Although the whole affair had elements of its era, making it hard to say whose fault it was, the outcome made Ling Jing seem not very bright.
…It was a simple matter of asking for a WeChat and making a transfer, yet this person kept insisting on their student cards, Zhuang Chi thought silently. And she didn’t explain at all, acting as if everyone should just understand her intentions. Of course, Zhuang Chi was also part of the problem here. After all, these lines came from her own hand. She wondered if she had been influenced by the trend back then where novel characters (mainly the overbearing president types) never spoke plainly.
“…Huh?” The first to snap out of the silence was Lu Man. Her eyes widened as if waking from a dream, and she looked from Zhuang Chi to Ling Jing. “Huh? Was she trying to compensate you just now? Not trying to snatch your cards?”
“Of course not!” Feeling offended, Ling Jing immediately got angry again, looking like her fur was standing on end. “Didn’t I already say it? What use would I have for this thing!”
“…Then you should have just explained it directly. You were being so roundabout, I thought you were flying into a rage out of shame…”
“Huh? I was not flying into a rage out of shame!”
It looked like they were about to start arguing. Zhuang Chi felt that Ling Jing’s threshold for anger was quite low, making her exactly the type of person Zhuang Chi was bad at dealing with. Still, she took responsibility and tried to interject: “…Why not just do a direct mobile transfer? It’s more convenient…”
“…” Ling Jing, who had been about to argue with Lu Man, came to an abrupt halt. She thought for a long while with a dazed expression. “…You have a point. Why didn’t I think of that before?”
It was probably the world’s compulsory force. It was surprisingly particular about these things. But from the expressions of the people around them, they clearly thought it was because Ling Jing wasn’t very smart.
“Let’s do that, that’s great!” Ling Jing quickly gave up on deep thought and busied herself with pulling her phone out of her pocket. “Then tell me your WeChats—”
“There’s no need to include me.”
Not very surprisingly, Zhuang Chi heard Gu Ximian refuse flatly. Her reason sounded quite sufficient: “I wasn’t injured, so there’s no need for any financial compensation.”
Ling Jing’s movements froze, and she fell silent for a long while, looking like she wanted to say something but couldn’t. Zhuang Chi could almost see her raised hackles slowly flatten in front of Gu Ximian. Then, her eyes flashed and shot toward Zhuang Chi, startling her into shrinking back. Without time to think, she continued after Gu Ximian, “I… An Chen paid for my infirmary fees with his card back then. I didn’t spend my own money…”
“Yes, that’s right.”
…An Chen, who hadn’t been there a moment ago, suddenly appeared and smoothly interjected under everyone’s astonished gazes. He scanned the group, then frowned in confusion. “Why are you suddenly discussing this at the auditorium entrance? And with so many people watching.”
As he spoke, he looked at Gu Ximian, as if wanting to ask her. But Gu Ximian’s expression had been indifferent ever since Ling Jing appeared, clearly in a bad mood. Now, she simply passed the baton, turning her gaze to Ling Jing. Though she didn’t say a word, her eyes clearly said, “You explain.”
Ling Jing obviously received the message. Whether it was out of guilt or something else, she was surprisingly obedient to Gu Ximian, looking as if she automatically felt humbled in her presence. She hesitated for a long while before reluctantly muttering, “…I just wanted to get it over with quickly.”
I see. “Get it over with quickly” meant that since all the new students would be at the auditorium today, she could just wait at the entrance to corner both of them at once, Zhuang Chi thought silently. What a transparent thought process, not even a single twist or turn.
It was a sentence without head or tail, yet An Chen managed to react instantly, frowning more deeply in disapproval. “…Who corners people to apologize in front of such a crowd? Did you explain things clearly to them? You didn’t cause any misunderstandings, did you?”
Ling Jing looked offended and snorted disdainfully. “Of course not. Do you think I’m a three-year-old? How could I not make myself clear!”
“No, you definitely did. Before Zhuang Chi explained, everyone misunderstood and thought you were here to snatch their cards. Why are you still responding with such self-righteousness?”
