin Wanwan pursed her lips and muttered under her breath, "It's a pity that Auntie's acting skills aren't good enough for comedy sketches."

Chen Zhi ignored her, but raised an eyebrow at her, as if to say: See? This is called genetics, this is called emotional intelligence.

Lin Wanwan rolled her eyes at him and turned to look at her own mother.

Ms. Lin Jing was sitting next to her, holding the math test paper with a score of 78 in her hand, her smile so gentle it was unsettling.

"Wanwan," Lin Jing said, neatly folding the test paper and putting it into her bag, "what do you want to eat tonight?"

Lin Wanwan froze, her pleading gaze instantly turning to Chen Zhi.

This is the calm before the storm.

Before Chen Zhi could even gloat, the homeroom teacher, Ms. Wang, walked onto the podium with her lesson plan.

"Dear parents, good afternoon everyone!"

Old Wang's signature Mediterranean hairstyle gleamed under the lights as he tapped the blackboard with a pointer.

The classroom fell silent instantly.

"Today's parent-teacher meeting will mainly cover three issues..."

Old Wang cleared his throat, scanned the audience, and finally fixed his gaze precisely on the first row.

"But before we begin, I want to give special praise to one student."

Chen Zhi's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, they're going to be publicly executed again.

Previously, this kind of segment was his most enjoyable highlight, basking in the envious and jealous looks from his classmates and the shining glory on his mother's face.

But today, sitting next to Li Zhiyi and her grandfather, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

"Chen Zhi, classmate!"

Old Wang's voice was loud and powerful.

"Perfect scores in all subjects again on the midterm exams! Let's give them a round of applause!"

slam-la-

There was thunderous applause.

Zhang Guifang straightened her back, her smile ten times brighter than before, as if she wanted to write "I'm the mom of a top student" on her face. She even nudged the old man next to her with her elbow.

"Uncle, did you hear that? This is my son. Besides being good at studying, he doesn't have any other redeeming qualities, hahaha!"

The old man clapped along hesitantly, his rough hands clapping forcefully, his face filled with sincere envy and awe.

Li Zhiyi clapped her hands lightly and turned her head to look at Chen Zhi.

There was no jealousy or envy in his eyes, only a calm one.

Chen Zhi forced himself to stand up and bow in thanks, but as soon as his bottom touched the stool, he heard Old Wang change the subject.

"Also, our new transfer student, Li Zhiyi..."

All eyes in the room immediately turned to the girl huddled in the corner.

Li Zhiyi shuddered suddenly and instinctively tried to crawl under the table.

The old man's hand froze in mid-air, and the slight smile that had just appeared on his face instantly froze.

Chen Zhi's heart jumped again.

Old Wang usually speaks without thinking, and if he were to say something sentimental nonsense like "we should care more about orphans," the fragile balance that has just been established would be completely ruined.

He stared intently at Old Wang on the podium, wishing he could control his mouth with his mind.

"Li Zhiyi's Chinese composition this time was excellent!"

Old Wang pulled out a test paper from his lesson plan and unfolded it.

"Although she only recently transferred here, her writing is very powerful, and I am deeply moved. I've decided to post this essay on the blackboard at the back so everyone can learn from it!"

call--

Chen Zhi breathed a sigh of relief again, feeling that all his exercise today had been wasted on his rapid heartbeat.

Fortunately, Old Wang isn't completely stupid.

Li Zhiyi was stunned.

She slowly raised her head and looked at the podium through her thick bangs.

This was the first time she had heard someone praise her in public since she came to the school.

The old man's hand trembled as he wiped the sweat from his trouser leg, then raised it again and slapped it with tremendous force.

Snapped!

The applause sounded particularly abrupt yet exceptionally loud in the quiet classroom.

Then, scattered applause began, gradually growing louder until it merged into a continuous chorus.

A faint blush slowly crept onto Li Zhiyi's usually pale face.

The parent-teacher meeting proceeded in this strange yet harmonious atmosphere.

Zhang Guifang chatted with the elderly man the whole time, talking about everything from vegetable prices to housing prices, from bank interest rates to how to pickle vegetables, managing to make the old man relax. She even took the initiative to share her experience in growing sweet potatoes.

Chen Zhi rolled his eyes as he listened, thinking to himself, "Mom, your social skills are just unmatched. You've turned a hardworking, honest man who's toiled his whole life into the village's intelligence hub."

By the time the meeting ended, it was already getting dark.

Parents gradually walked out.

"Uncle, let's keep in touch! If you have any difficulties, you can tell the school or us!"

Zhang Guifang bid farewell to the old man with great reluctance; anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was a long-lost relative.

The old man thanked Li Zhiyi profusely, took her hand, bowed to Zhang Guifang, and then turned to leave.

