bayedsolid Chapter 147 1 week
Chapter 147 1 week
Since her adoptive parents returned from their trip, Qiao Xiao has deliberately started to avoid Jiang Yulai.
Whenever they bumped into each other on the street, Qiao Xiao would quickly lower her head or turn and walk down another road, as if Jiang Yu were a plague that she wanted to avoid at all costs.
At this moment, Jiang Yu was completely immersed in the math competition. Aside from classes, meals, and sleep, almost all his time was occupied by various math problems. He had no time for anything else, let alone to find Qiao Xiao to clear up the misunderstanding between them.
Sitting next to Qiao Xiao, Lin Nian keenly noticed this change and was filled with curiosity.
Finally, one day, during a break between classes, she couldn't help but ask, "Yan Rui, why hasn't Jiang Xueyan come to see you lately? He used to come all the time."
Upon hearing the question, Qiao Xiao raised her head, glanced coldly at Lin Nian, and smiled slightly with a hint of sarcasm. Then, she answered unhurriedly, "Guess."
Lin Nian was stunned. She hadn't expected Qiao Xiao to respond to her in this way.
After a while, she came to her senses and continued to ask, "Guess? How can I guess? Did you two have a fight?"
Qiao Xiao sneered again upon hearing this, and said, "Argue? We only have a short time together, how could we possibly have a chance to argue?" After saying that, she turned her head away and ignored Lin Nian.
Lin Nian didn't give up, and continued to press on, asking, "Then why did he..." But before she could finish, the school bell rang, interrupting their conversation.
Qiao Xiao frowned and interrupted without hesitation, "What do you think our relationship is, Lin Nian?" As soon as she finished speaking, her bright eyes stared straight at the other person.
Lin Nian showed no sign of backing down, instead raising her voice to reply, "Of course..."
However, before she could finish speaking, Qiao Xiao interrupted her sharply again. Qiao Xiao bit her lower lip tightly, her gaze piercing as she stared intently at her, warning, "If you dare spread rumors, I'll tell the teacher!"
Lin Nian, who had been so arrogant, deflated instantly, her smugness vanishing without a trace. She stared wide-eyed at the familiar yet unfamiliar Qiao Xiao, stammering, "Have you been possessed, Yan Rui? Why are you being so aggressive today?"
Qiao Xiao ignored Lin Nian's questioning, only snorted lightly, and didn't even bother to look at her, and started packing her schoolbag on her own.
Her movements seemed casual, and in no time, her schoolbag was packed. Then, Qiao Xiao turned around and said with a smile to An Yi in the back seat, "Xiao Yi, let's walk together today."
An Yi was slightly taken aback at first, then a beautiful smile appeared on her lips as she softly replied, "Okay!"
Hearing An Yi's slightly cheerful response, Qiao Xiao's heart skipped a beat. She thought: Is she so happy because she can walk home from school with me?
When Qiao Xiao met An Yi's eyes, she couldn't help but feel a strange unease.
An Yi was never the target of her plan. The profound emotion of selfless dedication she showed came entirely from Yan Rui, a character who only existed in the virtual world.
Thinking of this, Qiao Xiao felt a sudden, inexplicable bitterness welling up inside her, as if countless ants were gnawing at her heart. This feeling left her feeling somewhat lost and helpless.
The two walked side by side on the road, a gentle breeze caressing their cheeks.
At this moment, An Yi suddenly turned around, her face beaming with a bright smile, and said, "You improved by dozens of places in this mock exam! Now there's only a dozen or so places between us, which is fantastic!"
Hearing An Yi's praise, Qiao Xiao couldn't help but be infected by her happy mood, and replied with a slight smile, "Yes, that's really great."
However, as she responded to An Yi, a strange feeling inexplicably rose in her heart. Her gaze unconsciously fell on An Yi's vibrant face, and her expression became increasingly complicated.
Seemingly oblivious to Qiao Xiao's unusual behavior, An Yi continued enthusiastically, "If things continue like this, maybe we can even get into the same school in the future, and then we can be together every day again!" After saying that, she looked at Qiao Xiao expectantly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Faced with An Yi's beautiful vision, Qiao Xiao forced a smile in response, but only she knew that the smile she had originally envisioned was already frozen on her face.
She silently watched the girl before her, who was full of hope for the future, her heart heavy.
Because she knew all too well that before long, this girl, who so eagerly envisioned a bright future with her best friend, would face a devastating change, and the person she considered her closest friend would vanish from this world forever...
Qiao Xiao asked the system, "After I die, will she... will she completely forget me?"
