Was There Really No One at School You Cared About Anymore?

As his words fell, Liu Liangsong kept his gaze fixed on the small area around Jiang Nian, his expression dark as thunder.

"You won't own up unless I call you out myself, is that it?"

Zhang Ningzhi went deathly pale. She had probably never been yelled at by a teacher before. Even her hands on the desk were trembling. Ever the obedient student, she lowered her head and started to stand.

Jiang Nian kicked her stool to stop her. He was about to stand himself when Li Hua grabbed him from beside him, then got to his feet instead.

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"Sir, I'd like to report that Ma Guojun was talking just now too."

"Li Hua, fuck your mother!"

Ma Guojun swore under his breath. The big guy stood up, adjusted his glasses, and lowered his head. His lips moved rapidly, probably reciting some delightful curses.

I'm a Slytherin. Dark magic. This is dark magic.

Even with two people sacrificed, Liu Liangsong's expression showed no sign of improving. Perhaps in the interest of fairness, his face darkened as he swept his gaze over Zhang Ningzhi's area.

"Only boys? I distinctly heard a girl's voice. Are you going to stand up yourself, or do I have to call your name?"

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At that, Zhang Ningzhi was almost scared to tears.

Then Ma Guojun piped up, "Ahem, Yao Beibei, the teacher's calling you."

"You..." Yao Beibei stood up with an awkward smile. "Sir, I was just reciting the textbook. My voice was only a tiny bit loud."

Liu Liangsong glanced at Yao Beibei and gave a dry chuckle.

"You three, come outside!"

The second evening study period ended.

Zhang Ningzhi followed Jiang Nian down the stairs, trailing him all the way from the fourth floor. The stairwell was rather narrow and dimly lit, crowded with shadowy figures.

"Where are we going?"

Li Hua, Yao Beibei, and Ma Guojun still hadn't returned from the office, and Zhang Ningzhi was worried about them. She had planned to go check on them and was about to ask Jiang Nian to come along.

Jiang Nian had apparently wanted to say something too. Their eyes had met just as Zhang Ningzhi worked up the courage to turn around from the seat in front of him. He had simply spoken up and told her to follow him after the study period.

She had assumed they were going to the office, only to discover that they had left the classroom building.

"To buy drinks." Jiang Nian turned back and paused, as though passing on some hard-earned wisdom. "Li Hua and the others took Old Liu's wrath for us. We should get them each a drink."

"Oh." Still a little confused, Zhang Ningzhi hurried to catch up and said quietly, "Just now... I was going to stand up."

"I saw, but you were better off not doing that," Jiang Nian said. "I kicked your stool to tell you to stay seated. I could stand up instead."

"Why?"

They followed the crowded stream of students outside, soon leaving the light of the classroom building behind as their surroundings grew dim.

"You just moved up into this class. You get good grades, and you're easily embarrassed." He turned toward the girl walking beside him. The light from the classroom building reflected in her eyes, mingling with the shadows.

"Getting hauled out by a teacher right after joining a new class can easily leave a bad impression. You still have a year here. How would you cope with that? It doesn't bother me."

"What about Yao Beibei, then? And Li Hua and Ma Guojun? Aren't we betraying them by doing this?" Zhang Ningzhi asked awkwardly. She even knew to use the word "betraying."

"Quite the opposite. I was going to stand up, but Li Hua stopped me," Jiang Nian said. "They didn't rat us out either, so now we're buying them drinks."

"Then, will they...?"

"They get good grades and have thick skins. They can even chat with the other teachers in the office. They'll survive." Jiang Nian realized that Zhang Ningzhi really did seem rather slow on the uptake when it came to things like this.

Zhang Ningzhi stole a cautious glance at Jiang Nian, taking in his shoulders and back, straight as an ice pop. His nape was clean, his hair jet-black, and his expression a little nonchalant.

Walking beside him, Zhang Ningzhi felt as though she had found someone dependable to latch on to. He was very patient. Even with someone as clueless as her, he would explain things slowly.

It made her feel safe. She had a faint sense that she might be about to make a few friends in her new class.

He's so good at this.

Curious, Zhang Ningzhi asked, "Are boys naturally good at making friends?"

Jiang Nian glanced at her. "Not really. There are special techniques. I trained for a while in the advanced program at the Friendship Academy."

"There are classes for that?" The girl let out a little gasp.

"Do you want to know how to make friends?" he asked.

"Yes, yes."

As the school shop drew closer, Jiang Nian moderated his pace and spoke in a serious tone.

"Making friends starts with mutual trust. For example, if I offer to scrub your back, all you need to say is thank you, instead of yelling things like, 'How did you get in here?'"

Zhang Ningzhi said, "...Was there really no one at school you cared about anymore?"

Jiang Nian looked utterly unbothered. He only pulled this stuff around people he knew, because strangers would genuinely think he was an idiot.

"Come on. Let's each buy them a bottle. Remember to get yourself one too."

"Okay." She had just entered the packed shop when a question suddenly occurred to her. "Jiang Nian, what drinks do they like?"

"Just follow my lead. Two bottles of iced black tea and one bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange," he said. "I'm having Sprite. Pick whatever you want for yourself."

With a top-tier carry on her side, solving the problem was quick. All she had to do was copy his answers.

On the other side of the crowd in the packed shop.

Xu Qianqian was agonizing over the snack selection when she faintly heard Jiang Nian's voice. She abruptly turned around, only to find that it wasn't him. She frowned despite herself, thinking that Jiang Nian really deserved to die.

"Qianqian, have you decided?" Song Xiyun picked up a bag of chips.

"Yes, this one. Let's go."

The bell rang, signaling the third evening study period.

The stairs grew crowded again as students jostled their way up. Zhang Ningzhi walked in front of Jiang Nian, always with a small pocket of safe space around her. When they reached the fourth floor, they happened to meet the three coming out of the office.

Jiang Nian called them over, then handed the drinks around one by one.

"A small token of appreciation. One bottle for each of my loyal subjects."

"Thank you... all of you." Her face flushed, Zhang Ningzhi followed his example. "Beibei, this is yours."

"You're too kind. Since it's premium liquor, I'll gladly accept." Grinning, Li Hua and Ma Guojun took the iced black tea from their hands.

The two strutted down the corridor and into the classroom, each carrying a bottle. Anyone who didn't know better might have thought visiting the office automatically earned you a drink.

"We skipped a whole study period and got drinks out of it. Nothing but profit," Li Hua remarked.

"If our homeroom teacher hadn't chased me out, I'd honestly have stayed for another study period."

Ma Guojun had no shame. "Damn, Old Liu probably wanted to leave early."

Yao Beibei cradled two bottles of Pulpy Orange against her chest and hooked her right arm around Zhang Ningzhi's, vividly recounting her marvelous adventures in the office.

Jiang Nian was the last to enter the classroom, carrying a bottle of Sprite. He noticed that Zhang Ningzhi seemed to have bought herself a carton of milk, which she held carefully in her hand.

In the blink of an eye, evening study was over. Jiang Nian went downstairs as usual to wait for Xu Qianqian and go home with her, only to discover that she had already left.

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(End of chapter)