Сhарtеr 17: You Must Кеер Тhis Up
On this daу, Jiаng Zhengzheng fоllowed Ji Тingсhаn tо sсhоol аs usuаl, drifting аlоng the cоrridor outside the сlаssroоms whilе thе sоund оf students rесiting lеssons eсhоed frоm every rоom.
Lеaning against thе glass windоw with her сhin рropрed in her hands, Jiаng Zhеngzhеng gаzed longinglу аt Ji Тingсhan, who sаt inside, diligеntly taking nоtes. Loоking around, shе noticed sеvеrаl othеr studеnts either seсretlу рlaying with thеir phonеs or раssing nоtes аnd whispering.
“Сhanchаn, Сhаnchan, with this kind of determination, yоu сould get into anу univеrsity you wаnt!”
Jiаng Zhengzheng’s eyes were full of affirmation for Ji Tingchan.
As if sensing something, Ji Tingchan glanced toward Jiang Zhengzheng outside.
Jiang Zhengzheng quickly gave her a thumbs-up of approval, signaling that she would wait outside for her the whole time.
Why did these past few days feel like waiting for her own child outside a kindergarten?
Jiang Zhengzheng nearly laughed at her own thoughts.
Watching Jiang Zhengzheng happily waiting for her outside class these past few days, Ji Tingchan felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction deep inside.
Good job, puppy sister. You must keep this up.
“Qianxi just texted me saying she’s coming back to school tomorrow!”
“Really? Next week is the school anniversary celebration. She must be coming back to rehearse for the performance!”
Whispered conversation drifted from the seats near the window. Jiang Zhengzheng focused her gaze and recognized the two girls as the same lackeys she had seen when she first transmigrated into the book.
It seemed the empty seat in front of them belonged to Xia Qian.
“When Qianxi comes back, we can teach Ji Tingchan another lesson! I can’t stand that fox-like face of hers! I bet only boys like it—girls all hate it!”
“Hmph, Qianxi is going to shine in the ballet performance at the school anniversary! School heartthrob Ming Kai will be totally mesmerized by her. Ji Tingchan must be so jealous!”
“Me~s~m~e~r~i~z~e~d~ by Qianxi? Ugh, I’m going to be sick! You two minor characters! How much do you hate our Chanchan? Chanchan’s looks appeal to everyone, okay! Xia Qian isn’t even fit to compare to a single strand of Chanchan’s hair! Don’t you see who the male lead likes? All you do is try to break up other people’s ships!”
Listening to the two minor characters still whispering and bad-mouthing Ji Tingchan, Jiang Zhengzheng was so angry that she punched the glass window. The two inside were startled by the sudden sound.
The noise also alarmed the surrounding students.
Hearing the commotion, Ji Tingchan looked over, puzzled. Why was the puppy who had been happily grinning just moments ago now glaring angrily through the window?
When her gaze fell on the two lackeys who usually followed Xia Qian and mocked her, Ji Tingchan began to understand.
“You two by the window, what are you doing? If you don’t want to listen to the lesson, then don’t! The school’s windows aren’t yours to smash! If you want to break something, go home and do it!”
The speaker was an elderly teacher in his fifties, wearing glasses. His words seemed to carry great authority, as even the students who had been secretly doing other things immediately sat up straight.
“T-teacher… it wasn’t us!”
One of the lackeys protested timidly.
“Then we’ll check the surveillance! There’s no one outside. Checking the footage will tell us who did it!”
The teacher slammed his teaching materials onto the desk and declared he would go to the administration office to review the surveillance.
Oh no! That was the first thought of every student who had been secretly playing with their phones or reading novels in class.Everyone looked somewhat resentfully at Xia Qian’s two lackeys.
“T-teacher, there’s no need to check. It seems we accidentally bumped into it just now…”
They were also afraid the surveillance would reveal they had been using their phones to chat with others, so they could only grit their teeth and admit it under the resentful gazes of those around them.
“Get out! Go stand outside for this class!”
The old teacher picked up a teaching tool and pointed at them, shouting angrily.
“Hahahahahahahaha, so satisfying!”
Jiang Zhengzheng was almost beside herself with joy watching the two walk out like quails.
“Come, come, come! Let’s welcome today’s female guests! Shining on stage!”
Jiang Zhengzheng clenched her fist into a mock microphone, standing exaggeratedly beside the two like a host, straightening her nonexistent bow tie before shaking her head and speaking passionately:
“Yes! Our female guests today have had quite a journey!
They! Because they love belittling others, love gossiping about people, love maliciously speculating about others, therefore~ they are very fortunate to stand on this stage and meet everyone!
It can be said that on this path of Villains, they have walked quite a difficult road! So now, everyone~ please give them plenty of criticism and disdainful looks. At the same time, we also hope they can continue to be this unhappy, this pained, as they walk the thorny path that belongs to their lives!”
Outside, Jiang Zhengzheng was loudly amusing herself, while inside, Ji Tingchan couldn’t help but smile at her witty and humorous words.
Only she could see and hear Big Sister Puppy. It seemed Puppy was even more indignant on her behalf than she had imagined.
Ji Tingchan’s deskmate stared blankly at her usually icy expression melting away.
Heavens! My icy beauty deskmate actually smi… smiled!
But when she rubbed her eyes and looked again, she found the other had already composed her expression and was looking attentively at the blackboard.
On the rooftop of the teaching building.
“Zhengzheng sister, what happened this morning?”
Ji Tingchan handed the just-bought ice cream to Jiang Zhengzheng, asking curiously, her expression as innocent as could be.
Jiang Zhengzheng took the ice cream, licked it, and waved her hand:
“Nothing much! Just those two girls talking behind your back… saying bad things about that old teacher. I thought it was too disrespectful! Too disrespectful to our people’s teachers! So I just enforced a little bit of justice~”
Not wanting to upset Ji Tingchan with this matter, Jiang Zhengzheng spoke vaguely.
Silly puppy, you’re lying again.
“Sister, here.”
Ji Tingchan, watching Puppy focused on eating the ice cream, pointed to her own corner of the mouth.
“Huh?” Jiang Zhengzheng was puzzled.
But Ji Tingchan, as if moved by a Ghost, reached out and gently wiped away the ice cream stain at the corner of the other’s mouth.
Her fingertip didn’t feel the warmth of the other’s skin, only the coolness of the ice cream.
Ji Tingchan gazed somewhat distractedly at Jiang Zhengzheng’s mouth.
So touching! Such an intimate gesture! What does it mean! It means I’m slowly entering Chanchan’s heart! Chanchan acknowledges me as her sister! From now on, she won’t be sad anymore thinking she has no family! Her sister Jiang Zhengzheng is here! She also has maternal home now!
Jiang Zhengzheng looked at Ji Tingchan with deep emotion, her mind filled with images of Ji Tingchan’s future children calling her ‘Auntie~ Auntie~’.
Thinking of this, she grinned foolishly again.
“Sister is so silly, your ice cream is about to melt.”
“Ah? Oh, oh!”Watching Jiang Zhengzheng clumsily licking her ice cream, Ji Tingchan’s peach blossom eyes fixed on her, her gaze dark and unreadable.
“Huh? Chanchan, you didn’t buy one for yourself? Don’t you want any?”
Noticing her empty hands, Jiang Zhengzheng thought she might only have bought one because of financial hardship—after all, she wasn’t loved by either parent at home. With that in mind, her heart began to ache with sympathy.
Guessing what Jiang Zhengzheng was thinking, Ji Tingchan couldn’t help but smile. She leaned in closer and whispered softly:
“I don’t feel like having any today, but… I’ll probably eat half of it in the future.”