Saving the Obsessive Villain Boss [Quick Transmigration] (GL) - Chapter 30

The early October weather still carried the heat of late summer, but the autumn wind was gradually beginning to blow. A monthly exam was held at the end of September. The scores had come out, and overall, the results were good. The school announced that a two-day sports meet would be held the following day.

The last sports meet in the three years of high school was intended to regulate the state of mind of the senior students. Without a moment’s respite from high-intensity pressure, problems could easily arise.

The sports meet was only two days long. As soon as class was dismissed, the class monitor, Song Zhiming, was surrounded by many people at his desk, chattering about which events they wanted to sign up for. Shi Qingyi rested her chin on one hand, while the other hand doodled on a scratchpad. No one knew what she was doing.

Jiang Zhiyi sat beside her, diligently solving practice problems. The workbook was, of course, Shi Qingyi’s. She wrote seriously, but occasionally secretly tilted her head for a quick glance, then quickly turned back, like a timid hamster.

“Ninth time,” the System announced dutifully, marveling at the count.

The break only lasted half an hour, and she had already sneaked a look nine times. How much must one like someone to never tire of looking?

Shi Qingyi’s pen paused, drawing a long scratch on the scratchpad.

As class was about to start, most of the events were finalized. Class monitor Song Zhiming frowned as he looked at the remaining events. He pointed to the girls’ 1500-meter and 800-meter races and pleaded: “Everyone, how about these two? We can’t have no one signed up for an event.”

Those who ran the 800-meter were heroes, and those who ran the 1500-meter were martyrs. The group of people around him immediately scattered upon hearing this, fearing they would be implicated.

Deng Sisi was sitting close to him. She glanced at the form and tapped it with her pen: “Isn’t there still someone who hasn’t signed up for any events? Since she won’t sign up herself, why don’t we sign her up?”

Saying that, she took the pen and checked the 1500-meter and 800-meter races next to Jiang Zhiyi’s name. She looked further down and continued: “Tug-of-war and relay races seem to be short on people too? Check them all off.”

Running the 1500-meter and 800-meter, plus the relay race, over two days—even Song Zhiming’s expression changed, but the class had to have participants. He thought for a moment and ultimately said nothing.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t refuse, did she?

“Who else is there?” Deng Sisi was about to check off everything when she suddenly paused at the name Shi Qingyi, abruptly pulling her hand back.

You pick the soft persimmons to squeeze. She dared not mark this one randomly.

Song Zhiming resignedly shook his head and walked toward the back of the classroom with the registration form. Shi Qingyi had transferred in her second year of high school. Her personality was somewhat cold, and she wasn’t close to anyone. Being a boy, he didn’t dare to call her casually, so he just called out “Classmate Shi.”

“Everyone has to participate in this sports meet. Which event would you like to participate in, Classmate Shi? I’ll check it off for you.”

Shi Qingyi flipped the scratchpad over, blocking his view, and politely reached out to take the registration form: “No need. I’ll look at it myself.”

Her outstretched hand was fair and delicate. When taking the form, she accidentally touched his arm. Song Zhiming suddenly felt an exceptionally chilling gaze fall upon him. He turned his head curiously but saw no one, only Jiang Zhiyi holding her pen to her lips, seemingly contemplating a problem.

Shi Qingyi ran the cap of her pen down the list. Her gaze paused at a certain name, and she swiftly crossed out the 1500-meter and 800-meter races.

Song Zhiming was dumbfounded and quickly tried to reach out and snatch the form back: “Classmate Shi, did… did you make a mistake?”

Never mind that school forms shouldn’t be scribbled on; that wasn’t even her name.

—It was Jiang Zhiyi’s.

“She has a cold. Is there a problem with her not participating in these two?” Shi Qingyi leaned back, successfully avoiding his attempt to grab the form. She looked to the side: “Do you want to participate?”

Jiang Zhiyi, who had been secretly watching the situation, was caught red-handed. She quickly shook her head, following Shi Qingyi’s lead. Gathering her courage, she was still a little stammering: “N-no, I don’t—”

This was the first time she had refused so directly. Song Zhiming was startled, giving her an odd look.

Shi Qingyi continued to look down the list, casually crossing out the tug-of-war and relay races as well, making the decision for her: “She doesn’t want to participate in these two either.”

