novelraw Chapter 1700 - 926: Power Struggle (Part 2)
Chapter 1700 - 926: Power Struggle (Part 2)
Ten minutes later, Zhang Chi dusted off the dirt on him, walked out of the classroom, and prepared to look for food.
"Zhang Chi, I need to talk to you about something." Xin Youling turned around.
Zhang Chi sized up the class monitor; Xin Youling had asked him for favors before: "What is it, class monitor? You know I charge for doing things."
Xin Youling said calmly, "Actually, I was going to bid tonight, but I gave up."
Zhang Chi’s expression changed. Talking about bidding was not a good thing for him, as his worth had dropped significantly because of it.
He said cautiously, "Don’t think that just because I was auctioned off cheaply, you can think I’m cheap! For me to do something, it’s at least..."
At this point, Zhang Chi paused. He had been sold for seven yuan, with seven opportunities, equivalent to being bossed around for one yuan each time, which was a total bargain!
At this moment, Zhang Chi decided to raise his price: "For me to do anything, at least start at two yuan!"
Xin Youling gazed at his humble demeanor, becoming even more composed; her hands were in her coat pockets, and her beautiful oval face was strikingly charming. She said seriously, "Zhang Chi, I forbid you to objectify yourself,"
Zhang Chi felt touched momentarily, finally understanding why Class Monitor Xin Youling didn’t join the bidding.
Zhang Chi said, "To be honest, you didn’t buy me, but I could offer you the auction price, one yuan each time."
Xin Youling raised two fingers, her nails appearing milky white, coated smoothly.
Zhang Chi’s focus wasn’t on the nails, only on the two fingers, his face turning awkward: "Twenty cents? Class Monitor, that’s too much..."
Xin Youling said lightly, "Twenty."
Zhang Chi was stunned, incredulous, and couldn’t help but ask, "Why? They were only willing to spend seven yuan on me, yet you..."
Xin Youling withdrew her hand, looking at the Yuzhou night sky full of stars in the distance, she said, "Your value doesn’t lie in how much others think you’re worth, but in how much I think you’re worth."
After saying this, Xin Youling left without looking back, elegant and carefree.
After a long while, Zhang Chi came to his senses, but Xin Youling’s figure was already nowhere to be seen, he panicked:
"No, Class Monitor, what exactly did you want me to do?"
...
The streets of Yuzhou in March were exceptionally quiet.
Jiang Ning rode his titanium gray electric scooter, returning to the Fourth Middle School gate to pick up Geng Lu.
"Keep going south, and I’ll tell you where to go at the intersection." Geng Lu sat on the back seat, feeling particularly cheerful.
"Okay."
The road was empty at night. After riding for about twelve minutes, Jiang Ning turned into a street running east-west, with stalls selling fried skewers, rolled pancakes, and milk tea along the roadside.
Geng Lu said, "A little further ahead."
Finally, the two stopped in front of a noodle shop with a somewhat shabby sign.
Geng Lu got off the scooter and pointed westward: "Look, further in is a high school, a private high school."
She was embarrassed: "I didn’t do well in middle school, and I was afraid I couldn’t get into a public high school, so my mom paid a high fee for me to go private."
Jiang Ning’s gaze fell on the private high school building, noticing that the classroom lights were still bright for evening study: "What time do they finish school?"
Geng Lu said, "10:50."
"No wonder so many stall owners haven’t packed up and gone home," Jiang Ning said.
"Yeah, luckily they haven’t finished school yet, otherwise we’d have to queue for food." With that, Geng Lu led him into the noodle shop.
The owners were an elderly couple who clearly knew Geng Lu, warmly greeting her: "You’re here, the usual?"
"Mine is the usual..." Geng Lu said, "For him, um, add two stewed pork ribs, two ham sausages, two pieces of dried tofu, and one stewed egg."
"So much, a luxury package." Jiang Ning chuckled.
During his past school days, Jiang Ning had once fantasized about eating like this, but he was too broke to spend that much.
Geng Lu smiled, "You’re still growing, you should eat more."
Jiang Ning replied, "What about you? Still growing?"
Geng Lu was wiping the table with a napkin.
"Here it comes!" The owners were quick, soon bringing out the noodle dishes.
Jiang Ning glanced at it, the noodles were drizzled with a special sauce, with a layer of red oil floating on top, and a few bright red dried chilies were visible.
