Jiang Qiao turned her face away, ignoring him.
After a while, there was no movement.
Lu Xun had never been patient with her—could he have left already?
Feeling uneasy, Jiang Qiao turned back to look and met Lu Xun’s calm gaze.
He hadn’t left.
Though pleased inside, Jiang Qiao spoke stubbornly: “I know you’re tall, but why stand there showing off…”
Lu Xun took a step toward her, slightly mocking: “Jealous?”
Jiang Qiao widened her eyes slightly, unable to believe he could say something so shameless.
At 163 cm, she indeed wasn’t tall—even glaring angrily at Lu Xun required tilting her head up.
Feeling insulted, Jiang Qiao kicked some crushed leaves at Lu Xun’s faded sneakers, tossed her head, and stormed off in a huff.
The ends of her high ponytail traced an arc through the air, brushing past Lu Xun’s chin.
His chin tingled strangely; he narrowed his eyes but didn’t touch it.
Back home, Jiang Qiao kept complaining about how obtuse Lu Xun was and how infuriating his words could be.
Only after venting did she realize 166 had been silent. Thinking back carefully, it seemed 166 hadn’t come online since she and Lu Xun confirmed their relationship.
Strange.
Jiang Qiao set down her backpack and reached inside for something, her fingers brushing against a plastic bag.
What was this?
Puzzled, she pulled it out—a Yunnan Baiyao Aerosol lay quietly inside the plastic bag.
“…………………”
Clutching the spray, Jiang Qiao froze as her ankle throbbed faintly.
She clearly remembered not buying it—so who could have?
A flash of memory: Lu Xun holding a plastic bag behind his back at the Red Pavilion entrance.
The spray worked well; within days, the redness and swelling on Jiang Qiao’s ankle completely subsided.
For some reason, she didn’t ask Lu Xun about it—the bottle seemed to have appeared out of thin air.
Her relationship with Lu Xun remained lukewarm. Unless Jiang Qiao initiated contact, Lu Xun wouldn’t speak to her, and sometimes he’d ignore her even if she did.
After a light rain, City A turned chilly overnight, with passersby bundling up in trench coats and thick sweaters.
166 had been offline for so long that Jiang Qiao nearly forgot its existence.
One day, as Jiang Qiao rested her chin in her hand, bored during physics class, it suddenly spoke: [New Plot Point approaching. Please prepare, Host.]
?
Jiang Qiao straightened up: [Oh, you’re back?]
166: [……………]
166 corrected her stiffly: [The System is an artificial intelligence. It cannot die, only be recalled or destroyed.]
[So you were recalled earlier?]
[…………This System was undergoing an upgrade.]
[Oh~]
166 couldn’t win against her: [In three days, a new Plot Point arrives. Be prepared.]
It then tossed a segment of the plot to Jiang Qiao.
Given Lu Xun’s personality, he should have treated “Jiang Qiao” as nonexistent. His later intense dislike for “Jiang Qiao” began with this Plot Point—Jiang Qiao’s birthday banquet.
Library.
“Lu Xun, what kind of cake do you like?” Jiang Qiao sat opposite him, gazing at him eagerly.
Lu Xun didn’t respond, pulling out a new test paper to continue working on.
“Fruit? Chocolate? Yogurt?” Jiang Qiao snatched the black pen from his hand, pouting. “Say something~”
Lu Xun finally looked up at her, curling his fingers to tap twice silently on the “Quiet Please” sign.
Jiang Qiao: “………………”
She stayed quiet for about two seconds before she couldn’t hold back anymore: “Don’t buy me gifts. I definitely won’t like anything you pick out.”
“What gifts?”
Jiang Qiao: “………………”
She said angrily: “The day after tomorrow is my birthday.”
A flicker of surprise passed through Lu Xun’s eyes, quickly returning to normal: “Oh.”
Oh? That’s it?
Jiang Qiao got angry and walked away again.
Leaving Lu Xun alone, staring at the test paper, lost in thought.
The next day in class, he overheard classmates discussing what to get Jiang Qiao for her birthday. Some even asked Jiang Qiao directly what she liked.
Jiang Qiao glanced in a certain direction and deliberately answered loudly: “I like quite a few things. It’s the thought that counts, not the price. Just showing up is enough.”
“No way, don’t worry, we’ll definitely prepare a surprise for Miss Jiang!”, someone teased, instantly making the classroom lively.
Song Qingying withdrew her gaze, hiding the emotions in her eyes, but the bitterness in her heart wouldn’t fade. Her almond-shaped eyes turned to the person beside her as she whispered: “Lu Xun, will you go to Jiang Qiao’s birthday party?”
Lu Xun remained unchanged: “Not sure.”
Seeing Song Qingying’s confusion, he explained: “I’ll go if I have time.”
Song Qingying didn’t get the answer she wanted and felt somewhat disappointed: “I see.”
Three days passed quickly. Jiang Qiao’s birthday party was held at a private booking of Jiangnan Shore, with a grand setup. She invited the whole class, along with some friends from her social circle. Friends brought other friends, some brought partners—familiar faces and strangers alike.
Within ten minutes of the party starting, she had received a pile of gifts.
Ye Qingqing, who had saved up a month’s allowance, bought her a limited edition crystal bracelet: “Qiao’er, happy birthday.”
Jiang Qiao accepted it with a distracted smile: “Thank you, Qingqing.”
“What’s wrong? Not happy even on your birthday?”, Ye Qingqing asked, puzzled.
Jiang Qiao didn’t answer, but her eyes kept drifting toward the entrance.
Ye Qingqing scanned the room and immediately understood—Lu Xun hadn’t come.
She frowned, feeling displeased. She had never approved of Jiang Qiao being with Lu Xun from the start.
Watching them over time, she saw that Lu Xun was heartless, and her dear Qiao’er was completely throwing herself at him.
And now, he didn’t even show up for his girlfriend’s birthday? What kind of behavior was that?
She thought it, and she said it out loud.
Exactly, exactly, Lu Xun is just no good, Jiang Qiao agreed inwardly.
Outwardly, she had to pretend her thoughts hadn’t been exposed. If Lu Xun didn’t come, she’d lose face: “Who’s waiting for him? He can come or not, I don’t care.”
In the private room, someone called her to cut the cake. Jiang Qiao took one last look outside but didn’t see the familiar figure.
If he’s not coming, then fine, she didn’t care anyway…
Jiang Qiao took a deep breath, suppressing the ache in her heart, and turned to cut the cake.
Red Pavilion.
The manager transferred last month’s salary to Lu Xun’s WeChat and casually asked: “Why did you request to leave early today?”
Lu Xun accepted the transfer, put his phone in his pocket, and pursed his lips: “I have something to do.”
“Alright, if you have things to do, hurry up and go.”, the manager waved his hand: “Just make up for the time off later.”
“Okay.”, Lu Xun replied.
His bicycle sped through the bustling streets. Lu Xun checked the time and pedaled faster. The cold wind blew his short bangs aside, revealing his cool, handsome features, the tips of his ears slightly red from the chill.
The bike stopped in front of a brightly lit accessory shop. Lu Xun stared at the store for a moment before walking in.
“Hand… handsome, what would you like?” The sales clerk was a young woman in her twenties who had been stunned by Lu Xun’s appearance for a few seconds. Her face flushed when she regained her composure.
Lu Xun’s gaze swept across the dazzling array of bracelets and necklaces, finally settling on one particular section.