CH 20

As if the pause button was pressed, the class instantly quieted down. The students who were able to snatch the lotion and the students who were about to, all immediately withdrew their hands, and returned to their seats.

Yang Tong stuffed the remaining 8 bottles of skincare lotion into the desk while his mouth was busy cursing his classmates in whispers.

Ruan Yingyin remembered how she lost an earring the previous day and had to bury the rest of the five earrings under the tree outside the equipment room. She lowered her head and hid herself behind a thick pile of books. Opening a book, she began to carefully memorise the words, not wanting to see Jiang Xingyuan’s face.

Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes fell on the pile of books that was towering over between him and Ruan Yingyin.

Just last week, there were no books piled up on the desk. Ruan Yingyin always kept her books in the drawer. She would bring them out only when she needed it in the class. Even so, she would always place them in the left corner of the desk.

But today, Ruan Yingyin moved all the books out of the drawer, and put them on the right corner of the desk, to the left of Jiang Xingyuan and just between the two of them.

The pile of books were stacked high, Ruan Yingyin was almost hidden in the pile of books. Jiang Xingyuan sat down, when he looked beside, his line of sight was blocked by the book. It was as if she was invisible.

Only when he leaned back could he see the side of her face memorising seriously.

Jiang Xingyuan crossed his hands around his chest. Placing one foot under the desk, he looked at Ruan Yingyin’s side profile as the corners of his mouth lifted in a sneer.

Did she really think just this small pile of book can stop him? Although the nature of Ruan Yingyin is different in this life, she was still the same stupid as before.

He put his feet down, sat up straight and picked up the math book at the top of Ruan Yingyin’s pile. Opening the book, he rolled it up, poked Yang Tong with it before asking: “What was all the fuss for?”

Yang Tong turned around. Because he and Cheng Yang had a good relationship, sometimes he would communicate with Jiang Xingyuan.

In the entire sophomore year of class six, Yang Tong was considered one of the few people who can exchange a few words with Jiang Xingyuan.

He took out one of the bottles of lotion and showed it to Jiang Xingyuan: “It’s a lotion we saw saw on the forum last week.”

“Lotion?” Jiang Xingyuan repeated. Taking the bottle that didn’t even have a logo, but looked very delicate in a glass bottle.

He shook the bottle, and looked at the transparent crystal liquid inside. A trace light crossed his eyes as he asked, “A bottle of lotion with nothing special in it. And you guys are making a fuss for it?”

Yang Tong hurriedly replied, “Brother Yuan, I also tried it with taking a dead horse as a living horse* mentality. But its effect is really good.”

[T/N: Taking a dead horse as a living horse (死馬當活馬醫) resorting to a last effort in a hopeless situation.]

Jiang Xingyuan looked at Yang Tong’s face and raised his eyebrows, “How long have you been using it?”

Yang Tong thought before replying: “Last Friday. I used it only for a few days, but I think my skin condition is much better!”

Jiang Xingyuan played with the bottle of lotion.

The bottle was flipped over and over again in his hand.

Jiang Xingyuan’s ten fingers are long and slender, so the lotion in his hand that was reflected in the sunlight looked even brighter.

He looked down and thought of the recent best selling lotion of Ruan Group.

In the end, he stuffed the lotion into his trouser pocket and said, “Yang Tong, tell me if its effect is good after using it. I want to try it too.”

Yang Tong gave Jiang Xingyuan a look.

Jiang Xingyuan occasionally plays with Cheng Yang and them, so his skin is not as white as the geek like Lin Meng, but a healthy tan.

This is the most wanted skin for boys, Yang Tong has envied him for a long time.

He wants to be white, but not to be as white as a little white face*. Jiang Xingyuan’s healthy complexion is his lifelong pursuit.

[T/N: Little white face (白脸) means kept man/ male pet/ male mistress (?)]

But listening to Jiang Xingyuan, and hearing that he still isn’t satisfied with his own skin colour, Yang Tong couldn’t help but wonder, he still wants to be fairer?

He didn’t expect that Jiang Xingyuan, whose one word was law, had the hope of being fairer in his heart.

People really are unsatisfied animals.

Yang Tong had a lot of questions but he still nodded respectfully.

Jiang Xingyuan leaned back in his chair and took out his cell phone. Crossing his legs, he tapped the screen to see the situation of the stock market.

At the other side of the pile of books, Ruan Yingyin was carefully memorising the literary text. But hearing Jiang Xingyuan and Yang Tong discussing her lotion, she became a little distracted.

Why did he want her lotion? What does he want to do with the lotion?

And why did he poke Yang Tong with her math book?

Ruan Yingyin looked at her own pile of books and at the math book on the top that was casually thrown by Jiang Xingyuan. Because Jiang Xingyuan had rolled it to poke Yang Tong, the corner of the book was crooked up.

In the neat pile of books, this crooked math book looked particularly obtrusive.

Ruan Yingyin felt uncomfortable, gritting her teeth, she reached out and picked up the math book from the top of the pile.

She used her fingers to flatten the corners of the book and smoothen it out.

Fortunately, Jiang Xingyuan just rolled the book for a moment, so the corners were easily flattened.

So with Ruan Yingyin’s efforts, the math book finally returned to its original appearance.

Seeing the book back to its appearance, she felt comfortable and put the math book neatly on top of the pile again.

Then she continued to memorise the words carefully.

Jiang Xingyuan, who was holding his phone, noticed Ruan Yingyin’s movement of taking down her math book and smoothering it.

He watched from the side with an impish smile in his eyes.

It seems the Ruan Yingyin of this life still has OCD.

He put down his leg, sat up straight, and pushed his hand toward the pile of books.

