Chaрtеr 13: Are Yоu Protесting Fu Тinghаn Likе Тhis Bесаuse Yоu Like Нim?
Fu Tinghan turnеd аround.
Тhe tееnаger stаnding а heаd shоrtеr thаn him hеld а сup оf freshlу рoured cold wаter, his dаrk eуеs fiхеd directlу on Fu Tinghаn, his ехрressiоn blank.
Fu Тinghan said, “Тhеrе’s fооd in the fridgе.”
Wen Xinian lоwеrеd his hеаd and took а siр оf watеr, his tonе indifferent. “Sаvе it fоr hеr to eаt in thе morning.”
With that, thе two fell silеnt.
Sеvеrаl used bоwls hаd accumulated in the sink. Fu Tinghаn turned оn thе tар аnd begаn washing them cаrefullу.
Wen Хinian hаdn’t left yet. He watched Fu Tinghan’s every move quietly, waiting until he was almost done before speaking softly:
“The landlord came by. He said we have to pay the rent within a week, or we’ll have to move out immediately.”
Fu Tinghan paused.
“Got it. I’ll pay it.”
He dried his hands and, seeing the other still standing there, rubbed his temples. “Is there something else?”
Wen Xinian’s gaze drifted vaguely to the side behind Fu Tinghan, his voice steady:
“The class needs to buy supplementary textbooks. Three hundred and twenty yuan.”
Fu Tinghan gave a quiet “Mm” and walked with him toward the room on the far right. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
The room was excessively cramped. After fitting in a bunk bed and a desk, there was barely enough space to turn around.
A nylon rope was strung by the window, hung with both of their clothes, blocking out the outside light completely. The only illumination came from the desk lamp.
Wen Xinian climbed the ladder to the upper bunk to sleep. Fu Tinghan was about to gather his clothes to wash up when he remembered he still had homework left for one subject. He picked up his backpack and sat down at the desk instead.
It was almost three in the morning.
He took a deep breath, shook his heavy head, and, as if compelled, glanced at the corner of the room.
There stood a pale pink long-handled umbrella.
Too much time had passed, and the umbrella’s body had begun to rust slightly, but it was clear its owner cherished it, keeping it spotlessly clean.
Fu Tinghan set down his pen, stood up, and picked it up.
He opened the umbrella, and in the narrow room, it bloomed like a small, pale cherry blossom.
Fu Tinghan looked up, gazing at this sole splash of brightness in the dim light, his pupils reflecting the inside of the umbrella canopy.
There, written in black marker, were faint, nearly illegible characters.
He read them softly, word by word:
“Jiang… Er.”
There was still half an hour before morning self-study. Jiang Er, awakened once again by eight alarms, yawned as she got out of the car and walked into the school grounds alongside a crowd of equally dazed students.
“Morning, Jiang.”
Little Fatty caught up to her with his backpack, waving a bag in his hand, unusually eager.
“Have you had breakfast yet? I bought red bean buns. Let’s eat together.”
Jiang Er said gloomily, “Oh, did you buy those yesterday after ditching me and running off on your own?”
Little Fatty: (°°)
“I really know I was wrong,” he said with a pained expression. “It was a completely instinctive reaction yesterday. I forgot you were there too.”
Hah, listen to you making excuses.
Jiang Er snatched the bag of red bean buns from him and viciously stuffed one into her mouth.
“Unless you bring me that egg-and-sausage pancake from the school gate tomorrow, I won’t forgive you.”
Little Fatty immediately beamed, dimples forming in his chubby cheeks. “You got it!”
Jiang Er handed the remaining buns back to him, and the two walked toward the teaching building, munching on their buns.
Two girls walking nearby were discussing something, their voices rising uncontrollably in excitement.
“Did you hear? Yesterday, Lin Ling took people to help Wen Xiyue with her cleaning duty!”
“Of course I heard! It was all over the group chat last night!””Come to think of it, in the entire Third High School, besides Wen Xiyue, who could possibly match Lin Ling? It would be great if they really got together.”
Jiang Er was utterly confused.
So, yesterday, Lin Ling wasn’t coming to settle a life-or-death score with her—he was actually trying to impress a girl named Wen Xiyue?
“Who is Wen Xiyue?” she asked Little Fatty.
“It’s normal you don’t know since you just transferred here.”
Little Fatty explained in a monotone voice, “She’s the school belle of our Third High School. She’s smart, beautiful, and has a gentle personality. I heard her parents are both professors at prestigious universities abroad, and they plan to bring her overseas as soon as she graduates.”
