“What did you call me over for if it was nothing?” Chu Qing raised a brow.
The corner of Qi Muyang’s mouth twitched. He said impatiently, “I said it was nothing, so it’s nothing. Do you not understand human language?”
Chu Qing glanced at him as if looking at an idiot, took the yoghurt from her pocket, bit it open, and walked toward the dorm while drinking it. Bad Monkey had already limped away long ago. The remaining five or six boys stood there stiffly, frozen in their original postures even after her figure disappeared into the dorm building.
“I remember Bad Monkey trained in sprinting, right? Although he looks like a monkey, his explosive power isn’t bad at all. How did he just…” a fair, clean-looking boy murmured blankly, as if he still had not recovered from the shock.
The others were not much better. Qi Muyang swept a glance over them, feeling faintly irritated. He turned and walked back the way they had come. The treacherous minister and the others quickly followed. Once the shock faded, only excitement over discovering a strange new person remained, and they discussed Chu Qing more enthusiastically than the last.
“Did you see that just now? Chu Qing took Bad Monkey down in less than three seconds, right? I hadn’t even reacted before he was already being beaten. Those moves looked simple, but you couldn’t pull them off without at least three to five years of training.”
“Three to five years isn’t enough. With that kind of skill, she must have trained since childhood. You really can’t tell. She’s so small and thin, but her explosive power is that strong. Even though I’m much taller than her, I probably wouldn’t be her match.”
“Come on, the way she dealt with Bad Monkey, forget you—even Boss might…”
“What about me?” Qi Muyang looked coldly at the person speaking.
Realising he had misspoken, the person quickly made a begging gesture and awkwardly fell silent.
“Fuck…” Qi Muyang grew even more irritated. He kicked a pebble on the road and strode alone toward the classroom.
The others exchanged glances. After a long while, someone whispered, “Why is Boss angry again?”
“Because you lot talk too much.” The treacherous minister snapped at them, then jogged after him.
As soon as the two of them left, the atmosphere among the remaining boys was no longer as lively as before. They returned to the place where they had been eating. Just as they picked up their chopsticks again, the round-faced chubby boy slapped his thigh. “I know why Boss is angry!”
“Why?” someone immediately asked.
The chubby boy smiled smugly. “Boss probably likes Chu Qing. He originally wanted to heroically save the beauty and leave a good impression on her. Who knew she could fight even better than him? He didn’t get to show off in front of the girl he likes, so of course he’s unhappy.”
“No way. Boss listens to his mum the most. His mum doesn’t allow him to date in high school,” someone questioned.
The chubby boy scoffed. “Can you stop love when it arrives? Chen Xiu, you understand Boss the best. Tell us, isn’t Boss acting very special toward Chu Qing?”
The person he named was the fair, clean-looking boy who had spoken first earlier. He had been in the same class as Qi Muyang since middle school, so he could be considered the person among them who understood Qi Muyang best.
As soon as Chen Xiu was named, everyone fell silent. He pushed up his glasses, thought for a moment, then said, “Boss is indeed quite special toward Chu Qing, but…”
But what came after no longer mattered. His brainless friends had already decided that Qi Muyang liked Chu Qing, and no one listened to the rest of his words.
On the other side, the treacherous minister jogged all the way and finally caught up to Qi Muyang at the supermarket entrance. Panting, he asked, “Boss, are you unhappy because they were talking nonsense? I’m telling you, don’t take it to heart. What do they know? My boss is the best fighter among all the high schools in City A. How could you possibly lose to some little girl?”
“I’m not angry because of that,” Qi Muyang said impatiently.
The treacherous minister froze. “Then why?”
“The moves she used just now—I saw my mum use them when I was little to beat up someone who tried to rob us on the road.” The more Qi Muyang spoke about it, the more anger seemed to pour out of every pore. “I always wanted to learn back then, but my mum never taught me. She said she was too busy and had no time. Now it looks like she wasn’t too busy. She just didn’t want to teach me.”
The treacherous minister opened his mouth. Other than feeling sympathy for him, he truly could not say a single word. Although his boss behaved wildly at school and had a temper like dry firewood, igniting at the slightest spark, at home, he was truly a model baby. The person he loved most was his mum.
And now he had discovered that his mum not only had an illegitimate daughter, but had also treated that illegitimate daughter extremely well. His mentality was probably about to explode.
“Forget it. The more I think about it, the more annoying it gets. I won’t think about it.” Qi Muyang casually raked a hand through his hair, and his colourful turkey feathers instantly turned into a chicken nest. “Come on, I’ll treat you to drinks.”
“Boss is mighty!” The treacherous minister immediately followed him into the supermarket happily.
As soon as Qi Muyang entered, he directly asked the cashier for a plastic bag, opened the nearby fridge, and started stuffing drinks into it.
Seeing him put in so many, the treacherous minister knew he was also buying for the others and was instantly moved. Although his boss had a bad temper, he was generous and loyal. Even though they had just annoyed him, he had not forgotten their share.
