Chapter 30

Tianxin felt suffocated in her heart. She took a sip of green tea to calm down. Yan Heng brought two bowls of noodles over. Tianxin got up to take one, and they both sat down. Yan Heng handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Yan Heng glanced at Tan Xiaoyue indifferently. "Let's eat first," Tan Xiaoyue nodded. "It will get cold and clump up. You guys eat quickly. Mine will be ready soon."

The two of them looked really compatible. Tianxin picked up the vinegar on the table and poured it. Yan Heng's eating motion froze in mid-air. "Why did you pour so much vinegar? It's too sour. Can you eat it?"

"I just like vinegar," Tianxin mixed the noodles and said. She took a chopstick and started to eat. Yan Heng pursed his lips. "Then do you like tofu?"

Tianxin glared at him. "I don't eat tofu." She was a little cute when she was angry. Yan Heng couldn't help but touch her small face.

Tan Xiaoyue sat there feeling very uncomfortable, watching the two of them bickering. She felt like a few thousand watt light bulb that had burnt out. Female thoughts were sensitive, especially towards the person they liked. Yan Heng was clearly interested in Tianxin.

But even so, what of it? They were not together, and she had the right to fight for it. She liked Yan Heng.

"On the 24th, I will come to pick up the rice," it was not until the waiter's voice that Tan Xiaoyue came back to her senses. She quickly went to pick up her rice.

The three of them finished their meal quietly. Tan Xiaoyue had to go back to the dormitory. She felt ashamed and didn't know what she was thinking at the time. She followed Tianxin into the noodle shop with a can of orange juice in her hand, feeling more sour than the orange juice. "I'm going back to the dorm."

"Then Yan Heng and I will go to the classroom to get our books," Tianxin and Yan Heng went to the classroom, and Tan Xiaoyue went back to the dormitory.

People could be seen studying on the playground. There were also people under the teaching building. Yan Heng tugged on Tianxin's sleeve as they walked up the stairs. "Is it sour today? You ate so much vinegar, is it sour?"

Tianxin turned her head and glared at him. "I'm so jealous, but I won't feel sour."

Hey, Yan Heng touched a certain someone's head. "Little fairy is so cute," Tianxin was angry but didn't know what to say.

On the day of the program, the morning broadcast was playing music. They only had morning self-study, and then it was time for the performance. Tianxin was dragged to the dressing room early in the morning. Her hair was tied back on both sides.

ZhuTing walked over to Tianxin and looked her up and down. "You look beautiful. Our dorm has really high standards when it comes to appearance. Look at Xiaoyue, she's a beauty, isn't she?" Tianxin followed her gaze and saw that Tan Xiaoyue had let her hair down and was wearing a white dress, looking like a fairy. "She's really pretty," Tianxin couldn't help but admire.

ZhuTing leaned in close to Tianxin's ear and whispered, "You look pretty too. Yan Heng is probably going to be dazzled by you." Tianxin blushed from what Zhu Ting said. "Stop kidding around. Show me the program schedule and let's see when we're performing."

ZhuTing found a red paper program schedule from somewhere and handed it to Tianxin. "We're performing 13th, so make sure to bring your school uniform. It's pretty cold standing out there."

Tianxin scanned the program schedule and saw that there were lots of singing, dancing, skits, and playing the guzheng. She hadn't had the chance to perform on stage since middle school, except for kindergarten, so this was a big deal for her.

"Let's get ready and head over there. Xue Xi, are you okay now?" Tianxin asked.

"I'm good to go," Xue Xi replied.

For some students, not having to attend classes was like a dream come true. Everyone had a happy expression on their faces.

The homeroom teacher stood on the podium and reminded everyone, "Pay attention to discipline. Don't throw sunflower seed shells or spicy snack bags onto the field. We'll inspect later. If any class has poor hygiene, the field will be their responsibility for the entire semester. When the class leader leaves, they should check. School leaders will also come to inspect, so don't make too much noise. You can bring your phone, but you can only take photos. No playing games or watching dramas during the performances. Do you all understand?"

