Chapter 24: A Small Quarrel

After noon dismissal, Chen Qiao stayed to write his novel, as did Wu Xin Yu to copy math homework, just like yesterday.

He left on time, and Wu Xin Yu shadowed him.
Descending the stairs, they passed boarders returning from lunch.

Yesterday might’ve been a coincidence, but today?

He stopped, glancing back.
She bumped his right shoulder, brushed past without a word, and strode ahead.

He’d planned to let her explain today—yesterday’s quick answer had irked her.

“Math problems are on the back blackboard.
Go do them,” he told the eager boarders.

They rushed off, asking nothing else.

Chen Qiao saw himself as class third overall, but rankings fluctuated—second at best, seventh or eighth at worst.
A bad essay or flubbed math question could tank him; most kids were within a few points of each other.

This made Wu Xin Yu’s consistent first place impressive.

Free from her piercing stare, he watched her graceful, slender back, short ponytail swaying, occasionally wiping sweat from her brow.

His sister walked faster today, already at the intersection with friends while he and Wu Xin Yu were still halfway up the slope.
Her last class was probably PE.

“Sis, wait!” he shouted, waving, sprinting downhill.

Wu Xin Yu trailed, catching up.
“You stayed late just to walk home with Fei Fei Jie?”

“Can’t I?”

“Oh.”

But that’s no excuse for slacking, affecting your desk mate, and secretly studying!

She outran him, reaching the slope’s base first, politely greeting Chen Fei Fei.

He dashed toward his sister, braking late, stumbling a few extra steps from momentum, crashing into her chest, panting heavily.

His weak body couldn’t even outrun a girl, though Wu Xin Yu’s athleticism topped most girls.

Post-PE, his sister carried a faint mix of fragrance and sweat.

“Why rush?
I’m not going anywhere,” Chen Fei Fei said, ruffling his hair fondly.

“Hungry.”

As Wu Xin Yu walked off, gossipy Ye Qing Lan slung an arm over his shoulder.
“Abiao, really no dating Wu Principal’s daughter?
You always leave late together.”

“Not everyone’s a romance nut like you,” he said, brushing her hand off.

Chen Fei Fei stifled a laugh.
“Well said.”

“So you’re just glued to your sister?
You’ll never grow up,” Ye Qing Lan teased, her instincts sharp.

“Don’t be jealous of our bond just ‘cause you and your brother don’t get along.”

Chen Fei Fei hugged him from behind, arms around his neck.
“Exactly.”

“You guys never fight?” Ye Qing Lan asked, curious.
He seemed nicer than her own brother.

“Of course we fight.
Used to brawl all the time,” Chen Fei Fei said.

“See?
No siblings get along perfectly.
It’s all for show,” Ye Qing Lan said.

Chen Qiao’s mood grew complex.
Past fights were usually his fault.
Now, he wouldn’t start one, and her temperament didn’t spark conflicts either.

Should he pick a fight?
Small squabbles could strengthen their bond.
Playing rogue was easy, but being petty felt… off.

During noon’s Dongxi Anime Club, he’d noted their submission email and address.
He’d write niche anime analyses with screenshots—high chance of acceptance.
For other magazines, he’d check Golden Key Bookstore or the school library for back issues, usually with submission pages.

Chen Fei Fei sat beside him, eagerly patting her thigh, wordlessly inviting him, ignoring her beloved cross-stitch.

Unable to resist, he lay across her soft lap, pondering life and the future.

Eyes closed, not sleeping, he planned his novel’s next steps, treating the show like a radio—familiar clips he’d seen before.

Her hand brushed his cheek and hair, pinching his face.

He knew he was her toy.
They’d fought over this once—she’d pinched too hard, reddening his face, and stopped after.
Now, her touch was gentle, shifting spots, and he didn’t mind—maybe even liked it.

Fighting over this and losing her pinches or lap naps would be a huge loss.
Better pick smaller, resolvable quarrels.

The show ended with The Tale of Genji: A Thousand Years’ opening, Hiyori Hime.
Its grooming theme echoed his current schemes, though he appeared as the one being shaped.

“Yawn… time for school,” he said.

“Not napping more?”

“I’m good.
More sleep, I’ll get a headache.
You sleepy?”

“Not tired.”

“Let’s go.”

He couldn’t keep dragging her from noon study.
Plus, another Wu Xin Yu encounter would be too much—too frequent lately.

For a shy duckling like Lin Na, he’d nurture her, make her dependent.
For a proud swan like Wu Xin Yu, he’d play hard-to-get, stay mysterious, let her chase him.

Before leaving, they hit the bathroom together.
He’d planned to wait her out—the pigpen squat toilet reeked, only bearable for big jobs in the morning when less fermented.
Midday sun made it unbearable.

“Not going?” she asked, pulling him along.

“I was…”

She worried he’d smell her urine, embarrassed by the stench.

If he knew her thoughts, he’d quip, “But you’re fine with me seeing you?”

She thought odor was worse.

Of course, they ran into Wu Xin Yu again.
She’d debated coming early to see Fei Fei but avoid Chen Qiao, yet here they were.

Lin Na arrived too, making it a historic four-way meet.
Seeing the stunning Chen Fei Fei and Wu Xin Yu, she froze, too shy to greet, bolting up the slope.

“Lin Na, wait!
Sis, I’m heading to school,” Chen Qiao called.

“Don’t run too fast.”

Thankfully, Lin Na slowed, stopping to wait, or he might not have caught up.

Walking side by side, Wu Xin Yu trailed a step behind, spying on their dynamic.

“Why’d you run?” he asked, panting, treating it as exercise.

“Didn’t see you.
Wanted to get to class early for homework,” she said, tugging her pants, fearing his dislike.

He didn’t call out her fib, shifting topics.
“Not with your sister?”

“It’s early.
Xiao Yu has nothing to do at school, so she helps at the family stall.”

Younger kids played games at school; Lin Yu seemed a quiet homebody.

“Decided on your art homework?”

“Yeah, the school.”

“Use a ruler for building lines, add shading—it’ll look legit, no coloring hassle.
Teachers can’t grade our school too low.”

“Makes sense.
You’re so smart,” she said earnestly, not thinking of that herself.

“Let’s paint together during next week’s PE—free movement time.”

This week, focus on the monthly exam; Lin Na likely helped at her family’s fruit stall on weekends.

“Okay.”

A date!
Wu Xin Yu’s alarm bells rang.

“I want to paint the school too.
Can I join, exchange tips?” Wu Xin Yu probed, aiming to monitor, gather evidence, oblivious to being a third wheel.

She’d finished her art but could do another.
Rejection would confirm Chen Qiao and Lin Na’s “issue.”

“Huh?” Both were startled by her odd request.

“Sure,” he agreed.

No reason to refuse—in school, she’d tag along anyway.
Her motive was unclear.

Lin Na seemed uneasy.
With Wu Xin Yu’s guidance, Chen Qiao might not need her, and art was one of her few strengths.

Gatekeepers Zheng Hui Jun and Tian Zhen were used to Chen Qiao and Wu Xin Yu arriving together.
Zheng Hui Jun sensed something, fueled by boarder girls’ gossip about their late departures and an embellished hand-holding incident on the field.

Despite Wu Xin Yu’s low profile, boys loved to brag, spreading rumors fast.
She thought early dating was sneaky, especially for top students.

She’d ruled out Lin Na as Chen Qiao’s match—too plain, short, and poor at studies.
Only their desk-mate status let her talk to him, a shield for his “real” romance with Wu Xin Yu.