Chapter 97 – Why Aren’t You Afraid at All?

When Can Luo left, others at the barbecue stall and the ring toss area also gradually realized what had happened.

Ying asked, “Jian Mei, did someone cause trouble just now?”

Nan Feng, who had just finished cleaning up, stood by the door. “Who? That Can Luo?”

Jian Mei truthfully recounted what had just happened.

Nan Feng rolled his eyes. “It’s indeed that crazy woman.”

Ying nervously looked at the child in front of her and asked, “Jian Mei, are you okay? Did she do anything to you?”

Jian Mei shook his head. “No, she didn’t do anything, she just wanted to buy something.”

Yunshi, who had been a passive observer, slowly strolled over. He said, “She wouldn’t dare.”

Nan Feng nodded. “I also think she wouldn’t dare. After all, this is our SA class’s school festival venue. If she dared to cause trouble here, as the saying goes, you have to consider the master when beating the dog!”

“…..”

Jian Mei felt that this metaphor sounded very angry.

As the group chatted and prepared to leave, Jian Mei turned his head and noticed that Xiaoban’s expression had seemed off since earlier. He approached him with some concern, “Xiao Ban, what’s wrong?”

He thought Xiao Ban might be unhappy about the earlier incident with Can Luo.

“I made braised fish for you today.” Jian Mei took a cup of water from the table and handed it to him, smiling slightly. “You haven’t had it in a long time.”

Xiaoban took the water and nodded. “It’s been a long time.”

Jianmei walked out with him

Xiaoban followed behind him, with Nan Feng and the others a bit further away. Raindrops fell lightly from the sky, leaving clear imprints on the ground with each step.

Under the umbrella, Xiaoban glanced at Jian Mei and asked, “Mei Mei, do you encounter people like Can Luo here every day?”

Jian Mei was taken aback. “Huh?”

“People like Can Luo.” Xiaoban looked at Jian Mei. “Do you often encounter them?”

Jian Mei didn’t know why he thought that way and shook his head. “Not very often.”

However, Xiao Ban’s eyes darkened slightly. Obviously, he didn’t seem to fully believe Jian Mei’s words. The events of today seemed to have left a mark on his heart. In fact, he had long been aware of the difference in social classes, but the thought that he might only encounter such things for a few days while Jian Mei had been here studying all along, made him feel uneasy.

Jian Mei noticed that Xiao Ban seemed a bit worried and said, “Don’t worry, everyone is pretty nice to me.”

However, Xiao Ban remained silent.

Sensing that Xiao Ban might not be feeling well, Jian Mei took the initiative to take him back to his own room and let him use his bathroom to bath. Then, he went downstairs to prepare dinner.

This was Lu Xinci’s first time entering the SA class dormitory building. He had actually studied at this school before, but his qualifications were not enough to enter the SA class, including the former crown prince. The only prodigy in the royal family in recent years was naturally Lu Xingwang, the child who had been the talk of the town since childhood.

Jian Mei came downstairs and said to the people below, “I’m cooking, come and help.”

Nan Feng sat up abruptly. “Has the fish sent by Yunshi’s family been processed?”

Yunshi was sitting on the sofa reading a book and replied, “I’ve already taken care of it.”

“Then we just need to help with the side dishes.” Ying approached Jian Mei and asked softly, “Jian Mei, can I have the braised pork? It was so delicious when you made it last time!”

Jian Mei said, “The one I made last time wasn’t very good.”

He had always watched his mother and nanny cook, so he hadn’t really learned the essence of it.

Ying praised him without exaggeration, “You did a great job already. I feel like the meat you stewed is even better than what our family’s chef makes. The only downside is that I feel like I gained a little weight after eating it the next day.”

Nan Feng chuckled, “Weren’t you already chubby?”

Ying glared at him fiercely. “What did you say?!”

Jian Mei helplessly separated the two of them, “If you two want to fight, go outside the kitchen. You’ll disturb me here.”

Ying and Nan Feng immediately quieted down.

Jian Mei continued, “It might be a bit more troublesome to cook braised pork, so you two can help out.”

The young masters and misses had never done anything like working in the kitchen before, but now, for the sake of food, they could endure this grievance. Lu Xinci had been watching from the side all along and found it quite interesting. On one hand, he marveled at how Jian Mei, despite being a commoner, had no sense of inferiority when interacting with these people and could give orders so smoothly. On the other hand, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the calmness emanating from Jian Mei.

So when everyone else was busy, Lu Xinci found an opportunity to approach Jian Mei quietly and asked, “Jian Mei, I heard that Nan Feng’s powers are very strong and impressive. Living with them all the time, don’t you find it very difficult?”

