Chapter 41

Ding-ding-ding, the fourth class ended.

Jiang Nian, who had feigned absence for the entire class, walked out of the empty cafeteria with a satisfied expression, rubbing his stomach, walking against the crowd rushing for food under the sunlight.

Golden sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of the large qing tree, dappling the ping-pong table's edge.

As he passed by, he unconsciously squinted upward. He didn't understand why Old Liu cared so much about Tong Jie, but at least he'd managed to secure something.

The right to skip two evening self-study sessions per week.

Though heavily restricted—with advance notice required and photo check-ins mandatory—it wasn't a problem for Jiang Nian, since it was still uncertain whether Tong Jie would even pass the month-end joint exam.

One excuse was better than none; one comfortable second was better than none.

Night fell. After three evening self-study sessions, Jiang Nian slung his bag, pulled out his phone, and walked out. He descended the stairs casually amid the crowd, passing the third floor without stopping.

Xu Qianqian stood in the corridor outside the classroom, watching that familiar back of his head slowly vanish into the night crowd below.

She pulled out her phone, wanting to ask something. Then she suddenly realized she'd left early yesterday without explaining—she didn't know how to bring it up.

The habit of walking home together had lasted only two weeks.

She'd never done it before; she'd broken it herself, and then... there was no after. She should've explained yesterday—would things return to normal today?

Xu Qianqian descended the stairs, backpack on her shoulders, burdened with worries, slipping on her headphones.

The noise faded away; only the looped playlist of the "Chen Qing" album filled her ears. By the time the first song ended, she had already left the school gate.

The third or fourth song—the Bluetooth earbud was snatched off.

"Come pay for me."

In the dim, flickering lights of Zhennan Street, right where he'd just passed—a small shop. That familiar, annoying voice sounded beside her.

Xu Qianqian froze, turned her head.

Jiang Nian pulled a chilled Coca-Cola from a large refrigerator, the bottle sweating condensation. In the lamplight, his face—slightly smug yet undeniably handsome—glowed.

You didn't walk far, did you?

Her lips twitched. "Don't you have any money yourself?"

Jiang Nian snapped his fingers. "You found out something so private? Do you sleep with my bank card under your pillow?"

"Call me Dad." Xu Qianqian scanned the code reluctantly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

After paying the "friendship reconciliation fee," the two walked together naturally.

The Bluetooth earbuds went from two to one—the other hung from Jiang Nian's ear. Stolen goods weren't returned, and free Coca-Cola certainly wasn't given back.

Puff—a soda cap twisted open.

Under the dim streetlights, they walked side by side, backpacks on their backs, two fists' distance apart.

Jiang Nian was about to drink when he suddenly asked, "Can you drink ice today?"

"Don't ask about girls' business."

"Where do you get that idea? I didn't secretly track your safe period and run calculations—that's what perverts do."

Xu Qianqian turned, stunned. "Jiang Nian, do you have any shame?!"

"Holy shit, you're selling body parts now? Society's gone wild."

Xu Qianqian was speechless. Whenever she got involved with Jiang Nian, she was doomed—trapped in a vortex of anger and fury. Someone like this clearly hadn't been beaten enough as a child.

After a moment of silence, she spoke carefully.

"Didn't you leave early today?"

"I picked up a ridiculously huge branch on the way and forgot to show you." Jiang Nian pulled a smooth branch from his open backpack; Xu Qianqian's eyelid twitched.

"What's so special about it?" She sighed, a faint sense of disappointment creeping in.

Jiang Nian sneered. "Straight."

Back home.

Xu Qianqian showered, reaching for her phone in its waterproof bag. Steam curled around her, outlining her curvaceous, snow-white figure, her face flushed pink from the heat.

"?"

Jiang Nian: "?"

Xu Qianqian: "My phone died yesterday. I turned it off."

Drafted. Deleted.

What does that have to do with leaving without saying goodbye? He must've felt the same way yesterday.

"I think first love distracts from studying."

Deleted.

That's not right—there was never anything. It was just that seeing him felt like instant pregnancy-level shock, but that was all in my head. I certainly don't have feelings for him.

After all, it's Jiang Nian. Being with him would drain your soul and shorten your life.

"I think you're secretly in love with me, and it's distracting your dad's studies, so I left early yesterday. Sorry."

Swish—sent.

Across the hall, the Jiang household.

"Holy shit." Jiang Nian leapt from bed, grabbed his phone, and typed back rapidly: "Alright, alright, great wording. I'm stealing it."

A Tai Chi routine—four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds.

They exchanged messages back and forth until midnight, the conversation utterly mundane, its aggression fluctuating but their unspoken understanding confined within a set boundary.

Finally, Xu Qianqian sent one last message.

"Tomorrow night, don't leave after school. Wait for me by the classroom door."

She'd originally planned to say, "I'll hit you with a brick," but seeing his reply of "ok," she couldn't type it. She lay on her bed, staring at the dark ceiling, lost in thought.

The next day.

During morning reading, Ma Guojun left his seat and walked to Jiang Nian, adjusting his glasses.

"Fuck, it's so damn straight—where'd you steal this from?"

The boys around him, front and back, left and right, scrutinized the straight branch as if it were Jiang Nan's top courtesan—this chest, this waist, this leg, fucking beast, top-tier beast.

"Found it on the road. Impressive, right?" Jiang Nian stood as if crowned king, radiant and glorious.

"Holy shit, I can't even complain—I'm a student, give it to me," Li Hua clutched the branch like a treasure, "This smoothness, Jiang Nian, did you lick it last night?"

"Pure wild-grown. I didn't even touch it," he said.

"Alright, alright, divine artifact!" Li Hua's eyes sparkled with hunger, as if he hadn't seen a woman in twenty years. "If I had this sword, no wild dogs within ten li."

The boys from the neighboring group also came over. "Let me touch it—it's too invincible!"

The boys from Group One abandoned their morning reading entirely, rising from their seats to crowd around. Those who arrived later couldn't squeeze into the inner circle and could only press against the gaps for a glimpse.

"Long and straight, packed with value."

The crowd cheered loudly. The boy in the front row, Zhang Ningzhi, sneaked a glance backward. His eyes held a flicker of confusion—just a branch, why were they all acting like monkeys?

As the cheers peaked, the English teacher, Qian Bao, walked in with a stern face.

One minute later, Qian Bao wandered through the classroom, now holding a straight, smooth branch. Everywhere she passed, the boys stared with envy.

After a moment's thought, Qian Bao had a sudden idea and went to inspect the neighboring class.

Hearing the shouts from the neighboring class, Li Hua and Jiang Nian were heartbroken, pounding their desks and stomping their feet.

"Fuck, the wound of betrayal never heals—this is a wife-stealing grudge!"