My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 10

“You—what nonsense are you spouting! I did no such thing!” Wu Jinghe panicked for a moment before quickly regaining her composure.

Xiao Nianyuan was about to say something more, but Lian Qiushui frowned and asked Wu Jinghe, “So it was you who pushed her into the water?”

When she arrived, she had noticed Xiao Nianyuan was soaking wet and had been wondering how it happened. To think it was Wu Jinghe’s doing!

Xiao Nianyuan looked at Lian Qiushui in confusion, unsure why she was suddenly fixated on this point.

She had only brought up Wu Jinghe pushing her into the water to expose the girl’s lie—that avoiding her wasn’t because she was a stranger, but because Wu Jinghe had been deliberately toying with her.

Wu Jinghe was equally puzzled as to why Lian Qiushui had suddenly brought this up.

But Lian Qiushui acted as if settling a score, striding over and pinching Wu Jinghe’s ear harshly. “Such a young age, and already so ill-behaved!”

Wu Jinghe’s ear stung from the pinch, and she burst into tears. “You’re bullying me!”

Lian Qiushui began lecturing Wu Jinghe with lofty principles, concluding with, “Don’t you dare do this again!”

The two bickered noisily, making Xiao Nianyuan’s temples throb. For a moment, she seriously considered leaving them both behind and walking away.

Somehow, the two of them were louder than a whole crowd, the noise making Xiao Nianyuan’s head buzz. Just as she was thinking of a way to stop them, Wu Jinghe suddenly turned to her and asked, “Are you two really master and disciple?”

Before Xiao Nianyuan could answer, Lian Qiushui lifted her chin and declared, “If I say we are, then we are. Why ask her? Do you think I’d lie?”

Wu Jinghe scoffed. “Is there even a single truthful word in anything you say?”

Lian Qiushui frowned. “What part wasn’t true?”

Wu Jinghe mocked, “You just said you’ve known each other for ages.”

“When did I—” Lian Qiushui started to retort, then suddenly remembered that during their earlier argument, she had offhandedly claimed she and Xiao Nianyuan had known each other since childhood and were the closest of friends.

Lian Qiushui: “…”

Seeing her silence, Wu Jinghe pressed on, “If you two have no real connection, then you shouldn’t be helping her.”

“Whether I help her or not is none of your business,” Lian Qiushui snapped, still shielding Xiao Nianyuan behind her. “If you don’t properly explain what you did today, don’t even think about leaving.”

“Who said I was leaving? This is my home. You’re the ones who should get out.”

“Stop arguing with her,” Xiao Nianyuan cut in, stopping Lian Qiushui from continuing the quarrel. She then turned to Wu Jinghe. “Do you think someone will come and drive me away?”

Wu Jinghe didn’t answer, but the slight lift of her brows made her thoughts obvious.

“I’ve already settled it. No one can force me to leave. If you refuse to speak, I’ll just wait here—unless you have the power to make me go.”

She had already made the system relent. It wouldn’t expel her from Sky City.

Wu Jinghe frowned, scrutinizing Xiao Nianyuan up and down. Whether she had noticed something or not, she gave Xiao Nianyuan a resentful look but didn’t repeat her demand for her to leave. Instead, she asked uneasily, “What exactly do you want?”

Xiao Nianyuan replied, “Why were you all avoiding me?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Wu Jinghe, still childish at heart, couldn’t resist rolling her eyes. “You’re not one of us. We don’t welcome you.”

“Just unwelcome?”

Wu Jinghe nodded, “That’s right, you’re not welcome here.”

Xiao Nianyuan gave a slight nod. Unwelcome or not, she hadn’t planned to stay long anyway. All she needed was to confirm whether that familiar voice belonged to the person she knew.

“Who’s in charge here?” Xiao Nianyuan asked Wu Jinghe. “Have them come out to meet me.”

Wu Jinghe crossed her arms and lifted her chin proudly. “I’m the one in charge here. Whatever you have to say, say it to me.”

Wu Jinghe had figured it out—Xiao Nianyuan was shamelessly persistent. If she didn’t get what she wanted, she wouldn’t leave. Better to send her away sooner rather than later.

After all, the questions Xiao Nianyuan might ask weren’t necessarily ones she could answer. A few vague responses would do—Xiao Nianyuan wouldn’t know whether they were true or not. Just enough to get her off their backs.

Xiao Nianyuan regarded Wu Jinghe with skepticism. The girl looked like a child, hardly the authoritative figure one would expect. But for now, Wu Jinghe was the only one she could speak to, and it was clear Wu Jinghe had no intention of letting her meet anyone else.

Xiao Nianyuan had no choice but to ask, “Earlier, I saw someone at the edge of Sky City. They looked familiar. I wanted to ask if there’s anyone here who—”

“Impossible!” Wu Jinghe cut her off before she could finish. “Everyone’s been inside today. No one went out. You couldn’t have seen anyone at the edge of Sky City.”

“You haven’t even asked them. How can you be so sure?” Xiao Nianyuan didn’t believe her. The first time might have been a mistake, but the second time? That couldn’t have been a mistake too.

“There’s no one. That’s the rule here. No one goes out at this time unless they want to be thrown out.” Wu Jinghe had intended to brush her off, but instead, she answered truthfully. If Xiao Nianyuan kept pressing, it would only be to provoke her. “I’ve been cooperative enough. If you keep pushing, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Wu Jinghe’s threat meant nothing to Xiao Nianyuan. She had no reason to fear a child. Yet Wu Jinghe didn’t seem to be lying either. After a long silence, Xiao Nianyuan finally said, “Fine. I understand.”

But despite saying she understood, Xiao Nianyuan showed no sign of leaving.

Wu Jinghe grew impatient. “What are you still doing here? I’ve already told you everything.”

Xiao Nianyuan replied, “I’m just thinking about where to stay for the night.”