The afternoon sun was at its most poisonous, and the entire earth seemed as if it had been roasted. If one could drink an ice-cold beverage at a time like this and feel the chill travel from the lips and tongue to the throat, then all the way down to the stomach, what a pleasant thing that would be.
When Chu Qing woke up from her nap and hurried to the classroom, she passed the supermarket and glanced inside. Thinking of the tiny amount of money she could spend, she gritted her teeth and still did not go in, heading straight to class instead.
Today was the first day of the new semester. All the teachers had gone to a meeting in the morning, so the entire first half of the day had been self-study. In the afternoon, classes officially began according to the timetable.
It was still lunchtime, and there were more than ten minutes before the first class began. When Chu Qing entered the classroom, most students had already arrived. The classroom was as noisy as a marketplace. Qi Weichen sat quietly among them, making it so that anyone looking over would only notice him at first glance.
Perhaps because his aura was too strong, the seat beside him had remained empty the whole time, and no one really came up to chat with him. Although they were clearly in the same classroom, he seemed to carry his own shielding device, completely out of place among everyone else… Mm, his usual behaviour.
Remembering how he used to ignore everyone in class, Chu Qing could not help clicking her tongue. Just then, Qi Weichen looked over, and she unexpectedly met his gaze. Caught sneaking a look, Chu Qing coughed awkwardly and walked straight past him, going directly to the last row. She said to Qi Muyang, who was sitting on the outside, “Move.”
At this point, the classroom seating arrangement had to be mentioned. There were seven rows and four vertical columns of seats. Each vertical column consisted of two desks side by side, with aisles between the columns. If the column closest to the door and corridor was the first column, then Chu Qing’s seat was in the last row of the fourth column against the wall, commonly known as the corner.
For an underachiever, this was truly an excellent seat. Not only was there no aisle outside the wall on her side, so she could not be suddenly ambushed, but there was also a deskmate beside her acting as a natural shield. She could do whatever she wanted there. The only downside was that every time she went in or out, her deskmate had to move to make way for her.
Because the seat-grabbing incident that morning had been very unpleasant, Chu Qing had already prepared herself to beat the turkey chick until he cried before going in. Who knew that Qi Muyang merely looked at her with complicated eyes, then coldly moved aside for her. Chu Qing paused, feeling that his gaze toward her seemed full of… jealousy?
She sat down in her seat suspiciously. As soon as she did, Qi Muyang’s little group of friends came in. The treacherous minister, separated from Qi Muyang by one aisle, immediately called out, “Hurry over! Boss bought drinks for you all!”
“Yo-ho! Thanks, Boss!”
“Thanks, Boss!”
The group ran in chattering, making the already noisy marketplace even livelier.
Chu Qing, who had just painfully given up on buying a drink because of poverty, saw the treacherous minister magically pull a huge plastic bag of drinks from under the desk. A trace of envy appeared in her eyes. When Qi Muyang turned his head, he saw her staring longingly at the plastic bag with eyes exactly like his mother’s.
His heart uncontrollably softened for one second. But then he thought of the fighting skills that made his teeth itch, and he immediately snapped at her with a terrible attitude. “What are you looking at?”
Chu Qing glanced sideways at him and silently turned her head back. Qi Muyang had thought she would snap back, but unexpectedly, she simply turned away, making it seem as if he had bullied her.
He felt an indescribable awkwardness inside. Just as he was about to grow gloomy, the treacherous minister beside him shook the plastic bag. “Boss, looks like we bought one extra bottle.”
“Give it to me! I can drink two!” The chubby boy immediately went to snatch it.
Qi Muyang’s hand moved faster than his brain. By the time he reacted, he had already snatched the last bottle and tossed it onto Chu Qing’s desk. Chu Qing looked at the extra drink in front of her, fell silent for a moment, then looked at him. “Don’t go too far. I’m already ignoring you, so why are you still provoking me?”
“Who’s provoking you? I’m treating you!” Qi Muyang said impatiently.
Chu Qing raised a brow. “Treating me?”
“If you don’t want it, give it back!” After saying this, Qi Muyang reached to grab it.
Chu Qing quickly picked up the drink, twisted it open, and took a sip. “I’ve already drunk it. Are you going to snatch it back and drink it?”
“Who wants to drink your leftovers?” Qi Muyang scoffed, withdrawing the hand that had never truly intended to snatch it back.
Having drunk the ice-cold drink she wanted, Chu Qing’s mood improved a lot. She was also more willing to properly look at these little delinquents scattered evenly around her. The chubby boy had not managed to grab the last drink and seemed a little gloomy, so the turkey chick immediately threw his identity card to him. “Go buy some.”
“Thanks, Boss!” The chubby boy’s face instantly lit up. A few others echoed him, and they went off to the supermarket in groups.
Seeing how generous Qi Muyang was, Chu Qing was instantly a little surprised. “How much living money do you get each month?”
“Why are you asking that?” Qi Muyang looked at her warily.
