It was rare to meet such an unreasonable boy.
Xu You suppressed her anger as she opened her physics textbook, which was covered in messy markings.
While copying questions into her exercise book, she tried to comfort herself. If she had to do homework for the tough guy behind her, then so be it. After all, she couldn’t afford to offend him.
Patience brings peace, and taking a step back makes the world wider.
Even though she held back her temper, she still wanted to shout at the boy behind her: “Can’t you do your own homework?”
Looking through his exercise book, she noticed the handwriting for previous physics assignments varied each time.
Flipping through it, she realized she wasn’t the first one who had helped him with his homework.
There were few marks or corrections from the teacher, usually just a date stamp.
Clearly, the teacher turned a blind eye to Xie Ci’s bad habit of making classmates do his work.
If even the subject teacher couldn’t control him, how could she?
In just ten minutes, Xu You finished his physics homework. The textbook exercises were basic, and since physics was her strong subject, it was easy work.
With a few minutes left before class ended, several boys from the back rows gradually left the classroom. Fu Xueli stretched, rotating her shoulders, and said to Xu You, “Don’t write so carefully, just scribble something down.”
Actually, she found it strange. Why did Xie Ci want Xu You to do his homework when the teacher didn’t even care if he turned it in?
“It’s fine, I’m already done,” Xu You said, pressing her lips together as she wrote the last word and put down her pen.
She looked up at the clock on the classroom wall. The bell was about to ring.
Xu You closed the physics workbook and, without turning around, held it up behind her. After waiting two or three seconds with no response, she turned her head.
Her eyes met Xie Ci’s amused gaze. He showed no intention of taking it.
Xu You could feel his interested stare. Silently sighing to herself, she said nothing more. She placed the workbook on his desk and turned back around.
—
Time flew to Friday afternoon. First and second-year high school students could start their weekend after the second afternoon class.
The school gate of Lin City First High was crowded with students from other schools, creating a bustling atmosphere.
Xie Ci and his group had left early and were waiting at the coffee shop next to the school.
Today was Class 4’s Li Jieyi’s birthday. He usually hung out with Xie Ci’s group, and since it was the weekend, they planned to go out for the evening.
A phone vibrated on the wooden table, buzzing on and off.
Xie Ci, holding playing cards, glanced at it briefly but ignored it.
Soon after, Song Ci nudged his back and whispered, “Brother, at the door.”
Qiu Qingqing stood at the coffee shop steps for a while, her hands clenched into fists. Various unfriendly gazes swept over her. Her pride and strong self-esteem prevented her from stepping through that door.
Through the transparent glass window, she could easily see Xie Ci’s profile, a cigarette between his lips as he dealt cards.
The phone was right beside him, but he deliberately wouldn’t answer.
“How much longer is your girlfriend going to take?” Getting bored with the card game, Xie Ci tossed his remaining cards onto the table and asked Li Jieyi, “Can you call and tell her to hurry up?”
“It’s still early for dinner, what’s the rush?” Li Jieyi put down his cards too, about to speak when he noticed someone behind him. His words changed halfway, and he raised his eyebrows playfully, “Well, well, instead of my girlfriend, looks like your girl showed up.”
“Xie Ci.” A restrained female voice rang out.
Xie Ci, still with the half-smoked cigarette in his mouth, turned his head, his elbow propped on the table edge.
Qiu Qingqing stood two meters away from him, red-eyed, and said word by word: “Come out with me. Let’s clear things up.”
She chose to come in and find him, ultimately believing that she was different to Xie Ci, counting on his feelings for her.
Xie Ci remained silent, and the others didn’t dare make a sound, looking at each other.
Collective silence.
What was going on?
When did things go wrong between A-Ci and Shen Jiayi?
Xie Ci ran a hand through his hair, his face expressionless, “Why go outside?”
Qiu Qingqing: “If you won’t come out, then let’s break up.”
Xie Ci held his cigarette loosely, smiling: “Fine, let’s break up.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a cup of cold water was thrown in his face.
He only managed to close his eyes in time.
Water droplets slowly slid down from his black hair, eyelashes, lips, and cheeks.
The cigarette in his mouth was also extinguished.
Everyone drew in a sharp breath.
This girl had guts.
There weren’t many at First High who dared to do this to A-Ci.
Fu Xueli, who had been looking down at her phone, looked up at the commotion.
She only caught a glimpse of Qiu Qingqing’s back as she ran out the door.
The shop owner handed Xie Ci a clean white towel.
“Not going after her?”
Xie Ci maintained his indifferent attitude, removing the cigarette from his mouth and looking down as he made a sound of agreement.
Song Yifan knew he was suppressing his anger.
After hesitating for two seconds, he asked, “What’s going on between you and Qiu Qingqing…”
He knew this kid Xie Ci was wild and changed girlfriends quickly. Many girls pursued him, and he had many ex-girlfriends, usually not lasting more than a week or two before he got bored.
However, after getting together with Qiu Qingqing last month, Xie Ci hadn’t caused any trouble.
Song Yifan had almost thought he was going to settle down.
Unexpectedly, this scene happened today.
“Is it about what happened last night…?” Li Jieyi asked with a mischievous smile.
Xie Ci couldn’t be bothered to answer and put another cigarette in his mouth.
