CH 9

It was an unexpected turn of events when Xi Ning found herself standing on the steps outside the side door of the stairs. The damp rain hit her face, and she felt a warm arm wrapped around her. The thin fabric pressed against her skin, spreading the warmth of the other person’s body. Her fingertips trembled, and her arm reflexively stiffened.

Xi Ning rarely had intimate physical contact with her female friends. She felt it was a bit unnatural, except when Tu Xiaoyuan would come over and hug her, which she would push away.

Holding the umbrella handle, Xi Ning turned her head and scanned the crowd behind her, but she didn’t see Xi Mu’s figure.

“What are you looking at?”

Her left shoulder sank slightly, and the warm breath hit her neck. The sweet voice carried a hint of cold fragrance and transmitted to Xi Ning’s sensory organs up close. She suddenly withdrew her gaze, her body almost reacting before her brain had a chance to process.

Kong Nianxi had just leaned her chin on Xi Ning’s shoulder and was thrown off balance the next second. She blinked, slightly stunned, and when she saw the unnatural tension on the other’s face, a smile curved at the corner of her lips.

“Xi Ning.”

Kong Nianxi looked up, her narrow eyes slightly upturned, and smiled with a hint of charm. “Do you not like me?”

The tone was light-hearted, but the content was direct and surprising.

To be honest, after having no communication since they were classmates, it was impossible to say that there was no hint of deliberate avoidance, but it wasn’t because of dislike.

Xi Ning was stunned for a moment, looking into Kong Nianxi’s direct gaze. She felt a sense of oppression and paused for two or three seconds before saying, “…how could that be.”

Kong Nianxi chuckled.

It was the expected response, and she deliberately asked the question with a few of her own thoughts.

To be honest, Xi Ning had a bit of resentment. Whether it was in the classroom or the dormitory, even if they happened to meet face to face, Xi Ning would ignore her, even though they knew each other’s names. It was as if the other person treated her like air, and over time, she developed a small temper and didn’t want to take the initiative to talk to her.

After all, she couldn’t just “lick” someone like that, especially not Kong Nianxi.

So, in a sense, the cup of milk tea on Sunday made her feel a little bit inflated.

“That’s good.” Kong Nianxi smiled and said, “Let’s go~”

This sentence reminded Xi Ning that she was only here to deliver an umbrella for someone else, but now…

Looking at the fine rain curtain in front of her, she pursed her lips and sighed after a moment, thinking to herself, “Okay,” and opened the umbrella with a “pop.”

The umbrella belonged to Xi Mu. It was all black, and when it was folded, it didn’t look like much, but when it was opened… it was clearly a small umbrella, enough for one person, but it was a bit cramped for two.

“…”

Xi Ning’s eye twitched, and she cursed him silently in her heart.

But to Kong Nianxi, this was another matter.

“It’s okay, we can get closer.”

The warm breath went straight to her eardrums, and as soon as she finished speaking, Xi Ning felt a soft force on her waist. Kong Nianxi openly leaned her chin on Xi Ning’s shoulder, took a step forward with her long legs, and led Xi Ning into the rain.

The raindrops fell continuously on the umbrella’s surface, making a “pop, pop” sound. Under the umbrella, it was quiet, so quiet that Xi Ning could hear her own irregular breathing.

Because Kong Nianxi was shorter than her, the two huddled under the small umbrella, and her chin naturally rested on Xi Ning’s shoulder. She held her from behind as they walked.

Along the way, Xi Ning felt strange, especially when Kong Nianxi’s breath brushed her ear. She felt like she was being tickled by feathers, and her heart fluttered. She attributed this to not having physical contact with friends for too long and not being used to intimate touches, causing her to have a stiff and tense reaction.

Kong Nianxi leaned on her shoulder, looking at Xi Ning’s suspiciously pink earlobe that she had coveted this morning. She slid her chin down the smooth uniform fabric to see her tight lip line, and her smile widened on her face. “Have you always liked using such a small umbrella, Xi student?”

There was a hint in her words, but Xi Ning clearly didn’t have the mind to ponder the deeper meaning. Of course, her umbrella wasn’t that small, and she didn’t know why Kong Nianxi, who was over 1.8 meters tall, would buy such an ill-fitting umbrella…

Wait.

