novelraw Chapter 244: "....Boring!
Chapter 244: "....Boring!
On her way back to the classroom, Xu Su deliberately glanced over at Gu Yunjia’s desk. She was already there, looking like a completely different person from the bright, cheerful girl Xu Su remembered.
Before, Gu Yunjia always had a smile for everyone. She got along well with her classmates, boys and girls alike. She knew many people not just in the honors class, but in other classes as well—she was incredibly popular.
During any break between classes, two or three students would always be gathered around her desk, chatting.
But now, she kept her head down, her pen moving nonstop. A gloomy aura surrounded her, an unapproachable air that warned people to keep away. Forget smiling at her classmates—she wouldn’t even bother to speak to them.
Her clothes, however, were as stylish as ever: a short, pink down jacket with a matching scarf. She even seemed to be wearing makeup. She was still that same youthful, beautiful girl.
Perhaps because Xu Su had been staring for too long, Gu Yunjia seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up in her direction.
Their eyes met for less than two seconds before Gu Yunjia emotionlessly looked away and went back to burying her head in her work.
A weight settled on her shoulder as Qian Jia leaned in. "Don’t look. The other students are all whispering that Gu Yunjia’s family only had problems because she offended you. You’ll be lucky if she doesn’t hold a grudge."
Xu Su pressed her lips together and looked at her. "Zhou Mochen didn’t do it. I asked him. Jiajia, do you believe me?"
"Of course I do. Your boyfriend doesn’t seem like some maniac. Why would he retaliate over a small squabble between us girls? They just love to let their imaginations run wild."
’But a shadow still hung over Xu Su’s heart...’
That shadow deepened as the rumors about Gu Yunjia spread more and more fiercely among the students.
What had been private gossip just a few days ago fermented quickly. Now, Xu Su could hear whispers even when she went to get water or walked along the campus paths.
The last piece of news this hot was when Xi Zirong and Zhou Mochen fought on the athletic field...
For the past few days, Gu Yunjia had been skipping morning self-study. She would only arrive at the classroom at eight o’clock, after the morning exercises, right when classes officially began.
Huang Feng, who was always well-informed, said that several people had seen it with their own eyes: when Gu Yunjia arrived at eight every morning, she was still riding in that middle-aged man’s Audi. Even though he parked far away, there were just too many students at First High School.
Xu Su couldn’t help but think back to that month in her first year when Zhou Mochen used to drop her off and pick her up. ’How come no one saw us back then...?’
To see a good friend they had once spent all their time with suddenly become the subject of such vicious rumors was deeply upsetting for Xu Su, Qian Jia, and the others.
As the rumors intensified, Gu Yunjia herself grew more silent and withdrawn. The classmates who used to be close to her no longer hung out with her.
Xu Su’s relationship with her was already awkward, and she was afraid that any attempt to show concern would be misinterpreted as gawking at the drama. Qian Jia and Huang Feng felt the same way.
「~~~」
Zhou Mochen was highly efficient. The day after Xu Su’s period ended, a doctor showed up for a house call.
Looking at the old traditional Chinese medicine doctor—the same one she had met in her previous life—Xu Su didn’t even try to wheedle her way out of it. ’It won’t work...’
She was already prepared to drink a month’s worth of Chinese medicine.
Not long after lunch, Xu Su wanted to head back to school early to study, but Zhou Mochen stopped her. "Wait half an hour, take your medicine, and then go."
"...We’re starting today?" Xu Su flinched, remembering her past life.
The bitter taste of that medicine was still fresh in her mind, even after more than a decade.
"Mhm, one bowl a day, half an hour after lunch. Keep it up for four weeks." Ruffling the top of her head, Zhou Mochen coaxed her patiently, "If you don’t want to be in pain all the time, be a good girl and take your medicine."
Thinking of the agony her period brought each time, Xu Su reluctantly agreed. "Okay."
She had agreed readily enough, but when the housekeeper brought over a bowl of brown-colored medicine, the smell alone made Xu Su feel nauseous. She refused to take it, no matter what.
Zhou Mochen took a spoonful, tasted it without even frowning, and tried to persuade her. "The smell is a little unpleasant, but it’s not that bitter. The temperature is just right. Come on, be good and drink it quickly."
Xu Su reached out to stop him but was too slow. She glared at him and yelled, "That’s for a girl’s period! What are you, a man, doing drinking that?"
"Well, you were resisting, weren’t you? I was just tasting it for you. If it was really that bad, we wouldn’t make you drink it," Zhou Mochen said in all seriousness. "Now that I’ve tried it, I can tell you it’s not bitter. You should drink it while it’s warm."
Xu Su was speechless.
’If she hadn’t already drunk it in her previous life, she might have actually believed his ’it’s not that bitter’ nonsense...’
She had been planning to be difficult for a little longer, but seeing him drink a mouthful without batting an eye, she felt a little embarrassed and took the bowl.
After testing the temperature, she decisively pinched her nose and downed it in one go. Just as she was about to gag, a sour plum was popped into her mouth.
"Don’t spit it out now," Zhou Mochen said, pulling her onto his lap. He gently patted her back with one hand and held her shoulder with the other.
Xu Su chewed the sour plum. The tartness traveled down her throat, completely overpowering the medicine’s strange taste. The sourness was so intense her face contorted; it was the only thing she could taste.
She leaned against Zhou Mochen’s shoulder to recover for a moment, then picked up another sour plum and held it to his lips. "That was so sour! You eat one too, quick! I can’t be the only one suffering."
With a helpless expression, Zhou Mochen opened his mouth. "You’re impossible..."
Xu Su waited with eager anticipation for his expression to change from the sourness, but after an initial slight frown, Zhou Mochen chewed the entire plum with a perfectly straight face.
"...How boring!" Xu Su stood up and started putting on her coat and scarf, huffing, "Take me to school. I’m not playing with you anymore."
Zhou Mochen followed her out the door, raising an eyebrow with a smile. "I’m not afraid of sour things."
"Heh heh..." Xu Su shot him a look. "Of course you’re not. You love getting jealous."
"You’re wrong, Susu." Zhou Mochen opened the car door for her, shielding her as she got in. Once she was settled in the passenger seat, he leaned down to look at her, his voice gentle. "I hate getting jealous more than anything. So don’t make me."
Xu Su was weakest to him when he was like this. Her heart fluttered, and she quickly leaned over to kiss his cheek, placating him, "Alright, alright."
Lately, Xu Su had been showing her affection more and more openly. The corners of Zhou Mochen’s lips curled up uncontrollably. "Susu, you have to keep your word."
He gave her a firm peck on the lips before closing the passenger door and getting into the driver’s seat.
It was an overcast day. A gloomy sky hung low, and the bare tree trunks lining the road looked desolate. In the depths of winter, the cold seeped into your bones. The streets were sparsely populated, adding to the bleak atmosphere.
But Xu Su was in a good mood. She rested her chin on the car window, watching with great interest as the scenery flew by. As they neared City No.1 High School, the number of students gradually increased.
As they passed a familiar alleyway, Xu Su casually glanced inside, and her gaze froze...
"Stop the car!"
She shouted suddenly, her voice terrifyingly loud. Zhou Mochen reacted instantly, slamming on the brakes and stopping right at the mouth of the alley.
"What’s wrong?"