Сhарtеr 19: Just Friеnds
Wеn Yаo reviеwеd thе mаtеrials she had рrеparеd severаl timеs, finаllу соnfirming therе wеrе nо logicаl or knowledge-rеlаted issuеs, аnd сlоsеd her nоtеbоok with satisfасtion.
Just thеn, her phonе scrеen lit up. Wen Yаo tаpреd to oрen the messаgе.
Реi Zhaolаn: 【Fоrgоt tо ask yоu last timе, how did the triаl lesson gо?】
Wen Yaо: 【Yeah, it went wеll.】
Wеn Yаo: 【Тhаnks for introducing mе. Arе уou freе tonight? Let mе treаt уоu to dinnеr.】
Pei Zhаolan: 【Surе.】
Wеn Yаo: 【Is 5 p.m. okay? I have a tutоring sеssion at 6.】
Pei Zhаоlan: 【Sure, I’ll wait fоr уou on the second floor of the second cafeteria. I feel like having that grilled meat rice bowl.】
Wen Yao: 【No way, I’ll send you the restaurant location.】
How could she treat him to a cafeteria meal? Not to mention him introducing her to the tutoring job, even back when they studied together, Pei Zhaolan had always helped her.
Sometimes he would even give her some really useful supplementary books and notes on key and difficult points. She never really had a chance to properly thank him.
Wen Yao: 【Listen to me, okay?】
Xie Zongxun watched the person beside him typing away intently, completely engrossed in the conversation. He gave a slight, mocking tug at the corner of his mouth and snatched the phone right out of her hand.
He casually scrolled through the chat history, his expression indifferent, until he saw the last message she had sent.
Listen to me, okay?
He could even imagine the tone she would use saying those words out loud—soft and sweet, no different from when she was acting spoiled in his arms.
Pei Zhaolan sent a reply: “Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
Xie Zongxun let out a soft, derisive snort. He suddenly wondered how he would react if Wen Yao said that to him.
He’d probably grip her waist, fiercely silence her lips, and scold her harshly.
“Shut up.”
Listen to her? What a joke.
Xie Zongxun handed the phone back to a stunned Wen Yao. She took it, having no idea what had gotten into Xie Zongxun this time.
The next second, a message popped up from X.
X: 【A date?】
Wen Liuliu: 【Just dinner.】
X: 【Did I give you permission to have dinner with another man? Didn’t I tell you, when you’re with me, you can only be with me.】
Wen Liuliu: 【Just friends.】
Xie Zongxun didn’t bother replying to her further. Just then, the class bell rang. There was a ten-minute break, and Wen Yao slipped out the back door with her backpack.
Xie Zongxun’s eyes darkened as he stared at Wen Yao’s retreating figure.
Wen Yao found a decently nice restaurant, sent the location to Pei Zhaolan, and waited for him downstairs at the mall.
Pei Zhaolan arrived quickly, holding a cup of milk tea. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black jeans, his skin fair. When he smiled, a faint dimple appeared by his lips, making him look excessively gentle.
“How long have you been waiting?”
Pei Zhaolan handed the milk tea to Wen Yao.
Wen Yao thanked him.
“Just a little while.”
The two chatted casually as they walked.
“Are you adjusting to the studies okay?”
Wen Yao nodded. “Yeah, it’s fine. I feel quite interested in the professional knowledge.”
When she glanced at his profile, her pupils contracted slightly at a very ordinary concern. “What happened to your chin here?”
Pei Zhaolan instinctively touched it and gave a faint smile. “Got scraped playing basketball last time. It’s nothing.”
The meal ended simply and straightforwardly. The atmosphere between them was very much like that of close old friends—relaxed and comfortable, chatting about whatever came to mind.
After leaving the restaurant, they parted ways. Wen Yao had to go to her tutoring session.She took a shortcut toward the subway station when her phone rang—it was a call from her younger sister, Wen Shu. Their school only allowed phone calls home every Monday afternoon.
Wen Yao felt a flicker of happiness and was about to step into a nearby alley to answer, eager to talk with her sister.
But as soon as she entered, someone suddenly yanked her deep into the alley.
“Are you Pei Zhaolan’s girlfriend?”