The original neat and tidy books became crooked and messy in an instant.

Ruan Yingyin froze for a moment, she raised her head, stared at the pile of books for a moment, and silently reached out her hand to push the books back neatly, forming a straight line again.

Jiang Xingyuan’s smile deepened, and the phone in his hand spun around a few times.

He picked up the phone and used it to poke the books again.

Ruan Yingyin’s hand holding the textbook tightened. She gritted her teeth and decided that she wouldn’t pay any attention to him.

Anyway, the book was just messed up, but it didn’t fall down.

But the messed up book seemed to have taken root in her heart. She couldn’t even memorise the words no matter how much she tried.

Ruan Yingyin was angry, she neatly piled up the books again, before poking her head out from the pile and asking Jiang Xingyuan who was typing on his phone with his head down, “Classmate Jiang, can you please not touch my books?”

Jiang Xingyuan did not even raise his head: “When did I?”

Ruan Yingyin nodded, and then went back to memorise the words.

Just a few minutes later, she found that Jiang Xingyuan’s big hand pushed the pile of books and messed them up again.

Ruan Yingyin couldn’t stand it anymore and put the books back into the drawer.

Jiang Xingyuan lowered his head as a smirk emerged on his lips.

****

The bell rang and the last class of the morning ended.

Ruan Yingyin put her books away, fished out a lollipop from her pocket, tore the wrapper off intact and put it in her mouth.

She took her umbrella and stood up to go to the cafeteria for lunch.

But at that time, Jiang Xingyuan reached over and pressed his hand on Ruan Yingyin’s shoulder, pushing Ruan Yingyin back to her seat.

Ruan Yingyin’s action of biting the lollipop stopped. Her clear black eyes looked at Jiang Xingyuan but didn’t speak.

Jiang Xingyuan does hit women. It was written in the book.

In the book, Ruan Yingyin didn’t know his evil mind, provoked Jiang Xingyuan, and then was slapped by him right on the face.

The class just ended, so Jiang Xingyuan’s actions attracted many people around the line of sight.

Yang Tong, Lin Meng, Li Tong and Cui Qingyan were sitting in their seats without leaving. They were nervously looking at Jiang Xingyuan and Ruan Yingyin, these two individuals.

They were naturally worried about Ruan Yingyin, not Jiang Xingyyuan.

Previously because of Jiang Xingyuan, they didn’t dare to care about Ruan Yingyin. But because of the lotion, they exchanged a few words of communication with Ruan Yingyin these days.

Ruan Yingyin is a beautiful and well-behaved girl, with a pretty smile.

They don’t want to see Ruan Yingyin being beaten by Jiang Xingyuan.

Jiang Xingyuan’s eyes skimmed over the faces of the four people in the front row, then landed on Ruan Yingyin’s face.

Although she looked calm, her tightly pursed lips represented that she was scared.

It’s natural to be afraid.

Jiang Xingyuan liked to see this kind of fearful look the most, he leaned over and extended his hand.

Ruan Yingyin subconsciously closed her eyes and her body shrunk inward.

Jiang Xingyuan snorted, stuffing his hand into the pocket of Ruan Yingyin’s school uniform, his fingers explored the bags of snacks and gave a surprise look at Ruan Yingyin.

He didn’t expect her to have so many snacks in her pocket. He roughly wandered his hand inside, there were about five candies, and three bags of other snacks.

After the end of every class, Ruan Yingyin will take out the packet of snacks from her pocket, and then hide in her place to eat secretly.

The way she eats is really like the hamster he raised as a child.

For some reason, ever since he associated with Ruan Yingyin that night, he felt that she looked a lot like a hamster.

Jiang Xingyuan pulled out all the snacks from Ruan Yingyin’s pocket.

Two lollipops, three fruit candies, a small packet of melon seeds, a small packet of peanuts, and a small packet of dried fish.

He spilled these snacks on his table, took a lollipop with the same flavor as the one in Ruan Yingyin’s mouth, ripped it open roughly and popped into his mouth.

Ruan Yingyin froze during the series of action and didn’t react in time. Looking at the lollipop in his mouth, her hand subconsciously reached over to take it out but paused midway in fear.

“Not bad.” Jiang Xingyuan gave her a look of appreciation.

Then he got up, grabbed the rest of the snacks from the table, and walked towards the front.

He threw the melon seeds, peanuts and dried fish to Yang Tong and Lin Meng, and threw the other four candies to Li Tong and Cui Qingyan.

Jiang Xingyuan looked at Ruan Yingyin who was sitting in her seat frozen in shock like a piece of rock. His eyes roamed on the people with the snacks, and smiled cheerfully, “Please eat, don’t need to hesitate.”

After saying that, he stuffed his hands into his pocket. Biting the lollipop, he took a big stride out of the classroom door.

Yang Tong, Lin Meng, Li Tong and Cui Qingyan looked at the snacks on their desks, then at Ruan Yingyin whose eyes were slightly red and almost on the verge of tears.

Cui Qingyan whispered, “Yin Yin, are you okay? I will return the snacks to you.”

Ruan Yingyin bit her lips and stood up with the umbrella. Oh, how much she wanted to say yes.

But all four of them were classmates who showed kindness to her, and she didn’t want to be so petty.

The snacks were already in their hands, how rude it would be of her to take them back.

She has plenty of snacks at home, it’s okay.

Yes, it’s okay! She’s not heartbroken, she’s not upset.

She shook her head, smiled reluctantly and said, “It’s okay, please eat, I’ll leave then.”

After saying that, she left the classroom lost in thought.

What should she do now? All the snacks in her right pocket were robbed by Jiang Xingyuan.