Jian Mei was washing rice and shook his head at his words, “Not really?”

Lu Xinci was taken aback for a moment, smiled faintly, and tentatively continued, “But they are all so strong. Teachers and classmates must put pressure on you, right?”

Just like himself.

He detested Lu Xingwang extremely, even more than he detested the former crown prince. If it weren’t for Lu Xingwang, he wouldn’t have become the target of public criticism, and life wouldn’t have been so hard for him.

Jian Mei finished washing the rice and said, “It does give pressure sometimes, and I also feel envious occasionally because they are indeed very talented.”

Lu Xinci felt somewhat relieved, “But what about you…?”

“But so what?” Jian Mei put the rice in the pot to cook and said, “I think everything has two sides, just like Ying once said. Having such status and abilities comes with a lot of pressure and pain. Many people may seem glamorous on the surface, but perhaps only they know their own suffering.”

His words caught Lu Xinci by surprise and he looked up at Jian Mei.

Jian Mei blinked in confusion, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Lu Xinci shook his head slowly, “Your mindset is quite rare.”

Jian Mei shrugged helplessly, “But even if you envy and admire, those things won’t become yours, what’s the use?”

Lu Xinci paused for a moment, then chuckled softly, “You’re right.”

But as you said, many people have unknown hardships behind them. Not everyone can easily understand and forgive like this. How could the suffering and criticism he endured over the years be easily dismissed with just a disregard?

However…

He really wanted to see if Jian Mei could still say such things so calmly after experiencing the oppression of class.

Next Day

The sun was shining after almost a week of rain, and the capital welcomed a clear day.

Finally, the school festival could proceed as scheduled, and activities organized by various academies were in full swing. Jian Mei sat in the small shop helping Xiao Ban calculate the revenue of the past few days, when a group of people approachedy.

The leader of the group was the same person who had pre-ordered skincare products recently. Although they had already signed contracts and paid deposits, they appeared again today.

Jian Mei looked up at them and asked, “What’s the matter?”

The leader, a black-haired girl, put her hands on her waist and exclaimed, “So you’re a commoner?!”

Jian Mei was puzzled. He didn’t understand why they were bringing this up. Slowly, he nodded and said, “Yes, I am. What’s the matter?”

“You!” The black-haired girl seemed genuinely angry. “Then how did you get into the SA class? Why didn’t you say you were a commoner earlier?!”

Jian Mei didn’t grasp the logic behind the situation.

Did these students not know he was a commoner when they purchased their products? Did they assume he wasn’t because he was in the SA class?

The black-haired girl slammed the table. “I want a refund of my deposit! I’m not buying anymore!”

Lu Xinci, who was watching the commotion, stepped forward and said, “Sorry, ma’am, but once you’ve paid the deposit for our products, it’s non-refundable.”

“What if I want to return it?” The girl was speechless. “I usually use imported skincare products worth hundreds of coins. How can I dare to use commoner stuff? It’ll ruin my face!”

Jian Mei remembered her. She had repurchased several times before the presale began, so he stood up calmly and said, “But you’ve used it several times, and your face hasn’t been ruined. You even said before that you found it very effective, even more suitable than what you’ve been using.”

The girl choked up, her face changing. She snorted coldly, “But you didn’t tell me earlier that you’re just a commoner! Now I have to go to the hospital to check if there’s any problem with my skin because of your products!”

Jian Mei fell silent.

He had never thought that his efforts and hard work would be completely denied just because of his commoner status.

Lu Xinci added fuel to the fire, “Why are you doing this? You’ve paid the deposit, and we’ve already started production. If you don’t buy it now, what about our loss?”

The black-haired girl put her hands on her waist. “That’s none of my concern, but buying and selling is freedom. You must refund.”

Lu Xinci was satisfied in his heart. This was exactly the effect he wanted, to strike at Jian Mei’s pride. He wanted to see if this kid could still be the same in such a situation.

There was silence in the shop for a moment.

Then, Jian Mei said, “Alright, then let’s refund.”

The black-haired girl was stunned. “Really?”

“Yeah, you can get a refund,” Jian Mei said with an indifferent tone, as if he wasn’t really interested in selling to them. “Are you all here to get a refund? Let’s do it according to the list.”

Everyone thought there would be some fuss before Jian Mei would agree to refund, but what they didn’t expect was that he was so straightforward about it. In fact, Some of those seeking refunds weren’t sincere; they just wanted to create trouble to pressure Jian Mei into giving in, seeking some concessions.

The black-haired girl stuttered, “You… you’re really refunding? Aren’t you afraid of not being able to sell your products?”

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