Surrounded, Wen Yao remained calm. “No, we were high school classmates.”
The next second, a heavy slap struck her face. The girl’s acrylic nails scraped her skin, leaving Wen Yao’s head spinning.
“Xia Shi, let it go.”
“She seems to be with Young Master Xie.”
Xia Shi kicked the person who pleaded for mercy in the stomach and roared, “Bullshit! How could someone like Xie Zongxun have a woman?”
She then turned back to Wen Yao with a terrifying expression and warned, “If you dare get so close to Pei Zhaolan again, I’ll fucking kill you!”
Xia Shi was furious just looking at Wen Yao’s face. She had been chasing Pei Zhaolan for over half a month, but he never accepted her gifts or agreed to her invitations.
Today, she had invited him to dinner, but from morning until afternoon, he hadn’t replied to a single message. While out shopping, she happened to see the two of them eating together.
Pei Zhaolan had never smiled at her like that, yet he was all smiles for this little bitch—serving her food and handing her water.
Still unsatisfied, Xia Shi slapped Wen Yao across the face again, turned on her high heels, and left, not forgetting to add a final warning: “If you tell him, you’re finished. My dad is a major shareholder at the school—he can have you expelled in a second.”
Only after they left did Wen Yao slowly come back to her senses. Her face burned with unbearable pain, and tears streamed down her cheeks—a mix of emotional distress and physical agony.
She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself.
Glancing at her phone, she saw a missed call. When she tried calling back, it was already unreachable. Her sister’s school used one-way phone cards, and Wen Shu could only borrow someone else’s card to make brief calls.
Seeing that missed call, Wen Yao’s tears finally overflowed.
After composing herself for a moment, she remembered her tutoring session was about to start. She walked out of the alley and stopped at a convenience store to buy a mask to cover the marks.
The cashier kindly reminded her, “Miss, do you want to buy some medicine? Your face is bleeding.”
Wen Yao shook her head and softly said, “Thank you.”
During the evening tutoring session, she explained that she had an allergic reaction. The parents didn’t question it and even gave her some anti-allergy medication.
Wen Yao focused diligently on tutoring the student, and the two hours passed quickly.
Before leaving, the little girl tugged at her hand and said in a soft voice, “Teacher, I love listening to your lessons. Will you come again next time?”
Wen Yao nodded and promised she would.
After lingering for a bit, she had to sprint again on her way downstairs. Her return to campus was meticulously timed.
Missing even one subway train, which ran every two minutes, would delay her commute by ten minutes. She didn’t want to be locked out by the dormitory curfew.
She had only run a short distance when a cold voice called out, “Wen Yao.”
Xie Zongxun was leaning against his understated Porsche Cayenne, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt. Tall and slender, he stood with one leg slightly bent, his gaze fixed on her.
Wen Yao paused for a moment before walking over.
“What’s wrong? Why are you wearing a mask?”
He reached out to touch her, but she avoided his hand, her tone inexplicably nervous.
“I—I have a cold.”He even feigned a light cough for show.
Xie Zongxun gave her cheek a gentle pinch, and Wen Yao felt the pain tremble through her heart, yet she stubbornly held back from making a sound.
“How could you not catch a cold? Last night, you said you were hot in your sleep, took off your own clothes, and kicked off the blanket.”
Wen Yao mumbled, “When you hold me, it just gets really hot.”
She didn’t bother bantering with him further and got into the car.
“If you have tutoring sessions in the future, just stay at my place. It’s too late for you to go back to school.”
“Don’t hurt your leg again. Your legs are useful.”
Wen Yao sniffled, feeling that his words today carried a gentler tone—perhaps because she had faced malice, and the contrast made it more noticeable.
“What use are they? They’re only good for walking.”
Xie Zongxun started the car, his thin lips moving slightly as he spoke without a hint of embarrassment.
“Is that so? Hanging them around my waist counts as one use too.”
After returning home, Xie Zongxun turned on the light and only then noticed Wen Yao’s reddened eyes.
She had cried again, even though he hadn’t scolded her earlier.
“Take off your mask.”
Wen Yao instinctively stepped back. “No need, I have a cold.”
“Take it off. I want to kiss you.”