The Little Duck 19p3

Chapter 19 p3

Half an hour later, in the head teacher’s office, three students with different expressions stood in a row.

Yan Lu looked down at the novel, torn in half, on the desk.

Jian Xin looked annoyed, occasionally rolling her eyes at the person beside her.

Wang Xiaofeng was soaked in sticky drink, with several footprints on his pants. His face was even more defiant than Jian Xin’s.

Teacher Li: “You three, have your parents come to school tomorrow.”

Jian Xin: “Wang Xiaofeng and I were the ones fighting. What does it have to do with Yan Lu?”

“She’s writing a novel, which is affecting her studies. Her situation is not as serious as yours, so you don’t need to worry about her,” Teacher Li said, looking at Jian Xin with a meaningful tone. “You two were fighting. If you’re punished severely, you could get a demerit, you know? Tomorrow, I want to see your parents. If anyone can’t bring them, you’ll stand at the back of the classroom during my classes.”

“Teacher Li, if I hadn’t made a scene today, would Yan Lu have just deserved to be bullied by him?” Jian Xin raised her head, her words clear and righteous. “I was helping a classmate. Even if my mom comes tomorrow, I will absolutely not admit I was wrong!”

“I didn’t hit anyone!”

“Didn’t you want to hit someone too? You were just stopped!” Jian Xin pouted and started bringing up old scores. “Teacher Li, this isn’t the first time Wang Xiaofeng has bullied Yan Lu. He drew a crying face on her school uniform with a watercolor pen last time. I was the one who helped take it home to wash!”

“Didn’t you draw on my schoolbag too!” Wang Xiaofeng retorted.

“That’s because you drew on hers first!”

“Class 8 is a whole. Don’t be so confrontational with each other,” Teacher Li said, taking a deep breath. “Wang Xiaofeng, go back and write a thousand-word self-criticism. Give it to me before evening self-study tomorrow.”

Wang Xiaofeng: “Why doesn’t she have to write one!”

“All of you, go back to self-study,” Teacher Li sighed, rubbing his temples. “Next time you fight, you’ll get a demerit.”

Wang Xiaofeng rolled his eyes and strode out of the office.

Yan Lu stood where she was, motionless, as if wanting to say something to the head teacher.

Jian Xin tugged on her sleeve and led her out.

On the way back to the classroom, she pointed to the sky outside the corridor. “Look, the moon has moved over there!”

Yan Lu: “…”

Seeing that she was unhappy, Jian Xin smiled and patted her chest. “It’s fine. I have a new, unused notebook in my schoolbag. You can take it and write in it for now. I’ll get the old one back for you. We can just tape it back together then!”

“How will you get it back?”

“It’s simple. I’ll just sneak it back for you when Old Li isn’t around.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t…”

“I’ve had my extracurricular books confiscated by friends before, and I always just took them back when I had the chance. Teachers usually don’t bother to pursue it—” Jian Xin said with experience. “Because to pursue it, you need evidence. Who would be stupid enough to steal something back and leave it in the classroom for the teacher to find?”

“Don’t be afraid, it’s almost the end of the semester, right?” she said with an experienced smile. “Trust me, at the end of every semester, a lot of the things that were confiscated from the class will be missing from the teacher’s office. Even if they’re really angry, they’ll be too lazy to pursue it after a winter break.”

“It doesn’t really matter if we get it back or not. Besides you, no one else will read it anyway. It’s not worth the risk,” Yan Lu said, lowering her head and walking towards the classroom.

Jian Xin was stunned for a moment, then quickly chased after her. “How does it not matter? I still want to read it a second time!”

Yan Lu suddenly stopped and looked back at Jian Xin.

Jian Xin: “What’s wrong?”

Yan Lu: “You almost got hit today…”

Jian Xin: “Didn’t I almost? I’m popular, someone helped me block it.”

Yan Lu: “…”

Jian Xin pouted, spread her hands, and shrugged. “Even if no one helped me block it, so what if we fought? I kicked him so many times, it’s not like I would have lost out.”

Yan Lu frowned and was silent for a long while before saying softly, “Thank you, for standing up for me again.”

Jian Xin smiled and waved her hand. “I just couldn’t stand by and watch. Isn’t that what I should do?”

Yan Lu smiled faintly, her tone flat. “But besides you, everyone else could stand by and watch.”

“Uh…”

“Qi Xia cried because Wang Xiaofeng said I liked her. She was so aggrieved…” Yan Lu said. “Being liked by me is a very shameful thing, isn’t it.”

“How could…”

“Everyone was saying, ‘Wang Xiaofeng, you made Qi Xia cry. Hurry up and apologize’,” Yan Lu’s voice was very soft. “But there were so many people in the class at that time, and not a single person would say, ‘Wang Xiaofeng, you made Yan Lu cry. Apologize to her’.”

“Only you would tell him to apologize to me,” Yan Lu said with a faint smile.

That’s enough, she thought.

Even if she didn’t get that apology.

Even if that apology wasn’t just for her…

Jian Xin had also tried her best to take her feelings into account.

But—

“You’ve always taken such good care of me, but I can’t repay you with anything,” Yan Lu said, her eyelashes lowered.

Jian Xin thought for a moment and smiled nonchalantly. “Then just owe me for now. You write novels very well. You’ll definitely be a very famous author in the future.”

“You just have to remember, when you’re rich and famous, don’t forget me—just take care of me then, won’t that be enough?” she said, raising her hands and gently squeezing Yan Lu’s thin shoulders from behind.

