Chapter 8

When those boys moved her table, they were careless and made a mess out of her books.

During their lunch break, Mingxi tidied them up. Suddenly, she saw two dark blue colored, clean and practically abstinent notebooks in her pile. It was very different from her stack of colorful books.

Upon opening the book, she saw that the words inside were neat and the steps to answering the questions were clearer than the answer itself.

This wasn’t her handwriting.

Mingxi went blank for a moment before realizing that this was Shen Liyao’s.

Back when she used to like him, she would use borrowing and returning his notebooks as an excuse to meet Shen Liyao in his class every Tuesday. This must be the notes she borrowed from him last week. It was still with her.

In this life, Mingxi no longer wanted anything to do with Shen Liyao. Thus, she didn’t want to return it herself.

She sent a message to He Yang, asking her for a favor.

Then, Mingxi leaned closer to the table and wrote gracefully on a sticky note: “Thank you with regards to the matter concerning E Xiaoxia.”

She was prepared to stick this in the notebook.

But she paused. She thought for a while and figured that this was unnecessary.

Shen Liyao had probably lent her a hand out of convenience, but if she took this too seriously, he might think that she was being annoying again.

Furthermore, considering how she used to give Shen Liyao and his friends all kinds of good food, she’s just going to consider his help this time as a way to clear their debts to each other.

With this thought in mind, Mingxi crumpled up the note and threw it in the trash.

*

Despite having stared at Mingxi for the whole morning, she never came to Fu Yangxi asking to move her seat back. He couldn’t help but to be a little annoyed and even slightly wronged. During lunch break, he noticed that there was no one at that corner. Fu Yangxi took off his headphones and gestured for a follower to come over to him. “Where’s the transfer student?”

The follower said, “I think she went to look for her friend in the Normal Class.”

Fu Yangxi contemplated for a moment before asking someone to get him Ke Chengwen who was playing basketball at the sports field.

He was leaning on the wall while flipping a book. His red hair had exploded again. He pretended to play with his pen nonchalantly as he said lazily to Ke Chengwen, “Do you know how to find out who the transfer student was friends with and what she liked before she transferred to our class? All in all, I want to know every single detail. Can you do it?”

Ke Chengwen who was sweating bullets while carrying the basketball in his arms was extremely shocked.

Having known Xi ge for three whole years, this was actually the first time he had seen Xi ge ask about someone. Moreover, it was about a girl.

“Xi ge, could it be that you—” Ke Chengwen couldn’t help but to move closer and ask in a soft voice, “…are really interested in her?”

“Piss off.” Fu Yangxi was repulsed by the smell of sweat coming off him. He pulled him away by his collar and raised his eyebrows. “I’m not interested. The International Class has always had 41 students yet suddenly there is another. So of course I would want to know about the background of this student. Who knows, she might be someone sent by my enemies to spy on me. If I accidentally reveal my weakness to her, it might result in my inheritance being split.”

Ke Chengwen thought about it for a while before saying, “Alright. I’ll see what I can find out.”

When Ke Chengwen finished speaking, he stole a glimpse at Fu Yangxi. He didn’t know if he should tell him about something.

Just now while he was playing basketball with those people from the Gold Medal Class, he heard that the person who was fervently pursuing Shen Liyao was this transfer student who had just transferred to their class— Of course, as he didn’t witness it himself, Ke Chengwen did not dare to come to a conclusion.

However, if that was true, then the question of whether that transfer student was really going after Xi ge or if she was just playing with him so that she could make Shen Liyao from the next class jealous would remain unanswered.

As the Fu family’s Young Master, Fu Yangxi’s status was enough to affect many. He always slept in school and did not care about gossip. Even when he heard about the person nicknamed ‘God Yao’ who had won eight competitions within two years, he only scratched his ears, saying that he couldn’t recall such a person. Therefore, he would naturally be ignorant about the past between the transfer student and Shen Liyao.

Fu Yangxi nodded before lowering his head to read once more. He feigned an unbothered look. “That’s all. You can go. Make sure not to get caught by the transfer student while you’re at it.”

Ke Chengwen couldn’t help but to remind him, “Gege, your book is upside down.”

Fu Yangxi raised the book. “Go.”

*

After the end of the school day, Shen Liyao remained in his seat. His gaze was cold and serious as he continued to work with the circuit board. Shen Liyao had his own workshop in school, but since there were quite a number of small components which he could not handle in time, he would usually end up doing it in class instead.

