Translated by newbienoona
Edited by anks
Upon leaving the classroom, Mingluo heads to the headmaster’s office.
There were very few teachers in the room at this time.
“May I ask… .”
Upon hearing his voice, a teacher raises his head. But, after seeing Xiao Mingluo’s facial expression, he hesitates.
“Xiao Mingluo, student… .” The homeroom teacher was about to call him young master, but he needs to keep his dignity as an instructor.
But Xiao Mingluo couldn’t care less about titles. He openly asks, “Do you happen to know where did Meng Jiangnan go?”
Jiangnan… .
The teacher jumps up when he suddenly remembers the name. She was enraged and tearful. He clears his throat before saying, “Jiangnan asked permission to leave and head home this morning.”
“Leave for home?” Xiao Mingluo’s eyebrows meet. He knows the teachers aren’t allowed to tell other students about this. So, he turns and walks out of the door.
“Eh, Xiao Mingluo student, you have to remember you’re a high school student, not a member of the foundation!” Upon uttering the words, he realizes Mingluo’s silhouette has long disappeared.
Xiao Mingluo is suddenly anxiety-ridden, feeling badly about the incident. It’s too late to ask for leave from his teacher, so he runs directly under the building, and walks out past the school gate.
* * *
On the other side, Han Qilu eventually catches up with An Chuxia. When he was a few steps behind her, he yells, “An Chuxia, stop!”
She pretends she doesn’t hear him, and continues walking forward.
Her heart is painfully torn. If she stops, she is afraid of crying a river. She doesn’t want to be vulnerable!
“An Chuxia, this young master orders you to stop. Can’t you hear me?!” Han Qilu yells impatiently; his tone is quite loud.
As a result, not only did An Chuxia not listen to his order, but she accelerated her pace.
No way! Han Qilu picks up his pace, his long legs giving him the advantage. He eventually catches up to her and effortlessly grabs her wrist so she can face him.
“I told you to stop. Are you deaf?” His eyes remain glued to her. He can tell she’s angry, but he isn’t prepared to see her eyes rimmed red like a wounded rabbit.
Somehow, his heart softens, and he doesn’t know why. The anger in his chest magically dissipates.
He lets go of her wrist and faintly asks, “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?!
Han Qilu is stunned that An Chuxia isn’t saying anything. Why did he go after her?
“I… .” He pauses. His hand wraps around her wrist. They’re so thin, his fingers easily enclose around them. “Just looking at you I can tell something’s bothering you.”
An Chuxia snorts at him, shooting him a glare.
“Han Qilu.”
The way she says his name is quite ominous. He prepares himself to listen to her intently. But as she speaks, they hear someone call out, “Dimei!“
Very few people call her dimei. So much so, An Chuxia searches for the sound. As expected, she sees Jiao Daihu.
Upon steeling himself, he’s quite upset they’re being interrupted. He doesn’t recall the man walking up to them, but keeps a mental note after what he called An Chuxia.
Dimei? Who does this fat brother belong to?
Upon seeing Daihu, Chuxia asks unexpectedly, “Daihu ge, how did you get here?”
Beside Daihu stands a girl. She looks a bit familiar, but she can’t place her. Is she Daihu’s girlfriend?
“We’re here to complete enrollment. Me, laoda, and… .” He gestures to the girl next to him in embarrassment. “This person is also registering.”
Nangong Zifei is enrolling in Stein? Guilt flashes in her mind. She can’t believe she felt affection for someone she knows is not really that good.
“Welcome,” An Chuxia says in courtesy. She smiles at Mage as she tilts her head. “Who are you again?”
Han Qilu would like to pull An Chuxia away, but he’s still trying to control his temper. So he stands there, waiting. He just wonders why all of a sudden, he’s feeling unhappy.
Jiao Daihu rolls his eyes when An Chuxia asks about Mage. He really doesn’t want to introduce her.
But with that opening, Mage steps forward and smiles. “I’m Nangong Zifei’s girlfriend.”
She announces this unapologetically, leaving no place for Daihu to refute. After all, Zifei did say he’d be responsible for her. His intent was for An Chuxia to frustrate Mage, but for half the day, they never ran into her.
As they bumped into An Chuxia, he never expected to encounter Han Qilu. He looks at the young master and pities him. This kid’s life is hard. Despite getting a bullet in his head, he survived and recovered quickly at a miraculous pace.
He isn’t aware how advanced medical technology is in the United States.
Upon hearing Mage’s introduction as being Zifei’s girlfriend, An Chuxia is caught unaware. Nangong Zifei has a girlfriend now?
An Chuxia isn’t displeased with what she heard. Instead, she’s pleasantly surprised.
“Are you now? Nangong Zifei is a good person.” An Chuxia says sincerely.
It was then, when An Chuxia looks into Mage’s eyes, it seems like deja vu. It’s like she’s looking into her own eyes!
Is this why Nangong Zifei felt a familiarity with this girl?
An Chuxia quickly discounts the thought. Thinking about similarities is thinking too much into matters that are insignificant.
But those eyes, even without words, really look like hers.
