Chapter 457: Return a Favor

Jiang Nian asked casually, just afraid of running into someone.

Still, fortunately the "studying like crazy" persona held up. The people around him all knew his time was tight, so they wouldn't arrange things with him all at once.

So studying is great.

"It's nothing, you guys go have fun." He smiled and said, "I was just asking casually. I have some things to do this afternoon too."

"Oh, what things?"

"Nothing much, buying some stuff." Jiang Nian figured he probably wouldn't bump into anyone. "Then going home to sleep, and when I wake up, do some test papers."

"Oh oh, then you be good now." Zhang Ningzhi walked off, waving at him. "Bye bye, I'm going to find Beibei."

A few rows ahead, Yao Beibei had also packed up her things.

The classroom was changing seats, but her seat only needed to be pushed forward. So no time was needed—she could just walk straight over.

Jiang Nian, on the other hand, stayed behind and swapped his seat with Zhang Ningzhi's.

Just a casual thing.

After changing seats, Jiang Nian turned his head and saw the class president sitting quietly. So, mimicking Zhang Ningzhi, he waved in greeting.

"Hello hello."

Li Qingrong looked up and gave him a warning glance, her eyes like she was looking at an idiot.

"Mm."

"Qingqing is so cold and aloof, doesn't even talk." Jiang Nian didn't mind either. He turned around, reached over, and flipped through the books on her desk.

"Wait, you finished the homework assigned this morning already?"

"When did you do it?"

Li Qingrong raised her eyes. "During class."

"I really want to report you—actually not paying attention in class." Jiang Nian immediately felt it was unfair; the gap between people was way too big.

"Go on."

Ever since that hug at the Jingfu residential complex last time, Jiang Nian felt the class president was a bit different—a subtle change had occurred.

As for what change, it was too subtle to tell.

But that was normal too—the class president had that kind of introverted personality. Everything was kept inside, occasionally brought out to share.

So her reactions and actions were always delayed.

Let's wait and see.

If you had to find a comparison, it would have to be Han Xiao. That woman who rolls around on the bed clutching her phone is really on a whole other level of being expressive.

"What are you planning to do this afternoon?" Jiang Nian asked.

"Clean the house, some packages have arrived." Li Qingrong thought for a moment. "Get the internet line installed, and play some games for a bit."

Hearing that, Jiang Nian didn't react much. Since that was a house rented for the class president, he definitely wouldn't go over without a reason.

If her parents found out, it would be too rude.

Although he was both cheap and flirtatious, he only acted that way toward specific people. Objectively speaking, he was still a fairly decent person.

Even when facing "ex-girlfriend" Xiao Song, he hadn't had any physical

contact with her, and barely even said anything flirty.

More than friends, less than flirtation.

However, Li Qingrong's mention of playing games completely hooked Jiang Nian—he liked playing games too.

"Hey, what games?"

Li Qingrong didn't answer, just raised her eyes and glanced at him.

"What do you like to play?"

Around twelve-thirty in the afternoon.

On the street.

Xu Qianqian sent Jiang Nian a message—simple and blunt.

"Where are you?"

Jiang Nian replied instantly. "Just finished doing problems, on my way."

"Come quick." Xu Qianqian sent a location share, then pulled Song Xiyun next to her across the street to buy three cups of milk tea.

"Hi, what would you like?"

"Two cups..." Xu Qianqian skillfully ordered the milk tea they usually drank, then added, "And one more cup, iced."

Song Xiyun watched with a surprised look and couldn't help asking.

"He drinks iced stuff in the dead of winter?"

"Yeah, he's been like that since he was little." Xu Qianqian rolled her eyes. "Can't be bothered to manage him—whenever he catches a cold he'll fall in line."

Song Xiyun glanced at Xu Qianqian, always feeling she seemed somehow a little different.

"You guys...

3

Xu Qianqian: "Hm?"

At the last moment, Song Xiyun changed what she was going to say.

"Qianqian, what time did you guys arrange to meet?"

