A tie!
It was Fu Xin's ideal outcome.
"That childhood friend of yours has some skills." Qin Zhen strode over to Fu Xin and bent down, the towel around his neck dangling. "But I'll win next time."
Qin Zhen sounded certain.
[Ah, who could possibly resist a Qin Zhen like this!]
[Qin Zhen is so sure of himself.]
[He's blatantly swooping in to steal her.]
[And he's got such a commanding presence. No wonder Fu Xin is torn.]
[My heart's fluttering, but I'm still picking the childhood friend!]
"What are you thinking about?"
The voice suddenly beside her ear startled Yao Tao. She hurriedly put her phone away. "Why did you come over?"
[Holy shit, is he going to confiscate my phone?]
[No way, right?]
[Wait, what am I thinking? He has no authority to confiscate my phone!]
"I didn't lose," He Zhen said.
"?" Yao Tao gave him a baffled look. "Huh?"
[That's it?]
[Wait, shouldn't he be saying that to someone else?]
[Has he got the wrong person?]
[He couldn't have mistaken me for her, either. I hate to admit it, but I'm a tiny bit shorter than Fu Xin.]
"Zhen!" Fu Xin limped toward them.
Qin Zhen was on her left, and Liang Zhizhi was on her right.
[Girl, you sprained your ankle. You didn't lose the use of your leg...]
[You're making me think it's really serious!]
[And you still stayed to watch the match instead of going to the infirmary.]
[I should give you a round of applause out of respect.]
Yao Tao was speechless.
He Zhen's brows, which had just begun to draw together, instantly relaxed.
"Does your foot hurt a lot?" He Zhen asked her. "If it's that serious, shouldn't you get it checked at the hospital?"
[You really are such a thoughtful little darling.]
"I was planning to take her in a minute," Qin Zhen chimed in promptly.
[Yooooo, claiming the official boyfriend spot already?]
"There's no need to trouble you. Let..." Fu Xin felt a little embarrassed. She was imposing too much on Qin Zhen.
[There's no need to trouble you. Let He Zhen come with me instead!]
"Then I'll leave her in your care." The words slipped out of He Zhen's mouth, cutting Fu Xin short.
[Huh?]
[Dude, that's the second time!]
[He turned Fu Xin down again!]
[Does that make sense?]
[That makes no sense!]
[Give me a moment to process this!]
"Aren't you going with them?" Liang Zhizhi looked at He Zhen strangely, then continued as though realization had dawned on her. "Just because Xin Xin didn't answer your calls? You're a grown man. Is that really necessary?"
"Xin Xin spent the whole afternoon agonizing over whether you were angry!"
"Seriously? Are you really that petty?"
Liang Zhizhi rattled all that off angrily.
[I'm stunned!]
[Fu Xin's trusty sidekick!]
[Turning the blame right back on him!]
[Was her phone dead or broken? She couldn't send a single message, huh?]
[She just kept agonizing until now, huh?]
[All right, whatever. Now that she's finished, it's time for He Zhen to feel guilty.]
[Fine, go be her lapdog.]
[I've seen through it all.]
After hearing Liang Zhizhi's words, He Zhen really did begin to wonder whether he was being petty.
Just as he was questioning whether he had gone too far, Yao Tao's thoughts hit him like a slap to the face, bringing him back to his senses.
Did that many people have to accompany her to the hospital?
Did she really need that many people accompanying her to the hospital?
Or would having them there make her feel proud?
He Zhen was stunned by the thoughts that had suddenly surfaced in his mind.
[How nice. Two handsome guys accompanying me to the hospital and fighting over me there-I can only dream of that.]
[Then Liang Zhizhi can serve as the errand girl while everyone envies Fu Xin.]
[I...]
[A friend of mine has a wish...]
[She'd like to experience that feeling too.]
He Zhen: ...
"No need. I trust Qin Zhen's character." He Zhen declined, but still added, "If anything unexpected happens, you can call me anytime."
[The first half made me think he'd changed.]
[The second half proved a leopard can't change its spots.]
"I'll answer if I'm not busy." After a brief pause, He Zhen inexplicably added that.
