Chapter 84: Chapter 83: “I Have Nothing to Do With Her.

The next morning, the parents of Deng Hui, Qiu Kai, and Qian Jia all rushed to the school from the countryside.

Qian Jia was still in her dorm room resting in bed. She was much better than the day before, but she still wasn’t supposed to sit up for long.

Xu Su took Qian Jia’s parents to the dorm. When Qian Jia’s mother saw her daughter’s injuries, her heart ached so much she couldn’t stop crying.

Although she hadn’t broken any bones, the bruises had deepened overnight and looked even more frightening. Forget her own mother—even Xu Su felt a pang in her heart and her nose sting just looking at them.

After offering a few words of comfort, Xu Su excused herself and returned to the classroom for her lesson.

As for how the incident was handled, it was Qian Jia herself who later volunteered the details.

Qian Jia’s injuries hadn’t been intentional on Deng Hui’s and Qiu Kai’s part. Furthermore, they had a good attitude about admitting their mistake, and their usual conduct at school was excellent.

They were both well-behaved students.

So, the incident wasn’t recorded in their permanent files. Instead, they each had to write a self-criticism letter, read it aloud in front of the entire class, and formally apologize to Qian Jia. On top of that, they each paid her 300 yuan as compensation for her recovery.

Her parents took her home to rest that very afternoon.

Coincidentally, the May Day holiday was in two days, which made for a several-day break when combined with the weekend.

On the afternoon of April 30th, Xu Su went home. After staying the night, she returned to school on the afternoon of May 1st.

During her day at home, Chen Shulan and Xu Weiping had a few complaints about her not having come home for the past two weeks. However, they accepted her explanation that her schoolwork had been heavy.

As Xu Su was getting ready to go back to school, Chen Shulan pulled out 200 yuan for her. She said it was to cover her meal expenses for the two weeks she’d been at school, and she also gave her a little extra in case she didn’t come home for a few more weeks, just to be prepared.

Her words were earnest, and she put on the appearance of a very caring mother.

Xu Su didn’t refuse and took the 200 yuan.

Time passed slowly, and soon, it was Xu Su’s seventeenth birthday.

During her lunch break that day, she got a call from Zhou Mochen. When she returned, she was carrying two shoeboxes.

They were her birthday gift from Zhou Mochen: two pairs of sneakers.

During the cold winter, Xu Su had worn the cotton-padded shoes Grandma Xu had made for her. She’d brought two pairs to Chang City last summer, so she had shoes for the cold weather at the end of the year.

Now that the weather was warming up, Xu Su had recently been wearing canvas shoes she’d bought by saving up her living expenses. They were the most basic, budget-friendly student style.

Zhou Mochen had rarely seen Xu Su this semester, so for him to notice that she only ever wore two pairs of canvas shoes on rotation was quite thoughtful of him.

The shoes he bought this time were from a domestic brand endorsed by a pop superstar. They retailed for a little over 200 yuan per pair. He bought two pairs, which didn’t exceed the price Xu Su had stipulated.

Unable to think of a good reason to refuse and not wanting to drag out the conversation with Zhou Mochen, Xu Su simply returned with the shoeboxes.

Neither Huang Feng nor Qian Jia knew it was her birthday, and Xu Su hadn’t made a point of telling them. She assumed the day would pass uneventfully.

Unexpectedly, just before the evening self-study session began, with Huang Feng away from her desk, Xi Zirong came over. They hadn’t had any contact since their brief chat in the cafeteria a few days ago.

Xu Su had just assumed Xi Zirong had directed his lovesick affections toward someone else, so seeing him standing in front of her, she was momentarily stunned.

It was still a while before the evening session, and the classroom was mostly empty. Since the two of them hadn’t interacted much all semester, Xi Zirong’s approach didn’t draw any attention.

Xi Zirong pulled a small box from his pocket and placed it on Xu Su’s desk. “A birthday gift for you, Xu Su,” he said in a low voice. “Don’t refuse. You said we were friends.”

“…” Xu Su fell silent.

’I thought he’d moved on to breaking some other girl’s heart. Why is he still thinking of giving me a birthday gift?’

Xi Zirong seemed a bit nervous. When Xu Su didn’t say anything, he sat right down in Huang Feng’s seat and leaned in closer. “The gift isn’t expensive. I just wanted to give you something. Please accept it, okay? You gave me a gift for my birthday, too.”

Xu Su hadn’t thought much of it until she heard his last sentence.

Remembering that so-called “gift,” she suddenly felt inexplicably awkward.

She glanced around. A few classmates were already looking their way. Things had finally quieted down for her, and Xu Su didn’t want to start any more rumors. She quickly opened the gift box on her desk. Inside was a watch.

It had a black leather strap and a delicate, small face. It was very pretty.

“How much did it cost?” Xu Su asked.

Xi Zirong was prepared. He pulled a receipt from his pocket and handed it to her. “Really, it’s not expensive.”

Xu Su unfolded the receipt. For a second, her expression faltered; she almost suspected he had been eavesdropping on her.

The price was just under the wire: 499 yuan.

Xi Zirong watched her cautiously, as if terrified she would reject it.

The May weather was already quite hot, and Xi Zirong was in his summer uniform. His hand rested on the desk, and the watch on his wrist was very conspicuous.

Xu Su’s gaze fell on his watch, and she blurted out, “Are you giving me a matching watch?”

Even the strap was the same color. Xu Su’s eye twitched. Speechless, she pushed the box back toward him. “Xi Zirong, give the watch to Gu Yunjia. She’ll like it.”

Xu Su hadn’t really been thinking anything when she said it, but the moment the words were out, she realized they sounded a bit jealous.

Sure enough, Xi Zirong’s expression froze for a moment before he shot back, “Gu Yunjia? Why would I give it to her?”

“…” Xu Su realized her slip of the tongue. She wanted to explain, but this wasn’t the time or place for a proper conversation. She gave him a little shove. “Go back to your seat. Class is about to start.”

Xi Zirong didn’t budge. He looked directly at Xu Su and said gravely, “There’s nothing between me and her.”

Being stared at like that made Xu Su a little flustered. She felt like she was acting like a pouting girlfriend waiting to be placated by her boyfriend. She pushed his arm with more force. “Go back to your seat. Huang Feng will be back any second.”

Huang Feng had gone to the school’s snack shop. For once, Xu Su hadn’t tagged along, and Xi Zirong had seized the opportunity to corner her. It was a real miscalculation.

Xi Zirong caught her hand, pulling it down. He looked down at her. “Then take the watch.”

More students were trickling into the classroom. People at the desks in front and behind them were watching. He was just holding her hand like that, and some of the boys were already starting to catcall under their breath.

Xu Su could feel sweat beading on her face. Flustered and angry, she quickly yanked her hand back and grabbed the watch box. “I’ll take it. Now go.”

Having achieved his goal, Xi Zirong decided not to press her about Gu Yunjia. He didn’t want to push her too hard, so he stood up and left.

Huang Feng returned a moment after he left.

Luckily, Huang Feng didn’t know what had just happened in the classroom. Otherwise, she would have grilled Xu Su for every last detail.

Once the evening self-study session started, Xu Su quickly got into the zone for studying.

During the mid-session break, she and Huang Feng went to the restroom together.

At nine-thirty, when the three self-study periods ended, the day students began to file out, leaving the classroom half-empty. Xu Su felt a vibration in her pocket.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep