Chapter 29: A Family Trip and a Phone Snatch
A two-month summer vacation arrives. Xiang Yang is delighted, but she also has a small dilemma. She hasn't yet figured out how to make good use of the vacation to improve herself. After two days, Xiang Yi and Jiang Manxin tell her about their travel plans. They say they're going to take her out for a change of scenery, relax, and experience different local customs.
Xiang Yang usually doesn't like to go out. She asks in confusion, “Dad, why did you suddenly decide to go on a trip?”
Jiang Manxin smiles beside her, “Your dad is busy with work, he hardly ever finds time to go out together. It's a good time for us to go out as a family since you're also on vacation!”
Xiang Yang remembers that the last time the whole family went on a trip was when she was in elementary school. Although she doesn't really like traveling, going out with her parents is still something worth remembering and reminiscing about. So she asks, “Where are we going? Have you decided on the destination?”
“Yeah, almost. We'll see what Uncle Fu and Aunt Fu say.”
Xiang Yang frowns slightly, “Mom, are Uncle Fu and Aunt Fu going too?”
Jiang Manxin nods, taking it for granted, “Yeah! We'll go together as two families. It just so happens they can adjust their schedules, so we'll go together.”
Xiang Yang suddenly feels a headache coming on. She asks, “Then...is Fu Guanxian going too?”
“Why are you even asking? Of course he's going!”
Xiang Yang wasn't really interested in the first place. Hearing her so confident answer, she finds it even more boring. She asks softly, “Mom, can I not go? I still need to learn piano during the summer vacation, and my dance teacher said there's a lot of material to cover in these two months. There's also the vocal teacher, she…”
Jiang Manxin laughs and says, “Learning is never-ending, but you also need to have a work-life balance. It's rare that both our families have time, and you and Guanxian are both on vacation. Next semester, Guanxian will be in his senior year, so he definitely won't have much time. Your workload will only get heavier, so now is the best time to relax. Okay, stop making excuses. Go, that's settled.”
Xiang Yang wants to say something, but Xiang Yi also says definitively, “That's settled.”
Xiang Yang sighs silently, she doesn't want to go out at all, especially not with Fu Guanxian.
Soon, they agree on the departure date, but Xiang Yang is still worried. She's not very enthusiastic along the way. She sees mountains, rivers, seas, and historical sites, and after a few days, she actually feels pretty good. The most important thing is that Fu Guanxian doesn't take the initiative to talk to her or make things difficult for her. This makes her feel slightly relieved.
After dinner one night, Xiang Yi and Jiang Manxin, along with Fu Jinting and his wife, decide to go swimming together. Xiang Yang doesn't want to go, so she stays in the hotel lobby and waits for them.
Jiang Manxin is a little worried, “You won't be scared being alone here, will you? Why don't you go back to your room first?”
Xiang Yang thinks it's just as lonely in her room, so she says, “Mom, it's okay, I'll wait for you to come back.”
“Be careful.”
“Okay.” Xiang Yang orders a fruit tea from the waiter and sits in a corner by the window, looking at her phone.
Jiang Manxin is worried about her. On her way, she sees Fu Guanxian. Knowing that he has just come back from swimming, she asks him to go over and keep Xiang Yang company. Fu Guanxian thinks for a moment and agrees.
When he gets to the hotel lobby, he scans the area and finds her sitting in the corner, partially hidden by green plants. He walks over.
Xiang Yang is absorbed in her phone. She notices someone sitting down opposite her and replies without looking up, “Sorry, this seat's taken.”
“Taken? Or haunted?” Fu Guanxian gives her a displeased look and sits down, purposely saying this.
Xiang Yang hears his voice, wrinkles her brow briefly, and then looks up at him, asking, “What are you doing here?”
“Hmph, do you think I want to come? If it weren't for Aunt Jiang asking me, I'd be too lazy to come.”
Xiang Yang glances at him and then looks away.
She didn't ask him to come!
Seeing her looking at her phone calmly and composedly, Fu Guanxian taps his long, slender fingers rhythmically on the table.
Xiang Yang's gaze lingers on his slender, beautiful fingers for a moment, then she looks up at him again.
Fu Guanxian points at her drink and says, “Go get me some juice.”
Xiang Yang doesn't want to get up, “Why don't you order it yourself?”
“Why should I do it myself when you're here?”
Xiang Yang bites her lower lip and says boldly, “You go yourself, I don't want to.”
Fu Guanxian laughs when he hears this, “Xiang Xiaoyang, you're quite confident! Guess what will happen if I tell Uncle Xiang about you receiving love letters at school?”
Xiang Yang says confidently, “Didn't the letter end up in your hands? I can say that the boy just wanted to use me to deliver the letter to you.”
Fu Guanxian laughs, “Your ability to twist black into white is amazing.”
Xiang Yang lowers her head, not wanting to engage in this pointless topic. However, her phone just shows a new WeChat message. Before she can even go back to check the new message, her phone is suddenly snatched away.
Xiang Yang reacts and quickly reaches out to grab it back, but Fu Guanxian deftly dodges her. He looks at her phone unabashedly, “I'm curious, what content could make you so engrossed?”
Xiang Yang yells, “Fu Guanxian, give me my phone back!”
Fu Guanxian naturally ignores her. He glances at WeChat and sees that the WeChat ID at the top of the chat history has the nickname “Xing Zhaoyan”. His expression changes instantly.
