“Wh-what?” Chu Xin frowned upon hearing those words.
Seeing Chu Xin’s reaction, Jiang Qianhe grew visibly displeased. She repeated, her tone sharp, “I asked if you had nothing to say to your long-lost ‘childhood friend’? Or perhaps… you simply don’t care about me, your childhood friend? Of course, this isn’t me, this young lady, showing concern for you. It’s merely an expression of my dissatisfaction that you haven’t fulfilled your duties as a childhood friend!!!”
Jiang Qianhe had spoken at an astonishing speed, without pausing for a single breath, leaving Chu Xin genuinely impressed.
Moreover, fueled by a surge of anger, she continuously brandished the bamboo sword in her hand.
From a safe distance, the two senior students, who had long since retreated, watched Jiang Qianhe’s fluid movements, their eyes sparkling with delight.
They clapped their hands, their expressions clearly indicating they were ready to savor the unfolding drama.
Even the usually aloof club president had hidden herself, casting a ‘cheering’ gaze towards him from the shadows.
Chu Xin felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple. He quickly dodged the bamboo sword that nearly grazed him.
Her lively movements, adorable voice, and charming appearance would lead anyone to believe she was a cute, athletic, tsundere childhood friend.
Yet, Chu Xin knew that beneath her facade lay something deeply unsettling… How to describe it? He supposed, for now, it could be called ‘impulse.’
If one were to temporarily disregard this strange ‘impulse,’ she was, in fact, a good neighbor.
After all, back then, she was the first person he had truly gotten to know outside of the Su family.
She had imparted much of the common knowledge and information about this world to him.
However, once they became familiar, she began to declare herself his ‘childhood friend,’ using the convoluted excuse that ‘childhood friends must closely look after each other’ to drag him into the Kendo Club.
Then came the period when Chu Xin, feigning despair, decided to give up on everything and isolate himself.
Ultimately, it was the blonde young lady, Tina, who resolved his inner loneliness.
Thinking back, it was truly poignant; he, the protagonist who had transmigrated as a cuckold, had been saved by the overpowered blonde young lady.
But… it was also from that point onward that this ‘childhood friend’ began to slowly become ‘off.’
Not only did her appearance differ from the original story, but she also possessed a unique personality hidden deep within, one completely unlike the original tsundere character.
Yet, it wasn’t akin to a ‘second personality’ or anything of the sort.
Was this her false self? Or perhaps, her true self?
Chu Xin had no idea.
Snapping back to reality, Chu Xin noticed Jiang Qianhe had long since stopped her movements.
She was now glaring at him, seemingly awaiting his response.
Chu Xin found himself speechless as he watched Jiang Qianhe bare her teeth at him, her two small canine teeth visible, as she ostentatiously flaunted her presence.
It wasn’t because of her recent actions; after all, combined with her delicate and energetic appearance, her movements had been nothing short of delightful and endearing.
Chu Xin was simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of absurd points in her rapid-fire monologue, leaving him unsure how to even begin to respond.
He observed that while Jiang Qianhe appeared slightly angry on the surface, a flicker of expectation still lingered in her eyes.
Chu Xin, biting the bullet, reluctantly replied, “Didn’t… didn’t we just see each other on Saturday?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qianhe grew even more incensed. “Oh, please! On Saturday, you just went downstairs to throw out the trash, and I was the one who spoke first to greet you… What kind of meeting was that? Shouldn’t childhood friends be inseparable every single day? Otherwise, what kind of childhood friends are we?”
Jiang Qianhe was indeed quite angry. She had noticed that for the past few weekends, Chu Xin seemed to be deliberately avoiding her.
Even that Saturday morning greeting had only come about after she had ‘staked out’ his place for a considerable time.
Furthermore, Jiang Qianhe, fearing she might give herself away, furtively glanced at Chu Xin, her face slightly flushed, as she added, “Of course, I’m not saying this because I *want* to be inseparable from you. It’s just that I believe childhood friends *should* be like this.”
Chu Xin paused, a thought crossing his mind. While he couldn’t reveal his relationship with Ji Yue Xuan just yet, he felt he needed to be firm with Jiang Qianhe.
