**Chapter 262: Tattle-Taboo**
The final bell rang, and Xia Yu couldn’t resist the urge to lay her head on the desk out of sheer boredom. She still clutched two adorable plushies in her hands. Yes, Xia Yu had put in an honest effort to listen but, with shaky fundamentals, she understood nothing. It was so frustrating! *Little Yu, want to go to the bathroom? Want to come with me?*
Li Jia and Guo Yao, who had offered, glanced at Xia Yu, who promptly turned her head away and lazily replied, “Nah.”
“You should come. Stuck in the classroom all day isn’t fun, right? Just going for a walk would do you good.”
*Nope.*
Xia Yu kept to her stance. The fewer problems, the better.
Li Jia and Guo Yao exchanged a look and then turned their eyes to Gao Xiaotian, who was discreetly gaming on his phone under his desk. His radar must have been super-tuned because he instinctively sensed someone was staring at him, and sure enough, there they were, eyeing him like vultures.
Gao Xiaotian glanced at Xia Yu, then at Li Jia and Guo Yao, who were making suggestive eye motions like she was a puppeteer. *Gotcha.* He instantly stashed his phone and cleared the way for the ladies.
Meanwhile, Xia Yu pressed her little face against the window, pretending to meditate. She was blissfully unaware of the commotion unfolding behind her.
Li Jia approached her with a sly grin, confidently embracing Xia Yu from behind. *”Come on, let’s go.”*
*”No thanks.”*
*”Well, unless you want me to hold on… I did notice something.”*
With that, she teasingly grazed Xia Yu’s back, where Xia Yu wore a cute little vest under her shirt.
Perfect. Li Jia wanted to ruffle Xia Yu a bit just in case.
Right then, Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang walked over, linking arms like a pair of schoolgirls on a mission. They were met with a scene straight out of a slapstick comedy.
*”Break it up, break it up!”* Jiang Hanhang yanked Li Jia away, while Xia Ling helped.
*”What’s going on here? Why am I getting pulled?”*
Li Jia was baffled by their intervention. Did they think she was harassing Xia Yu?
*”Xiao Yu already has a crush, so please respect her personal space,”* Jiang Hanhang stated matter-of-factly.
This revelation sparked whispers among the students. Everyone leaned in, eager to gossip.
Noticing their stares, Jiang Hanhang added, “*Her heart belongs to my sister.*”
She said this loudly, almost as if she wanted the whole class, male or female, to know about Xiao Yu’s relationship status. It was the equivalent of throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripples.
Xiao Yu’s face turned scarlet. Jiang Hanhang knew exactly what pressure she was putting on her.
*”Your sister?”* Li Jia was taken aback. *”Xiao Yu and your sister… really?”*
*”It’s none of your business. My sister confessed to Xiao Yu already.”* Jiang Hanhang shrugged, disinterested.
*”So Xiao Yu agreed?”*
*”What else?”*
The gossip buzz grew even louder. People started realizing the connections between the seemingly unrelated girls. The air was thick with intrigue and speculation.
Xia Ling sneaked over to Xia Yu, playfully pinching her nose like she had won a bet. “Alright, let’s go with me to the toilet, little brat.”
Xia Yu grudgingly obliged, her cheeks still red-hot. Xia Ling wouldn’t let up easily.
Li Jia and Guo Yao caught up. Li Jia, always curious, grilled Jiang Hanhang for details.
*”Seriously, what did you mean about Xiao Yu liking someone? Was that true?”*
*”Why does it matter to you?”*
Jiang Hanhang shot Li Jia a look. Her patience was wearing thin, but duty called.
*”Look, keep your distance from Xiao Yu. You know too much already, and she’s spoken for.”*
Xia Yu could only sigh internally. This was getting ridiculous.
After the bathroom break, Xia Yu found herself facing a surprise—Jiang Kekai was waiting for her outside. What was she doing here? *Little Yu, follow me.* Jiang Kekai grabbed her wrist and dragged her away, leaving the classroom behind. Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang followed closely, abandoning Li Jia and Guo Yao to puzzle over the scene.
*”What’s happening?”* Jiang Kekai led them to a quieter spot near some stone tables. *”The school gates have been sealed off. We can’t leave easily.”*
Xia Yu’s mind wandered. *Is this some kind of game? We’re supposed to be in a rule-abiding society now.* Jiang Kekai sensed her distraction and gave her forehead a gentle tap.
*”Concentrate!* They’re after you, remember!”
*”Me? Why?”* Xia Yu was confused.
*”You’ll have to trust me. I’ll explain later.”*
Just then, Jiang Hanhang decided to lighten the mood. *”Hey sis, Xiao Yu was getting cozy with other girls earlier.”*