Yesterday night they went singing, and Qiu Qingqing came too, sitting next to Xie Ci the whole time, not talking to anyone. Seeing her unwillingness to ‘lower herself’ to their level, everyone tactfully left her alone.
After all, she was a well-known top student in their grade and beautiful. Just too proud.
Later on, when some people had drunk a bit, they started playing Truth or Dare. Everyone was getting excited, and in one round Xie Ci lost at Dare and had to kiss a girl.
Since they were used to being wild, no one took it seriously.
However, Qiu Qingqing’s face immediately darkened, and she stormed out right then.
Today she came to break up.
Fu Xueli looked dismissive, “Breaking up is fine, it’s not like A-Ci lacks girls.”
As she spoke, Li Jieyi’s girlfriend Tu Youyou finally arrived with her group of friends.
There were two or three junior schoolmates, all looking a bit shy.
Seeing the group of second-year tough guys sitting there, they called out in unison: “Hello, senior brothers and sisters.”
“Hello, little sisters.”
Some people became less proper upon seeing the pretty young girls.
Xie Ci only smoked half his cigarette before putting it out, casually throwing it in the nearby trash can. He picked up his phone from the table and said to everyone: “Let’s go.”
—
Traffic flowed around them as darkness fell. The lights of the city gradually lit up, and the air was filled with the fragrance of roses and gardenias.
The streets were noisy on Friday night.
Xu You carried bags in both hands, containing daily necessities and snacks she had just bought from the supermarket.
Not long after school ended, she had been dragged out by Chen Xiao to go shopping at Walmart. They had also eaten dinner while they were out.
Now feeling a bit full, they decided to walk back to school to help digest their food.
“There are so many people today,” Chen Xiao linked arms with Xu You as they walked along the roadside, saying: “Finally it’s the weekend, I’m going to catch up on my unfinished dramas when I get back to the dorm.”
Xu You glanced at her face, “The monthly exam is coming up soon, aren’t you going to review?”
“What’s there to review? My parents don’t care about my grades anyway.”
Chen Xiao pouted, looking down to reply to a text message, not noticing a black SUV slowly stopping beside them.
A sudden burst of horn honking rang out.
Xu You paused her steps, instinctively turning her head toward the sound.
The black windows of the SUV’s front and back slowly lowered.
Fu Xueli leaned out from the car’s edge, half her body exposed as she waved at them with a bright smile: “What a coincidence, little ones, where are you and your friend going? We can give you a ride.”
Chen Xiao’s mouth had already formed a small ‘O’.
Isn’t that… isn’t that…
The group from Class 9…
Xie Ci had one hand on the steering wheel, his elbow resting on the window edge, staring straight at them.
The evening breeze blew gently, carrying the warmth of the summer night.
Xu You came back to her senses.
She responded: “No need to trouble yourselves, thank you.”
“Don’t be like that.” Fu Xueli made a motion to push open the car door.
Xu You stepped back twice, lifting the bags in her hands, and said seriously: “They’re not heavy. My friend and I just finished dinner and are taking a walk to digest.”
Actually, she was worried about Xie Ci driving.
Wasn’t he underage? Driving without a license was really dangerous.
Her long hair was loosely tied back. Wearing a white short-sleeved school uniform, standing not far from the streetlight, her demeanor was gentle and soft.
In the car.
Li Jieyi sat in the passenger seat, leaning his head back to look at Xu You, and casually asked: “Who’s that? Don’t think I’ve seen her at school before, you know her?”
Xie Ci glanced in the rearview mirror before looking back at the road ahead, his fingers tapping the steering wheel intermittently, “Yeah, she’s in our class, Fu Xueli’s deskmate.”
“Does she have a boyfriend?” Li Jieyi asked curiously.
Fu Xueli exploded when she heard this, glaring at him: “She’s a good student, don’t even think about it.”
The meaning was clear.
Telling him to leave Xu You alone.
“What’s wrong with being a good student? Ask A-Ci, hasn’t he dated plenty of good students?” Li Jieyi said with an ambiguous expression.
Fu Xueli rolled her eyes, “She’s different from those two-faced green tea bitches1, she’s really innocent. If you dare mess with my deskmate, I’ll get someone to deal with you, believe it or not?”
Seeing her mother hen protective stance, Song Yifan sitting beside her was confused.
“Is Xu You your long-lost sister or something? She’s only been transferred for a few days, how did you become so close so quickly, Big Plum? How long have you known each other that you’re calling her innocent?”
“Not at all,” Fu Xueli said seriously. “I just really like people who are good at studying and have good personalities.”
“And,” she turned to look at Song Yifan, saying: “Don’t you think she’s really cute? Her temper is super good too, I think none of you deserve such a good girl.”
Really.
Xu You carried a kind of gentle and peaceful quality that she felt she would probably never possess in her lifetime.
Very likeable.
A brief silence.
Xie Ci snorted, tilting his head, his gaze sweeping outside the window again.
After saying goodbye to Fu Xueli, Xu You had already walked away with the girl beside her.
He clicked his tongue in irritation, stepped on the gas, and the car shot forward.
- Green Tea Bitch (???) is a slang in Chinese online community for girls who pretend to be pure and innocent but in fact are manipulative and calculating. If you’re interested to read more, this is a good writeup. It’s now very pervasive in the Chinese language, with tea/cha becoming synonymous with being manipulative. ↩︎
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