WG - 20

Li Taoran was dumbfounded. He had never seen someone change their mind so quickly.

“You said you weren’t eating,” Li Taoran frowned and asked.

“I didn’t feel like it before,” Xie Ye reopened another game round.

Li Taoran: “So now you do?”

Xie Ye tilted his head. “Got a problem with that?”

“Fine, fine, how could I have a problem?” Li Taoran glanced at the time. “But class isn’t over yet. Just play the game for now and we’ll eat later.”

Xie Ye: “I’m not waiting.”

“...” Li Taoran paused. “So you’re going to eat now?”

Technically, they shouldn’t leave, but this period was free activity. The teacher didn’t care much, relying on students’ self-discipline. Naturally, diligent students stayed to study.

Those who didn’t care about studying had long flown off to play.

“It’s possible now,” Li Taoran thought for a moment. “But shouldn’t we wait for Chi Zhiyu and them to return before going?”

Xie Ye continued playing the game, ignoring him.

Li Taoran waited for a response, but none came. “Are you waiting or not?”

Xie Ye was switching weapons, his fingers moving slightly.

Seeing his reaction, Li Taoran hesitated. “Wait, so you’re not waiting?”

Li Taoran couldn’t believe it. He thought his older brother figure was shallow. “You’re such a fickle person. How can you be so inconsistent? Chi Zhiyu has always treated you well.”

Xie Ye glanced at him. “What’s it to you?”

Li Taoran blinked. “Chi Zhiyu treats me well too. She just told me goodbye earlier.”

“Told you?” Xie Ye chuckled. “Your conceit runs deep.”

Li Taoran: “...”

Su Le, who had woken up long ago, sat up and looked at them, his eyes full of drowsiness. “Li Taoran, can you just go back to your own class and study properly?”

“?”

Li Taoran realized what he meant and cursed loudly.

“Damn, you who slept through everything, what’s your problem?”

Li Taoran scolded him. “Since you’re awake, stop sleeping and do some homework.”

Su Le narrowed his eyes. “If I woke up, it’s because of you.”

“?” Li Taoran was innocent. “What’s it got to do with me?”

Su Le countered, “Didn’t you keep asking a bunch of annoying questions nonstop earlier?”

He had been sleeping peacefully until Li Taoran’s sudden shouting woke him up.

Suddenly disturbed, he wasn’t fully awake, and in his irritation, he was about to lift his head and curse when he heard Jiang Jinxu’s voice, explaining something about eating noodles.

After listening for a while, he understood the general situation. He thought Jiang Jinxu was quite bold and had good taste when Li Taoran’s stupid remarks started again.

Finally losing patience, he lifted his head and cursed outright.

“This... what’s wrong with me?” Li Taoran didn’t think he had a problem.

Su Le clicked his tongue. “So you don’t realize you’re making noise?”

“What noise? You don’t understand,” Li Taoran revealed his purpose. “I was helping Chi Zhiyu investigate Jiang Jinxu, alright?”

“...”

Su Le was amused. “You’re investigating for Chi Zhiyu?”

“Yeah,” Li Taoran proudly said. “I’ve already figured out Jiang Jinxu’s intentions, so I’m helping Chi Zhiyu vet him.”

“...” Su Le was speechless. “Go vet your sister.”

Li Taoran: “Isn’t Chi Zhiyu like my sister?”

“Do you have a problem? Does Chi Zhiyu need you to vet for her?” Su Le glanced at Xie Ye, who was getting headshots. “And if even you can see through Jiang Jinxu’s intentions, don’t you think Chi Zhiyu already knows?”

“Wait,” Li Taoran raised his hand, squinting. “What do you mean, ‘even you’?”

“...”

Su Le: “Is this the damn point?”

Li Taoran paused, realizing what he had said, and quickly added, “You’re saying Chi Zhiyu also sees through it, so does that mean she’s accepting Jiang Jinxu?”

Xie Ye suddenly raised his eyes to look at him, his gaze devoid of warmth.

Su Le noticed and calmly shook his head. “I don’t know. I didn’t say that. Those were your words.”