…It had to be said, Lu Man was getting more and more blunt with Ling Jing. Not knowing what to say, Zhuang Chi silently turned her head away, avoiding the shocked “Is that so?” gaze Ling Jing threw at her. An Chen sighed with an “I knew it” expression and turned to explain to her, “…Yesterday, Ling Jing and I went to see the principal and discussed a compensation plan. I was originally planning to come along when Ling Jing came to apologize to you, but I didn’t expect her to move so quickly… It’s a good thing you were able to understand what she meant.”
Well, it wasn’t really that I understood… Zhuang Chi gave an awkward smile, thinking to herself that her explanation might have stolen An Chen’s thunder. She silently apologized to him in her heart.
“First, of course, she has to apologize and offer financial compensation. It’s fine if Ximian doesn’t want to accept it, but Zhuang Chi, you should take it. It’s what she owes you anyway.” Arranging things on his own, An Chen continued, glancing at Ling Jing, “Have you told them about the other thing?”
Ling Jing stiffened and very obviously averted her gaze. An Chen nodded, not particularly surprised. “Then I’ll say it for you?”
Ling Jing let out a string of unintelligible sounds from her throat, like a cat making a threatening noise. She looked very unwilling but still didn’t say anything to stop him. An Chen then turned to the clueless Zhuang Chi and Gu Ximian and said with a smile, “Compensation is her obligation. And as for her punishment, for at least the next week, you can order Ling Jing around as your servant.”
“…”
…Although she had mentally prepared herself to hear some strange things, how should she put it? Zhuang Chi closed her eyes, speechless. Hearing someone say a non-everyday word like “servant” with a straight face was quite a shock.
She managed to keep a straight face thanks to her preparation, but Gu Ximian’s reaction next to her was also surprisingly calm. She just raised an eyebrow slightly, and after a second of silence, shook her head. “I don’t need one.”
…Of course. Suddenly having an Alpha with a history of bad behavior become her servant sounded more like a punishment for Gu Ximian. Zhuang Chi nodded in understanding. Before she could speak, she saw Ling Jing react with lightning speed and approach them, saying frantically, “W-wait, don’t fire me so quickly…”
Almost at the same instant she moved, Gu Ximian also took a light step back diagonally, dodging her very naturally. Ling Jing didn’t dare to follow any closer, so she could only stop and stammer, “I can do a lot of things! I can do anything except for illegal stuff! I’ll be useful!”
…This conversation sounded just like a job interview. Zhuang Chi’s “I don’t need one either” got stuck in her throat. She looked at Ling Jing standing right in front of her and felt that if she actually said those words, she would draw fire upon herself with incredible speed.
Yes, Gu Ximian had half-hidden behind her again. The positions of the three of them were now exactly the same as at the school gate. This time, Gu Ximian probably didn’t do it on purpose. They were in the aisle at the auditorium entrance, surrounded by onlookers, so her escape routes were limited. If one had to say, she had simply chosen “behind Zhuang Chi” over “behind An Chen.”
She didn’t know if this represented some level of trust, but the current situation didn’t allow Zhuang Chi to dwell on it. She looked at Ling Jing, who was unexpectedly desperate to be kept, and said hesitantly, “…If both of us say we don’t need one… then you won’t have to be anyone’s… servant… right? Shouldn’t that be a good thing for you?”
She still stumbled over the word “servant.” Zhuang Chi watched as Ling Jing suddenly looked dejected after hearing her words. In the end, it was An Chen who explained, “Because the principal said this punishment must be carried out.”
“If you both refuse,” he said steadily, “it means her apology has failed, and she will have to accept another punishment. Which is to say, her hawk will be disposed of.”
Startled by the hidden meaning behind his calm words “disposed of,” Zhuang Chi had just frowned in helplessness when she heard Ling Jing wail, “That’s not okay! I raised Xiao Ying myself since he was a chick. He’s lazy, greedy, and has a bad temper. If he goes to a zoo, he’ll definitely be bullied by the other hawks!”
