Chapter 36: Clarification

Zhao Jiu put down the towel, picked up the hairdryer, and began to dry his hair; forget it, asking him would be a waste of time anyway. The hairdryer hummed loudly as Zhao Jiu held it in one hand and combed through his hair with the other.

Just then, Su Li called, and as Zhao Jiu's gaze swept over the screen, that spot on his waist immediately went numb and tingly again.

Zhao Jiu turned off the hairdryer and looked at Su Li's name on the phone, hesitating for a moment before picking it up. Su Li's voice came from the other end: "Chen Xue said she wants to split the cake with you and Qian Lei, so I'll bring it over to you in a bit."

Zhao Jiu's fingertips pressed tightly against the phone case, suddenly realizing that he felt uneasy just hearing Su Li's voice now.

Zhao Jiu: "Mm."

Su Li was puzzled for a moment; why did Gouzi's voice sound so strange?

"I'll be there in ten minutes," she added.

Zhao Jiu: "Mm."

Su Li didn't think much of it and waited for Zhao Jiu to hang up, but thirty seconds passed—why hadn't the call been disconnected yet?

Su Li glanced at her phone, which showed the call was still active; did he have more to say, or did he just fail to hang up?

"Zhao Jiu?" Su Li called out tentatively.

Zhao Jiu spoke up: "Mm?"

Su Li: "???"

He knew the call hadn't ended.

Then why did he say "mm"?

He should just hang up; surely she, the secretary, wasn't expected to hang up first?

Su Li asked: "Is there anything else?"

Zhao Jiu finally snapped out of it, raised a hand to press his forehead: "No." After saying that, he hung up the phone.

Su Li looked at the phone that had finally disconnected; was he suffering from a delayed reaction because of the sudden intense exercise?

Chen Xue began to cut the cake and asked: "Su Li, did you tell them?"

Su Li put away her phone: "Mm, I told them."

She walked over and picked up two cake plates to receive the slices.

At this moment, outside the broadcasting room, Hu Xiao was a bit panicked, and Yu Yangfei grabbed Jiang Xiangnan's wrist: "Do you know what the consequences will be once you broadcast this?"

Jiang Xiangnan held the key and said: "I know."

What Su Li had endured, they would also have to endure once.

He opened the door, locked Hu Xiao and Yu Yangfei out, and then sat inside, quietly waiting for Night Self-Study to begin.

Yu Yangfei gritted his teeth and turned to walk away, and Hu Xiao asked: "Where are you going?"

Yu Yangfei: "To find Su Li!"

As long as Su Li forgave them, this matter could be put to rest.

Hu Xiao also realized this and hurriedly followed: "But will Su Li agree?"

Yu Yangfei headed down the stairs: "She will."

Su Li had been chasing after Jiang Xiangnan for a year, which was enough for them to understand her.

A girl like her, raised well since childhood, was always soft-hearted; as long as they sincerely admitted their mistakes, she definitely wouldn't make things difficult for Jiang Xiangnan anymore.

It was a bit ironic that the person they once looked down upon could now help Jiang Xiangnan.

At this time, at the Su Family home, Su Cheng was doing her homework; she had almost finished, but she still hadn't received any news from Hu Xiao.

Su Cheng picked up her phone; were they too happy and forgot about her?

She picked up her phone and called Hu Xiao. It took a long time for Hu Xiao to answer; he and Yu Yangfei were on their way to the dormitory building.

Hu Xiao said while running: "Su Cheng."

Hearing his panicked, breathless voice, Su Cheng suddenly felt anxious. Hu Xiao was usually carefree and had never been like this; it felt like something major had happened.

"Jiang Xiangnan lost?" she asked, unable to believe it.

Hu Xiao: "Mm, he lost, crushed by Zhao Jiu."

Su Cheng's mind went blank with a "buzz"; how could Jiang Xiangnan lose?

He was clearly so capable.

Hu Xiao added: "He's in the broadcasting room now, waiting for Night Self-Study to start so he can clear Su Li's name."

Su Cheng immediately snapped back to reality, her hand trembling. Hu Xiao continued: "Yu Yangfei and I are going to find Su Li now to convince her to forgive Jiang Xiangnan, so he won't have to broadcast."

Su Cheng hurriedly hung up and called Jiang Xiangnan; how could Su Li possibly forgive them? She would definitely retaliate against them to the bitter end.

But the phone rang for a long time without anyone answering.

Inside the broadcasting room, Jiang Xiangnan looked at the name popping up on his phone, pressed a button, and turned it off.

