Chapter 22 : Unexpected Reunion
Hou Xingrou didn't tell Xiang Yang that she actually brought her homework to write, just so she could ask Xiang Yang for help if she didn't understand any questions.
Xiang Yang's original plan was to come to the library to read. So, while Hou Xingrou was doing her homework, she wandered around, trying to find a book that she liked to read.
The city library was large and had a unique structure, and the soft, yellowish lights created a special atmosphere.
Xiang Yang walked past row after row of books, and when she reached the classical culture section, she bent down slightly to look at the book titles. She was so focused on reading that she forgot to look around to see if anyone was there, and she accidentally bumped into someone on her right side. Xiang Yang quickly snapped out of her daze and apologized to the person, “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”
Before she could look up to see the person's face, she heard a slightly cool and magnetic voice say, “I think you did it on purpose.”
Fu Guanxian!
The name flashed through Xiang Yang's mind instantly. She looked up, meeting Fu Guanxian's ink-colored eyes. She was startled, then slightly shifted her gaze, seeing a smile with an ambiguous meaning on his lips.
Xiang Yang's heart tightened, and she explained again, “I really didn't mean to.”
Fu Guanxian crossed his arms, leaned against the bookshelf, and looked at her leisurely, “I don't know why, but that explanation sounds so fake. Xiang Yang, what a coincidence, the library is so big, and I still bumped into you?”
Xiang Yang withdrew her gaze from his face. She lowered her head slightly, thinking that Fu Guanxian must have had a relapse of his old problem. Sure enough, she then heard him say, “Since you're here, why don't you help me with my homework?”
Xiang Yang didn't want to, so she said, “High school knowledge is too difficult.”
It was only the beginning of the first year, and she already found it a bit challenging.
“Aren't you the top student in your grade? Is it still difficult?”
“I'm not the top student in the grade, it's Xing Zhaoyan.” Xiang Yang subconsciously clarified.
“Xing Zhaoyan?” Fu Guanxian finally remembered. He seemed to have heard Zheng Jie mention that Xiang Yang was the deputy monitor, so the class monitor was someone else?
He was also a former student of Class (1) of the first year, and he knew the homeroom teacher's style too well.
When the homeroom teacher asked him to be the class monitor, Fu Guanxian immediately stood up and said, “I don't want to, give it to someone else.”
“Fu Guanxian, the teacher appointed you as the class monitor because she saw your sense of responsibility and seriousness.” In the teacher's eyes, students who could excel in all subjects must be excellent in all aspects. But she overlooked the fact that sometimes, there were exceptions to this generalization. And Fu Guanxian was one of those exceptions.
Seeing that his refusal was ineffective, Fu Guanxian didn't bother to argue with the teacher.
However, less than two weeks after school started, the homeroom teacher deeply realized that Fu Guanxian was simply a nuisance. Every day, subject teachers came to complain about students not completing their homework, and the first person they would criticize was Fu Guanxian. As the class monitor, he didn't hand in his homework, and the other students were also lazy about handing in their homework.
As for memorization, when the group leader or the class representative mentioned which students hadn't completed their tasks, they would always add, “Teacher, the class monitor didn't complete it either.”
A few days after school started, the teacher asked them to write a few ancient poems. Fu Guanxian actually handed in a blank sheet of paper.
The teacher couldn't bear it anymore and called him to her office. “Fu Guanxian, why did you only hand in a blank sheet of paper?”
Fu Guanxian said innocently, “Teacher, I didn't hand in a blank sheet of paper! There are seven words written on this paper!”
The teacher took a look and saw that it said “Fu Guanxian, Class (1) of the first year.” She was furious. “Fu Guanxian, is this your attitude towards learning? You don't complete your homework, you don't memorize, you can't write a dictation, are you going to get all zeros on the exam?”
“Teacher, who said I can't? As long as you can tell me which ancient poem or which classical Chinese text, even if it's a poem or a textbook, I can recite it fluently.”
The teacher didn't believe him and specifically tested him. As a result, she found that Fu Guanxian could really recite anything. The teacher could only give up. However, she cleverly removed Fu Guanxian's position as class monitor.
Although she was clever, he was a bad influence on the other students, and he rarely completed the tasks she assigned.
Forget it, the teacher thought the risk was too great. After thinking for a while, she decided to find a reliable student to be the class monitor.
As a result, just when the class atmosphere had improved slightly, the homeroom teacher discovered that the class was restless again after a few days.
One time, during a break, she went to the classroom and found that many girls were gathered around the classroom door and windows, excitedly pointing and whispering to each other, “He's so handsome!”
The homeroom teacher realized that Fu Guanxian was more eye-catching than she imagined.
