novelraw Chapter 37
Chapter 37
Chapter 37 Got Caught Clubbing 🙂After Qin Qing asked that question, the entire T-shaped corridor fell into a deep silence.
Looking at the girl’s aggrieved expression, Wen Yufeng felt as if someone was stirring his heart with a stick, churning up all those indescribable desires and greed that he could no longer suppress.
Just as he couldn’t hold back anymore and took a step forward with darkened eyes, the security door behind Qin Qing suddenly opened from the inside.
Grandma Qin leaned out.
“Tian Tian, why aren’t you coming in if you’re back—oh? Is this your classmate?”
The appearance of Grandma Qin made both of them freeze in place.
After a moment, Qin Qing turned around in a bit of a panic. “Grandma, I’ll come in right away.”
But Grandma Qin had already noticed the thermos in Wen Yufeng’s hand and smiled warmly. “Oh, this child is here to return the thermos, right? How was it? Did you enjoy the chicken soup porridge I made?”
“…”
It had been years since anyone had called him a “child” with such warmth and familiarity, so Wen Yufeng was momentarily taken aback before he looked down at the thermos in his hand. Then he looked up again. “Thank you, it was very good. I didn’t waste a single drop.”
Wen Yufeng’s words made Grandma Qin smile even more, while Qin Qing couldn’t help but widen her eyes and look back at him.
——
If Wen Yufeng acted this obedient at school, the teachers and students would probably be so shocked they’d drop their glasses, right?
While Qin Qing was lost in thought, she heard Grandma Qin, who was beaming, start to invite Wen Yufeng inside.
“You’re just in time! I made a table full of good food for Tian Tian today.
Why don’t you come in and join us?”
Qin Qing was even more bewildered as she looked at Grandma Qin.
…Wasn’t Grandma just complaining about Wen Yufeng getting too close to girls? Why was she now inviting him inside?
Grandma Qin winked at her but didn’t explain. Instead, she turned her gaze back to Wen Yufeng, who hadn’t yet reacted.
“Have you had dinner?”
Wen Yufeng instinctively told the truth, “No.”
Grandma Qin gestured for him to come in. “Then you’re in luck, come in quickly.”
With that, Grandma Qin turned back into the house, leaving her words trailing behind her.
“And don’t forget to bring the thermos in, just put it on the table.”
The “child,” who hadn’t even flinched when surrounded by a dozen people with knives, stood there dazed for a long moment before following behind the now-silent Qin Qing into the house.
After that, Wen Yufeng was completely dazed as Grandma Qin directed him to wash his hands, serve the soup, and set the table. It wasn’t until he picked up his chopsticks at the table that his rationality finally returned.
But now that the chopsticks were in his hand, it clearly wasn’t appropriate to decline, so Wen Yufeng softly thanked Grandma Qin.
Qin Qing was also watching in amazement.
It wasn’t just that. It was because, even for her, it was the first time seeing this big boy acting like a well-behaved puppet, going east when told to go east, and west when told to go west… If the teachers and students at school saw this, they wouldn’t just drop their glasses; their eyes would probably pop out of their heads.
But she had to admit, seeing this unusually obedient side of Wen Yufeng was kind of… cute.
Shaking that scary thought out of her head, Qin Qing picked up her chopsticks as well.
Just as she was about to take her first bite of rice, Qin Qing hesitated. Then she glanced sideways, looking at the boy next to her.
At this glance, her eyes paused slightly.
“Huh?” Grandma Qin’s attention was also drawn over. “You’re left-handed?”
Wen Yufeng, who had been moving hesitantly, immediately put down his chopsticks and looked straight at Grandma Qin.
“Including writing, there’s basically no difference between my left and right hands.”
But Grandma Qin was amused by how serious he was.
“Why are you acting like this is a job interview? There’s no need to be nervous; just think of this as your own home.”
After saying that, she turned to Qin Qing. “Tian Tian, your parents always brag about how smart you are, but you can’t do this, can you?”
Qin Qing was also somewhat amazed as she looked at Wen Yufeng and then nodded.
