Chapter 27: Nothing Can Be Done

Chapter 27

Lin ChuSui was lying in bed drawing circles, staring blankly at the ceiling.

She could never have imagined that Xiao Yan would actually fight, let alone that he could dig up all those unknown dark histories about Zhao Xiaolu.

The online forums were in an uproar tonight, with class chats and school groups all discussing the incident.

Zhao Xiaolu was completely done for.

Today Xiao Yan had even dragged Lin ChuSui to the teacher's office to apologize, but as soon as they turned around... he started gathering evidence against Zhao Xiaolu.

His scheming ran so deep, his methods so ruthless, it was unimaginable.

Lin ChuSui thought about what the gossip queen Zhang Cheng Yu had mentioned about Xiao Yan's past - how he had gambled his own life to set a fire that landed his foster father in jail.

This man... She had always taken him for a pure and innocent "little white rabbit", but it turned out he was the devil incarnate!

Lin ChuSui felt a little foolish. She had stood stupidly in front of him today, almost kneeling to Zhao Xiaolu, just to prevent these boys from bullying and beating him.

A man like Xiao Yan could never be bullied by anyone.

[Nancheng No.1 High School Belle Chat]

Lin ChuSui recounted the incident to her friends.

Lu Chi: "It was actually done by Xiao Yan? I thought Zhao Xiaolu had provoked some mortal enemy! What massive grudge could spur this?"

Zhang Cheng Yu: "No grudge or enmity, just because she set up your little sister, and she happens to be ChuSui's only bestie."

Lu Chi: "I'll haul the civil affairs bureau over and have you two married on the spot!"

Lin ChuSui: "He did all this for me?"

Lu Chi: "For who else? Me?"

Lin ChuSui wasn't sure. She felt like a man like Xiao Yan was worlds apart from her. If they hadn't coincidentally become deskmates, the trajectories of their lives... would never have crossed.

He was smart, handsome, and could easily attract a flock of admirers with a snap of his fingers.

Since Elder Lin had left, Lin ChuSui's confidence had mostly dissipated.

She really didn't know what Xiao Yan could possibly like about her.

Lin ChuSui: "I feel like he has some ulterior motive with me."

Xu JiaNing: "A guy who scores 9/10 in maths, what could he be plotting against you - your bad temper or failing grades?"

Lin ChuSui: "I'll have you know my last test score was 57, thank you."

Xu JiaNing: "You're proud of 57 points?"

Lin ChuSui: "One person scored 147, another 150. The 3 point gap between geniuses and gods is the distance between heaven and earth, fish and birds."

Xu JiaNing's sore spot was poked right on, making him snap irritably: "Punk!"

Lin ChuSui: "Somebody's mad now."

Xu JiaNing sent an emoji of "Go crawl away", and exited the chat.

Not two minutes later, Lu TianBai added him right back in, and privately messaged Lin ChuSui:

"Sis, please, I'm begging you! "

Lin ChuSui: "Alright, alright, I won't provoke him anymore."

...

She backtracked and sent Xiao Yan a WeChat: "Forgot to ask, were you injured from the fight today?"

Right after sending, she quickly unsent it.

Why was she inexplicably concerned about him!

But at the same moment of her unsend, Xiao Yan's reply came through: "No."

Two seconds later, he also chose to unsend it.

Even just chatting via text, Lin ChuSui could still feel a certain indescribable awkwardness.

After a while, she asked: "What did you unsend?"

Xiao Yan: "Then what did you unsend?"

Lin ChuSui: "I wanted to ask you to let me copy your math homework, but figured you definitely wouldn't, so asking was pointless. That's what I unsent."

Xiao Yan: "What I unsent was the math homework."

"..."

Lin ChuSui: "Then would you mind resending it?"

Xiao Yan: "I would."

Lin ChuSui: "Nevermind then. "

A few minutes later, Xiao Yan added: "To avoid a beating, you'd kneel and apologize to someone? I thought you weren't the compromising type."

Lin ChuSui: "I did it so a certain someone wouldn't get beaten, okay! "

Xiao Yan: "I know."

Suddenly the atmosphere turned somewhat strange and awkward. Lin ChuSui's cheeks flushed red, and she went to sit by the bay window, letting the breeze blow in and lightly caress her face.

It had rained, and the wind carried specks of raindrops.

A few minutes later, Xiao Yan sent over several pictures in succession. When Lin ChuSui opened the originals, they were the answers to the math homework.

"?"

Xiao Yan: "Repaying my debt."

Lin ChuSui put on an act, politely declining: "Oh no, don't worry about it. No debts here - we're deskmates, it's only right for me to protect you. I'm just that righteous and noble deskmate."

[Xiao Yan unsent an image.]

Lin ChuSui: "Thank you sir! I wish you great fortune and longevity!"

She then quickly saved the remaining homework pics:

"Don't unsend! Don't do it! I kneel to you sir!"

...

That night however, it was Xiao Yan who couldn't sleep.

It had been a long time since he last suffered insomnia, after sending his foster father to jail and gradually emerging from the gloom of his youth. He had new goals then, and his life also began brightening. He never had insomnia again after that.

But tonight was one of restless tossing and turning.

That 30% progress bar contained the sincerity of the little girl's heart that remained unclear to him.

The faster the progress bar ran, the more complicated his feelings grew.

Xu Jia Ning felt his wallet and pulled out a ¥100 bill for her.