“Yes, he’s nice to me.” Mage genuinely smiles, which surprises her. She, too, is surprised as she looks into An Chuxia’s eyes. Is this why Nangong Zifei is willing to be responsible for her?
This conclusion secretly upsets Mage. She clenches her fists so hard, her nails dig into her palms until they hurt.
She loathes An Chuxia even more. She’s disgusted!
“Dimei, we will go ahead. Oh, I almost forgot.” Jiao Daihu quietly pushes Mage aside before retrieving something from his pant pocket.
Then, he puts it in An Chuxia’s hand. It is a smiley face in the size of a fingernail. It is made of solid gold. The workmanship is exquisite. It sparkles, and it’s worth something.
“What’s this?” An Chuxia looks at Daihu, puzzled. “What does this mean?”
“It’s for you. I heard you were feeling bad, so when I saw it, I thought dimei should have it. I hope you have fun!” Daihu leaves with that explanation.
“I can’t take this!” An Chuxia has been poor since birth, and the only thing she has of value is her mother’s ring. It is so thin and devoid of decoration that it costs less than a fifth of the smiley face token.
Daihu hastens his speed before turning back to yell, “Dimei, you can throw it away. Keep it or give it away. It’s your decision!” He waves goodbye as they head out the school gates.
Mage takes one last lingering look at Chuxia, but An Chuxia doesn’t notice.
An Chuxia’s heart feels troubled receiving such a precious thing. To rich people, this is no big deal. But to her, this is a welcome present, and quite an expensive one, too!
“Who was that?” Han Qilu asks, bringing An Chuxia’s focus back to him.
“A friend of a friend.” An Chuxia answers truthfully as she looks down at the smiley face in the middle of her palm. She can’t say Jiao Daihu is all that bad; the pendant will definitely look great!
Suddenly, a hand reaches into her palm and snatches the pendant. She, then, looks at Han Qilu. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t you see how tacky this is?” Han Qilu’s expression doesn’t change as he stares at her. “Do you often receive gifts from strange boys?”
What do you often collect?
An Chuxia searches for an explanation. “Han Qilu, give it back!”
“This is so ugly. If you like, I’d buy a better one for you.” Han Qilu shoves the smiley face into his pocket.
“Hey!” Her eyes lock with his. “Give it back to me!”
“Let me help you.” His tone is unquestionable. “The school bell has rung ten minutes ago. Do you want to continue standing here?”
Class! An Chuxia suddenly becomes tense. She has more important things to do! She smiles at him for the reminder. She hurries back to class, thinking she can deal with the smiley face later.
Translated by newbienoona
Edited by anks
Upon leaving the classroom, Mingluo heads to the headmaster’s office.
There were very few teachers in the room at this time.
“May I ask… .”
Upon hearing his voice, a teacher raises his head. But, after seeing Xiao Mingluo’s facial expression, he hesitates.
“Xiao Mingluo, student… .” The homeroom teacher was about to call him young master, but he needs to keep his dignity as an instructor.
But Xiao Mingluo couldn’t care less about titles. He openly asks, “Do you happen to know where did Meng Jiangnan go?”
Jiangnan… .
The teacher jumps up when he suddenly remembers the name. She was enraged and tearful. He clears his throat before saying, “Jiangnan asked permission to leave and head home this morning.”
“Leave for home?” Xiao Mingluo’s eyebrows meet. He knows the teachers aren’t allowed to tell other students about this. So, he turns and walks out of the door.
“Eh, Xiao Mingluo student, you have to remember you’re a high school student, not a member of the foundation!” Upon uttering the words, he realizes Mingluo’s silhouette has long disappeared.
Xiao Mingluo is suddenly anxiety-ridden, feeling badly about the incident. It’s too late to ask for leave from his teacher, so he runs directly under the building, and walks out past the school gate.
* * *
On the other side, Han Qilu eventually catches up with An Chuxia. When he was a few steps behind her, he yells, “An Chuxia, stop!”
She pretends she doesn’t hear him, and continues walking forward.
Her heart is painfully torn. If she stops, she is afraid of crying a river. She doesn’t want to be vulnerable!
“An Chuxia, this young master orders you to stop. Can’t you hear me?!” Han Qilu yells impatiently; his tone is quite loud.
As a result, not only did An Chuxia not listen to his order, but she accelerated her pace.
No way! Han Qilu picks up his pace, his long legs giving him the advantage. He eventually catches up to her and effortlessly grabs her wrist so she can face him.
“I told you to stop. Are you deaf?” His eyes remain glued to her. He can tell she’s angry, but he isn’t prepared to see her eyes rimmed red like a wounded rabbit.
Somehow, his heart softens, and he doesn’t know why. The anger in his chest magically dissipates.
He lets go of her wrist and faintly asks, “What’s wrong?”
What’s wrong?!
Han Qilu is stunned that An Chuxia isn’t saying anything. Why did he go after her?
“I… .” He pauses. His hand wraps around her wrist. They’re so thin, his fingers easily enclose around them. “Just looking at you I can tell something’s bothering you.”
An Chuxia snorts at him, shooting him a glare.
“Han Qilu.”
