The alley had an unpleasant smell and poor soundproofing. From neighboring homes came sounds of parents scolding children and couples arguing.
Lu Xun’s expression remained unchanged as he parked his bicycle at his doorstep and locked it.
Taking keys from his pocket to unlock the door, the cramped room came into full view. The furniture appeared aged, and even though everything was meticulously cleaned, their shabbiness remained evident.
His phone kept ringing incessantly. Frowning, Lu Xun pulled out his phone when suddenly the door was pounded loudly, accompanied by a woman’s shrill voice.
“A-Xun, it’s your aunt. I need to talk to you. Open the door first.” The knocking grew increasingly forceful.
A flicker of annoyance passed through Lu Xun’s eyes as he opened the door. His tall frame blocked the middle-aged woman from entering, his voice distant yet polite: “Aunt, what is it?”
“I’ve called you several times, but you never answered,” the woman said, her face unable to conceal her shrewdness. “Your cousin will take the high school entrance exam next year. You know how poor Zhao Kai’s grades are…”
She spoke with unshakable confidence: “You’ll need to tutor him.”
“No time.” Lu Xun had no fondness for this mercenary aunt and refused directly.
Hearing this, the woman’s face immediately darkened: “What do you mean no time? Don’t you have weekends off?”
“Working part-time,” Lu Xun replied coldly.
“Is that so.” The woman crossed her arms, shedding her initially warm and affectionate demeanor. “Fine then. It’s not that I don’t care about you. How about you tutor your cousin on weekend afternoons? I’ll pay the tutoring fee, alright?”
She made what should have been a reasonable request sound like she was making some great sacrifice.
Lu Xun stood straight, remaining silent for a moment without agreeing or refusing. The woman took this as agreement and turned away contemptuously.
The weekend arrived quickly. Following the address 166 had provided, Jiang Qiao found Lu Xun correcting someone’s test papers in the rest area of a milk tea shop.
Lu Xun still wore his usual aloof expression, while Zhao Kai sitting across from him looked thoroughly impatient as he worked on the test papers.
[Is Lu Xun… tutoring someone?] Jiang Qiao wondered. Didn’t the book say he was reclusive and friendless?
[The male lead’s cousin,] 166 replied.
That was still surprising. Didn’t the book say he had a poor relationship with his aunt’s family?
Jiang Qiao didn’t dwell on this question. Approaching the milk tea shop, she ordered a light fruit tea before walking behind Zhao Kai and tapping his shoulder: “Excuse me, could you move? I want to sit here.”
Zhao Kai, who had been scowling at his test papers, raised his eyebrows with a somewhat threatening expression. But upon seeing that bright, beautiful face, all his curses died in his throat. Dazed and stammering, he said: “O… okay.”
“I ordered milk tea,” Jiang Qiao lifted her chin, handing the receipt to Zhao Kai and ordering him around: “Go wait for it. Bring it to me when it’s ready.”
Her gaze remained fixed on Lu Xun’s indifferent face.
Zhao Kai’s mind cleared somewhat, realizing the beauty hadn’t come for him. Still, he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. Shooting his cousin a glare, he resentfully went to wait for the milk tea.
Jiang Qiao moved her chair beside Lu Xun and plopped down, her hand mischievously reaching for the black pen in Lu Xun’s hand.
Lu Xun’s fingers paused slightly before he simply released it, letting her take it.
Jiang Qiao’s smile deepened as she pressed closer, pushing her luck until their breaths mingled.
Lu Xun abruptly stood up, his chair scraping harshly against the floor as he strode out of the milk tea shop. Jiang Qiao followed him outside.
He only stopped when they reached a corner, looking down at Jiang Qiao’s stunningly beautiful face with an impassive tone. “I’ve said it before—I don’t like you.”
Jiang Qiao’s brows furrowed briefly before smoothing out, her expression dismissive. “So what? I don’t care who you like.”
“I probably never said this…” Jiang Qiao declared with an air of pride. “Lu Xun, I like you. You have to be with me.”
Lu Xun’s face turned cold.
Jiang Qiao lifted her chin, embodying the spoiled young mistress act to perfection. “Don’t be ungrateful. With my looks and family background, plenty of people beg for my attention, and I don’t even want them.”
The implication was clear—he was the one gaining something.
Lu Xun gripped her wrist firmly, pinning her against the wall while keeping a person’s distance between them. “Go find whoever’s begging for you. What you look like or how powerful your family is,” his eyes icy, “means nothing to me.”
