“Tell me! What did Shimizuma mean just now? Is Darling really keeping things from me like this? And then trying to play dumb? Boohoohoo…”
Watching Ji Yue Xuan’s tone shift so rapidly, Chu Xin felt a little bewildered.
After emerging from the subway station, the two now stood on the sloping path leading to the school, engaged in a confrontation.
No, it wasn’t a mutual confrontation; rather, Chu Xin was being unilaterally interrogated.
Many students from Maria Academy were around, and the first-years’ expressions were particularly entertaining. Some envied Ji Yue Xuan, others were jealous of her, but most seemed to think, “These two… just as expected, huh?”
Even the first-years who usually greeted Chu Xin now kept silent, careful not to disturb them.
Unaware of this, Chu Xin simply mumbled, “Huh? I just forgot, that’s all…”
Ji Yue Xuan instantly reverted to her previous state.
“Then tell me, what did you mean when you said you thanked her for her notes?”
Chu Xin paused, then spoke sincerely, “It was just a classmate lending me notes. I mean, I was asleep yesterday morning, so it’s perfectly normal, right?”
Ji Yue Xuan pondered for a moment before replying, “Hmm… that reason is acceptable, Darling. I’ll forgive you for now.”
“What do you mean, ‘for now’?” Chu Xin said helplessly. “I’m telling the absolute truth.”
Ji Yue Xuan didn’t press the matter further. She giggled, “Alright, alright, how could I not trust my Darling? Given your satisfactory answer, I’ve decided to give you a reward…”
As they were approaching the school gate, Chu Xin glanced at the increasing number of classmates around them and checked the time. It was almost nine o’clock. He stopped in his tracks.
“Ah? Isn’t that a bad idea? We’ll be late, and… there are quite a few people here…”
Ji Yue Xuan mimicked Chu Xin, tapping his head playfully. “Sigh, is that all you ever think about, you guy?”
Even her tone of voice was an imitation of Chu Xin’s earlier words.
Chu Xin’s old face flushed crimson. “Huh? Isn’t it… that?”
Ji Yue Xuan curved her lips into a smile. “Isn’t what? Speak it out, Darling?”
Watching Ji Yue Xuan continue to ‘tease’ him, Chu Xin found himself utterly unable to retort. He felt as if he were the submissive one, their roles completely reversed. Was this the destructive power of the original ‘blonde’ character?
“Ahem, it’s nothing. So, Yue Xuan, what is it?” Chu Xin, feeling a little indignant, immediately counterattacked.
Ji Yue Xuan stopped, her face flushed, but she still used her slender, elegant fingers to lift Chu Xin’s chin. “Hmm… Darling, don’t you want to do it? You seemed so happy yesterday, after all?”
Seeing Ji Yue Xuan’s crimson face, yet still ‘teasing’ him, a thought flickered through his mind, and he leaned in closer to her.
Ji Yue Xuan flinched, startled by Chu Xin’s face so close to hers. She whispered, “Here? Are we really going to do it…?”
Chu Xin looked at the ‘shy’ Ji Yue Xuan, feeling a direct hit to his heart.
His attention instinctively drifted to Ji Yue Xuan’s rosy, delicate lips. She had applied lip balm that morning, and at such close proximity, they exuded a faint, sweet fragrance.
“Ahem, of course not… just kidding.” He quickly pulled away, his face as red as a lovesick teenager, though he was, in fact, still in his teenage years.
Ji Yue Xuan secretly scoffed. ‘Really, Darling is still the same…’
And so, the two stood a few steps from the school gate, their faces flushed, in a silent, embarrassed moment.
It was Chu Xin who spoke first. “So, what are you going to give me? I’m really looking forward to it…”
Ji Yue Xuan took Chu Xin’s hand. Chu Xin shivered slightly, feeling something placed in his palm.
“Here, it’s this.” Ji Yue Xuan withdrew her hand from Chu Xin’s, then turned her back to him, blinking.
