That tone of yours sounds quite regretful.
Xu Xi propped her head with her hand and said with a smile, "I won’t understand her from what others say. Jiangjiang is just Jiangjiang, not the horrible person others deliberately slander her to be. She’s really great."
Xu Xi thought back to that day in the restroom.
The way she coldly told her to fight back, she really looked so cool and impressive.
And it was that very sentence that gave her boundless courage.
She could just fight back—wasn’t Jiang Nanshu there for her?
At that moment, Xu Xi felt like she had found a powerful supporter.
Immediately after, she felt a bit worried and glanced at the sleeping Jiang Nanshu, then whispered to Xu Xingwan’s ear, "I saw Chen Qian in the hospital..."
"She’s paralyzed on one side, blind in one eye, deaf in one ear. She screams in bed every day, claiming Jiangjiang harmed her, and she only quiets down when the doctors sedate her."
Xu Xingwan frowned and let out a cold laugh, "She’s really good at blaming others. The police have determined she was abused by her own father. She’s still blaming others; it looks like she’s just after money. Jiang Nanshu really was blind to befriend someone like her. Xixi, you don’t need to worry about it. Don’t even tell Jiang Nanshu. Chen Qian won’t be stirring up any trouble."
With Chen Qian’s mental state, as soon as she gets better, she’ll probably be sent straight to a psychiatric hospital.
Xu Xi nodded her head.
These past few days flew by quickly.
Despite the rumors spread by Su Ran and Lu Qingyan reaching her ears, she remained unmoved, fully immersed in her studies.
This made those who were hoping for drama doubt if Jiang Nanshu was possessed.
Nothing was more shocking than seeing Jiang Nanshu attend the public math and physics classes.
It was as if she listened, but also as if she didn’t.
Because she started to feel sleepy the moment the professor asked them to solve problems.
Even when she encountered Su Ran in public classes, she ignored her, let alone confront her.
Jiang Nanshu had a fulfilling life, the only bother being Xu Xi, her ever-present shadow. Now, during mealtime and taking advantage of Xu Xi going to get food, Jiang Nanshu sneaked to the vending machine to buy a bottle of icy orange soda, took a few sips, and closed her eyes in comfort.
Da Shachun saw how content she looked and began to despair again: [Host, you’re not taking the initiative. Why bother collecting Disgust Value at all!]
"Just with my reputation, do I really need to make a move? Those who should hate me won’t get away."
Da Shachun: [...The only good thing about you is that you’re self-aware.]
"Thanks for the compliment."
"Anyway, the drama meant for me will come on its own, even if I don’t take the initiative."
Da Shachun suddenly realized something: [Right, Fenglin Villa is also a plot point. You push the female protagonist into the water, then by accident, get dragged in yourself. The female protagonist is rescued by everyone, while you nearly drown.]
So being the evil supporting character is really tough.
You need to have lots of skills to prevent sudden demise.
But she really couldn’t swim and had never learned how.
So in the afternoon, when the driver picked her up to go back to the villa, they passed by a swimming gym, where people were handing out flyers advertising an offer: [For only 99.9 yuan, try swimming for a day, with personal instruction from a coach. Money back if you don’t learn!]
"Stop the car," Jiang Nanshu suddenly spoke up.
The driver slammed on the brakes and looked over at Jiang Nanshu, "Second Miss, what’s wrong?"
Jiang Nanshu got out of the car and looked at the swimming gym, "I’m having a craving to watch others swim."
That’s an unusual hobby.
But as long as she doesn’t take it into her head to jump into the swimming gym...
The driver got out of the car as well, "Miss, let me accompany you inside."
"No need. Just wait for me outside. You can watch short videos on Douyin for an hour."
The driver’s heart was instantly moved - such a great boss.
Even letting him watch videos while paid.
He pulled out his phone, his eyes brimming with tears, "Mission accomplished!"
Soon, the voice of a middle-aged woman from the short video filled the air.
"Pursue your passion with boldness~ do not fear the idle gossip~"
Jiang Nanshu turned to look and saw the driver, a man past his fifties, showing a silly smile.
The swimming pool staff saw someone approaching and quickly came forward with a flyer, "Hello, learn about our swimming and fitness programs."
Jiang Nanshu took it and saw that the 99.9 offer was a recent promotion where you could only train for one day. You could learn as much as the coach could teach you in that day.
There were also monthly packages below.
Seeing Jiang Nanshu silent, the staff member tried his best to make a sale, "Miss, our deal here is very good. For 99.9 you can learn for a whole day until closing. If you’re interested in swimming afterwards, consider our monthly programs. A professional coach will guide you. If you want one-on-one lessons, check out the 6999 package. If you can’t swim by the end of the year, we’ll give you a full refund."
Jiang Nanshu ignored the four-figure sums, glancing at the 99.9 and pointing, "Do you guys support bargaining?"
"What?" The staff member thought he had misheard, "Bargaining?"
Jiang Nanshu nodded, "Because I’m only learning for an hour."
He forced a smile, "So, what’s your ideal price?"
"Nine yuan and ninety cents."
The staff member: "..."
"Don’t bother bargaining, just come and chop me instead."
In the end, Jiang Nanshu still went in.
Because the swimming pool operated for ten hours a day, after calculating, one hour did indeed amount to nine yuan and ninety cents.
Everyone at the swimming pool had grim faces, except for Jiang Nanshu who was delighted.
It was truly a rare sight, the first time seeing someone so stingy!
But then she went in and bought a swimsuit worth three hundred yuan.
Are they poor, or not poor after all?
Jiang Nanshu changed into a suspender swimsuit. The thin black fabric highlighted her voluptuous figure, her skin pale as snow, and she walked barefoot beside the pool, creating a captivating scene in the swimming hall.
The gaze of the patrons inside the hall couldn’t help but linger on Jiang Nanshu.
She tied her hair up with her hand. The one-piece swimsuit showcased her delicate collarbones and slender swan neck, while a very short skirt covered the tops of her thighs, every movement exuding charm.
"Hello, I’m the coach assigned to teach you." The man’s voice had a magnetic quality.
Jiang Nanshu looked up. The man was tall, and her height of 165 cm barely reached his shoulders.
After seeing his face clearly, Jiang Nanshu smiled, "Handsome, you look familiar. What’s your name?"
Duan Huaiyu slightly looked down. He was wearing a black, tight-fitting tank top, his abs faintly visible beneath it.
He never expected Jiang Nanshu to remember his name. To her, a male model who had only been booked by her once and was quite unremarkable, it’d indeed be hard to catch her attention.
"Miss Jiang, my name is Duan Huaiyu." But he still repeated it.
"Whatever you want to learn, I can teach you." His robust facial features remained composed, maintaining a professional distance from her.
He was the effective bodyguard rounded up by Su Ran.
According to the storyline, he had already accepted Su Ran’s grace.
Jiang Nanshu’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes catching sight of Su Ran walking through the main entrance, "What a small world, here we meet again."