He picked up his chopsticks and tasted it; it was spicy, refreshing, and very flavorful.
Geng Lu didn’t use her chopsticks; she watched him quietly, her eyes full of gentleness:
"Delicious, right? I thought I was going to that private high school, so I came to familiarize myself during the summer holidays and happened to find this shop, got to know the owners, but in the end..."
Jiang Ning enjoying the noodles, "An unexpected turn of events."
Seeing that he liked it, Geng Lu picked up the dried tofu from her bowl and gave it to him to eat.
Chatting and laughing, the two soon finished a bowl of noodles.
Since it was rare for them to meet, Geng Lu didn’t want to part ways so early, so she made an excuse to go to the bookstore with Jiang Ning to pick out colored ink pens.
A few minutes later, outside the store, Jiang Ning asked her, "Why not buy anything?"
Geng Lu whispered, "Too expensive, a single pen costs two or even five yuan."
The two wandered around two more shops, dawdling for nearly twenty minutes, and Geng Lu found a shop selling pens for two yuan and spent money to buy three.
Jiang Ning chuckled, the little girl is rather frugal, all that to save 1.5 yuan...
Before leaving, Geng Lu saw a stand selling iced sugar pears. The pears were very fresh, and without hesitation, she spent five yuan to buy one for Jiang Ning, the cup containing a whole pear.
Jiang Ning suddenly didn’t feel like laughing.
...
At the river dam, the bungalow, Tongtong’s bedroom, small bed.
After washing up, she snuggled into the small quilt, exposing only her soft little face.
Xue Chuchu stood by the bed, taking in everything.
This evening, Jiang Ning had dropped Tongtong back home without staying and had ridden out again, leaving Tongtong in her current dispirited state.
She pursed her lips, "Tongtong, don’t sleep, get up and play."
Xue Yuantong: "Nope, I’m sleeping."
Xue Chuchu coldly said, "Even if you sleep, Jiang Ning won’t come back."
Xue Yuantong quietly pulled up the quilt to cover her little face.
"I’m just a bit tired." Her voice muffled by the quilt.
Xue Chuchu said, "Do you think sleeping will solve the problem?"
Xue Yuantong: "I know it won’t, but sleeping lets me forget all my problems for a while."
Xue Chuchu looked at the lump of quilt, silently.
She remembered when Tongtong was young, she didn’t love sleeping this much, when did she start to enjoy sleeping?
Vaguely recalling, Aunt Gu had once complained, it was after Tongtong moved to the river dam during middle school.
Xue Chuchu could imagine the kind of situation Tongtong was facing during that time.
Thinking of this, her heart softened, she wanted Tongtong to cheer up.
Xue Chuchu invited, "Get up and play games, Tongtong."
"Nope."
Xue Chuchu activated her deep friendship skill, "Have you forgotten, I play games with you every week, during holidays, and even at New Year, don’t you get it yet?"
Xue Yuantong mumbled, "I get it, you really love playing games."
Xue Chuchu: "..."
Tongtong, hopeless.
Just as she was fretting, familiar footsteps sounded outside, Xue Chuchu was surprised, "Jiang Ning is back."
The quilt on the bed suddenly shook three times, like wanting to be turned over but not succeeding.
While she was happy, Xue Yuantong also felt unconvinced, she needed to give Jiang Ning a lesson he would never forget, to let him know she’s not easy to bully!
She is not just anyone’s punching bag!
Jiang Ning’s silhouette appeared at the bedroom door, he gleefully said, "Yo, Chuchu is here too, where’s Tongtong?"
Xue Chuchu pointed at the bed.
Jiang Ning clicked his tongue in amazement, "Sleeping so early, the sun must be rising from the west."
Tongtong intentionally played weak, "I’m just lacking energy, exhausted."
Jiang Ning: "Simple, I’m a Divine Doctor."
Xue Chuchu curiously asked, "What’s the treatment?"
Jiang Ning decisively said, "Acupuncture would help, needles cure ailments."
Tongtong protested from the quilt, "I won’t do acupuncture, it hurts!"
Jiang Ning unwrapped the thermal bag in his hand, letting the aroma of barbecue spread, he joked, "Are you sure you won’t use these as needles, fragrant lamb skewers, and beef skewers for acupuncture?"