chapter 11-20.

chapter 1**1-20**.

forced to date a big shot.

Chapter 11: She Is Very Rich!

Xiang Huai’s usual calm expression seemed like it was about to crack. However, he regained his composure in just under two seconds. He first smiled, then received the 200 yuan, saying, “The tea leaves are in the storage room. Come get it after school.”

“Alright.”

The straightforward Xue Xi turned around and left. When she spotted Canine Teeth’s complicated expression, she silently sighed inside.

Canine Teeth must also be thinking about how terribly black-hearted his boss is, right?

But that’s fine.

Xue Sheng gave me a bank card and there is 100,000 yuan inside. I am very rich!

She did not mind helping Xiang Huai within her means. Moreover, if he was happy, she might even have a chance of quickly ridding herself of the ‘be in love or die’ curse.

After her departure, Lu Chao’s mouth twitched as he asked, “Boss, since when did we have Da Hong Pao in our storage?”

The storage held only the whole stash of small boxes that were previously displayed on the shelf on the first day!

Xiang Huai gave him a side-eye. “Give Little Gao a call. You’ll go get it.”

Lu Chao: “…Yes.”

Right after replying, he could not help but remark, “Boss, Old Gao is already in his sixties. Can’t you call him Old Gao? With Little Gao…”

Upon receiving his boss’s gaze, he instantly changed his tune, “…you’re making yourself sound old!”

Xiang Huai ignored him and went to the back of the cashier, picked up a book, and continued reading.

…

…

When Xue Xi entered the school compound, an Audi was coincidentally parked at the entrance.

Fan Han was about to alight when he spotted the passing silhouette. Stunned, he stopped.

Mrs. Fan, who had personally sent her son to school, failed to notice his anomaly. She spewed out the words she had held back for an entire night. “Why did you get only the second place this time?”

Fan Han kept up his stoic expression and did not answer.

Mrs. Fan could not resist complaining, “You didn’t relax at all during the summer, so it’s impossible for you to not have done well. Did that dimwit from the Xue family harass you on the day of the exams and so you got this result? Fortunately, we have already changed your partner for the arranged marriage. As the saying goes, one is marked by the company one keeps. If you get married to that dimwit, you will only get worse from here!”

Fan Han repressed his raging emotions and pushed open the car door in frustration. “I’m going off to school.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Fan replied, then continued asking, “Who got the first place this time? Is it Xue Yao? You guys are engaged, so it’s fine if she is first for this once.”

Fan Han had already alighted. When he heard this, he halted and slowly turned around. Looking at his mother, he did not know why, but he said the following: “It’s Xue Xi.”

“Indeed, it’s Xue… what?”

Mrs. Fan was stunned.

Fan Han looked away, He did not understand why he was suddenly rebellious, just that he was suddenly very annoyed with his mother’s nagging. Moreover, why did she not consult him first before she went to the Xue family to renege on the marriage?

…

The first lesson was Old Liu’s. As the civic tutor, he pointed out a few issues regarding discipline, as was his habit.

At the end, he pointed out, “Qin Shuang, didn’t I tell you to dye your hair back yesterday?”

The person seated in front of Xue Xi was sprawled on her desk, seeming to be unafraid of anything since she was already in the worst situation. “Sir, I need money to dye my hair. My parents confiscated my bank card. Do you perhaps want to help me to ask for it back?”

Old Liu was so furious that he pointed at her for a long time. Finally, he sighed. “During the break later, you and Xue Xi shall come to my office.”

Upon hearing her name, Xue Xi looked up in confusion. Why am I being called?

Two periods flew by in the blink of an eye. Xue Xi finally understood how much of a headache the person seated in front of her caused the teachers. She slept during the whole lesson, and once she was done with that, she whipped out her phone to play games. When Old Liu asked her to answer a question, she would immediately respond, saying that she did not know and to find someone else…

The English teacher in the second period had already given up on her. The teacher did not even glance at her.

After the first two periods, all other students went to the field for some morning exercises and stretches. Meanwhile, Xue Xi was making her way to Old Liu’s office.

She looked at Qin Shuang, whose head was still lowered and was playing games. She knocked on her table. “Aren’t you going to the teacher’s office?”

Qin Shuang answered with a smile. “No. Old Liu won’t do anything.”

Xue Xi paused, then asked, “Then where is Mr. Liu’s office?”

Qin Shuang stilled upon hearing this. Seeing her lost expression, she locked her phone and stood up. “Forget it, I’ll bring you there.”

Along the way, Qin Shuang fully displayed her gossipy temperament. “Old Liu is very scared of his wife. He has to hand in his salary every month and still rides a very old and wonky bicycle to work every day…”

“…Oh.”

The two entered the office and stopped before Mr. Liu.

Old Liu first smiled at Xue Xi. “Xue Xi, wait just a moment.”

He then pulled open his drawer and retrieved something wrapped in a newspaper. He slowly unwrapped the newspaper. There were some small coins inside—5 yuan, 10 yuan…

Old Liu stuffed the money into Qin Shuang’s hands. “I don’t know how much you’ll need to dye your hair, but 500 should be enough, right?”

Qin Shuang was stunned. She mumbled, “Old Liu, these must be from your secret nest egg, right? Aren’t you afraid that I’d squander it at an internet café if you give it to me?”

Old Liu laughed. “I’ve already given you the money, so it’s your choice what you want to do with it.”

A conflicted look appeared in the girl’s rebellious eyes. In the end, she still accepted the money and left. “Fine, then I shall go to the internet café now!”

After Qin Shuang had left, another teacher spoke. “Mr. Liu, why are you bothering with her? Even her parents have already given up on her, but you still…”

Old Liu sighed. “If I don’t care about her, no one else will. Sigh!”

After that, he turned to look at Xue Xi. “Xue Xi, I called you here because I wanted to ask you: Are you interested in joining the Mathematical Olympiad?”

Mathematical Olympiad?

Xue Xi stared blankly and silently.

Old Liu continued, “The examinations portion for the Olympiad is definitely harder. Our school has structured training classes. If you take part, you will have to go for classes to learn deeper knowledge…”

Can learn…

Xue Xi’s eyes lit up as she nodded. “Okay.”

Old Liu passed her a registration form. “Alright, then, go fill up this registration form. In another week, there will be a non-official mathematical invitational game. You can gain some experience there. After that, every weekday afternoon during the last two self-revision periods, go to classroom 301, which is near the staircase, for the Olympiad training class.”

“Alright.”

Xue Xi exited the office and spotted Qin Shuang leaning against the wall and playing her game. Seeing that she had come, the latter then smiled and said, “Let’s go.”

It was only when they had returned to the classroom that Xue Xi realised… that Qin Shuang had been waiting for her just now…

At this moment, someone in the classroom spotted the Olympiad registration form in Xue Xi’s hands and exclaimed, “Xue Xi, are you going to take part in the Mathematical Olympiad?”

“In our class, I think only Fan Han is participating in the Mathematical Olympiad… Then, won’t you have to go to the extra classes with Fan Han during the last two periods every day?”

The entire class fell into a pin-drop silence the moment this was said.

After who knows how long, someone chimed in, “Don’t tell me you still haven’t given up on Fan Han?”

Chapter 12: Buy the Case and Return the Pearl.

Everyone turned to look at Xue Yao and Fan Han in unison.

Feeling the crowd’s gaze on her, Xue Yao sat up and smiled at Fan Han. “What will you do if Xue Xi harasses you?”

Fan Han raised his chin. “Our engagement is already settled, so it will not change again.”

Xue Yao was instantly relieved.

She had grown up with him and they had always had an ambiguous relationship. Now that their engagement was being pushed forward, she believed that he would not feel anything for that dimwit or switch the recipient of his affections.

The pair’s voices were not too loud or soft—just enough for those around to hear them.

Someone mockingly sneered. “Even if she’s first, she still can’t get Fan Han’s heart back.”

“If I were her, I would keep a far distance away. Why is she so shameless as to keep prancing toward Fan Han…”

Xue Xi’s eyes turned cold, but before she could speak, Qin Shuang spoke first. “Some people are just too bored out of their minds. All they do is monitor someone else’s petty matters!”

She was good at bickering, and her tone sounded good, even.

The few people who commented instantly shut their mouths.

Qin Shuang then looked at Xue Yao and Fan Han, then sneered. “There are also some others who regard themselves too highly!”

No one in the classroom replied. In terms of speech, no one could beat her.

Seeing that Qin Shuang had settled the issue in just two sentences, Xue Xi nodded at her in gratitude and went back to her seat.

Meanwhile, Qin Shuang turned around and walked out.

The class president asked, “Qin Shuang, class is about to start. Where are you going?”

Qin Shuang whipped her head around and blew out a bubble from her chewing gum. “Internet café.”

Xue Xi paused.

