Chapter 11: Dispute

A faint spark of anger flickered in Jiang Ling’s eyes. Fang Chenxi was looking down on her way too much.

“Don’t let it be you who ends up getting punished; that would be hilarious.”

“Tell me then, what’s your punishment?”

Jiang Ling huffed.

Fang Chenxi sat back down at her desk and crossed her legs, taking her time to think.

Jiang Ling stood there with a book in one hand and her other hand on her hip, looking at her with a disdainful gaze.

Since her Rebirth, Jiang Ling’s personality had truly changed.

If this had been her past life, she would have already thrown the book at her and started screaming things like, “Who do you think you are to compare yourself to me?”

Fang Chenxi needed to think of a good punishment.

She wanted to take this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of this Jiang Ling, who had also experienced Rebirth.

She wanted to see what kind of scheme the girl was actually plotting.

“Let’s not rush the punishment. I’ll tell you by the end of next weekend at the latest. That way, you’ll also have time to think of a punishment for me.”

“Anyway, no backing out.”

“It’s a deal.”

***

The Military Training Performance was at 2:00 PM.

It would last about 3 hours and end around 5:00 PM, which was when school would be dismissed.

Last night, Jiang Ling had told Lu Yuyao that she could bike home first and didn’t need to wait for her at school.

After all, Tianhua Middle School wasn’t far from home, and walking back wouldn’t take much time.

During literature class.

The teacher lectured on the podium, and Jiang Ling did her own thing.

If she didn’t read the novel she borrowed at noon during literature class, when else would she read it?

The book she was reading was titled *Secrets Between Us*.

Jiang Ling glanced over the synopsis.

It seemed to be a story about two girls who fell in love in high school and then avoided the judgmental eyes of society, carrying out a secret romance on campus.

‘Do girls like that have to hide their relationships these days?’

Jiang Ling remembered that in the original book, the matter between Fang Chenxi and Lu Yuyao was well-known throughout the school and quite high-profile.

At that thought, Jiang Ling stole a glance at Fang Chenxi.

The other girl was listening to the lesson seriously, focusing on the screen at the front of the room.

Fang Chenxi’s side profile was also extremely beautiful.

She had delicate eyebrows and sharp phoenix eyes.

Her palm supported her chin, and her fair legs swayed slightly under the desk, tugging at Jiang Ling’s heartstrings.

Jiang Ling stared, somewhat dazed.

‘If I weren’t Jiang Ling, I would probably be very willing to be friends with a beauty like this.’

Suddenly, a hand appeared on Jiang Ling’s thigh.

With a *slap*, a faint red mark was left on her fair skin.

Jiang Ling almost couldn’t stop herself from crying out.

The novel in her hand shook and fell onto the desk.

Fortunately, the literature teacher was leading the class in reading a text aloud.

The sound of everyone reading drowned out the commotion the two made, so they weren’t caught.

Fang Chenxi had turned her head at some point, her phoenix eyes looking at Jiang Ling with a half-smile.

Her slender fingers began to slowly trace patterns back and forth on Jiang Ling’s leg.

“What are you looking at?”

“I… I’m reading a novel. Are you crazy? Why did you hit my leg?”

Jiang Ling glared at her with bashful annoyance.

At the same time, she guiltily turned her head away, looking down at the novel on the desk, though she had long since lost her place.

Jiang Ling tried to move Fang Chenxi’s hand away, but Fang Chenxi caught her hand instead.

She held it as if it were a toy, constantly kneading and squeezing her palm.

Jiang Ling bit her lip, her eyes darting around uncertainly.

Perhaps feeling embarrassed, she tried to pull her hand away, but Fang Chenxi’s strength was surprisingly great.

She couldn’t break free no matter what.

She could only let Fang Chenxi hold her hand.

The blonde girl’s face was flushed, her eyes were swimming, and her body swayed slightly from time to time.

Fang Chenxi enjoyed seeing this side of Jiang Ling; it felt very fresh to her.

Fang Chenxi didn’t let go of Jiang Ling’s hand until the end of class.

No matter what Jiang Ling said, it was useless.

Jiang Ling was also afraid that making a scene would lead to others finding out, so she could only let the girl hold her hand while she kept her head buried in the novel.

‘It’s not like I’m losing a limb. Hold it if you want!’

However, Jiang Ling couldn’t seem to focus on the novel anymore.

Her mind was a mess.

She could clearly feel Fang Chenxi prying her fingers open one by one, stroking them, and then closing them again, repeating the action over and over.

The consequence of Fang Chenxi’s behavior was that Jiang Ling didn’t say another word to her until school was dismissed.

