Chapter 28: A Broken Arm and a Growing Rift
Although Xing Zhaoyan called Xiang Yang that night to tell her that he only had a minor fracture, that he would recover after a period of rest, and to tell her not to worry too much.
Xiang Yang feels a little more relieved after hearing this.
Xing Zhaoyan also said, “Actually, it was my own carelessness.”
Xiang Yang, seeing him take all the blame on himself, doesn't know what to say, so she can only tell him to rest more.
After taking a day off, Xing Zhaoyan returned to school the following day. However, as a result of this incident, the principal decided to suspend the remaining basketball games. The boys' fervor dwindled, and they placed the majority of the responsibility on the two classes involved in the game.
The guys in Year 2, Class 1, are very indignant, especially those who played in the game. Zheng Jie and Fu Guanxian complain, “What's going on?!”
But Fu Guanxian just lifts his eyelids and looks at him, then lowers his head to do his test paper.
Zheng Jie suddenly goes quiet - Fu Guanxian's state is not right! He's been acting strange since the game ended.
But he doesn't dare to ask too much. He has a hunch that the reason for Fu Guanxian's odd behavior is probably Xing Zhaoyan.
Zheng Jie guesses that maybe they have a grudge?
For Fu Guanxian, it's more than a grudge, it's a feud!
Xiang Yang hasn't spoken to him since the basketball game. He's sulking and refuses to go to her house. She's smart and uses studying as an excuse. She goes straight home to study after school every day, and she doesn't even go out on weekends.
Fu Guanxian also sees her rarely at school.
Soon, the school's second semester sports meet arrives. As the pillar of his class, Fu Guanxian participates in many events. His amazing performance at the sports meet sets off wave after wave of screams and cheers.
For many classmates, Fu Guanxian is an all-around talent. He's not only good at basketball, but he's also incredibly good at running. He wins great rankings in long distance, short distance, and relays. He even excels at high jump.
Xiang Yang silently watches the intense situation unfold in the boys' relay race. Year 1, Class 1, is doing pretty poorly.
But she's helpless. She's always been terrible at sports. Even after a long period of training, she barely manages to keep up physically, but her performance isn't impressive. The PE teacher naturally won't let her compete in the sports meet. He even told her earnestly that she should work hard to improve her PE score while she's still in first year so that she doesn't lose too many points on the PE section of the college entrance exam.
Xiang Yang understands and nods in agreement.
Amidst the rising and falling cheers, the high school boys' 4x100 relay race ends. Year 1, Class 1, only manages to get fifth place. The first place still goes to Year 2, Class 1, and they win the championship largely thanks to Fu Guanxian's final sprint.
When the loudspeaker announces the final results of the boys' relay race, Xiang Yang sees a few boys rush over and excitedly cheer around Fu Guanxian.
Xiang Yang looks at them, and she can't explain the feeling.
“Fu Guanxian is really amazing!” Xing Zhaoyan, who had been standing not far away, appears beside her at some point, suddenly speaking.
Xiang Yang slightly curls her lips and nods. “Yeah, he's pretty good.” But she knows he's good at more than just these events.
Xing Zhaoyan continues, “But someone as excellent as him, there must be a lot of people who admire him, especially girls. I just heard a lot of girls from Year 2 and Year 3 were constantly praising him.”
Xiang Yang smiles faintly and doesn't respond.
“It's a shame my foot injury is just healed, and the doctor won't let me do strenuous exercise, otherwise I would have liked to go down and compete with him.”
Xiang Yang finally turns her head and looks at him, smiling and saying, “There will be a chance in the future.” She continues, “I'm going to go over and see the girls. Their relay is about to start.”
“I'll go with you.” Xing Zhaoyan immediately says.
Xiang Yang can't refuse, so she nods.
As they turn and walk away from the crowd, Fu Guanxian, who is being praised by several boys in his class, raises his head slightly and looks at where Xiang Yang was sitting in the audience. The smile on his face gradually disappears.