He held the phone in one hand, leaned against the chair, and lowered his eyes, the image of Su Li and Zhao Jiu leaving together appearing in his mind.

That beautiful sunlight was something he had never possessed, and something he dared not possess.

If he didn't clear her name now, what would follow would be a battle between two families.

He sat quietly and continued to wait for Night Self-Study to begin.

Unable to get through, Su Cheng grabbed her phone and rushed out the door. Fang Lan was just about to start making dinner and, seeing Su Cheng's hurried appearance, hurriedly called out: "Chengcheng, where are you going?"

The only response was the sound of the front door closing.

Su Cheng hailed a taxi on the side of the road and headed straight for the school.

Su Li was just carrying the plates out of the Girls' Dormitory; she remembered that the boss didn't seem to like this kind of cake, so these two plates would probably end up in Qian Lei's stomach.

She hadn't walked more than a few steps when she saw Yu Yangfei and Hu Xiao running toward her.

Su Li hurriedly stepped back two paces; she couldn't let them ruin the cake.

"What is it?" Su Li asked guardedly.

Seeing her so carefree and on her way to deliver cake, Yu Yangfei felt even more sorry for Jiang Xiangnan.

"We know we were wrong. Can we forget about Jiang Xiangnan's broadcast apology?" The two boys looked sincere. Su Li was slightly stunned; this was the first time she had seen them so earnest.

"He has never bowed his head to anyone in his life. If his father finds out about this..." Yu Yangfei was agitated, seemingly worried that Jiang Xiangnan would not be able to handle it.

Su Li carried the cake and prepared to leave: "No."

Yu Yangfei was stunned by her voice, which carried neither anger nor triumph; she sounded as if she were talking about someone else's business.

"Su Li, we really know we were wrong! Once this is broadcast..." Hu Xiao said urgently.

Su Li: "Even a pampered girl like me could endure gossip, fall from the clouds, be trampled by others, and eventually climb back up."

"As for someone like Jiang Xiangnan who grew up wild and crawled through thorns all his life, I believe he can handle it." She cut off everything they had to say.

Su Li knew that Jiang Xiangnan and the others looked down on the little Su Li who had never experienced hardship, was naive, and was an innocent little princess, but no matter how naive she was, she had never hurt anyone.

But because they looked down on her, her two years of High School were spent in darkness, and she once doubted if she had done something wrong.

Yu Yangfei pursed his lips tightly. Jiang Xiangnan hated these hothouse flowers who were sheltered from childhood and couldn't withstand the wind and rain, but now that Su Li had pulled through, there was indeed no reason he couldn't.

Hu Xiao was also dumbfounded, completely unable to find a rebuttal.

Su Li added: "You think I'm kind-hearted, so you came to apologize, right? You think I will definitely forgive you."

Yu Yangfei had his thoughts poked at and completely shut his mouth, saying nothing.

Su Li turned and said: "My kindness is not a reason for me to be taken advantage of."

"By the way, after Jiang Xiangnan clarifies things, it won't just affect him, but you all as well. I think your endurance shouldn't be worse than mine, right?"

The two reacted, and suddenly a chill rose from the soles of their feet.

How many High School students can withstand the scrutiny and gossip of others behind their backs?

Su Li ignored them, walked to the bottom of the boys' dormitory building, carefully placed one of the cakes on her arm, and took out her phone to call Zhao Jiu.

In the dormitory, Zhao Jiu stood by the balcony, looking at the scenery outside, one hand squeezing the phone in his pants pocket, distracted.

Qian Lei turned his head to look at Zhao Jiu, who had one hand on the railing and the other in his pocket. He was handsome enough, but why was he standing next to the clothes he had just washed? The clothes he had just finished washing and hung up were dripping water, landing right next to Zhao Jiu.

At this moment, the phone rang again. Zhao Jiu's hand on the railing tightened. He picked it up and looked; it was indeed Su Li.

"Su Li." His thin lips parted slightly. For the first time in ten years, he called her name so nervously.

Su Li: "???"

Why did her name sound strange coming from his mouth?

She said: "You can come down now. I'm at the entrance of the boys' dormitory."

Zhao Jiu: "Oh, okay."

He glanced at the phone that was still on the call, rubbed his fingertips lightly against the phone case before hanging up, and then walked downstairs.

Seeing that he finally hung up on his own this time, Su Li thought his brain seemed to be working normally.

Zhao Jiu walked downstairs and saw at a glance the girl outside the big iron gate of the dormitory holding cakes in both hands, clutching her ponytail, her eyes clear and bright; when she smiled, it was as if she could pull people in.

