Chapter 43

Jiang Nian originally planned to skip evening self-study and head to the gym for a round. Not for any special reason—it was a right he'd earned, and it came with conditions and a time limit.

The validity depended entirely on how long the bastard could stay in class; if he packed up and left by month's end, the noon-time agreement would be null and void.

Not going to the gym? Fine—just wander around a milk tea shop and take a nap instead.

But there was a biology quiz tonight, so he gave up.

After evening self-study ended, Jiang Nian prepared to honor the Good Friend Agreement. He went downstairs and waited by Xu Qianqian's classroom door, then walked home with her.

High school is strangely magical—it has a kind of beauty sealed by looks.

Jiang Nian went downstairs and saw a boy standing beside Xu Qianqian saying something; Xu Qianqian seemed to have spotted Jiang Nian too, pointing at him toward the boy.

Then the boy instantly looked dejected and slunk away.

Tch. Got "boyfriended" again.

As he approached, Jiang Nian smirked, "Xu Qianqian, when are you paying me boyfriend fees? I'm playing your boyfriend every day—my face has a price."

Xu Qianqian glanced at him. "Crazy. What boyfriend?"

"I saw everything just now."

"Oh, that guy?" Xu Qianqian slung her backpack over one shoulder and walked down the stairs beside him, explaining slowly, "He kept insisting he liked me. I found it annoying."

Jiang Nian snorted. "Man, that kid's got terrible eyesight—how could he like you?"

Xu Qianqian ignored him, staying silent until they left school. Jiang Nian strolled lazily, nearly forgotten the whole thing—

when she suddenly said, "I asked him if he'd seen 'Bad Seeds.' He said yes. I told him I was actually thirty-four and had a child at fifteen."

At this, Jiang Nian's smile vanished.

"He didn't believe me, so I had to tell him..." Xu Qianqian turned her head to look at Jiang Nian. "I told him, look—that's my son. He's a bad student. I'm just here to study with him."

You fucking mother!

Xu Qianqian!

Okay okay okay, you wanna play like this, huh?

Xu Qianqian curiously asked, "Jiang Nian, why aren't you smiling? Are you just not built to smile?"

"You're such a wicked woman, Xu Qianqian," Jiang Nian said, speechless.

"Same here. Don't be mad." Under the streetlamp, Xu Qianqian tilted her head, grinning brightly, arms open. "Come on, Jiang Nian baby—Mommy's gonna hug you."

Jiang Nian wasn't exactly a saint either. He sighed.

"Fine. I'm hungry anyway. Let me have some milk."

He lunged toward her arms. The girl, still shy, saw he was serious—she darted away instantly, cheeks flushed red.

"Jiang Nian, you're a pervert!"

"Don't run."

"Nyah!"

The two sprinted down the dimly lit road, one behind the other, their playful scuffling echoing far into the night.

Rainstorm.

In the morning, Jiang Nian woke up thinking he'd forgotten to turn off the air conditioner—he was shivering, goosebumps rising. He pulled back the curtain: the sky was dark, wild winds howled, and heavy rain poured outside.

Knock knock knock—the door banged.

"Nian'er, get up and wash up! Your Uncle Xu will drive you and Qianqian to school. Don't dawdle—hurry up!" His mother Li Hongmei called out.

Fuck, I was gonna ask for a day off.

Who even understands this?

Jiang Nian collapsed back onto his bed, exhausted. Thunder rumbled outside, and torrents of rain slammed against the window. All he wanted was to die—the suffocation pressed in.

If only today were a holiday—ah, you fucking mother!

He got up with the resentment of two Evil Sword Immortals, stepped out of his room, and nodded to Uncle Xu in the living room. At critical moments, Uncle Xu still cared deeply for Xu Qianqian.

The downside? He got dragged along too.

Xu Qianqian was eating the egg pancakes Li Hongmei had fried in the Jiang family's living room. Seeing Jiang Nian's expression, she understood perfectly what he was thinking.

She pursed her lips, lifted her chin slightly, and flicked her neat ponytail.

Wanted to skip school? Not a chance!

After breakfast, the three went downstairs together.

Jiang Nian walked beside Uncle Xu, chatting about nonsense, acting like he belonged. Xu Qianqian trailed behind, listening to them talk.

"Uncle, my desk partner Li Hua's not doing well in that department—he's probably done for. He keeps calling me 'big bro' and 'dad,' asking how to strengthen his kidneys."

"You really have a desk partner like that?" Uncle Xu laughed.

"I do."

"Why are you asking? You look perfectly healthy." Uncle Xu carried his briefcase, chuckling as he descended the stairs. "Just exercise your legs more."

Behind them, Xu Qianqian bit her lip, wishing she could put more distance between herself and those two.

Outside downstairs, everything was hazy. Dark clouds hung low in the distance. Raindrops as big as beans, lashed by slanting winds, blanketed the entire county in a dense, unbroken curtain.

Pong—the sound of three umbrellas unfurling from above. The Buick's headlights flashed twice through the rain, emitting a sharp honk.

The car didn't need the AC on. Xu Qianqian cracked open a sliver of the window. Cold air rushed in, instantly cooling the cabin.

Jiang Nian glanced over and noticed she was wearing a thin white school jacket. Beneath it, a pure white long-sleeve shirt, her chest noticeably full.

Ssssh—she zipped it up.

Below, she wore light-blue jeans hugging her slender calves, revealing a sliver of white ankles, paired with white sneakers.

She really loved white.

Fair skin is just that privileged—she looks good no matter what she wears.

Their neighborhood was close to the school—just a few minutes' drive. The Buick cut through the downpour, its headlights flashing, tearing through the rain.

Jiang Nian seemed to think of something and suddenly spoke up in the car.

"Uncle Xu, yesterday Xu Qianqian said she..."

Xu Qianqian beside him got goosebumps all over, her pupils shrinking almost to pinpoints. She suddenly lunged and pinned Jiang Nian, who was also in the back seat, down flat.

Her hand clamped over his mouth as she said through gritted teeth.

"Don't go spreading rumors, or I'll beat you to death!"

"Mmph mmph mmph..."

Old Xu, who was driving, just smiled cheerfully and didn't take their scuffle to heart. Seeing the school right ahead, he reminded them through the rearview mirror.

"We're almost there, get ready to get out."

Xu Qianqian still wanted to say something when she suddenly felt the palm covering Jiang Nian grow warm. It seemed something had licked her, and instantly her whole body broke out in goosebumps.

But it was her own father's car, so she didn't dare make a scene.

Jiang Nian smiled smugly.

After getting out of the car, Xu Qianqian held an umbrella in the rain, clip-clop-clip-clop walked quickly ahead for a stretch, putting some distance between herself and Jiang Nian, then turned and shook her little pink fists.

The threat in them was unmistakable.

Because of the downpour, there weren't many people in the classroom before morning reading.

Jiang Nian had just entered the classroom when he saw Zhang Ningzhi heading out with a water cup. Her expression was slightly pale, her lips had no color either—she didn't look well.

"What's wrong with you?" He stopped her and asked. "You look terrible."

"N-no... nothing, I'll just drink some... some hot water and I'll be fine." Zhang Ningzhi's face reddened—after hearing them say "drink lava" all day every day, she'd almost gotten carried away.