Chapter 43: Mommy, Hug Me

Jiang Nian originally planned to slip away during the evening self-study session and hit the gym. Not for any particular reason—this was a right he had fought for himself, and it came with a time limit.

Its validity depended entirely on how long that bastard could last in the class. If he packed up and got lost by the end of the month, the Noon Treaty would become void as well.

If he didn't go to the gym, strolling over to a bubble tea shop outside and taking a nap would be fine too.

However, there was a biology quiz in the evening, so he dropped the idea.

After the evening self-study session ended, Jiang Nian prepared to uphold the best friend and buddy pact. He went downstairs to wait for Xu Qianqian by her classroom door, and then they would walk home together.

High school was a rather magical place, possessing a unique kind of beauty that seemed to seal away one's attractiveness.

As soon as Jiang Nian reached the ground floor, he spotted a boy talking to Xu Qianqian. Xu Qianqian seemed to notice Jiang Nian as well, and nodded toward him while gesturing at the boy.

Right after that, the boy's face instantly fell into utter dejection, and he slunk away.

Tch, "boyfriend-zoned" again.

As he walked closer, Jiang Nian said smugly, "Xu Qianqian, when are you going to pay the boyfriend fee? Playing the role of your boyfriend every day costs something, you know. My face doesn't come cheap."

Xu Qianqian glanced at him sideways. "You're out of your mind. What boyfriend?"

"I saw everything just now."

"Oh, that." Xu Qianqian carried her schoolbag and walked downstairs with him, explaining lazily, "That guy insisted he liked me, and I found him annoying."

Jiang Nian clicked his tongue. "Man, that blockhead's eyesight must be terrible to actually like you."

Xu Qianqian ignored him, maintaining silence all the way until they left the school grounds. Jiang Nian walked at a leisurely pace and had almost forgotten about the incident entirely.

Suddenly, she dropped this line: "I asked that guy if he had ever seen *The Bad Seed*. He said he had, so I told him I was actually thirty-four years old and had given birth to a child at fifteen."

Hearing this, the smile vanished from Jiang Nian's face.

"He didn't believe me, so I had no choice..." Xu Qianqian turned her head to look at Jiang Nian. "I told him, 'Look, that right there is my son. His grades are terrible, and I'm just here to accompany him through his studies.'"

Your mother!

Xu Qianqian!

Very well, playing like that, are we?

Xu Qianqian looked curious. "Jiang Nian, why aren't you laughing? Are you just naturally incapable of joy?"

"You really are a wicked woman, Xu Qianqian," Jiang Nian said, utterly speechless.

"Takes one to know one. Don't be mad." Under the streetlamp, Xu Qianqian tilted her head, smiling brightly. She opened her arms and said, "Come here, baby Jiang Nian, Mommy will give you a hug."

Jiang Nian wasn't much of a saint either. He sighed and said, "Alright, I'm starving anyway. Time for some milk."

With that, he lunged as if to throw himself into Xu Qianqian's arms. After all, the young girl was thin-skinned; seeing that he was actually serious, she bolted away quickly and ran to the side with blushing cheeks.

"Jiang Nian, you're a pervert!"

"Don't run!"

"Blech!"

The two of them chased each other back and forth under the dim streetlights, their scuffling echoing far into the distance.

A torrential downpour.

In the morning, Jiang Nian woke up thinking he had forgotten to turn off the air conditioner, shivering as goosebumps broke out all over his skin. He pulled back the curtains to find the sky overcast, with fierce winds and a torrential rainstorm raging outside.

Thump, thump, thump. Someone knocked on his bedroom door.

"Nian'er, hurry up and wash up. Uncle Xu will be driving you and Qianqian to school in a bit," his mother, Li Hongmei, called out. "Stop dawdling, hurry it up."

Damn it, and here he was actually thinking of asking for a sick leave.

Who could possibly understand his pain?

Jiang Nian collapsed back onto the bed in exhaustion. Outside the window, thunder rumbled, and sheets of torrential rain slammed against the glass in heavy waves. At that moment, he just wanted to die; a suffocating sense of despair washed over him.

If only today were a holiday, oh your mother!