Chu Qing shrugged. “Just curious. Forget it if you don’t want to say.”
“Two thousand. What about you?” Qi Muyang narrowed his eyes.
For some unknown reason, Chu Qing suddenly had the feeling that if she had more than him, he would kill her. Driving away this inexplicable thought, she said quite honestly, “One thousand.”
Hearing that it was half as much as his, Qi Muyang immediately felt comfortable. Before he could speak, he heard her add, “For a year.”
Qi Muyang froze. Then his brows furrowed sharply. “What nonsense are you talking about? Less than a hundred a month, and you still eat grilled sausages?!”
“…If it’s less than a hundred, I can’t eat grilled sausages? What kind of logic is that?” Chu Qing looked at him speechlessly. “Can’t I work part-time to earn living expenses? Do I have to stay that poor?”
Qi Muyang stared at her for a long while, his frown never relaxing. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. Since I was little, my mum has always told me that children from poor families become responsible early.” Chu Qing casually spouted nonsense.
However, when these words reached Qi Muyang’s ears, they took on another meaning. Although he had been a little jealous of Chu Qing earlier, now he felt a subtle sense of superiority. After all, his mum was super generous to him. His habit of spending money as if it were nothing had been spoiled into him by his mother.
After discussing living expenses with him, Chu Qing began sipping her drink in small mouthfuls. She had not brought tissues, and class was about to start soon. She was afraid that if the drink spilled on her, it would become sticky, and she would have no way to clean it up. So she drank especially carefully. But in Qi Muyang’s eyes, this scene became proof that the drink was a luxury to her, so every sip had to be savoured.
…What was the use of learning so many fighting techniques? She couldn’t even afford a bottle of drink. Qi Muyang glanced at her face, which bore some resemblance to his own, and awkwardly pushed his unopened drink toward her.
Chu Qing was silent for a moment. “What are you doing?”
“Take it and drink it.” Qi Muyang looked impatient, but his ears gradually turned red.
Chu Qing: “…Did you take the wrong medicine?” Why was he suddenly being so nice?
“Do you want it or not? If you don’t, I’ll throw it away,” Qi Muyang said fiercely.
Only an idiot would refuse. Chu Qing immediately stuffed the drink into her desk compartment. Qi Muyang kept a tense face. “Why aren’t you drinking it?”
“I’ll take it back to the dorm and drink it tonight.” If she could finish the bottle in her hand, that would already be good. Why open another one?
…It was just one bottle of drink. Did she have to cherish it like this? Qi Muyang instantly grew irritable. “Drink it! I’ll buy you another box tonight and send it straight to your dorm so you can drink as much as you want!”
Chu Qing: “…” Did this person have some kind of illness?
Realising that his reaction had been too much, Qi Muyang restrained himself and looked away with a stiff face. “Forget it. Tell me when you want to drink, and I’ll buy it for you.”
The corner of Chu Qing’s mouth twitched. She was now certain he really did have some kind of illness.
Qi Muyang sat there alone with complicated feelings for a long while. Then he saw Qi Weichen’s straight back in front of him and suddenly became curious about how much money his half-brother from his father’s side had per month. His mother was such a generous person, yet she was this harsh toward her illegitimate daughter. His father was an emotionless machine, so wouldn’t he abuse his illegitimate son to death?
Thinking this, Qi Muyang began itching to get his hands on the identity card of Qi Weichen in the front row.
For two consecutive classes, he kept staring at Qi Weichen. As his deskmate, it was hard for Chu Qing not to notice. During the long break after the second class, she said coolly, “Hey, I don’t care about other people, but you can’t touch him.”
“You two are close?” Qi Muyang glanced at her.
Chu Qing narrowed her eyes. “Very close. We used to be in the same class. What about it?”
Qi Muyang paused and began studying her again. After looking for a while, he was certain that she probably did not know the relationship between the three of them. The only question was whether Qi Weichen knew.
“I’m not interested in him. I just want to know how much money is in his identity card,” Qi Muyang said, glancing sideways at her.
Chu Qing raised a brow. “What, are you going to rob him?”
“I get two thousand a month. Do I need to rob him?” Qi Muyang was extremely disdainful. “I’m just curious.”
After spending half a day together, Chu Qing also felt that although the turkey chick was a little arrogant, he definitely was not someone with bad character… Mm, actually, she was also quite curious about how much money Qi Weichen had.
Qi Muyang saw through her little thoughts at a glance. With a scoff, he slammed the table and stood up. “Wait here. I’ll get him to treat us to the supermarket. The card machine there can display the balance directly.”
Getting Qi Weichen to treat people at the supermarket—why did that sound so impossible? It was not that Qi Weichen was stingy. It was just that a socially intense act like treating others had nothing to do with him at all.
Chu Qing waited for him to return defeated. Instead, she saw him walk over to Qi Weichen and say a few words very arrogantly. Then he waved at her. “Come on. Go to the supermarket with us.”
Chu Qing: “?”
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