To prevent anything inappropriate from happening, she had to guard the classroom almost every time there was a break. After a long time, the number of girls who came to see him decreased slightly.
A month after school started, students in the first year had to do morning exercises with students in the second and third years during break time.
As a result, even Fu Guanxian, who was submerged in the crowd, had his own aura. Before the broadcast gymnastics began, almost all the boys and girls were vying to look at him.
Seeing that it was difficult to maintain order, the homeroom teacher was very worried.
Therefore, she was very happy when Fu Guanxian skipped morning exercises by taking a leave of absence.
In fact, Fu Guanxian knew that there were countless people in Qinglin High School who talked about him behind his back, especially after his midterm exam scores in the first year completely crushed everyone else. There were even more people who admired him.
Sometimes, when he went back to the classroom after lunch, people would be staring at him inside and outside the classroom. There were even girls who intercepted him at school or blocked him after school. Of course, Fu Guanxian never took this to heart.
So, Fu Guanxian, who had always scoffed at being forced to be called “the school hunk,” was a little smug when he heard that Xiang Yang was “the school belle.” After all, his title wasn't any worse than hers.
Fu Guanxian thought for a moment, looked at her, and asked, “Who is Xing Zhaoyan?”
Xiang Yang didn't think much of it and replied, “Our class monitor, he's a good person.”
Fu Guanxian narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, “Male?”
“Yeah.” Xiang Yang replied, then continued, “So, I really can't do the second-year homework.”
Fu Guanxian's two "hehe"s were the only response.
Hearing his tone, Xiang Yang inexplicably felt something was wrong.
Sure enough, the next second, she heard Fu Guanxian say, “Xiang Yang, I suddenly realized that you're quite capable.”
She had never been capable. Xiang Yang knew that herself. But she also knew clearly that she couldn't discuss this topic with Fu Guanxian, so she changed the subject, “Xingrou is still waiting for me over there. I'm going to get a book.”
So, without looking, she quickly pulled a book off the bookshelf and was about to turn around and go back.
But as soon as she turned around, Fu Guanxian blocked her way.
The space between the two rows of bookshelves was very large. Xiang Yang looked at the white shirt in front of her and knew he was deliberately doing this.
Fu Guanxian was indeed deliberately blocking her.
He didn't know why he wanted to bully her when he saw her.
He knew that Xiang Yang had a lot of opinions about him, but those dissatisfied words were at most filtered through her mind. He knew Xiang Yang too well. She was too timid and wouldn't tell on him. He actually hoped she could expose his evil deeds to the world, but after all this time, they had known each other for year after year, and he had bullied her for year after year. Xiang Yang really surprised him by enduring it again and again.
Except for that time in junior high, because of Ban Shengkai, she had the courage to confess to him, but later, he was disappointed.
Fu Guanxian knew that the Xiang family's ability to raise their daughter into her current personality was largely due to his own efforts.
“Xiang Yang...” Fu Guanxian lowered his gaze slightly and looked at her.
“Yeah?” Xiang Yang hugged the book in her arms tightly, her fingertips turning white. Her heart became restless as his voice fell.
What was Fu Guanxian going to do?
Why did she run into him at the library?
“Xiang Yang!”
While Xiang Yang was pondering, she heard another voice, different from Fu Guanxian's, calling her name. She turned around curiously and saw Xing Zhaoyan, wearing black pants and a black short-sleeved shirt, smiling at her, getting closer and closer.
When Xing Zhaoyan stopped in front of her, he didn't seem to notice Fu Guanxian behind her.
He said with a smile, “What a coincidence, when I just entered, I had a very strong feeling, like I was going to meet someone I knew. But I just came to this city to study, and the only person I know well is you. I was wondering if I would coincidentally meet you. I didn't expect to actually meet you. What, are you here to read too?”
“Yeah, I am.” Xiang Yang didn't know how to answer for a moment. In fact, after she finished speaking, she even reflected for a moment. Xing Zhaoyan was so enthusiastically greeting her, and she only responded with one or two words. Would that be impolite?
Their conversation fell into Fu Guanxian's ears, and his heart suddenly surged. He chuckled softly and spoke before Xing Zhaoyan could say anything, “Xiang Yang, why don't you introduce us?”
“Ah?” Xiang Yang finally turned her gaze to him.
Fu Guanxian lowered his head and glanced at her, then turned his gaze to Xing Zhaoyan with ill intent, his voice cold, “Your classmate?”
Xiang Yang actually didn't want to say anything.
But who knew, Xing Zhaoyan smiled slightly and introduced himself, “My name is Xing Zhaoyan, I'm Xiang Yang's good friend.”
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