System: "Yes, host. Once you leave, new data will quickly flood in and fill the gaps in this memory."
Upon hearing this answer, Qiao Xiao's tense expression relaxed, and she simply replied, "In that case, I feel relieved."
Just then, a hand gently patted Qiao Xiao's shoulder, who was lost in thought.
An Yi looked at Qiao Xiao, who was staring blankly, with concern and asked softly, "Rui Rui, what's wrong with you lately? I always see you spacing out like this. With your serious nature, you wouldn't miss those crucial points of knowledge."
Qiao Xiao naturally understood An Yi's true intention, so she stopped beating around the bush and asked directly, "Are you trying to find out about my relationship with Jiang Yu?"
An Yi couldn't help but smile slightly, a sly glint in her eyes: "Haha, you really know me. But speaking of which, Rui Rui, you're quite different now than before. In the past, you would have struggled for ages to come up with a flimsy excuse to answer me. Now you just say it directly."
Qiao Xiao: "Perhaps his personality has been influencing me without me even realizing it."
Upon hearing this, An Yi's eyes widened immediately, and she pressed, "Him? Are you sure you've thought this through? Are you really planning to be with him?"
Qiao Xiao nodded firmly with piercing eyes and replied, "This is the inevitable choice."
Upon hearing this, An Yi was taken aback at first, then couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Haha, you're acting like you're on a difficult mission!"
Qiao Xiao gazed quietly at An Yi's smiling face, and couldn't help but admire the girl's extraordinary intelligence, as if she could see through a person's true nature with just one glance.
After An Yi stopped laughing, she continued, "Although Rui Rui is completely different now compared to before, no matter how she changes, I still like you."
Faced with An Yi's "confession," Qiao Xiao merely glanced at her indifferently, her face revealing little emotion.
In Qiao Xiao's eyes, although An Yi always gave such a wonderful first impression, even to the point of being so approachable that she made people almost completely unguarded, her overly perfect appearance made Qiao Xiao suspicious and seemed somewhat unreal.
Qiao Xiao always maintained a vigilant attitude and dared not easily give her complete trust. If she had to categorize the level of trust, it might barely be considered as giving her a little trust.
A week passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Qiao Xiao relied on doing various odd jobs to make a living.
One day, when the school teacher stood on the podium and announced the good news that Jiang Yu had won the gold medal in the national competition, the whole classroom instantly erupted in excitement. The students whispered among themselves and discussed the matter enthusiastically.
Lin Nian exclaimed excitedly, "He's so lucky! He's finally free from the endless pain of studying!"
An Yi, sitting in the back seat, suddenly kicked her chair hard, saying, "He naturally has that kind of ability, okay?"
Lin Nian complained unhappily, then turned her gaze to Qiao Xiao and said with a grin, "Oh my, this is really great. Look at Yan Rui, she found such an outstanding partner. Her future development will definitely be smooth sailing and without any obstacles."
Upon hearing this, Qiao Xiao turned around abruptly, a stunning smile blooming on her face. However, the words that came out of her mouth carried a hint of coldness: "If I could have a pair of excellent parents, wouldn't my life be even more successful? Then you and I wouldn't even need to meet."
Lin Nian never expected that Qiao Xiao, who was usually gentle and quiet, would be like a venomous snake, retorting without any mercy.
Her eyes widened, and she asked in astonishment, "Hey, Qiao Xiao, what's wrong with you? I didn't say anything to you, why are you doing this?"
Qiao Xiao frowned slightly and said softly, "I'm sorry, maybe I'm being too sensitive. But please don't talk to me about these kinds of topics anymore, so I don't accidentally overthink things again."
Just then, a clear and melodious school bell rang out, like a bugle call signaling the retreat on the battlefield, instantly interrupting the fierce exchange between the two.
Qiao Xiao had indeed not contacted Jiang Yu for a whole week. Although they hadn't completely missed each other, Qiao Xiao deliberately avoided Jiang Yu most of the time, trying to avoid direct contact with him. And all of this was silently observed by Jiang Yu.
Initially, Jiang Yu thought that Qiao Xiao did this because she was worried that their excessive contact would have a negative impact on them, preventing him from fully devoting himself to his studies or work and affecting his ability to perform.
In reality, Qiao Xiao's thoughts were quite similar to Jiang Yu's guess. However, her true fear of being discovered was completely different from what Jiang Yu imagined...
If his grades are not good and their contact is discovered, it will inevitably encounter many obstacles. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it is key to complete the task as soon as possible.
So now, she has to put aside her indifference and start showing concern again, trying not to seem too deliberate, and find a way to get in.