Chapter 38: Only When Beaten Does It Feel Good-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)

"I was the one pestering him before," Lin Shu said.

Xie Buchan’s gaze went dead. He scratched his hair in annoyance and sighed. "Oh, then I suppose I was sticking my nose where it didn't belong..."

"But I saw him for what he really was later on, and I genuinely wanted to get away from him."

"...Could you not finish a sentence all at once?" Xie Buchan looked at her, speechless.

Lin Shu said, "It’s fine, Xie Buchan. My parents already handled the matter with Ji Xingshen and got a settlement agreement. The school won't give you any trouble."

Xie Buchan kept his hands in his pockets, lowering his head in thought. It was clear his brain wasn't rusty; he was sharp, quickly pinpointing what Lin Shu had left out. "Why did your family step in to settle things with him?"

He was the one who had beaten the guy up. He had already found a new school—a district-level middle school close to home, which was good enough to get a diploma.

Lin Shu brushed it off, saying her parents had handled it and she didn't know the specifics.

Xie Buchan grabbed her wrist, teeth gritted. "That bastard saw your family has money, so he’s trying to pin it on you?"

He looked so cute when he was angry. His eyes were bright, his face seemed to glow, and even his hair gave a little twitch. Perhaps it was because he was sitting while she stood, but from Lin Shu’s perspective, looking down at the fuming Xie Buchan felt like looking at a beautiful, snarling leopard.

My, my. With his sharp, defined features and such a striking appearance, he was arrogant and cocky, yet possessed the raw, fiery spirit of youth.

On an impulse, she reached out and touched his face.

Xie Buchan’s anger shifted to shock. He met Lin Shu’s affectionate gaze, which then turned into speechlessness. "Are you petting your son?"

"Oh." Lin Shu withdrew her hand and rubbed her fingers together. *Tsk, so smooth.*

Xie Buchan sulked, as if brewing some form of retaliation. He wasn't usually an abrasive person; he was easygoing with friends and kept a sense of kindness toward strangers. But only those who had crossed him knew he had a ruthless streak.

Lin Shu sensed it. She sat down next to him and said softly, "What’s done is done. Your priority should be your studies. Don't think about looking for trouble with him, or my parents' efforts will have been in vain."

"I'm not that stupid." Xie Buchan shifted away, not letting her lean against him.

Lin Shu felt a bit piqued. "Why are you avoiding me?"

Xie Buchan stood up. He couldn't tell her. When his mind was clear, they could be together with pure intentions, but his current state of mind was hardly innocent. Never mind sitting together—even looking at her twice made the soles of his feet feel like they were on fire.

"I’m going for a smoke," he said.

Lin Shu started to follow, but he quickly raised a hand, swept a glance at her, and said in a low voice, "You like secondhand smoke? Get back to the classroom."

...Fair enough.

Lin Shu stopped, but she didn't leave. She noticed the cafeteria staff bringing out two crates of fresh fruit and preparing fruit platters. She had to buy two boxes to take to the classroom for Zhou Ya. She waited by the counter, eyes fixed on the display.

The cafeteria lady was amused by her and prioritized making two overflowing plastic boxes of fruit for her. Lin Shu beamed.

As the lady peeled the fruit, she asked, "Do you know Xiao Xie?"

"Huh?" Lin Shu was confused.

The lady gestured with her chin toward the back door.

"Oh, Xie Buchan?" Lin Shu popped a piece of crisp pear into her mouth and nodded.

The lady smiled and said nothing more. *Fine.* It was one thing that the whole school, including the cafeteria staff, knew Xie Buchan, but to remember his name so perfectly? Was being handsome really that unforgettable?

Lin Shu ate as she walked, heading out the back door. Xie Buchan and his friends weren't smoking anymore; they were helping the cafeteria staff unload goods. The staff were mostly spouses of faculty members, getting on in years, so moving heavy items was a struggle for them.

The boys finished the job in a few moments, clapped their hands, and jumped down from the van.

Lin Shu stared at Xie Buchan. He thought he had gotten dirty, so he turned to check his pants.