Everyone replied in unison, "Yes, we understand." They were all so excited that they could barely contain themselves. The homeroom teacher sighed and said, "If only you were this enthusiastic in class. Class leader, lead everyone down to the ground floor and line up. Be careful when walking down the stairs, and don't push each other."

Once the homeroom teacher left, everyone went crazy. They obediently lined up and walked down the stairs. Zhong You followed Yan Heng at a leisurely pace and said, "Yan ge, we're going to be at the back, and we won't be able to see the performances. What are we going to do?"

Yan Heng was a little impatient. "Did you bring your phone?"

Zhong You nodded his head like a chick pecking for food. "Yes, I did. I also want to record a video."

"As long as you have your phone, it's okay. Who said we have to sit in the back to watch the performances?" Yan Heng took out a camera from his bag, leaving Zhong You stunned. Yan Heng was really amazing.

Although there weren't any performances for the senior class, everyone came to watch the show. Each class sat according to the instructions given, and the field was chaotic with noise.

"Everyone sat down with their own chairs. Yen Heng didn't bring anything except for a camera, and Zhong You followed him with a chair. "Yen ge, where did you get this camera?" asked Zhong You. "Borrowed it," Yen Heng played with the camera to make sure nothing went wrong when he took pictures. "I'm going to buy some food. She must have been too busy this morning to have breakfast," he added.

Zhong You whispered, "Yen ge, you should also bring some for Zhu Ting. She probably hasn't had breakfast either. I'll pay you back when you return."

Yen Heng didn't say anything and walked towards the small shop. The stage wasn't very big, it had a red carpet and a sign that said "Happy National Day." There was a silhouette of a woman dancing on the stage. Zhong You sat on the chair and held Yen Heng's bag.

After a while, Yen Heng came back with a full bag in both hands. "Yen ge, why did you buy so much?" Zhong You asked. "One for each performer," Yen Heng replied. Zhong You nodded, "I understand, I understand you." Yen Heng didn't ask him what he meant. They just had to deliver the food. They arrived at the backstage where many people were standing. The opening ceremony had already started preparing for the entrance of the performers.

A few girls from Class 5 were wearing school uniforms and standing there waiting. Zhong You walked over with the food and asked, "Where are our classmates who are performing sketches?" Tianxin looked at the bread and sour milk in Zhong You's hands and replied, "They're familiarizing themselves with their lines under the tree over there." She pointed in the direction where three people were rehearsing their lines.

"You guys didn't have breakfast, did you? We bought some food. You should all have some," Zhong You said. No one refused. They were all a little hungry since they hadn't had breakfast that morning. When they finished performing their sketch, there was still a long time before the show ended. It would be difficult if they didn't eat anything. Zhong You called over the three boys and gave each of them a portion of food.

"Thank you," each of them said to Zhong You. He felt a little embarrassed and said, "It was Yen ge's idea. You should thank him." The three boys were surprised. They had never talked to Yen Heng before. But because of this incident, they had a new perspective on him.

Tang Xiaoyue ate her bread without much flavor. Yen Heng did this for Tianxin, didn't he? After eating, they threw the trash into a plastic bag that Zhong You held. They chatted and laughed. Yen Heng was about to look for Tianxin when he heard his phone vibrate."

[Where are you? I'm coming to find you.] Qu Yue looked at the message and wanted to curse. [On the playground, where else?] The playground was so big, and with so many people there today, where was he supposed to find him?

[Pig, figure it out yourself.] Yan Heng couldn't be bothered to reply. He still had to find his desk mate.

Qu Yue was so angry his chest hurt. Why did he end up with such a brother? He usually had a good temper, but every time he was around Yan Heng, he lost it. He must have owed him in his past life.

He thought for a moment and realized Yan Heng must be sticking to Jiang Tianxin. He was really putting his romance ahead of friendship.

