Chapter 33: The Biggest Jerk in the World
When Chu Jingyi returned to the classroom, she immediately noticed the strange atmosphere surrounding An Baili. An Baili sat at her desk, her textbook upside down, clearly not paying attention. Chu Jingyi nudged her friend’s shoulder, concerned. “Baili, are you okay?”
“…Just a little sad…”
“Really, just a little…”
It was unclear who An Baili was talking to as she repeated “a little” twice. She had been so confident in her efforts, believing that she could win Lu Li back, make him change his mind. But he had been cold and unyielding, like a stone. An Baili had initially thought he was just throwing a tantrum and would forgive her in a week or two. Even though he had been distancing himself, she hadn’t panicked because she believed he would eventually come back to her.
When Lu Li had taken the document, she had clearly seen the excitement and joy in his eyes, but she had also seen him forcefully suppress those emotions. This wasn’t a good sign. It meant that he had made a conscious decision to reject her – when a man relied solely on reason, it was when he was at his most heartless.
Chu Jingyi glanced at Lu Li’s back. It must have been him who had upset An Baili. He seemed to have a superpower: making girls cry. Normally, she would have lectured him, but now she didn’t want anything to do with him.
She decided that she would ignore him for at least a month, even if he apologized. This was for her own sake, and for An Baili!
Deep down, she harbored a small fantasy: Lu Li coming to apologize to her. She played out various scenarios in her head, planning to scold him when he came to apologize, to make sure Baili was there to witness his groveling. That would surely cheer Baili up!
If Lu Li apologized, should she ask about his girlfriend?
Chu Jingyi’s thoughts slowed down. Should she ask?
Or… maybe not… She felt inexplicably hesitant, subconsciously avoiding the answer. If she pretended not to know, maybe they could still be friends. Lu Li sat with his back straight, a liar who had deceived her, yet why had he greeted her so casually earlier?
She really hated him.
An Baili was distracted all morning, glued to her seat. Lu Li, however, acted as if nothing had happened, laughing and moving around as usual, seemingly oblivious to the resentful gazes of the two girls behind him. Every time the bell rang, Chu Jingyi would linger at her desk, hoping to give Lu Li a chance to apologize. But class after class went by, and he showed no signs of remorse or explanation. Instead, Chu Jingyi would straighten her back whenever he approached, as nervous as an employee being inspected by their boss.
Lu Li looked at Silly Goose with amusement. “Is your back hurting? You keep straightening it.”
Chu Jingyi glared at him. “Don’t talk to me!” It was just an attempt to save face, but Lu Li actually nodded and stopped talking to her. During lunch, he ate alone, and after finishing, he left alone, as if she and An Baili didn’t exist.
Chu Jingyi felt increasingly wronged and her heart grew colder. She had never found Lu Li so annoying. Why couldn’t he at least say thank you? Why did he have to be so hateful?
She swore to herself that if he didn’t do anything by the end of the day, she would ignore him for the rest of the semester.
Unfortunately, even when the dismissal bell rang, Lu Li remained nonchalantly at his desk, engrossed in a book titled “Abstinence: The First Step to Success!”
An Baili left early, seemingly preoccupied with something. Chu Jingyi couldn’t stop her, so she marched up to Lu Li, arms crossed, her face a mask of displeasure.
“Class monitor, what’s wrong?” Lu Li asked, his expression a mix of innocence and confusion. Chu Jingyi gritted her teeth.
Imitating the cool and aloof female leads from TV dramas, she refused to speak, trying to intimidate him with her gaze.
Lu Li, however, seemed impervious to her “aura,” staring at her with curiosity, like she was some exotic creature. How could a young girl’s pride compete with Lu Li’s shamelessness? With a huff, Chu Jingyi turned and stormed off. She was absolutely certain that Lu Li was the most annoying person in the world!
Lu Li decided it was time to act. He reached out and grabbed her arm.
“What?!” Silly Goose’s face was red, not from embarrassment, but from anger.
“Jingyi, I almost forgot to give you something.”
No! She didn’t want anything from him!
Fuming, Chu Jingyi bared her teeth like a tiger cub. “I don’t want anything from you!”