Song Zhiming’s face darkened, and his tone wasn’t good: “But she has to participate in one event, right?”

She still had to participate in one. Shi Qingyi’s pen hovered, considering between the long jump and the shot put. Finally, she checked the 4kg shot put.

“We’ll choose this one. I’ll just choose volleyball.” After saying that, she handed the form back, her expression normal, completely ignoring Song Zhiming’s face, which was as black as coal: “Thank you, Class Monitor.”

Song Zhiming’s face was extremely sullen. He walked back to his seat without saying a word. Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and looked back with a strange and disgusted glance.

Normally, Jiang Zhiyi was used to that kind of disgusted and angry expression, but this time, the blatant malice was directed not only at her but also at Shi Qingyi. She suddenly felt a little anxious.

She stared at Song Zhiming’s back for a long time. Just as a chill was gradually rising in her heart, someone unexpectedly tapped her on the head. It didn’t hurt; it was just a tap with a pen.

“Still looking? Do your homework.”

Jiang Zhiyi obediently withdrew her gaze, rubbed her forehead, and dared not look again.

—

There was a downpour on Friday. The thunder rumbled, waking Shi Qingyi from her sleep.

The System frantically shook her: “Host, Host, wake up quickly!”

Shi Qingyi put her arm over her eyes, extremely sleepy: “What is it now?”

Can’t a person get a good night’s sleep on Friday? Doesn’t forced overtime have any humanity?

“Get up quickly! Jiang Zhiyi is downstairs in your residential complex right now!”

Shi Qingyi was momentarily stunned. She sprang out of bed, casually threw on two pieces of clothing, and rushed out.

“Umbrella! Umbrella! Take an umbrella!” the System shouted anxiously.

Shi Qingyi frantically pressed the elevator button, rubbing her aching forehead in the interim: “How did she get here?”

Shi Qingyi lived in a high-end residential complex near the school. Security was strict, and outsiders were generally not allowed in.

“She was working a part-time job outside for the weekend, tutoring a third-grade student in Olympiad math. She was just kicked out.”

“Why was she kicked out?”

The System hesitated: “…Because Jiang Jun knew the family who hired the tutor. She went over and exaggerated, saying Jiang Zhiyi was a lesbian. The little girl just got an upset stomach and threw up all over herself. Jiang Zhiyi helped her change clothes, and then—”

What kind of luck is this? Jiang Zhiyi is not shrouded in a villain’s halo; she’s shrouded in a bad luck halo.

Shi Qingyi’s eyelid twitched. The elevator door opened, and she rushed out.

“Where is she now?” The rain poured down. Everything in front of her was a white blur. She couldn’t see the path ahead. The summer rain hit her body painfully.

The System acted as a manual GPS, guiding her all the way. Finally, they found the person huddled on a railing chair next to the man-made lake. She was completely drenched, wearing only a thin white long dress. Her shoulders were shaking, and she seemed to still be crying.

Shi Qingyi walked over and patted her back. She seemed startled, thinking it was the security guard. She hastily looked up: “I’m leaving right away… I’m sorry… I…”

Then she saw the blonde girl holding an umbrella, frowning as she looked at her, shielding her from the pouring rain.

Just one look, and the grievance suddenly erupted without warning. Tears mixed with the rain, dripping down. Her soaked long hair clung to her heartbreakingly thin face, making her look incredibly pitiful.

Shi Qingyi’s heart ached dully. She quickly looked away: “Alright, stop crying for now. Come upstairs with me first.”

She reached out to pull her up, but Jiang Zhiyi seemed to have been crouching for too long. She stood up abruptly, her legs went weak, and she stumbled. Shi Qingyi supported her, but unexpectedly, Jiang Zhiyi pushed her hand away.

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes were full of tears. She covered her eyes with her arm and sobbed. It seemed she had gathered all her courage to speak: “Classmate Shi, I can’t take your teasing like this. Once is enough… Don’t keep doing this again and again…”

Because I will fall for it again and again.

You give me a tiny bit of tenderness, and I believe it. It might be insignificant to you, but to me, it’s something incredibly heavy. You give that little bit of tenderness, and then you push me away. I can’t bear this kind of disparity.

She was still trembling, and tears streamed down her face.