…What? “Disposed of” just meant handing the hawk over to a zoo to be raised. Zhuang Chi’s tense mood relaxed again. Looking at Ling Jing’s crestfallen face, she didn’t know what to think for a moment. Behind her, Gu Ximian moved and sighed softly.
“Then you should start working on correcting its personality now.”
Her voice was as gentle as ever, and her face held a polite smile as she continued, “That way, it won’t get bullied.”
“You can interpret this as me being difficult or just refusing, it’s up to you. In any case, I don’t need a servant.” Her eyes were serene, like a bottomless sea. “I only need a simple ‘I’m sorry.’”
Zhuang Chi pressed her lips together and quietly turned her head to look at Gu Ximian. She was smiling gently and didn’t look angry at all, yet the atmosphere suddenly became so tense that everyone subconsciously held their breath.
She found it a little novel and couldn’t help but stare a bit longer. Perhaps sensing her gaze, Gu Ximian blinked and looked over at her. The gentle ripple in her eyes seemed to instantly transform her back into the Gu Ximian that Zhuang Chi was more familiar with.
Zhuang Chi’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly averted her gaze.
She forced her thoughts back to the situation at hand. In other words, Gu Ximian had made up her mind not to accept Ling Jing. This should be her original plotline, and it was perfectly reasonable from every angle. Even Ling Jing, who had been trying so hard just a moment ago, couldn’t say anything more now. She just hung her head like a frost-bitten eggplant and said an exceptionally meek “I’m sorry.”
Gu Ximian gave a faint “mm,” and in the silence where everyone else was inexplicably afraid to speak, she walked to Zhuang Chi’s side and said to her, “When I saw you on stage, I was thinking that since we were fated to meet, maybe we could have a meal together today. But now I’m not really in the mood to eat. It’s a bit of a shame.”
“Let’s talk next time we meet, Zhuang Chi.” She lowered her head slightly as a farewell. When she finally looked up, it seemed like she wanted to say something more, but in the end, she didn’t. She just said softly, “I’ll be leaving now.”
Just like that, she left, her steps clean and decisive. The onlookers blocking the entrance parted to make way for her, craning their necks to watch her go. Only when Gu Ximian’s back disappeared from view did they all turn back in unison to look at Zhuang Chi and the others, who were left looking at each other in dismay by Gu Ximian’s swift and resolute actions.
…How did the original plot develop after this? Zhuang Chi’s memory failed her at this crucial moment. No matter how she racked her brains, she couldn’t recall the follow-up. But based on the character’s personality, Ling Jing would most likely pester Gu Ximian for a while. This person didn’t seem like someone who would give up easily…
“…”
Just like now, Ling Jing was looking at her with a gaze that held a persistent and strong will—looking at her?
…Speaking of which, Zhuang Chi blinked blankly, I’m also one of the involved parties, aren’t I…?
“…”
In the silence, Zhuang Chi and Ling Jing stared at each other wordlessly for three seconds.
“…Z-Zhuang Chi! Keep me! E-even if you want to beat me up for revenge, I won’t fight back!!”
“I would never do something like that! Just stay away from me! Wait, don’t pull on my jacket!”
The previously frozen scene was instantly thrown into chaos by Ling Jing, who lunged at Zhuang Chi. Zhuang Chi frantically tried to pull the corner of her jacket from Ling Jing’s grasp, but she was no match for the grip of an A-class Alpha. For a moment, the stratagem of “the golden cicada sheds its shell”—slipping out of her jacket and running—even crossed her mind, but she gave it up with resentment when she looked up and saw the auditorium entrance was once again tightly blocked after Gu Ximian’s departure.
…Oh no, what was I thinking about just now, as if it had nothing to do with me? I was too busy watching Gu Ximian, wasn’t I! Zhuang Chi thought while struggling to pull at the unmoving corner of her jacket. Things are different from the original plot now. Ling Jing has another option, so of course, she’d pick the soft persimmon to squeeze first. And it was obvious at a glance which of them, Zhuang Chi or Gu Ximian, was softer…!
I should have left with Gu Ximian just now! Damn it!
