She’s Just Too Hard to Win Over [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20
Ning Xue really wanted to go up to her and ask what she’d been doing all this time, and why she hadn’t sent even a single message. But this clearly wasn’t the right place to talk about matters of the heart, so she could only suppress the urge and watch as Jing Ling walked into the office building.
It didn’t take long before Ning Xue learned why those people had come.
Gossip spread quickly among students, and no one knew exactly where the rumor started.
“Did you hear? Gu Changfeng donated two buildings!”
“Two buildings?!”
Not just that also a sports field and some athletic equipment. The man’s generosity is no joke.
They weren’t far from Ning Xue, so she caught every word.
“Well, that’s normal. It’s Gu Changfeng, after all.”
“True. Those amounts probably mean nothing to him. Better to do something charitable and earn a bit of good reputation.”
The more Ning Xue listened, the more familiar that name sounded. She searched it up, and sure enough, it was one she’d often seen in news headlines and heard people mention.
The former richest man in the country.
“Former,” because he hadn’t participated in this year’s wealth ranking otherwise, the title wouldn’t have slipped from his hands.
But what puzzled her was what connection did Jing Ling have with Gu Changfeng?
One was a former billionaire, the other a poor student. It didn’t seem like their worlds should ever cross.
Yet they clearly had some kind of relationship, otherwise Jing Ling wouldn’t have appeared by his side.
The gossip continued nearby. Chen Caihui’s expression grew darker by the minute; it was hard to tell if it was envy or jealousy.
“Just a publicity stunt,” she scoffed. “Anyone can see through his act.”
“Exactly,” Zhou Rui chimed in. “He’s making such a big show of it, as if afraid people won’t notice.”
Some students nearby couldn’t take it anymore.
A girl looked straight at Chen Caihui and said mockingly, “He donated that much money—what’s wrong with being a little high-profile? Some people, on the other hand, talk about the art building all day long. You’d think it belonged to them.”
“You.!” Chen Caihui’s face turned green with anger.
Zhou Rui tried to jump in again, but one look from Jiang Rong shut her up immediately.
“Real rich families can afford to be loud about what they do,” Jiang Rong said evenly. “At least he already donated the money. Not like some upstarts who can’t wait to broadcast their wealth to the entire world.”
Chen Caihui’s fists clenched, but no one spoke up for her. It wasn’t that they feared her—it was because what Jiang Rong said was true. Chen Caihui always acted superior, and most people were more than happy to see her embarrassed.
Ning Xue glanced at her indifferently, then looked away.
Chen Caihui caught that tiny look and grew even angrier, her lips trembling.
How dare she? She could tolerate being mocked by others, but that beggar’s daughter what right did she have to look down on her?!
The fury surged up inside, but she swallowed it back down.
She hadn’t forgotten last time’s humiliation.
Without Jiang Rong’s help, she didn’t dare mess with Fang Ningxue again.
Thinking of that made her glare coldly at Jiang Rong. She leaned closer and whispered something in her ear. Jiang Rong’s eyes widened instantly, filling with shame and fear.
Seeing that reaction made Chen Caihui feel much better.
So what if she acts tough at school? In the end, she still has to listen to me still has to crawl at my feet like a dog.
And as for Fang Ningxue she’d make her pay for what happened before, double the humiliation.
By the time afternoon classes ended, Ning Xue had spent most of the day in a daze. Jing Ling still hadn’t replied to her messages. When school let out, Gu Changfeng and his group were already long gone.
She said goodbye to Lu Yue at the school gate and took a few steps forward only to run into the boy who had confessed to her before.
Du Qian’s face lit up when he saw her. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a chill run down his spine. Turning around, he saw Fang Ningcheng watching him like a hawk.
“Still by yourself? Jing Ling hasn’t come back yet?” Fang Ningcheng asked casually, stepping in front of Du Qian to block his view.
Ning Xue shook her head weakly, looking deflated like a withered flower.
“Then hop in,” Fang Ningcheng said. “I’ll take you for a drive.”
Du Qian was left behind, watching Ning Xue’s figure disappear. He clenched his fists and muttered to himself, “You can do it, Du Qian. Come on!”
Fang Ningcheng didn’t take Ning Xue straight home. Instead, he treated her to ice cream, wandered through a boutique, and walked with her along a quiet path lined with blossoms.
“Feeling better now?” he asked.
Licking her ice cream, Ning Xue smiled softly like a cat basking in the sun. “Much better. Thanks.”
Fang Ningcheng hesitated before saying, “You’re never like this when Jing Ling’s around.”
Ning Xue understood what he was implying, but she wasn’t ready to come out to her family not until things were clear between her and Jing Ling.
“It’s not entirely because of her,” she said lightly. “I’ve just been under a lot of stress. Give it a few days, I’ll be fine.”
He didn’t press further, simply kept her company until they reached the end of the path, then drove her home.
Although Jing Ling’s favorability toward her had risen by five points, nothing particularly special happened afterward. Still, her father’s work in Jiangcheng was going well, and her mother’s health was improving. All in all, life seemed to be moving in a good direction.
The next morning, as soon as Ning Xue entered the classroom, she found everyone buzzing with excitement. She sat down and listened to the chatter.
Apparently, Gu Changfeng had enjoyed his talk with the principal yesterday so much that he’d decided to donate another sum of money this time to fund the upcoming school anniversary celebration.
Ning Xue wasn’t interested. The school’s anniversary events were always overly flashy. Since students not participating didn’t have to attend, she had no plans to go this year either.
But plans never keep up with change. That afternoon, things took a turn.
Lu Yue came to find her followed by a petite, sweet-looking girl.
“This is Lin Xiaoxiao from first year,” Lu Yue introduced. “She said she wanted to talk to you about something, so I brought her here. Hope you don’t mind.”
If they weren’t both in the student council, Lu Yue probably wouldn’t have introduced her at all.
Lin Xiaoxiao looked nervous, tugging at her sleeve. “Hello, senior. I’m Lin Xiaoxiao from Class 2, Grade 1. I wanted to ask for your help.”
Ning Xue had always had a soft spot for cute girls. “What kind of help?” she asked gently.
“Um, the school’s anniversary is coming up, right? This year, since the budget’s bigger, the administration approved our anime club’s request to host an on-campus culture festival. I was hoping you could cosplay two characters for us.”
“Cosplay?” Ning Xue was taken aback. She had no experience with that and didn’t think she could pull it off.
“I don’t really follow that kind of thing, so…”
“Please, senior, I’m begging you!” Lin Xiaoxiao clasped her hands together pitifully. “Everyone else has turned me down. If I can’t find anyone soon, the club members will kick me out.”
“Uh… then, I’ll give it a try,” Ning Xue said, forcing a smile.
“Yay!” Lin Xiaoxiao nearly twirled in place with excitement.
Of course, it wasn’t because she couldn’t find anyone else. It was because those two roles only Ning Xue could play them.
On her way home, Ning Xue was still thinking about the cultural festival and didn’t notice the footsteps behind her. The stairwell light had been broken for days, the air dim and heavy.
Then suddenly someone wrapped their arms around her from behind, bringing with them a scent she knew all too well.