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Qi An’an’s voice was neither loud nor soft, yet it was just right, and everyone present could hear her clearly.
Qi Zhen hadn’t expected Qi An’an to suddenly step forward and say such things. Her face turned pale, then flushed red, and finally twisted into an unpleasant expression.
It was true, she wasn’t that close to Jiang Lu. But she hadn’t spread any rumors either. Was Jiang Lu’s family not wealthy? Was he not good-looking? Or was he a gentle, well-mannered, and outstanding student?
What exactly had she said wrong?
Seeing the indignant expression on Qi Zhen’s face, Qi An’an’s tone turned colder, “Saying these baseless things will mislead others. If the rumors keep spreading, they’ll become more and more exaggerated, and his situation will become difficult. Did you not think about that before you opened your mouth?”
When Qi Zhen met Qi An’an’s gaze, she was startled to find a clear look of disappointment in the other party’s eyes. Disappointment? Qi Zhen sneered inwardly. Did Qi An’an think of herself as some moral paragon, standing on a pedestal to lecture others?
Forcing down all her irritation, Qi Zhen managed a gentle smile. “We were just sitting around chatting and gossiping. Isn’t that what everyone does? Why so serious, An’an? Fine, I’ll stop, okay? Don’t be mad.”
But Qi An’an didn’t let Qi Zhen brush it off so easily. “I am mad. If you really considered him a friend, you wouldn’t talk about him like that behind his back— especially in such an ugly way. He’s smart, he’s motivated, and he doesn’t have a bad temper.”
Smart and motivated? Then how did he end up in Class 16? Qi Zhen scoffed inwardly. As for having a good temper, she hadn’t seen any of that herself.
Jiang Lu was a master at playing hot and cold. He had a knack for toying with girls’ emotions. When he interacted with Qi Zhen, he’d say ambiguous things. But most of the time, he was icy and distant, with an arrogant attitude.
But she didn’t mind that. It was precisely men like him who, once they fell for someone, would be deeply loyal and unwavering.
Though Qi Zhen still wore a smile, it had noticeably faded. “You seem to know him very well. Are you two close?”
“This isn’t about being close. Not gossiping behind a friend’s back is a matter of principle, especially when the things you said are completely irresponsible and could cause him real trouble.”
Qi An’an truly felt disappointed. It was the first time she had directly faced this feeling. She could accept that Qi Zhen didn’t like her. Even if Qi Zhen had intentionally spilled water on the seat earlier, Qi An’an wouldn’t have taken it to heart.
But she couldn’t accept Qi Zhen speaking badly about Jiang Lu behind his back.
Since getting to know Jiang Lu, Qi An’an has come to understand his personality. On the surface, he seemed a bit aloof, but deep down, he was incredibly gentle. Just like how the novel described him— soft on the inside, shielded by a tough exterior. Because of this, she had once been full of hope, thinking she could be best friends with her favorite characters.
But now, not only could she and Qi Zhen not be close, Qi Zhen’s personality was completely different from how Qi An’an had imagined.
Qi Zhen’s supposed innocence and kindness were all on the surface. Deep down, she wasn’t at all the type of person Qi An’an liked.
Qi Zhen’s face turned pale at Qi An’an’s words, but she had no way to refute her. After all, what Qi Zhen said earlier really had been speculation. She wasn’t actually that close to Jiang Lu.
She bit her lip. “An’an, did I offend you somehow? We were just chatting and now no one’s in the mood anymore because of you.”
“If you hadn’t crossed the line, I wouldn’t have bothered to stop and say all this.” Qi An’an said calmly, casting a glance at the girls around Qi Zhen before turning back to her. “If you can talk like that about Jiang Lu, you can talk about anyone. That kind of behavior won’t get you any friends. People will eventually stop trusting you.”
Qi Zhen’s face turned bright red. She felt utterly humiliated. She couldn’t out-argue Qi An’an, and she didn’t have the pride to back down either, so she could only glare at Qi An’an with a dark expression. How laughable, she thought. Qi An’an herself was two-faced. How many times had Qi An’an set her up before? Now Qi An’an was pretending to be a righteous saint?
As silence settled over them, several girls nearby found excuses to leave. Qi Zhen grew even more frustrated and was about to lash out when Qi An’an turned and walked away, not intending to continue the argument.
Ji Ruomeng quickly followed her. Before leaving, she turned and rolled her eyes at Qi Zhen. “Watch your mouth. You’re exactly what people call a gossip. And you girls still hang out with her? Don’t come crying when you end up the next target of her trash talk.”
