X
Zhong Tian…
Bai Ruijin’s mixed emotions, a blend of joy and apprehension, slowly dissipated.
She watched as the exquisitely beautiful girl, Zhong Tian, approached Li Jianren.
Upon seeing Zhong Tian, Li Jianren immediately broke into a wide smile, as if transformed.
Bai Ruijin had never witnessed Li Jianren smile with such unbridled happiness.
They appeared to be engrossed in pleasant conversation, with even the notoriously aloof Zhong Tian occasionally revealing a hint of cheerfulness.
It looked as though…
Bai Ruijin lowered her gaze, unable to bear looking in their direction any longer.
She feared she would break down and cry.
“What’s wrong?” Her mother noticed Bai Ruijin’s unusual quietness. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Still looking down, she vigorously shook her head.
****
“What are you planning to eat?”
“I have no idea.”
“Huh?” Zhong Tian placed a hand on his hip, fixing Li Jianren with a deadpan stare. “You can’t even figure out what you want to eat?”
“I don’t have anything specific in mind; you can just decide.”
“…”
Zhong Tian fell silent.
He, too, had no particular cravings and wasn’t adept at making decisions for others.
He had simply assumed Li Jianren would take him wherever he pleased, especially since Li Jianren was treating.
Ever since learning his companion was a second-generation rich kid, Zhong Tian felt no qualms about letting Li Jianren foot the bill.
After all, with great power comes great responsibility.
Returning to the matter of dinner.
Perhaps they should just grab a quick bite at the restaurant across the street.
Pondering this, Zhong Tian glanced at the small restaurant specializing in pizza and fried rice, considering it for a moment.
‘No, never mind. I don’t really feel like rice. Let’s go for soup noodles instead.’
“Come on, let’s go upstairs.” Zhong Tian raised a hand and lightly tapped Li Jianren’s head. “Noodles it is.”
“Noodles? Is that all you aspire to?”
Despite his words, Li Jianren obediently followed Zhong Tian onto the escalator.
“I’m saving you some money, and you’re still not happy, huh?”
“Of course I’m not happy!” Li Jianren raised his index finger. “You must understand, food is paramount to the people. If you don’t spend your money well on such a fundamental thing, then what’s the point of your money?
To save it for gacha games? Or buying luxury brands? How vulgar!”
‘He actually has a point.’
Nevertheless, Zhong Tian felt a strange surge of irritation and landed a punch on his side.
Li Jianren took the punch, stiffened his expression, and feigned indifference. “Ahem, so you’re not going to reconsider?”
“No need. I just don’t really feel like rice…” Zhong Tian raised a hand, signaling his refusal.
“Alright then.”
****
They had left…
Bai Ruijin meticulously suppressed any change in her expression, silently finished her dinner, silently returned home with her mother, and silently lay down on her own bed.
‘I want to cry so badly.’
****
[Qiaoqiao, I think I want to give up…]
Having finished a tiring afternoon, Zheng Qiao, who had just returned home and was about to shower and rest, froze at the bathroom door upon seeing Bai Ruijin’s WeChat message.
[??]
She first sent two question marks, then followed up with a voice message, asking, [Give up on pursuing Li Jianren??]
[Mm.]
Even though Bai Ruijin had only replied with a short ‘Mm,’ Zheng Qiao could discern the profound sense of loss in her tone, as if she were desperately holding back tears.
A pang of heartache struck Zheng Qiao. She quickly asked, [What exactly happened?]
[I… went out for dinner today and saw the two of them…]
‘Ah?’
‘Did she see Li Jianren and Zhong Tian on a date? Did she see them being affectionate? What a coincidence??’
‘If that’s the case… then there really is no need to continue pursuing him—though it hadn’t even truly begun. Xiao Bai’s unrequited love would end in regret.’
‘But honestly, it feels a bit unfair.’
Even though it wasn’t her own regret, Zheng Qiao still felt that emotion of reluctance.
