Chapter 9 (2/2)

“Zhang Yuan, can I stay in your cla.s.s for a little while?” Zheng Qing Yin popped her head at the door. “My cla.s.s faces the north, it’s too cold.”

“Little girl, the reason why our cla.s.s is so warm is because we have too many lightbulbs [third wheels] here.” Tian Xin pointed at her nose. “And it’s also the ultra-wattage lightbulbs.”

“How come I can’t see any?” Zheng Qing Yin frowned.

“You’re still young. What isn’t appropriate for children, you won’t be able to see.” While Tian Xin was still smiling, she felt a paper ball being thrown at her head with precision. She didn’t even have to turn to know He Luo and Zhang Yuan were both flushed with anger [or excitement].

Zheng Qing Yin was biting on her lower lip, her breathing heavy. She carefully scanned the boys and girls sitting in the cla.s.sroom before turning towards Zhang Yuan again. “Why are you not going home? Are you staying to be a lightbulb?”

“Can’t you tell? They’re the electrodes.” Tian Xin languidly said, pointing behind her.

Following the direction of Tian Xin’s pointing, Zheng Qing Yin saw two girls sitting side by side. She ran towards Bai Lian and stared at her for a good moment, her chest heaving. “Is it just because she’s prettier than me?”

The apple Bai Lian was eating got caught in her throat and she coughed. She waved her hand. “You have the wrong person. I need to leave this gossip-filled place.”

“It’s her?” Zheng Qing Yin scrutinised He Luo and snorted. She turned to Zhang Yuan. “Can you come out for a moment? I need to talk to you.”

Zhang Yuan smiled but said nothing, only staring helplessly at He Luo.

“I’ll go home first. I’ll help you with your grammar tomorrow.” He Luo began to pack.

“It’s fine if you listen in,” Zheng Qing Yin interrupted. “I don’t care if you listen.”

After the three of them settled in a McDonalds restaurant, Zheng Qing Yin asked, “Is it because she’s the first girl who confessed to you and you find it difficult to turn her down?”

“No.” Zhang Yuan shook his head.

“Is it because she often tutored you in English and you were touched?” she asked.

“Not that either.”

“Then what is so good about her? She isn’t even attentive about you.” Zheng Qing Yin’s eyes reddened. “When you sweated so heavily after a game, she doesn’t even hand you a towel. When you’re dressed so lightly, she doesn’t even give you your jacket after the game. You definitely don’t eat during lunch time; I saw you buying bread in the afternoon, eating as you cross the road. She totally isn’t attentive about you.” As she continued, her voice choked with emotion. “I-If it’s me, I-I-I w-will bring a homemade lunch box… I-I like you more than she does…” She sobbed, staring at He Luo. “D-Do you know, you have him but don’t cherish him… you can’t deprive others of the right to like him.”

“You. You must have read Liu Yong’s books.” He Luo’s mouth was slightly open. She can only think of this to say.

“Doesn’t cherish me? I don’t think so.” Zhang Yuan held her hand under the table. “We both just didn’t want to do any intimate actions in school.”

“You’re always protecting her…” Zheng Qing Yin’s cries became even more anguished. “Do you really like her that much?” She turned to lean into Zhang Yuan’s arms but he stopped her at the shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

“You really won’t comfort me at all?” Her tears were gus.h.i.+ng. “Then will you hug her?”

“Of course I will.”

“Will you kiss her?”

“I don’t have the chance at the moment, I will try and fight for it in the future.” His hand was pinched by a certain someone.

“Then… will you marry her in the future?”

“This is too far ahead in the future.” Zhang Yuan burst out laughing. But after thinking for a moment, he said, “I’m including that in my future plans.”

“If you’re willing to spend your lifetime with her, then you probably really like her,” Zheng Qin said sadly. She sprawled on the table, sobbing heartily.

Which other writer is she quoting this from? He Luo sighed and went next to her. “You’re very straightforward, very cute, also very brave,” she said. “I know you’re really upset but I’m sorry. I can only be selfish in this matter.”

“You’re hateful, I hate you!” Zheng Qing Yin placed her forehead in He Luo’s chest, pounding her arms. “I hate you, I hate you.”

“Just cry, cry it all out. You’ll feel better.” He Luo caressed her back.

“You’re really lucky.” Zhang Yuan smiled. “I haven’t even hug her yet.” He Luo widened her eyes at him. He immediately said, “I’ll go buy some food, you must all be hungry?”

Zheng Qing Yin had tired herself out crying and was now quietly eating two fried chicken wings. The Mercedes-Benz had been waiting outside the restaurant for a good while. Without saying anything, she boarded the car. But she suddenly rolled down the window and told Zhang Yuan, “I like you! I like you now, I’ll like you forever! If there comes a day where you don’t want her anymore, you must tell me.”

“Okay.” Zhang Yuan grinned. “But I think you won’t be able to wait till the 22nd century.”

“You…” Zheng Qing Yin snorted.

“Why are the kids these days so fierce?” Zhang Yuan shook his head as he watched the car drove away.

“I quite pity her,” He Luo said. “There’s nothing wrong with liking a person.”

“You’re really generous.” Zhang Yuan put on a serious expression and nodded. “En, you have the aura of an official wife.”

“Who told you that?” She wanted to rip the girl’s mouth off.

“Even if you kill me, I can’t betray my seatmate.” He burst out laughing. “If there’s an official wife, that means I can have a second wife, a third, a fourth, an eighth, a ninth.”

“Don’t be so happy. You don’t even have an official wife. Did you forget the fortune-telling? You won’t have a wife in your entire life.”

“I really won’t have one?”

“No!”

“Really won’t have one?”

“No!”

“I am really wronging you.” Zhang Yuan sincerely said. “You’re following me purely based on affection without even an official t.i.tle.”

“Be careful that I knock your teeth out.” He Luo waved her fist.

“You’re the one who originally said not to reveal our relations.h.i.+p,” Zhang Yuan said. “The others have actually noticed that we have been gradually becoming closer.”

“It’s because Tian Xin and the rest like to gossip.” She lowered her head, tugging at his sleeve. “It’s not that I don’t want to be attentive and take care of you. I just don’t want there to be a lot of talk about us. The teachers and parents will find out about us.”

“What’s there to worry about, did we let our studies suffer?” Zhang Yuan retorted. “It seems like we even did better this time than in our finals.”

He Luo thought, you don’t understand what my dad thinks. He thinks of me as a literature top scholar. Her head ached when she thought about Dad, of him pointing at the school ranking last year and saying, “40th place. If you can knock off the zero, how nice will it be.”

Noticing that she did not say anything, Zhang Yuan immediately added, “Okay, okay. If you want to keep it a secret, then we’ll keep it a secret. But there’ll be little girls coming to look for me. You can’t be jealous or sulk quietly.”

“You think too highly of yourself.”

“Ah, didn’t you notice.” Zhang Yuan rubbed his chin. “I’m still pretty handsome. You need to look closer.”

“Then can’t you be a little aware of yourself?” He Luo burst out laughing.

“Oh, then I’ll be a little more aware in consideration that you brought me the chrysanthemum and boat sterculia seed drink.” Zhang Yuan also laughed. “Ay, I’m not even full, let’s go and eat again. How about apple pie? I like that most.”

“Don’t you like black tea the most?” He Luo raised her eyebrow teasingly.

“And you said you weren’t jealous.” Zhang Yuan made a “ha” sound and avoided He Luo’s fist. He leaned in sideways, and whispered next to her ear, “But you look especially cute when you’re jealous.”

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