Chapter 5 : I Know Jiang Chiyu

Zhou Ying was both excited and agitated. “You know how many girls from other classes went to add the transfer student’s WeChat last period? I thought it was strange that none of the girls from our class went to add him, even though some of them are usually quite forward. After they all left, I heard from our classmates – guess whose QR code he actually gave them!?”

“Surely not yours,” Su Tian replied.

Zhou Ying playfully hit her, “Come on, guess!”

Who else could it be? The transfer student had just arrived and barely knew anyone. Su Tian shook her head, indicating she couldn’t guess.

“Old Gao’s!”

Zhou Ying said with gleeful schadenfreude.

Su Tian’s mouth fell open, dumbstruck.

“Isn’t that savage? Just imagine Old Gao’s reaction when he suddenly gets all those friend requests!”

Su Tian was completely stunned.

How ruthless…

How cold-blooded…

If she were one of those girls, she’d probably end up hating Jiang Chiyu.

That was brutal.

Zhou Ying continued, “Hey, the transfer student is handsome and doesn’t casually flirt around. Su Tian, you must have saved the galaxy in your past life to get to be his deskmate.”

Su Tian’s expression was complicated.

Zhou Ying didn’t notice and continued daydreaming about Jiang Chiyu, asking casually, “Oh right, what were you going to say earlier?”

“I know Jiang Chiyu,” Su Tian said calmly.

“Well, I know him now too! Jiang Chiyu – even his name sounds good.” Zhou Ying swooned.

“Jiang Chiyu lives next door to me.”

Zhou Ying whipped her head around, looking incredulous. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Jiang Chiyu is my childhood friend – we’ve known each other since before birth. But he moved away in fourth grade.”

“…”

“Though it seems he’s moved back now.”

Zhou Ying was stunned by these revelations.

“Are… are you serious?”

Su Tian sighed, “I’d have to be pretty stupid to lie about this.”

Zhou Ying excitedly pinched her arm, making her yelp in pain and rub the spot while looking accusingly at Zhou Ying. “What was that for!”

Zhou Ying grabbed her shoulders excitedly: “Tian! The early bird catches the worm! You can’t waste this opportunity! In one week, I want to see you as the official girlfriend of the school’s heartthrob!”

Su Tian’s mouth twitched. Then she remembered his “stupid” comment during class earlier and anger welled up. She gritted her teeth. “Stop. We’re not close, and we actually have bad blood between us. If we have any relationship, it’s that he should call me ‘daddy.'”

Seeing her irritated expression, Zhou Ying’s gossip radar went off. “What untold history do you two have? Spill!”

So Su Tian dug through her memories and recounted several traumatic “bullying” incidents.

After finishing, she thought Zhou Ying would at least sympathize with her experience, even if she didn’t take her side. But when she looked up, she saw Zhou Ying wearing a lecherous and envious expression.

Having known Zhou Ying for three years, she was all too familiar with that look. She asked wearily, “What romance novel plot are you imagining now?”

“‘Don’t Kiss Me, Domineering School Hottie’, ‘My Childhood Friend is So Bad’, ‘My Bad But Flirty Childhood Friend.'” Zhou Ying said dreamily. “Su Tian, don’t you know that some boys show that they like you by being mean?”

Su Tian was speechless.

After a long pause, she stammered: “You don’t understand. You didn’t experience those dark years. Jiang Chiyu was my childhood nightmare.”

“He might become the man of your dreams when you grow up,” Zhou Ying drawled.

Su Tian pinched her in annoyance.

“Stop reading those trashy books!”

When they returned to class, they ran into Jiang Chiyu at the water dispenser by the back door. He had somehow obtained a disposable cup and a water card, and was lazily standing there getting water.

Zhou Ying kept making suggestive faces at Su Tian, but Su Tian pretended not to notice and calmly walked past him to her seat.

Zhou Ying’s seat had been moved to the last row. As soon as she sat down, she discreetly observed the activity at the back door.

Jiang Chiyu hadn’t filled his cup completely when he removed the water card and handed it to a girl standing nearby, saying softly, “Thanks.”

His slightly hoarse voice was deep and captivating.

Even Zhou Ying blushed hearing it from afar, let alone the girl who received his direct thanks – her cheeks were already flowering with red.

The girl gathered her courage and said, “Hi, I’m Sun Muchu. Nice to meet you.”

Zhou Ying paused, only looking at the girl’s face after hearing her introduction, and realized it really was Sun Muchu.

Her expression immediately turned murderous.

Sun Muchu… again!

She and Sun Muchu had been rivals since junior high. Back then, she had been pursuing her crush, and things were progressing well – he would bring her milk tea every few days. But somehow Sun Muchu had gotten involved, and while Zhou Ying was still agonizing over when to confess, the two of them were already watching movies in couples’ seats.

Now Sun Muchu was trying to hook up with Tian’s childhood friend!

This would not do. Zhou Ying glanced at Su Tian sitting at her desk reading, and an idea started forming…

While Sun Muchu was still trying to make awkward conversation, Zhou Ying quickly ran to the third row, picked up Su Tian’s water bottle, and asked with a determined gaze, “Tian, want some water? I’ll get it for you.”

They used to be deskmates and often got water for each other, so Su Tian just thought Zhou Ying was bored and agreed, “Sure.”

Zhou Ying quickly rushed to the back of the classroom.

Su Tian glanced toward the water dispenser and saw Jiang Chiyu still standing there with… Sun Muchu.

She knew about Zhou Ying and Sun Muchu’s history. Zhou Ying being so eager to get water – who knows what she was planning.

Wait… Zhou Ying specifically came to get her water bottle.

She suddenly had a bad feeling.

While Su Tian was lost in thought, she suddenly noticed Jiang Chiyu looking her way. Their eyes met briefly… Su Tian glanced at the clock on the back wall, then calmly turned away.

As if she was just checking the time.

Meanwhile, Zhou Ying had arrived at the battlefield.

Sun Muchu barely glanced at her approach and continued talking, “When I traveled to England in junior high, there…”

Zhou Ying suddenly cut in, “Classmate Jiang, your deskmate wants you to get her some water.”

Jiang Chiyu seemed taken aback, while Sun Muchu’s unfinished sentence was interrupted.

Zhou Ying maintained her position holding out the bottle, her face calm and composed, as if this was all perfectly normal.

Jiang Chiyu obediently took the bottle.

However, he didn’t have a water card.

And Zhou Ying showed no intention of giving him one. She clapped her hands, “Thanks… Then please bring it back to her!” With that, she bounced away without giving Sun Muchu even a glance.

Sun Muchu was both angry and confused. Zhou Ying was being way too obvious about targeting her. But she was puzzled why Zhou Ying would bring up Su Tian to get at her.

Hadn’t Jiang Chiyu and Su Tian just become deskmates? How were they already so close?