Chapter 24: Not a Transfer of Affection, but a Transfer of Debt-O nerd por quem eu tinha uma paixão secreta não era doce, então mudei para o bad boy que gosta de mim abertamente(Doce celestial do mundo humano)

"Lin Shu!"

That afternoon, my brother, having just woken up, stumbled into my room with his hair a disheveled mess. His eyes were wide with fury, looking for all the world like a vengeful demon. Gone was his usual elegant and suave demeanor.

I was wearing headphones, listening to an online lecture, and turned back to look at him with feigned innocence.

"Brother, don't provoke me in the future. Also, a piece of advice: live your life with integrity. Stop hiding everything behind 'limited visibility' settings; it’s unseemly."

After saying this, I turned my head back to my screen.

Lin Zhou extended a pale finger, but before he could speak, his phone rang again. He hurried out to answer it, and even through the wall, I could hear the dog-like helplessness in his voice.

...

It was the final day of the holiday. Zhou Ya was still on her way back.

I grabbed my canvas bag, threw in my homework and notebook, tossed in a couple of pens, put on my headphones, and set off.

The bookstore was crowded, mostly with kids.

Huang Pingting had reserved a spot in the very back, where there was a microphone and a portable whiteboard. The staff had already arranged simple tables and chairs in neat rows. I chose a seat in the back.

Half an hour later, almost everyone had arrived. Before the study session even began, Huang Pingting walked around with her phone and a notepad, collecting money.

"The shop isn't providing this space for free. Everyone needs to buy a drink. Pay me collectively, and I’ll distribute them later."

Someone asked, "How much is it?"

Huang Pingting replied, "Twenty-eight."

"That expensive?"

"Can’t it be cheaper? You didn't mention this beforehand..."

"My phone is out of money, I only have cash."

"I don't have change, can I owe you?"

...

Everyone was chattering at once. The price was indeed a bit steep. If we had known, we could have prepared, but it was the last day of the holidays, and many had already spent their pocket money.

I transferred the money to Huang Pingting.

After receiving the payment, she shot me a sidelong glance. "If you wanted to sign up, couldn't you have come to me? Why is it that you always seem to find excuses to go to Ji Xingshen?"

"Huh?" I looked up.

Huang Pingting clicked her tongue and asked why I was playing dumb.

"Ji Xingshen is the one who told me to come," I said.

Huang Pingting froze, her face flushing red. She retorted sharply, "Give it a rest. Don't daydream. Everyone knows you're the one pestering him. You dare to do it, but you're afraid of being called out?"

I blinked, and suddenly, I laughed.

People are just like that. When you're timid and submissive, no matter how pretty you are, you seem sneaky and insignificant. But once you fully embrace your confidence and learn to look down on idiots, you gain a skill where you don't even need to argue—you can dismantle others with just a smile.

Huang Pingting asked what I was being so arrogant about.

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you picking a fight for? Who do you think you are, acting like the head wife before you're even married?"

The others didn't quite catch the reference. In our city, the term "head wife" wasn't common; it was a favorite expression of Lin Zhou’s friend, Jin Junsheng. That long-haired guy always claimed that 'Old Xu' was Lin Zhou's 'head wife,' and whoever wanted to pursue Lin Zhou had to deal with Old Xu first.

But it didn't matter. Huang Pingting clearly grasped the essence of the mockery; her face turned an alarming shade of red.

Ji Xingshen walked in and asked what was going on.

He wore a polo shirt and casual shorts, sporting a pair of expensive, limited-edition sneakers. With his fair skin and tall, refined stature, he looked every bit the wealthy young master. In reality, the clothes were ones I had stolen from my brother's closet for him.

I looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes.

...

Seeing Ji Xingshen’s display, the others began to tease, complaining that they were out of money and asking him to waive their drink fees.

"God Ji, you're so rich, don't be so stingy about this."

"Yeah, we'll pay you back when we have money."