"Su Li." Zhao Jiu walked over and stood in front of Su Li.

Su Li looked up, meeting his slightly uncomfortable gaze, and was confused for a moment. What's wrong with the boss?

Why hasn't he taken the cake yet?

"Boss, the cake."

Zhao Jiu reacted and hurriedly took the cake.

Su Li asked: "What time are we eating tonight?"

If he ate the cake, he would have to eat dinner later.

Zhao Jiu: "Five o'clock?"

Su Li: "???"

Why did she feel like Gouzi's tone was asking her?

An illusion?

Gouzi had always been the one giving orders; even if he used a question, it was always a statement.

Probably just overthinking it.

"Okay, see you at five." Su Li turned and headed back to the dormitory.

Zhao Jiu took a deep breath, his heartbeat finally returning to normal, and returned to the dormitory to hand the two cakes to Qian Lei.

Qian Lei took the two cakes: "You're not eating?"

Zhao Jiu: "I don't like sweets."

Qian Lei was puzzled for a moment: "Since you don't like them, I could have just gone down to get them earlier. Why did you go down?"

Zhao Jiu pinched the edge of his school uniform pocket with his fingertips: "Nothing, I just wanted to walk around more."

Zhao Jiu picked up his phone to check the time, then waited for dinner.

Qian Lei: "???"

Why did he look like a young man in the throes of first love?

Hadn't he and Su Li already entered the stage of an old married couple?

Can this even go backward?

He was impressed.

At five in the afternoon, Zhao Jiu went to the appointment to eat, eating with Su Li and her roommates.

Zhao Jiu's gaze swept over Chen Xue and Liu Jiajia, and he squeezed his chopsticks, forgetting they would be there.

Chen Xue and Liu Jiajia suddenly felt like they were sitting on pins and needles.

After the few of them finished eating, they hurried back to the classroom.

Not long after, the boarding students returned to school from home one after another. After the class bell rang, a group of students were doing their homework.

At this time, the broadcast sounded, and Jiang Xiangnan's voice came out, cold and without any emotional fluctuation: "I am Jiang Xiangnan."

The crowd of students looked up all at once; those who had returned late were completely bewildered—what was Jiang Xiangnan trying to do?

Those who had returned early immediately recalled what happened at the Basketball Court and hurriedly gossiped to the uninformed students.

"Let me tell you, Zhao Jiu competed against Jiang Xiangnan, and Jiang Xiangnan lost."

The other students were shocked upon hearing this: "Zhao Jiu beat Jiang Xiangnan?"

"Yes, and now Jiang Xiangnan wants to clarify something."

"Huh? Clarify what?"

"I don't know."

But they vaguely guessed what he was going to clarify.

Some of them had always felt that the matter of Grade 1 Su Li pursuing Jiang Xiangnan was a bit strange; although Jiang Xiangnan and his group's explanation back then was that Jiang Xiangnan tolerated Su Li's pursuit only because she was Su Cheng's younger sister, those familiar with Jiang Xiangnan's temper knew that if he didn't want someone pestering him, it wouldn't matter if the King of Heaven himself came down—it would be useless.

There was silence on the broadcast for a long time, and the person on the other end seemed to have fallen into a silence; just as the students thought he had nothing more to say, Jiang Xiangnan's voice sounded again.

"I am here to apologize to Su Li of Grade 2 Class Thirteen."

The whole school was in an uproar for a moment; was it actually an apology?

Jiang Xiangnan: "When Su Li from Grade 1 pursued me, I never explicitly rejected her, and Su Cheng and I never told her that we knew each other; from beginning to end, it was us who intentionally messed with her."

Students in every class looked up in horror—what kind of deep hatred or grudge was it to mess with a girl like that?

It even caused Su Li to drop out of the Key Class.

Jiang Xiangnan: "Because Su Li was only born because Su Cheng went missing, and because Su Cheng suffered, she received the most pampering and the best life."

"After Su Cheng returned home, she said there was no place for her in the family, and that her parents favored Su Li, who had been raised by their side since childhood, more, treating her only with politeness."

"So when Su Li said she wanted to pursue me, that was why we messed with her."

The teachers and students of the whole school were in an uproar; although Su Li had received all the pampering because Su Cheng went missing, it wasn't her fault—she was just lucky.

Su Li looked up at the broadcast, as if returning to the High School she had once experienced, with all kinds of gazes scrutinizing her, condemning and mocking her, with nothing but darkness ahead.

Finally clarified?

Zhao Jiu sat in the back, looking at his secretary in front, who was quiet and still; he didn't know how she had managed to endure it all back then.