You are all bad women! Don't come over!

The little girl in the white dress, pure as snow, walked out of the cake shop, while a dirty little boy stood behind the streetlight, his eyes shifty as he stared at her.

The little girl was so beautiful and graceful, with large, gentle, and bright eyes as if she were a fairy from a myth, or a princess from a fairy tale.

A maid dressed in a suit and shiny shoes followed her, and the little boy dared not approach, merely staring at her dumbfounded.

Even as a child like him, he knew who could be approached and who could not. She was the princess, and he was no prince that could draw near her.

He was just a lowly beggar, who even in a fairy-tale world wouldn't have a place for someone like him.

The little princess was eating a donut, then, as if she had done something naughty, she hid it behind her back, looked around, and then saw the little boy staring at her.

"Little beggar, do you want to eat this?"

She walked over, tilting her head and smiling as she offered him the half-eaten donut in her hand.

The little boy's face flushed red, and under the bloom-like smile of the other, he slowly reached out his hand.

"No, I don't want it!"

Shen Mochen suddenly opened his eyes, his cheeks slightly warm.

He stared blankly at the ceiling, breathing lightly, and turned to check the time before getting up.

"Why have I suddenly dreamt about this..."

In the bathroom, Shen Mochen frantically grabbed his hair, having not dreamt of this incident for a long time.

But so-called shameful histories, no matter how long it had been, just the thought could make one feel unbearably ashamed.

Even though he could no longer recall her face.

He only remembered she was very beautiful, even more so than the prettiest girl. She had a gentle and calming smile, star-like eyes, and her white dress was spotless, just like the clouds in the sky.

"Huff..." Shen Mochen shook his head vigorously, not wanting to recall it any further.

Actually, there was a follow-up to this incident. That scene, by chance, was witnessed by Yin Caiyu and Yin Huailian, but they didn't make a fuss. At the time, while still attending community elementary school, they collected plastic bottles for a week after school and finally bought him a small slice of cake on Shen Mochen's birthday.

From that point on, he would receive a cake from the Yin Family sisters on his birthday every year.

They never told Shen Mochen that they had seen him take someone else's leftover cake. To them, it was nothing noteworthy, as the three of them often searched garbage bins for food. But when they saw the tears Shen Mochen shed as he ran away, they faintly realized that it was about an insignificant yet all that remained of a person's pride.

Shen Mochen had always been in the dark about this, thinking it was his secret alone. Until recently, Yin Caiyu let it slip unintentionally, and only then did he find out that everyone knew.

Shen Mochen took out a pair of scissors and, looking at himself in the mirror, started snipping away. His bangs were originally extensions, but after half a year, it was mostly his real hair.

His haircutting skills weren't anything special, but since he had been managing the hair of all three of them in the past, it was barely passable.

As the hair fell in clumps, a face that made countless men envious was revealed. Shen Mochen looked at himself in the mirror, his expression neither joyful nor sorrowful.

In fact, he didn't much like this face because it made him a target. In a slum like that, people were more akin to primitive beasts. Without parental protection, this face had caused him a lot of trouble from a young age. If he hadn't been fierce enough in character, and hadn't been somewhat grown by then, he might not have made it to adulthood safely.

When he was a child, this face was more of a burden than anything to him. He had even persuaded Yin Caiyu and Yin Huailian to scar their faces with him, but they were strongly against it.

They weren't afraid of pain, they were afraid of ugliness. And they were strongly opposed to Shen Mochen doing it, too, on the grounds that it was easy to get infected, and they wouldn't have the money to treat it.

Although Shen Mochen gradually began to enjoy the benefits that came with good looks as he grew up, sometimes even actively using it to his advantage, he still instinctively felt it to be a bit of trouble.

He was very clear about the conveniences his face could bring him.

"Little Chen, I'm going to school first today. The porridge is kept warm in the pot, and if anything else gets cold, just heat it up yourself. I've left the electric scooter for you, the keys are on the cabinet at the door."

Shen Mochen followed Cai Yuncui's text, ate first, then easily found the keys and rode downstairs.

Actually, Shen Mochen had a bicycle, but he wanted to be lazy and didn't mention it before, and later when he meant to say it, he never found an opportunity.

Shen Mochen apologized in his heart. Today, Cai Yuncui must have walked. Due to the school's arrangements, she needed to arrive at school early.

Perhaps because First Middle School recently wanted to reverse some negative public perceptions, this anniversary celebration specially selected Cai Yuncui, a Graduate of Buque, to sit on the main stage with the school leaders for publicity.

A commoner, a Graduate of Buque, a Graduate, voluntarily giving up an official position within the system... First Middle School having such good teachers naturally improved its image among the public. Even if there were those who wanted to raise objections, they would have to shut up temporarily.

Graduates of Buque were the most politically correct heroes, and in their bare state, the best fig leaf.

Cai Yuncui mentioning this to Shen Mochen felt embarrassed. She thought she was only enjoying this honor because of Buque's reputation. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

Shen Mochen thought to himself, an honest person really is a fool. Clearly, the nobles wanted the affection of the commoners and sought to bask in your light. Sitting with you is their privilege! How does the Jishi Association educate people?

With the electric scooter's throttle pulled to the max, riding himself, Shen Mochen couldn't be bothered to wear a helmet. The wind rushed into Shen Mochen's embrace, billowing his shirt. His hair, at times, danced in the wind, at other moments it clung to his face.

Just like Shen Mochen had told Cai Yuncui before, he really liked the sensation of hair hitting his face. There's a sense of security and a sense of presence.

To be honest, Cai Yuncui's electric scooter was very average, even among electric scooters, it was quite a cheap model, appearing to be nothing more than a means of getting around.

Thinking about it, her everyday life was also quite modest. She barely wore any branded clothes, and aside from buying groceries and cooking for Shen Mochen, her spending in all aspects was below that of an average household; she never wasted money.

Logically speaking, Graduates of Buque were "high-threshold talents", and even in a top-tier city like Yu Huai that ranked nationally, there would be at most twenty to thirty awoken individuals each year. Deadly work with few if any substitutes, the salary couldn't be low.

Cai Yuncui, conscientiously working over five years, should have an income of several millions at the very least. With that money, as long as she didn't think of buying a high-end residence in a central area, she wouldn't have to worry about food and drink for a lifetime. Not to mention, the salary First Middle School offered wasn't lower than what she earned in Buque... Sometimes Shen Mochen really couldn't understand why she lived so simply.

Shen Mochen thought to himself, he always assumed he and Yin Caiyu were poor, didn't have the destiny for wealth, but ever since meeting Cai Yuncui, he deeply realised what it meant to remain poor even after coming into money. Was she scared of spending all the money?

But just as Shen Mochen's mind wandered, he didn't notice a black sedan slowly stopping in front of the school entrance.

By the time he snapped back to attention, it was too late to turn. He inwardly cursed, instinctively gripped the brake tight, but due to inertia, still heard a "bang" as he hit the rear end of someone else's car.