With that, Ji Ruomeng left, leaving Qi Zhen standing there, her face ashen with rage.
The remaining girls also left one by one. The group that had once gathered around Qi Zhen to hear gossip was now completely gone. She stood there alone, exposed as the one with the sharp tongue.
Qi Zhen clenched her fists in secret. She would never forget the humiliation of today. Right now, she wasn’t close to Jiang Lu, but Qi An’an wasn’t that much better than her either. One day, she’d win Jiang Lu over and make him her man. Then she could say whatever she wanted, and Qi An’an could no longer act so high and mighty.
────ρя
Sun Qifei was new and didn’t know the people involved very well. Standing in the shade of the path, he had been listening for a while in utter confusion. He leaned over and whispered to Zhou Qi, “Brother Qi, what’s going on? Is the school beauty Brother Lu’s girlfriend? And those two girls just now…… should we maybe teach them a lesson?”
Zhou Qi said, “Can you just shut up for a bit?”
Jiang Zifan was just as puzzled. At first, when they heard the girls up ahead talking about Jiang Lu, he had shown no reaction at all. He had just kept walking, his expression blank, his features sharp and cold, and he showed no fear of awkwardness if they happened to bump into them.
But then they heard, “That’s not true. Jiang Lu isn’t like that”. After that, it was as if Jiang Lu had been hit by a spell. He stopped in his tracks and didn’t move again.
He didn’t say anything either. The rest of them had walked a few steps ahead, but Zhou Qi was the first to stop, causing everyone else to freeze too.
“What’s the situation now? It’s quiet outside. Should we leave, Lao Zhou? It’s almost time to gather.” Jiang Zifan whispered. He glanced back at Jiang Lu, who stood a few steps behind them. He was hidden in shadow, his expression unreadable. He hadn’t moved, and no one knew what he was thinking.
Jiang Lu didn’t hear a word the others said. He was still a little dazed.
The evening breeze brushed gently against him, and the sharp, indifferent aura around him had faded, replaced by a look of helpless confusion.
Zhou Qi thought for a moment, then said, “Well, everyone’s left anyway. Let’s go.”
Just as he spoke, Jiang Lu walked past them.
As he passed by, he didn’t stop. “Let’s go.”
This time, Jiang Lu walked quickly. The rest didn’t hurry to follow. Unlike girls, boys didn’t cling to each other constantly. They simply trailed behind, keeping just enough distance.
“What’s going on with Brother Lu today? He’s acting all weird. What do you think about what happened earlier?” Jiang Zifan poked Zhou Qi as they walked.
Zhou Qi asked, “What do you think?”
“Sounds like the school beauty is more familiar with Brother Lu, right? And she wasn’t exactly wrong. That’s just the way Brother Lu is.” Jiang Zifan chuckled carelessly. “That little fairy looks like a starstruck fangirl. What did she see that made her think Brother Lu was good at studying? Since when has Class 16 ever been known for being smart and ambitious? Though I gotta admit, I felt kinda happy hearing it, hahaha……”
Zhou Qi rolled his eyes. “Did she even say that about you?”
“Eh, same difference. I think she’s just got a fantasy going on. Probably doesn’t like hearing people talk bad about her idol. Just like those other girls who are crazy about Brother Lu.” After his little analysis, he didn’t hear Zhou Qi respond. “Say something.”
“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.”
“You think Brother Lu will end up with the school beauty or the little fairy?” Jiang Zifan loved gossip. Ever since he met Jiang Lu, he hadn’t seen him pay any attention to girls. Only these two seemed a little different.
Zhou Qi grew a bit impatient. “Can you quit yapping? You’re a grown man, why are you always thinking about this kind of stuff? Go find a girlfriend yourself instead of obsessing over gossip, okay?”
“I bet on the school beauty. What about you?
“Well, I’m definitely not betting on her.”
That got Jiang Zifan excited. “So you’re saying you think Brother Lu will end up with the little fairy?”
Zhou Qi walked a few steps faster, clearly trying to escape Jiang Zifan’s chatter. He glanced at Jiang Lu’s figure ahead and sighed.
Who knew? One of them didn’t truly like him, the other liked him too much— so much that she didn’t even know what to do about it.
────ρя
Military training ended at 7:30 that evening. The rest of the time was for tidying up the dorms and resting. All the boys rushed to the school gate to buy late-night snacks. Even though the school was under closed management, street vendors had already sniffed out the opportunity and lined up their stalls outside the gate. They could still do business through the railings.