Liang Zhizhi: ???
"Our Xin Xin is right to hesitate!" Liang Zhizhi angrily linked arms with Fu Xin. "Let's go. Your childhood friend changes his tune faster than he turns a page. Now that he's got someone new, his friends don't matter anymore!"
Yao Tao had been caught in the crossfire for no reason.
[What a sharp eye you have, girl!]
[You can make even that work!]
[I've got to give you a thumbs-up!]
"That doesn't sound right, does it?" Yao Tao resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but couldn't resist speaking her mind. "Fu Xin isn't a three-year-old, is she? Qin Zhen on one side, He Zhen on the other, and you tagging along too."
"Are you going to the hospital or going to play mahjong?"
As Yao Tao spoke, she did her best to look innocent and childishly candid.
[Pah, don't push your luck!]
[Bleh, bleh, bleh!]
Some older girls and students in their year overheard and snickered in unison.
Yao Tao shyly lowered her head. In truth, she was afraid her expression would give her away. Staying in character was the priority!
[Give you an inch and you take a mile, huh?]
[He says two things to me, and you act like you caught him cheating.]
[Your bestie's practically leaning on Qin Zhen. Can I give you a piece of my mind on behalf of all his girlfriend fans?]
"You're just going to let her talk about Xin Xin like that?" Liang Zhizhi was stunned.
"Did I say anything mean?" Yao Tao innocently tilted her head.
Fu Xin had the pure, goddess-like looks of a boy's unattainable first love, while Yao Tao had the sweet, innocent looks of a little sister from next door.
Looking innocent was her specialty.
[That's all it took for you to lose it?]
[Won't you die of anger when someone gives your precious Xin Xin a great big slap someday?]
[The world's greatest bestie!]
[Your friendship has my blessing!]
"Fu Xin's foot is more important. Let's not waste time here." What Qin Zhen wanted was for Fu Xin to make her position clear. "Come on. I'll take you to the hospital."
Only then did Fu Xin come back to her senses. "Zhen, you really aren't coming with me?"
"Do you really want me to come?" He Zhen asked a rare question in return. "Then choose between Qin Zhen and me."
[Holy shit!]
[He Zhen learned how to talk!]
[He learned how to fight back!]
[He actually tossed the question back at her!]
Yao Tao was stunned!
"Fu Xin!" Qin Zhen was visibly displeased.
"Xin Xin!" Liang Zhizhi wasn't happy either. She even thought something was wrong with He Zhen. He wasn't usually like this. "He's not even worried about you anymore!"
"I told you, a childhood friend is just a childhood friend. You need to think this through!" Liang Zhizhi reminded her.
Fu Xin looked at Qin Zhen, then at He Zhen.
She left with Qin Zhen.
Tang Zhao was astonished. If he wore glasses, the lenses probably would have fallen out.
He Zhen had actually let another man take Fu Xin to the hospital!
"Why are you so surprised?" He Zhen asked him.
"Want the truth?" Tang Zhao glanced at him.
"Honestly, I'm surprised too." Wei Fang still hadn't recovered. "You actually didn't give Fu Xin what she wanted."
"Am I really..." He Zhen stopped walking. "That much of a lapdog to her?"
Wei Fang: !
Tang Zhao said, "How did you suddenly see the light?"
"Maybe when I called her a dozen times and couldn't get through once?" He Zhen considered it.
No, perhaps it had begun with the first thought he'd heard from Yao Tao.
"Good. Keep it up," Tang Zhao said bluntly. "You were such a lapdog that I honestly didn't even want to know you anymore. Did you know that?"
"Was it really that bad?" He Zhen asked with a smile.
"If you didn't have that face, people would be calling you a simp behind your back instead of praising your devotion. Get it?" Tang Zhao truly didn't spare He Zhen's feelings at all.
"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Wei Fang scratched his head.
"All right, I'll reflect on it." He Zhen raised both hands over his head without the slightest trace of anger.
Yao Tao had said the same thing.
He Zhen said, "Was I really that bad?"
He persisted, unwilling to accept it.
Tang Zhao said, "Why don't you take a look at the School Forum yourself?"
Before you continue