Chapter 34: The boy cried in anger

Zhao Xixia had only recently been sent by her mother to live in Baiyun Town.

Here, she had no family, but the material conditions she possessed far surpassed those of her peers.

After school, Zhao Xixia was driven back to her residence by a private chauffeur.

It was a luxurious villa, frighteningly large for a six-year-old student.

But life here was not lonely.

Her mother had provided her with servants, a nanny, a private chef…

On the second floor, on the living room sofa.

A program was playing on the large-screen TV.

Xixia sat lazily on the sofa, hugging her knees. Her gaze was unfocused, her mind clearly elsewhere.

“Woof, woof, woof—”

Beside her, a goofy-looking husky squatted on the floor, occasionally barking at its owner.

“Aha, don’t bother me.”

Zhao Xixia’s brow furrowed slightly. She extended a delicate foot clad in a white sock and gently kicked the husky’s forehead.

“Woof, woof, woof!”

The husky thought its owner wanted to play and barked even more cheerfully, its tail wagging into a blur.

“What a stupid dog. If that guy were like you, it might not be so bad.”

Xixia was in no mood to deal with the female dog. For some reason, her thoughts had drifted to Lin You.

That thin and weak boy, who looked so easy to bully, had actually dared to go against her wishes.

“Hmph, I’ve discovered your secret. Let’s see how you’ll escape my grasp.”

Thinking of her discovery after school, Zhao Xixia’s mood brightened.

With this leverage, she believed the boy would surely submit to her.

At this thought, Xixia was no longer so resistant to the idea of school.

She had her driver take her to school early.

Walking into the classroom of Class Two, she had thought it was still early and no one would be there. To her surprise, she saw the very person she wanted to see most.

Lin You.

The joy in her heart had just blossomed when she heard the boy mistake her for Yuxiu. Her pretty face instantly turned ice-cold.

Faced with the boy’s hastily corrected greeting, Xixia ignored it and indifferently returned to her seat.

“Uh…”

Lin You, having mistaken the person and then being ignored, was also very embarrassed. He lowered his head and looked at his textbook to hide it all.

One proactive move in exchange for an afternoon of inferiority—that was probably how it went.

“Hmph.”

Zhao Xixia’s foot was no longer behaving. It invaded the space under Lin You’s desk and, turning the tables, pushed him to the edge.

“Classmate Zhao, could you please not put your foot under my desk?”

Lin You first endured it silently, hoping that words would make Xixia restrain herself a little.

As he spoke, he also observed her color.

It was mostly white, with hints of green and purple. A very strange mix of colors.

“I’ll put my foot wherever I want. If you have a problem with it, go tell the teacher.”

This was exactly what Xixia had been waiting for Lin You to say. She immediately retorted haughtily.

“That’s very rude… isn’t it?”

For the first time, Lin You suspected that his special ability might be malfunctioning.

Based on Zhao Xixia’s behavior, her color should have been gray.

“It is? I just like bullying you.”

Xixia didn’t want to hear these formulaic words. In a fit of anger, her foot nearly blocked off all the space under Lin You’s desk.

“…”

Lin You couldn’t persuade her, so he simply said nothing.

He could still accept this level of annoyance and didn’t want to cause any more trouble.

“Swoosh.”

Xixia didn’t let the boy off. She snatched the textbook from his desk.

“You?”

Lin You was forced to look at her.

“When school let out this morning, I saw someone in the grove with an upper-grade student…”

Xixia played her trump card, vividly describing her discovery.

“Classmate Zhao, what do you want? Please don’t spread rumors about me and Yuting.”

Lin You never expected that his secret meeting with his good friend would be leaked. And from her tone, it was clearly a threat.

“Beg me. Maybe I’ll help you keep it a secret.”

Xixia narrowed her eyes triumphantly. This was the effect she wanted.

“I have one yuan here. It’s all yours. Can you please not say anything?”

Lin You had no idea what she was after. Helpless, he had no choice but to hand over his most valuable possession.

“One yuan? Do you take me for a beggar?”

Xixia didn’t even glance at the one-yuan bill. She had never intended to profit from this.

“Then how much money do you want… I’ll find a way to get it for you…”

Lin You’s anxiety reached its peak. He was completely on the defensive.

“Money, money, money? Do you think I’m short on money?”

The girl casually rummaged through her backpack and pulled out a bright red bill.

“Then what do you want?”

Even Lin You, who was more mature than his peers, was on the verge of tears, his voice trembling.

“Stop playing with Zhong Yuxiu so much in the future. And that upper-grade student too.”

Zhao Xixia didn’t drag it out any longer and stated her demand.

“Can we change it? They’re my friends.”

Lin You’s face turned pale. These were the only two friends in his world.

“You’re a boy, making friends with girls. Don’t you find it… disgusting?”

Xixia’s voice was clear and crisp, but to Lin You’s ears, it was incredibly harsh.

“Classmate Zhao, please don’t go too far. Me and Yuxiu and the others are not disgusting.”

If she was insulting him, Lin You could tolerate it.

But Xixia had clearly included Yuxiu and Yuting, which crossed a line.

“Disgusting. You are all disgusting.”

What Zhao Xixia wanted was his agreement, not the boy’s defense.

“You… sob sob…”

If he didn’t cry in this situation, he wouldn’t be a child.

For the first time in his life, Lin You was angered to the point of tears.

His eyes instantly reddened, and large teardrops streamed down his cheeks.

“What are you crying for? Don’t cry. What’s there to cry about…”

The sound of sobbing echoed in the classroom. Xixia was caught off guard by this unexpected situation.

She had never comforted anyone before, so she had zero experience in this area. The boy’s tears just wouldn’t stop.

“Sob sob.”

Lin You’s large, teary eyes looked at Zhao Xixia pitifully, blaming her for her misdeeds.

“Not disgusting, you’re not disgusting.”

Under the assault of the boy’s tears, Zhao Xixia felt a sense of guilt. Left with no other choice, she had to retract her earlier conclusion.

“Sniffle, Classmate Zhao, then can you promise me not to tell anyone about me and Yuting?”

Lin You sniffled, his voice still as fragile as glass.

“Shouldn’t you be the one begging me to keep it a secret?”

Zhao Xixia really wanted to scold him, but when the words reached her lips, she couldn’t help but mince them, completely lacking any force.

“I’m begging you, Classmate Zhao. Please help me keep it a secret!”

Lin You immediately changed his strategy, clasping one of Xixia’s arms with both hands and pleading softly.

“Hmph, seeing as you’re begging so pitifully, I’ll keep it a secret for now.”

The plan had changed. Xixia’s calculations were all thrown into disarray. Acting on a strange impulse, she agreed.

“Thank you, Classmate Zhao! You’re such a good person!”

The large stone in his heart was finally lifted. Lin You gave Xixia a “good person” card.