“...” Li Taoran choked, rendered speechless by his sudden change of stance.

Su Le ignored him and turned to Xie Ye. “Are you really going to eat noodles tonight?”

Xie Ye lowered his eyes to the screen and hummed affirmatively.

“Oh, alright.” Su Le nodded slightly, glancing at him again. “But shouldn’t we still wait for Chi Zhiyu to return before eating noodles?”

“Exactly,” Li Taoran added. “If we don’t wait for her, what if she gets taken out to eat by Jiang Jinxu again?”

Hearing this, Xie Ye lazily responded with an “Oh” and said, “She’s not stupid.”

Implied meaning:

Only someone with brain issues would get taken out to eat by Jiang Jinxu.

Su Le: “...”

Li Taoran: “...”

Li Taoran decided not to persuade him further since he had already said everything he needed to.

Su Le nodded. “Alright, then the three of us will go eat noodles. Chi Zhiyu will figure it out herself.”

“Right, right.” Li Taoran waved his hand. “Send her a message later saying we’re going to eat first.”

As soon as these words came out, Su Le was about to type a message.

But after a short pause, Xie Ye suddenly spoke. “The two of you seem to care about her a lot. Your words are so sweet.”

“What?”

At first, Li Taoran didn’t understand. He was about to say they genuinely cared about her, but then he realized something was off.

“...?”

Su Le paused, suddenly understanding this person’s earlier comment about them putting on a show. Their words sounded so flowery they could be used for a pyramid scheme advertisement, but in reality, it was all for show.

Li Taoran also understood his meaning. “What nonsense is this? We’re saying we should wait for Chi Zhiyu. What about you?”

Xie Ye placed the phone on Lin Jie’s desk and asked indifferently, “Did I ever say I wouldn’t wait?”

Li Taoran paused. This person... hadn’t actually said that.

“So why don’t you just say you’re waiting for her to return?” Li Taoran frowned.

“Oh,” Xie Ye suddenly said again. “You seem to have forgotten.”

Li Taoran: “Hmm?”

Xie Ye arrogantly said, “I also never said I’d wait.”

“...”

Li Taoran: “So what are you planning to do?”

“I originally intended to wait,” Xie Ye said lazily. “But because the two of you were talking so sweetly, it makes me look like I’m not treating her very kindly.”

“...?”

“So I’ve decided,” Xie Ye said calmly, with his usual arrogance.

“To personally go pick her up.”

“...”

Inside the dance studio.

Chi Zhiyu had already finished warming up and was repeatedly practicing basic moves in front of the mirror.

The dance teacher clapped the rhythm, checked the time, paused the music, and let them rest for a bit before continuing.

Chi Zhiyu caught her breath and turned to walk back.

Wu Xuan beside her was already exhausted, collapsing on the floor, unmoving.

Chi Zhiyu grabbed a water bottle from the corner and handed it to her, then took her own and drank deeply to quench her thirst.

Wu Xuan also drank some water, leaning against the wall and sighing. “I wish the art exam would hurry up and end this torture.”

Feng Jia, a fellow dancer from the liberal arts class downstairs, heard this and laughed. “You’re dreaming. Once you enter university, you’ll have to practice every day—it might even be harder than now.”

“Can you stop shattering my dreams?” Wu Xuan sighed deeply.

“Alright, my bad, but you’re really too weak,” Feng Jia glanced at Chi Zhiyu. “Look at Zhiyu’s state—she seems completely relaxed.”

Wu Xuan clicked her tongue. “If I could compare with her, would I still be crying and complaining here?”

“True.”

“... Can you give me some face?”

“It’s the truth,” Feng Jia gave an example.

“Zhiyu is practically a well-known beauty in our grade. She’s beautiful, excels academically, and is great at dancing too.”

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu raised an eyebrow. “Not bad, Xiao Jia. I didn’t expect you to discover my hidden beauty after all this time.”

“...” Feng Jia added, “Except for her narcissistic personality.”

“What narcissism?” Chi Zhiyu laughed. “I call it accurate self-awareness.”

