Section 3

Rong Qing did not respond, but merely looked at him

Su Jingxi agreed very reluctantly, slowly changing his shoes at the door, and finally spoke the words he had been holding back all night: "Although I may seem a bit unreliable, I am, after all, a man, and I am in good health; a few hits won't break me. Today... thank you..."

Su Jingxi's eyes were watery with anger, her cheeks flushed, as if she were the one being forcefully kissed. Rong Qing was somewhat surprised. Qiao Xin sat on the ground for a few seconds, as if suddenly realizing something, and angrily lunged at Su Jingxi. Just by looking at Su Jingxi's utterly harmless punch, one could tell that she was usually a well-behaved child; having successfully launched a sneak attack was already a stroke of luck, and she would definitely be at a disadvantage fighting someone like Qiao Xin, who had always enjoyed stirring up trouble since high school.

Once Su Jingxi's footsteps faded away in the corridor, the surroundings fell silent, with only the exaggerated laughter of the variety show host echoing from the television. She then touched her face, which felt a bit warm. Suddenly, she wanted to see her own expression and thought that next time she went to the supermarket, she should buy a mirror to bring back.

With this thought, Qiao Xin felt so delighted that she was almost floating. As she quickly walked towards the stairway entrance, she casually placed her hand on her shoulder

In the realm of emotions, right and wrong are indistinguishable; whoever falls in love first is the one who loses

Under the light, Su Jingxi's face appeared an unnatural shade of red, and I did not dare to look at her

"Taking Yunnan Baiyao won't kill you!" Rong Qing found it extremely amusing, feeling as if her bones were about to shatter from his grip, which was neither too light nor too heavy, yet she was not angry at all

Rong Qing looked at Qiao Xin in a daze, feeling truly troubled. It would have been much better to part amicably, yet they insisted on tearing their faces apart. She simply pulled Su Jingxi and headed upstairs.

On the weekend, following Tao Lin's arrangement, I went to dinner with Qiao Xin. This meal, aimed at reconciliation, was chosen at a nice Western restaurant, and candles were even lit in the private room. She was used to being frugal, always thinking about how to manage the rent and living expenses for the next quarter, so she naturally had no opportunity to come to such a luxurious place. Treating her to good food and drink, even though she felt that the man who was so willing was too capricious, Rong Qing did not make things difficult for him.

"That would cause diarrhea, right?" Su Jingxi's lack of common sense was absurd. Rong Qing did not argue with him, but instead disposed of the medicine in the trash can, which seemed to relieve him.

Qiao Xin believes that "no news is good news," and after finishing dinner, she happily sends her home. Girls are like *books*, a few kind words and some flattery can clear the clouds. Especially for Rong Qing, although her way of expressing love is somewhat indifferent, she ultimately cannot bear to part with him.

Qiao Xin's tense expression immediately relaxed, revealing a hint of understanding in his smile. Qiao Xin is exceptionally intelligent, and his maturity surpasses that of his peers. However, he is still too young; no matter how much he tries to conceal it, those subtle expressions could not escape Rong Qingke's keen eyes. Two individuals who enjoy playing mind games together find it truly exhausting; it is better to be friends.

You... you are protecting him like this! Qiao thought to herself, you have never protected me like this.

But I like you. Qiao Xin was at a loss for words. Whether it is cheating or playing around with those girls, he truly likes Rong Qingke, even if this affection seems quite cheap in her eyes. However, she doesn't even have any feelings of liking; is a person like her not more cruel and despicable than someone who cheats?

Rong Qingke weakly stuck out her tongue, and the wounds in her mouth could be described as "tragically unbearable." Su Jingxi felt her scalp tingle, and with great effort, she calmed herself down and used a cotton swab dipped in Yunnan Baiyao to apply it to her little by little. He was so serious about applying it that his hands trembled with tension, and his eyelashes quivered in front of Rong Qingke's eyes

"You can still call me senior from now on," Rong Qing chuckled, "Don't be silly, I don't have anything good to offer, and I'm about to graduate soon. Aren't you planning to go back to your hometown to develop your career? Let's just be friends, this is too meaningless."

Damn, it really hurts! Rong Qing felt as if half of her face was so numb that it no longer belonged to her, and there was a buzzing in her ears like a noisy bee, even her tongue felt fiery, filled with a fishy sweetness.

Qiao Xin gazed deeply at her and suddenly asked, "Have you developed feelings for someone else?"

"Rong Qingke, you still like me, don't you?" Qiao Xin felt extremely sad

Su Jingxi was already terrified, and even Qiao Xin took a few steps back, looking extremely panicked

Without a moment's thought, she directly embraced Su Jingxi's waist. Qiao Xin, using her strength, swung her fist but missed the target, landing instead on her cheek

Su Jingxi, are you not scared silly?

"Enough, if you are a man, be straightforward. Don't you find it annoying to cling on like this?" Rong Qingke's tone was already close to disdain, yet the hand around Su Jingxi's waist did not loosen. To her ex-boyfriend Qiao Xin, this posture seemed like a display of defiance and a promise, making him feel both pained and irritated. They had been together for over a year, and she had never taken the initiative to hold his hand or call him.

I will help you apply some medicine. Where exactly are you hurt

He always felt that she was such a reserved and aloof person, and even when he cheated, she never uttered any harsh words. Yet, in order to protect this boy, she seemed to be poked at her soft spot. It turned out that she could be so angry and so emotional, just not towards him

Rong Qing said with a laugh, "I would feel heartbroken if the little mirror gets broken."

"No, I forgive you." She had never blamed him.

Rong Qing furrowed her brows slightly, looking at him with a half-smile and said, "Take it down, what is this for?"

Rong Qing did not stop his pace and said somewhat coldly: "Qiao Xin, I have never said that I liked you."

"Xiao Ke, are you still unwilling to forgive me?" His expression resembled that of someone who had been heartlessly abandoned

After a few minutes, he hesitantly helped her apply the medicine again, stammering as he said: "Why do you have to block this punch for me? When a person is angry, they can be heavy-handed and cannot hold back."

This sentence is rather ordinary, but when spoken by Su Jingxi, it feels exceptionally warm. Qiongqing could feel warmth seeping through the cup into her palms, warming her heart to an unbearable degree. For the first time, she felt unsure of where to look and what to say.

"Oh no, don't speak! The medicine has already been swallowed!" He pinched her face, calling out anxiously, "Spit it out, spit it out!"

"You are lying, you clearly like me!" Qiao Xin suddenly pressed her against the wall at the stairway and kissed her forcefully. Rong Qing was caught off guard; this aggressive attitude was infuriating, and she was just about to push him away. However, a fierce figure came tumbling down the stairs, swinging a fist: "Bastard, what are you doing!"

Rong Qing could see her right cheek swollen like a steamed bun in the window glass, and she couldn't help but feel a bit regretful about her recklessness. She walked back to the living room, where Su Jingxi had already returned from the pharmacy with a pile of assorted medicines. Perhaps it was because he had walked too quickly, as beads of sweat were densely forming on his forehead in this cold winter.

It is no longer possible to give Su Nian a class in the evening; she asked Su Jingxi to go home and help her request a leave of absence

"Just now, he hit you once, and you have already retaliated, so he no longer owes you anything." Rong Qing spat out a mouthful of blood and saliva, "If you have any anger, direct it at me, don't vent it on others!"