Chapter 54 - Huh, Friends?

With a complex look in his eyes, Tang Huaijin glanced at his phone before putting it away and heading to his classroom.

After taking his seat, he glanced around, still not quite used to the situation of sharing a desk with two others.

Xia Xinya seemed a bit out of it, as if she hadn’t slept well the night before. As soon as she arrived in class, she laid her head on the desk to catch some sleep, lacking the drive she had before the monthly exam.

Bai Yuerou sat on his right, occasionally turning her head to chat with him in a low voice.

After the morning self-study came math class. High school math was too easy for Tang Huaijin, so he pulled out his draft from his bag and continued writing.

There’s something about mornings that makes the brain work better, and Tang Huaijin was no exception. Ideas flowed like a river as he scribbled away, leaving elegant traces on the paper.

Bai Yuerou, who had been listening to the class intently, put down her book and curiously glanced over, wanting to know what he was writing. Seeing his focused expression, she refrained from speaking, simply watching him quietly.

As she watched, Bai Yuerou recalled what Lin Ruoxi had said, and the familiar feeling made her cheeks flush slightly.

One was sleeping, another was writing intently, and the third was daydreaming. To the math teacher, this trio at the same desk couldn’t have been more conspicuous.

The nearly fifty-year-old teacher adjusted his glasses, wanting to see who was being so bold.

Oh, it’s Tang Huaijin.

Never mind then.

The teacher, who had just stepped off the podium, naturally stepped back.

It wasn’t until the bell rang that Tang Huaijin stopped writing, realizing he’d been so caught up in his inspiration that he had written non-stop for the entire class.

Bai Yuerou was staring at the paper filled with his writing, her voice tinged with admiration as she murmured, “You’re really amazing…”

Tang Huaijin, in a good mood, chuckled and said, “Want to take a look?”

“Can I?” Bai Yuerou asked, delighted.

“Sure, just give me some feedback, as long as you don’t spread it around,” Tang Huaijin handed her the draft, curious to hear her opinion as a reader. He joked, “If it gets out, I’ll have to ask you for compensation.”

“I won’t,” Bai Yuerou giggled, knowing he was joking, and took the draft.

The bell and their conversation didn’t seem to disturb Xia Xinya, who continued to sleep soundly on the desk. Her rosy lips occasionally parted as she mumbled in her sleep.

Without her usual brash demeanor, Xia Xinya looked as gentle as a kitten, making Tang Huaijin think to himself that she was quite adorable when she wasn’t talking.

Thus, Xia Xinya continued to sleep, Tang Huaijin was engrossed in writing, while Bai Yuerou was deeply absorbed in reading the draft.

It wasn’t until the bell rang for the last class of the morning that Xia Xinya woke up, as if perfectly timed, lazily rubbing her eyes and looking dazedly at Tang Huaijin beside her, mumbling, “Strange, am I still dreaming…”

Seeing Tang Huaijin turn his head with a puzzled look, Xia Xinya suddenly snapped awake, her face turning red as she stammered, “Why are you here?”

“Huh?” Tang Huaijin raised an eyebrow at her, reaching out as if to check her temperature, and said disdainfully, “Did you sleep yourself silly? Is your brain fried from a fever?”

Xia Xinya finally came to her senses, recalling the three of them sharing a desk, and slapped his hand away in annoyance. Seeing his disdainful expression, she retorted angrily, “Your brain is the one that’s fried, and even then it’s better than yours.”

Bai Yuerou, who had been buried in the draft, lifted her head, looking at Tang Huaijin with excitement and a noticeable blush on her cheeks, incredulously asking, “Jin, did you really write this?”

“I did, you saw me writing earlier, didn’t you?” Tang Huaijin asked, unable to suppress a smile. “So, what do you think?”

“It’s great, absolutely wonderful.” Bai Yuerou’s eyes sparkled with joy, as if she had discovered a treasure, gently caressing the draft with admiration, saying, “The plot and character portrayal are excellent, flawless even. Although the subject seems heavy, the writing is unexpectedly witty and lively, making even someone like me want to laugh and continue reading.”

