Chapter 34: Xie Qin

"It has nothing to do with me."

Shen Li didn't know if what Xu Zhouyuan said was true or false; it sounded a bit scary.

Xie Qin fished a lollipop out of his drawer, his distinct knuckles tearing off the plastic wrapper: "Shen Li."

Shen Li looked over: "Hmm?"

"Open your mouth."

Shen Li: "..."

Xie Qin: "Be obedient, open your mouth."

"You..." Before she could say what she was going to do, she saw Xie Qin reach out and, taking advantage of her lack of attention, stuff the lollipop into her mouth.

Xie Qin: "Let me treat you to a candy."

Shen Li stared at him blankly, falling into those dark, bright eyes, feeling a sweet taste melting in her mouth.

It was strawberry flavored.

After the morning classes ended, the head teacher learned about the fact that Xie Qin's group had fought people outside school on Friday; it had caused quite a stir, and word was they had even been taken to the police station.

People in the class had all seen the news on their phones, though the school and names were hidden, only vaguely mentioning two universities.

They called the people involved out to talk.

Xie Qin was completely unafraid; he stood up, glanced at Shen Li, who was also looking at him, with the strawberry lollipop still in his mouth.

He raised his hand, his finger wearing a silver-black plain ring brushing across her face.

Shen Li subconsciously shrank her neck and closed her eyes to dodge his sudden move.

She thought Xie Qin was going to hit her.

Xu Zhouyuan: "Brother Qin is already in trouble, and he's still flirting."

"Go, go, go, let's go quickly."

Several people in the class saw it.

Zhang Zixin was also called over.

Zhao Zhouyuan, sitting in front of her, turned around and asked her: "What were you doing in the restroom with Xie Qin? Did he bully you? Do you want me to help you tell the teacher?"

Shen Li replied to her indifferently: "It's nothing."

Being dragged to the men's restroom wasn't something glorious.

So she didn't say anything.

It lasted until the afternoon classes ended.

Xie Qin and his group didn't return, and people in the classroom were guessing that he would be expelled for this fight.

The sunset gradually sank, dyeing the sky a gentle orange-pink.

A breeze brushed across the artificial lake, the surface rippling with fine, shimmering light.

There weren't many people by the lake, just a few couples walking around.

Shen Li sat on a bench by the lake, her figure thin.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her gaze unfocused, just sitting there quietly in a daze, the breeze brushing through her hair.

Beside her lay an opened white medicine box.

In her mind, which was usually blank, a voice appeared out of nowhere: "Let me treat you to a candy."

Shen Li didn't know how long it had been since she had eaten candy.

It made her almost forget the taste of sweetness.

She hadn't expected that the first person to give her candy would be him.

When Shen Li returned to the dormitory at night, the head teacher had posted a message in the class group.

Zhao Zhouyuan jumped down after making her bed, swiped open her phone, took a look, and turned to ask Shen Li: "The head teacher wants us to choose our physical education elective, what are you planning to choose?"

"I'll choose volleyball," Shen Li thought for a moment and answered softly.

She didn't have a computer, and course selection required a computer, so she looked at Zhao Zhouyuan: "I don't have a computer, can I borrow yours for a moment?"

"Sure, let's choose volleyball together, then we can have some company."

Shen Li: "Then thank you!"

She trusted Zhao Zhouyuan completely, so she didn't ask any more about the course selection and turned to tidy up her books.

Just then, Zhang Zixin walked in holding a cup of milk tea: "Shen Li, Xie Qin is downstairs asking you to come down."

She hung her chain bag on the hook of the wardrobe.

Shen Li sat in her seat, flipped open a page of her book, and upon hearing her words, her fingertips tightened, and she told her: "I don't want to go down."

"Alright, I'll send him a message and tell him." Zhang Zixin suddenly thought of something and said: "Almost forgot, Xie Qin asked me to ask you why your phone number isn't going through."

No one knew about her changing her phone number; her phone could only take one card, and she had tucked her original SIM card into her wallet.

Shen Li: "My phone is on silent, I didn't hear it."

"Okay." Zhang Zixin turned around and patted her on the shoulder: "Let me ask you something."

Shen Li turned around slowly: "What is it?"

Zhang Zixin gossiped: "Are you and Xie Qin dating?"

Shen Li: "No, I don't have any plans to date for now."

"How come I feel like he's chasing you?"

"Is that so?" Shen Li had always been a well-behaved student in the eyes of teachers and a top student in the eyes of her classmates; she was pretty but had never dated, and was relatively dull regarding matters of the heart: "I don't know."

Suddenly, Zhang Zixin's phone rang, and when she picked it up to look, it was exactly as she had thought.

"Xie Qin is calling me, he probably wants me to find you."

Zhang Zixin answered: "What's up?"

Xie Qin's voice came through the phone: "Give it to her."

She knew it.

"Here, Xie Qin's call."

Zhang Zixin gave her the phone.

Shen Li thought about it and took it, placing it to her ear: "Are you looking for me... what's the matter?"

Xie Qin: "... Come out."

"I..." Shen Li noticed two pairs of eyes in the dorm were on her, and her voice lowered involuntarily: "I don't want to go down."

Xie Qin laughed on the phone, the boy's voice carrying a seductive magnetism: "I said, go to the balcony."

"Shen Li... are you really that afraid of me?"

Shen Li glanced at the balcony, hesitating: "If you have something to say, just say it."

Xie Qin made a "tsk" sound; usually, this tone meant he was running out of patience: "Then I'll come to the girls' dorm to find you."

He was coming up?

Was he crazy?

Thinking of Xie Qin's personality, last time, he really had come up to the girls' dorm. If he came and was seen by people from other rooms, who knew what kind of trouble would start again.

Shen Li was still afraid of him.

"Wait a moment." She compromised, got up, and walked out, pulling open the balcony door, closing it again because the dorm had the air conditioning on. In the second-floor girls' dorm, she saw Xie Qin standing downstairs at a glance, on the phone, looking up at her.

At six o'clock in the school, the lights downstairs were already on.

The light was dim and hazy.

"I see you, can you say it now? I have to study in a bit."

"Nothing much, just asking what you're planning to sign up for as your PE elective?"

Shen Li: "Volleyball."

"Fine, I know. What time are you getting up tomorrow?"

"Why are you asking that?"

Xie Qin said without hiding anything: "What else, to go to class with you. What do you want to eat tomorrow morning? I'll bring you breakfast."

Shen Li met those smiling, dark, bright eyes and dodged her gaze, not looking at him.