Qin Zhiyue was the lead dancer for the opening ceremony, and all the dancers were art students, tall and graceful. She looked at Tianxin and said nothing before turning to talk to some other students.

When Yan Heng arrived, the opening ceremony had already begun, and Tianxin and her friends were watching. She had clearly trained in dance before, every move was pleasing to the eye. "Qin Zhiyue is really a talented student of Zhang Laoshi," Zhu Ting exclaimed, wishing she could dance as well as Tianxin.

"I can," Tianxin smiled at Zhu Ting. Zhu Ting looked happy, "Thanks, Tianxin. With your encouragement, I can rest assured."

Zhu Ting saw Yan Heng approaching and smiled in a flirtatious manner, "Your desk mate is here." Tianxin also saw Yan Heng and felt a little embarrassed.

Yan Heng looked at the little fairy hiding behind Zhu Ting, who was even more beautiful with her light makeup. "Don't be nervous," he said.

"Who, who's nervous?" Tianxin retorted, intentionally and definitely intentionally. Zhu Ting smiled, she didn't want to be the third wheel.

Yan Heng beckoned with his finger and Tianxin was a little confused. "What's up?" Yan Heng looked mysteriously at her and Tianxin followed him. Yan Heng had a camera and his meaning was clear. "Come stand under the tree."

Tianxin blushed and stood still. Yan Heng urged her, "Hurry up and come over." Tianxin was hesitant, but Yan Heng took a few steps back and lifted the camera. "With a smile on your face."

Tianxin hardly ever took selfies, but she lifted the corners of her mouth and heard the camera click. "Okay, you can come over now." Yan Heng looked very satisfied, and Tianxin went over.

Zhong You and Yan Heng were standing together, and Qi Yue quickly found Yan Heng. "You're pretty fast. Why aren't you hosting this year?" "Got tired of it. Let someone else do it," Qi Yue said casually. Yan Heng looked at the hosts on stage, a boy and a girl. The boy, Jiang Qiulin, was in the same class as him before, and he vaguely remembered that they used to compete with each other and Jiang Qiulin was good at academics. Since he ranked last in the mid-term exam, Jiang Qiulin didn't bother him anymore. Every time in their first year of high school, Jiang Qiulin was always the first in their class. "Do you have confidence in beating him this time?" In the first high school, especially in the experimental class, the phenomenon of competing for good grades among good students was quite severe. Jiang Qiulin was arrogant and looked down on people. He especially liked to ridicule others. Qi Yue had been mocked by him before, and Yan Heng had beaten him up in the toilet that night. Jiang Qiulin cared about face and naturally didn't tell the teacher about this embarrassing incident, so the matter was left unresolved. However, later on, he learned to behave and no longer ridiculed people in person, only gossiping behind their backs. "I won't let him be proud this time. I will be the first," Qi Yue said confidently. He had been ranked first several times before, and he was really good. When Tianxin and her friends started dancing, Yan Heng took pictures with his camera. "I didn't expect these girls in Class 5 to be pretty good-looking. I'm tired of looking at art students. The first-year high school girls are so pure and tender," he said. "The girl with short hair is pretty and very pure. I just don't know what she's like in bed..." He didn't finish his sentence when Yan Heng punched him to the ground. The boy didn't even react and was pinned down by Yan Heng. Qi Yue saw that things were going bad. Why wasn't this guy aware of the occasion? He was just in front of the school leaders, and the principal was still there. Qi Yue couldn't pull them apart, so he had to hold Yan Heng tightly. The school leaders were shocked, and the students below were a bit restless. Yan Heng was live broadcasting a fight, which was quite novel. The homeroom teacher was also anxious and pulled Yan Heng away. This was getting out of hand. Why did Yan Heng suddenly go crazy? How was he going to explain to the school leaders? Tianxin left the stage and quickly went down. The competition was over. The boy's face was gray and bloody, and he was taken to the infirmary by someone. Yan Heng was reprimanded by the homeroom teacher for a few words.