On the contrary, Shi Qingyi was stunned for a moment. The rain was torrential. Suppressed sobbing echoed in her ears. Jiang Zhiyi looked like she had reached a dead end with nowhere to go, huddled in a corner at the end of the heavy rain. The world was vast, and she was all alone.

In the end, Shi Qingyi carried her upstairs.

The rain was getting heavier, and they only had one umbrella. She could only awkwardly support Jiang Zhiyi and walk forward. Jiang Zhiyi’s legs were numb, but her heart slowly began to beat faster. How much space could there be under an umbrella? They were too close. Her clothes were soaked, and she was almost buried in Shi Qingyi’s shoulder.

Perhaps Shi Qingyi had rushed out, wearing only a nightgown underneath and a large khaki trench coat draped over it. Now, covering Jiang Zhiyi in her arms, their skin was almost touching.

Jiang Zhiyi was completely drenched. Fearing she would chill Shi Qingyi, she tried to pull away. Shi Qingyi irritably pulled her arm back: “Why are you running? There’s only one umbrella.”

So she stumbled back, hitting Shi Qingyi right on the chest.

When they reached the door, Jiang Zhiyi hesitated again. Shi Qingyi opened the door and turned around: “Not coming in?”

She looked like a timid cat, quietly watching but afraid to approach. Shi Qingyi was not extravagant in terms of material possessions, yet it was obvious at a glance that her family was well-off. The everyday earrings she changed were all worth a fortune. She once heard a classmate whisper that the style she frequently wore was a branded jewelry piece worth at least seven figures starting out.

Shi Qingyi pulled her in directly and kicked the door shut. She lived in a duplex apartment with a fresh and minimalist decor style. Jiang Zhiyi looked down at her drenched clothes, feeling awkward and unsure where to stand.

“Why are you standing there? Go take a bath.” Shi Qingyi dropped the umbrella and fetched a towel, throwing it at her. She then went into the bathroom to adjust the water temperature, her tone slightly aggressive: “Do you want to catch a cold?”

If she hadn’t said anything, it would have been fine, but as soon as she said it, Jiang Zhiyi sneezed. She looked at Shi Qingyi with teary eyes. Perhaps it was because she had just been drenched and cried, making her look like she might burst into tears again at any moment.

“The bathroom is over there. Hurry up and go.” Shi Qingyi looked away, feeling a little awkward for some reason, and not quite daring to look at her.

Jiang Zhiyi pursed her lips and carried the items into the bathroom. It wasn’t until she saw herself in the bathroom mirror that she understood why Shi Qingyi kept looking away.

—She was only wearing a thin dress. The rain had made the dress cling tightly to her body, and one could clearly see the bra straps digging into her shoulders…

Her own face flushed. She suddenly thought it was fortunate that Shi Qingyi had come to find her. Otherwise, what would she have done walking back by herself?

No, why would Shi Qingyi know I was here? I’ve clearly never appeared in front of her. I’ve always only dared to secretly glance at her—

Could Shi Qingyi know that I deliberately looked for a part-time job in her residential complex? Will she think that’s going too far?

She became anxious for no reason again. Her fingers couldn’t help but clutch the edge of the bathtub. She only relaxed slightly when the hot water immersed her whole body. She felt the heavy burden on her heart lighten a little, allowing her a momentary respite.

The hot water quickly turned cold. She buried her head in the water. The faucet was next to her. She fumbled for it. The left was hot water, the right was cold water…

Shi Qingyi was sitting on the sofa outside, spacing out, when she suddenly heard the bathroom door being pushed open slightly. The girl poked her head out of the door, her cheeks flushed from the heat, her face red: “I, I don’t have any clothes…”

She covered her chest. She was only wearing a large bath towel that wasn’t properly secured, exposing her thin, delicate collarbone and shoulders.

That dress certainly couldn’t be worn. Shi Qingyi came to a sudden realization. Her face also flushed, and she quickly got up to find her own clothes. She compared them and felt something was wrong.

She was nearly one meter seventy tall, and Jiang Zhiyi was only a little over one meter fifty. Their clothes were different sizes.

She couldn’t help but ask the question that had been lingering in her mind: “Will she grow taller?”