“Yeah, that’s really impressive.”
“…”
A rare hint of unease flashed across the dark eyes of the boy.
Knowing that Wen Yufeng’s family situation was not simple, Grandma Qin refrained from asking any more questions about it, instead asking a few harmless questions about school.
The dinner table was relatively quiet after that, with only occasional exchanges between Grandma Qin and Qin Qing.
When the meal was finally over, Wen Yufeng got up to help Grandma Qin and Qin Qing clear the dishes.
In the kitchen, Wen Yufeng naturally took the dishes to the sink. Just as Qin Qing was about to take over, Grandma Qin gently pulled her back.
Qin Qing, puzzled, turned to look at Grandma Qin.
But Grandma Qin didn’t say anything, just motioned with her chin toward where the boy was standing.
Although she didn’t quite understand Grandma Qin’s intent, Qin Qing quietly observed.
After a while, she began to have an inkling of what Grandma Qin was noticing.
Standing by the sink in his dark gray loungewear, the boy was slightly lowering his eyes. His soft, clean black hair fell over his sharp, white profile. His long, slender fingers held the dishcloth, gently wiping the bone china plates with practiced ease.
At this moment, Wen Yufeng was different from the lazy, indifferent schoolboy rumored to be a delinquent, and from the senior she had met before. He had a quiet, serene aura, almost like a beautiful painting.
——Clearly, this wasn’t his first time doing such things.
Then Qin Qing recalled the home she had visited—a place that was clean and tidy, but somewhat lonely.
The bed in the side room was neatly made, without a single wrinkle, so clean it seemed as if no one lived there.
No wonder he seemed so uneasy before and after the meal… Maybe it had been a long time since he had eaten with someone else at home.
When the festive season arrives, with the lively sounds of firecrackers and laughter filling the air outside, was he always alone in that cold, empty house?
When the weather changes, no one reminds him to dress warmly; when he falls ill, no one asks him how he’s feeling; when he’s injured, no one worries about how much pain he’s in…
Is that why he doesn’t care about that long, ghastly scar? Because there’s no one to feel sad for him, no one who even knows or cares?
“…”
Qin Qing couldn’t bear to think any further. She lowered her eyes, pressing her hand against her heart.
Inside, it felt as if it had been soaked in something sour, so much so that it hurt.
She turned and went to the living room.
As she reached the living room, she could still faintly hear Grandma Qin’s voice coming from the kitchen:
“You wash dishes much more thoroughly than our Tian Tian does. When Tian Tian washes dishes, it’s like a kitten washing its face, just a quick swipe with its paw and it’s done.”
There was a low, muffled laugh from the boy.
“Tian Tian’s hands are too small to hold the dishes. She should probably stay away from the kitchen to avoid breaking them.”
Eavesdropping from the living room, Qin Qing’s face remained expressionless: “…”
But Grandma Qin wasn’t the least bit upset about her granddaughter being talked about like that. Instead, she cheerfully chimed in.
“I think you’re right. But you seem really good at this, kid. Do you do all the cooking, cleaning, and housework at home by yourself?”
Qin Qing’s heart tightened as she turned her gaze toward the kitchen.
The soft, lingering sound of a smile hadn’t completely faded from the boy’s voice as he replied, “Yeah, I’m used to living alone. If there’s anything that needs fixing or moving around your house, just give me a call anytime, and I’ll be happy to help.”
“Well, I might just take you up on that. It’s just Tian Tian and me living here, and I’m getting too old to do much. Tian Tian is small and doesn’t have much strength, so sometimes there are things we can’t handle ourselves. It’s not really worth calling someone in, but it’s hard for us to manage alone.”
“Then just call me anytime. Helping you out isn’t a bother at all.”
Sitting in the living room, Qin Qing’s small face tensed up as she listened.
——
In her memory, when did Wen Yufeng’s voice become so pleasant? It almost made him unrecognizable.
…
A few minutes later, Wen Yufeng and Grandma Qin walked out of the kitchen, one after the other.
