Chapter 363: Compensation
In the middle of the night, Xia Yu couldn’t remember how she fell asleep.
The next morning, Jiang Kekai, who woke up first, used the same method from last night to wake Xia Yu up again. It was so addictive and worked wonders, making the groggy Xia Yu suddenly wide awake.
“Sister Little Ning, you’re bullying me again.”
“So what if I am? This isn’t our first time; why be shy now? Get up, let’s wake those two up too.”
They had to leave for somewhere soon, so after a bit of playful teasing, Jiang Kekai slipped away: “Alright, go wake them up; I’m heading to the bathroom first.”
Seeing how irresponsible Sister Little Ning was being, Xia Yu was both annoyed and helpless. She just couldn’t believe how this irresponsible behavior continued even now. Huffing out her cheeks and pounding the blanket angrily, Xia Yu got up to change clothes and put on her shoes before heading to the adjacent room.
Bang bang bang～
“Hey, you two inside, it’s time to get up.” Click…
Jiang Hanhang’s messy hair appeared as she looked at Xia Yu with disdain, “Xia Yu, you feeling itchy? Want my sister to give you a lesson?” “Looks like it’s you who’s feeling itchy. Is it so easy to bully my younger sister? Go through me first.”
Next second, Jiang Hanhang was pulled back by Xia Ling, followed by her pitiful wails echoing in the room, “Little Ling, did your sister say something similar? Will you please listen to reason?”
……
With the mission complete, hearing Jiang Hanhang’s complaints made Xia Yu feel much better. Indeed, joy seems more obtainable from others’ pain.
At around eight, the house was quiet except for the parents and older brother who’d probably left early. After washing up, Xia Yu took a stab at cooking breakfast herself.
After all, she was sent by Little Ning Sister to learn from Master Chen, and she’d been at it for days. If she had to keep buying food from outside, then what was the point of learning?
So… Xia Yu personally made a pot of century egg and lean meat porridge, becoming the girls’ breakfast, simple yet delicious. Jiang Hanhang and Xia Ling each dug into three big bowls. Then, it was time for school.
After taking a two-month leave and a month-long winter break, it had really been a while since they returned. Xia Yu wasn’t sure if the classmates still remembered them. Except for Jiang Kekai, the other three were still low-key in their uniforms, with dedicated rides dropping them off and directly to school… perhaps because it was the start of the term, there were more cars than usual clogging up the road about one hundred meters from the entrance. They waited five whole minutes but remained stuck.
Seeing this, Jiang Kekai decided, “Little Yu, Xia Ning, Hanhang, let’s walk from here.” “Okay.”
All three backed the idea. They’d been stuck in traffic for so long, it was no picnic.
Seeing the young ladies had made their decision, Zhao Wei immediately unlocked the electronic door of the car. Meanwhile, she used her earphones to call the surrounding bodyguards: “Mistress wants to walk to school, send a few of you guys to follow just in case.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
…
Watching the four leave, Zhao Wei sighed jealously. How wonderful it would be to be part of such a close-knit group. And so, the four smoothly arrived at school.
As they went in deeper, sounds of honks decreased, making them feel much more comfortable.
The homeroom teacher, He Gongxing, stood up in excitement seeing Jiang Kekai and Jiang Hanhang come personally to pay their dues. The principal had said he’d handle their fees and subsequent miscellaneous charges, allowing them to only worry about attending class.
Hearing that, Jiang Kekai paused as she reached into her bag for her card, then withdrew her hand. “Since the principal said so, we won’t turn down a favor.” “Yes, your seats remain the same. Anything else happening in school, you can tell me.”
Completely ignoring his message, Jiang Kekai patted Xia Yu’s head, reminding her, “Be sure to focus this term, or you’ll go to remedial lessons again.” Xia Yu replied blankly, “I know.”
The homeroom teacher noticed the change in Xia Yu, almost thinking Xia Yu might be a girl cross-dressing. But he wasn’t certain.