Watching the old man and the child support each other as they walked into the twilight, Chen Zhi finally felt a little relieved.

"Alright, stop looking, they're all gone."

Zhang Guifang slapped her son on the back of the head with such force that Chen Zhi staggered.

"Mom! You'll make the top student stupid!" Chen Zhi protested, covering his head.

"It's good that you're stupid; if you're stupid, I won't have to worry about you dating too early."

Zhang Guifang rolled her eyes, picked up her handbag, and walked out.

"What just happened? Don't think I can't see through you. When did you become so interested in your new classmate? You even offered to introduce his parents?"

No one knows a child better than their mother. Although Zhang Guifang is carefree, she is very perceptive.

"It's nothing, I just feel...we're all classmates."

Chen Zhi gave a vague answer and quickly followed, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer.

"Hmph, don't try to fool me."

Zhang Guifang didn't ask any more questions, but slowed down her pace and waited for her son to catch up.

"That little girl is quite pitiful."

She suddenly sighed, her tone unusually serious.

"The clothes were all washed white, and the shoes were old. That uncle's hands were all cracked and bleeding; he looked like a poor man who toiled in the fields for a living."

Chen Zhi glanced at his mother with some surprise.

"Don't bully her at school anymore, you hear me? If I find out you're leading the bullying, I'll break your legs!"

Zhang Guifang waved her fist and threatened.

"Okay, okay, do you think I'm that kind of person?"

Chen Zhi felt a warmth in his heart. This was his mother, who, although vain and noisy, was incredibly kind-hearted.

As soon as Chen Zhi stepped out of the school gate, he saw Lin Wanwan following behind Lin Jing dejectedly, like a defeated rooster.

Lin Jing was carrying an exquisite cake box, which was Lin Wanwan's "last meal".

"Chen Zhi!"

Upon seeing her savior, Lin Wanwan's eyes lit up. Just as she was about to rush over, she was frozen in place by a casual glance from Lin Jing.

"Chen Zhi, Auntie bought a cake. Would you like to come over and eat it with us?"

Lin Jing asked with a smile, her tone incredibly gentle.

Chen Zhi shivered.

Only a fool would go to such a chaotic place.

"Um... Aunt Lin, my mom said she made braised pork tonight, so I won't be coming! Have a pleasant meal, Wanwan!"

After saying that, Chen Zhi grabbed Zhang Guifang and slipped away.

Behind her came Lin Wanwan's desperate wail: "Chen Zhi, you treacherous traitor—"

On their way home, the streetlights cast long shadows of the mother and son.

Chen Zhi kicked a pebble on the roadside, but his mind kept replaying the image of Li Zhiyi twisting her fingers.

"I don't have a mother."

"I don't have a father either."

These two sentences swirled in his mind like a spell.

"mom."

"What are you doing?"

"I want to buy a new pencil case."

"What? Didn't you just buy that two months ago?" Zhang Guifang asked warily, clutching her wallet.

"Um... I noticed that Li Zhiyi's pencil case is broken; the lid can't be closed."

Chen Zhi didn't dare look his mother in the eye and made up an excuse.

In fact, Li Zhiyi didn't have a pencil case at all; her pencils and erasers were tied together with a rubber band.

Zhang Guifang stopped and turned to look at her son.

Under the dim streetlights, the son's face was slightly flushed, and his eyes darted around.

There was a few seconds of silence.

"Alright."

Zhang Guifang started walking again, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips.

"Anyway, you can't save up that little bit of pocket money, so buy whatever you want."

"Thank you, Mom! You're the best, Mom! You're the most beautiful woman in the world!"

Chen Zhi immediately showered him with a string of compliments.

"Don't give me that! Go home and do your homework! If you get even one question wrong, you can forget about having braised pork tonight!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two figures gradually disappeared into the depths of the alley.

The night wind swept up the fallen leaves on the ground, swirled them around, and then gently fell back down.

On the other side of the city, in a dimly lit, cramped rented room, a low-wattage light bulb lit up.

Li Zhiyi sat at the table with only three legs, propped against the wall, holding a pencil that was too short to hold.

Grandpa was spreading out a blanket on the small bed next to him, muttering to himself about the kind lady in red he had met that day.

Li Zhiyi didn't speak, but listened quietly.

She looked down at the composition book in front of her, on which a big "Excellent" was drawn in red pen.

That was the essay that Old Wang posted on the blackboard.

She stretched out her finger and gently stroked the bright red characters, her fingertips trembling slightly.

This was the first time someone had told her that her words had power.

It was also the first time that someone had clumsily tried to protect her pitiful self-esteem in a situation where everyone else avoided her.

Although that guy spoke really badly, I really wanted to punch him.