Chu Xin picked up the object. It was a ring, a silver band with a small, exquisite sapphire set in the middle. It was as beautiful as Ji Yue Xuan’s eyes, like a star in the heavens, something to be admired yet seemingly unattainable.
The ring seemed to glow softly in his palm.
But now, he had received it—this precious gift filled with a maiden’s affection.
“I noticed… Darling, you used to always secretly look at my eyes. So… I found this ring, called ‘Tears of the Sky.’ It shares a name with an accessory from a game we started playing together… so I thought of giving this to you. Of course, Darling, the necklace you gave me, I’m still wearing it carefully…”
She pulled out the necklace Chu Xin had given her from beneath her collar. The silver chain hung gracefully on her fair, tender neck, further accentuating her elegance. The blue gem in the center seemed to echo the sapphire of ‘Tears of the Sky.’
“This… this must be very expensive, right?” Chu Xin knew it wasn’t the right time to say such a thing, but… he truly didn’t know what else to say. An unprecedented surge of excitement filled his chest.
It had been over two months, nearly three, since he transmigrated, and he had never felt such exhilaration.
Ji Yue Xuan waved her hand. “It’s definitely not expensive, Darling. Just accept it. I’ll put it on for you.”
Her small hand took the ‘Tears of the Sky’ from Chu Xin’s, and she placed it on his left ring finger.
Although their roles still seemed a bit odd at that moment, Chu Xin was still incredibly moved. He immediately embraced Ji Yue Xuan.
The unique scent of Ji Yue Xuan enveloped him, filling his senses.
“Thank you.” A thousand words condensed into this single phrase.
Ji Yue Xuan patted his back, as if comforting him. “Hehe, I guessed Darling would like it… but you don’t have to be like this, Darling. Could it be… that you’ve been thinking of this day ever since we met? You really are a perverted Darling who likes his ‘brother’…”
Just as the two were sharing a tender moment, a thunderous applause suddenly erupted around them.
Chu Xin, feeling shy, quickly released Ji Yue Xuan. He looked around to find the remaining Maria Academy students all ‘gawking,’ their expressions full of ‘amazement.’
“This is youth, isn’t it? Our Vice Class President has truly taught us a lesson…”
“I’m so jealous, but I love sour things, so give me five more dollars’ worth!”
“Wuwuwu, the experimental student was beaten to it by someone else.”
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Chu Xin dared not look at Ji Yue Xuan. His face burned. He pretended to speak casually, “Sorry, for letting you be stared at.”
Ji Yue Xuan shook her head. “I don’t care about others, Darling~ I only care about your feelings~”
****
At this moment, Tina stood at the school gate, checking her phone periodically, seemingly waiting for something.
As the advisor to the student council, she was stationed at the school gate with the student council members to inspect students’ appearance and catch any latecomers.
She paid no mind to the three student council members beside her, nor did she care that the student council president was absent.
Her true concern was Chu Xin. After clocking in at school, she had been waiting for his arrival. Ha… he ignored her yesterday, and now he was going to be late again today? It seemed she would have to ‘punish’ him properly later… No, she would ‘purify’ his ‘sins.’
Though these thoughts ran through her mind, the trembling of her nun’s habit and the constant shifting of her legs, causing her specially worn black oil-silk stockings to slip, betrayed her intense anxiety.
She checked the time again, noting that only a few minutes remained until nine o’clock, yet Chu Xin’s figure still hadn’t appeared at the school gate.
Where had that boy gone? She had originally planned to settle yesterday’s ‘score’ with him.
Just as her patience wore thin, applause suddenly erupted not far from the school gate.
Her intuition told her Chu Xin was likely involved.
Moving her fair, rounded long legs, Tina immediately headed in that direction.
However, upon reaching a nearby spot, she found that the scattered students were only applauding the people in the center.
She didn’t speak to disperse them, but an uneasy premonition of something bad stirred within her.
And when Tina looked towards the center, her gaze immediately turned cold.
For in the middle were Chu Xin and Ji Yue Xuan, looking at each other with ‘tender affection’!