[Qingyan, my new novel has gained a lot of favorites recently. The data is great, follow-up reads have reached over a thousand.]
[Having over a thousand follow-up reads in the early stages of a web novel is pretty good. Keep it up.]
[Hehe.]
[What are you doing now? If you’re free, want to hang out this afternoon? I won’t lose to you this time.]
Ji Qingyan bit her lip, inwardly conflicted, her finger hovering over the screen as she hesitated.
Jiang Ling’s slightly ingratiating invitation was already a sign of admitting fault and asking for forgiveness.
She was also considering whether to take the out and save Jiang Ling’s face.
But Jiang Ling had gone too far—using her as an excuse to deceive others.
If not for Lu Yuyao’s phone call, she would still have been in the dark.
Afterward, Jiang Ling hadn’t explained why she used her as an excuse or what she was actually doing on Saturday.
So, she wouldn’t accept such an invitation for forgiveness.
[Forget it. I want to review my exam mistakes this afternoon. I’m busy.]
“Aaaaaah.”
To turn her down, the grade’s top student had even pulled out the excuse of reviewing mistakes.
Upon seeing Ji Qingyan’s reply, Jiang Ling grabbed her hair in frenzy, her blonde locks disheveled.
When she looked up again, her pretty face was filled with distress.
‘Ji Qingyan is angry.’
She hadn’t expected that her originally flawless plan would be shattered by Lu Yuyao’s phone call.
But not only had Ji Qingyan played along with her act, she even sent a message to warn her.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have gotten past Lu Yuyao either.
No matter how you put it, she owed Ji Qingyan.
It was only natural for Ji Qingyan to be angry.
But now, how to appease Ji Qingyan was a big problem.
Jiang Ling thought of many ways and felt that an apology in person would be more sincere.
But Ji Qingyan bluntly refused to meet.
Even afterward, when texting, aside from matters about her new novel, she would respond with a cold, indifferent attitude toward anything else.
Jiang Ling, who was already not good at socializing, now found herself in a difficult spot.
‘Was she supposed to scrub herself clean, have the three big words “I Was Wrong” carved on her back, and personally go to her door to apologize?’
She figured that Ji Qingyan would only curse her as a pervert, and then Jiang Ling would be taken away by the police.
‘I really messed up this time.’
Jiang Ling deeply realized this.
“It’s all Fang Chenxi’s fault!”
If not for her, she wouldn’t have lied, and she wouldn’t have made Ji Qingyan angry.
While venting against Fang Chenxi fiercely in her heart, Jiang Ling was still dejected.
Cursing at this point was useless.
“What’s wrong with Sister Chenxi?”
Lu Yuyao, who should have been taking a nap, suddenly appeared in the living room.
Jiang Ling was startled—she hadn’t even heard Lu Yuyao’s footsteps.
“She took my homework to copy, but I just found out a few blank problems weren’t answered.”
Jiang Ling made up an excuse to explain.
“Isn’t that simple? Sister Chenxi’s house is so close. Just have her bring it over.”
Lu Yuyao rubbed her eyes, looking like she had just woken up from a nap.
“You’re so smart, Yuyao. I’ll have her bring it back in a bit.”
Even if the homework was really unwritten, she wouldn’t want it.
She didn’t want to see Fang Chenxi at all right now!
Seeing that Lu Yuyao didn’t pay attention, Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, but that’s what she was thinking.
“It’s still raining outside.”
Lu Yuyao walked to the balcony and glanced at the weather outside.
The rain hadn’t stopped.
Small puddles were gradually forming on the ground, and raindrops fell on them, causing ripples.
“Do you have time this afternoon? After finishing homework, keep me company and watch a movie.”
Lu Yuyao turned her head and said to Jiang Ling, who was sitting on the sofa.
Apart from Ji Qingyan, who still needed to be appeased, she really had nothing else to do.
But just on the point of appeasing Ji Qingyan, Jiang Ling had no clue.
“Do you need company to watch a movie? Just watch if you want to.”
Lu Yuyao pouted, her face showing displeasure.
She criticized Jiang Ling for being dense.
“Such a gentle and cute beautiful girl like me is inviting you, and you can say something like that?”
“So stiff, no emotional intelligence, annoying.”
Lu Yuyao put her hands on her hips.
After her nap, she had changed back into the pink nightgown from before, loose and baggy.
A large expanse of fair skin on her chest caught Jiang Ling’s eyes, but Jiang Ling had no mind to appreciate it.