For the rest of the day, Qin Shuang did not return.

Time quickly sped by and it was almost time for the afternoon self-revision class.

Fan Han packed up and prepared to go for the extra classes.

Xue Yao also stood up. She was participating in the Physics Olympiad, and, hence, she also needed to go for extra classes at this time. Her class was beside the Mathematical class’s—at classroom 302.

The two of them reached the door and noted from the corner of their eye that Xue Xi had also belatedly stood up after them. As she walked over to them, Xue Yao could not help but ask, “You can’t possibly ignore her if she harasses you and clings to you to talk, right?”

Fan Han fell silent, seeming to be conflicted too. “That’s true…”

He subconsciously slowed his footsteps. When Xue Xi slowly caught up to them, the two had already reached the staircase.

Just as they were having a hard time deciding if they wanted to respond, Xue Xi looked to the front and walked by them, as though they were non-existent. Forget about greeting them—she did not even glance at them.

Both Fan Han and Xue Yao stalled their footsteps and felt an inexplicable awkwardness.

…

When Xue Xi reached the classroom, she found that there were only around ten-odd students inside.

She found a seat and sat down. Soon, Old Liu walked in and he first reviewed a few competition questions, then made everyone else continue practicing other questions. He then walked over to Xue Xi and passed her a paper. “Do this first. I need to gauge your level.”

Xue Xi nodded, then started on the paper.

Fan Han sat a short distance away from her and could not help but take note of what she was doing.

He had done the set of questions Old Liu had passed to her. Its difficulty matched the current competition’s difficulty level.

Although there were only three questions, the required knowledge was huge. As an experienced competition contestant, he had answered all three questions correctly.

Xue Xi finished the paper quickly. She finished the paper, which usually required two hours to complete, in an hour. This made Fan Han’s heart sink.

Old Liu marked the paper on the spot and gave her the result: Fail! All three questions were wrong!

Fan Han let out a huge breath of relief when he heard this result!

A sense of superiority instantly burst in him.

As expected, just because she is good at Math does not mean that she will do well in the competition. After all, the Olympiad questions are difficult and complicated. They require a higher level of logical thinking.

Moreover, I had underperformed for this exam. I will definitely be able to snatch back the first place in the next exam.

On the other side, Xue Xi dazedly stared at the three “x” on her paper. She asked in confusion, “How can it be wrong?”

In order to not affect the rest of the students, Old Liu softly answered her, “You did all three questions correctly, but during the actual examination, everyone will judge these as wrong. Do you know why?”

Xue Xi shook her head.

Old Liu sighed. “Calculus is a university subject. Where did you learn it?”

Xue Xi: “…By myself.”

“…”

Old Liu was internally shocked. He then continued to explain, “In the high school competition, you are tested on logical thinking. In other words, it means that you have to answer these questions using high school knowledge. You answered everything correctly, but your method is outside of the syllables and not the knowledge we had specifically laid out.”

Xue Xi looked up at him. Her misty eyes were filled with a sense of being wronged and feeling aggrieved.

You can play this way?

Old Liu reassured her. “It’s fine. It’s fortunate that we found out the problem early and it’s not too late yet. I will map out some of the important key points for you, so you can take a look.”

He paused for a while, then continued, “You can also ask Fan Han if you have any problems.”

Xue Xi: “…Oh.”

She looked at the paper on the table.

She had never done such questions before. If she abandoned the calculus portion and other university-level knowledge, it did seem to be a little more challenging. Still, she found it interesting!

Two lessons were soon over and Old Liu announced the end of classes. Xue Xi then packed up.

Fan Han stood at the entrance and his gaze involuntarily followed her silhouette.

The girl was tall and thin. Her footsteps were light. The ponytail on the back of her head would swing in tandem with her gait. Under the sunlight, her ears seemed so white that it was almost translucent…

When Xue Yao’s classes were over and she stepped out, she immediately spotted Fan Han staring at a certain direction fixedly. She silently stepped over and was just about to scare him. However, when she reached him, she followed his line of sight and her eyes landed on Xue Xi…

She frowned and tightened her hold on her books.

…

Xue Xi reached the school entrance first. After waiting for a full half an hour, Xue Yao finally appeared. Her black face made the atmosphere in the entire car feel dense and heavy.

Xue Xi did not care and asked Uncle Li to let her alight at the street where the provision shop was. She had to go get the tea leaves.

The box holding the tea leaves was exceptionally exquisite—so much so that it would not be an exaggeration to call it an antique. Xue Xi lamented, “This box is so beautiful. Using it to store tea leaves is such a waste.”

Xiang Huai was still dressed in black, and his lips twitched. “…Little kid, have you heard of buying the case and returning the pearl?”

Xue Xi slowly looked up: “?”

She felt that this person meant something else with his words.

Still, she did not think much of it. After all, how could 100-yuan tea leaves be compared to pearls?

The car was still waiting outside so she could not idle here for long. Hence, she left after simply saying, “See you tomorrow.”

Xue Yao was already annoyed with the waiting. As she saw Xue Xi board the car again, her face turned even darker. “Why do you have so many issues? Dragging and wasting time!”

Xue Xi ignored her.

The car drove into the Xue family’s compound. Just as it stopped, Xue Yao immediately got down and slammed the car door shut. She then entered the house in a huff.

Meanwhile, Xue Xi slowly exited the car with the tea leaves in a laid-back manner.

Before she could even enter, she quickly spotted a familiar silhouette seated by the door. The person had a head of white hair and an elegant and cultured look—Song Wenman?

She walked over, confused. “Granny, why are you sitting here?”

Song Wenman had a bitter expression. “Xixi, it is truly impossible to buy those tea leaves. Why am I so ignorant? I actually said such resolute words. I no longer have the face to go back in…”

Chapter 13: Where Did You Buy It From?!

Song Wenman had hustled outside for the whole day.

She had a few students in Bin City, but everyone said that there were only 150 grams of Da Hong Pao in the entire Bin City, and they were all with Elder Gao.

Song Wenman felt even more helpless, and hope diminished in her the more she asked around.

It was nothing to her to be mocked by Liu Guihua, but if Ye Li were to offend her father-in-law, her life in the Xue family would definitely become much harder!

Xue Xi wanted to speak, but Song Wenman continued, “I didn’t agree when your mother said that she wanted to marry your father back then. Is a rich family an easy group to live with? After the marriage, Liu Guihua is always dissatisfied with your mother in every way possible. Your mother’s position in the household became even worse when the second daughter-in-law of the family hails from a family with a similar status to theirs.”

Finally finding an opening to speak, Xue Xi spoke up. “Granny, I—”

“After you were stolen, your grandmother started nitpicking on your mother even more. I persuaded her to give birth to another child in order to have an easier life here, but that fool did not agree no matter what. She said that it would not be fair to you.”

Xue Xi was stunned at this.

A warm current flowed in her heart. Ye Li had gone to such great lengths for her… This knowledge made her feel a stronger attachment to both Ye Li and the term called “mother”.

“She is a stubborn fool. She never cares for anything else once she has made up her mind on something. She used to be such a prideful person, and there were so many people chasing her. Yet now, she had relegated herself to such a state. Just looking at her makes my heart ache.”

Song Wenman’s eyes turned red. “Your grandfather has returned home, but your father has gone to the neighboring province for work, so he is definitely unable to return today. There isn’t even a single person who can speak up for your mother at home. No— even if I have to sacrifice my life, I will not let your mother suffer in any way today! At most, I will just bring my daughter home!”

Right after saying this, she immediately made her way to the living room.

Xue Xi: “…”

Granny, can you listen to me for a short while?

She helplessly followed her maternal grandmother, then took out the tea leaves from her back and stuffed it into the latter’s hands.

Song Wenman was just about to look at what it was, but Old Lady Xue’s loud chiding suddenly sounded. “Ye Li, you are the sinner of our Xue family!”

Xue Xi frowned. Similarly, Song Wenman was so hurried that she could not reply. The two quickly made their way to the living room.

The servants were all standing in the dining area and sticking their heads out to look at the living room.

In the living room, the old patriarch and Old Lady Xue were both seated on the sofa. Old Patriarch Xue had a dark look looming over his face while Old Lady Xue had a gloating look.

Ye Li stood before both of them. She was so ashamed that she could not even raise her head. Her eyes were red, and tears were dripping down from them.

“What right do you have to cry?” Old Lady Xue continued berating. “What else can you do other than cry? Ye Li, do you know how important this project is to our company?”

Ye Li was unable to say anything. She took a deep breath and looked up. “Dad, Mom, I am in the wrong this time. I will accept the punishment.”

At this stage, retorting was useless.

She knew that the old patriarch was a prideful one. Last time, he had helped her only because the old lady had gone overboard with her actions and had wounded the Xue family’s image. It was not that he took her side.

