It's the students' fault if they are too popular.

Ruan Qian didn't recognize it at first glance. She looked at it carefully for a while before asking uncertainly:

"...Wang Jialu?"

"Fuck, don't you recognize me?"

The girl smiled and patted Ruan Qian's shoulder.

Ruan Qian looked at her silently. The best friend of the past was completely different from the memory she had in junior high school. Her hair was permed and dyed burgundy, she put on heavy makeup, and had two more ear piercings. She was indeed much more beautiful, and she smelled of a strong perfume.

It turns out that what the junior high school teacher said, that teachers will no longer care about you when you enter high school, is true here.

"You've become prettier, Xixi." Wang Jialu looked at her and reached out to pinch her. "Your face is so tender. It's different when you go to the big city."

Ruan Qian saw that her nails were painted shiny and looked like a witch, so she was a little afraid that she would poke her, so she just let Wang Jialu pinch it. There were several boys and girls squatting at the school gate in front. The boys were unruly, with permed and dyed hair, and the girls were wearing makeup that was gorgeous, each of them was arming themselves with beauty.

Ruan Qian didn't put on any makeup and felt like a bumpkin who had fallen into their precocious world.

"Look, our Xixi is back!" Wang Jialu led Ruan Xi over, "Do you have any handsome guys over there?"

"...No." Ruan Qian thought for a while. She didn't know if there were handsome guys in other places, but there were indeed very few in No. 1 Middle School. Even if there were, they were studying hard. In addition, most of the boys in No. 1 Middle School wore glasses, while none of the few here wore glasses.

"Hey, Ruan Xi," a boy waved, "Girls change a lot when they grow up."

It was as if she had been ugly before - Ruan Qian was unhappy, but her face did not show it.

In junior high school, she didn't pay much attention to boys, and there were many girls who were more open-minded. The boys couldn't pry her apart, so they all changed their targets. Now when they met again, several boys looked at her, and their eyes were much bolder than those of the boys in No. 1 Middle School.

"Fuck, the time is up, is there anyone coming?" Wang Jialu waited for a long time and said unhappily, "If no one comes, we'll leave."

The leading boy stood up. Ruan Qian remembered that his name was Xiang Minghe. He had been flirting with Wang Jialu since junior high school. She didn’t know whether they had finally gotten married.

"Let's go and sing karaoke." Xiang Minghe said, "Let's not wait any longer. If someone else comes, let them go directly to the KTV."

The team of ten people was scattered. Ruan Qian suddenly felt a little embarrassed. No one walked with her. The only one she got along well with was Wang Jialu, but Wang Jialu was chatting and laughing with Xiang Minghe in the front. She was like an outsider. If you asked any passerby, they would probably think that she was not with these classmates.

At this time, someone caught up with her. Ruan Qian looked sideways. It was a boy named Fu Bai, who liked to pull her hair or deliberately tell dirty jokes in front of her when she was in junior high school. She lowered her head and walked away. Fu Bai took the initiative to talk to her:

"Ruan Xi, how do you feel about studying there?"

"...very good." Ruan Qian looked up, "Where are you studying?"

"Ha, I went to No. 3 Middle School," Fu Bai's face suddenly became mysterious, "Let me tell you, our school is very open. A guy in the next class stripped his girlfriend naked in the classroom."

He seemed to be sharing some delicacies from land and sea, with a look of aftertaste on his face.

Ruan Qian frowned. She wasn't stupid enough to believe it completely. No. 3 Middle School had a bad reputation and there were often some demonized rumors about it. Who knew if Fu Bai had exaggerated it.

"Do you know," Fu Bai continued, "Wang Jialu checked into a hotel with Xiang Minghe in her first year of high school, and..."

"Okay," Ruan Qian stopped and looked at him steadily, "I don't want to know."

Fu Bai, who wanted to attract the girl's attention with gossip, was stunned. After Ruan Qian left, he followed her, but he couldn't think of a topic.

They had no topic to talk about.

Arriving at the KTV, the atmosphere suddenly became cheerful. The air was filled with the smell of decadence and extravagance. Wang Jialu was a microphone tyrant. She ordered a song by By2 and put another microphone into Ruan Qian's hand. Ruan Qian waved her hand, indicating that she couldn't sing well. Wang Jialu smiled, not surprised, and went to find another girl. Xiang Minghe ordered a box of beer, and a group of boys discussed what games to play.