For a literary girl like her, reading a great book was already a pleasure, let alone having the author right beside her-something she could hardly imagine.

This surprise and joy felt like a hammer striking her heart, making it buzz and her heart race uncontrollably.

She shifted her gaze from the draft, her eyes misty with admiration as she looked at Tang Huaijin, saying with full admiration, “Jin, you’re amazing. This book is bound to be a hit.”

Though confident in himself, being acknowledged felt wonderful, especially when the person was a beautiful girl looking at him with such adoration.

Tang Huaijin chuckled happily, joking, “Should I give you an autograph?”

“Can you?” Bai Yuerou giggled, covering her mouth as she laughed, pretending to search for something suitable to sign, but finding nothing, she extended her palm, smiling, “Sign here, great author.”

Seeing Bai Yuerou chatting happily with Tang Huaijin, seemingly oblivious to her waking up, Xia Xinya felt a bit uncomfortable, pouting as she interrupted, “Rou, what are you guys talking about?”

“Reading Tang Huaijin’s book,” Bai Yuerou replied cheerfully, glancing at her best friend and raising the draft. After getting a nod from Tang Huaijin, she handed it over, saying, “You should read it too, it’s really good.”

“He can write books?” Xia Xinya scoffed dismissively, glaring at Tang Huaijin before taking the draft to read.

Tang Huaijin frowned, wondering what had gotten into this troublesome girl again.

Xia Xinya skimmed through the draft, and despite herself, she felt a desire to keep reading. Still, she scoffed, pretending to be indifferent, “This? Even if you gave it to me for free, I wouldn’t want it.”

“Who’s giving it to you for free? Dream on, you brat,” Tang Huaijin retorted, rolling his eyes as he snatched the draft back from her.

“Who are you calling a brat? You shameless rogue, what kind of nonsense did you write? It’s all gibberish,” Xia Xinya shot back, glaring at him with feigned anger, though a hint of amusement flickered in her eyes.

“Whoever talks back is the brat. Flat-chested, no curves, little kid,” Tang Huaijin replied, feeling a bit miffed that his hard work was dismissed so casually. Even knowing Xia Xinya’s personality, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed; he wasn’t one to be trifled with, and his sharp tongue was formidable.

As he brought up the subject again, Xia Xinya’s face flushed red. She gritted her teeth and tried to tickle Tang Huaijin, but after several attempts, she barely touched him. Instead, he flicked her forehead, leaving her pouting and seeking solace with Bai Yuerou.

Hiding behind Bai Yuerou, Xia Xinya rubbed her sore forehead, watching the two with a mix of exasperation and amusement.

Despite Tang Huaijin’s hard flick, which hurt, she couldn’t help but feel happier than before. To prevent Tang Huaijin from stealing Bai Yuerou away, Xia Xinya thought she’d gladly endure ten flicks.

Feeling better, Xia Xinya shot Tang Huaijin another glare before cheerfully pulling Bai Yuerou along to the cafeteria, leaving Tang Huaijin behind.

At lunch, Lin Ruoxi, as usual, sat beside Tang Huaijin with a smile, seemingly unaffected by the morning’s events.

Xia Xinya, however, couldn’t help but glare at her with displeasure.

Noticing this, Lin Ruoxi merely glanced at Xia Xinya dismissively before shifting her gaze back to Tang Huaijin, eating while watching him.

Though Lin Ruoxi said nothing, Xia Xinya was still fuming. In her eyes, aside from Tang Huaijin, Lin Ruoxi was the most annoying, especially with her dismissive attitude, as if she couldn’t be bothered to be angry.

Watching Tang Huaijin eat quietly while Lin Ruoxi stared at him, Xia Xinya’s eyes darted mischievously. She reached out with her chopsticks to take an eggplant from Tang Huaijin’s plate, saying sweetly, “I didn’t get this dish, let me try it.”

