Chapter 056 Cold War

Jing Ran was kicked awake by Jing Li. He squinted, sat up, revealing his sturdy upper body with some ambiguous red marks on his shoulder. Jing Ran looked dazed and confused, raised his hand to scratch the back of his head, and glanced at the blurry-faced Jing Li, who was also sitting. He reached out to the bedside table, picked up his glasses, and put them on.

When Jing Li sat up just now, she saw some red marks on her chest as well. She covered herself with the blanket, her small face red, pouting and glaring at Jing Ran, “You scoundrel, beast!”

Jing Li’s eye sockets turned red and moist, leaving tears of grievance: “You scoundrel, you don’t like me, yet you still slept with me!”

Jing Ran, puzzled by why Jing Li was crying and making a scene early in the morning, and countered her assumption: “But I do like you!”

“Wu…,” Jing Li couldn’t hear his words, crying hard.

…
Yesterday, she fell, and Little Prince didn’t comfort her. After she explain things to Little Prince, she pretended to run away, and Little Prince didn’t even chase after her.

Yesterday, she aimlessly ran out of the school gate. In fact, she didn’t know where she was going at all. She used her handbag to hit Jing Ran and didn’t get it back. Many important things were left inside her handbag, and she couldn’t go anywhere else. At a convenience store off-campus, she used WeChat Pay to buy half a dozen canned beers and went to a nearby Lover’s Lake to drink alone.

As she kept drinking…

She opened her eyes to find herself in a simple room in a small hotel, lying naked on the same bed as Jing Ran.

Jing Ran saw Jing Li crying and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He hugged Jing Li along with the blanket, comforting her: “Lili, don’t cry!”

Jing Li buried her head in Jing Ran’s chest, crying, and spoke harshly: “Jing Ran, let me tell you… even if you slept with me, I won’t be with you!”

Jing Li values her first time, but she didn’t protect herself well and ended up losing it. She’s not a rigid person either. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. She definitely won’t be with Jing Ran for the rest of her life just because he was her first man.

Little Prince doesn’t value her at all. So what if they slept together, she doesn’t want Little Prince anymore.

Jing Ran felt heartbroken when he heard Jing Li say that even if they really slept together, she wouldn’t be with him.
It seems that Jing Li is really angry.

Last night, when Jing-Ran arrived at Lovers’ Lake, it was probably very late, and there was no one around. Jing-Ran kept calling Jing Li’s phone, searching for the ringtone, and finally found Jing Li. Little Tipsy Cat was lying in the grass, with a few cans of beer beside her.

Jing-Ran helped her up and carried her away from Lovers’ Lake. Jing Li was drunk and it wouldn’t be good for her to go back to school; she might end up being reprimanded by the counselor. So, he decided to take her to a small inn near the school to rest.

As Jing-Ran carried Jing Li, she kept scolding him, calling him a scumbag and saying that she liked him so much, yet he acted as if nothing had happened. She also bit Jing Ran’s shoulder to express his hatred and said:
“Jing Ran, let me tell you, I am not that kind of frivolous woman. I only kissed you because I like you. But you bastard, you don’t believe me and don’t want me anymore!”
“Do you think I’m the kind of casual person who sells her first kiss for a bet? If I had known, I wouldn’t give it to you even if I gave my first kiss to a dog!”

Jing Ran listened to Jing Li’s scolding, feeling uncomfortable, but she was right. He hadn’t trusted Jing Li.

Jing Ran went to a small hotel and rented a room. When he was carrying Jing-Li up the stairs, she vomited on his back, dirtying both of their clothes. Jing Ran had no choice but to take off their clothes and personally help Jing Li bathe.

Watching the girl completely naked, Jing-Ran felt uncomfortable several times. He remembered the agreement with Jing Li and didn’t dare to make a move. After bathing, Jing Ran dried Jing Li’s body, placed her on the bed, and then went back to the bathroom to wash their clothes.
…

Jing Li kept crying, and Jing Ran hugged her, gently patting her smooth and exposed back to soothe her emotions.

What made Jing Li even sadder was that she had cried for so long, and Little Prince showed no responsible attitude as a man. In a situation like this, shouldn’t a man say, “It’s okay, sweetheart, I will take responsibility?”

Little Prince’s silent attitude made her feel extremely disheartened.

“Ahem…” Jing Li’s crying had made her throat hoarse, causing an itchy cough.

Jing Ran picked up a towel, wrapped it around his lower body, got out of bed, and walked to another table. There was a hot water kettle, and Jing Ran had boiled some water yesterday. He picked up a paper cup, filled it with cool boiled water, and walked back to the bed, handing it to Jing Li: “Drink some water.”

Jing Li took the cup and took a sip, moistening her throat. Jing Li spoke up: “Jing Ran, do you have anything to say to me?”

After crying, Jing Li calmed down and regained some composure.

Regardless, there should be an explanation, right? Their relationship was unclear, and they had spent the night together. How should they handle this?

“I’m sorry…” Jing Ran apologized for misunderstanding Jing Li’s sincerity.

But from Jing Li’s perspective, he thought Jing Ran was apologizing for not intending to take responsibility.

Jing Li lowered her head, wanting to cry again, but the situation was already embarrassing enough, and there was no point in making herself look worse.

“I want to put my clothes back on,” Jing Li said.