"Xixi, sing," Wang Jialu hooked her arm around Ruan Xi's shoulders, "It's such a waste to spend money and not sing."

"No need." Ruan Qian pursed her lips. She didn't like singing. "Just you guys sing. I'll listen."

"Ruan Qian, come and play games!" a boy shouted with a smile.

"Let me watch you guys play first." Ruan Qian sat at the table, and a faint smell of beer came into her nose.

The lighting in the KTV is a bit psychedelic.

She watched them play the card game, the cards slipped between the two of them, a man and a woman almost kissed each other, and amid the booing, the girl just pushed the boy with a smile and cursed, drank a glass of beer, and continued the game. This scene was bizarre in Ruan Qian's eyes, and as they drank more and more, it even had a bit of a demonic dance.

She suddenly began to feel fortunate that she was admitted to No. 1 Middle School.

If she stayed here and went to a local high school with a first-class admission rate of less than 20%, she would probably become like this and sink into depravity.

No one is wrong, it's just that society has made you adapt to it. People live not to change the world, but to prevent the world from changing themselves.

The boys invited her to join the game again, but she shook her head and refused. The other girls whispered something, seemingly mocking her.

"Why are you pretending to be so noble?"

"Haha, I just came back from a big city."

She seemed out of tune with their world. It was not until then that Ruan Qian realized how well No. 1 Middle School protected these good kids.

The phone rang suddenly.

The three words "Teacher Tong" appeared on the screen. Ruan Qian hurried out because it was too noisy in the KTV. She didn't want to let Teacher Tong wait for even a second, so when she came out, she answered the call immediately.

"Ruanruan, are you at the party? You're so noisy."

"Well, Teacher Tong, I'm at the KTV."

"Have you had lunch?"

"Not yet. Let's find a place to eat together later."

There was silence for a moment, and then Ruan Qian heard Teacher Tong say:

"Which KTV?"

"Um... Imperial City International. Teacher Tong, why are you asking this? Do you want to come over?"

"Silly girl, I'm at home, how could I possibly go over there?" Tong Yao laughed.

"Oh..." Ruan Qian said disappointedly.

After hanging up the phone, the girl walked towards the private room with her head down. After a few steps, someone stopped her.

It’s Fu Bai.

The boy, smelling of alcohol and ruffian, looked at her face and said, "You are more beautiful than before."

Ruan Qian took a step aside and ignored him, but Fu Bai stopped her and said:

"I've liked you for a long time, please be my girlfriend."

"not good."

Ruan Qian frowned and tried to avoid him, but at this moment, the door of the private room opened, and Wang Jialu rushed out, shook her hair, hooked Ruan Qian's shoulders, looked at Fu Bai, and sneered:

"Why, you want to chase after our Sissi? She's studying in a big city, do you still want to follow her?"

That look of "Are you worthy of it?" made Fu Bai's face turn red and white. He cursed under his breath and went into the private room.

Ruan Qian glanced at Wang Jialu's gorgeous face and whispered:

"Thank you."

"Hey, it's okay, we're sisters." Wang Jialu didn't care.

"You and Xiang Minghe..."

"He's my boyfriend." Wang Jialu said, "He's already met his parents."

"Does your family agree?!"

"Why not? Just get married soon. His family has a mine."

What Wang Jialu said about the mines really does exist. In recent years, a large number of rare minerals have been discovered underground in southern Hunan. Many people have become rich and become mine owners, thus changing their destiny.

"Don't forget me when you become successful in the future," Wang Jialu joked, "Go in."

Ruan Qian stood there, not knowing for a moment whether Wang Jialu was lucky or unlucky.

She went in and found that the atmosphere seemed to be a little colder. She looked at their eyes and didn't know what Fu Bai said. It seemed that her efforts to fly out of the mountains became a ridiculous struggle in their eyes. They felt that studying was useless. In the end, they would just work hard for a house in a big city all their lives. There was no way they could live freely and happily here.

After singing K, a group of people walked out of the club, thinking about what to eat. Ruan Qian found that she seemed to be excluded. Wang Jialu tried to pull her in, but it was as awkward as oil and water.

The sharp-eyed people saw a car at the door.

"What kind of car is that?" The girl didn't know. "It's quite luxurious."