Zhou Qi had eaten plenty at dinner and wasn’t hungry after dismissal, so he didn’t go with the others. He went to the washroom to wash his T-shirt. It wasn’t something he usually did, so he just gave it a quick soak and called it done. But as he turned the corner to leave, he froze.
Jiang Lu was standing right there. When he saw Zhou Qi, his expression didn’t change. It looked like he was waiting for him.
At this hour, everyone was either eating or lying in the dorms. No one had passed by in over ten minutes. Zhou Qi set his basin down beside him. “Brother Lu, something up?”
“I know your eyes are sharper than the others’. I also know you’re not the type to talk nonsense.”
Jiang Lu didn’t bother with vague hints and he got straight to the point. He could tell Zhou Qi was more perceptive than most of his peers. Even if you didn’t spell things out, he could figure them out.
Zhou Qi caught on quickly. “Yeah, of course, I wouldn’t tell anyone. But Brother Lu…… let me just say one thing. With your conditions, what kind of girl couldn’t you get if you tried? Even if she’s in Class 1 and good at studying, so what?”
Jiang Lu looked at him. “What conditions do I have?”
“You’re just……” Zhou Qi couldn’t understand it. Jiang Lu didn’t seem like the type to be timid or insecure, so why was he being so cautious when it came to liking someone? “You’ve got money at home and your personality isn’t what people say it is out there. I think you’re decent. As for grades…… can that really define a person completely?”
Jiang Lu looked like he’d just heard a joke. His lips slowly curved upward, but his eyes were devoid of any amusement. “When did I ever say I had money at home?”
Wasn’t it obvious? Could someone without money afford the things he used? Could someone without money carry himself with that kind of aura? Could someone without money fork over tens of thousands for He Jiahao’s medical fees without even informing his family?
But Zhou Qi didn’t say any of that aloud. It was Jiang Lu’s private matter. Maybe there were things he didn’t know.
“Fine then, Brother Lu, it’s your business. You do what you think is best.” Zhou Qi gave up and picked up his basin. “You heading back?”
“You go ahead.” Jiang Lu said. “I’m gonna have a smoke.”
This side of campus was quiet with few people, so Jiang Lu leaned against the wall outside the washroom to smoke. He had no idea that his movements had already been completely ratted out by Yu Tianyang.
……
Yu Tianyang lay on his bed with one leg crossed over the other, typing away on his phone, 【Little Aunt, according to a highly reliable source— Agent Xiao Yu— Comrade Jiang Lu is not in the dorm right now. The source just personally checked. He’s over by the washroom. You can take the small staircase on the left to meet up.】
【An’an: Received! Thanks, b*tch[1]贱人 – jiàn rén!】
【An’an retracted a message.】
【An’an: Sorry! I was holding food. Thanks, informant[2]线人 – xiàn rén!】
Yu Tianyang bombarded her with a few angry emojis, then said, 【You’re eating at the school gate, right? Ji Ruomeng’s probably there too. Tch, you girls can really eat, huh? I just heard some guys in the dorm say Jiang Lu barely ate anything all day. Look at that physique of his.】
Qi An’an was holding a wrap when she saw that message. She paused mid-chew. Just as she was about to reply, Yu Tianyang sent another text, 【Alright, alright, I’m done. I’m logging on. I’ve got games to play.】
Putting her phone away, Qi An’an turned to Ji Ruomeng. “Mengmeng, you head back first. I’m meeting someone.”
Ji Ruomeng looked confused. “Where are you going to meet someone on a closed campus?”
Qi An’an couldn’t help laughing. “There’s a naughty little troublemaker who pissed me off. I’m going to deal with him.”
“Huh? Then I’ll go with you.”
Qi An’an waved her off. “No need. I’ll handle him myself.”
As Qi An’an came up the stairs with a bag of wontons, Jiang Lu’s cigarette burned out in his hand. He squinted at the glowing ember. When he heard footsteps, he glanced over casually.
That one glance made his whole body freeze. Cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. He quickly pulled his hand back and crushed the cigarette in his palm. But he wasn’t sure if she had seen it.
Because it happened so suddenly, even someone as composed and calm as he was had a trace of panic in his movements.
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pocketrobbin[Translator]
Chapter Schedule ─ 〚Mon & Thurs: SFCIGI, TMPS and TPW〛, 〚Tue & Fri: SFCIGI and RND〛, 〚Wed & Sat: MFTV and LC〛