He released her hand and turned back to the milk tea shop to gather his things.
Zhao Kai cautiously held a cup of milk tea. Seeing Lu Xun return, he glanced behind him but didn’t spot the person he hoped to see. Just as he was about to question Lu Xun, the latter’s oppressive aura made him shudder.
What happened? Where’s the beauty?
Wait, what should he do with this milk tea?
Still confused, Zhao Kai watched as Lu Xun prepared to leave on his bike and couldn’t hold back. “Will she still come for tutoring tomorrow?”
It was obvious who “she” referred to.
Lu Xun’s gaze was now as cold as the deepest winter. “I put my notes in your book. There won’t be any more tutoring.”
“What do you mean?!” Zhao Kai panicked. “You promised my mom! You even took the tutoring fee!”
Lu Xun didn’t know how his aunt had exaggerated the situation, nor did he care. “I never agreed. I came today to give you the notes. That’s all I can do.”
The words sounded like a clear break from Zhao Kai’s family. Enraged, Zhao Kai snapped, “You think some lousy notes can repay the debt for all those years you lived and ate at our house? No wonder my mom always says you’re cold-blooded! No wonder you’re all alone!”
Lu Xun had intended to leave but turned back, his gaze calm and detached. “Maybe it runs in the family.” He paused. “Did you enjoy spending my parents’ compensation money?”
It sounded like a casual question, but Zhao Kai stood frozen in shock.
A pale, slender hand waved impatiently in front of his face, snapping him out of it. He realized it was the “milk tea girl” he’d been thinking about.
“Where’s Lu Xun?” Jiang Qiao demanded angrily, cutting him off.
Zhao Kai hesitated, his expression shifting. “He… left.”
Left again! What’s so great about having long legs? Jiang Qiao fumed internally.
An idea crossed her mind, and her expression softened as she asked Zhao Kai, “You’re Lu Xun’s cousin, right? You must know him pretty well?”
Zhao Kai hesitated, unsure whether to shake his head, when Jiang Qiao试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探性问试探
Chapter 6
The small alley smelled unpleasant and had poor soundproofing. Next door, someone was scolding a child, and a couple was arguing.
Lu Xun’s expression remained unchanged as he parked his bicycle at his front door and locked it.
He took a key from his pocket and opened the door. The small, cramped room came into full view. The furniture looked dated; no matter how clean it was kept, its shabbiness was still apparent.
His phone was still buzzing incessantly. Lu Xun frowned and took it out. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, accompanied by a woman’s shrill voice.
“A Xun, it’s your aunt. I need to talk to you. Open the door first.” The knocking threatened to get louder.
A flash of annoyance crossed Lu Xun’s eyes. He opened the door, his tall frame blocking the middle-aged woman from entering. His voice was distant yet polite. “Aunt, is something the matter?”
“I called you several times, but you didn’t pick up.” The middle-aged woman’s face wore an undisguised look of shrewdness. “Your cousin is taking his high school entrance exams next year, and you know how Zhao Kai’s grades are…”
She stated self-righteously, “You’ll have to help him with some tutoring.”
“I don’t have time.” Lu Xun had no fondness for this mercenary aunt and refused her outright.
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman’s face immediately changed. “What do you mean you don’t have time? Don’t you have weekends off?”
Lu Xun said coolly, “I have a part-time job.”
“I knew it.” The woman crossed her arms, her earlier warm and affectionate demeanor gone. “How about this? It’s not like your aunt doesn’t care about you. You can tutor your cousin on weekend afternoons, and I’ll pay you a tutoring fee. How’s that?”
She made it sound as if she were making a huge sacrifice for something that should have been a matter of course.
Lu Xun stood straight, silent for a moment. He neither agreed nor refused, which in the woman’s eyes, was an acceptance. She turned and left with a scornful look.
The weekend arrived quickly. Following the address 166 had given her, Jiang Qiao found Lu Xun in the seating area of a milk tea shop, correcting someone’s wrong answers.
Lu Xun still had that cold, aloof face. Opposite him, Zhao Kai was working on a test paper with an impatient expression.
[Is Lu Xun… tutoring someone?] Wasn’t he a loner with no friends?
[The male lead’s cousin,] 166 replied.
That was surprising enough. Didn’t the book say he had a bad relationship with his aunt’s family?
Jiang Qiao didn’t dwell on the question. She walked into the milk tea shop, ordered a light fruit tea, and went up behind Zhao Kai, patting him on the shoulder. “Excuse me, could you move? I want to sit here.”
