"It’s really raining..." Jiang Nian looked up and glanced at the window, where a gust of cold, dust-laden wind blew in.
Oh wow, Li Hua’s championship dream is gone.
The sky was still too early, and he glanced at the ongoing video. The class leader evidently hadn’t woken up yet; the other end was silent.
Jiang Nian didn’t hang up the video call, carefully tiptoed out of the room.
After washing up, he returned to the room and put his phone on silent mode. Then, he took some cash from the drawer, grabbed his bag, and took an umbrella as he went out.
He tossed his phone into his pocket and walked into the misty, cold rain of the early morning under an umbrella.
While buying breakfast at the marinated meat roll shop, he ran into Zhou Haifei again. In the not-too-heavy rain, she was holding an old umbrella.
After saying that, Jiang Nian remembered something and took out his phone from his pocket to check. Fortunately, the video call was still on silent.
In the video, the class leader was still drowsily asleep.
Just as Zhou Haifei was about to buy food, she heard a voice and realized it was Jiang Nian. She greeted awkwardly and handed him a cup of soy milk.
Jiang Nian accepted it and casually asked her about the archery competition while they walked together.
"Did you make it to the finals?"
"Yeah." For some reason, Zhou Haifei suddenly wanted to share, "Because the prize money for that competition is high."
"True, I participated as well." Jiang Nian nodded, "But I heard those two innovation classes have thirty people in the competition."
Hearing this, Zhou Haifei was stunned.
"One... isn’t one class only allowed two people?"
This is why she was so serious; the rule meant that there were probably around thirty senior girls in the finals.
Now that more than half of them had entered the competition, the chances of winning a prize had significantly decreased.
"That’s the rule, but..." Jiang Nian said, "The competition is basically held for them; they are the rule."
Zhou Haifei was dumbfounded for a moment before she spoke with a resigned tone.
"Then I’ll aim for a small prize."
Truly an authentic Zhen Nan person, she accepted the insider setting in just a few seconds. Without a single complaint, she began downgrading her expectations.
To be honest, if Jiang Nian became her ruthless boss, he would definitely exploit her mercilessly.
You wouldn’t want to default on your loans, would you?
"Then if you win a big prize, treat me to breakfast." Jiang Nian thought for a moment, "If I win, the same applies, risk hedging."
Zhou Haifei thought it over, felt it wasn’t a loss, and nodded in agreement.
The two parted at the third-floor entrance, and Jiang Nian waved goodbye as he went upstairs. The raindrops pattered on the stairs, leaving a trail of water stains.
As soon as he entered the classroom, Huang Fang looked up at him.
"Morning, Fangfang." Jiang Nian was somewhat curious, picked up two thermos cups, and asked, "I didn’t see your umbrella outside."
"How did you get here in such heavy rain?"
Huang Fang was an old member of the sixth group and was considered the least abstract, most normal person in the group.
She thought for a moment and answered.
"I have a friend from the next class; we came to the classroom together this morning."
"Oh, I see." Jiang Nian took his phone out of his pocket and placed it flat on the desktop.
As Huang Fang turned around to talk, she glanced over at it and happened to see it.
She thought, who would be video calling so early in the morning? But she quickly turned away, not showing much curiosity.
Knowing too much, in fact, isn’t very beneficial.
Early morning, the classroom was as empty as usual. With the added rain, there was no one else in the classroom except Jiang Nian and Huang Fang.
Jiang Nian searched for his Water Card and probably accidentally hit the silent button.
The phone switched to speaker mode, and the speaker crackled. Then, Li Qingrong’s slightly murmuring voice sounded.
"Are you in the classroom?"
She probably stayed up too late last night, her mind was a bit groggy. Her speaking tone and voice were both nasal.
In the empty classroom with only the sound of rain, it sounded particularly lazy.
Clatter, Huang Fang’s pen dropped to the floor.
She was like a maid who stumbled into a secret meeting, her whole face turning pale, body involuntarily shivering.
Jiang Nian and the class leader...
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through Huang Fang’s mind.
Jiang Nian was also stunned, looked down at the phone. He saw Li Qingrong was already sitting up on her bed, half-asleep.
She was wearing a thin nightgown, one button unbuttoned.
"When did you wake up?"
"Just now." Li Qingrong looked down at the button, intending to change clothes, when suddenly the video call ended with a beep.
She was momentarily confused, then leaned over to look at the phone.
Buzz, Jiang Nian sent a message.
"Changing clothes without blocking the camera?"
Li Qingrong looked down at the one unbuttoned button, slightly frowned, simply half-kneeled on the bed to type a reply.
"Haven’t changed yet."
Jiang Nian: "..... No sense of security at all."
In the dim room, Li Qingrong tilted her head.
Jiang Nian saw the yellow smiling emoji, and couldn’t help but fall into thought.
Could she be mocking me?
But he didn’t think much of it, after all, the class leader was quite straightforward. The probability of sarcasm was low; maybe she was genuinely smiling.
A loud sound of a chair being moved suddenly echoed, and Huang Fang froze.
Jiang Nian noticed and called out.
Huang Fang swallowed, mechanically turned around. She showed a slightly embarrassed smile, looked up, and said softly.
"I didn’t hear anything."
"You’re kind of like trying to prove ’there’s no silver here’ with that. So you heard, just heard." Jiang Nian was indifferent, "I’m totally clean....."
"Can I tell Zhizhi?" Huang Fang asked tentatively.
"But if we’re being honest!" Jiang Nian said with a clap, patting Huang Fang on the shoulder, "How do I usually treat you?"
"Quite... quite well." Huang Fang was a bit guilty.