The System quickly checked: “She seems to grow to one meter sixty-three after she grows up, but she’s partially paralyzed and can’t stand up, so you can’t tell her exact height.”

So that’s it. Shi Qingyi nodded and calmly closed the System.

System: “???”

“What did I do wrong?!” Why are you suddenly treating me like this!

Shi Qingyi looked calm: “You didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just happy.”

System: “…”

Click. The screen flashed, and the System closed its mouth with tears.

Shi Qingyi finally gave Jiang Zhiyi a dress she hadn’t worn. It was a simple, fresh-style dress her mother had packed for her, which she hadn’t worn once because she thought it was too much trouble.

Jiang Zhiyi was slightly shorter, but her figure was surprisingly good. It wasn’t obvious when she wore the school uniform, but the dress accentuated her slender waist and contours. She walked over in slippers, looking a little awkward, and Shi Qingyi pulled her close to her side.

The blonde girl knelt on the sofa and took a hairdryer to dry her hair. Jiang Zhiyi’s hair was soft and clung to her scalp. The light brown color made her look a little malnourished, but she was heartbreakingly obedient, nestling there, allowing Shi Qingyi to handle her.

Her soft, long hair ran through Shi Qingyi’s fingers. The hot air warmed her scalp. Jiang Zhiyi meekly lowered her head, allowing Shi Qingyi to wipe her ears and the back of her neck dry.

No one had ever dried her hair like this before. Whether it was winter or summer, she always let it air dry naturally. She felt a little drowsy when she was unexpectedly scratched on the chin, like scratching a kitten.

“Why did you say that just now?” She said it as if Shi Qingyi had committed some heinous crime again, even though she had been trying to be a good person lately.

Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes trembled. She lowered her head: “Jiang Jun said you were just playing with me, and that you told her to go there to say I… say I…”

Say I’m a disgusting lesbian and that I’m corrupting little kids.

“You believe her just because she said it?” Shi Qingyi wouldn’t let her lower her head. She reached out and lifted her head, forcing the timid girl to meet her gaze.

Shi Qingyi was taller than her. Curled up on the sofa, Jiang Zhiyi only reached her chest. The girl looked down at her. The bright light behind her illuminated her, as if she were shrouded in a layer of cool, faint light.

“You believe everyone who says something, so why won’t you believe me?” Shi Qingyi moved closer, right in front of her, close enough to smell her breath. Jiang Zhiyi could even see the faint tear mole at the corner of her eye.

It was too close. The first time they had been this close, a flush quietly crept up her earlobes. If Shi Qingyi hadn’t been holding her chin up, she definitely would have fled in panic immediately.

“I believe you…”

Shi Qingyi stared at her for two seconds. Her long fingers demurely scratched her chin. Her expression was like melting ice, revealing a slight smile, as if it were a reward: “Good girl.”

When she wasn’t smiling, she was unapproachable and kept people at a distance. But when she smiled, it was rarely breathtakingly beautiful. Jiang Zhiyi only felt her heart racing faster and faster. In that instant, she understood King You of Zhou’s impulse to light the beacon fires to win a smile from his beauty. Her heart instantly felt numb. Her chin unconsciously rubbed against the slender fingers.

“Why are you acting like a cat?” Shi Qingyi smiled, withdrew her hand, and continued to dry her hair. Jiang Zhiyi moved closer reluctantly. After thinking for a moment, she quietly asked: “How did you know I was there?”

Shi Qingyi blew through her brown hair, casually making up an excuse: “I just happened to see you when I went down to buy snacks.”

She was startled after saying that. Who goes to the man-made lake to buy snacks? There’s only a pile of greenery there. She annoyedly messed up the obedient head in front of her and said harshly: “It’s a secret.”

Jiang Zhiyi let her mess with her hair. She only dared to let out a small “Oh.” Her fingertips unconsciously curled, digging into her palm, feeling a bit uneasy and yet harboring a strange, excessive guess.

When Shi Qingyi finished drying her hair, she realized the person had fallen asleep leaning against her. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked exhausted. Her breathing was shallow, gently puffing against her neck, causing a subtle itch.

She nudged Jiang Zhiyi’s shoulder, but she didn’t budge. Instead, she nestled closer to her side and let out a sound from her nose: “Cold…”

The hand that was pushing her paused and touched her exposed arm. It was icy cold, without a hint of warmth.

