A Sudden Accusation

“Really?”

Ai Xi’s face lit up with surprise beside me, her bright eyes blinking rapidly as she looked at me.

“Didn’t you say you couldn’t get up? Anyway, you’re not training.”

I hadn’t expected Ai Xi to be this thrilled. It wasn’t a big deal—just preparing the training equipment in advance, which hardly required a club manager. Besides, I’d been in the club for quite a while and was basically familiar with the routine; I didn’t need help.

“Hehe, anyway, I’m really grateful to you, Senior.”

Ai Xi’s eyes curved into crescents, her cute face brimming with joy.

“No need for thanks. Is there anything else? If not, I’ll hurry up and go ahead.”

Seeing that Ai Xi was still slowly climbing the stairs, I grew a bit impatient.

“Hmph, can’t I walk with you without a reason? Senior, do you treat all girls like this? That’ll make you disliked, you know.”

Her expression instantly shifted from delight to displeasure. She pouted and glared at me.

“So there’s nothing else? Then I’ll go first.”

I gave Ai Xi a helpless look, ignored her, and took the stairs two at a time, leaving her behind.

“Hey, Senior…”

Her dissatisfied voice faded behind me as I turned around the stairwell.

By the time I reached my classroom floor, only a few scattered students were rushing into the rooms.

I quickly slipped in through the back door and immediately spotted the usual duo.

Xiao Lu was lying listlessly on her desk, staring blankly at the textbooks sprawled before her.

Ling Yan, on the other hand, sat upright in her chair, holding a book. Her clear, dark eyes traced the words on the page, occasionally shifting.

“Ah, Chenzi, you’re back! Hurry, the bread!”

Xiao Lu noticed me the moment I entered, excitedly sitting up from her desk. Her eyes sparkled as she stared at the convenience bag in my hand, like a puppy waiting to be fed.

“Mm, sorry, I got held up on the way.”

I quickly handed the bag to the impatient Xiao Lu. Watching her tear open the packaging and devour the bread, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Good thing I made it in the last few minutes—enough time for her to finish eating, or she’d be sluggish for the whole class. As for Ling Yan, she hadn’t trained in the morning, so she wasn’t hungry, and I hadn’t bought her anything.

“Held up? What happened?”

Ling Yan closed her book, her long, straight black hair swaying slightly with the movement. She looked up at me with a hint of confusion.

Xiao Lu nodded in agreement, though her mouth was still busy chewing.

“Nothing much. I just happened to run into Ai Xi when I was going upstairs.”

I pulled out a chair and sat down.

“…Mm.”

Ling Yan paused, her gaze shifting from me to the textbook. She didn’t say anything more.

“Oh? Did something happen?”

Xiao Lu, who was still munching on the bread, stopped. She swallowed the food and frowned at me.

(Did she really have to dig that deep? I felt like Xiao Lu was meddling too much. It’s not like she’s my girlfriend.)

Even though I thought that, I helplessly recounted the whole thing to her.

“Hmph, you player.”

Unexpectedly, after hearing me out, Xiao Lu shoved the last few bites into her mouth, chewing fiercely while staring at me as if the food in her mouth was me. It gave me the creeps.

I hadn’t said anything wrong, so why was she mad at me again? And how was I a player? How ridiculous.

Carefully, I took a tissue from my pocket and handed it to Xiao Lu, but she didn’t take it. Instead, she wiped the breadcrumbs off the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, turned her head away, and stared at her textbook.

“Hey, Xiao Lu, you…”

Ring, ring, ring…

I was about to ask for an explanation, but just then, the bell rang. I had no choice but to retract my hand, planning to talk to her after class.

The class flew by quickly. I savored the teacher’s lecture, stopped taking notes, and got ready to have a serious talk with Xiao Lu.

Criticize me for anything, but calling me a player? I wouldn’t accept it a thousand times over. After all, I liked Ling Yan so much, and only her.

“Xiao Lu, what did you mean earlier by calling me a player?”

There was only one aisle between our desks. I took two steps to stand beside her. Seeing that she seemed deliberately ignoring me, I lightly tapped her desk.

“Hmph, Little Yan, let’s go to the restroom together.”

Xiao Lu glanced at me, then snorted and turned to Ling Yan.

Ling Yan sat upright, her desk neatly arranged with the textbooks for the next class. She had been watching us, and at Xiao Lu’s words, she was taken aback for a moment before nodding.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Xiao Lu stood up, finally meeting my eyes.

“Why is Chenzi still standing there? Are you trying to block us or follow us?”

I felt awkward. With her remark, staying there felt strange, so I had no choice but to step aside.

Seeing me yield, Xiao Lu smirked triumphantly, linked arms with Ling Yan, and left the classroom.

Watching her retreating figure, I sighed helplessly and sat back down to preview the next chapter.

By the time they returned, I had lost my momentum to question her.

On second thought, I was used to being scolded by Xiao Lu anyway. One more time didn’t matter. Maybe she was just upset that I had bumped into Ai Xi alone.

“Hey, Chenzi, are you okay?”

Xiao Lu’s somewhat forceful voice suddenly came over. A pair of slender, straight legs appeared in my view. I looked up to see her standing beside me, arms crossed over her chest, but her eyes were evasive, not looking at me.

I was stunned for a moment before realizing that Xiao Lu had come to apologize—probably thinking I was angry because she hadn’t sought me out.

“I’m fine.”

I smiled and stopped writing.

“Really?”

“Mm.”

“Good. Sorry for saying that earlier.”

Xiao Lu visibly relaxed, then blushed as she looked at me.

“Mm, I accept.”

I glanced at her beautiful legs revealed beneath the dark blue skirt and replied casually.

Although Xiao Lu was a bit forceful, a bit domineering, and even a bit perverted sometimes, she was still a good girl.

(If I hadn’t met Ling Yan first, I might have fallen for her too.)