He sighed, then reluctantly said, “Jiang Qianhe… have we even known each other for two months? How could we possibly be childhood friends?”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qianhe’s face contorted into an ‘incredulous’ expression. She casually tossed aside her bamboo sword, covered her mouth, and a feeling akin to ‘her husband betraying her’ welled up within her.
Her vibrant, energetic demeanor shattered completely. She crouched on the ground, burying her face in her hands, and began to sob softly, “Just… just a few… days… apart, and Xiao Xin doesn’t… doesn’t recognize me, his childhood friend, anymore… Waaah, he used to even call me… ‘Xiao Qianhe’… Waaah.”
Chu Xin’s face darkened with exasperation. He had *never* called this person by such an embarrassing name as ‘Xiao Qianhe’.
And there it was again. Whenever he brought up the falsity of their ‘childhood friend’ concept, she would immediately adopt an incredulous expression, then begin to sob softly, all while subtly peeking at him.
Just like now, crouching on the tatami mat, her face still buried in her hands, she would occasionally steal glances at him, seemingly waiting for his comfort.
If he remained unmoved, she would pretend to cry even louder. This tactic was one of the very reasons Chu Xin preferred not to encounter her.
‘Why does it feel like… all the women around me are so ‘scummy’?’ he thought.
He was utterly speechless.
What was most infuriating was that Chu Xin found himself completely helpless in this situation. Like Tina, he was easily swayed by gentleness but stubbornly resisted coercion.
Feeling somewhat awkward, he cleared his throat, just as he was about to speak.
The two second-year senior students, who had just been enjoying the spectacle, rushed over.
One, Zhong Ling, who possessed a mature appearance and exuded the aura of a caring older sister despite her quiet nature, approached Jiang Qianhe and whispered something, seemingly offering comfort.
Bai Cheng, the other second-year student with a gentle demeanor, came over and affectionately patted Chu Xin’s head. “Now, now… you experimental student shouldn’t quarrel with your childhood friend,” she said softly. “After all, you two… grew up together, didn’t you?”
Feeling the senior student’s gentle pat, Chu Xin quickly snapped back to attention, taking a step back.
He turned his head to glance around, only to find the club president once again resting with closed eyes in the shadows.
‘Wait… weren’t you two just ‘eating melon’ on the sidelines? How did you suddenly appear here?’
‘Pure actors? This is too fake!’
Meanwhile, Jiang Qianhe, who was crouching on the ground, feigning sobs while secretly peeking, felt a wave of satisfaction wash over her.
She paid no mind to whatever Zhong Ling was whispering to comfort her.
After all, her eyes were fixed solely on Chu Xin.
‘Heh~’
‘Xiao Xin surely didn’t expect that both senior students were on my side~’
‘I’ll just use this opportunity to give Chu Xin a little ‘talking to’~ After all, I, his ‘childhood friend,’ haven’t seen him in far too long, haven’t breathed the same air as him in ages~’
‘And… it’s been too long since I’ve seen Xiao Xin’s flustered expression~ It’s so cute, it brings me such joy~’
‘It makes me want to punish him a little~’
Unlike others, Jiang Qianhe felt her feelings for Chu Xin were built upon a peculiar foundation… yet they were equally profound and equally indestructible.
Just as a normal lover might feel uncomfortable or jealous seeing their partner interact with another person of the opposite s*x,
Jiang Qianhe’s reactions were similar. The difference, however, was that she wouldn’t simply feel a pang of jealousy that could be soothed with a few sweet words, like a normal person.
Instead, she would ‘chastise’ Chu Xin mercilessly, much like the legendary ‘S’ type~
But those women who dared to approach him wouldn’t escape either~
It was just that such an opportunity hadn’t presented itself yet.
However… she thought… that opportunity would surely arrive soon.
Seeing that the situation with Jiang Qianhe, still crouching on the floor, was becoming rather difficult to manage, Chu Xin quickly conceded, “Alright, alright, I admit it… you’re my childhood friend, alright?”
Jiang Qianhe instantly sprang to her feet. “Really? Hmph, what do you mean by that? You always were one, there’s no need to ‘admit’ it! And as for that ‘Xiao Qianhe’ you used to call me, you don’t need to specifically call me that anymore! Now, aren’t you going to thank me?”
Chu Xin let out a helpless sigh. It seemed he truly didn’t understand the intricacies of a woman’s heart.