When asked about the reason for the fight, Yan Heng gave the reason "just didn't like him." The homeroom teacher was so angry that he almost spurted out blood. Is disliking someone enough reason to start a fight? The school leaders were watching, how could he protect Yan Heng? The teacher scolded him and said that he would have to pay for the medical expenses and that he would face punishment that he couldn't escape from.

In front of the infirmary, Tianxin felt upset when she saw Yan Heng standing there. Yan Heng noticed her too, but he was afraid to approach her. He was afraid that she would despise him. Was this the first time she had seen him in a fight? It seemed like all his shortcomings were exposed in front of her.

Would she think he was wicked and not a good person? Tianxin ran over, and her dress swayed gently in the breeze. Yan Heng had a strange illusion that her white dress was a wedding gown, and his bride was running towards him with a smile on her face. His heart seemed to come alive, and his blood boiled.

Tianxin grabbed his arm and asked if he was okay. Yan Heng couldn't help but cry and laugh, saying that the person who was hurt was in the infirmary. They fell into silence, and Yan Heng was restless. He was really ill, and he asked Tianxin if she wanted to know why he fought.

Tianxin said she believed he had a reason, and he was impulsive. Fighting in front of the school leaders could have serious consequences. Yan Heng's heart was flooded with warmth for some reason. He asked what he should do since he couldn't control himself from wanting to fight.

Tianxin suggested that he could secretly beat up the person at night, but if the school found out, what would he do? Yan Heng said he was used to it. If he was punished or reprimanded in front of the whole school, it was no big deal. He asked if she was cold, and when she shook her head, he took off his jacket and put it on her, saying that even if she wasn't cold, she should wear it so as not to catch a cold and infect him.

Tianxin felt warm from the jacket, which still had Yan Heng's body heat and scent. When Qi Yue came over, he saw the two of them looking at each other affectionately, talking about love and not worrying about anything else. Qi Yue sighed and said that the person who was hurt was not seriously injured, but the incident was still very serious. Yan Heng should be prepared for the consequences. Qi Yue knew what the other guy had said and wondered how Yan Heng could have held back. He didn't mention it to spare Tianxin's feelings, which showed how deep his feelings were for her.

The news about Yan Heng getting into a fight spread like wildfire the next day, and it became the talk of the town. Everyone was curious about why Yan Heng had fought and why he didn't reveal the reason on the forum, where people were actively discussing the incident.

The school took the matter very seriously and issued a red letter, criticizing and disciplining Yan Heng, but he accepted it without a word of objection. On Monday, in front of the entire school, Yan Heng read out a five-thousand-word self-criticism. Some of the text was cobbled together from online sources, and Tianxin happened to be in a position where he could see Yan Heng reading it. Despite the circumstances, Yan Heng still managed to maintain his cool demeanor.

The long-awaited National Day holiday had finally arrived, and each subject teacher began to assign homework. The midterm exams were coming up soon, and Zhu Ting was already feeling overwhelmed by the amount of homework she had to do. She complained about it to Tianxin, saying that she had planned to go out and have fun during the holiday.

Tianxin smiled and said, "You can spend half of your time doing homework and the other half having fun. If you do your homework seriously, it won't take that long. Don't worry too much, we have to take the exams when we come back."

"Exactly," said Yan Heng, who had been silent all this while. "I'm just going to sleep at home."

Zhong You, on the other hand, didn't want to take a break during the holiday. He wanted to study more and get good grades on the exams. Tianxin noticed that Zhong You looked a bit awkward, and he didn't push him further.

Tianxin had his own plans for the holiday. He wanted to go see Cheng Yugui and spend a couple of days at home before going on a trip. "I'm going to see someone. What about you guys?"

"I'm going to eat and drink well and then go travel," said Zhu Ting excitedly. "My dad promised to take me somewhere fun during the holiday."

Tianxin looked at Yan Heng, who simply said, "I'm going to sleep at home." If Qi Yue didn't come looking for him, he would probably spend the whole week at home.