The old lady immediately ordered, “Sure. Then you shall be served with the ancestral house punishment!”

This made Ye Li tremble immediately.

The old lady continued, “Ye Li, it’s not that I am picking on you. This is such a huge blunder. If we let it pass easily, our Xue family’s prestige and authority will be undermined. Old man, are you opposed to this punishment?”

The old patriarch frowned, then nodded.

Immediately after, Auntie Sun slowly walked over with the prepared ferule.

Ye Li’s pupil’s constricted when she saw the flat and white ruler. Her shoulder trembled.

The ruler was made of stainless steel. Just a smack on the body would be agonizing. Xue Sheng had mentioned before that one swing of this ruler could make her frail body swollen for an entire month!

Old Lady Xue’s eyes glinted brightly.

She had lost her face yesterday, so she was going to get it back today!

She nodded at Auntie Sun, who immediately raised the ruler and was just about to swing it at Ye Li’s back—

“Stop what you’re doing!”

Song Wenman rushed out and hugged Ye Li, glaring furiously at Old Lady Xue. “What age is it already now that you still employ such ancestral methods? This is called a private torture encampment and is against the law! I will call the police if you dare to hit my daughter!”

Old Lady Xue turned her eyes upwards and scoffed. “Which high society family doesn’t have their own rules? My in-law, this is our Xue family’s matters. I shall advise you to move away so you don’t get hurt by accident.”

Song Wenman was not afraid in the least as she stared at Auntie Sun. “Fine, then. Come hit me. I shall see how your reputation fares when news of the respected Xue family bullying the weak and old get out!”

Old Lady Xue raised her chin. In a belittling tone, she said, “Fine. Your daughter is a pampered one and cannot accept our Xue family’s teachings. Since that’s the case, you can just bring her back!”

Song Wenman yanked Ye Li over. “Fine, then! Ye Li, Xue Xi, follow me home!”

However, the latter remained silent.

Ye Li could not bear to be apart from Xue Sheng… Xue Sheng was a conservative man. He did not care about family matters, but he was a good husband.

In the past few years, Old Lady Xue had, at most, mocked her, but she had never truly hurt her only because of Xue Sheng.

One was his biological mother while the other was his wife. It was already a blessing that he could do this.

The slap Old Lady Xue gave her was the worst thing she had done to her these few years, but the old patriarch had backed her up after that. Xue Sheng did not claim any credit, but she knew that he must have whispered something into the old patriarch’s ears.

For example, right now, the house’s phone and the old patriarch’s phone were constantly ringing. It must be because Xue Sheng was unable to rush back in time and, hence, was calling desperately…

He had always been silently protecting her in his own way.

Now that their daughter was back and he was at an important crossroads of taking over the company from the old patriarch, if she were to return home now, there would definitely be rumors about them getting divorced the next day!

That would be detrimental to his reputation!

The second son had always been trying to usurp Xue Sheng’s position for many years, so she could not give him this chance.

As she thought of this, Ye Li released Song Wenman’s hands. “Mom, I’m not leaving.”

The latter was so panicked that she wanted to flare up. “Ye Li! Why are you this stubborn?!”

Ye Li’s attitude was resolute. She moved to say something when she suddenly spotted the item in her mother’s hands. She paused in shock. Such an exquisite small box was used to store tea leaves…

She dazedly took the box and opened it. When she saw the tea leaves inside, she was totally stunned. “Da Hong Pao?”

The situation instantly took a 180-degree turn. Everyone was in a dazed shock.

Old Lady Xue originally thought that she had victory in her hand, but… Did she truly find the tea leaves? Impossible! She shrieked, “These tea leaves must be fake! Are you trying to pull off a trick using fake ones?”

Old Master Xue walked up and received the tea leaves from Ye Li in a trance. He carefully examined them and made an unbelievable conclusion. “It’s real.”

Moreover, just by looking at the box, it could be seen that this was of higher quality than the one he bought!

He looked at Song Wenman in surprise, then asked agitated, “Where did you buy it from?”

Chapter 14: What Should She Buy Today?

Song Wenman did not understand what had just happened. She stood rooted on the spot and only returned to her senses after some time. Suddenly, she turned to look at Xue Xi.

Xixi is only a high schooler and does not have much money with her, so it is impossible for her to have bought such expensive tea leaves.

So these are actually… bought by Xue Sheng?

All these years, whenever there were important events in the family, Xue Sheng would always buy expensive gifts in advance for her to give as gifts. He did so to uphold Ye Li’s dignity and elevate the Ye family’s status.

That happened too many times in the past, so Song Wenman naturally thought that Xue Sheng had bought it and got Xue Xi to pass it to her in order to back Ye Li up.

She quickly returned to her senses and straightened her back. Looking at Old Lady Xue, she asked, “Mhm, is this tea alright?”

“It’s alright!”

Old Master Xue nodded profusely. He held the three liang of tea and walked to the side jubilantly.

He ought to bring this when visiting the Gao family this weekend—it was even more upscale and he would not need to change the box at all!

Old Lady Xue still could not believe it. “How is it possible that you managed to buy it?!”

Song Wenman lowered her eyes as she said in an elegant yet unfathomable way, “Don’t look down on university professors. There’s a saying that goes ‘having students all over the world…’ Oh, I forgot that you might not be able to understand it. Do you need me to explain?”

She was actually hinting that their Ye family had connections and they should not look down on Ye Li!

Old Lady Xue’s face turned crimson red and she was trembling from anger.

Song Wenman had the talent of speaking in a mild and refined manner, but her words could anger others to death.

The old lady looked indignantly at Ye Li and scolded, “Consider yourself lucky this time. Be more careful when you’re working at home next time!”

Ye Li kept silent and nodded her head.

Seeing that everything had been settled, Xue Xi felt relieved.

Thinking about the mathematics assignment that Old Liu gave her, she picked up her school bag and headed upstairs while walking past everyone. Just as she was on the stairs, she paused before turning to look at Old Lady Xue and said casually, “Don’t place this tea in the tea cabinet anymore in case anyone spills it again.”

“…”

One single sentence was enough to pinpoint where the problem was. Ignoring the fact that Old Master Xue was now deep in thought and Old Lady Xue was suddenly anxious, she headed upstairs straight away.

After entering her room, she closed the door and fished out the papers from her school bag.

Old Liu said that she should avoid using knowledge outside of the syllabus to answer the questions and that the only method to do so was to use the “tactic of a sea of questions.” Hence, she needed to keep doing the questions repeatedly.

Once she got into her studying mode, she blocked out the commotion and the crying that were coming from downstairs.

It was only during dinner time when Ye Li came up to call her that Xue Xi turned around and replied dazedly, “Huh?”

Ye Li touched her head and said helplessly, “It’s time for dinner.”

However, she could not stop and only stood up after calculating the answer. “Oh.”

When they were heading downstairs, Ye Li said on purpose, “Old Master wants to fire Auntie Sun but Old Lady did her best to keep her and two years’ worth of her salary will be deducted. She can no longer help out in the house but can only work in the back garden.”

Xue Xi nodded.

It was odd to place the tea leaves that were meant as a gift in the tea cabinet where the family gets their daily tea leaves from. It must be the old lady’s tactics.

After Auntie Sun had been punished, the helpers at home would no longer dare to look down on Ye Li.

While they were having dinner, Xue Xi could sense the evil stares from Old Lady Xue and Xue Yao without even looking at them. However, she had always been slow to react so she did not feel anything much. She quickly finished eating and went back up to do her questions again.

Song Wenman wanted to ask her something but did not have the opportunity to do so.

…

The next morning, before Song Wenman went home, she asked her daughter, “Did you ask Xue Sheng where he bought the tea from?”

Ye Li shook her head. “I didn’t mention this over the phone yesterday. I’ll ask him when he comes back today.”

“Alright.”

By the time Xue Xi woke up, Song Wenman had already left.

Since she was going to her maternal grandmother’s home during the weekend, she did not care much and alighted at the provision store as usual.

Just as she was about to enter the store, she saw a girl in uniform with pink hair on the street not far away. Her hands were in her pockets as she kicked the stones on the path while she walked.

Qin Shuang?

Perhaps the girl sensed her stare; Qin Shuang looked up. Upon seeing Xue Xi, her eyes lit up and she waved. She wanted to run to her, but she seemed to have seen something suddenly and hurriedly hid in an alley beside the street.

Xue Xi turned her head around while feeling perplexed and saw Old Liu.

He was riding a tattered bicycle. As he stepped on the pedal, the bicycle would give out a screeching sound and wobble as though it was going to break the next second.

The weather was warm and he had beads of perspiration on his head. He was looking for something in the vicinity, and when he saw Xue Xi, he stretched out his leg and stopped. “Xue Xi, have you seen Qin Shuang?”

Xue Xi instinctively looked at the alley and remained silent.

