Chapter 41: Reconciliation

Ring-ring-ring, the fourth-period bell rang.

Jiang Nian, having skipped the entire class under a flimsy pretext, walked out of the empty cafeteria, patting his stomach with a look of satisfaction, moving against the tide of students rushing for lunch under the sun.

The golden sun pierced through the lush, dense branches of the great banyan tree, casting mottled shadows near the ping-pong tables.

As he passed by, he couldn't help but squint against the light. He wasn't sure why Old Liu was so invested in Yu Tongjie, but at least he had managed to secure something in the end.

The right to take leave from evening self-study once or twice a week.

Although there were many restrictions—requiring advance notice and photo check-ins—it wasn't a problem for Jiang Nian. Anyway, whether Yu Tongjie could pass the major end-of-month exam was still a gamble.

Being able to slack off for even one session of leave was a win; comfort was measured in seconds.

Time slipped by until evening. After three periods of self-study, Jiang Nian grabbed his bag and pulled out his phone as he headed out. He followed the flow of the crowd, descending the stairs as if nothing was amiss, not even pausing as he passed the third floor.

Xu Qianqian stood in the corridor outside her classroom, watching the familiar back of his head slowly disappear into the evening crowd below.

She took out her phone, wanting to ask something, but suddenly realized that since she had left early yesterday without explaining, she didn't know how to start the conversation.

The habit of going home together seemed to have only lasted two weeks.

They had never done this before; she had broken the cycle herself, and then... there was no "then." She should have explained yesterday. Would things have returned to normal today?

Xu Qianqian descended the stairs, her heart heavy, and put on her headphones.

The noise of the world faded away, leaving only the looping tracks of the "Cicada Green" album. By the time the first song ended, she was already out of the school gates.

Midway through the third or fourth song, someone pulled out her Bluetooth earphone.

"Come over and pay for me."

On the bustling, dimly lit street, in the middle of Zhennan Long Street, stood a small shop he had just passed. That familiar, annoying voice sounded beside her.

Xu Qianqian was startled and turned to look.

Jiang Nian was pulling a bottle of ice-cold cola from a large refrigerator, condensation beading on the bottle. In the light, his face looked a bit cheeky, yet remarkably handsome.

"You didn't go very far, did you?"

Her lips twitched. "Don't you have your own money?"

Jiang Nian snapped his fingers. "You've discovered such a private matter? Don't tell me you sleep with my bank card under your pillow at night?"

"Call me Dad," Xu Qianqian said, reluctantly scanning the payment code with a small curve at the corner of her mouth.

Having paid the "making-up-with-a-friend" fee, the two naturally started walking together.

The Bluetooth headphones shifted from two ears to one, with the other dangling from Jiang Nian’s ear. There was no logic in returning something he’d snatched, nor in paying for the cola he’d freeloaded.

With a hiss, the cola was twisted open.

The street lamps on the sidewalk were dim. The two walked side by side, their backpacks creating a two-fist-wide gap between them.

Just as Jiang Nian was about to take a drink, he suddenly said, "Can you have ice today?"

"Don't pry into a girl's business."

"Where is your mind at? I didn't secretly track your cycle and run simulations—that's what a pervert would do."

Xu Qianqian turned her head, looking shocked. "Jiang Nian, have you no shame!"

"Damn, you're even selling human organs now? What a society."

Xu Qianqian was speechless. As soon as she got involved with Jiang Nian, she was doomed. She was constantly pulled into a whirlpool of anger and rage; it was clear this guy hadn't been beaten enough as a child.

After a moment of silence, she spoke cautiously.

"Didn't you leave early today?"

"I picked up a super-invincible tree branch on the way and forgot to show you." Jiang Nian pulled a smooth stick from his open bag, making Xu Qianqian’s eyelid twitch.

"What's so special about it?" she asked, feeling a bit disappointed.

Jiang Nian sneered and spat out two words: "Straight as an arrow."

Back home.

While showering, Xu Qianqian reached for her phone in its waterproof pouch. The steam-filled bathroom reflected her graceful, fair figure, her small face flushed from the heat.

"?"

Jiang Nian: "?"

Xu Qianqian: "My phone ran out of battery yesterday and shut off."

She finished editing the message, then deleted it.

What did that have to do with leaving without saying goodbye? Surely he felt the same way she did yesterday, right?

"I think puppy love hinders studies."

Delete.

That wasn't right either; there was no such thing. The idea that one look could lead to pregnancy was absurd—it was just her own psychological hang-up. Of course, she had no feelings for him.

After all, it was Jiang Nian. Being with him would surely shorten her lifespan from pure exhaustion.

"I think you have a crush on me, which is hindering your 'Dad's' studies, so I left early yesterday. Sorry."

With a soft tap, she sent it.

Across the hall, the Jiang residence.

"Damn." Jiang Nian jumped off his bed, grabbed his phone, and typed back furiously: "Good, good, good. Nice copy, I'm stealing it."

A game of Tai Chi, four ounces moving a thousand pounds.

The two chatted back and forth until midnight. The content was unoriginal, the aggression levels fluctuating, but they tacitly kept it within a certain range.

At the end, Xu Qianqian sent one last message.

"Tomorrow night, don't leave after school. Wait for me at the classroom door."

She had originally wanted to say "I'll hit you with a brick," but seeing Jiang Nian reply with a simple "Okay," she couldn't bring herself to type it. She lay in bed, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, lost in thought.

The next day.

During morning reading, Ma Guojun left his seat and walked up to Jiang Nian, adjusting his glasses.

"Damn, it really is straight as hell. Where did you steal it?"

The boys around them began to critique the straight branch as if they were appraising the top courtesan of Jiangnan—the chest, the waist, the legs—a fine, exquisite beauty.

"Picked it up on the road. Impressive, right?" Jiang Nian stood tall, as if being crowned king.

"Holy crap, I can't even roast it. I'm a student, give it to me," Li Hua said, unable to put the stick down. "With this level of smoothness, Jiang Nian, did you lick it last night?"

"Purely wild. I guarantee it," he replied.

"Good, good, good. A divine artifact," Li Hua’s eyes shone with a hunger like he hadn't seen a woman in twenty years. "If I possessed this sword, there wouldn't be a stray dog within ten miles."

A boy from the next group walked over. "Let me touch it. This is too invincible."

The boys from the first group lost interest in morning reading and crowded around. Those who arrived later couldn't even squeeze into the inner circle and had to peek through the gaps.

"Long and straight. Maximum gold content."

As the group cheered loudly, Zhang Ningzhi in the front row snuck a glance backward, her eyes full of confusion. It was just a branch; why were they all acting like monkeys?

Just as the excitement peaked, the English teacher, Qian Bao, walked in with a stern face.

A minute later, as Qian Bao patrolled the classroom, a straight, smooth branch appeared in her hand. Wherever she passed, the boys looked on with envy.

After a moment's thought, Qian Bao had a flash of inspiration and went to inspect the classroom next door.

Hearing the gasps of the boys in the next class, Li Hua and Jiang Nian were heartbroken, pounding the tables and stomping their feet.

"Damn it, the wound of betrayal never heals. This is the hatred of a man whose wife was stolen!"