"A little past twelve, said he was still in the classroom doing problems." Xu Qianqian said. "Weird as hell, these past two weeks he's seemed to be studying the whole time."

"Was he like that before too?" Song Xiyun asked.

Xu Qianqian seemed to think of something and frowned.

"Before, he was like, whatever."

After a while, a figure flickered at the doorway.

"There you are!"

Jiang Nian walked over to the two girls. Watching his childhood sweetheart standing next to his "future ex-girlfriend," he felt the mood was rather strange.

"When I came over, no one was here. I guessed you two must have gone to buy milk tea."

Song Xiyun, hearing this, inwardly noted they understood each other quite well. At the same time, she breathed a sigh of relief — that meant she herself was safe.

She didn't like that sneaky feeling; it was too awkward.

"Here." Xu Qianqian handed him the fruit tea in her hand. "With ice."

"Oh, alright." Jiang Nian took it. The three of them standing together was especially eye-catching. "You still haven't said where we're going this afternoon?"

"To eat at a really good restaurant." Xu Qianqian said with a perfectly serious face. "But the portions are a bit big, and Xiyun and I—" Hearing this, Jiang Nian couldn't hold it in anymore.

"No way, I'm heart-to-heart with you, and you treat me like what?"

"A rice bucket?"

"Didn't I buy you milk tea?" Xu Qianqian turned her head away. "Hmph, why are you so petty?"

"How can that be the same?"

"You already drank it, why don't you spit it back out?"

"Hold out your hands."

"Bleagh!!"

Xu Qianqian hurriedly dodged, running away while looking at him with disgust.

"You're so gross!"

Song Xiyun was treated like a wooden post, with Xu Qianqian playing King Qin circling the pillar around her. But she also felt it was pretty nice — at least the atmosphere was normal.

"On Little Song's Wish for an Ordinary Life"

In the end, Jiang Nian still went with Xu Qianqian to the north side of town. The three of them rode the bus, swaying along just for a meal.

"Going that far — how good can it really be?"

"Spicy enough to make you puke."

"Bragging?"

Amid such bickering white noise, Song Xiyun opened her phone, habitually tapped into Xiaoxiao Kan, ready to play a round.

Ding-dong!

Pinxixi popped up an ad: 【Phone at the lowest price, only 399!】

Her finger, about to touch the screen, paused. As if possessed, she tapped in. The details page was a configuration for playing mobile games — tap to buy, and the price immediately doubled.

1099.

Song Xiyun let out a small sigh and swiped the page away. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it; she just felt it wasn't necessary to buy.

The phone was still usable — changing phones just to play games was too...

"What are you doing?" Jiang Nian leaned over. He had just caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye — Little Song was looking at a phone purchase page.

He also noticed the battered phone in her hand, and couldn't help but pause slightly.

"Nothing, just playing with my phone." Song Xiyun said.

"Oh, alright then." Jiang Nian nodded, and couldn't help but think of the memory fragments about Little Song that the system had given him.

Although college days had been pretty happy, it seemed one word was always inescapable.

Saving money.

But then again, having no money really doesn't work.

After wobbling along for over half an hour, the three finally arrived at their destination. An unremarkable restaurant — the storefront wasn't big, but it was clean.

"This is it?"

"Mm-hmm, you'll see in a bit." Xu Qianqian lifted her chin. "My dad's friend brought our family here once before."

"How was it?"

"Super delicious. Ah, anyway, you'll know soon." Xu Qianqian ran off. "I'm going to order first, you two sit down."

"Oh."

Jiang Nian and Song Xiyun found a table near the window and sat down. Song Xiyun was still playing with her phone; he took a curious glance.

Match-three?

Really childish — why not play Sokoban.

With nothing to do, he looked around the slightly worn little restaurant, his gaze lingering for a moment on the freezer.

His phone buzzed. He looked down — a message from the class monitor.

Li Qingrong: "The computer I bought arrived. Do you know how to assemble it?"

Jiang Nian instantly sat up straight.