Old Liu seemed to have understood something. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the sweat on his forehead before saying, “Aye, she skipped class the whole day yesterday and didn’t even go home the whole night. I’m worried about her safety, and if you happen to see her, just tell her to come back even if she doesn’t want to dye her hair back and stop hiding.”

Xue Xi replied, “…Oh.”

Old Liu’s voice was so loud, so he must have said it intentionally for Qin Shuang to hear.

“He he.” Old Liu chuckled and looked at the provision store before saying, “Since it’s still early, go buy your stuff and just don’t be late.”

After saying that, he cycled away.

Qin Shuang appeared from the alley only after Old Liu had vanished. Walking up to Xue Xi, she looked at Old Liu’s back. “Old Liu’s bicycle has been around for seven, eight years, and I’ve seen him wearing those clothes since I was a freshman. Our school’s salary isn’t low, but he is just being stingy. However, his family is quite sad. His wife broke her leg and can’t work, so Old Liu is the sole breadwinner.”

Her voice got softer as she spoke.

To a family like hers, 500 yuan was merely a meal’s worth, but for Old Liu…

Qin Shuang remained silent for a moment and seemed to be in a dilemma.

Xue Xi asked, “You really like pink?”

“Not really.”

Qin Shuang wanted to say something, but when she saw Xue Xi’s clean face, she swallowed her words. “Forget it, you won’t get it even if I say it.”

She then turned around to leave.

“Where are you going?” Xue Xi asked.

The girl waved with her back facing Xue Xi. She kept quiet. Only her pink hair was blowing in the wind.

Xue Xi waited until the girl was farther away before going into the provision store.

Breakfast had been prepared, and after entering, she sat down at the dining table naturally. She realized only after finishing breakfast with Xiang Huai and Canine Teeth that it had been merely three days and she was already used to it.

However, Xiang Huai did not raise any other request. Could it be that he had cast a spell on her to make her buy something every day?

Since I bought tea yesterday, what should I buy today?

Xue Xi gave it some thought but realized that she was not lacking anything. After all, Ye Li had been attentive and prepared everything for her.

She decided not to stop being indecisive. Placing a hundred yuan bill on the table, she casually said, “I’ll buy a box of balloons.”

Xiang Huai was preparing to get up but froze when he heard that.

Chapter 15: Let’s Play Together Next Time.

“Pua!”

Lu Chao spit out the milk he had just drunk. “What did you say you wanted to buy?”

Confused, Xue Xi looked at Canine Teeth and did not understand why he overreacted. Yet she still explained it seriously. “It’s the balloons that were on the shelves when I came by that first day.”

What balloons? Those were clearly…

Canine Teeth had wanted to speak, but he choked on himself and began to cough violently.

Xue Xi looked at Xiang Huai perplexedly.

The man placed his hands in his pocket and walked to the counter. He sat down lazily on the chair before asking, “You’re buying that to play on your own?”

She paused for two seconds before replying, “…Yes.”

Xiang Huai leaned back as he hid himself in the dark corner of the store. Then, he said with a hint of laughter in his voice, “How boring it is to play alone.”

Xue Xi gave it a thought. “That’s true, too. Then I’ll buy them and leave them here so we can play together next time.”

“Pua!”

Just as Lu Chao had had a mouthful of water to suppress his cough, he spat it out again.

She noticed that something was off, and just as she was about to ask Canine Teeth why he was being so agitated, the sound of fingers knocking against the table was heard. Xiang Huai’s mesmerizing voice rang. “Little kid, you’re gonna be late soon.”

Late…

She anxiously looked at the clock in the store and saw that there were five more minutes before the bell was to ring.

She picked up her school bag in a hurry and ran outside. “I’ll go for now.”

Looking at the girl’s back, Lu Chao slowly turned to look at his boss. The man was calmly hidden in the corner and reading his book.

Lu Chao walked over and leaned on the counter. “Boss, when are you going back?”

He replied, “We’ll talk about it another time.”

Lu Chao nodded. “Right, when I got the tea from Old Gao yesterday, he obliquely tried to know your whereabouts. He sent a message today to ask what the tea was for. How should I reply?”

Xiang Huai kept quiet for quite some time.

Lu Chao thought the man’s silence meant that he did not need to reply. However, Xiang Huai suddenly chuckled. “Betrothal present.”

“Huh?”

Lu Chao was stunned, but he quickly became excited.

If Old Gao were to know that Boss, who had been single for 25 years, has finally gotten a fiancée in Bin City, his jaw would probably drop, wouldn’t it?

After replying to the message, he walked to the dining table and picked up the hundred yuan bill that Xue Xi left behind. Just as he was about to put it in his pocket, he heard Xiang Huai knocking his fingers against the table again.

He froze as he turned around and saw Xiang Huai staring straight at him.

Lu Chao gave the hundred yuan bill to the man out of instinct. The man opened his wallet and placed the bill alongside the two hundred yuan bills from yesterday before reading his book composedly again.

Lu Chao: “…”

…

…

After two periods of physical education where Xue Xi did her exercises, she came back. Seizing every minute and second, she kept doing the Olympiad questions that Old Liu had assigned for her to do.

At this moment, the sound of deep breaths being drawn was suddenly heard in the class and a complete silence ensued.

Xue Xi did not take notice until someone pulled the chair in front of her and hit her table as the person sat down. She slowly lifted her eyes to take a look.

What she saw was thick, black hair.

Qin Shuang?

Xue Xi blinked and felt unknown joy tingling in her heart.

Nonetheless, the usual chatterbox looked depressed as she lay on the table halfheartedly. The people beside her quickly pulled their tables away as though Qin Shuang, who had dyed her hair black, was carrying a virus in her…

The fourth class today was mathematics class. Old Liu entered the classroom, and when he saw Qin Shuang, his face lit up. “Student Qin’s performance is not bad!”

It was rare that Qin Shuang did not talk back to him. She dipped her head as though something was weighing on her mind.

Xue Xi noticed that ever since Qin Shuang had entered the classroom, there had been a looming atmosphere. There were several students discussing softly and gesticulating at Qin Shuang, but nobody dared to speak a word to her.

Back then, when Qin Shuang still had pink hair, she loved to bicker with their classmates but she also had great relations with them.

When the fourth period ended, everyone started to head out and was preparing to eat at the canteen.

After completing the last question, Xue Xi saw that Qin Shuang was still lying on the table. She stood up and asked, “Do you want to eat?”

“…”

There were some students who had not left the classroom yet. They all turned to look at Xue Xi with shock in their eyes.

Qin Shuang did not expect Xue Xi to dare to speak to her. Feeling baffled, she lifted her head. “You…”

She suddenly remembered that Xue Xi was a transfer student, and so, having no idea about her matters, she dared to be so reckless.

Qin Shuang smiled bitterly. “I’m not hungry, you go ahead.”

Being in such a situation herself, she had better not implicate a good student like her.

Xue Xi replied, “…Oh.”

Since she was unemotional, she did not insist and went to the canteen on her own.

After returning from lunch, she saw Qin Shuang, who said she was not hungry, lying there while eating biscuits and drinking milk. It was as if she dared not step out of the classroom.

Xue Xi: “…”

More periods had passed in the afternoon and only self-revision classes were left. Xue Xi packed up her items and was prepared to head to Olympiad classes when someone shouted, “Qin Shuang, someone is looking for you.”

Qin Shuang shivered but she went out eventually. By the time she was back, her face was as pale as a sheet and she appeared deeply terrified.

Xue Xi wanted to ask her what was wrong and if she needed help. However, Qin Shuang did not give her the chance to ask and simply lay on her desk and appeared to be sleeping.

Xue Xi shut her mouth and carried the books as she headed for class.

The two periods of classes ended in a blink of an eye. School was over, and Xue Xi felt that she barely finished any questions. Just as she was packing her papers helplessly, it turned dark right before her eyes.

Fan Han stood in front of her and there was a look of hesitation in his eyes. He lowered his voice and warned, “Stay away from Qin Shuang.”

Xue Xi looked perplexedly at him.

Fan Han appeared awkward. He then lifted his head slightly and said arrogantly, “She isn’t a good girl and has created huge trouble after dying her hair back. Anyways, just don’t get too close to her.”

After saying that, he saw the girl looking at him with huge, watery eyes. For some unknown reason, he was flustered and left the classroom in a hurry.

Xue Yao was already outside of the classroom. Upon seeing that, she frowned and asked, “Fan Han, what did you say to her?”

Fan Han had a slight guilty conscience and his mind was in a mess as well. “Nothing much.”

The girl was stunned as she did not expect the boy to answer her so perfunctorily. Balling up her fists, she shot Xue Xi a menacing stare.

Xue Xi did not understand why Fan Han would warn her. Nonetheless, she did not think much of it and returned to her classroom to find that Qin Shuang was no longer in her seat.