She seemed to realize something belatedly.

Is this… the scheming of a straight guy?

Fortunately, the distance from the laboratory building to the second-year teaching building was not far, and they didn’t spend much time on the road. They walked up in silence and soon arrived at the classroom door.

“Ning Ning, come here quickly!”

As soon as Xi Ning entered the door, she saw Tu Xiaoyuan waving at her from the back row. The table was full of takeaway food, and Su Yuqi was also there, just missing her.

Xi Ning unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief and took a step toward them, but her sleeve was caught.

Turning around, she met Kong Nianxi’s gaze. Her eyes looked even longer when she didn’t smile, and her pupils were deep, with a hint of coldness.

Xi Ning thought she was seeing things, closed her eyes, and opened them again, only to see Kong Nianxi’s lips curled up, and she pointed to her right shoulder. “Your clothes are wet. Doesn’t it feel uncomfortable?”

Looking down, she saw that the hem of her uniform jacket and the shoulder had been splashed with raindrops, and the moisture seeped into the shirt underneath, sticking to her skin. She only realized how uncomfortable it was after she reminded her.

“Wait for me.”

Kong Nianxi let go of her sleeve and turned to her desk, taking out a neatly folded spare school uniform jacket from a bag on the desk. She folded it back and handed it to her. “I have a spare one. Change into it first.”

Xi Ning suddenly had an extra piece of clothing in her arms. A faint cold fragrance penetrated her nose, just like the scent on Kong Nianxi’s body. She was stunned for a moment, and then tried to return it, but she grabbed her wrist and pressed it back down.

Outside, the dark clouds were densely covered, and the heavy rain poured down. Even at noon, the lights in the classroom were on.

Kong Nianxi stood in place, his lips paler than in the morning. The light softened his features, making him look ethereal and pure.

Xi Ning was stuck in place with her wrist held, a little puzzled as she stared at the quiet girl in front of her. The next second, she saw her suddenly tip-toe forward—

The distance between the two instantly closed, and her delicate face suddenly approached. Xi Ning was startled, and her body subconsciously retreated. “Bang,” she hit the empty desk behind her.

“Ha ha…”

Kong Nianxi chuckled, and seeing her frightened expression, he suddenly became mischievous.

“Do you want me to help you change?”

As he reached out to tentatively touch her collar, Xi Ning grabbed his hand as expected.

The last class of the morning was a lab, and with heavy rain outside, many people had not brought an umbrella. As a result, only about half of the classroom was filled, and their quiet conversation was drowned out by the sound of the rain. Their movements drew extra attention.

Among girls, this sort of “ambiguous” play was commonplace, but the key was who was involved.

The gossiping students who thought Kong Nianxi was flirting with another girl didn’t care, but when they saw the person pinned to the desk, they were shocked and rubbed their eyes in disbelief.

Wait, is this really the study goddess who only focuses on problem-solving in their class of ruthless cultivators?

When did she get mixed up with the “demon of the mortal world”?

Caught off guard, Xi Ning was half-leaning on the desk, with no retreat. Inadvertently, she turned her head and saw a girl with eyes like copper bells staring at them from a row of seats opposite. She immediately felt uneasy and swept her gaze around, realizing that almost everyone in the classroom was curiously focused on them. Tu Xiaoyuan at the back even widened her mouth in surprise.

Xi Ning’s face grew hot, and she pushed the person on her with as little force as possible, quickly standing up and walking to the back row with her clothes. However, her slightly pink ears gave her away.

Kong Nianxi watched her leave with a smile before turning his gaze away.

After returning to her seat, Xi Ning took off her bag, which was not wet from the rain, and took out a folding umbrella, putting it back in her desk pocket.

After a while, the other students returned to the classroom, and the noise level rose again.

“Axi Axi, why did you suddenly send a message saying you were coming back early? Who kidnapped you?”

A few girls rushed in through the front door and sat down next to her.

Kong Nianxi put down his phone, picked up a pen, and thought for a moment before smiling knowingly. “Playing hard to get with someone.”

“Huh? What?”

“Nothing.”