C3 He Thought of a Plan

Back in her room, Qin Su sprawled out on the bed, determined not to let her mom find out about her dad's affair before she did. Even if it came to divorce, she wanted to ensure her mom's rights were protected, ideally leaving Qin Guangjun with nothing.

But how to make that happen? She needed evidence to confront him, something undeniable. Yes, that was the plan.

First, though, she had to get a camera. Hiring a private investigator was out of the question—she didn’t have that kind of money.

She turned the idea over and over in her mind until she eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, the first thing Qin Su did was go for her morning exercise, a habit she had developed later in life. At dawn, with sparrows chirping and dew clinging to the grass, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

After running two laps around the neighborhood, Qin Su was wiping sweat with a towel when she passed the building across the street. A tall young man brushed past her.

He looked familiar, but she couldn’t quite place him. She paused for a moment, then moved on.

“Hey, kiddo! Out for a morning run?”

That was her childhood nickname, one she hadn’t heard in years. Startled, Qin Su turned to see a teenage boy grinning at her, his smile as bright as the morning sun. It took her a moment to remember who he was.

Wow, Gao Yan!

We grew up in the same small village, then moved to the same neighborhood in town. He was tall and handsome, and we even had a childhood engagement!

Later, Qin Su's family went through some changes, and he moved to another city for college. We lost touch after that.

"Ah... Ah! Hey, Mr. Yan, you're running too?"

"Yeah, you're really early. I just got out here and you're already done?"

Being patted on the head by someone he had almost forgotten, Qin Su was genuinely stunned, his surprised expression amusing Gao Yan.

"Haha, my mom's making some almond porridge at home. Want to come over and have some?"

For some reason, faced with the girl who used to have a crush on him, Gao Yan instinctively invited her. Her baby-faced smile momentarily caught him off guard.

"..."

Qin Su thought for a while, suddenly remembering that Gao Yan was into photography in high school and had an old camera.

"No, thanks, Mr. Gao Yan. How about I come by at noon? My dad mentioned the other day that you're good at studying and suggested you could help me with my schoolwork."

The tutoring was just an excuse; she really wanted to borrow the camera.

"Sure, come by at noon. I'll be home waiting."

This was Qin Su's first time in Gao Yan's room. In her previous life, she was always too shy around him, barely speaking above a whisper. They had little interaction, and she had never been invited into his room, even though she had a quiet crush on him back then.

Gao Yan opened the door to find Qin Su sitting at his desk, flipping through a book. He had just gone to get a glass of water.

"The Student Union President reads this kind of book?"

"Surprised, huh? Can't believe it?"

"Yeah, a bit. I thought only us underachievers liked this stuff."

"You read it too?"

Gao Yan raised an eyebrow. Aren't girls usually into romance novels? And here she is, reading a long, violent crime novel?

"Well, I read a bit of everything, a real mix."

Gao Yan chuckled but didn't comment further, picking up an English reading book instead.

"Let's start with English today, beginning with reading the text."

Qin Su had to admit, even with a second chance at life, she still couldn't keep up with someone as academically gifted as him.