Only the students on duty were left cleaning and they were creating a dust storm in the classroom. She picked up her school bag and left the school gate. Just as she was going to get in the car, she saw a silhouette flash across and go into the alley nearby.

It’s Qin Shuang!

Xue Xi frowned.

She had always been unemotional and would not meddle into others’ affairs.

However, at the thought that it was Qin Shuang… she did not hesitate and went there straight.

She wanted to see what on earth had happened!

Chapter 16: Let’s Fight, Then.

Xue Xi got Uncle Li to head back first and she proceeded to walk there.

Crossing the road, she walked into the alley and the noisy street cry seemed to be blocked. There was quietness amid the noisy surroundings.

She continued to walk for another 200 meters before hearing a commotion coming from the corner. She turned at the corner and saw about seven or eight men.

At that moment, Xue Xi saw red.

Those seven people were wearing different uniforms and were students from different schools. The girls had their hair dyed pink while the boys had theirs dyed red with a lot of hair spray. The boys’ hair was standing and they all looked like a group of flames.

This group of students was currently keeping Qin Shuang in a circle.

Flame Number One pushed her. “Who allowed you to dye your hair black?”

Flame Number Two: “Qin Shuang, are you planning to leave us?”

Flame Number Three: “Have you forgotten how you’ll end up if you leave the society?”

Being surrounded in the middle, Qin Shuang was shivering, and her face, which was full of thick makeup, was marked with fear. She looked to one side and pleaded, “Brother Chen, I beg you to let me off.”

It was then that Xue Xi realized that there was Flame Number Eight.

That Brother Chen was leaning against a gray wall, and he too had exaggerated red hair. Still, he was quite good-looking. He lowered his eyes and leaned on the wall as he played games on his phone and the words “Don’t annoy me” were clearly written on his face.

Flame Number One said again, “Qin Shuang, have you forgotten the oath you swore when you first joined the society? I’ll give you one chance. Dye your hair back tomorrow or you’ll be betraying our Roaring Flame Society, and you should know the consequences!”

Xue Xi was at a complete loss as she stood at the entrance to the alley. After listening on, she finally understood what had happened.

Qin Shuang’s pink hair must be that Roaring Flame Society’s signature, and the leader of the society must be Brother Chen.

Everyone hid from Qin Shuang at school because they were afraid of Brother Chen.

Even Fan Han dared not bully him, and this showed that this boy was locked and loaded or a scion from an influential family. There was also a third possibility that he was both.

Although Qin Shuang was horror-stricken, she stuttered and asked, “What on earth must I do in order to not dye my hair back…?”

Flame Number Two: “Not dye? What international joke are you cracking!”

Flame Number Four: “Qin Shuang, who helped you when you were crying from being bullied back then? Now you’ve become so ungrateful; how ignorant to not know chalk from cheese!”

Flame Number One: “Since you don’t want to dye your hair red, fine. We’ve thought of a great solution and that is to shave your hair. Won’t that work?”

After saying that, he whipped out a pair of scissors.

Qin Shuang was so frightened that she squatted and covered her hair. “Don’t…”

However, her arms were locked and she could not struggle.

“Qin Shuang, you brought this upon yourself!”

Flame Number One lifted her locks and cut them mercilessly!

At this moment…

“Stop it.”

A cold and aloof voice rang and they stopped what they were doing to look at the alley.

Xue Xi was standing there as she looked at them with watery eyes. She scanned everyone before resting her eyes on Qin Shuang.

Looking at her, Qin Shuang was stunned but she quickly shouted, “Xue Xi, leave me alone and leave at once!”

Xue Xi walked toward Qin Shuang. Although she looked obedient and weak, the Flames subconsciously moved aside for her to walk past them.

Blocking Qin Shuang, she turned to look at Flame Number One.

The silence remained for a few seconds, and just as Flame Number One was doubting if he was wearing his uniform incorrectly, the girl finally spoke. “What must be done for you to let her off?”

Flame Number One replied subconsciously, “…Only one way, and that is to defeat Brother Chen. You’ll become the leader of the Roaring Flame Society and you’ll have the last say on the rules.”

Xue Xi thought about it for a while before looking surprised.

Fight… ing?

Seeing her like this, the rest finally found the situation normal again.

Flame Number One became rampant again. “Now you’re scared? Let me tell you, don’t poke your nose into others’ business. Hurry up and scram, don’t waste our time!”

Qin Shuang hurriedly pushed her too. “We’re not close, hurry up and leave!”

Xue Xi took off her school bag and passed it to Qin Shuang before looking at Brother Chen and saying lightly, “Let’s fight, then.”

Gao Yanchen did not reply right away. He waited until he was done with his game before throwing his phone irritatedly at someone. Kacha! He warmed up his wrist and neck while his joints cracked. “Let’s end it fast.”

However, when he lifted his head, he was shocked to see Xue Xi.

Isn’t this the girl who grabbed me and confessed to me the other day?

She looks skinny and weak. Furthermore, her obedient look makes it evident that she is different from us… How can she fight?

Xue Xi did not recognize him. Standing there, she and Gao Yanchen looked at each other in the eye.

Gao Yanchen broke the silence. “You go first!”

Xue Xi paused for a moment before asking, “Why don’t you wait for me for thirty minutes?”

Gao Yanchen was confused.

It was the first time the opponent had asked him to wait while fighting.

He was baffled. “Why?”

Xue Xi appeared calm, but deep down, she replied abashedly, “I don’t know how to fight. Let me go and learn first.”

“…”

Gao Yanchen was perplexed and he subconsciously nodded.

Not caring about the complicated look on the others’ faces, Xue Xi proceeded to walk to the provision store while others were reeling from the shock.

Xiang Huai was still sitting at the counter and reading his book. As he saw her walking into his store, his dark brown eyes glowed. “What’s the matter?”

Xue Xi looked at him.

The man had well-chiseled features and a bandit aura. He clearly mixed around in the underworld, and even though he appeared skinny and weak with his fair skin, he probably knew simple fighting moves.

She slowly said, “Can you teach me how to fight?”

Sitting on the stool, Lu Chao was playing with his phone. “…”

He looked dazedly at Xue Xi.

She was rephrasing her words and thinking about how to explain. Sitting in the shadow, Xiang Huai did not question anything and simply stretched his long leg to kick Lu Chao. “Teach her the complete set of army boxing.”

“Yes.”

Lu Chao had replied instinctively and only reacted when he stood up. Would she be able to get it in such a short period of time?

However, obeying orders was his duty. He began to teach. “Army boxing is made up of several key basic skills, which are kicking, hitting, slamming, seizing, twisting, and other wrestling components. Breaking them down, the actions are like this…”

He demonstrated them in an empty space in the store as he stood in front of her. “First, attack.”

Xue Xi nodded.

Equipped with an extraordinarily retentive memory, she remembered the key points. Lifting her fists, her right leg took a step back as she bent her back and prepared to attack.

Suddenly, a warm palm rested on her waist, and as Xue Xi froze, Xiang Huai’s deep and charming voice was heard beside her ear. “You need to tighten your waist strongly.”

Only then did she realize that Xiang Huai had gotten to her side without her noticing. His hand touched her and moved away, and she did not overthink things.

She relaxed and focused on learning attentively.

Xiang Huai took a step back and his eyes rested on his hand.

He did not expect the girl’s waist to be so skinny and soft beneath the wide uniform. It was as though he could wrap around it with just one hand.

Chapter 17: Sister Xi.

When Xue Xi was ready, Lu Chao stretched out one hand and he stressed. “You gotta use strength and must be quick. But you’re a girl and your reaction is slow…”

Before he could finish his sentence, she gave him a kick.

Bang!

Lu Chao felt a powerful force coming at him and he backtracked five, six steps before steadying himself.

By the time he regained his senses, he was confused.

How can a girl be so strong?

Xue Xi ended off in a suave pose as she turned to look at him. “Do I need more strength?”

She grew up in the orphanage since she was young and had to do heavy manual labor such as washing sheets and blankets. Hence, she was much stronger than the average person.

Unfortunately, she had not learned martial arts in the past and did not know how to fight.

Lu Chao hurriedly signaled. “It’s enough.”

He moved his numb hand and said, “Do this ‘hit’ action. Mhm, relax and you don’t have to use too much strength.”

After learning it two times, Xue Xi had gotten hold of the boxing’s key elements. Taking a look at the time, she hurried to where Qin Shuang was.

The sky was getting dark and the lamps in the alley were lit. By the time Xue Xi got there, she saw the seven Flames and Qin Shuang squatting dazedly beneath the faint light from the lamp. Meanwhile, Gao Yanchen was still leaning against the wall and playing with his phone. They looked quite hilarious like this.

Flame Number One was holding a grass stalk, which he got from somewhere, in his mouth, and he said, “Sh*t! Could she have lied to us and won’t be coming back?”