‘Xiao Bai herself probably doesn’t want it to end like this either.’
‘But there’s nothing to be done.’
Zheng Qiao gritted her teeth.
[Xiao Bai! Don’t rush into anything. Let me think of one last way to confirm this!] she urged. [It’s not too late to give up after we’ve confirmed everything!]
She made up her mind: she would find a way to get Zhong Tian’s WeChat and ask directly!
Li Jianren had already rejected them once, and Zheng Qiao felt another attempt would yield the same result, so her only option was to approach Zhong Tian.
She remembered a middle school classmate, whom she hadn’t contacted in ages, was in the same class as Zhong Tian.
She quickly located the classmate in her WeChat contacts and, after a few seconds of deliberation, typed out a message:
[Are you there?]
A moment later, the classmate replied with a cat emoji sticker.
[I have something I’d like to trouble you with. Do you happen to have Zhong Tian’s WeChat from your class?]
[Hmm… I haven’t added her. Or, I could go to the class group chat and send you her ID?]
[Great, thank you!]
Having received Zhong Tian’s WeChat recommendation, Zheng Qiao stared at the chat screen, pondering for a moment.
‘Perhaps I could directly ask her about Zhong Tian and Li Jianren?’
As she mused, her fingers began tapping on the screen.
[Do you know if Zhong Tian has a boyfriend?]
[About that… I’m not too sure.]
[However, I’ve heard she’s always been very close with a boy from our class outside of school.] the classmate replied. [My best friend saw her and that boy from our class eating together by chance a few days ago when she was out on a date with her boyfriend.]
Zheng Qiao’s heart sank.
[What’s that boy’s name?]
[Li Jianren. Do you know him?]
…
‘No, no, just eating together doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a couple!’ she tried to reassure herself internally.
[Yes, I suppose you could say I know him.]
[I think Li Jianren is quite handsome and cheerful, and he’s interesting to talk to. If he really were with an ice queen like Zhong Tian, that would be quite something.]
[A complementary couple, their dynamic seems quite shippable.]
…
After reading, Zheng Qiao found herself imagining the scene: Li Jianren, handsome and radiant in his school uniform, walking alongside the ice-cold beauty Zhong Tian on their way home. Li Jianren would ask to hold her hand; Zhong Tian, expressionless, would say nothing, merely extending her hand. A hint of shyness on his face, Li Jianren would take her slender hand, then glance at her face, noticing the faint blush on her earlobes, before breaking into a wide smile…
‘I shouldn’t think about this anymore; it’s becoming impolite.’
‘But it really is quite shippable!’
She tried to replace the female lead in her imagined scenario with Xiao Bai, but she failed.
‘Oh no, I’ve defected!’
Zheng Qiao quickly discarded the strange thoughts swirling in her mind.
After taking some time to compose herself, she decided it would be best to add the other person on WeChat and ask them directly!
She tapped ‘Add Friend’.
‘Good, now all that’s left is to wait…’
****
[Ren, are there any new announcements in the class group chat?]
[Yeah, just the back-to-school notice. It’s only a few sentences. If you want to read it carefully, check your alt account.]
[Got it.]
Zhong Tian put down his phone.
To ensure his female persona at school remained flawless, he had specifically created an alternate account to join the class group chat.
As switching WeChat accounts was somewhat troublesome, Zhong Tian rarely logged into his alt during the summer, relying on Li Jianren to relay any important announcements.
‘Hmm… school starts the day after tomorrow, Monday.’
Zhong Tian gazed at the image on his digital tablet. The first chapter, 37 pages long, of Su Linxi’s novel adaptation manga was complete.
He planned to dedicate the next two days entirely to drawing, finishing the second and third chapters.
This way, his upcoming school life would be considerably less stressful.
‘As for Lenghu’s lessons, I’ll discuss it with her and move them to the weekends. During the weekdays, I’ll just assign her some drawing homework that won’t interfere with her studies.’
Feeling content with his plans, Zhong Tian switched off his digital tablet and computer, preparing to go to bed.
