Chen Zifeng’s mouth, honestly…
The next day, Lin Yuchen gets in trouble for fighting off-campus.
After class, Chen Zifeng shoves my deskmate aside and sits next to me. “Did Mom confiscate your phone?”
I think for a second. “Yeah, I think so.”
“I’ll give you cash,” he says, pulling out a hundred-yuan bill. “Buy him some ice cream or something, since he got in trouble for helping you get your bag back.”
I’m confused. “Who?”
“Whoever helped you get your bag back.”
“Lin Yuchen?” I grab the money. “Fine, fine. It’s your money anyway.”
“Just a warning—if he doesn’t want to, don’t force it. Don’t cause trouble.”
“Got it.” I reach for the money—
But Chen Zifeng pulls it back, puts it in his wallet, and takes out a fifty. “This is enough.”
Then, to my shock, he puts the fifty away and hands me a twenty. “I don’t want you to get spoiled.”
I stare at him. “Can I ask, do you… hate me or something?”
Chen Zifeng asks sincerely, “Is it not enough?”
“Chen Zifeng, stop teasing her,” Bai Xue says, appearing out of nowhere. She smacks Chen Zifeng on the head and gives me her own money. “Use mine. Those people were after me, after all.”
Chen Zifeng takes Bai Xue’s money and puts it back in her pocket. “Have you made anyone mad lately?”
Bai Xue hasn’t, of course.
But only I know it’s Fang Meimei’s fault.
Being a transmigrator is a lonely life. I know all the plot twists, but I can’t say a word.
I stomp on Chen Zifeng’s foot. “See? If you’d come to night study with me, none of this would have happened.”
Chen Zifeng nods lazily. “Fine, fine.”
He’s still sitting at my desk before class starts, chatting with Bai Xue.
I’m all alone, so I stare out the window, hoping a teacher will catch them and confiscate their love letters.
No teachers, but I do see Fang Meimei.
The one who almost got me beaten up and my papers lost.
I’m furious.
I have to trip her at least twice.
I run out, but before I reach her, I bump into someone.
I look up and instantly recognize Lin Yuchen.
I grab his sleeve. He stops and looks down at me. I try not to stare at his collarbone, but his top button is undone, and it’s kind of distracting.
Lin Yuchen asks, “What do you want?”
“Do you want anything? If not, I’ll buy you ice cream.”
Lin Yuchen: “I don’t like ice cream.”
Your name says otherwise.
I feel the money in my pocket, but giving him cash would look weird, like I’m paying protection. So I say, “Wait here.” I run back to class and grab some papers. “These are the test prep papers. I worked hard to get them. No one else has them. Now you do.”
Lin Yuchen looks at the papers, then at me. He sounds weird: “You’re… giving me homework?”
“Physics and chemistry.”
Lin Yuchen is silent.
“You don’t want them? Really? You don’t want good stuff?”
Lin Yuchen squints at me. “If it’s so good, why give it to me?”
“To pay you back,” I say honestly. “You don’t want ice cream, so I’ll give you something else.”
Lin Yuchen takes the papers. His fingers make them rustle. “I’ll do them.”
People start noticing us in the hall. They look confused when they see Lin Yuchen with homework.
What’s so weird about that?
Wait until we secretly out-study everyone.
Lin Yuchen is in the class next door. As I stand in my doorway, I hear a boy from his class tease, “Hey, Yuchen, a girl gave you homework!”
“Shut up,” Lin Yuchen says coldly. “I asked for it.”
The class goes quiet.
At the next break, Lin Yuchen stops me as I leave the classroom.
I think he’s going to complain that the papers are useless, but he just looks at me and asks, “How did you get mixed up with those guys?”
“I don’t know. Maybe because I’m so beautiful.”
Lin Yuchen’s Adam’s apple moves. He looks like he’s trying not to laugh.
“Those guys are from another school. They dropped out,” he says.
“Did you beat them up?”
“Pretty much.” Lin Yuchen looks away. “I understand now.”
What do you understand?
I didn’t say anything.
Whatever. You’re handsome, so I’ll pretend you’re wise.
Everyone notices me and Lin Yuchen talking in the hall. When I sit down, my deskmate nudges me. “What’s going on between you two?”
“He’s collecting protection money. The school’s going downhill.”
My deskmate laughs. “Yeah, right. Lin Yuchen doesn’t need money. Is he into you?”
I roll my eyes. “Gross. I told you, it’s protection money.”
My deskmate smirks.
Chapter 02
*