He was a little bit of a neat freak. The components were arranged neatly on his table, but due to how delicate they were, everyone around him was afraid of touching it, hence no one would usually approach his seat unless it was absolutely necessary.

Ye Bai had just returned from his basketball game. He yelled at Shen Liyao to go for lunch from one row away.

“You go ahead.” After saying that, Shen Liyao subconsciously looked at his watch.

It was already 12.30 p.m..

He furrowed his brows slightly.

“God Yao, do you need me to get you lunch?” Ye Bai asked.

“No need. You can go by yourself.”

“Okay.” Ye Bai scratched his head and walked out of class with his ball in tow. He was playing basketball with a few students from the International Class and couldn’t help but to gossip about Mingxi’s current situation in the International Class.

At first he thought that Zhao Mingxi was going to feel isolated as she had transferred to the International Class which was filled with the rich, unique, ignorant and incompetent. To his surprise, Zhao Mingxi outsmarted her opponents. The moment she transferred there she ran laps for the boss of their class and even gave him gifts. Ultimately, the whole of the International Class became very friendly with Zhao Mingxi.

He didn’t know if he should share this piece of information with Shen Liyao.

The moment he walked out of class with his basketball, he saw He Yang walking toward him with some notebooks.

As Ye Bai knew her because of Zhao Mingxi, he smiled as a sign of greeting. However, as He Yang never really liked Shen Liyao to begin with, she glared at him before quickly turning away.

After He Yang entered class to give those two notebooks to Shen Liyao, she turned to leave.

Shen Liyao paused his actions and the expression on his face changed ever so slightly. “Why are you the one giving it to me?”

He Yang replied without even looking back. “Once Mingxi was done with your notes, she lent them to me. I just returned them out of convenience. Why do you ask?”

Shen Liyao instantly furrowed his eyebrows.

He Yang turned back and looked at Shen Liyao with a questioning gaze.

Previously when Mingxi asked Shen Liyao to tutor her, Shen Liyao would always give her the cold shoulder as if someone had dug out his ancestral grave. He Yang despised how he always carried a look of arrogance and pride, as if he was a sacred god on a pedestal. Mingxi even had to ask Zhao Zhanhuai to be the middleman. Only then did Shen Liyao allow Mingxi to borrow his notes once every Tuesday.

Now that he doesn’t have to see the annoying Mingxi, shouldn’t Shen Liyao be overjoyed? Why is he still showing a cold expression as if someone owed him money?

However, He Yang didn’t think too much about it. She left after completing her task.

Ye Bai who was at the corridor was astonished.

Zhao Mingxi used to consider Shen Liyao’s things as priceless treasures. She wouldn’t even allow people to touch it, let alone borrow it!

Besides, in the worst case scenario, even if He Yang was her best friend and she had lent it to He Yang, she would never miss out the proper chance to look for Shen Liyao in the Gold Medal Class every Tuesday!

What’s going on?

Are all girls this scary when they’re jealous?

Also, with regards to the matter of E Xiaoxia, didn’t Shen Liyao’s actions of going to the Zhao family home yesterday amount to helping Zhao Mingxi?

Ye Bai looked at the clock hanging on the wall, then at Shen Liyao’s expression. A thought suddenly appeared in his mind: Could it be that God Yao didn’t go to the cafeteria because he was purposely waiting for Zhao Mingxi?

He felt that this thought was way too horrifying, hence he quickly tossed it aside.

Ye Bai put down the basketball and walked back. “Have the notebooks been returned?”

Shen Liyao ignored him. He simply stuffed the books into his desk drawer, his expression clearly stiff and cold.

Ye Bai couldn’t help but to bring up what he heard at the basketball court just now.

“I heard that Zhao Mingxi gave the International Class’ Fu Yangxi many things. An ergonomic chair, a Pikachu bolster and whatnot. Basically a lot of things— God Yao, do you think she’s doing this on purpose? She knows that the news in the International Class will reach you in less than a day.”

“Is she trying to incite you to go find her?”

Shen Liyao replied coldly, “Why would I voluntarily look for her? I don’t like her.”

“Exactly. I’m already thankful about the fact that she no longer bothers you!” Ye Bai said. “Although the sweets and lunch boxes she made were very nice, she’s only holding you back. I still wish she won’t come!”

He didn’t know if it was his misperception, but the moment he finished speaking, Shen Liyao’s expression seemed to have darkened.

Without saying another word, Shen Liyao kept the things on his table, turned and left the class.