Chapter 30: Arrogant classmate Zhao

Zhao Xixia had accidentally snapped her watercolor pen.

As a consequence, the liquid from the pen had splattered onto her face.

When she tried to wipe it off, she ended up smearing it evenly across her right cheek.

In front of the whole class, Zhao Xixia had made a complete fool of herself.

While the other students were laughing at her, only Lin You, holding a tissue, concernedly wiped the paint from her face.

“Who needs your help?”

Just as Lin You had nearly finished wiping, Zhao Xixia kicked him while he was down, swatting the boy’s small hand away.

“There’s still a little bit, right here on your chin. You have to wipe it off, or you’ll be just like an ugly freak like me.”

Lin You was only helping her because he had been caught in the rain before and didn’t want others to go through the same thing.

Even if it hadn’t been Zhao Xixia, he would have done the same for anyone else.

Zhao Xixia muttered something, didn’t take the tissue Lin You offered, and instead pulled out a brand new pack of tissues from her own backpack.

Placing a tissue over her palm, she scrubbed her cheek fiercely.

‘The thing on that guy’s face can’t be wiped off, right? Is he laughed at every day?’

By coincidence, Zhao Xixia was getting a taste of what Lin You experienced.

Those harsh laughs, those strange looks—had this peer of hers been enduring this all along?

“Um, Classmate Zhao, can I have one tissue back?”

Lin You only had one tissue, originally meant for the bathroom or for wiping sweat on his way home at noon. Now, it was used up helping Zhao Xixia.

Seeing that Zhao Xixia had a full pack, he wanted to get one back.

“Making a fuss over a single tissue. What a cheapskate.”

Zhao Xixia glanced at the boy and tossed the better part of the pack onto his desk.

“Because I still need to use my tissue…”

Lin You only took one and returned the rest.

As for the fact that he had helped her and not received a single “thank you,” he didn’t mind.

Because the color belonging to Zhao Xixia had changed again.

There was now a little bit of green mixed in with the white.

Beneath Zhao Xixia’s tough exterior, she wasn’t truly repaying kindness with ingratitude; she just wasn’t expressing it.

“Hmph, if you hadn’t made me angry, the watercolor pen wouldn’t have broken. It’s all your fault, your fault.”

Zhao Xixia complained in a low voice, her foot under the desk pushing Lin You’s foot against the leg of the desk and rubbing it incessantly.

“Mhm, mhm, it’s all my fault.”

Lin You went along with her. Her actions were, at most, a bit mischievous. They didn’t hurt at all, so they couldn’t cause any real harm.

As long as Zhao Xixia didn’t cause trouble for Yuxiu in the future, that would be a blessing.

“Remember this. There won’t be a next time, or I definitely won’t let you off.”

Seeing the boy’s good attitude in admitting his mistake, Zhao Xixia had a way out and didn’t continue to be unreasonable.

She stopped pinning the boy’s foot against the desk leg, but she still kept one foot active under his desk.

Art class continued.

“Students with drawing pads and watercolor pens can draw your mom and dad.”

The art teacher drew two cute Q-version characters on the blackboard, a mom and a dad, wanting the students below to also get to work.

“Boring.”

Zhao Xixia had no regard for the teacher, let alone any intention of listening to her.

‘I wish I had a drawing pad…’

Lin You was very interested in drawing, but he didn’t have any of the tools.

“Students who have finished drawing their mom and dad can also lend their watercolor pens and drawing pads to those who don’t have them yet. Classmates should help each other.”

The teacher had also noticed that a few students didn’t have art supplies and took the initiative to look out for their feelings.

“Hmph, beg me. Maybe I’ll let you use them.”

Zhao Xixia fiddled with her dazzling array of watercolor pens, putting on a tsundere air.

“Thank you, Classmate Zhao, but no need.”

Lin You politely refused. He was a boy with principles and wouldn’t carelessly use other people’s things.

“Youyou, I’m done drawing! You can use my watercolor pens!”

Yuxiu held up her art supplies to show the teacher she was giving them away, then came all the way from her corner to the boy’s side.

“Okay!”

Lin You found it easier to accept things from a friend. Besides, Yuxiu had already come all this way. Refusing would surely embarrass her.

‘What are these two showing off in front of me?’

Zhao Xixia saw this, and her mood instantly soured. Her fingernails scratched at the surface of her desk.

Lin You didn’t notice his deskmate’s reaction. After accepting the art supplies from Yuxiu, he eagerly immersed himself in drawing.

He wanted to draw his dearest grandmother.

His grandmother’s hair was a little gray, her kind face had some wrinkles, and her hands were rough yet gentle…

The boy drew very seriously, wanting to do his best to capture his family member’s image on paper.

“Is this your mom? It’s so ugly.”

Zhao Xixia’s gaze was uncontrollably drawn to the boy’s desk, observing his every move. When he was almost done, she directly complained to his face.

“This is my grandma. It’s my first time drawing. I’ll definitely draw Grandma better in the future.”

Lin You looked at the adorably ugly Q-version grandma on the white paper and explained embarrassedly.

“You’re not paying attention in class at all. The teacher clearly told us to draw our mom and dad.”

Zhao Xixia had found another point to “attack” the boy.

“I don’t know what my mom and dad look like. I can’t draw them.”

A brief look of confusion appeared on Lin You’s face. He knew that every child had a mom and dad, but he didn’t. His grandmother said they had gone to a place very, very far away.

“You don’t know? Did you pop out of a rock?”

Zhao Xixia didn’t understand the boy’s situation yet and just thought he was fooling her.

“I have a grandma.”

Under the girl’s persistent questioning, Lin You’s heart felt a little heavy. He emphasized the only family he had.

“Grandma said my mom and dad went to a place far away. I’ve never seen them, so I can’t draw them.”

Afraid that Zhao Xixia would continue to ask questions, Lin You explained very clearly this time.

‘That’s the kind of thing adults say to fool kids… Could it be that this guy’s parents are both…’

Zhao Xixia roughly understood the boy’s situation and finally shut her mouth, not pursuing the matter further.

She had thought that having a father who didn’t dote on her and a mother who didn’t love her was already rare.

She never expected that her deskmate’s parents were both gone…

A wave of apology surfaced in her heart, but Zhao Xixia didn’t show it.

The young Miss Zhao seemed to be a serious tsundere*.

She finally started to draw.

First, she drew a dad. He was brandishing his claws, one arm grabbing a small person, the other grabbing a wad of cash, grinning triumphantly.

Then, she drew a mom. She was very tall and large, but she had no eyes or mouth. She was just a hollow shape, looking strangely creepy.

This was Zhao Xixia’s impression of her two parents.

But she wasn’t done. Zhao Xixia raised her left arm to block Lin You’s view.

Then, she stealthily drew a Q-version little boy. He was sunny and cute, with a small red dot on his cheek.

TL note:

“Tsundere” is a Japanese character archetype — someone who is outwardly cold, harsh, or hostile at first (tsun), but gradually shows a softer, caring, or affectionate side (dere).