Fang Chenxi realized she might have gone a bit too far.

She scratched her head, thinking she might have actually provoked this timid little squirrel of a girl.

‘I should apologize.’

After class, Jiang Ling packed her bag to leave.

Fang Chenxi proactively made space for her.

Jiang Ling remained expressionless, not even glancing at her as she walked straight toward the door.

Fang Chenxi sighed and slowly followed behind her.

Jiang Ling didn’t seem to notice Fang Chenxi following her.

After leaving the classroom, she also let out a sigh, her heart filled with confusion.

‘Seriously, what is wrong with Fang Chenxi?’

Maybe it was because her Transmigration had changed the plot, but that shouldn’t have turned Fang Chenxi’s brain into mush.

Instead of going to woo Lu Yuyao, why was she constantly bothering her?

Although, this time it did seem to be because she stared at Fang Chenxi for a bit too long…

‘But she still shouldn’t have done that!’

In the end, Jiang Ling’s anger wasn’t entirely because Fang Chenxi played with her hand.

She just felt that the development of the plot was spiraling out of control.

She was a little scared, worried that she would be dragged into it.

She couldn’t forget her original plan — to stay as far away from the protagonists as possible.

“Maybe I should talk to the homeroom teacher and ask to change seats. I feel like if this continues…”

‘I’ll just keep drifting further off course.’

In the next second, her hand was grabbed again.

Jiang Ling snapped her head up.

It was Fang Chenxi again.

“Hey, what are you doing now? Let go! Haven’t you had enough fun this afternoon?”

Jiang Ling’s eyes flickered away, but she still summoned the courage to meet Fang Chenxi’s gaze.

Her heart skipped a beat.

Judging by Fang Chenxi’s reaction, she seemed to have overheard her muttering to herself just now.

Fang Chenxi didn’t say a word, but her phoenix eyes carried a hint of irritation.

She simply pulled Jiang Ling along.

She didn’t go downstairs; instead, she headed up to the fifth floor in one breath and pulled her into the classroom closest to the stairs.

“Hey, hey! Fang Chenxi, are you crazy? School is over, why aren’t you going home? Why did you come to the fifth floor? Say something!”

Jiang Ling was getting a little scared.

Fang Chenxi couldn’t possibly be planning to throw her off the fifth floor just because she heard she wanted to change seats, right?

Fang Chenxi’s current demeanor was exactly like a yandere female lead from a novel.

Since this was a book world, Jiang Ling couldn’t guarantee what she might do.

Fang Chenxi stood right in front of Jiang Ling with an expressionless face.

Jiang Ling backed up against the classroom door, feeling a surge of lingering fear.

“I’m telling you, don’t be like this, okay? I didn’t even provoke you. Why are you always being so weird for no reason?”

Her voice carried a sob.

Jiang Ling could no longer control her emotions, and tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes.

Even so, she continued to stare back at Fang Chenxi.

Tears blurred Jiang Ling’s vision.

Fang Chenxi’s heart twitched. Belatedly, she realized that her supposed “apology” had only made Jiang Ling fear and dislike her more.

She had followed Jiang Ling intending to apologize, but when she heard what she said at the door, a flare of anger had risen in her heart.

She wanted to pull her somewhere private to ask what she meant.

It was just that her actions had been too rough.

And it had resulted in this.

Jiang Ling’s gaze was stubborn.

Even though she was afraid, she kept her neck stiff as she confronted her.

But Fang Chenxi found herself unable to speak.

The impulse that had surged in her heart vanished the moment she saw the girl’s tears.

That’s right.

‘What on earth am I doing?’

She simply thought that the Jiang Ling of this life was very interesting.

Not only did she lack any malicious intent, but she even called her “Big Sister” in the game.

It had made her feel like the distance between them had suddenly vanished.

“I’m sorry.”

Fang Chenxi forced those three words out.

She seemed to deflate entirely, her spirit dampening.

Jiang Ling was stunned by her apology, so much so that she didn’t even have time to wipe her tears.

“Um, hello?”

“You’re Jiang Ling and Fang Chenxi, right? Welcome to the Literature Research Society.”

A cool, detached voice came from behind them.

Jiang Ling and Fang Chenxi turned around at the same time.

It was Ji Qingyan.

Ji Qingyan was sitting in a chair by the window, holding a thick book.

She seemed to have witnessed everything that had just happened.

A flash of irritation at being ignored appeared on her usually emotionless face.

“But when you enter someone else’s clubroom, shouldn’t you say hello first?”

‘It’s over.’

Jiang Ling and Fang Chenxi looked at each other, the same thought occurring to both of them.