A Learning Machine with No Feelings

Xue Xi tensed up.

A few thoughts flashed in her mind in that split second.

She stared blankly at the man who was just a hair's breadth away. What does he want to do?

If she could not reject his request, then he could have totally exposed his motive right after he had planted that "be in love or die" curse.

His motive was either money or her body.

However, he had not made any requests in the past month. The most he had done was forcefully sell her some tea leaves at an exorbitant price of 100 yuan and cheated a total of 300 yuan from her.

Yet if he did not have any motive, did it mean that he purely wanted to date her?

While she was in a deep trance, the man slowly lowered his head. He enticed with his low voice, "Little kid, close your eyes."

I refuse.

Right as she thought this, her heart felt like it was being stabbed.

As she took a deep breath, her usually-calm eyes became dyed with anger. Still, she eventually closed her eyes.

When one could not see, all their other senses would be heightened. She could feel the man's breath closing in on her. Closer and closer… until he finally stopped before her.

Her body was entirely stiff. Then, she felt a cool peck on her eyelids.

The man's lips seemed very thin, but it was very soft and cooling.

She balled up her fists.

Just as she felt that she was on the brink of her self-control, the man's lips parted from her eyelids. He released her and chuckled in a low voice. "Done."

A*shole!

The moment she opened her eyes, she took a step back with her right foot and held her fists up—a perfect display of the army boxing attack stance Canine Teeth had taught her. The next instant, she kicked!

The man stood there stably and did not even blink.

However, Xue Xi's leg stopped when it was five centimeters away from him.

My heart hurts!

Jerk!

Indignant, she retracted her leg, and when the pain in her heart dissipated, she changed positions to "punch." Her movements were fast and sharp, and this time, before she could hit the man, he suddenly reached out.

Bang!

Her punch landed in his palms.

She had used her full strength this time and had felt that the man would definitely be punched flying from this. Unexpectedly, his expression did not even falter, and, instead, he held her fist in his and gently tugged, causing her to fall into his arms.

Xiang Huai placed his large hands on the back of her head and gently patted. He then said in a helpless tone, "Your heart will hurt if you hit me."

"…"

Xue Xi, who was just about to wrestle her way out, slowly calmed down. Just as she was about to speak again, the man reminded her, "You are really going to be late."

The girl, who loved to study, hurriedly turned to look at the clock. She had two minutes left.

She slung her bag over her shoulders, turned around, and ran to school.

She sprinted as though she was in a 100-meter-dash race and stepped into the classroom the moment the bell rang. She had arrived at the same time as the first period's Literature teacher.

She greeted the teacher and was just about to step in when the teacher said, "Xue Xi, your results in your other subject are so good, but only in Literature is it 102. It's because you got too many marks deducted in your essay. Can you write with more emotion in your essay?"

Xue Xi turned her large and confused eyes on the teacher. She did not understand it. She had already written in a very lyrical way!

The Literature teacher gave her an example. "For example, during our pre-test, the essay topic was 'An Old Book.' Your concept was good and your language was superb, but it had no emotions. Imagine that you have grown up and revisited an old book, only to gain new knowledge and new life lessons. Can you imagine the kind of complicated feelings comprising surprise and lamentation that you would have?"

Xue Xi slowly shook her head.

The teacher felt exasperated and continued, "Then did you feel any excitement or joy when you obtained first for the Math Star Competition?"

The Literature teacher was waiting for her to express some intense emotion. Alas, our great Xue Xi only gazed back at her innocently, as though she was saying, Isn't it normal for me to get first? What is there to be happy about?

"…"

The teacher sighed. No one would dislike a girl who is pretty, obedient, and had good grades. Once again, she hinted, "Do you have any moment when you felt very happy?"

"…"

"Then what about sadness or sorrow?"

"…"

The teacher was helpless. "You must have at least moments when you were angry, right?"

"…"

Seeing that Xue Xi was still looking at her blankly, she said, almost having given up, "I will list out a few books for you. You can go take a look at them when you're free. It'll help with your essay grades."

Xue Xi nodded.

When she returned to her seat and recalled the few emotions the teacher had mentioned, she suddenly realized with a startle that she was actually angry when Xiang Huai kissed her.

That was the strongest emotion she had ever felt in her life.

…

Once September came, both Olympiad classes had increased in intensity. They were no longer only using the last two periods but were starting to encroach on the usual class time.

After all, students had a chance to obtain a direct pass to many top colleges in the National Mathematical Olympiad and Physics Olympiad. These students who decided to take the academic competition route worked hard all for this moment.

Xue Xi placed her attention on the Mathematical Olympiad. In the end, she was basically studying the whole day.

As for the provision store, ever since that light kiss, holding hands became useful once again. Both she and Xiang Huai seemed to have forgotten that day's events and resumed their usual lifestyles.

A week quickly passed by.

As usual, Xue Xi went home after school. She lagged behind Xue Yao after alighting from the car, and before she entered the house, she could already hear the latter's excited yip. "Mom! I missed you to death!"

Xue Xi paused.

When she entered the living room, she saw a madam standing before Xue Yao. That person seemed to be very capable. With a smile, she hugged Xue Yao for a while, then turned to smile at Old Lady Xue. "Mom, look at Yaoyao. She is still the same as when she was a child."

Old Lady Xue nodded. "Yes, she is our family's little princess!"

Liu Yiqiu spotted Xue Xi from the corner of her eye, but she pretended to have not seen her and first gesticulated to Xue Yao's height, saying pointedly, "Sigh, I still remember how Yaoyao was only this long when she was born. Now that she has grown up, she is already taller than I am! I have really personally witnessed her growth."

Xue Xi ignored their loving act and moved to leave for upstairs to continue her practice questions.

At this moment, Old Lady Xue harrumphed. "Indeed, unlike some people who did not grow up beside us. Just not close."

Liu Yiqiu seemed to have only spotted Xue Xi then and hurriedly said, "This must be Xixi, right?"

She picked up a gift box from the sofa and, smiling, walked over to the girl. "I am your Second Aunt! Your Second Uncle and I were both overseas when you returned, so this is our first meeting. You, child, are very pretty! Xixi, come. This is the present Second Aunt got for you!"

The LV logo was printed on the box. Based on its size, it should be a bag.

Xue Xi paused.

No pain, no gain. This sentence flashed through her mind, and the next instant, Liu Yiqiu smiled. "Xixi, we are all part of the same family. Shouldn't family members help each other? Can Second Aunt ask you for a favor?"

Xue Xi: "??"

Liu Yiqiu continued, smiling, "You can just compete in the Mathematical Olympiad. As for the Physics side, can you withdraw? And give your younger sister a chance?"