Even Lu Yuyao called her thick-headed.
Jiang Ling felt deeply hurt.
How could someone like her, who had never been in love and had few people to talk to in real life, have high emotional intelligence?
Jiang Ling wanted to cry but had no tears.
Wait…
Jiang Ling looked at Lu Yuyao, who was standing with her hands on her hips lecturing her.
Wasn’t there a person with good popularity and high EQ right in front of her?
Asking Lu Yuyao how to appease Ji Qingyan was better than racking her own brains.
But she couldn’t ask directly.
“Watching a movie is fine, but I have something to ask you.”
Jiang Ling smiled, pulled Lu Yuyao’s hand, and made her sit down beside her.
She leaned in closer and spoke.
“Say what you have to say—why get so close?”
Lu Yuyao was a bit confused.
Jiang Ling leaned in very close.
As she spoke, her hot breath fell on Lu Yuyao’s ear, tickling, making Lu Yuyao feel a bit shy.
“Go on, specifics.”
What Jiang Ling said piqued her interest.
Jiang Ling rarely ever shared her own affairs.
This was the first time.
“It’s like this: I have a friend…”
***
After the rain, the sky cleared.
Walking on the school path, the air was filled with a freshness unique to after rain.
“Bye-bye, I’m going first.”
After changing buildings, the grades separated.
Jiang Ling and Lu Yuyao couldn’t walk together anymore, so they parted at the fork by the school gate.
“Okay.”
It seemed she had met some acquaintances.
After a few steps, several girls gathered around Lu Yuyao, and she smiled and talked with them.
Jiang Ling saw that some of them turned to look at her, and then, as if confirming something with Lu Yuyao, their eyes showed surprise.
Jiang Ling wasn’t surprised.
Given the previous rumor and her blonde hair that was a focal point wherever she went, she was almost immune to strangers’ stares.
Compared to these, making Ji Qingyan happy was more important.
Yesterday, Jiang Ling had successfully obtained the true lesson from Lu Yuyao, but she had spent the entire afternoon accompanying Lu Yuyao in watching movies.
At night she had to write, and when she finally found free time, she felt it was too short and worried about disturbing Ji Qingyan’s rest, so she delayed until today.
But it was okay.
Lu Yuyao had said so.
When friends have a falling out, it’s best to apologize face to face.
This seems more sincere, making the other person feel that you really care about her.
This coincided with Jiang Ling’s own thoughts.
Back in the classroom.
Every Monday morning, everyone looked half-dead.
Even someone as lively as Xiao Tongqi was like that, currently lying on the desk, listlessly making up homework.
Perhaps because it rained for two consecutive days over the weekend, it discouraged many from going out, so today the class was especially lifeless.
“Miss Jiang, please let your humble self borrow your math homework.”
“Don’t call me that. Why do you never do your homework? What if the teacher does a surprise check?”
Jiang Ling found it amusing.
She took out the worksheet the other girl wanted from her drawer and handed it to her.
“Don’t worry, my hand speed is fast. Copying a whole worksheet only takes three minutes.”
While scribbling furiously, Xiao Tongqi also took the time to proudly show off her useless skill.
Jiang Ling shrugged, but her peripheral vision caught a beautiful figure at the door.
Ji Qingyan had arrived.
Ahem.
Jiang Ling was a bit nervous.
After entering the class, Ji Qingyan looked straight ahead.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Jiang Ling but did not linger as usual.
Her seat was three rows behind Jiang Ling, so walking past her was the shortest route to her own seat.
Jiang Ling had prepared to greet her, but she saw Ji Qingyan choose to take another path around, and from beginning to end, she didn’t look at her.
Jiang Ling’s prepared smile froze.
“What are you doing? Smiling like a newly unearthed mummy.”
Fang Chenxi was following behind Ji Qingyan.
After entering the classroom, she saw Jiang Ling’s expression and, once in her seat, teased her.
Since she had figured things out, Fang Chenxi was in a very good mood, walking as if on air.
A beautiful day starts with seeing Jiang Ling.
“I hate you.”
The culprit appeared before her.
Jiang Ling didn’t care about right or wrong at the moment.
Jiang Ling glared at Fang Chenxi, turned her head, and looked out the window in solitary sorrow.
After all, Qingyan was still angry.
It was okay.
Once she apologized in person, it would be fine.
Jiang Ling comforted herself like this.
Now it was Fang Chenxi’s turn to be unhappy.