Shi Qingyi threw the hairdryer aside. She wanted to go back to her room to get a blanket for her. Just as she was about to stand up, she realized someone was secretly gripping the corner of her nightgown, holding on tightly.

She somehow remembered a saying that people who dared not let go even in their sleep usually lacked a sense of security.

She won’t catch a cold sleeping here. She picked up her phone, turned up the air conditioning temperature a bit, and ultimately didn’t pull her arm away.

Jiang Zhiyi didn’t sleep for long. After just over an hour, she started having a nightmare. She began to struggle anxiously while holding Shi Qingyi’s arm. Her forehead was covered in cold sweat, as if she were trapped in some terrifying nightmare.

Shi Qingyi threw her phone aside and patted her shoulder: “Wake up?”

She didn’t wake up. Instead, her struggle intensified, as if the pat had alarmed something. Her teeth clenched, and she unconsciously began to bite the inside of her cheek. Her face was noticeably sunken in one area.

If this continued, she wouldn’t wake up and would definitely bite herself. Shi Qingyi reached out and forcibly pried open her teeth to prevent her from biting herself.

In an instant of drowning-like suffocation, the person in the nightmare finally managed to open her eyes. Her eyes snapped open, deeply sunken, like a profound abyss, devoid of any human vitality.

“What did you dream about?” One hand took a wet wipe and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Jiang Zhiyi immediately moved closer to her, clingingly. She didn’t settle down properly, and Shi Qingyi abruptly pulled her arm away.

Jiang Zhiyi: “…”

Grievance.

Shi Qingyi rubbed her aching elbow. She was scared of her: “Don’t lean against me again. My arm needs to win glory for the class in volleyball next week.”

But didn’t she let me lean on her for so long? Jiang Zhiyi couldn’t hug the person, so she hugged the pillow next to her, looking at Shi Qingyi’s hand: “Did I bite you hard just now?”

Shi Qingyi shook her head. How could a bite with the strength of a kitten hurt anything? She reached for the refrigerator, took out two bottles of yogurt, tore one open, handed it to her, and returned to the sofa with the other bottle in her mouth, picking up her phone.

“What do you want to eat?”

Jiang Zhiyi took the yogurt, overwhelmed by the attention. She was a little slow to react and stared blankly at her.

Her eyes were clear, her pupils a pure black. Her long, curled eyelashes, like crow feathers, were gently curled. She looked like a soft, innocent little animal, extremely pitiful. No one would have thought that this seemingly gentle and harmless girl would later become the nightmare of countless people’s lives.

She was ruthless, leaving no room for mercy. Everyone with a handle on them went to prison, losing their freedom and never seeing the light of day. Those without a handle lingered outside, suffering endlessly. Even her own sister, whom she grew up with, couldn’t escape.

Shi Qingyi lowered her gaze and squeezed the yogurt bottle. The plastic bottle quickly dented significantly.

Jiang Zhiyi was used to being bullied and was adept at reading people’s expressions. She immediately noticed Shi Qingyi’s unhappiness.

Did Shi Qingyi discover something? She was a little nervous. Her fingertips unconsciously clenched: “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Want to eat barbecue from Furongji? Their grilled fish is superb, but it has too many bones. Or should we order a hot pot? I think the delivery might be a bit slow.”

Jiang Zhiyi put down the yogurt and tugged at the corner of her dress: “How about I cook for you?”

Shi Qingyi, who was initially worried about her being hungry, leaned against the doorframe, drinking yogurt and watching Chef Jiang cook. Her movements for cutting the ham sausage were skilled. Although she didn’t quite figure out how to light the stove, she quickly figured it out.

Shi Qingyi took a sip of yogurt and remembered the System saying that Jiang Zhiyi had been working part-time since her first year of middle school, helping to bus tables, and all the money was used to pay for her printing fees and study materials. Her eyes darkened.

Her kitchen was purely for show. It hadn’t gotten any greasy for the entire time she had lived here.

Jiang Zhiyi felt a little nervous under her gaze. Her back was straight, her shoulder blades forming a beautiful outline: “Are Auntie and Uncle coming back to eat?”