Qin Shuang anxiously replied, “It’s not her business to begin with. Brother Chen, you can choose to just beat me up or let me go!”

Gao Yanchen sneered and kept quiet. Then, his ears moved slightly and he heard light footsteps coming.

Tilting his head slightly, he saw the girl walking toward them, and she was expressionless just as before. She appeared apathetic and her eyes seemed naturally dazed as she said slowly, “I’ve finished learning.”

Feeling anxious, Qin Shuang said, “Xue Xi, knock it off! Brother Chen is really good at fighting and nobody in this area could beat him…”

Gao Yanchen raised his brow.

Usually, he did not mind anyone and would beat both men and women. However, for some unknown reason, when he saw a good girl like her, he could not bring himself to do it.

Maybe he should go easy on her and not let her be defeated too badly.

Thinking of which, he said, “Let’s start.”

Just as he said it, the quiet girl moved. By the time she completed the series of moves—”kick, hit, slam, seize, and twist”—Gao Yanchen was lying flat on the ground while she got him into an arm lock.

“…”

Everyone present was taken aback and stared blankly at them.

Too fast.

It was so fast that before they could even cheer, it had ended.

Gao Yanchen tried to forcefully break free of the girl’s control. Even though she seemed weak, he could not break free!

He shouted, “I wasn’t well-prepared just now. Let’s do it again!”

“…Oh.”

Xue Xi nodded and let go of his arm. She stretched her fist and her right foot took a step back. Looking serious, her eyes seemed blank and her position did not change at all.

Gao Yanchen warmed up, and when he was ready, he shouted, “Start!”

Twenty seconds later, Gao Yanchen, who was lying flat on the ground, began to doubt his life. He had clearly seen through her tactics, but he just could not catch up with her speed!

Isn’t she slow to react?!

With his face burning red, he balled his fists and said indignantly, “I admit defeat.”

Xue Xi let go of him.

Gao Yanchen stood up and patted the dust off himself as his face was filled with grievance and stubbornness. “Just wait and see, I’ll defeat you one day. When that day comes, you’ll be my subordinate and will dye your hair red.”

Xue Xi: “…Oh.”

He felt as though his powerful fist landed on cotton and could not muster any strength.

After he took in a deep breath, his hands waved and the rest stood up straight. Next, all of them bowed at Xue Xi and shouted in harmony, “Sister Xi!”

Xue Xi: “?”

Flame Number One shot a glance at Gao Yanchen, and, after obtaining his approval, he asked, “Sister Xi, do we need to dye our hair black?”

Looking at their hair, she replied, “Anything.”

Everyone had different preferences and she would not force them.

Taking her school bag from Qin Shuang’s hands, she turned around and left.

Gao Yanchen tried to resist it but could not, so he asked, “Where are you going?”

Xue Xi paused. “Going home to do questions.”

“…”

After the students had left, Xiang Huai and Lu Chao appeared from the darkness.

Lu Chao sighed. “Boss, Sister-in-law’s skills are not bad; truly a good seedling!”

Upon finishing his words, he stole a stealthy glance at Xiang Huai, only to see his face all tensed as he looked ahead with shimmers in his eyes.

Lu Chao could not help but ask, “Boss, what secrets do you think that little sister-in-law is hiding such that you have to stay here personally?”

The man shot him a glance and the latter shut his mouth immediately, pretending as though he did not say the last sentence.

…

…

Gao family.

Elder Gao, who was in his sixties, was anxiously pacing up and down in his room. When his secretary entered, he asked in haste, “Have you found it?”

The secretary lowered his head respectfully. “I can’t find any hint of General Xiang’s whereabouts.”

Elder Gao frowned as he sat on the sofa and smoked a cigar. As he exhaled the smoke, he said, “General Xiang’s movements have always been stealthy and odd. It would be weird if we could find his whereabouts! Anyways, since he is in Bin City, let’s be more careful. Tell the rest that this weekend’s gathering is canceled and we won’t be receiving any gifts. If General Xiang finds out about it, we’ll be in for some scoldings.”

The secretary nodded. “Yes.”

Elder Gao gave it a thought for some time. “Start with that tea and investigate where the tea went. General Xiang’s fiancée is in Bin City. Don’t offend her accidentally.”

“Yes.”

…

Xue family.

Xue Sheng, who’d gone on a business trip, was finally back. He first greeted Old Lady Xue and quickly pulled Ye Li into the bedroom as he asked nervously, “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head and narrated what happened yesterday.

Upon hearing that the old lady wanted to exercise the family’s punishment, his face turned terrifyingly dark. She then sighed. “Mom didn’t go too overboard in the past, so what’s wrong recently? I feel that she’s against me.”

They had been married for nearly twenty years. Although the old lady was not fond of Ye Li, she had never hit her and embarrassed her in front of outsiders.

Xue Sheng’s eyes darkened and he sighed. “That’s because I’m taking over the company.”

Ye Li was not a silly and naive girl. She held herself aloof from the world in the past because she lost her daughter and all her hopes were dashed to pieces. Now that Xue Sheng had said it, she instantly understood what he meant!

The old lady wants the second child to inherit the business?

Her eyes constricted as she reeled from the shock. “If I had really left yesterday, your reputation would have then crumbled… Mom is going too overboard! She is biased without any limits!”

Seeing that her husband was not looking too good, she knew he must be feeling worse. She hurriedly comforted him. “Never mind, you still have me and Xixi!”

Xue Sheng nodded and hugged his wife. After leaning in each other’s embrace for a while, she asked curiously, “That tea, where did you get it from?”

He was taken aback upon hearing that. “Didn’t Mom buy it?”

Chapter 18: Don’t Worry, You Have Me.

Just as he spoke, the servant knocked on the door. “Sir, Old Master wants you to come downstairs.”

Although Ye Li did not hear Xue Sheng, she dared not ask again and they left in haste.

Downstairs, Xue Shengqiang was sitting on the sofa with a stern expression. There was a looming atmosphere in the room and the servants were treading on thin ice.

Xue Sheng tidied his collar button and asked solemnly, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Old Master frowned. “Quickly think, what have we done wrong to offend the Gao family?”

Xue Sheng paused. “Why do you say that?”

Old Master replied, “Elder Gao’s secretary called earlier to inform us not to go for this weekend’s gathering.”

Xue Yao, who had left school, overheard their conversation and her eyes lit up instantly. “Grandpa, Big Uncle, I know; it’s definitely because of Xue Xi!”

The moment Xue Yao said that, Ye Li asked anxiously, “What’s wrong with Xixi?”

Xue Yao pouted. “Our class’ Qin Shuang offended Gao Yanchen and was stopped after school. Xue Xi wanted to show off and insisted on helping. Grandpa, Gao Yanchen is Elder Gao’s very life and our family needs to rely on the Gao family. Wasn’t she giving our family trouble by doing that?”

Elder Gao’s only son passed away in an accident, leaving behind his only grandchild, Gao Yanchen. Since Elder Gao always covered up his grandson’s mistakes, Gao Yanchen was able to be a tyrant in the international school.

Old Lady Xue hit the table instantaneously. “Ridiculous! I’ve long said before that a wild child like this shouldn’t be brought home. Only a few days have passed and she has already created such huge trouble!”

Ye Li wobbled as she covered her chest.

Gao Yanchen was a well-known devil incarnate and could fight really well. He once broke a girl’s rib.

My Xixi is skinny and weak. A single punch from Gao Yanchen could be enough to take half her life away…

Just as they were feeling anxious, Xue Sheng stared straight at Xue Yao. “Where are they? How long ago did it happen?”

The girl replied, “In the alley beside the school. It should have been around an hour ago.”

Her uncle flew into a rage. “Why didn’t you call home when your sister is in trouble?”

The girl’s eyes flickered.

She wished Gao Yanchen could beat Xue Xi up worse, and the best case would be if she became paralyzed. Why would she still call for help?

Before Xue Yao could find an excuse, Old Lady Xue scolded, “Why should she call? A lass like Xue Xi who overestimated her true abilities should be taught a lesson!”

“Mom!” Xue Sheng interrupted her. There was no time to pursue the matter. The pressing issue of the moment was to ensure Xixi’s safety!

“Get the car ready!” Ye Li’s voice was trembling. Nothing could happen to her Xixi.

Just as she and Xue Sheng were heading out anxiously and the rest were waiting for them to be the butt of the joke, a skinny silhouette entered through the door suddenly.

Xue Xi walked all the way home while carrying her school bag. When she set foot in the house, she saw her parents heading out worriedly so she gave way to them obediently.

Seeing Ye Li staring at her and not moving for quite some time, she blinked her eyes in confusion and asked, “Mom, are you going out?”

“…”

There was pin-drop silence in the living room and all eyes were on her.