****
The following morning.
Zheng Qiao was roused by her alarm clock. Yawning, she groggily got out of bed and went to freshen up.
Her mother had already been at the shop since past four in the morning, preparing breakfast.
Now, at six AM, the shop was ready and had just opened, so Zheng Qiao intended to go help out.
‘Hmm… before I leave, why don’t I ask Zhong Tian the question first!’
She sat on her bed and opened WeChat.
…
‘Ah?’
‘The request hasn’t been accepted yet?’
‘Hiss—she probably didn’t see it last night and isn’t fully awake yet… I’ll check again during my lunch break then.’
Musing thus, she changed into her casual clothes and headed out.
…
During her lunch break, Zheng Qiao opened WeChat once more.
‘Ah??’
‘Surely she hasn’t been sleeping until now? What time is it already… Does this person never check WeChat? Is that even plausible?’
‘Could there really be a young person who can resist checking WeChat for an entire day??’
…
That evening, Zheng Qiao returned home after a full day’s work.
The first thing she did upon sitting down was open WeChat.
…
‘She’s ignoring me, isn’t she?’
‘This is just too unwelcoming!’ Zheng Qiao fumed, but with no solution in sight, she could only stew in silent frustration, staring at the WeChat interface.
‘Am I really going to have to wait until school starts and go find her myself…?’
‘Darn it!’
****
Seven-thirty in the morning, at Zhong Tian’s home.
Zhong Tian finished preparing breakfast and carried it to the dining table.
After hanging up his apron, he took his seat.
Both Su Linxi and Zhong Jing ate at a leisurely pace.
While Zhong Tian could understand Su Linxi’s slow eating, he was utterly bewildered by Zhong Jing, who, despite having an 8 AM class, was still dawdling, eating while glued to her phone.
“Sis… you’re going to be late.”
“I won’t be late.”
She said this, a hint of confidence in her tone.
“…” He sighed silently, then turned his gaze to Su Linxi. “Linxi, I’m starting school tomorrow, so you might have to figure out your own lunch.
However, if you don’t mind, I could prepare it in the morning and you could heat it up for lunch.”
“No need.” Su Linxi sipped her warm milk, seemingly testing its temperature. “I can. cook.”
Zhong Tian paused, surprised.
This was indeed unexpected for Zhong Tian.
‘A genuine young lady of means, capable of cooking…?’
The stereotype of wealthy young ladies never lifting a finger in the kitchen seems rather outdated. Yes, it’s definitely an assumption to avoid.
‘Could Su Linxi’s family be one of those elite households that prioritize cultivating various skills in their children? That would certainly make sense.’
Zhong Tian nodded. “Alright then.”
“You don’t. have to. specifically. make breakfast. for us,” Su Linxi stated,
“If you have. to wake. up even. earlier. for school. to make. breakfast, your. rest time. will be. too short.”
“Just leave. breakfast. to me.”
She said, glancing at Zhong Jing, “Zhong Jing-jie. have no. objections, right.”
Zhong Jing swallowed her last bite of breakfast and nodded.
Zhong Tian instinctively wanted to reject Su Linxi’s proposal, but Su Linxi preempted him, effectively silencing him with her words.
“Don’t. worry. about my. rest time. I can. sleep. all day. You. cannot.”
“…Alright.”
Zhong Tian ultimately conceded.
****
After breakfast, Zhong Tian cleared the dishes and returned to his room, beginning to organize his school supplies.
Once everything was sorted, he would continue drawing.
Such was his plan.
Gazing at the textbooks he had barely touched all summer, memories of school slowly resurfaced in his mind.
‘Hmm, aside from having to pretend to be a girl, school life is actually quite interesting.’
‘Second year of high school, new semester, let’s do this!’
‘Whether it’s studying or pretending to be a girl!’
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, I’m a Boy—I’m Not Marrying Some Big Sister! is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : I’m a Boy—I’m Not Marrying Some Big Sister!