After bidding farewell to Jiang Kekai, the three girls returned to their old classroom. Though familiar, returning also brought some mixed feelings.
By then, most people in class were already there. The arrival of the three girls didn’t raise much attention as everyone was busy with their phones and partly forgot who they were.
Hanhang and Xia Yu were pleased with this low-key return. They preferred to blend in with the crowd anyway.
Meeting eyes, Xia Yu peeled away from the group, returning alone to her throne-like desk by the window. Xiao Tian, unsurprisingly, was engrossed in his phone game.
“Cough, excuse me…”
Recognizing Xia Yu’s voice, Xiao Tian turned back, surprised at her reappearance. After three months of disappearance, she was back. Immediately, he maneuvered his chair aside, clearing a path for Xia Yu to come in and sit down.
Returning to her familiar spot, Xia Yu felt bittersweet. Dust had accumulated over three months, and she was glad she hadn’t dived in straightaway. Opening the pink backpack Jiang Hanhang had gifted her, she pulled out a bottle of water and a packet of tissues. Time to clean up.
She cleaned up, putting everything back neatly. Xiao Tian observed Xia Yu closely, wondering why she seemed more feminine. Did this male classmate actually have a secret?
Xiao Tian’s curiosity got the best of him, “So, where have you been for these past three months? I’ve hardly heard from you. I thought you might not come back here. Do you know how bored I’ve been sitting here alone?”
Xia Yu couldn’t answer all his questions, so she dodged the topic, “When does this semester end?”
“Well played, right away asking about holidays. No idea when, but it should be mid-June. That’s ages away. Hey, where are Li Jia and Gao Yao?”
“They were found playing during class and were moved to the back of Group One.”
Xiao Tian pointed at an empty seat near the door, “Everyone’s changed seats except me. What are you going to do about that?”
“Well, what kind of compensation can you think of? Food?”
“Do you have any snacks?”
Xiao Tian had joked initially, but Xia Yu actually had treats, so he couldn’t help but ask, “Can I have some?”
Xia Yu rolled her eyes, “Give you all the spicy sticks, half a pack of chips, and chocolates are mine. Half the candies are yours.” “Can I have some chocolate? It looks really fancy. I want to try it.”
Xiao Yu stared.
During that time, Hanhang snapped a few photos of Xia Yu with her phone and sent them to her sister to complain about their earlier treatment.
But Xia Yu was clueless.
After distributing the snacks, Xia Yu stored the rest in her bag, and put it away. As Xiao Tian continued munching on the snacks, he asked, “Bro, why carry that kind of pink bag? It’s so easy for misunderstandings.”
“It’s none of your business. Someone gave it to me, might as well use it.”
Xia Tian was curious, “What about your shoes? Give me a link to see.”
Xia Yu ignored him, “Bought them from a store. Got no link, eat your food.”
Sorting out the textbooks from the previous term, Xia Yu spotted the book given by Jiang Hanhang. Although hard to read, it couldn’t be ignored. Dusting it off, she placed it on the desk. The rest she organized and tucked into the drawer.
Just as he had another suggestion, this time a reminder, “Xia Yu, almost graduating. Throw away the old textbooks. Otherwise, it’s only wasted space.”
Ignoring him, she continued organizing the books, filling the drawer.
Xiao Tian stopped talking. Let her do as she pleased, as long as he could have snacks, “Tomorrow, is there more of that chip? Please bring another package. This flavor is great.”
Xia Yu couldn’t help rolling her eyes again.
Gradually, others in class began to recognize Xia Yu. The “super fake boy” had finally returned. Rumors about Xia Yu’s past quickly spread among classmates, reminiscing over memories together.
Unavoidably, Xia Yu caught snippets, but she chose to ignore, fearing she might feel overwhelmed otherwise.
Meanwhile, Jiang Kekai saw her sister Jiang Hanhang’s text messages and pictures, turning her face black with a scowl…
