Chapter 2: Rumors and Gossip

“Eh?!” I was stunned.
I never imagined that the goddess of Jianlong School, Xia Yubing, would specifically come to the Class C classroom, and the person she was looking for was me.
I even looked around to confirm that there were no other students besides me, and she had even called out my name, so she was definitely here for me.

The students in the class started whispering again, and their voices grew louder.
Many were surprised that the Campus Belle would specifically come to Class C to find an inconspicuous nobody, which was truly difficult to comprehend.

Actually, the most baffled person was me, because Xia Yubing and I didn’t know each other at all before this.
I had only seen her from afar, surrounded by admiring classmates, and we had never even spoken.
Why would she come looking for me?

“Classmate Xia, is there something you can’t tell me directly here?” I asked tentatively.
Of course, it was a good thing for a beautiful girl to come looking for me; no man could refuse such a pretty girl taking the initiative to talk to him.

“There’s quite a lot I want to say; it’s hard to explain in a few words.
Besides, there are too many people here, and it wouldn’t look good for me to stay in another class for a long time.
How about this, Classmate Luo Xiao, could you wait for me on the rooftop after school?” Xia Yubing leaned slightly forward, close to me, and a strange, sweet scent wafted over.

I was so captivated by Xia Yubing’s sudden intimate posture that I almost stopped thinking, instinctively nodding and agreeing: “Okay, okay, I’ll definitely be there.”

“Then I’ll be waiting for you on the rooftop after school, Classmate Luo Xiao.
Bye-bye.” Xia Yubing revealed a pure and happy smile, then turned and left the classroom.

“Hiss! Luo Xiao, quickly tell me, what’s your relationship with Xia Yubing?” As soon as Xia Yubing left the classroom, Class C erupted.
Many boys loudly discussed it, and some even rushed over to me to ask.

The Campus Belle actually came to our class and spoke to an unknown, ordinary student—this was truly incredible.
Moreover, Xia Yubing’s voice seemed low just now, and the surrounding classmates hadn’t heard what she said.

“Me? I don’t have any special relationship with her.
I didn’t know her before.
In fact, today is the first time I’ve ever spoken to her.” I answered, completely bewildered, still not knowing how Xia Yubing knew my name.

“Lies! Her posture with you just now was so intimate; it didn’t look like you just met.
Luo Xiao, what exactly did Xia Yubing say to you?” A large, burly fat guy walked over.

Huang Tianhao, he was the notorious class bully in Class C, hanging out with a bunch of good-for-nothing school bullies, usually engaging in bullying and extorting classmates.
But before, I had always stayed out of their way.

Now, I also didn’t want to anger Huang Tianhao, so I quickly said: “She didn’t say much; she just asked me to meet her on the rooftop, saying she wanted to talk to me alone.”

“Someone as useless as you, getting the Campus Belle to ask you to talk alone?” Huang Tianhao looked disbelieving.
I could only spread my hands and say: “She really didn’t say anything else besides that.”

“Could it be… a confession?! Is the Campus Belle going to confess to Luo Xiao?” A female classmate suddenly fantasized, and her words instantly set the class abuzz, the noise rising to a clamor.

Boys and girls in puberty were like this; they had only a vague longing for love, and thus were more prone to imagining things, especially the beloved Campus Belle falling for an ordinary male classmate, which fueled even more wild conjectures.

Of course, many also looked at me with jealous eyes.
They were really overthinking it; how could the Campus Belle confess to me?
We didn’t know each other at all before, hadn’t even exchanged a single word.

But what if, and I mean what if, Xia Yubing really had feelings for me?
I wasn’t so arrogant as to think she’d fall in love at first sight and confess to me, but maybe she was willing to be friends with me.
At least we met today; perhaps we could slowly develop a relationship later?

After all, Xia Yubing was too beautiful.
When she walked up to me just now, I even felt my breathing become a little constricted.
Facing such a perfect girl, even I couldn’t help but fantasize about her.
Even if I could just get a little closer, I would feel satisfied.

“What’s all this noise about?
Quiet!
Everyone back to your seats, class is about to start!” Suddenly, a strict female voice shouted.
The homeroom teacher walked in through the door, and the classmates immediately fell silent, obediently returning to their seats.

For the rest of the day, I barely absorbed any of the lessons.
I wasn’t a good student to begin with, my grades hovering around the passing mark.
After Xia Yubing came looking for me, I couldn’t focus on class at all.
My mind was filled with thoughts of what Xia Yubing would say to me and savoring that strange scent when she was close.

However, when Xia Yubing was close, I was so mesmerized that I didn’t pay much attention to the scent.
Recalling it now, it felt a bit strange.
The scent was cloyingly sweet, seemingly mixed with a hint of rust.
It didn’t seem like the natural body odor a girl would carry, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was.

Lost in these thoughts, I endured until school was dismissed in the afternoon.
I even felt like time was dragging.
When the dismissal bell rang, and the teacher, uncharacteristically, didn’t extend the class, directly announcing its end, I rushed out of the classroom without even grabbing my backpack.

But at the stairwell leading to the rooftop, I was stopped by a girl.
Ou Zhiqin seemed to be waiting for me there.
Upon seeing me, she frowned and asked: “Xia Yubing went to find you?”

“How do you know?” I looked at Ou Zhiqin in confusion, then suddenly realized that she and Xia Yubing were classmates, and Ou Zhiqin’s grades were quite good.

“The news of her coming to see you has already spread through your classmates, and many students in our class are also very shocked.
Xia Yubing has always been a cold goddess; she rarely even interacts with the male students in our own class, so why would she go to talk to you alone?” Ou Zhiqin asked with a frown.

“How would I know why?
I’m just about to go see her, aren’t I?
Besides, I don’t feel like Xia Yubing is cold at all?” I said.
When she came close to me just now, she smiled charmingly, not at all like a cold goddess, although I had indeed heard rumors that Xia Yubing was unapproachable.

“Wait, Xiao-gege, it’s best not to go see her.” Ou Zhiqin suddenly said: “I went to the club room at noon, and the senior did a planchette session for me.
She said I might get involved in danger because of a close person, and that close person is probably you, right?”

“Huh? You know I don’t believe in that stuff, and I already promised Xia Yubing I’d meet her after school.
I can’t go back on my word, can I?” I said impatiently.

“Xiao-gege, believe me, the senior’s planchette readings are always very accurate; you really might be in danger!” Ou Zhiqin urged again.

“I’m not your only close person, and it’s you who might get involved in danger.
Rather, you should be careful yourself.
What kind of danger could I encounter at school?” I only wanted to see Xia Yubing right now and wasn’t in the mood to listen to her.