"That's a Bentley." The boy showed off his knowledge, "It's rare here."

The boys and girls were chattering, and suddenly the door of a Bentley opened, and a fat man got out - Ruan Qian was stunned, she remembered this person, the one who Tong Hua called to pick them up at the hotel entrance in the middle of the night.

Fatty Hu saw Ruan Qian in the crowd, swayed his heavy body and ran over, shouting:

"Sister Ruan Qian, I've been waiting for you for a long time. The restaurant has been booked. Let's ask all your classmates to come over for dinner."

Ruan Qian was confused. What restaurant?

"Ruan Xi, who are you?" a girl asked calmly, her eyes fixed on the Bentley, "What restaurant did you book?"

"Cousin, I'm her cousin," Fatty Hu said with a smile, "I ordered the Danfeng Bailu."

Danfeng Bailu, a French restaurant that opened in recent years, has seized the vanity of people in small cities and has become a synonym for high-end in the local area, with prices inflated greatly. People may not like the foie gras and black truffles there, but everyone wants to go in and have a meal and take a photo to show off to their friends.

At this moment, Ruan Qian finally understood why Teacher Tong wanted her address.

She walked over alone and asked Fatty Hu in a low voice:

"Um, can't you... refund it?"

She felt a little ashamed.

In front of these rich people, she even haggled over every penny she ate.

"What's the point of refunding?" Fatty Hu laughed. "Your sister Tong has already paid. This little money is nothing. Ask your classmates to go with you."

Sister Tong...

Unlocked a new title.

She turned around helplessly and asked:

"Does everyone want to go?"

Then, at Fatty Hu's eye signal, she added awkwardly:

"My treat."

"go with!"

"Fuck Ruan Xi, you are so rich now?"

"Fuck, sister, you really made it?!"

Fu Bai muttered softly, "It's better to eat hot pot," but was quickly drowned out by the saliva of the crowd.

Fatty Hu smiled at Ruan Qian and secretly gave her a thumbs up:

"If you don't show off when you're young, you're wasting your youth."

Chapter 80: She Wants to Make Money

In the evening, the orange sunlight shone on Ruan Qian's face. After everyone had eaten and drunk enough, someone suggested going to the bar. Ruan Qian pursed her lips and said:

"It's too late. I'm going home. You guys can have fun."

Her words spoiled the fun, but no one else said anything, instead they told her to be careful. Perhaps it was because they were grateful for the food they had eaten, after the meal, her status rose, everyone thought she had a very rich cousin, and her "cousin" also rose to prominence.

Since meeting Teacher Tong, Ruan Qian has realized more than once the importance of money.

She looked at the backs of her classmates running towards the bar in the sunset, as if they were liberated slaves running towards the freedom they longed for. Their youth was wanton and unrestrained, while she had to check the new comments under the comics from time to time while eating, and lived like a timid rabbit in the forest.

We had a French meal, but this style could not be maintained by treating guests in her name. She did not know how to taste red wine, nor did she feel the fragrance of black truffles, and she did not even know the table manners of a Western restaurant. She walked into the restaurant like a nouveau riche with gold chains all over her body, but in fact, she was not even a nouveau riche. The only thing to be thankful for was that we were all country bumpkins, and no one had the right to look down on anyone else.

A voice in my heart asked, are you really happy after pretending to be like this?

The little girl was neither happy nor sad, she just felt extremely awkward.

The "difference theory" that Jiang Wu had told her popped up in her mind again. She had always been reluctant to admit it, but she had to admit that the obvious difference between her and Teacher Tong was like a pothole in the middle of the road, and as they continued to move forward, there would be more and more similar potholes.

How much will she have to pay to fill these holes one by one.

Ruan Qian got on the bus. There were few people on the bus, so she found a seat by the window. She felt a slight tingling sensation on her legs. She took out her cell phone and saw the words "Teacher Tong" on it. She calmed down and it was her well-behaved and sunny self who answered the phone.

"Ruanruan, are you still playing with your classmates?"

The man's voice scratched her heart like a cat's claw.

"No, I'm on my way home. Is Teacher Tong done with your work?" she asked softly.

"Well, I'm taking a break and planning to find something to do during the winter break. By the way, how was your lunch? Did Hu Hong prepare it for you?"

Hu Hong is Fatty Hu, a very grand name, and he is a fat and kind-hearted person.