Chapter 7: That Delicate Flower (7)

Song Qi helped Gu Si back to the track. “You could ask the teacher if you can go sit in the classroom.”

“No need. I’ll wait over there for you guys. Go to class.” Gu Si gave Song Qi a considerate smile.

Song Qi had planned to take Gu Si to a shady spot. In the end, she led her in a circle and left her sitting in the sun.

“I’m off.”

Gu Si had just opened her mouth to ask if they could go somewhere else when Song Qi had already run away.

Gu Si: “…”

Back with the others, Song Qi occasionally glanced over at Gu Si. Before long, she saw the girl dragging one leg and limping her way to the shade of a tree. It took her five whole minutes.

So cute.

Song Qi glanced mischievously at the far corner of the field. She should’ve taken Gu Si over there instead. Then she could’ve enjoyed that adorable limp a little longer.

“System.”

“Mm?”

“Are you sure she’s the villainess?” Song Qi wondered. “Is this really enough to count as evil?”

The system fell silent.

For the first time, it found itself worrying about a villainess’s fate. It couldn’t explain why, but Gu Si seemed a little pitiful—and it had a feeling her future would be even worse.

After PE, Song Qi went to find Gu Si. Gu Si was watching the boys play basketball in the distance, so Song Qi followed her gaze.

The male lead really was the male lead. There were so many people on the court, yet he still stood out at a glance.

“Come on, class is over.” Song Qi pretended not to know what Gu Si had been watching and stepped into her line of sight.

Gu Si tilted her head to look around Song Qi. “Yangnuan, Brother Qin Xiao is so handsome.”

“If you’re going to stay and watch, I’ll head up without you.” Song Qi put her hands in her pockets and looked down at her.

Gu Si gazed up at her pitifully. “Let’s watch a little longer. We have time.”

“Then I’ll help you over there. You can’t see much from here.” Song Qi took Gu Si’s soft hand and pulled her to her feet.

Gu Si looked a little shy, but also eager. “Will Brother Qin Xiao get mad?”

“It’s fine.”

Qin Xiao spotted Song Qi from across the court, and his energy seemed to double. He snatched the ball and went for a three-pointer.

He looked great doing it.

He missed.

The girls watching from the sidelines still screamed.

Qin Xiao cleared his throat. Song Qi had already brought Gu Si to the edge of the court.

“Class Monitor, want to give it a try?” Qin Xiao looked at her. “Can you play?”

Song Qi’s lips twitched. She smiled, then snatched the ball right out of Qin Xiao’s hands. After glancing at Gu Si, she strolled over to the three-point line.

She lifted the ball, took aim, and shot.

Nothing but net.

The girls screamed again. The boys who hadn’t left yet stared at Song Qi in disbelief.

Song Qi smiled at Qin Xiao. “Hm? Sorry, what were you saying? I didn’t catch that.”

Qin Xiao: “…”

That was a blatant challenge.

Song Qi handed the ball back to Qin Xiao. “Go return it.”

Gu Si still hadn’t seemed to take it in. She stared at the hoop, then looked at Song Qi. “You’re amazing.”

“Am I cool?”

“Very.” Gu Si smiled. “Whenever I shoot, I can’t even hit the rim. And you made a three-pointer.”

“That’s normal if you don’t have much strength.” Song Qi supported Gu Si. “When your foot gets better, we can come play basketball, too.”

“But I don’t know how.” Gu Si sighed, glancing back at the hoop.

“That’s fine. I can teach you.” Song Qi smiled at her again, warm as could be.

Gu Si nodded, beaming with a hint of a pout. “Then don’t laugh at me when we do.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t.”

Qin Xiao returned the ball, still wearing an expression of utter disbelief.

“Since when was the Class Monitor so good?”

“Maybe she got lucky.”

Qin Xiao looked at the two people talking and sighed. He’d meant to show off, and somehow ended up getting shown up instead.

And there was no way that shot had been luck.

He wandered to the school shop with his hands in his pockets and spotted Wangzai Milk on the shelf.

After thinking it over, he bought two cans.

The Class Monitor seemed to like that kind of sickly sweet stuff.

When Qin Xiao got back to the classroom, he saw Song Qi surrounded by a group of girls. They looked excited, and he could just make out what they were saying.

Mostly, they were praising her.

Qin Xiao clicked his tongue, went back to his seat, and stood behind the girl sitting there without saying a word.

The chatter abruptly died. The girl turned around, looked as though she’d seen a ghost, then jumped up and ran off.

The others scattered, too.

Why was I the one who got picked on every day, but still the one everyone was scared of? This is so unfair.

“Here.” Qin Xiao pushed the two cans of Wangzai Milk toward Song Qi.

“What for?” Song Qi glanced at them.

“Milk helps you grow taller. If you’re taller, you’ll be better at basketball.”

Song Qi tapped the desk. “No thanks. I’m afraid if I get much taller, I’ll intimidate you.”

“I bought them for you. I don’t drink this sweet stuff.” Qin Xiao looked openly disgusted. “If you won’t drink it, I’ll throw it away. Wasting food is shameful.”

Song Qi took ten yuan from her pocket and handed it to him, then picked up the milk. “Thanks.”

Qin Xiao: “…”

He didn’t particularly want to take the money, but from the look on Song Qi’s face, he knew she’d refuse to accept the milk otherwise.

Song Qi ran a finger over the pull tab.

“Can you open it? Want me to help?”

“How does someone who can make a three-pointer fail to open a little tab?” Song Qi gave Qin Xiao a puzzled look. “And wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you couldn’t open it?”

With that, she popped open the can and took a sip right in front of him.

Qin Xiao: “???”

She’s a demon.

Once, by accident, he’d overheard two boys talking about the Class Monitor in the men’s bathroom.

They’d called her cute, sweet-tempered, and soft-voiced—a textbook girly girl.

If he ever heard them say that again, he’d have to ask which dimension’s Class Monitor they were talking about.

Song Qi set the can down and smiled.