After five seconds had passed, Ye Li observed her from head to toe. Her huge uniform covered her skinny body well and there seemed to be no injury except a patch of dust on her pants. She got anxious. “Xixi, are you alright?”

Xue Xi sighed. “…Not alright.”

Ye Li’s eyes reddened instantly as she grabbed her hands and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Her daughter was baffled and did not understand why she was so agitated. She then replied slowly, “Mr. Liu gave me five papers to do today and I don’t think I can finish them.”

She intended to come home straight after school to do the questions. However, Qin Shuang’s matter got her delayed for an hour and a half.

She probably had to burn the midnight oil.

Ye Li, who was anxious about looking at where she had hurt herself: “??”

She asked in shock, “Just this?”

Xue Xi nodded. She gripped her hand, which was carrying the school bag, and decided to walk past her mother and head upstairs. “Mom, I’ll go study first.”

She’d taken only two steps when she heard Old Lady Xue’s voice. “Don’t use studies as an excuse! Xue Xi, since you’re fine, then go to the Gao family and apologize at once!”

A question mark appeared in her mind. Why apologize?

Just as she was feeling perplexed, Xue Sheng said, “Mom, we aren’t sure of what has happened yet. Moreover, it’s a matter between the children. There’s no need to raise it to a higher plane of principle. It’s not so serious.”

After saying that, he turned to Ye Li. “Bring Xixi upstairs.”

She nodded.

Just as Xue Xi was heading upstairs, the old lady berated, “Eldest Son, you can’t protect your child like this! If you don’t let her apologize, what should we do with the Gao family’s matter?”

Xue Sheng said with determination, “I found Xue Xi and took her back not for her to be bullied. I’ll settle this myself.”

“You’ll settle it?” Old Lady Xue raised her voice and immediately sneered. “Sure, if you can’t settle the Gao family, the shareholders won’t approve of you as the chairman. I’ll see what you will do then!”

“…”

Even when she got into her room, Xue Xi still did not understand what was going on.

Gao family… I do not know anyone with the surname ‘Gao’!

Looking at Ye Li, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Her mother merely comforted her gently. “Don’t be scared, with Dad and Mom around, we won’t let you suffer.”

Xue Xi, whose dictionary did not have the word “scared”: “?”

Right at this moment, the door was opened and Xue Sheng entered. Xue Xi felt a little uneasy. Ever since she came home, he had been on a business trip so she rarely interacted with her father.

He smiled warmly at her. “Xixi, do your assignment.”

He reached out and gently patted her head as he said, “Don’t worry, you have me.”

Xue Xi: “…Oh.”

Dipping her head, she stared at the questions blankly. Although she had no idea what happened, this man’s thick shoulders seemed to have really brought her a sense of security.

Though she was usually expressionless, the corners of her lips turned up and her belongingness to this family rose.

She shook her head and threw those mixed thoughts behind her mind as she focused on doing her questions.

Even when Xue Sheng and Ye Li had left the room, she remained focused.

Back in their bedroom, Ye Li’s face took on a ghastly expression. “What should we do?”

Now that Xixi had been beaten up, and given Gao Yanchen’s style, this matter was considered to have passed. Since Xixi was alright now, it meant that Gao Yanchen would not take things lying down.

Xue Sheng sighed. “I’ll make a trip to the Gao family tomorrow.”

As a man, he had to yield when he needed to for the sake of his wife and child.

Ye Li hated herself for being useless, and the thought of wanting to become stronger grew. She nodded her head helplessly. “Then bring those leaves as well. Elder Gao’s favorite is tea, and he probably won’t pursue the matter on account of the tea, right?”

Xue Sheng did not harbor any hope but still responded, “Sure.”

Chapter 19: You Can Miss Me.

Xue Xi did the questions until late at night, and, as a result, she woke up slightly late the next day.

Ye Li packed her breakfast for her to eat on her way. Seeing her yawn, she said heart-achingly, “Xixi, even if you’re participating in the Olympiad, you shouldn’t give yourself too much pressure. Health is the most important thing.”

Xue Xi nodded.

Xue Yao, who had just eaten, heard this and mocked, “If you don’t have a diamond cutter, don’t try to mend porcelain wares. Some people merely got first in one exam and think that they can conquer Olympiads as well. I heard that someone was last during yesterday’s mock exam.”

Xue Xi ignored her and left with her breakfast.

Old Liu said that she made great improvements yesterday, and as long as she avoided using certain knowledge, there wouldn’t be much problem. Of course, this meant that she needed to complete more questions.

Xue Yao followed behind her and tried to make references obliquely. “Could it be that your motive doesn’t lie in the Math Olympiad but in something else?”

Xue Xi turned a deaf ear to it and got in the car.

Xue Yao still wanted to speak, but she saw the girl leaning on the car window with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep. Her long lashes were curled upwards; her skin was fair, and her red lips were moist.

Xue Yao had a strong urge to destroy such beauty.

The car stopped in front of the provision store as usual and Xue Xi seemed to have slept enough. Just as she took her bag and was getting off, her cousin, who had resisted throughout the journey, mocked her again. “The Math Star Competition will be held in a few days’ time, and if you can’t get a good ranking, Old Liu will kick you out of the Olympiad class. Let me warn you, don’t dream about things that don’t belong to you!”

Xue Xi paused as she alighted and sighed helplessly.

This housefly is so annoying.

She slowly turned her head to look at Xue Yao and paused. “I remember that you’re joining the physics competition?”

There was a grip on Xue Yao’s heart as she became defensive. “What are you trying to say?”

Xue Xi retracted her gaze and became apathetic again. “Nothing much.”

She adjusted her fallen shoulder strap and walked toward the provision store, leaving Xue Yao confused and shocked in the car.

As she entered the store, Xiang Huai was already sitting beside the dining table.

The dining table was somewhat small and the stools were like the chair of the international school’s students. Sitting on it, Xiang Huai had nowhere to stretch his long legs. He could only rest them on the table legs, and his sharp brows appeared lazy.

When Xue Xi sat down, he picked up a bun, and that was when Canine Teeth dared to eat.

The three remained silent, and very soon, they finished their breakfast. As Lu Chao cleaned the table, he asked Xue Xi, “Hey, how did the fighting yesterday feel?”

Xue Xi looked at him for two seconds and answered, “Quite interesting.”

Lu Chao: “?”

She then said slowly, “I can fight more often next time.”

Lu Chao: “…”

Seeing Xue Xi looking at him, Lu Chao swung his slightly numb hands and swallowed his saliva. Quickly, he answered, “I still have things on and have no time to train with you!”

She felt somewhat disappointed. “…Oh.”

She then shot a glance at Xiang Huai.

The man leaned backward and raised his brow. He thought the little kid would invite him to train with her, but her eyes lingered on him for merely four or five seconds before she looked away.

Xiang Huai was taken aback. What does she mean?

Xue Xi had already made her comment internally about him. Too skinny and merely has a nice appearance. It’s better to fight it out with Canine Teeth.

She stood up and was preparing to go to school, but all of a sudden, she paused and said to Xiang Huai, “It’s the weekend tomorrow and I need to go to my grandpa’s house. What should I do?”

She could not possibly come to the provision store and meet him after coming back from her grandfather’s house.

If I do not meet him, will my heart hurt?

While she was deep in thought, the man chuckled in his charismatic voice. He slowly sat upright. “Little kid, do you have some kind of misunderstanding about being in love?”

Baffled, she looked at him. “…Mhm?”

Xiang Huai placed his hands on the dining table and his fingers crossed as he leaned forward. “If it’s inconvenient, we don’t have to meet every day. If you’re feeling unwell, you can think of me, and if it still doesn’t work, you can call me.”

Xue Xi’s eyes glowed. Does this mean that I don’t have to come here every day?

At the thought of it—

“Of course, since you pass by here every day on the way to school, if you pretend not to see me, that’s another issue.”

Xue Xi’s eyes, which had just lit up, dimmed again. “…Oh.”

Giving it a thought, she fished out her phone, which Xue Sheng had given her, from her bag. “What’s your phone number?”

After recording his phone number, she headed out. “I’m going to school.”

Xiang Huai: “?”

Logically speaking, after getting my number, shouldn’t she call me so that I can add her number too?

Why does my little kid not play according to logic?

…

After entering the school, she saw that people were giving her weird looks and hiding far away from her. She did not mind, but when she entered the classroom, the class became silent.

Everyone turned to look at her.

She continued to walk, and when she sat down, she heard others discussing.

“I heard Xue Xi offended Brother Chen for Qin Shuang’s sake…”

“She’s done!”

“She has harmed the Xue family terribly!”

Xue Xi placed her school bag down while feeling perplexed as to what had happened.

Right at this moment, Qin Shuang entered the classroom with a face full of makeup. Her steps were light as she placed her hands in her pocket and chewed gum. Approaching Xue Xi, she addressed her with admiration and happiness, “Sister Xi.”