“Ta-da!” Lu Li pulled out a mask from his bag – a replica of the monster mask from the classic horror film “White Saturday.” As expected, Chu Jingyi’s anger instantly melted away as she saw the intricately crafted mask, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s so realistic!”
Heh, what a simple girl. Gift-giving was an art. Knowing the recipient’s preferences was key. Sentimentality came second. Only when you were clueless did the monetary value of the gift matter. Chu Jingyi was a horror movie enthusiast; it was only natural that she would love this mask.
Chu Jingyi played with the mask, her face beaming like a child’s. Suddenly, she seemed to remember her anger and forced a stern expression. “Why are you giving me a mask? Are you mocking me?” She was referring to the time he had refused her gift of a computer.
“Thank you, Jingyi.” Lu Li’s smile faded, his expression serious. Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds were full of wild ideas, yet they were also the most powerless. If it weren’t for Chu Jingyi, would Secretary Long have used his influence to get him to Lingyue City? Chu Jingyi’s kindness had supported a sixteen-year-old boy’s pride and impulsiveness.
“What are you thanking me for…?”
“There’s so much to thank you for, I can’t even begin to list them all.” Lu Li’s eyes held a depth of emotion she couldn’t comprehend. She had always felt like he was a lone traveler, detached from the world. He was more knowledgeable, more intelligent, and kinder than her. Becoming friends with him was the happiest thing that had happened to her in high school.
Lu Li pulled out more gifts from his drawer. “This is the spicy meat from Lingyue, and these are souvenirs from the Six-Province Tournament…” He presented her with several simply wrapped boxes, leaving the stern-faced Chu Jingyi speechless.
“What are you doing…?”
“This trip to Lingyue wouldn’t have been possible without you. If it weren’t for you, Jingyi, I might have missed my sister’s match.” Not just the match, but a turning point in Zou Yameng’s life. He believed that after defeating He Ping and reaching the top, Zou Yameng would surely have a brighter future.
The ice on Chu Jingyi’s face melted. She realized these were the things he had been rambling about earlier. Had he prepared these gifts all along? She opened the box of spicy meat and found a handwritten thank you note inside. It was so cheesy that she burst into laughter.
“You’re such a good writer! I got goosebumps!” All traces of displeasure vanished from her face. She carefully put away the gifts and asked softly, “Were you deliberately trying to annoy me earlier?”
“Yes. Because you ignored my messages for three days, and I was worried sick. So I was a little upset too.” This was a lie. Lu Li had already figured out Chu Jingyi’s temperament. He had been eating and sleeping well for the past three days. He said this just to create an illusion of “openness and honesty.” As expected, Chu Jingyi lowered her head.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have ignored you.”
Looking at her head bowed in apology, Lu Li felt a pang of guilt for manipulating such an innocent girl. He didn’t say anything, just gently patted her head. One of life’s most effective strategies was contrast. Whether it was setting someone up for disappointment before giving them hope, or vice versa, contrast was key. He had deliberately provoked Chu Jingyi to create this very contrast. But now that she had fallen into his trap like an innocent rabbit, he felt overwhelmed with guilt.
Hope that bloomed after disappointment was more powerful than ordinary hope. This was why Chu Jingyi was so docile after accepting his apology.
“I’m glad you don’t think my gifts are cheap.” Lu Li ruffled her hair. She gently pushed his hand away, the blush on her face now a different shade. “Can you tell me what happened between you and my sister? Did she do something to upset you?”
“…Liar. She’s your girlfriend, not your sister.”
“She’s my sister.” Lu Li took out his phone and showed her a picture of him and Zou Yameng. “Her name is Zou Yameng. She’s a player in the Six-Province Tournament and my most important family member. If she did something to upset you, let me apologize on her behalf. You can scold me, hit me, anything you want.”
Chu Jingyi stared at the picture for a long time before speaking. “I thought you lied to me.”
“So, am I still a liar now?”
Silly Goose looked at him intently.
“Not a liar. A jerk.”
She decided to change his title, from the most annoying person in the world to the biggest jerk in the world.
Chu Jingyi giggled, oblivious to the radiant joy illuminating her face.
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