He doesn't open WeChat. Instead, he directly deletes him and then says coldly, “I really underestimated you guys!”
You guys?
Xiang Yang doesn't know what he means.
“What's wrong with you?” she asks, stunned by his sudden mood swing.
“What's wrong with me?” Fu Guanxian throws his phone back to her and says in a stern voice, “You better stay away from that Xing Zhaoyan!”
Xiang Yang takes her phone back from the middle of the glass table and gives him a meaningful look. Then she suddenly says, “Fu Guanxian, you're really making me speechless. It's not like we're in elementary school. You don't get along with him, why do you have to demand that I stay away from him too? Even high school girls don't play this game anymore. Why do you have to be like this?”
Fu Guanxian folds his arms, leans back against the chair, and says with a cold smile, “So, you're saying you won't stay away from him?”
Xiang Yang clenches her phone and stands up, not looking at him. “That's not what I meant.” It's not the point of what she said, okay?
Fu Guanxian grabs her arm, who's about to leave, and suddenly says, “Xiang Xiaoyang, you really need to think about this. This is the nth time you've argued with me because of him! That despicable little creep, what's so good about him!”
Xiang Yang forcefully pulls away from his hand, meeting his sharp gaze, “At least, he's never said anything bad about you in front of me. Just for that, he's many times better than you.”
“Hmph! That's because I, Fu Guanxian, have nothing that he could criticize!”
Xiang Yang takes a look, then helplessly smiles, pulls away from his hand, and walks directly towards the elevator. She feels like she'll never be able to get along with Fu Guanxian. This guy is just so arrogant and self-important.
But Fu Guanxian is even angrier because of her attitude. Of course, he's going to blame Xing Zhaoyan for this.
After Xing Zhaoyan sends Xiang Yang a message asking what she's doing, he waits for a long time but doesn't get a reply. The next day, he sends her another message and starts a conversation with her about the Year 2 division into arts and science streams. But he edits a message and sends it, only to be reminded that he's no longer her friend.
Xing Zhaoyan looks at the eye-catching small words and realizes that he's actually been deleted by Xiang Yang. He's a little dumbfounded. He thinks carefully, feeling that he hasn't done anything excessive, his words haven't been offensive, so how could he be deleted? Besides, he thinks Xiang Yang isn't the kind of person who deletes friends.
Xing Zhaoyan can't figure out the reason and plans to ask her in person when he sees her.
July ends, and Xiang Yang and the others return from their trip. The second she steps into her house, she can't help but take a deep breath. She feels that going out, her own home is the most comfortable. Especially after that inexplicable argument with Fu Guanxian the other night. Xiang Yang discovers that she's a little out of breath whenever she's with him.
Although Fu Guanxian doesn't even look at her directly, the low pressure around him makes her feel tense.
Finally, it's over. She's finally liberated.
After resting for two days, Xiang Yang puts all her study plans on her schedule. She's busy every day, and it's quite fulfilling. Fu Guanxian, she hears, has been taken away by his uncle to the company. He goes to work on time and gets off work on time, occasionally working overtime. He seems quite busy too.
It's not until the end of August that Xiang Yang comes to her senses. She realizes how quickly time has passed. In the blink of an eye, the new semester has begun.
On the first day of school, Xiang Yang is still a little nervous, but when she sees familiar faces in the class, she feels slightly reassured.
Xiang Yang has never had any talent in science, she worked hard to get good grades in first year, so she's more comfortable with the humanities. So she resolutely chooses to study humanities.
She's surprised to find that Xing Zhaoyan also chooses humanities, even though he's clearly better at science.
Xing Zhaoyan arrives late, there aren't many empty seats left in the class. Xiang Yang didn't expect him to persuade the boy behind her to switch seats with him and sit directly behind her.
Xiang Yang hears his voice, turns around curiously and looks at him.
Xing Zhaoyan hasn't even put down his backpack yet. He smiles and waves to her, “Xiang Yang, we haven't seen each other in two months! We're in the same class again!”
Xiang Yang smiles, “Yeah. How was your summer vacation?”
“It was alright. A bit upsetting though.”
“What's wrong?” Xiang Yang asks worriedly.
Xing Zhaoyan looks at the classmates around them who are curiously listening to their conversation, and then says, “I'll tell you later.”
Xiang Yang doesn't force him, and simply says, “Okay.”
The morning classes end, and the school bell rings. The students are all excited, especially many of the boys. When they rush out of the classroom, they're like a herd of wild horses let loose.
Xiang Yang doesn't want to crowd with everyone, so she slows down her pace of packing up.
Xing Zhaoyan closes his books and sits in place waiting for her.
Xiang Yang and her deskmate are about to go to the cafeteria for lunch. She turns around and sees him still there. She asks, “Aren't you going to eat?”
“I am. Where are you going to eat?” he asks.
Xiang Yang's deskmate, Fan Xiaoyu, replies, “The cafeteria, of course! Class monitor, are you going too?”
The new class monitor is still Xing Zhaoyan, and the vice monitor is still Xiang Yang.
Xing Zhaoyan stands up and says, “If you don't mind, we can go together.”
“Okay!” Fan Xiaoyu immediately agrees.
Xiang Yang turns around, looks at Fan Xiaoyu's little tiger teeth and thinks that her new deskmate has a good personality and is easy to get along with.
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