Chapter 017 Don't hold back the class

Jiang Yan's apartment was on the third floor, with excellent natural light. It wasn't as small as he said — a living room with two bedrooms. The kitchen and bathroom were not very large, but back then, it was more than enough for a family of three.

"Let's come and clean it up some weekend when there's no class," she suggested.

It was, after all, a nest. Ignoring that slight discomfort in her heart, she actually found it quite comfortable to live there.

After they finished looking at the apartment, Jiang Yan, as usual, stuffed the keys into a small hole beneath the milk box by the front door.

While waiting for the bus at the station, he took out his English notes and perused them as he always did. As for the chance encounter with his mother just before, he didn't mention it again.

If he didn't bring it up, Song Jiawen naturally didn't ask.

Everyone has secrets, just like her, always feeling that she was not a part of the Song Family, always being called Xiaosi in her dreams....

Song Jiawen massaged her temples, feeling a bit of a headache. When would she be able to clear up this fog?

"What's wrong?"

Even though he was focused on his notes, Jiang Yan still noticed Song Jiawen's restless expression. She seemed very irritated!

"It's nothing."

After a pause, Song Jiawen turned to look at Jiang Yan. He had previously mentioned that her sister was very fake towards her, but she didn't know how Jiang Yan could tell since most people thought her sister was very affectionate towards her.

"Do you think my sister is keeping something from me?" she asked.

Jiang Yan opened his mouth in slight surprise, "Did you... remember something?"

Song Jiawen narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean?"

That meant she hadn't remembered anything.

Jiang Yan wasn't sure if he felt relief or regret. It was a pity that even in his past life, he didn't know much about her, only the general idea.

But how could he explain this to her?

"I just feel that you don't resemble anyone in the Song Family. Your parents' attitude towards you is also strange. No family would have such a bias... so, is it possible that you are not the biological child of Song Laosan and his wife?"

Song Jiawen thought he knew something, but that was it?

She indifferently turned her face away and stopped talking.

Seeing her looking somewhat dejected, Jiang Yan had an idea, "Why don't you go and ask your sister?"

From the information that came out in the past life, Song Xiwen knew the most about Song Jiawen's origin.

But Jiang Yan also knew that woman was very cunning. Having hidden it for so many years, how could she possibly reveal the truth simply by being asked a couple of questions?

However, since Song Jiawen was clearly suspecting something, instead of struggling inwardly, it might be better to probe. Even if Song Xiwen ended up saying nothing, guilt would always reveal itself somehow if she had done something wrong.

"My parents and sister do have an odd attitude towards me, but my grandma and uncle...."

If she wasn't her mother's biological child, why would her grandmother and uncle still treat her so well?

They were the two warmest beams of light in her seventeen years of life; she never wanted to doubt them, if possible.

This point left Jiang Yan speechless, but after holding back for a while, he still said, "But what if they didn't know?"

Shi Peirong and Xie Yanhai definitely did not know that Song Jiawen wasn't their biological grandchild; there was no doubt about that.

Not just Shi Peirong and Xie Yanhai, besides Song Laosan and his wife and Song Xiwen, no one else in the Song Family knew the truth.

This raised a suspicion: Xie Jingying indeed had given birth to a daughter seventeen years ago because faking childbirth was not an option.

So, the question was, what happened to Xie Jingying's second daughter? Where did Song Xiwen's real sister go?

Jiang Yan now deeply regretted how, in his past life, he had immersed himself solely in work and paid no attention to anything else, so much so that now, he couldn't untangle any threads for Song Jiawen.

"The bus is here," she said.

The two got on the bus, and Song Jiawen no longer discussed the matter; after all, there was nothing to be gained from it, and it was a waste of time.

Jiang Yan took out his notes and continued to study; he had to buckle down and strive to close the gap with Song Jiawen before the college entrance exam.

"Right,"

Song Jiawen remembered something, "do you want to buy a small desk lamp?"

"Buy a small desk lamp?"

Jiang Yan didn't understand her meaning, "Why should I buy a small desk lamp?"

Song Jiawen turned her head, "Last night I saw Zhu Jin and Wang Xiaole they were lying in bed reading after lights out, with a small lamp attached overhead."

Jiang Yan understood, this was an issue he had considered before, but when he was at Jianghai Middle School, there were more than a dozen people living in one dormitory, and if you turned on a light, there would always be someone complaining that it disturbed their sleep.

Over here, there were not as many people in the dorms, but the boys were not as diligent as the girls, and none of them studied after lights out.

So, installing a desk lamp...

"You could hang a curtain over your bed,"

Song Jiawen saw his dilemma and suggested, "That's what Wang Xiaole and the others do."

"Okay, I'll buy one,"

Jiang Yan didn't agonize over it too long; after all, time was limited, and he had to seize every moment to improve his grades.

......

After school in the afternoon, Jiang Yan invited Xiao Qi and Yu Hang to go out for a meal together.

The hundred yuan had to be spent today; he still remembered that.

During the meal, he brought up the idea of buying a small desk lamp, asking Xiao Qi if it would bother them if he studied a bit more after lights out since he now shared a room with Xiao Qi.

"Damn! Are you seriously this determined?"

Xiao Qi couldn't help but exclaim; although they hadn't spent much time together, just in these last two days, Jiang Yan, in his eyes, was someone who studied and did practice papers incessantly, snatching every second, sparing not a moment's respite.

Now, feeling as if the daytime wasn't sufficient, he wanted to squeeze in more time at night?

Yu Hang didn't stay at the boarding school, but he had heard that Zhu Jin and the others also did something similar, studying or doing practice problems for about an hour after lights out before going to sleep.

How about Song Jiawen?

He looked up at the quiet girl eating her meal next to Jiang Yan, very demure and seemingly very well-behaved.

Apart from being somewhat reticent, Song Jiawen gave off an extremely low-key impression, not at all like the outstanding beauty she was with exceptional features.

But upon closer inspection, her skin was luminous and flawless, and her delicate features somehow looked both ethereal and mesmerizing. She was unbelievably beautiful.

People said Song Jiawen was prettier than Deng Tao, but in Yu Hang's opinion, the two couldn't even be compared; they weren't in the same league.

"If you want to buy it, just buy it. After all, there's not much time left until the college entrance exam, everyone would understand,"

Xiao Qi finished speaking and then patted Jiang Yan on the shoulder, advising him, "Brother, we are the top class of the senior year. I can understand your desire to catch up with the main group, but at the same time, you have to know your own limits, balance work and rest, understand?"

Jiang Yan still didn't know where he stood in the class level, but hearing what Xiao Qi said, he felt that the first class must be impressive.

After all, Zhu Jin had warned Song Jiawen this morning, telling her to work hard and not to drag the class down during the exams or lower the class average.

Of course, he understood that Song Jiawen wouldn't be the one to drag the class down, but he might be.

The small desk lamp was available for purchase at the small shop by the school gate; Jiang Yan bought one and hung it by his bed that night, studying until twelve o'clock....