After the exciting sports meet, the students quickly return to their busy studying routine. Of course, Fu Guanxian is an exception. Kong Yi Yue discovers that he's become obsessed with computers and has signed up for a computer training course. After school, he goes to training and then comes home after dinner. He also often fiddles with his computer until late at night.
Although Kong Yi Yue supports him having his own hobbies during his spare time, she is a little worried to see him so absorbed. So, one night, she goes to his room to find him, wanting to talk to him. She finds him quickly typing code.
Kong Yi Yue sits down and asks him, “How's your computer going?”
Fu Guanxian looks at the computer screen, his fingers still flying across the keyboard, casually replying, “It's not bad.”
“How's your studying going lately?”
“As usual.” Fu Guanxian replies casually.
Kong Yi Yue says, “Mom doesn't object to you arranging your own time, but you're still in high school, and you still need to focus on your studies. I heard from your Aunt Jiang that Xiaoyang does her homework until late every night. Why do you seem so relaxed?”
Fu Guanxian stops typing, turns around in his chair and smiles at his mother. “Mom, I'm me, I'm not her. She's always just burying her head in her books, and her grudge-holding skills are amazing! No, her skills at twisting the truth are amazing!”
Kong Yi Yue thinks for a moment and then says, “So, you guys were arguing? No wonder I haven't seen Xiaoyang come to our house in a long time!”
Fu Guanxian is about to retort, “Who was arguing with her?!” but before he can speak, he hears his mother laugh and say, “A little quarreling is good for the heart. But you're a boy, you should give in to Xiaoyang more. If you keep sulking, others will laugh at you!”
“Why would they laugh at me! I didn't do anything wrong!” Fu Guanxian is still angry. This girl, because of that Xing Zhaoyan, now her attitude is …! Besides, that Xing Zhaoyan getting injured wasn't his fault! How could she just blame everything on him?!
The more Fu Guanxian thinks about it, the more he feels that Xing Zhaoyan is an eyesore! He's going to find a way to get back at that Xing Zhaoyan when he catches him.
Kong Yi Yue, hearing his tone, feels that he's quite angry, so she says, “It's good that you weren't arguing. Focus on your studies, and help Xiaoyang more when you have time. We're a family, why would you be at odds with each other?”
Fu Guanxian scoffs. Who's at odds with her?! She doesn't take the initiative to make peace, so he won't take the initiative to lower himself!
But Fu Guanxian didn't expect that the next time they interact, it would be under such circumstances.
That day, just after the end of the final exams, Fu Guanxian is playing basketball on the field when Zheng Jie points to a boy and girl under a tree not far away. “Fu Guanxian, do you see that? That boy, the one from Class 2, whose surname is Zhou, what's he trying to do, stopping Xiang Yang?”
When he hears the name “Xiang Yang,” Fu Guanxian's shooting motion goes awry. Then, the basketball misses its target and hits the rim. “Bang!” The basketball falls.
Fu Guanxian glares at him, then follows his direction and sees the boy handing a pink envelope to Xiang Yang.
Zheng Jie continues to talk to himself, “So, the rumors that many boys are trying to chase the school flower are true!”
“School flower?” Fu Guanxian genuinely doesn't know who coined this term. It's so boring and stupid! He's annoyed and shouts, “Play or not, if you're not playing, get lost!”
Zheng Jie doesn't forget to look back as he says, “Hey, Xiang Yang actually accepted it!” Zheng Jie completely forgets to notice Fu Guanxian's expression at this time.
Fu Guanxian mutters under his breath, “Damn it!” Then he kicks him directly. “Zheng Jie, shut up!”
Zheng Jie is hit out of the blue and gets angry, “Guanxian, what are you so angry about? I didn't do anything to you!”
Fu Guanxian feels that if he continues to talk, he might lose his cool and actually disable him! Holding back his anger, Fu Guanxian turns and leaves, “I'm going to buy water, you guys continue playing!”
The guys on the field are bewildered, “What's wrong with him? What's with the little master attitude?”
“Who knows? Maybe he did badly on the exam!” Another classmate replies.
“You're talking nonsense!” Everyone attacks him.