Shi Qingyi’s eyes turned cold. She threw the yogurt into the trash can: “They don’t live with me anymore. Who knows where they went to carouse?”

Oh, dear.

Jiang Zhiyi was sensitive. She immediately knew she had stepped on a landmine and quickly changed the subject: “Do you eat spicy food?”

“I do… I don’t.”

There were only a few buckets of instant noodles and a few ham sausages of unknown origin in her house. Served in the pristine white new bowls, they looked quite presentable. Steam rose, adding a bit of life to the otherwise lifeless room.

When she was about to serve the bowls, Shi Qingyi blocked her: “I’ll do it.”

After Shi Qingyi left, she went to wash her hands and suddenly realized that she had open wounds on her hands. The mottled scars had just scabbed over, and some were rubbed open, revealing fresh red flesh.

She closed her palm, and a stinging pain shot through it.

No one would care about her, notice the wounds on her hands, only telling her to carry boiling soup and clean up broken glass scattered on the floor. She leaned back, suddenly feeling a warm wind blowing into her icy heart, making her chest feel inexplicably hot.

Shi Qingyi’s messy head popped out from the doorway, holding a bowl of noodles: “Aren’t you coming out yet?”

The contents of her bowl were red, as she had poured almost half a bottle of chili sauce into it. She truly loved spicy food, so why did she say—

She was stunned for a moment, suddenly realizing that she didn’t eat spicy food.

Her nose suddenly felt very sore.

It was already six in the evening after they finished the noodles. Shi Qingyi put on her clothes and started looking for her umbrella everywhere.

“I can go back by myself.”

“It takes more than two hours to get home from here by bus, and it’s raining heavily now. I called a driver over. He’s downstairs. It only takes an hour to get back.”

She supported herself against the wall with one hand and bent down with the other to grab her shoes. Her things were scattered everywhere, and she couldn’t find her footing. Just as she lowered her head, someone supported her lower leg. Shi Qingyi was stunned for a moment, looking a little awkward. Her arch of the foot tensed into a straight line: “Let go. I can do it myself.”

“Don’t move.” Jiang Zhiyi’s voice was gentle. She didn’t ask why Shi Qingyi knew where she lived or the time it took to get there and back.

Shi Qingyi looked down at her. The girl’s expression was very serious. At that moment, she suddenly felt an inexplicable softness in her heart, an aching feeling like a gentle bee sting.

Shi Qingyi’s family was not short of drivers, but she preferred to ride her bike around, so she wasn’t assigned one. In the two months since she had turned eighteen, she had acquired several sports cars. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to park at the school. Only a few bicycles could be parked behind the old high school gate.

Outside the window, traffic was bustling. It was the peak hour for people getting off work. The small city was also congested. Shi Qingyi was wearing headphones, scrolling on her phone, seemingly engrossed, not even noticing that the person next to her had secretly fallen asleep.

Jiang Zhiyi leaned on her shoulder, not daring to put too much weight on her, just quietly resting there, praying that the journey would last a little longer. It would be nice to walk on like this forever.

Unfortunately, things don’t always go as one wishes. Even in the rain, Shi Qingyi’s driver drove quickly and steadily. They arrived at the entrance of the urban village in less than an hour. Shi Qingyi took off her headphones and nudged her: “Wake up. Go back home and sleep some more.”

Jiang Zhiyi waited a little while before pretending to wake up, rubbing her eyes. She stopped the person who was about to grab the umbrella: “We’re at my doorstep. I can go back myself. The rain is heavy outside. Don’t get wet.”

Without waiting for her to speak, she opened the car door and got out. One step down, and her leg was immersed in filthy water, cold, wet, and slimy.

Her eyes sank. She was glad Shi Qingyi hadn’t followed her down. The drainage system in the urban village was poor. Whenever it rained, the place became a vast expanse of water, with garbage piled up in the sewage, and occasionally, living creatures scurrying in the rain.

How could a clean girl like Shi Qingyi, whose socks and shoes were spotlessly white, step into this mud?

She walked forward with the umbrella, then suddenly turned around at the alley entrance, watching the car’s slow departure until it completely disappeared from sight. Just as she was about to turn around, she saw two figures appear at the alley entrance.