“…”

Xue Xi looked up at her. Qin Shuang was unlike her dispirited and terrified self yesterday. Leaning on her table, she gave it a thought and said, “Sister Xi, actually, Brother Chen is not bad. He isn’t as unreasonable as what outsiders make of him.”

“…Oh.”

Qin Shuang knew Xue Xi’s personality well and did not mind her aloofness. She continued, “Sister Xi, when I saw your army boxing yesterday, I began questioning whether what the instructor taught us is fake during military training! How did you fight that way?”

Xue Xi thought about what Canine Teeth had said and replied seriously, “…By being swift, resolute, and accurate.”

Qin Shuang laughed instantly and acted out. “I got it. Only the fastest martial arts in the world can’t be beaten up!”

…And strength.

Xue Xi silently added on. Afterward, she stopped listening to her and focused on doing her Olympiad questions.

Time always passes quickly while studying, and before she knew it, two afternoon classes had passed.

Just as Xue Xi was about to go for Olympiad class, the students in the classroom drew back their breaths.

She lifted her head while feeling lost and saw a group of flashing, rampant redness.

That Brother Chen from last night was standing there and there was a look of impatience on his face. He was looking inside as though he was looking for someone.

Flame Number One was the first to spot Xue Xi, and he pointed at her and shouted, “Brother Chen, there!”

Instantly, Brother Chen, along with Flame Number One, Two, Three, and Four dashed into the room while Five, Six, and Seven stayed at the entrance.

They walked on the path and exuded a strong aura.

Brother Chen’s fierce look caused the students on both sides of the path to turn as pale as a sheet. They subconsciously moved aside and gave way.

As she sat in the first row, Xue Yao’s eyes lit up when she saw this!

He’s here! He’s here!

She knew that Gao Yanchen would definitely not let her off easily, and there he came.

However, to her surprise—

Chapter 20: It Turns Out to Be You.

Just as Xue Yao was waiting to see a joke, Gao Yanchen brought his subordinates reluctantly and they shouted in harmony, “Sister Xi!”

S-Sister Xi?

The whole classroom fell into pin-drop silence and nobody dared to breathe. Their gazes landed on Gao Yanchen and eventually fell on Xue Xi, who was sitting there quietly.

The girl sat there obediently and looked up at Gao Yanchen for two seconds before replying, “Oh.”

Gao Yanchen lifted his chin slightly and stared at Flame Number One. The latter immediately asked, “Sister Xi, we’ve finished the sixth period. Are there any arrangements next? Where are we going to play?”

Xue Xi had already packed her books as she stood up. She headed outside before replying casually, “…Math Olympiad class.”

Gao Yanchen: “??”

Flame Number One: “??”

Our Roaring Flame Society’s girl boss is going to participate in the Math Olympiad competition?

The group of Flames moved aside, and when Xue Xi passed by them, they followed behind her orderly. Gao Yanchen asked casually, “Class is so boring. Can you understand Math Olympiad classes?”

“…Manageable.”

Gao Yanchen thought he understood what she meant in a matter of seconds and continued to lift his chin. “Manageable means unmanageable. Then why are you attending the Math Olympiad class?”

“…To do assignments.”

“…” Gao Yanchen felt that the Roaring Flame Society had welcomed someone of another kind. Feeling indignant, he continued to ask, “What about after completing your assignments?”

She looked at him in confusion. “By the time I finish the assignments, it’s time to sleep. Could it be that you still have time?”

Every day, when she was doing her assignments, she felt that time was insufficient. She wished to break one second into two seconds and use them!

“…” Gao Yanchen was in a trance. He had never done any assignments!

Xue Xi continued walking, and all of a sudden, she seemed to have thought of something. She paused and turned around.

Gao Yanchen was in a daze and did not notice so he accidentally bumped into Xue Xi. By the time he could steady himself, he was inches away from her and could see the fine hairs on the girl’s perfect face.

He blushed instantly.

Sensing the heat rising to his face, he quickly lifted his head, and when he was about to say something, she spoke slowly. “Is your surname ‘Gao’?”

Gao Yanchen paused. “Ah… Correct!”

Xue Xi’s eyes went blank momentarily and it dawned upon her. “It turns out to be you!”

“Huh?”

Xue Xi retracted her gaze and continued walking forward. “They all said that I offended you.”

“Who the heck…?”

Swallowing his words, Gao Yanchen could not bear to speak profanities in front of her. He paused and explained, “You defeated me and I’ll listen to you. There’s no such thing as being offended.”

As they spoke, they arrived at a lecture theater. Xue Xi nodded at him. “I’m going to class.”

Carrying her books, she walked to the staircase.

As he looked at her thin silhouette entering the dilapidated academic building, his heart seemed to be suspended in the air and had no place to land for some unknown reasons.

He felt vexed somehow.

Seeing him standing in a daze, Flame Number One asked, “Brother Chen, are we going to play basketball?”

“Play your sister!” Gao Yanchen scolded irritably and kicked the ground. “I’m in no mood today, go home.”

…

When Xue Xi went upstairs, she bumped into her physics teacher, who was also the training instructor for the physics competition class.

She obediently greeted, “Hi, Ms. Sun.”

Ms. Sun smiled when she saw her and headed upstairs with her. When they got to the math classroom and Xue Xi was about to enter, Ms. Sun suddenly said, “Xue Xi.”

She paused in her footsteps and turned to look at her.

Ms. Sun smiled. “I heard that you didn’t do well in the Olympiad tests, so do you want to consider joining our Physics class?”

As she said that, Old Liu’s roars were heard. “Old Sun, it’s immoral to covet others behind people’s back. Xue Xi chose our Math Olympiad first!”

Xue Xi turned around and saw Old Liu coming from downstairs with Fan Han and Xue Yao.

Fan Han frowned and Xue Yao became agitated too. If Xue Xi had dared to agree earlier, she would have exploded.

Ms. Sun refused to admit herself outdone. “Isn’t she unsuitable for the Math Olympiad? She scored full marks for the physics exam too and it’s right for her to come to our physics class! Furthermore, Xue Xi needs to make the decision on her own and it’s her own will.”

Old Liu became anxious and looked at her. “What do you think of it?”

Xue Xi paused and said, “I won’t leave.”

Her assurance made Old Liu and Fan Han relieved.

Xue Yao was relieved as well, but she became lost afterward. Why was she so afraid of Xue Xi coming to the physics class?

Ms. Sun was pretty disappointed and sighed. “Seems like we’re not fated!”

As she said that, she was preparing to enter the physics classroom. When she took a step into the classroom, Xue Xi’s voice rang. “I can join the physics competition as well.”

Ms. Sun paused in her tracks and looked at her with glowing eyes. “Sure!”

Xue Yao’s heart was in her mouth as she balled her hands up into fists.

She looked at Xue Xi with discontentment and indignation as she said outrightly, “What joke are you cracking? Time is tight and you want to join two competitions?”

Old Liu disapproved as well. “That’s right, Xue Xi. You’ll be short on time and there might not be enough time to clarify the points.”

Xue Xi shot a glance at Xue Yao, who was all tense. As her eyes met the latter’s angry stare, she retracted her gaze apathetically. “It’s alright.”

Seeing her insistence, Old Liu and Ms. Sun discussed and decided that she would attend the Math Olympiad on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and the Physics one on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

…

…

Xue Sheng left work early and returned home. He took the tea leaves and wanted to visit the Gao family and sound them out.

As he was leaving, Old Lady Xue sat relaxedly on the sofa and derided him, “If I must say, you should bring Xue Xi there and apologize. It’s a matter between the children, so what’s the point of your going? Who in Bin City doesn’t know that Elder Gao spoils his grandson?”

Xue Sheng took a deep breath and suppressed his anger, keeping silent.

Old Lady Xue, however, took the gloves off. “Anyways, if we offended the Gao family because of Xue Xi, I’ll not let you off.”

Xue Sheng said dominantly, “Mom, if we really offended the Gao family because of Xixi, I’ll leave with Ye Li and her. Don’t worry, we’ll not implicate the Xue family.”

Without giving his mother a chance to speak, he left.

Thirty minutes later.

Xue Sheng stood outside of Gao family’s gate, and the manor’s tall walls kept him outside. The secretary was blocking him at the gate as well, but he spoke politely. “Mr. Xue, please head back. Elder Gao isn’t feeling well and shouldn’t be meeting guests.”

Xue Sheng asked, “When will be a good time?”

The secretary stood up straight and laughed. “This will depend on Elder Gao.”

He could not even enter the gate at all.

Furrowing his brows, he passed the tea to the secretary. “Then help me pass this to Elder Gao. This is just some tea…”

Looking at the gift in his hands, the secretary froze.

next: chapter 21-30 to be continued......

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