Zhao Kai, who had been glaring at the test paper with deep-seated hatred, raised an eyebrow, a fierce look on his face. But upon seeing her bright and beautiful face, all the curses he was about to spew got stuck in his throat. He stammered, dazed, “S-Sure… sure.”
“I ordered milk tea.” Jiang Qiao lifted her chin, handing the receipt to Zhao Kai with a bossy air. “Go wait for it, and bring it to me when it’s ready.”
Jiang Qiao’s gaze remained fixed on the impassive Lu Xun.
Zhao Kai’s head cleared a little. He realized the beauty wasn’t here for him, but he couldn’t bring himself to refuse. He shot his cousin a glare and went resentfully to wait for the milk tea.
Jiang Qiao moved a chair to Lu Xun’s side and plopped down, her mischievous hand reaching for the black pen in his grasp.
Lu Xun’s fingers paused slightly, then he simply let go, allowing her to take it.
Jiang Qiao’s smile widened. She pushed her luck, leaning closer to him until their breaths mingled.
Lu Xun shot to his feet, the chair scraping harshly against the floor. He strode out of the milk tea shop, and Jiang Qiao followed him.
He didn’t stop until they reached a corner. He stared down at Jiang Qiao’s stunningly beautiful face, his voice devoid of any emotion. “I’ve told you before, I don’t like you.”
Jiang Qiao’s brow furrowed, then quickly relaxed. She said nonchalantly, “So what? I don’t care who you like.”
“I don’t think I’ve said this…” Jiang Qiao declared haughtily, “Lu Xun, I like you. You have to be with me.”
Lu Xun’s face turned cold.
Jiang Qiao held her head high, perfectly embodying the persona of a spoiled heiress. “Don’t be ungrateful. With my looks and family background, so many people are begging for me to like them, and I don’t even want them.”
The implication was: you’re the one who’s lucky.
Lu Xun grabbed her wrist with considerable force, pinning her against the wall, leaving the space of one person between them. “Then go find whoever is begging you. What you look like, how powerful your family is,” his eyes were chillingly cold, “I don’t care.”
He flung her hand away and turned to go back to the milk tea shop to pack his things.
Zhao Kai was carefully holding the milk tea. When he saw Lu Xun return, he looked behind him. Not seeing the person he had hoped to, he was about to ask when he was startled by the low pressure emanating from Lu Xun.
What’s wrong with him? Where’s the beautiful girl?
Wait, what was he supposed to do with this milk tea?
While Zhao Kai was still dazed, he saw Lu Xun about to leave with his bike and couldn’t hold back. “Will she come again for tutoring tomorrow?”
It was obvious who “she” was.
Lu Xun’s gaze was now as frigid as the dead of winter. “I’ve put my notes in your book. There will be no more tutoring.”
“What do you mean?!” Zhao Kai grew anxious. “Didn’t you promise my mom? You even took the tutoring fee!”
Lu Xun didn’t know how his aunt had embellished the story, nor did he care. “I didn’t promise. I came today to give you my notes. This is all I can do.”
His words sounded as if he wanted to draw a clear line between them. Zhao Kai was instantly incensed. “A set of stupid notes can cancel out the kindness of you eating and living at our house when you were a kid?! No wonder my mom always says you’re cold-blooded. Serves you right to be all alone!”
Lu Xun had been about to leave, but he turned to look at him, his gaze cool and calm. “It probably runs in the family.” He paused. “Did you enjoy spending my parents’ compensation money?”
It was a casual question, but Zhao Kai was so shocked he froze on the spot.
A pair of fair, slender fingers waved impatiently in front of his face, snapping him back to his senses. He realized it was the “milk tea girl” he had been thinking about.
“Where’s Lu Xun!” Jiang Qiao demanded angrily before he could speak.
Zhao Kai faltered, his expression shifting for a few moments. “He left…”
Left, he left again! What’s so great about having long legs, Jiang Qiao complained furiously in her head.
An idea struck her. Her expression softened as she asked Zhao Kai, “You’re Lu Xun’s cousin, so you must know him pretty well, right?”
Zhao Kai hesitated, wondering if he should shake his head, but Jiang Qiao asked tentatively, “Do you know what type of girl he likes? Or has he ever mentioned anyone to you?”
Zhao Kai: “…No.”
Tch, boring.
Jiang Qiao was a little disappointed not to hear Song Qingying’s name.
“Well… you must know where he lives, right?”
“…I do.”
After getting Lu Xun’s address from Zhao Kai, Jiang Qiao had a new idea.