The way she says his name is quite ominous. He prepares himself to listen to her intently. But as she speaks, they hear someone call out, “Dimei!“
Very few people call her dimei. So much so, An Chuxia searches for the sound. As expected, she sees Jiao Daihu.
Upon steeling himself, he’s quite upset they’re being interrupted. He doesn’t recall the man walking up to them, but keeps a mental note after what he called An Chuxia.
Dimei? Who does this fat brother belong to?
Upon seeing Daihu, Chuxia asks unexpectedly, “Daihu ge, how did you get here?”
Beside Daihu stands a girl. She looks a bit familiar, but she can’t place her. Is she Daihu’s girlfriend?
“We’re here to complete enrollment. Me, laoda, and… .” He gestures to the girl next to him in embarrassment. “This person is also registering.”
Nangong Zifei is enrolling in Stein? Guilt flashes in her mind. She can’t believe she felt affection for someone she knows is not really that good.
“Welcome,” An Chuxia says in courtesy. She smiles at Mage as she tilts her head. “Who are you again?”
Han Qilu would like to pull An Chuxia away, but he’s still trying to control his temper. So he stands there, waiting. He just wonders why all of a sudden, he’s feeling unhappy.
Jiao Daihu rolls his eyes when An Chuxia asks about Mage. He really doesn’t want to introduce her.
But with that opening, Mage steps forward and smiles. “I’m Nangong Zifei’s girlfriend.”
She announces this unapologetically, leaving no place for Daihu to refute. After all, Zifei did say he’d be responsible for her. His intent was for An Chuxia to frustrate Mage, but for half the day, they never ran into her.
As they bumped into An Chuxia, he never expected to encounter Han Qilu. He looks at the young master and pities him. This kid’s life is hard. Despite getting a bullet in his head, he survived and recovered quickly at a miraculous pace.
He isn’t aware how advanced medical technology is in the United States.
Upon hearing Mage’s introduction as being Zifei’s girlfriend, An Chuxia is caught unaware. Nangong Zifei has a girlfriend now?
An Chuxia isn’t displeased with what she heard. Instead, she’s pleasantly surprised.
“Are you now? Nangong Zifei is a good person.” An Chuxia says sincerely.
It was then, when An Chuxia looks into Mage’s eyes, it seems like deja vu. It’s like she’s looking into her own eyes!
Is this why Nangong Zifei felt a familiarity with this girl?
An Chuxia quickly discounts the thought. Thinking about similarities is thinking too much into matters that are insignificant.
But those eyes, even without words, really look like hers.
“Yes, he’s nice to me.” Mage genuinely smiles, which surprises her. She, too, is surprised as she looks into An Chuxia’s eyes. Is this why Nangong Zifei is willing to be responsible for her?
This conclusion secretly upsets Mage. She clenches her fists so hard, her nails dig into her palms until they hurt.
She loathes An Chuxia even more. She’s disgusted!
“Dimei, we will go ahead. Oh, I almost forgot.” Jiao Daihu quietly pushes Mage aside before retrieving something from his pant pocket.
Then, he puts it in An Chuxia’s hand. It is a smiley face in the size of a fingernail. It is made of solid gold. The workmanship is exquisite. It sparkles, and it’s worth something.
“What’s this?” An Chuxia looks at Daihu, puzzled. “What does this mean?”
“It’s for you. I heard you were feeling bad, so when I saw it, I thought dimei should have it. I hope you have fun!” Daihu leaves with that explanation.
“I can’t take this!” An Chuxia has been poor since birth, and the only thing she has of value is her mother’s ring. It is so thin and devoid of decoration that it costs less than a fifth of the smiley face token.
Daihu hastens his speed before turning back to yell, “Dimei, you can throw it away. Keep it or give it away. It’s your decision!” He waves goodbye as they head out the school gates.
Mage takes one last lingering look at Chuxia, but An Chuxia doesn’t notice.
An Chuxia’s heart feels troubled receiving such a precious thing. To rich people, this is no big deal. But to her, this is a welcome present, and quite an expensive one, too!
“Who was that?” Han Qilu asks, bringing An Chuxia’s focus back to him.
“A friend of a friend.” An Chuxia answers truthfully as she looks down at the smiley face in the middle of her palm. She can’t say Jiao Daihu is all that bad; the pendant will definitely look great!
Suddenly, a hand reaches into her palm and snatches the pendant. She, then, looks at Han Qilu. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t you see how tacky this is?” Han Qilu’s expression doesn’t change as he stares at her. “Do you often receive gifts from strange boys?”
What do you often collect?
An Chuxia searches for an explanation. “Han Qilu, give it back!”
“This is so ugly. If you like, I’d buy a better one for you.” Han Qilu shoves the smiley face into his pocket.
“Hey!” Her eyes lock with his. “Give it back to me!”
“Let me help you.” His tone is unquestionable. “The school bell has rung ten minutes ago. Do you want to continue standing here?”
Class! An Chuxia suddenly becomes tense. She has more important things to do! She smiles at him for the reminder. She hurries back to class, thinking she can deal with the smiley face later.