Tang Huaijin’s eyelid twitched as he glanced at her, remaining silent.

Lin Ruoxi’s brow furrowed instantly, but she suppressed her irritation, smiling as she said to Tang Huaijin, “Jin, it’s alright, we should indulge the little girl.”

Little girl? Xia Xinya glanced at Lin Ruoxi, scoffing. Aren’t we about the same age?

Seeing Lin Ruoxi still composed, Xia Xinya took a piece of braised pork from her own plate and placed it on Tang Huaijin’s, saying with a grin, “Jin, have some meat.”

Xia Xinya’s coquettish demeanor made Tang Huaijin shiver with goosebumps. Though he knew she was deliberately provoking Lin Ruoxi, he couldn’t say much and simply nodded helplessly, letting her place the meat on his plate.

Seeing he didn’t refuse, Xia Xinya’s smile widened, occasionally casting a challenging glance at Lin Ruoxi.

Lin Ruoxi sat there with a sullen face, silently eating her meal.

Tang Huaijin couldn’t stand the tense atmosphere and quickly finished his food before leaving.

Lin Ruoxi glanced at Bai Yuerou and softly said, “Rou, you go ahead. I need to have a word with Xia Xinya.”

Bai Yuerou looked between the two girls, feeling a bit uneasy. Seeing that Xia Xinya didn’t seem to object, she advised, “Alright, I’ll go then. Just don’t get into a fight, okay?”

Once Bai Yuerou left, Lin Ruoxi turned to Xia Xinya, narrowing her eyes as she asked, “Why do you always like to stir up trouble? There’s no conflict between us, is there?”

When did she start finding Lin Ruoxi so annoying? Xia Xinya pondered the question and realized it was all because she was always around Tang Huaijin. In a sweet voice, she replied, “I don’t like you pestering my friend.”

“Friend? There are plenty of people using that excuse to get close to Tang Huaijin.” Lin Ruoxi scoffed, then asked, “Do you like Tang Huaijin?”

“Who likes him? Do you think everyone treasures him as much as you do?” Xia Xinya retorted with a dismissive snort.

Who likes him? I clearly like Rou.

Lin Ruoxi stared intently at Xia Xinya’s face, as if trying to discern something in her eyes. After a long moment, she asked, “If you don’t like Tang Huaijin, then why don’t you want me to be with him?”

“Even though Tang Huaijin is pretty annoying, he’s still my friend,” Xia Xinya replied matter-of-factly. “If you take him away, I’ll lose a friend.”

“He can still be your friend even if he’s with me,” Lin Ruoxi said, looking puzzled.

Xia Xinya let out a derisive laugh and mocked, “Do you even believe that yourself? With the way you are, I can already imagine Tang Huaijin being glued to you 24/7 if you two were together.”

She shook her head as if pitying Tang Huaijin and said, “He’s really pitiful, being stuck with you. Luckily, he has a friend like me to help him out.”

Xia Xinya’s tone was sharp and biting. Although Lin Ruoxi had indeed thought that way, hearing it put into words made her expression darken. She slowly stood up from the table, walked over to Xia Xinya, and sneered, “Friend?”

“You better just keep him as a friend…”

She stood in front of Xia Xinya, looking her straight in the eyes with a cold expression, and said, “But what I want is to be Tang Huaijin’s girlfriend, his lover, his future wife, the mother of his children, the daughter-in-law of the Tang Family.”

“And if you’re smart, I’ll allow you to continue being his friend.”

“Otherwise…”

With that, the ponytailed girl withdrew her gaze, let out a contemptuous laugh, and walked past her, leaving the cafeteria.

Xia Xinya watched Lin Ruoxi’s departing figure, biting her lip. Though she didn’t want to admit it, she knew deep down that Lin Ruoxi’s confidence put a lot of pressure on her, leaving her feeling uneasy and anxious.