That description—wasn’t she practically the school’s white moonlight?
“Does Lin Ling like her too?” Jiang Er asked with interest.
“Yeah, but Wen Xiyue treats him just like any other friend. He probably doesn’t stand a chance.”
At this point, Little Fatty’s tone changed, becoming mysterious. “Rumor has it that Wen Xiyue is secretly dating a boy from our school. Someone saw the two of them shopping at the supermarket together.”
“Who is it?” Jiang Er’s gossip-loving spirit ignited.
Little Fatty shrugged. “No idea. They didn’t see his face clearly, only that he was wearing our school uniform.”
Jiang Er felt a wave of disappointment.
Still, seeing Lin Ling get his comeuppance was pretty satisfying.
Serves him right for bullying Fu Tinghan.
He deserves to pine after someone he can’t have.
Jiang Er’s mood brightened again.
Class Six’s classroom was just ahead. She quickened her pace and ran toward it.
Several boys entered the room just before and after her. One of them took a sip of his drink, cursed that it tasted awful, and raised his hand to throw it into the trash bin. His companion quickly stopped him, grinning as he said:
“Don’t throw it away. Put it in the usual spot—that way, he won’t have to dig it out of the trash.”
The boy understood immediately. With a flick of his wrist, the drink bottle traced a perfect arc through the air and landed precisely on a desk by the window in the back row.
The seat was still empty—its owner hadn’t arrived yet.
With a dull thud, the bottle rolled onto the chair. The loosely screwed cap fell off, and orange liquid gushed out, splashing messily all over the chair before dripping steadily onto the floor, quickly forming a puddle.
Seeing this, the boys burst into laughter.
The others in the classroom were unfazed, not even sparing a glance.
Jiang Er stood in the aisle, the good mood Lin Ling had brought her completely vanishing.
—That was Fu Tinghan’s desk.
Little Fatty whispered, “It was them who saw Fu Tinghan picking up bottles before. They spread it around the class, and that’s why everyone… doesn’t want to sit with him.”
Jiang Er fell silent for a moment before asking softly:
“So what?”
Little Fatty didn’t catch on. “What?”
Jiang Er sounded puzzled. “What does it matter if Fu Tinghan picks up trash? Or sells recyclables? He didn’t steal or rob anyone, did he?”
By the end, her voice even drowned out the boys’ laughter, echoing through the classroom and ringing in everyone’s ears.
The boys stopped laughing.
Everyone in the classroom turned to look at her.
Jiang Er abruptly threw her backpack. The overly heavy bag slammed into a nearby desk with a dull thud.
Little Fatty jumped. “Y-you, calm down.”
She strode over to the boys, pointed at the mess, and said in a steady voice:
“Pick up the bottle.”
The boys sneered. “Why should we listen to you?”
Jiang Er glanced at the names on their chest badges and smirked coldly:“You don’t have to pick it up. I’ll call each of your homes one by one and tell your parents how their children treat a disabled classmate at school.”
They didn’t take it seriously, scoffing, “You think my parents would believe you?”
Jiang Er’s smile remained unchanged. “What if I ask my dad to find your parents’ workplaces and have their bosses stop employing them?”
“You might not know this, but my family is very wealthy.”
Her smile turned cold. “We’re quite familiar with all the major companies in Fengcheng.”
Their expressions shifted.
Jiang Er’s family background had always been a mystery.
But she was picked up by luxury cars every day, wore designer clothes from head to toe, and there were even rumors that the building under construction at the school was funded by her family.
Given all these signs, she was definitely not an ordinary person.
In the end, they were still too young and couldn’t handle the intimidation. After hesitating for a moment, the one who threw the bottle reluctantly walked to Fu Tinghan’s desk, bent down, and picked up the mostly empty drink bottle.
“Wipe the chair clean and mop the floor,” Jiang Er said expressionlessly. “If even a single trace is left for him to find, what I just said still stands.”
The boy clenched the bottle, his chest heaving rapidly. “Don’t go too far.”
“Too far?” Jiang Er laughed. “Who’s really going too far? Are you an idiot or is your cerebellum underdeveloped? Clean up the mess you made yourself—don’t you understand?”
He was so angry his face changed color, and he blurted out:
“You’re protecting Fu Tinghan so much, do you have a crush on him? No wonder you insisted on sitting with him—so that’s why.”