"Only 100 yuan. I can only stay at an internet cafe for the night..."

"I don't care where you go."

Xu Jia Ning said lightly and then pedaled away slowly at sunset.

Lin ChuSui tilted her head and uncertainly asked him, "We're enemies, right?"

Xu Jia Ning said, "Yes."

"Then why did you report secrets to the enemy?"

"Because I was bored."

Lin ChuSui smiled lightly. "I feel you're not as annoying as the first time we met."

"The first time we met, you snatched my drink. Who was more annoying?"

"But you were badmouthing me on the phone to someone else."

"You stuck gum on my bike!"

"You always looked at me with disdain and contempt."

Xu Jia Ning lazily said, "I always look like this. It's not specifically aimed at you."

Lin ChuSui pouted. "Brother, there's always a higher mountain. Don't be so arrogant. Like on the last math test, the study master got 150, but you only got 147..."

Xu Jia Ning lowered his voice and interrupted her, "If you bring that up again, I’ll kick you off the bike."

Lin ChuSui burst out laughing. Her tinkling laughter accompanied them down the road.

The corner of Xu Jia Ning's mouth also involuntarily curved up slightly.

...

When they passed the bar street, Lin ChuSui saw a girl on the street who looked a little familiar.

She was tall and thin, wearing a sexy grey strappy dress that clung to her body. The hem wrapped around her butt and revealed a pair of long, fair legs.

She seemed to be drunk, holding high heels in one hand and a small bag in the other, staggering down the street.

With such a good figure, slender waist and long legs, anyone passing by would find it hard not to let their gaze linger on her.

Lin ChuSui stared at her for a while, then called out in surprise, "Sister Xiao!"

Xiao Qian looked back and saw Lin ChuSui. Her narrow, phoenix eyes lifted up. "Oh, little Chu."

Xu Jia Ning saw she had met an acquaintance, so he pressed the brake and put one foot down to stop next to Xiao Qian.

"Sister, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Qian was drunk and leaning against a lamppost. "No night class today. I came out for a drink. Don't... tell my brother. He doesn't let me drink..."

"Okay, I won't say anything."

From Xu Jia Ning's position on the bike, his line of sight happened to fall right on the fair and perky cleavage of the tall woman. He then unnaturally averted his gaze.

"Lin ChuSui, she's your friend?"

Lin ChuSui supported the swaying Xiao Qian and explained, "She's Xiao Yan's sister."

Xiao Qian also saw Xu Jia Ning. Her rosy lips curved up even more. She patted his head, "Oh, this little brother is so handsome! Even more so than my brother."

Lin ChuSui said, "Sister Xiao, are you seeing things?"

Xu Jia Ning could compare with Xiao Yan?

Xiao Qian's slender fingers came down and pinched Xu Jia Ning's chin, gently lifting it up. "Mm, more good-looking than my brother."

The faint floral scent from her fair, delicate wrist made Xu Jia Ning's heart beat erratically. And this provocative gesture made even his earlobes turn red―

"Don't... touch me."

Xu Jia Ning awkwardly turned his head away from her hand.

A boy his age was most susceptible to teasing, especially by a ripe, translucent woman like Xiao Qian.

"Are you little Chu's boyfriend?" Xiao Qian hugged Lin ChuSui's shoulder and joked, "That won't do. Little Chu is ours!"

Xu Jia Ning immediately explained, "I'm her brother."

Xiao Qian's brows arched like the moon, frowning and smiling coquettishly. "That's good then."

"Sister Xiao, let me take you home. It's dangerous for you to be out here alone like this."

"Okay, I was about to call a... a car to go home anyway."

"Xu Jia Ning, go on ahead yourself. I'll take Sister Xiao home."

Xu Jia Ning couldn't help but glance at Xiao Qian again. On impulse he said, "She's drunk like this, she'll throw up in a taxi."

"Huh?"

"I can give her a ride."

"What???"

Lin ChuSui was dumbfounded. When did fake gentleman Xu Jia Ning become a real gentleman?

Xu Jia Ning calmly said to Xiao Qian, "Riding a bike, you can also sober up from the wind. What do you think?"

"I want to feel the wind." Xiao Qian sat on the back of Xu Jia Ning's bike, babbling drunkenly, "This brother is more considerate than Brother Yan! Sister likes you!"

The corner of Xu Jia Ning's mouth subtly pressed together. After she was seated steadily, he pedaled the bike and set off―

"Don't move, don't fall."

"Hm?"

"Just... be careful not to fall."

"Haha."

Xiao Qian laughed heartily, throwing open both arms and suddenly bear hugged Xu Jia Ning tightly around the waist. "Like this I won't fall!"

Lin ChuSui was going to do a warm up jog for the marathon anyway, so she simply chased after them.

She tilted her head and saw Xiao Qian clinging tightly to Xu Jia Ning, pressed right up against him. And she was wearing a sexy little strappy dress too.

Xu Jia Ning's face was as red as a boiler, as if it was about to start steaming.

Lin Chu Sui worriedly shouted, "Sister! Don't let him take advantage of you!"

Xiao Qian was completely oblivious, blinking sleepily at Lin Chu Sui: "Little Chu Sui, you run so fast, you'll definitely get first place in the marathon!"

"Sister, you... Oh, don't hug him."

"Let go, let go! Xu Jia Ning, you scoundrel!"

Xu Jia Ning silently quickened his pedaling pace, leaving Lin Chu Sui behind.