21 – You are my god
Zhou Yuchuan exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay, carrying an air of arrogance with him.
“Three.”
He casually parted his lips, his cold gaze fixed on Jiang Xie’s unwilling-to-release hand.
“Please let go,” Xin Jushang reminded Jiang Xie in a low voice.
Only after hearing Xin Jushang speak did Jiang Xie reluctantly release the hand that had been clutching the hem of her clothes, his gaze lingering on her for a few more seconds with reluctance.
As Zhou Yuchuan approached step by step, Jiang Xie had no choice but to return to his own team nearby, though his peripheral glances still fell on Xin Jushang from time to time.
Seeing Jiang Xie leave, Zhou Yuchuan’s perpetually sour expression finally softened into a slight smile.
“Let’s go, time to eat.”
With his hands in his pockets, he raised an eyebrow at Xin Jushang.
Xin Jushang’s heart skipped a beat, suddenly recalling the scene from her afternoon dream, her cheeks flushing with an inexplicable blush.
They followed the team leader to a nearby restaurant. Dinner was a buffet on the second floor, with a rich variety of dishes, along with fruits and small desserts.
Xin Jushang casually picked some food onto her plate and found an empty seat to sit down.
Not long after she started eating, someone took the empty seat across from her.
She looked up, and once again, Jiang Xie’s face came into view.
Truth be told, Jiang Xie was quite good-looking—not the domineering, arrogant kind of handsome like Zhou Yuchuan, but a more refined and delicate handsomeness. No wonder a boy like Jiang Xie had caught Zhao Jianing’s favor.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Xie gently placed the cup of mango pomelo sago he was holding in front of Xin Jushang, mustering the courage to speak again, “Xin Jushang, I actually had a crush on you for two years in middle school. Even though you never knew me, I’ve been quietly paying attention to you for a long time…”
Jiang Xie’s heartfelt confession was met with Xin Jushang’s indifference.
“Xin Jushang?” Jiang Xie tentatively asked, “Did you hear what I just said?”
Xin Jushang popped a cherry tomato into her mouth and casually replied with an “Mm.”
Why was this cherry tomato so small and sour? She frowned slightly.
“Then, could you consider…”
Jiang Xie looked at Xin Jushang cautiously, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
The young man’s heart was racing wildly.
Suddenly, an untimely voice chimed in—
“Consider being your dad?”
Zhou Yuchuan, with one hand in his pocket, sneered as he lifted the cup of mango pomelo sago with his other hand like it was trash. After examining it for a moment, he laughed even more boldly. “You idiot, you don’t even know Xin Jushang is allergic to mangoes, and you have the nerve to pursue her?”
It seemed he had forgotten that he, too, had once given Xin Jushang a double-layered mango cake without knowing.
But Zhou Yuchuan, with his pride, would never bring that up again.
Hearing Zhou Yuchuan’s teasing remark, Jiang Xie was instantly flustered and at a loss.
“Xin Jushang, so you… are allergic to mangoes.”
Jiang Xie nervously fidgeted with his fingers, too embarrassed to face Xin Jushang directly.
Xin Jushang nodded, then picked up another cherry tomato and put it in her mouth.
Compared to the previous one, she felt this cherry tomato tasted much sweeter.
After driving Jiang Xie away, Zhou Yuchuan sat down in the seat across from Xin Jushang with his own plate, staring straight at her as he curved his lips into a smile. “Xin Jushang, next time I help you fend off unwanted admirers, I’m going to charge a fee.”
He stared meaningfully at Xin Jushang, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion.
Xin Jushang didn’t respond to Zhou Yuchuan’s remark. Instead, she handed him a cherry tomato. “Want one? It’s pretty sweet.”
The girl’s hand was fair and slender, making the cherry tomato in her palm look especially adorable.
Zhou Yuchuan took the cherry tomato and popped it into his mouth.
His brow furrowed, but he still swallowed the unbearably sour cherry tomato.
This little liar—it was obviously sour as hell, yet she had the nerve to call it sweet.
After dinner, the team leader organized everyone to return to the hotel to rest.
The math competition was scheduled for the next morning, so a good night’s rest was essential.
Back at the hotel, Xin Jushang found a competition problem book, sat at the desk, and prepared to solve a few problems to get into the groove.
Just as she finished one problem, her phone vibrated several times.
Xin Jushang turned on the screen and saw several messages on QQ.
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Xin Jushang, how do you solve this problem? [Image]
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Xin Jushang, I’m not sure about this one either. [Image]
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Why aren’t you replying? Are you ignoring me on purpose? Are you worried I’ll beat you tomorrow?
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Boohoo, Xin Jushang, you’re so stingy! This is unethical behavior. I’m going to tell Old Hu and report you for putting on airs with your classmates.
Looking at Zhou Yuchuan’s series of childish, elementary-school-level messages, the corners of Xin Jushang’s eyes curved slightly.
Too lazy to type, she sent several voice messages explaining the two problems to Zhou Yuchuan.
Soon, she received another barrage of messages from him.
【Chosen One-Chuan】: No, the voice messages aren’t clear. I think it’s better to discuss this in person.
【Chosen One-Chuan】: Besides, your approach to the first problem is completely different from mine. I think you must have made a mistake.
【Chosen One-Chuan】: How about we discuss it face-to-face? What’s your room number?
The moment Xin Jushang saw Zhou Yuchuan claim her approach was wrong, her competitive spirit flared up. Without hesitation, she sent him her room number.
A short while later, she heard a soft “knock knock” at the door.
When Xin Jushang opened the door, she froze completely.
Zhou Yuchuan stood there wearing a white bathrobe, the top loosely tied, faintly revealing the attractive lines of his abdominal muscles and the sculpted definition of his abs.
Seeing Xin Jushang staring at him, Zhou Yuchuan quickly tightened his bathrobe, looking startled. “Xin Jushang, are you some kind of pervert?”
Xin Jushang rolled her eyes and casually closed the door.
She walked straight to the desk, picked up her scratch paper, and tossed her calculations in front of Zhou Yuchuan.
“Take a look. Figure out who’s actually wrong here.”
Zhou Yuchuan: ?
So, no matter what, it was his fault?
He pretended to glance at the calculations on Xin Jushang’s scratch paper, then put on an exaggerated expression of sudden enlightenment, his acting utterly over-the-top. “Xin Jushang, you’re amazing! You’re my idol! After seeing your calculations, everything suddenly became clear to me, like a flash of insight…”
Just as Zhou Yuchuan was showering her with extravagant praise, another knock sounded at the door, accompanied by the team leader’s voice—
“Student in Room 321, please open the door! Bedtime room check!”
Zhou Yuchuan’s smile instantly froze. He was stunned for a long moment, glanced fearfully at Xin Jushang, and asked softly, “What do we do now?”
A man and a woman alone in a room—even if it was just to explain a problem—the teacher probably wouldn’t believe it.