Tianxin got on the car and saw the message Yan Heng sent her, "[Can we video chat when you go back?]" with a cute expression at the end.

"[No, I can't. My mom is at home. I will be in trouble if she finds out that I'm video chatting with a boy.]" Tianxin couldn't imagine what would happen if her mother found out.

"[Okay, then can we just message each other? Don't forget about me.]" The last sentence was something he could only silently think to himself.

"Okay," Tianxin put down her phone and closed her eyes to rest while listening to the song "Half" by Chen Li on her phone.

When Qi Yue returned home, he felt that something was off in the atmosphere. "What's going on? Mom, I'm going to study at Yan Heng's place after dinner."

Yan Heng's parents had a business alliance, but they had also been a model couple in this circle for the past few years. However, his mother's temper seemed worse than usual. "How many times have I told you not to contact Yan Heng? I heard he got into a fight at school recently. Can you learn anything good from him? Stay at home and study during the holidays."

Qi Yue was tired of hearing the same few sentences every time. He wondered what was wrong with Yan Heng. Qi Yue thought highly of Yan Heng's excellence. "Yan Heng is my good friend. What's wrong with studying together? I'll eat out. You guys eat at home."

After Qi Yue packed up his things and left the room, he felt that something was strange between his parents, as if they had been arguing. However, his presence made the situation seem calmer, but he had a premonition that something bad might happen.

As soon as Qi Yue left, his mother looked at the man sitting on the sofa. "Look at your son, never listens and just leaves whenever he wants. And you, flirting with other women."

Qi's father was angry, "What flirting with other women? Can't you speak logically? I'm innocent with her."

Qi Muzhengqi's voice was filled with indignation, "She was your first love. If it weren't for the difference in social status, you would have married her. I can see that you still have feelings for her."

When a woman becomes unreasonable, there is nothing one can say to reason with her.

"We've been married for so many years. Don't you know me well enough? Our child is about to take the college entrance exam in a year. Can we talk calmly?" Qi Fu had a headache. Was his wife going through menopause? She was impossible to reason with.

"Do you think I can talk calmly? You secretly gave her money and said you were innocent. Qi Jun, tell me honestly, can you justify yourself to me?" Qi Mu's beautiful face was twisted with anger.

Qi Fu was annoyed. "I won't talk to you anymore. You need to calm down. I'm going to work now. As for our child, he knows what friends to make. Don't pressure him."

Qi Mu looked at the empty house and smashed a vase in frustration. Everyone was making her angry, especially that woman who was still bothering her husband even though she was married. She had no shame.

Tianxin returned home and saw Jiang Yizhou sitting on the sofa watching TV. When he saw Tianxin, he said, "You're back. Come and let your brother see if you've gained weight."

Tianxin ignored his question. "Where's mom? Isn't she home?" The house was silent.

Jiang Yizhou felt a little disappointed. When he returned home, he didn't receive a warm welcome either. When he heard Tianxin was coming back, he immediately went to the supermarket to buy fish. "She's at the supermarket. Mom wants to make a feast tonight to celebrate your return," he said in a sour tone.

Tianxin went upstairs to her room, put down her bag and sent a message to Yan Heng, "I'm home." Then she put down her phone and went downstairs.

Yan Heng and Qi Yue were studying together. When Yan Heng's phone beeped, he put down his pen and checked the message. Qi Yue knew who it was from just by looking at his expression. "Do you really have to be so eager for a message?"

"You don't understand," Yan Heng raised his eyebrows, but unfortunately he couldn't video chat with her.

Qi Yue was proud. "So what if you like her?"

"She just wanted to let me know she's home safe," Yan Heng explained.

Qi Yue gritted his teeth. "Can I order takeout? Why bother worrying about it?"

"Qi Yue, has anyone ever told you that when I hear you swear, I feel a sense of accomplishment?" Yan Heng said.

"Go f*** yourself, Yan Heng."