Chapter 47: What Kind of Person Do You Think I Am?
Li Qing Xue didn’t say anything. She plopped down on a bench across from Dragon Brother and finally broke the silence, “It’s raining today. I thought you wouldn’t show up.”
“Ah, the senior year is boring and dull. This place is perfect for relieving stress,” Dragon Brother replied lazily, listening to the rain pattering on the pavilion roof.
“Mixing work with rest is the best way to get into the optimal state,” he added knowingly.
Li Qing Xue shrugged. She wasn’t denying that the cozy environment felt nice.
But come on! Most people would rather drown their stresses in music or video games.
“Only old folks like listening to the sound of flowing water and rain for relaxation. You’re only eighteen, how can you be so old?”
“I’m advanced for my age,” Dragon Brother shot back, like a kid who’d just discovered a new word.
Li Qing Xue let out a laugh. “I don’t believe you’re advanced!”
With that laugh, the clouds of her gloom began to disperse.
She sat on the bench, hugging her knees, lost in thought as she stared at the rain curtain outside the pavilion.
“By the way, sorry for asking, but is your name really Dragon Brother?” she questioned hesitantly.
“Yep! What do you think? Pretty awesome, right?” he grinned, puffing up his chest like a proud rooster.
Li Qing Xue hesitated, lowering her voice, “My friend, uh… disturbed you. Sorry about that. I’m apologizing on their behalf.”
“I’ve been wanting to apologize to you face-to-face but had no opportunity at school. I hope you accept my belated apology.”
Honestly, it was just a silly misunderstanding.
It wasn’t a big deal, just something that Ye Liang Chen happened to overhear.
But at the end of the day, the spark for this whole mess stemmed from him.
Otherwise, why would Ye Liang Chen go looking for dragon trouble?
“Trouble? Me?” Dragon Brother shot a peculiar glance at Li Qing Xue. “Haven’t you heard my legendary stories at school?”
“I have.”
“Hear them, yet you still say this? Who in their right mind would dare to bother me?”
Li Qing Xue blinked, slightly taken aback. “What about Monday at noon? No one came to bother you then?”
Dragon Brother thought for a moment, “Well, this week I’ve been under Hu Yu Ying’s strict watch, cramming practice questions daily. No disturbances at all! So nope, nobody bothered me.”
Hearing his definitive answer left Li Qing Xue puzzled. “Is there perhaps another student named Dragon Brother in our school?”
“Are you kidding me?” His laughter echoed as Li Qing Xue’s suspicious tone set off giggles.
With a gleaming, youthful smile spreading across his face, Dragon Brother effortlessly ignited the mood.
Li Qing Xue’s eyes twinkled. “But you’re so different from the rumors! I heard classmates say you’re super violent and ready to throw punches at the slightest provocation.”
“Whoever dares cross you will never recover!”
“They even said you can kick someone ten meters away in one go!”
“Hold on! Ten meters? Come on, do I look like Superman to you?” Dragon Brother waved his hands like a traffic cop desperate to stop the madness.
Li Qing Xue couldn’t help but smile, “But when I talk to you, I don’t feel like you’re someone who would just start throwing fists!”
“What do you see me as?” Dragon Brother leaned forward, intrigued.
“I don’t know about others, but I see you as a warm yet slightly wild person,” she said seriously.
When he earlier helped her out, she could tell he was really patient with people. And his words didn’t come off as annoying. It felt like talking to a wise older sibling, yet not quite, like a great friend to confide in…
And during their first meeting, when she was interviewing him, he even bent down to her level because of their height difference—what a gentleman!
That’s why she couldn’t quite connect the Dragon Brother mentioned by her desk mate with the one sitting in front of her.
“Thanks! Didn’t expect I’d rate so high in your eyes,” he chuckled, “To be honest, I haven’t always been a marvel. I’ve been working hard to change!”
He picked up his milk carton, “So, you came all the way here just to apologize for your friend?”
Li Qing Xue inhaled deeply and sighed, “Yup.”
Gao Quan said it himself—Ye Liang Chen was stirring up trouble for her sake.
With that in mind, Li Qing Xue worried that she might be dragging Dragon Brother into unnecessary drama. She really didn’t want Dragon Brother going after Ye Liang Chen for revenge. They were classmates and, hey, friends; no need for any unpleasantness!
Especially over a simple misunderstanding!
But now, hearing it from him, that Ye Liang Chen hadn’t bothered him after all.
Was Gao Quan pulling a fast one on her?
Or did Ye Liang Chen tell Gao Quan to mess with her?
Her emotions twisted into a bundle of confusion, but whatever it was, it felt complex.
Dragon Brother looked at her, chuckling, “You guys at this age really blow romantic dilemmas out of proportion, don’t you?”
Seeing someone like Li Qing Xue, who was clearly clueless when it came to romance, he could tell from her expression that she was mulling over yet another dilemma.
I get it. If I had someone beside me for nine years, I’d be tangled up a bit too.
“Love is beautiful for everyone. But a healthy love should help both people grow, rather than getting so tangled up in each other that you dig a deeper hole!”
“Whether it’s you or your friend, if you can’t let go, maybe consider giving them a chance. Look at your relationship from a different angle. Who knows, it could lead to a change.”
“Of course, all of this should wait until after the college entrance exams.”
This was Dragon Brother dropping a little wisdom bomb on her.
He wanted to convey this: Don’t get caught up in romantic woes. If you can’t let go, treat it seriously. Follow your heart without regrets…
Li Qing Xue’s eyes sparkled because Dragon Brother’s words struck a chord deep inside her.
She had set up her own life plan that way.
And she firmly believed that those who truly love will always meet at the peak.
That’s why she hadn’t factored romance into her high school life from the start…
As the rain lightened up, Dragon Brother set the milk beside her, “The rain’s easing up. I need to head out. Hope you won’t be tangled up in conflicts next time we meet.”
Suddenly, Li Qing Xue realized he hadn’t brought an umbrella.
She nearly offered to walk him back but saw him waving his hand at her back, walking off into the rain like a carefree spirit.
It was as if he didn’t fear the storm, striding confidently into the downpour.
As Dragon Brother left, Li Qing Xue looked at the milk beside her and then up through the endless rain, stretching her back lazily…
No matter who deceived her for whatever reasons, as Dragon Brother said, like her life plan, everything could wait until after the college entrance exams…