At this moment, the look in Grandma Qin’s eyes as she gazed at Wen Yufeng was as kind as it could possibly be.
“Xiao Yu, make sure to come to Grandma’s house for dinner every weekend from now on. I’ll make some good food for you.”
Qin Qing, sitting on the sofa nearby, was stunned, and the yawn she had been about to let out due to exhaustion was stifled.
—”Xiao Yu”??
She widened her beautiful almond eyes and stared at the two of them in disbelief.
“…”
Wen Yufeng, who had just walked out of the kitchen, hesitated for a moment. When he inadvertently glanced at Qin Qing, who was sitting on the sofa with a look of shock, he couldn’t help but smile a little, and then he replied, “Okay, thank you, Grandma.”
“There’s no need to thank me. From now on, don’t be so formal with Grandma.”
Grandma Qin warmly escorted Wen Yufeng to the door, only turning back inside after he had entered his own home.
When Grandma Qin returned to the living room, Qin Qing couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Grandma, why are you being so… nice to him?”
“That child lives alone; isn’t that pitiful? What’s wrong with inviting him over for a meal?”
Grandma Qin gave Qin Qing a slightly reproachful look. “When you were little, you couldn’t take your eyes off a stray dog, and now you have no sympathy left?”
“…”
Qin Qing was at a loss for words, and then she finally reacted, “But Grandma, didn’t you say before that he was probably the kind who often causes trouble with girls at school?”
“That was before I met him. I didn’t know him then. But now that I’ve seen him, I’ve lived long enough to be a good judge of character. That boy is definitely not the kind of person you were talking about.”
“…”
Qin Qing innocently widened her eyes.
—When did it become something she said??
It seemed Grandma Qin noticed Qin Qing’s disagreement, so she sighed but still smiled.
“Do you remember how I told you that my parents didn’t agree with my marriage to your grandpa at first? Do you remember what he did?”
The sudden change in topic left Qin Qing a bit dazed, but she instinctively answered from memory, “Didn’t Grandpa stand outside your house without eating or drinking for a day and a half, until he moved your parents?”
“That’s right.”
Grandma Qin nodded, smiling as she walked back toward the kitchen. “You kids these days, your minds are more restless than ever. There aren’t many who can patiently wait for someone for a long time anymore.”
“…”
Qin Qing was still confused, and she wanted to ask more, but Grandma Qin had already turned her back, clearly not intending to say anything further.
…
The next day, late in the afternoon, Lin Manxue knocked on the security door of Grandma Qin’s house once again.
Dragged out in a hurry, Qin Qing was very confused. “It’s already this late, where are we going?”
Lin Manxue pulled Qin Qing downstairs and straight into a waiting taxi.
As soon as they were seated, she winked at Qin Qing. “I’m taking you to a fun place.”
Spooked by the look in her eyes and what she said, Qin Qing instinctively shrank back toward the car door.
“You’re not going to take me to a mixed martial arts arena, are you?”
“Mixed martial arts arena? What on earth?”
Lin Manxue was taken aback, but after two seconds, she waved her hand nonchalantly.
“Don’t worry, it’s not a bloody and terrifying place like that. We’re going to a place with a lot of ambiance.”
“…”
Half an hour later, the taxi stopped beside the Fenghua Entertainment City.
Qin Qing stubbornly refused to get out of the car.
“Manxue! You’re tricking me into coming to a place like this again!”
“Tsk, what do you mean by ‘a place like this’? We’re not going to a KTV this time. The entertainment city has many levels!”
Lin Manxue patted her chest. “Don’t worry, I swear on my reputation that this place is much more fun than last time!”
“…”
Qin Qing really didn’t want to get out of the car, but staying there was unfair to the innocent driver.
After getting out, she could only follow Lin Manxue into the entertainment city with some reluctance.
After being led through a series of twists and turns, they finally stopped in front of a solid wood door hidden behind a curved wall on a certain floor.
To be precise, it was Qin Qing who was stopped by the two security guards at the door.
The leader pointed at Qin Qing, “No children allowed inside.”