Fu Guanxian always sits comfortably in the top spot, year after year. Heheh, if he did badly, then probably nobody would pass!
After Fu Guanxian buys a bottle of mineral water, he turns and walks in the other direction. After a while, he sees that familiar figure and, without thinking, throws the empty bottle in his hand. The bottle describes a perfect parabola in the air and directly hits Xiang Yang's head.
Xiang Yang covers her aching head and looks up. When she sees him, the perpetrator, she bites her lip and doesn't dare to say anything.
Seeing her look of being wronged, Fu Guanxian immediately thinks of the scene he just saw. He feels very uncomfortable, but he doesn't show it. He just smiles and says, “Sorry, I slipped.”
Xiang Yang, still holding her head, says softly, “It's okay.” Then she passes him and continues walking forward.
When she passes by him, he stops her. He hears him say coldly, “You're okay, but did I say you could leave?” His domineering tone instantly makes Xiang Yang's brain automatically conjure up the words: Look! His true nature is revealed!
Fu Guanxian finishes speaking and doesn't do anything else. He just stares at her.
Xiang Yang feels uneasy under his gaze, so she has to ask, “Is there anything else?”
This aloof tone…
Fu Guanxian feels that if he talks to her any more, he's probably going to be so angry he throws up blood.
“Give it here!”
Xiang Yang is confused, “Give what?”
She's pretending! Fu Guanxian immediately thinks of this word. He doesn't waste words and directly grabs her schoolbag.
Xiang Yang is stunned at first. Then she realizes and immediately reaches out to take it back.
Fu Guanxian didn't think much of it before, but because of her instinctive grab, his face darkens a bit. She's afraid her secret will be exposed, isn't she!
“Xiang Xiaoyang, you're really making me look at you in a new light!”
Fu Guanxian says this, and Xiang Yang's heart involuntarily trembles. But she doesn't dare let go of her grip on the schoolbag. It just so happens that she's on her period these few days and she has a few of those things in her bag. If he grabs her bag and sees them, wouldn't she be very embarrassed!
After all, she's still a teenager. The thought of a boy seeing a girl's private items makes her ears burn.
Fu Guanxian feels that her behavior is trying to cover up her tracks! Without a word, he takes her schoolbag without mercy, opens it, and the pink envelope is indeed still there. He pulls out the letter and questions, “Who gave it to you?”
“I don't know.” Xiang Yang grabs her schoolbag, she can't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he didn't turn it over.
“What's written in the letter?”
“I don't know.” She replies truthfully, because she didn't have time to look.
“Xiang Xiaoyang, I'm giving you a chance to explain. Are you…dating?”
Xiang Yang instinctively looks up at him, “Fu Guanxian, what do you mean?”
“It better not be, otherwise I'll tell Uncle Xiang and Aunt Jiang the first chance I get! And next time, if you dare to continue accepting love letters, I'll dutifully tell your parents too!”
Xiang Yang is stunned and doesn't say anything.
“You're not convinced?” Fu Guanxian looks at her and asks.
“No.” She lowers her head and denies. She knows that once he starts being unreasonable, it's best to just use the cold shoulder, otherwise it's never-ending.
Fu Guanxian hums, “You're not convinced, but it's no use! If you dare to date in school, just you wait!”
Xiang Yang coldly scoffs helplessly, What is he trying to cause trouble for now?
Fu Guanxian goes back and opens the envelope on the way. He skims through it and can't help but shudder, “This is so corny, why not just publish it in the school magazine!”
Zheng Jie and the others are about to disperse when they see him sauntering over.
“You've been buying water for a long time!” Zheng Jie calls out.
Fu Guanxian throws the letter at him, “I found it in the trash can. Have fun with it!”
“Ah? What is it?” Everyone looks at the pink envelope. They think it's another girl who has slipped a love letter to him. After reading the contents, Zheng Jie and the others are all amused, “This is so corny and mushy, he should've gone to the arts program. It's a waste of talent!”
Fu Guanxian smiles. If it wasn't for the fact that school is starting holiday tomorrow, he'd really like to get back at that guy!
Comments
Post a Comment