“Yes, yes, correct, correct,” Feng Jia nodded insincerely.

Wu Xuan listened to their banter, her eyes casually scanning the boys’ class nearby. Suddenly noticing something, she coughed.

Chi Zhiyu heard her and glanced over. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Wu Xuan waved her hand. “I just saw my idol and remembered what happened at noon.”

Chi Zhiyu looked at her meaningfully. “Going for it?”

“...”

Wu Xuan: “You’re crazy.”

Feng Jia didn’t understand their conversation but still glanced toward the boys’ side, suddenly recalling something. She whispered, “Did you guys run into Jiang Jinxu at noon and get seen by our class boys?”

“Ah?” Wu Xuan was startled. “How do you know?”

Feng Jia sighed. “When I returned to the classroom at noon, the boys in our class were teasing Jiang Jinxu. Though they didn’t mention names, I guessed it was him based on his expression.”

Chi Zhiyu showed no reaction.

Wu Xuan clicked her tongue. “Surely all girls are detectives.”

“No,” Feng Jia explained. “I knew about it, so I could guess. Other girls don’t know, so no worries.”

Hearing this, Chi Zhiyu wanted to respond.

The dance teacher clapped her hands to signal the end of the break and resumed class.

Chi Zhiyu had no choice but to stand up, return to her position, and continue training.

...

Class didn’t last long. Everyone practiced lower body and trunk exercises for a while before the lesson ended.

Chi Zhiyu massaged her sore waist, slung her bag over her shoulder, and walked out. Wu Xuan beside her was also suffering, constantly complaining.

The two walked out of the classroom together and ran into Jiang Jinxu. After exchanging greetings, they walked down the stairs together.

Wu Xuan remembered Chi Zhiyu’s earlier joke about “going for it” and inexplicably felt a bit awkward, avoiding looking at him much.

Chi Zhiyu didn’t feel much and checked her phone screen.

No one had messaged her.

She frowned slightly and stepped out of the moral education building.

Wu Xuan glanced at the fork in the road and turned to ask, “Which way are you going, Jiang Jinxu?”

Jiang Jinxu pointed to the left. “I’m going to the cafeteria. What about you two?”

Wu Xuan nodded. “Oh, we’re going back to the classroom first.”

Jiang Jinxu paused upon hearing this and turned to ask, “Are you going to find Xie Ye and them?”

Chi Zhiyu lazily hummed.

“Alright,” Jiang Jinxu nodded slightly. “Then we’re heading the same way. Let me escort you.”

“No need,” Chi Zhiyu quickly declined.

Jiang Jinxu was startled.

Chi Zhiyu glanced at both roads and smiled faintly. “The cafeteria is still quite far from the classroom. It’s not exactly on the way, so I won’t bother you. Thank you for your kindness.”

After saying this, she nodded at him and prepared to pull Wu Xuan away.

Jiang Jinxu instinctively called out, “Wait—”

“Wait for what?”

A cold voice suddenly interrupted him.

Chi Zhiyu heard the voice and turned to look.

Xie Ye had appeared out of nowhere, one hand in his pocket, leaning casually against the staircase railing.

He raised his eyes, glancing at her hand. “Who are you trying to hold?”

“...”

Chi Zhiyu immediately grabbed Wu Xuan’s wrist and quickly stepped down the stairs with her.

Jiang Jinxu watched the retreating figures of the girls, paused for a few seconds, then turned to look at the person behind him, smiling and asking, “Why is Xie Ye here?”

Xie Ye straightened himself and lazily responded, “To pick someone up.”

Jiang Jinxu’s smile didn’t falter. “To pick up Chi Zhiyu?”

Xie Ye: “Who else?”

Jiang Jinxu nodded naturally but still said, “Everyone’s at school anyway, so there’s no need to specially come pick her up.”

“Oh.” Xie Ye’s tone was casual. “I wanted to.”

“...”

Xie Ye scrutinized him and smirked faintly. “Also, I was worried she might be dumb enough to get taken away by someone.”