Qin Qing, who had been looking for an opportunity to drag Lin Manxue away, froze.
“…Child?”
She felt like her self-esteem had been thoroughly crushed.
Next to her, Lin Manxue laughed so hard that she doubled over, nearly in tears.
Finally, under Qin Qing’s angry glare, Lin Manxue explained to the security guards while holding her aching stomach, “We’re classmates! She’s already in her second year of high school.”
The guard looked Qin Qing up and down with some suspicion, then asked skeptically, “Her? High school sophomore? Are you sure she’s not in second year of middle school?”
That upward inflection nearly had Lin Manxue laughing until she couldn’t breathe.
Qin Qing’s face turned a little red with frustration.
Seeing that, Lin Manxue couldn’t bear to make it worse and finally stood up straight, earnestly telling the guard,”Really, and she’s a student at Yishi Middle School, too. She’s in the same class as Yu-ge. If you don’t let us in, Yu-ge might come and have a word with you later.”
“…!”
Qin Qing’s eyes widened as she looked at Lin Manxue.
But before Qin Qing could say anything, the security guard’s expression changed slightly at the mention of that name.
The two guards exchanged a glance and then opened the door to let them in.
As soon as they entered, Qin Qing didn’t even have time to look at her surroundings before she grabbed Lin Manxue by the arm.
“Manxue, how did you know—”
Lin Manxue raised a finger to her lips. “Shh…”
She looked around, then lowered her voice and smiled, “I bluffed them. I brought you here today mainly to show you something—you didn’t believe me before when I said that Yishi Middle School’s Wen Yufeng was ridiculously handsome, right? I heard from people at Third Middle School that Wen Yufeng comes to this bar every Sunday afternoon.”
Qin Qing was stunned, and then her conscience kicked in as she hurriedly grabbed Lin Manxue.
“Manxue, you’re crazy… If he finds out, what if he… what if he hits you?”
Lin Manxue chuckled, “No way, I heard that even though he’s fierce, he never lays a finger on girls.”
“…”
Qin Qing stammered, trying to think of another reason, but by then, Lin Manxue had already pulled her toward a dimly lit corner of the bar.
Qin Qing was too weak to resist, so in the end, she could only lower her head cautiously, afraid that Wen Yufeng might spot her from wherever he was in the bar.
As Lin Manxue dragged her to a circular sofa, Qin Qing couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed.
So, the rumors about him at school were true.
Smoking, drinking, fighting, skipping classes, even frequenting bars…
And to think she had defended him in front of Fang Xiaojing…
But before Qin Qing could finish her thoughts, Lin Manxue stopped next to the circular sofa.
The group of men and women seated around the sofa looked up, and the boy sitting in the middle smiled.
“Qin Qing’s here, huh?”
“…”
Hearing that voice, Qin Qing felt a chill run down her spine.
After a few seconds, she stiffly raised her head.
When she saw the boy sitting in the center, Qin Qing wanted nothing more than to shake Lin Manxue by the shoulders and knock some sense into her.
——
The boy smiling at her was none other than her former class president, Fu Hanlin, who had confessed to her last semester.
But before Qin Qing could react, Lin Manxue had already pulled her to sit down on the circular sofa.
Then Lin Manxue leaned in and whispered, “Just bear with it. I’m mainly here to show you Wen Yufeng.”
Remembering how Wen Yufeng had stepped back that one step in the corridor yesterday, Qin Qing bit down on her lip.
“I don’t want to see him at all…”
But Lin Manxue seemed not to hear her at all, instead staring off in a certain direction.
Less than a minute later, as Qin Qing sat restlessly, Lin Manxue suddenly grabbed her arm.
“Ah! He’s here! Look up, quick…”
Distracted, Qin Qing instinctively followed Lin Manxue’s words and looked up. By the time she realized what was happening and tried to lower her head, it was already too late.
Her gaze met directly with a pair of lazily dark eyes.
And the owner of those eyes, who had been carelessly looking away, suddenly paused.
“…”
Two seconds later, Wen Yufeng’s eyes dangerously shifted back to her.