He got out of bed carrying the grievances of two Evil Sword Immortals and greeted Uncle Xu in the living room. When it mattered most, Uncle Xu still cared deeply about Xu Qianqian.

The downside was that he dragged Jiang Nian along for the ride.

Xu Qianqian was sitting in the Jiang family's living room, eating an egg pancake made by Li Hongmei. Seeing Jiang Nian's expression, which looked as though he had just chewed on a stone, she knew all too well what was going on in the brat's mind.

She couldn't help pursing her lips, lifting her chin slightly, and giving her delicate ponytail a sharp flick.

Want to take a sick leave? Not a chance!

After finishing breakfast, the three of them headed downstairs together.

Jiang Nian walked alongside Old Xu, chatting about random, trivial things and not treating himself as an outsider at all. Xu Qianqian followed behind, listening to their conversation.

"Uncle, my deskmate Li Hua is having some trouble in *that* department; he's pretty much a goner. All day long he's calling me brother and dad, asking me if there are any methods to strengthen his kidneys."

"Do you really have a deskmate like that?" Old Xu was amused.

"I really do."

"Why are you asking about this? I think you're in great shape," Old Xu said, carrying his briefcase and laughing as he walked down the stairs. "Just practice your leg exercises more when you have time."

Xu Qianqian, following closely behind, bit her lip, wishing she could stay far away from the two of them.

Downstairs, the outside world was hazy, and dark clouds hung low in the distance. A torrential rain, laden with slanting winds, enveloped the entire county town in a dense, watery veil.

With a *pop*, viewed from above, three umbrellas blossomed amidst the rain curtain. A Buick flashed twice in the downpour, emitting a sharp beep.

There was no need to turn on the air conditioner inside the car; Xu Qianqian left the window cracked open by the tiniest sliver. A gust of cold wind poured in from outside, instantly bringing a chill to the interior.

Jiang Nian glanced sideways, noticing that she was wearing a thin, white school uniform jacket today. Underneath, she wore a pure white long-sleeved shirt, her chest noticeably full.

*Zip.* She pulled up the zipper all the way.

On her lower half, she wore a pair of light blue jeans that hugged her well-proportioned calves, revealing a strip of fair ankles and matching white sneakers.

She truly loved the color white.

Having fair skin made her fearless; whatever she wore looked good.

The apartment building where they lived wasn't very far from the school, and it took only a few minutes by car. The Buick plowed through the heavy rain, its headlights flashing intermittently, tearing through the curtain of water.

Jiang Nian seemed to recall something and suddenly spoke up inside the car.

"Uncle Xu, yesterday Xu Qianqian said that she..."

Beside him, Xu Qianqian was instantly horrified, her pupils shrinking almost to the size of a needle. With a fierce lunge, she directly tackled Jiang Nian, who was also sitting in the back seat.

She clamped her hand over his mouth and said through gritted teeth,

"Stop spreading rumors, or I'll beat you to death!"

"Muwuwu..."

Old Xu, who was driving, chuckled good-naturedly, not taking their bickering to heart. Seeing that the school was right in front of them, he offered a reminder through the rearview mirror.

"We're almost there, get ready to get out."

Xu Qianqian still wanted to say something, but suddenly felt her palm—which was covering Jiang Nian's mouth—grow hot. It felt as though she had been licked by something, sending goosebumps all over her body.

Yet, because she was in her own father's car, she didn't dare act out.

Jiang Nian smiled triumphantly.

After getting out of the car, Xu Qianqian held her umbrella in the rain and hurried forward with quick, pattering steps, putting some distance between herself and Jiang Nian before turning around to shake a pink fist at him.

The threat was unmistakable.

Because of the heavy rain, there weren't many people in the classroom before morning reading.

As soon as Jiang Nian stepped into the classroom, he saw Zhang Ningzhi walking out with a water cup. Her expression was slightly pale, and her lips lacked color; she looked rather uncomfortable.

"What's wrong with you?" he blocked her path to ask. "Your complexion is terrible."

"N-nothing. Drinking some l-lava—some hot water will make it better." Zhang Ningzhi blushed; hearing them constantly talk about drinking magma had almost made her slip up.