Chapter 13: A Date?
“What… is your relationship?”
As soon as the question left Chu Jingyi’s lips, Lu Li and An Baili answered almost simultaneously.
“We’re not involved.”
“Boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Lu Li shot An Baili a murderous look. Faced with Chu Jingyi’s suspicious gaze, he decided to reveal a partial truth. “She’s my ex-girlfriend.” Ex-wife counted as ex-girlfriend, right?
“So, you two knew each other all along.” Chu Jingyi suddenly connected the dots. “I knew there was something strange going on.”
Lu Li felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. Was it that obvious? Even she could tell? Perhaps he was overthinking things. Was it because he was still hung up on An Baili? No, impossible. He would rather jump off a building than harbor even the slightest bit of affection for her!
Progressing from “not involved” to “ex-girlfriend” was still progress. An Baili silently cheered for herself. At the same time, she observed Chu Jingyi’s expression. Seeing the class monitor’s sullen demeanor, An Baili’s heart skipped a beat. “Jingyi, are you upset?” she asked cautiously.
“Of course, I’m upset.” Chu Jingyi frowned. “This is important! How could you two keep it from me, your friend? Do you think I’m that unreasonable?”
So that was what she was angry about? Both An Baili and Lu Li felt a wave of relief wash over them.
Chu Jingyi was known for her impartiality at school – though Lu Li wholeheartedly disagreed. She seemed like the type to break up couples and gossip behind their backs. But was that really who she was? Of course not.
From Chu Jingyi’s perspective, Lu Li and An Baili had kept their past relationship a secret because they were worried about her judgment. This feeling of being misunderstood by her friends was incredibly hurtful.
“Even though dating in high school isn’t ideal, I’m not completely unreasonable.” Her voice grew quieter. “If you’re friends, I can turn a blind eye.”
Where are your principles, class monitor? Lu Li sighed internally. Chu Jingyi had always been the center of attention, growing up surrounded by admirers. To put it bluntly, she had an overinflated ego, thinking that everything revolved around her, even a tree falling a thousand miles away.
He interrupted her self-righteous justification. “Class monitor, An Baili and I are over. I swear.”
“Is that true?” This time, her question was directed at An Baili.
“No, it’s not.” An Baili stood her ground. “We were worried that you’d discriminate against us, think we’re bad students, so we didn’t dare to tell you… We’re sorry.”
You’re really selling it, An Baili. You’ve honed your acting skills after your rebirth.
Lu Li cursed her silently, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain to the clueless class monitor. He believed actions spoke louder than words.
He pulled out his hard drive and said goodbye to Mr. Chen, but the teacher stopped him. “Your Majesty…a word of advice. It’s a crime to do *that* with underage girls. Don’t stray down the wrong path.”
Lu Li couldn’t help but run a hand through his thinning hair. “Don’t you have anything better to do?”
“I’m just looking out for you. I wouldn’t want to see you end up behind bars.”
“Get a life.”
Was he really that kind of person? Lu Li frowned, wondering if his persona had been completely misinterpreted. He wasn’t a scumbag! He prided himself on being a straight shooter. Yet, everyone around him seemed to harbor these strange misconceptions about him.
He quickened his pace, deliberately putting distance between himself and the two girls trailing behind him like ducklings.
An Baili and Chu Jingyi walked hand in hand, whispering amongst themselves. Their conversation revolved mostly around relationships, leaving the naive Chu Jingyi feeling like her head was about to burst with steam, like a kettle on the verge of boiling over.
“Is Lu Li… really that perverted?” Chu Jingyi asked hesitantly.
“Yep,” An Baili replied, relishing the opportunity to stir up trouble. “He’s practically starving for it. You better stay far away from him. Jingyi, you don’t… like Lu Li, do you?”
“No!” she immediately retorted. “No way. Lu Li is my good friend. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for him. Besides, we’re still in high school. Isn’t it too early to be thinking about dating?” Her words stumbled out, betraying the turmoil An Baili’s words had caused.
Good. An Baili nodded in satisfaction, patting the back of Chu Jingyi’s hand as if comforting a puppy. “Jingyi, you have to be careful with boys. They like to say one thing and do another. Deep down, all they think about is *that*.”
Is… Is that true? Chu Jingyi felt dizzy.
She snuck a glance at the boy walking ahead of them, his back turned. He looked so clean-cut, almost ethereal. Yet, she couldn’t shake off the feeling that she wasn’t looking at a classmate, but at a dangerous beast.
*
Back in the classroom, Chu Jingyi was distracted, An Baili’s words echoing in her mind like a curse. She was even afraid to approach Lu Li, terrified that he might suddenly pounce on her like a predator.
Lu Li felt that explaining himself to the class monitor would be a lost cause. He would be fighting a losing battle. So, he kept a straight face, acting like everyone owed him a fortune. Even the teacher asked if he was feeling unwell.
Finally, Chu Jingyi seemed to have calmed down a little. She cautiously approached Lu Li. “Lu Li, are you free this weekend?”
Is she asking me out on a date? Both Lu Li and An Baili thought simultaneously.
As if sensing An Baili’s misunderstanding, Chu Jingyi quickly explained, “It’s nothing like that. My mom is back from vacation, and she heard that I made a new friend. She’d like to meet you. Of course, Baili, you should come too.”
“Your mom?” An Baili was taken aback. Is this what it’s like to be rich and spoiled? Needing parental approval to hang out with a friend? No wonder the class monitor had so few friends. It wasn’t just her, it was her family too.
Lu Li shared a similar sentiment. He felt that Chu Jingyi’s parents were being overly protective.
An Baili was timid by nature and hated meeting strangers. The thought of meeting Chu Jingyi’s parents made her shrink back like a frightened rabbit. When she learned that Chu Jingyi’s father would be home as well, she shook her head vehemently.
“Lu Li, will you come?” Chu Jingyi pleaded, her eyes fixed on him. The naive girl thought, My friends are important to me, and so are my parents. It should be a happy occasion for everyone to meet.
Lu Li hesitated, unable to utter a word. He was befriending Chu Jingyi, not her parents. Couldn’t she understand? It was one thing if her parents were ordinary people, but with their social standing… who wouldn’t feel pressured to meet them?
He had already done his research. Chu Jingyi’s father, Chu Xiaodong, was the equivalent of the city manager of Chuanhai, second only to the mayor in position but wielding far more power. More importantly, his online biography clearly stated that he had been transferred from the central government two years ago to a prosperous city like Chuanhai. What did that imply?
To make matters worse, he couldn’t find any information online about Chu Xiaodong’s family background.
Looking at Chu Jingyi, her expectant gaze resembling that of a lost puppy, Lu Li felt like he wasn’t looking at a classmate, but at a golden ticket to success.
“Lu Li, will you come?” the clueless girl asked again.
Can I even say no? he thought to himself, but the word that escaped his lips was a resigned, “Yes.”
A bright smile spread across Chu Jingyi’s face, her eyes crinkling at the corners. She looked incredibly sweet.
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