Chapter 4: That Delicate Flower (4)

There was a mountain of homework, and Song Qi didn’t feel like doing any of it. She took out her phone and sent Gu Si a friend request.

Looking at the phone in her hand, she thought that back where she came from, it belonged in a museum.

Gu Si accepted almost immediately.

Song Qi saved her contact as “Villainess.”

System: …

Villainess: [Cute.jpg]

Xu Yangnuan: 46XXXXXX7, Qin Xiao’s QQ.

Villainess: [Kiss.jpg]

Villainess: I love you, Yangnuan.

Song Qi’s mouth twitched.

The system watched her expression. Song Qi hadn’t done anything yet, but the system couldn’t shake the feeling she’d do something absolutely inhumane to Gu Si before long.

The first thing Qin Xiao did when he got home was take a shower. Afterward, he lay on his bed waiting for Song Qi to add him.

When his phone chimed, Qin Xiao sat up at once.

But when he saw who had sent the request, his expression darkened.

He’d been about to reject it, but then he thought better of it and accepted.

Qin Xiao: Did she give you my contact information?

Gu Si hadn’t figured out what to say to sound cute when a question appeared from him.

Gu Si: Yes… What’s wrong?

Gu Si: Do you hate me?

Qin Xiao: Give me her contact information.

Gu Si: Brother Qin Xiao, don’t blame her. It was all my fault. I asked her to help me…

Gu Si: Why don’t you ask her yourself? How am I supposed to face her after that? Boo-hoo.

Qin Xiao stared at the screen and frowned. Was this girl a white lotus or a green tea?

He rubbed his chin.

Gu Si: I’m sorry, but I can’t give you Yangnuan’s contact information without her permission.

Qin Xiao: You added me without my permission, didn’t you?

Gu Si took three seconds to answer.

Gu Si: Boo-hoo, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I just missed you so much, Brother Qin Xiao.

The words “Boo-hoo” gave Qin Xiao a headache. He promptly deleted and blocked her in one fell swoop.

He wanted to run straight over to Song Qi and ask what she meant by all this, but he’d have to wait until tomorrow.

Song Qi got another message from Gu Si.

Villainess: Boo-hoo, I’m sorry. Brother Qin Xiao seems angry. If he gives you trouble later, just say it was all my fault.

Xu Yangnuan: It’s fine.

Villainess: No, I can’t let you take the blame for me. Tell him I made you do it.

Villainess: Boo-hoo. I can’t help it. I really like Brother Qin Xiao.

Xu Yangnuan: Sure. Good luck.

The system’s head was starting to ache. [Host, are you trying to add some melodrama?]

“What?” Song Qi asked.

“Best friends fighting over the same guy.”

“Oh. You don’t need to know.” Song Qi glanced at her phone. Gu Si had sent a whole string of messages.

Villainess: Yangnuan, what do I do? He hates me so much, and I don’t even know what I did wrong.

Villainess: The National Day holiday is coming up. If I ask him to go out with me, do you think he’ll say yes?

Xu Yangnuan: Want me to help you?

Villainess: But… won’t he still be mad?

Villainess: !!!

Villainess: We could all go out together!

Xu Yangnuan: Sure.

Qin Xiao grew angrier the longer he sat at home thinking about it. He even went to evening study on Sunday, which he’d planned to skip. He arrived early, expecting Song Qi to be there too. But she was nowhere to be seen. She didn’t come in until just before the bell rang.

They looked at each other.

As the homeroom teacher walked in, Qin Xiao took out a piece of paper and started writing, pressing so hard his words nearly tore through it.

You gave my contact information to another girl?

Yeah.

Qin Xiao stared at the word. He was not handling this well.

Can’t you tell she’s one of those white-lotus, green-tea types girls are always talking about?

Song Qi raised an eyebrow.

Oh.

Qin Xiao stared at the word “Oh,” then checked the back of the paper. Such a big deal, and all she had to say was “Oh”?

???

Want to go out for National Day? I’ll be there.

Qin Xiao took the paper. He hesitated, intending to refuse, but what he wrote instead was: Sure. You’d better treat me nicely, or I won’t forgive you.

Song Qi’s only response was, Heh.

Their friendly exchange on paper came to an end. Song Qi went to the bathroom after class and spotted Gu Si waiting by the window.

“Did he say yes?” Gu Si asked, looking at Song Qi expectantly.

Song Qi studied her, trying to work out what “white lotus” and “green tea” meant. Those terms seemed awfully old-fashioned, and there wasn’t anything around she could look them up in.

“He said yes.” Song Qi put her hands in her pockets.

They went together to the stairwell, where it was a little quieter.

Qin Xiao happened to walk by and overheard them.

“What do you like about him?” Song Qi asked.

“Brother Qin Xiao is handsome, and he’s really capable,” Gu Si said earnestly.

“Capable?” Song Qi repeated, openly skeptical.

“Of course! In my heart, Brother Qin Xiao is the best! Yangnuan, don’t say anything bad about him.”

“I’m just telling the truth. Honestly, I don’t see it.”

Qin Xiao: …

“Yangnuan!” Gu Si’s voice shot up an octave as she stared at Song Qi.

Song Qi reached out, ruffled Gu Si’s hair, and walked away.

Gu Si: ???

Song Qi returned to the classroom and leaned back in her chair, listening to An Yao and the others chat. Xu Yangnuan got along well with everyone in her class. She was gentle and kind, and never got into arguments with people. Besides, she looked so mild that no one could bring themselves to argue with her.

She had the sort of face people instinctively found approachable.

When Qin Xiao came back, he shot Song Qi a hostile look.

An Yao lowered her voice. “I heard Qin Xiao seriously injured someone at No. 9 High School. He transferred here after his family paid a lot of compensation.”

A chorus of hushed gasps rippled around them.

“He’s good-looking, but I’ve heard he has a terrible temper. Yangnuan, be careful. We don’t know if he hits girls too.”

Song Qi glanced at Qin Xiao. Does he really have such a bad temper?

“Don’t worry. Nothing will happen,” she said with a smile. He can’t beat me anyway.

Qin Xiao returned to his seat. The others immediately changed the subject, too afraid to keep gossiping.

“Xu Yangnuan.” Qin Xiao glared at her through gritted teeth.