"Please, oh great benefactor~"

The boys begged shamelessly. Ji Xingshen stood stiffly, instinctively glancing toward me.

Sitting there, I slowly remembered that I had attended this exact study session in my past life. The boys had teased him into paying, but Ji Xingshen didn't have the money either. In the end, I was the one who paid, and when they dirtied the floor and broke a glass, I was the one who covered the damages.

Huang Pingting had even been insanely jealous back then, claiming Ji Xingshen trusted me so much he left his pocket money with me, as if he weren't afraid I’d embezzle it.

At the time, I had actually found that sweet.

*Ugh.*

I didn't want those memories. They were finally fading, but now they came rushing back, making me want to curl my toes in embarrassment.

One shouldn't have a budding romance at seventeen. To put it mildly, couldn't I have waited until I was twenty-seven? When your hormones are at their peak, your brain hasn't even finished developing!

I buried my head. A moment ago, I had been brimming with confidence as I retorted to Huang Pingting, but now I was like an ostrich, hoping that if I didn't make eye contact, I could escape the fate of being the "sucker."

Ji Xingshen was stuck in a dilemma. He didn't agree, but he didn't outright refuse either. He just said, "Let's not waste everyone's time," and began to explain the difficult problems.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye. No one even went to the bathroom.

He explained the problems very well; it felt like he could be a teacher right now. After I finished taking notes, I sent them to Zhou Ya.

Zhou Ya agreed the logic was brilliant. "Your brother is talented and was just training you guys, and Ji Xingshen is talented too—truly a genius from the First High School."

As long as I wasn't obsessed with him, Zhou Ya wouldn't speak ill of him.

I rested my chin on my hand, finished the last of my drink, and packed my things to leave.

My phone buzzed. It was a private message from Ji Xingshen: *Lin Shu, some of the classmates are in trouble. Could you help them cover the cost?*

I replied: *My pocket money is gone too. Even this 28 came from my brother.*

Ji Xingshen couldn't very well tell me to ask Lin Zhou for more. I might be a pushover who says yes to everything, but Lin Zhou certainly wasn't. If I asked him for money now, my brother would probably come charging over here.

...

The afternoon sunlight hit the glass and the floor-standing vase in the room, refracting and scattering into a golden glow.

The boy’s silhouette stood against the light, facing me.

In the past, whatever he asked for, I granted. Now, whatever he asked for, I brushed aside. An invisible river seemed to flow between us.

Ji Xingshen looked away, lowered his head slightly, and turned to speak to Huang Pingting. The other students noticed the intimacy of the gesture, exchanging glances and smirking.

"...Okay."

Huang Pingting clutched her clothes, her eyes sparkling. She seemed troubled by Ji Xingshen's request, but she nodded obediently.

I looked away, thinking, *How pathetic.* She thought this was a romantic transfer, but in reality, it was just a "debt transfer."

See? Don't blame me for being obsessed in the past. Ji Xingshen was a master at setting traps. If it wasn't me throwing myself into his net, it would be Huang Pingting, and later, many, many others...

...

As I packed my things and walked out, I saw Huang Pingting crouched in a corner, frantically trying to scrape together money across two different apps. Sure enough, Ji Xingshen had made her foot the bill.

She was five yuan short. Huang Pingting looked anxious, her phone shaking in her hand. As I walked past with my bag, I silently transferred her the five yuan.

When she received the money, she looked up abruptly.

I didn't acknowledge her, just walked away briskly.

It wasn't to help Ji Xingshen, who was putting on a show of wealth he didn't have; it was because seeing Huang Pingting like that reminded me of my past self, constantly scrounging for money.

I had my brother as a personal ATM, and if that failed, I could still act cute to my parents. But Huang Pingting was just a girl from an ordinary family...

I stopped thinking about it.

So-called ill-fated relationships are nothing more than one person willing to dish it out and the other willing to take it. There's nothing more to say.