The others asked a few more questions, all about having fun. Jiang Nanli couldn’t answer them, and his patience gradually wore thin. At last, he kicked a desk. “What are you asking so many questions for? Go study, all of you.”
At the mention of studying, everyone scattered like startled birds, leaving only one person sitting there, head bowed and lashes trembling.
“C-Classmate Jiang, Young Master He is in the class next door.”
He used to call He Youyu by his name, too. But after they came to this school, Jiang Nanli had taken his friend’s side and forbidden him from using He Youyu’s name. He’d said that if he ever heard it again, he’d hit him every time.
Jiang Nanli lowered his head and said nothing. His eyes flickered as if he were thinking about something. At last, he said, “It’s fine. Sit down.”
He Baiqiu sat down at once.
He’d meant to get some water during the break, but since Jiang Nanli had told him to sit, he didn’t dare stand.
In a rare turn of events, Jiang Nanli didn’t bully He Baiqiu at all that morning. He just sat there quietly, staring out the window as if deep in thought.
In fact, Jiang Nanli really was contemplating life.
He lamented that he’d ended up in the world of a book, and that his fate was so miserable.
The protagonist bottom of the story was sitting right beside him. One day, He Baiqiu would shine brightly, standing before him with an air of arrogance. A little farther away sat their class monitor, the top student, Gu Qi.
In the future, Gu Qi would bring the Jiang family down with ruthless efficiency, leaving Jiang Nanli homeless and with no one daring to help him.
What a mess, what a mess. What kind of story had his sister written? He should never have indulged her by encouraging her hobbies. He should’ve stamped them out before they even began!
The dismissal bell rang, and the classroom filled with chatter. Friends slung their arms around each other, making plans for where to eat lunch.
The capital was bustling, and the street outside this aristocratic school was lined with restaurants.
“Ah Nan, come on, let’s go get beef noodles outside.”
He Youyu came rushing in, but the moment he spotted He Baiqiu sitting beside Jiang Nanli, his expression soured. He kicked He Baiqiu’s chair so hard it nearly sent him tumbling to the floor.
“Why are you still here, you little bastard? Can’t you stop offending my eyes?”
Jiang Nanli saw the disgust on He Youyu’s face and He Baiqiu’s cowering posture, head lowered and body curled in on itself. He thought it was no wonder He Baiqiu would get his revenge on He Youyu once he came into his own.
Still, He Youyu was his follower in the book, and just as fiercely loyal to him. So Jiang Nanli tried to intervene.
“Enough. This is a classroom. Where else is he supposed to be? Come on, let’s go eat.”
Jiang Nanli tugged He Youyu toward the door, but He Youyu said, “Wait a second.”
He walked over to He Baiqiu, took out his phone, and opened WeChat. “Where’s the pocket money my dad gave you today?”
Oh, so he was after money.
Jiang Nanli felt ashamed of himself for initially thinking He Youyu wanted to add He Baiqiu as a friend.
Those two got along so badly, they probably weren’t friends on WeChat anyway.
Just then, a student in the front row stood up. His chair scraped loudly across the floor, and Jiang Nanli realized someone was still there.
For some reason, Jiang Nanli stared at him, momentarily unable to look away.
Then the other student turned and walked over, stopping in front of him.
“Well, Gu Qi. What’s up? You here to stand up for this little bastard?”
Gu Qi glanced at He Baiqiu and shook his head.
So this was Gu Qi.
Jiang Nanli saw the light fade from He Baiqiu’s eyes and gave a silent scoff. Could He Baiqiu already be starting to fall for Gu Qi?
Was Gu Qi really not here to stand up for him?
“Classmate Jiang.”
Jiang Nanli looked up, his gaze as insolent as ever, his expression cold.
“What is it?” Jiang Nanli asked. Gu Qi couldn’t help thinking that the other boy was being outrageously arrogant, even though he hadn’t done anything.
“It’s nothing important. I just wanted to tell you that you didn’t hand in yesterday’s homework.”
Jiang Nanli’s face stayed cold. “Oh. I didn’t hand it in, so what? You could’ve just told me. You didn’t have to wait around for me. Someone might think you were planning to beat me up in private.”
Gu Qi thought Jiang Nanli was so capricious. He’d been the one to say that no one was allowed to mention anything that might embarrass him in front of other people.
“Just remember to hand it in.”
Gu Qi didn’t seem inclined to explain. He said his piece and turned to leave, but Jiang Nanli called after him.
“Leaving already, top student?”
Not going to rescue your darling wife?
Gu Qi clearly misunderstood. He turned around and promised, “I won’t tell Auntie about your argument with the teacher today.”
Jiang Nanli…
Who cared about that?
“Forget it. Go on, get out of here.”
Either Gu Qi really had no such intentions, or he was an excellent actor.
At Jiang Nanli’s words, Gu Qi turned and left for real.
That left He Baiqiu, pitifully handing over his money to He Youyu.
He didn’t have time to think about it for long. When Jiang Nanli turned to look at him, He Baiqiu promptly took out his phone and transferred every last cent of his balance to He Youyu.
He could put up with going hungry at lunch.
“How come there’s so little?”
But even after taking the money, He Youyu wasn’t satisfied. He looked at the sum that had just been transferred with open disdain.
He Baiqiu stammered, “That’s all I have left.”
Jiang Nanli vaguely remembered that in the book, He Baiqiu had a mother who was addicted to drugs. Every month, he had to give her money to support her drug habit.
When he thought about it that way, He Baiqiu really was pretty pitiful.
So Jiang Nanli patted He Youyu’s hand. “Come on, let it go. You’re not short on money, and if we wait any longer, we won’t get a table.”
Only then did He Youyu leave He Baiqiu alone. He walked off with Jiang Nanli, and He Baiqiu faintly heard their voices drifting back.
“I just don’t want our family’s money going to some illegitimate son. It’s unfair to my mom.”
He Baiqiu lowered his head, his eyes dark. Hah. He Youyu thought it unfair to his mother, but who would think it unfair to Baiqiu? Had he chosen to be born?
Jiang Nanli patted He Youyu on the back, signaling him to stop talking.
Who knew whether the protagonist bottom had some kind of halo?
If He Baiqiu and Gu Qi got together in the end and came after them, with that mouth of He Youyu’s, he’d definitely be the first to die.
Though this was his first time meeting He Youyu, Jiang Nanli figured that saving a life was worth more than building a seven-story pagoda, so he still gave him a warning. “From now on, stay away from He Baiqiu. Just ignore him.”
He Youyu whipped around, looking utterly bewildered. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you taking He Baiqiu’s side now, too?”
He Youyu was furious. Jiang Nanli was his best friend. If Jiang Nanli started siding with He Baiqiu, he’d be livid.
Jiang Nanli figured he should stay in character. He couldn’t act too differently from the original Jiang Nanli, or people might catch on. So he replied calmly, “Why would I take his side? I just think he’s nothing more than an illegitimate son, and if you keep picking on him, you’re the one who’ll look bad.”
He pointed at He Youyu.
Once He Youyu had calmed down, he realized Jiang Nanli couldn’t possibly be siding with He Baiqiu. Hardly anyone in their circle thought much of illegitimate children. He could only agree, sounding a little aggrieved. Whether he’d keep bullying He Baiqiu afterward was another matter.