*What a silly dog.*

Lin Shu couldn't stop laughing. Her smile was the exact same one the cafeteria lady had shown when looking at Xie Buchan. Now she finally understood why those boys could always get such generous portions at whichever stall they chose. They deserved to be well-fed.

...

Jiang Xinyi stubbed out her cigarette, her expression resentful. Her arms were crossed so tightly that her fingers were digging in, turning white. She seemed unaware of the pain, her eyes fixed solely on Lin Shu, who could so effortlessly influence Xie Buchan.

"What's so funny? Just because you're pretty, you can do whatever you want? You clueless idiot."

...

The already cold weather dropped below freezing overnight after a cold wave hit. It didn't snow, but it was bitingly cold. Xie Buchan stopped riding his mountain bike and chose to take the school bus like everyone else.

He always sat in the last row. Taller students were expected to sit at the back, or their legs wouldn't fit, and they would block the aisle. This was the same route Lin Shu and Zhou Ya took, so the three of them met on the bus every morning.

Xie Buchan sat in the back, while Lin Shu and Zhou Ya sat in the row in front of him. They usually didn't talk, because for some reason, Xie Buchan became cold and distant in the winter.

Still, Lin Shu always had a way to strike up a conversation.

"Yo, still running on empty? No long johns? Are you planning a rebellion?"

"Give me a bun. I'm not taking it for free—here, have my sausage."

"Your hair, hahaha, why is it so fluffy? Are you a bear? Do you grow a winter coat?"

...

Zhou Ya had been a bit reserved at first, but later, when Lin Shu went all out, she followed suit. Teasing the "tough guy" was actually really fun. He only looked unapproachable; in reality, he was hilarious and could take a joke.

"Where are you spending the Spring Festival?" Zhou Ya asked Lin Shu.

Lin Shu was a local, but her grandparents lived in Hainan, so they usually went there for the holidays. Lin Shu said she didn't know. "My parents aren't back yet, so I'm not sure about the plans."

In her memory, during this year's Spring Festival, Lin Shu had insisted on staying behind to take care of Ji Xingshen's grandmother, and her family had stayed because of her. Now, she wasn't going to be a martyr anymore. Everything depended on her parents.

Zhou Ya nodded. She seemed to be wondering if she would be able to see Lin Zhou during the holidays. *Sigh. This girl.*

Xie Buchan, who had been resting with his arms crossed, suddenly piped up, "...So your parents aren't home."

Lin Shu made a face at him. That night, she had used the excuse that her parents were coming back to scare him into leaving; the guy still remembered.

"Forgetfulness is a virtue for men," Lin Shu said.

Xie Buchan let out a scoff.

Zhou Ya asked if he was spending the festival in Tong City.

"What do you need, classmate Zhou Ya?" Xie Buchan asked.

Zhou Ya explained that her grandfather was hospitalized in Beijing, her mother had gone to care for him, and her father was away on a month-long business trip. She was stuck in Tong City alone for the whole winter break... because she had to attend remedial classes.

"Are those classes really unavoidable?" Xie Buchan asked.

"Are those classes really unavoidable?" Lin Shu chimed in.

The two of them spoke only seconds apart. Zhou Ya laughed. "If you guys are in Tong City, I could at least ask you out to hang out..."

In her past life, Lin Shu and Zhou Ya had stopped talking by this time. Of course, Lin Shu didn't know about that.

She patted her chest and said, "If you're stuck here for the New Year, just come stay at my place."

Zhou Ya lowered her head, saying it might not be appropriate.

"It would be a bit of a hassle if my brother was home," Lin Shu added.

Zhou Ya took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. Given her usual chatty nature, she would have said a lot by now, but she was as quiet as a mouse.

Lin Shu wore a wicked smile, full of a cat-like slyness. Xie Buchan caught it and kicked the back of Lin Shu's seat.

Lin Shu hissed, turned around, and glared at him over the back of the chair.

Xie Buchan whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Lin Shu, you're rotten to the core, even messing with your best friend."

Lin Shu bared her teeth and swatted at his head. Xie Buchan took the hit, laughed, and turned his head away, looking satisfied.