When we left the infirmary, Jiang Qingqing said she wanted to thank me—if it weren't for me, she might have suffered for a while longer. I asked if she had eaten something bad, wondering why the pain had come on so suddenly. She glanced at me and said it was an old issue, but she was fine now.
I suggested, "Teacher Jiang, if you're still not feeling well, maybe you shouldn't supervise study hall. Go back to your dorm and rest."
Jiang Qingqing smiled and replied, "This old problem is like this—once the pain passes, it's fine. But you, reeking of alcohol, can't go back to the classroom. It'd set a bad example."
I said, "Then I'll just go back to the dorm." But as soon as I turned around, she called me back. "Wait—since you don't have anything to do in the dorm, come out with me."
I figured she was just looking for free labor again, and while I wasn't thrilled, I still asked, "Where are we going, Teacher?"
Jiang Qingqing said she hadn't eaten dinner yet and wanted me to accompany her for a bite. She also needed to buy some things and wanted me to help carry them back.
Sure enough, she's using me as a pack mule. I cursed inwardly but followed her out. Since it was supposed to be her night to supervise study hall, she called the class monitor and said something came up, leaving the monitor in charge.
Just a street away from our school was a food alley, and next to it was a large supermarket that sold everything. Because of our school's presence, the place was always lively on weekends. On the way, Jiang Qingqing asked what I wanted to eat. I told her I'd already eaten and was full.
She ended up buying some steamed buns, ate three, and said she was full. Not wanting to waste the last two, she made me finish them. Then she dragged me to the supermarket to play porter. Jiang Qingqing turned out to be a serious snack fiend—she bought a ton of stuff: spicy, salty, crispy, dried snacks, plus a pile of fruit. Altogether, it cost a few hundred yuan and was pretty heavy. Naturally, she made me carry most of it while she held onto the lighter bags.
At the school gate, we ran into Zhao Lin, who had just stepped out of a BMW—probably returning from a leave of absence. She greeted me as she passed. After she walked away, Jiang Qingqing frowned and asked, "Zhang Cheng, you know Zhao Lin?"
I shook my head. "Not really."
Jiang Qingqing scoffed. "If you're not close, why would she greet you so warmly?" Then her expression turned stern. "Tell me the truth—are you two dating?"
I almost choked. What kind of nonsense is this? I thought. I finally worked up the courage to write Xia Shi a love letter, and you killed it in the cradle. Now you think I'm dating someone else?
Jiang Qingqing stared at me intently, so I had no choice but to explain with a bitter smile: "Teacher Jiang, Zhao Lin and I really aren't together. We've barely even spoken."
She still seemed skeptical. "You're sure there's nothing between you?"
"Absolutely nothing."
After studying my face, she finally believed me.
On the way back to her dorm, she warned me seriously: "Don't get involved with Zhao Lin. Even if she approaches you, ignore her."
Confused, I asked, "Why?"
"Just listen to me. If you get tangled up with her, you'll end up in trouble."
I laughed. "Teacher, you're overthinking it. Did you see her getting dropped off in a BMW? She's a rich girl—what would she see in me?"
Jiang Qingqing shook her head. "You never know. Just do as I say."
I nodded. "Got it."
After helping her carry everything upstairs, I didn't linger in her dorm this time. Before I left, she gave me some fruit to take back.
When I returned to my dorm, Gou Mao and the others were back from study hall. Seeing the fruit Jiang Qingqing had given me, Gou Mao asked, "Why is she so nice to you? Always giving you fruit."
I smirked. "Oh, that's nothing. Earlier, I even carried her on my back."
Gou Mao reached over to feel my forehead. "Are you feverish? You carried Jiang Qingqing? Keep dreaming!"
I knew he wouldn't believe me, so I didn't bother explaining. After joking around for a bit, he finally asked seriously, "Did you find anyone to back you up? Tomorrow's the last day—Li Dehai will definitely come for you."
"Yeah, an old friend from vocational school."
Before bed, I messaged Jiang Qingqing on WeChat, but after a few exchanges, she said she wasn't feeling well and wanted to sleep. I figured her stomach pain might have returned, so I told her to rest early and logged off.
Unable to sleep, I logged into QQ. Not long after, Xia Shi sent me a message:
"Li Dehai is waiting for you tomorrow. You shouldn't leave through the main gate."
Xia Shi was beautiful, and I used to have a crush on her. But after finding out she had a boyfriend at the vocational school, I gave up on the love letter idea. Her sudden warning surprised me. I replied:
"I've got a plan."
A moment later, she sent back an "Oh," followed by: "Then do what you think is best."
After that, her avatar went dark—she must have logged off. I was puzzled. Xia Shi is Li Dehai's brother's girlfriend. Why is she warning me?
The next morning, just after second period, as everyone was heading downstairs for exercises, Zhao Lin stormed into our classroom with her usual entourage. Gou Mao, thinking she was here for me again, immediately vacated his seat. But this time, Zhao Lin stopped in front of Xia Shi, pointed at her, and snapped:
"You've got some nerve, badmouthing me at No. 1 High. Think I won't teach you a lesson today?"
Xia Shi stood up. "I didn't badmouth you. You know what you did."
That set Zhao Lin off like a cat with its tail stepped on. She yanked Xia Shi out of her seat by the collar.
Maybe because Xia Shi had warned me yesterday, seeing her bullied like this made me feel bad. I stepped in. "Cut it out. If a teacher shows up, you'll all get in trouble."
When things got worse, I had no choice but to physically block Zhao Lin. She shoved me hard and glared. "You're really protecting her?"
I didn't back down. "Yeah, I am."
We stared each other down until, finally, she sneered. "Fine, Zhang Cheng. You'll regret this." Then she left with her group.
Xia Shi glanced at me and whispered, "Thanks." Then she told the monitor she was going back to the dorm and left. I guessed she was changing—her T-shirt had been torn in the scuffle.
Gou Mao pulled me aside. "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why provoke Zhao Lin? She holds grudges. Now she's coming for you!"
I shrugged. "Let her. I'll deal with it."
That afternoon, I skipped after first period. On Fridays, we only had two classes, ending at 4 PM—a schedule designed to let students go home early. I called Puppy and asked where he was.
"Wait at the school gate," he said. "I'm on my way."