The action was a little ticklish, and Yan Lu subconsciously shrank her neck.

She heard Jian Xin say in her ear with a grin, “As long as we can be good friends for a lifetime, we don’t need to care about owing and repaying for a while!”

This “lifetime” came so easily from Jian Xin’s mouth. Yan Lu didn’t know if she should believe it.

She only knew that that night, the moon was high in the sky.

She had only looked up for a moment, but she couldn’t stop herself from having too many unrealistic thoughts.

*

Perhaps it was because she hadn’t slept at home in a long time, but Jian Xin had a rare dreamless night and slept very comfortably.

In a daze, it seemed a gentle voice was ringing in her ear.

Usually, if this voice sounded when she was half-awake, it was highly likely that her soul had been kidnapped by a certain duck again.

Jian Xin squeezed her eyes shut and shrank her neck slightly, trying to escape.

However, the next second, that familiar voice grew clearer.

“Cauliflower, Cauliflower…”

“…” It seems there’s no escape.

“Didn’t we agree last night? I’m taking you for a swim in the river today,” Yan Lu said, crouching by the duck nest with her knees hugged, poking the Call duck’s white chest with her finger. “If you keep lazing around like this, I won’t take you when the sun gets stronger.”

Xin Xin came running over with a “woo-woof,” stretching out its short little legs and nudging the duck head that was curled up on its chest.

“…” Here we go again.

The same familiar but incomprehensible dog language, and the feeling of being hit on the head by a dog’s paw.

Jian Xin didn’t even need to open her eyes to know that she had once again become a duck.

Some things in this world, you’re unfamiliar with them the first time, but you get used to them the second time. After a certain number of times, it’s no different from eating and drinking.

Jian Xin flapped her wings, opened her eyes fiercely, and jumped up with a “quack.” She stretched her neck forward and launched a counterattack against Xin Xin.

However, this Corgi had very rich combat experience when facing a duck. After a long and indignant struggle, the duck, as usual, chose to give in.

“Alright, Cauliflower, I’m taking you for a swim in the river!”

Jian Xin couldn’t help but tilt her head.

A swim in the river? Is this some kind of regular reward activity for ducks?

Cauliflower might like it, but she wasn’t very interested, and was even a little scared.

A river and a bathtub were definitely not the same concept!

Eek! So resistant—

To avoid going out, the little duck let out a “quack,” and with its little wings behind its back, it scurried into the Corgi’s dog bed amidst its owner’s urging.

Yan Lu crouched outside the dog bed, tilting her head to look at the little duck inside. “You’re really not going out? Then I’ll just take Xin Xin out.”

“Quack—” Not going, not going, not interested.

“You’re getting lazier and lazier. Be careful you don’t get fat and become an ingredient!” Yan Lu said, reaching out to poke the little duck’s butt, which was sticking out.

Jian Xin flinched and shrank further into the bed.

It’s one thing to rub my chest, but why are you poking my butt?

—Humans have no sense of propriety in front of ducks!

Soon, Yan Lu, holding the leash, took Xin Xin downstairs as usual.

Jian Xin curled into a small ball in Xin Xin’s little tent, closed her two beady eyes, and went back to sleep for the day.

Yan Lu hadn’t turned off the computer player when she went out today. After an unknown amount of time, A-Mei’s “Can’t Get Over It” suddenly started playing.

Jian Xin flinched and opened her eyes, all sleepiness gone.

Honestly, the song wasn’t bad, it was actually very good.

But back when they broke up, she had listened to it on repeat at least three hundred times. After so many years of not touching it, suddenly hearing it in her ex’s house, her duck head couldn’t help but ache!

I can’t stand it. Do I really have to listen to this whole song in this place!

Jian Xin took a deep breath. After much thought, she couldn’t help but crawl out of the dog bed and fly onto the computer desk with flapping wings.

She lifted her little orange webbed foot, stepped on the space bar a couple of times to exit the screensaver mode, and wanted to skip the song.

However, the moment the computer screen lit up, a WeChat chat interface appeared in front of her, completely unobstructed.

The chat interface was scrolling, and it was clear that Yan Lu was currently outside, replying to messages on her phone.

Lin Xiyu: Last time you said you had a very talented friend, but there was never a good opportunity.

Lin Xiyu: Didn’t I just finish filming “Moon Between the Clouds”?

Lin Xiyu: I helped you ask the music director last night.

Lin Xiyu: She said if it’s someone I recommend, they can give it a try.

Wandering: Thank you for your hard work.

Lin Xiyu: You’re welcome!

Lin Xiyu: It’s just a small effort, not worth mentioning.

Lin Xiyu: But you know, for an S+ production like this, they have to hire famous people.

Lin Xiyu: For those who aren’t famous, being able to participate in one OST is a huge opportunity. Many people bid for it and don’t get it.

Lin Xiyu: So in terms of price, they’ll probably only give a symbolic amount.

Wandering: Mmm, I understand.

Lin Xiyu: Give me her contact information.

Wandering: [Weibo Homepage: Sleepy Music Studio]

Wandering: There’s someone named Jian Xin in there.

Lin Xiyu: OK!

Wandering: Don’t mention my name.

Lin Xiyu: OKK!

Wandering: [Love you]

Lin Xiyu: [Love you][Love you][Love you]

The conversation between the two ended there.

The little duck sat in front of the keyboard, lost in thought.