The thin boy was slowly walking over, carrying Jiang Zhiqin on his back. In the heavy rain, Jiang Zhiqin held an umbrella, wrapping her arms around Gu Chuanjing’s neck. Her shoes were spotless. The boy hadn’t allowed her to get wet at all.

Gu Chuanjing looked at Jiang Zhiyi standing at the alley entrance, his eyes showing surprise. Then, seeing that she only had one umbrella in her hand, his expression turned cold again.

—She didn’t come to pick up Zhiqin.

A look of joy appeared on Jiang Zhiqin’s fair face. She fluttered down and reached for the umbrella: “Sister, can I borrow your umbrella for Chuanjing to go back?”

She looked at Jiang Zhiyi with some difficulty. She was beautiful, and when she looked at people, she was delicate and pitiful. Her eyes were clean and pure, never tarnished. Anyone who saw her would soften up.

Unfortunately, Jiang Zhiyi didn’t have that tender heart.

She held the umbrella tightly, without any wavering.

The umbrella was given to her by Shi Qingyi. Giving it to Gu Chuanjing was impossible.

A hint of disgust appeared in Gu Chuanjing’s refined eyes. He said coldly, “See you tomorrow,” and walked straight into the torrential rain. Jiang Zhiqin chased after him anxiously. Jiang Zhiyi couldn’t be bothered to watch their entanglement and walked toward the alley entrance herself.

“Sister,” Jiang Zhiqin caught up after only two minutes. She bit her lip and stammered: “I just saw Shi Qingyi bring you back.”

Jiang Zhiyi stopped and waited for her to continue.

“Do you know the price of the clothes you’re wearing?” Jiang Zhiqin looked up, her teeth sinking into her lip: “That dress costs our family’s entire year’s living expenses. You and she are not from the same world.”

Jiang Zhiyi paused for a moment. The rain poured outside the umbrella. Just when Jiang Zhiqin thought she would argue, she unexpectedly nodded. Her fingers stroked the expensive fabric of the dress. Her feet were in the mud. She had to be very careful not to let the dress get stained with mud.

They were indeed not from the same world.

—She couldn’t let Shi Qingyi step into this mud. She had to climb up step by step. At least, she couldn’t stand next to her, covered in mud, like this.

—

The sports meet started on Thursday and ended on Friday, followed by going home for the weekend. The volleyball match started on Thursday afternoon. Perhaps due to the attraction of opposite sexes, most of the spectators for the boys’ basketball were girls, while more boys came to watch the girls’ volleyball.

Jiang Zhiyi, a girl, squeezed into the crowd of boys, sitting alone on a small stool. She was hugging Shi Qingyi’s school uniform jacket in her arms. It had a faint scent of lemon, which made her feel inexplicably comfortable.

Shi Qingyi had learned volleyball when she was a child. She played well. Her waist was slender, her legs were long, and her body was agile. Her blonde hair was particularly eye-catching. The first half was about to end, and the score was already overwhelmingly in her favor. The girl seemed to be glowing all over.

When she jumped up to bump the ball, she exposed a section of her exceptionally flexible waist, well-toned and strikingly white. Some boys nearby whistled suggestively. A shadow suddenly fell over Jiang Zhiyi’s eyes.

—She wanted to go over and put the jacket on her, wrapping her up securely, not letting anything show.

The first half was about to end. A boy next to her was shoved closer. He smiled and asked her: “Classmate, is that your friend? I saw you two come together just now. Can you give me her contact information?”

Shi Qingyi was famous, but not famous enough for everyone to know her.

The sunlight instantly turned from bright to dazzling. Jiang Zhiyi clenched the school uniform in her arms. The boy in front of her was quite handsome, the kind of good-looking boy who would catch one’s eye in a crowd. No wonder he had the courage to come over and ask.

She shook her head without speaking, her face a little gloomy. She didn’t want to talk to him at all. She didn’t have a phone, and it was even more impossible to give out contact information.

“If you don’t have her contact information, can I ask if she has a boyfriend?” The boy seemed unable to read the room and continued to press.

Jiang Zhiyi looked up, utterly righteous and resolute: “She needs to study hard and not date.”

Her imposing manner was enough to deter people. The boy across from her was stunned. Before he could say anything, he suddenly heard a soft laugh coming from behind him.

Jiang Zhiyi’s spine immediately stiffened.