Jing Ran walked to the air conditioner, felt the clothes, and they had dried overnight. After handing the clothes and undergarments to Jing Li, he took his own clothes and went to the bathroom to put them on.

Jing Li was feeling down and didn’t notice that the clothes had been washed.

After checking out of the small hotel, they walked back to the school in silence. Normally, the two of them rarely had such silent moments together. Although Jing Ran was a quiet person, Jing Li was lively and always tried to get him to talk.

Today, both of them had their own concerns.

*
They passed by a pharmacy, and the clerk raised the door shutter, getting ready to open for business. Jing Li remembered something and asked Jing Ran, looking up, “Did you use a condom yesterday?”

Jing Ran looked confused, “Huh?”

Jing Li impatiently repeated, “A condom!”

Jing Ran shook his head.

Jing Li was angry to find out that they hadn’t used protection last night, but scolding him was futile. She ordered Jing Ran, “Then go to the pharmacy and buy me some birth control pills.”

Jing Ran was puzzled and asked, “What do you need birth control pills for?”

“If you don’t use protection, then I have to take birth control pills! I don’t want to have a baby before finishing college!” Jing Li became angry, but not in a fierce way, more like a little kitten throwing a fit, which made her seem very adorable.

It was only then that Jing Tan understood why Jing Li had been crying loudly this morning. She had thought she had lost her virginity. He explained, “Lili, we didn’t do that kind of thing yesterday.”

“Ah?”

“Yesterday, I was carrying you, and you vomited, dirtying both of our clothes.”

Jing Li asked, “Then why do both of us have red scratch marks on our bodies?

Jing Ran replied, “Every time you get drunk, you bite me.”

Jing Li suddenly realized that it was true.

Jing Ran continued to explain, “Yesterday, you fell asleep on the grass, and you attracted bugs to your body. The scratch marks on your body were all made by yourself.”
Yesterday, Jing Ran was afraid she would scratch herself, so he wanted to tie her hands, but she kept saying it was so itchy. Jing Ran even went to the hotel front desk to borrow ointment for her to stop the itching.

Jing Li heard that nothing happened between them yesterday, and she breathed a sigh of relief, then asked, “Then why did you apologize just now?”

Jing Ran hung his head and looked at Jing Li, “I didn’t do well yesterday, and I made you angry.”

Jing Li was not grateful and mocked, “Where did you not do well? You did very well, so that I could win the bet and break up in two weeks? Thanks for your kindness!”

“Lili…” Jing Ran looked dejected, he said the angry words in a moment of impulse yesterday.

“Let me tell you, I don’t need your help!” Jing Li said and ran in the direction of the school. She had injured her knee yesterday, so she didn’t run very fast.

Jing Ran could catch up with her in a few steps. Seeing her running so hard, he asked, “Lili, do you want me to carry you back?”

“Hmph.” Jing Li turned her head in the opposite direction, intending not to speak to Jing Ran anymore.

Jing Li couldn’t run fast enough to shake off Jing Ran, so she had to walk at a normal speed and pretend Jing Ran was invisible.

*
Jing Ran took Jing Li’s handbag to the teaching building and returned it to Jing Li. After that, Jing Li didn’t look for him for several days. Even when they met at the teaching building, she avoided making eye contact with him. Jing Ran wanted to talk to Jing Li, but every time she saw him, she would run away to another place.

Sometimes Jing Ran managed to corner Jing Li, and when she got anxious, she bit his arm. Jing Ran was most afraid of physical pain, and when his hand recoiled in pain, Jing Li would escape.

During the English debate competition, Jing Ran took his team to participate in the semifinals, but Jing Li didn’t go with them. He was feeling a bit down emotionally, and his performance in the semifinals was a little lacking, just not enough to make it to the finals.

The three girls in the team were very worried about Jing Ran’s state and whether he could lead them to win the championship. After all, J University had won the championship for two consecutive years, and the school had high expectations for them to win the third championship in a row.

Everyone also knew that Jing Ran and Jing Li had recently had a falling out, but no one was clear about the details of what had happened. Li Ruihua, as Jing Li’s roommate, didn’t know the details and didn’t want to take sides.

When the debate team returned to school, Jing Ran came up with a bad idea. After the other two younger female team members left, Jing Ran said to Li Ruihua, “Ruihua, can you help me convey a few words to Jing Li?”

Jing Ran’s WeChat, text messages, and phone number were all blocked by Jing Li, so he couldn’t talk to her properly.

Li Ruihua replied, “Go ahead and tell me!”

Jing thought for a moment and said, “Just casually mention to Jing Li that I’ve been feeling dizzy lately, not in good spirits, often have chest tightness, and have a poor appetite…”

Li Ruihua felt that Jing Ran seemed to be trying to attract Jing Li’s attention with a story of suffering, but these symptoms sounded a bit strange…

She couldn’t quite put her finger on what was odd…

Li Ruihua had no choice but to agree to Jing Ran.

When Li Ruihua returned to the dorm, she repeated Jing Ran’s instructions to Jing Li: “Jing Ran seems to be in poor condition for today’s match. I heard he’s been feeling dizzy lately, has no appetite, and feels chest tightness… so pitiful.”

Jing Li was sitting with her legs crossed on the chair, drinking a box of papaya milk. After listening to Li Ruihua’s words, she asked with curiosity, “Ruihua, can guys get pregnant too?”