Crossing her arms, Shen Lingshan looked down smugly at Lin Ran standing on the stairs below her.
Earlier, when she had witnessed the scene in the corridor behind the 10th-grade classroom, where Su Qingyan had taken Lin Ran's hand and walked into the classroom, it had left a huge psychological impact on her. She could hardly believe that the acknowledged "Ice Queen" of the school would stand up for a boy—let alone hold hands with him!
But then Shen Lingshan quickly realized, based on her own analysis and that of her close friend Cui Qianqian, that it was all just a misunderstanding. A boy like Lin Ran would never have any connection with a goddess-like figure like Su Qingyan. They were just desk mates. Su Qingyan probably just didn’t want her desk mate to be bullied too much, so she stood up for him with a few words of help.
In fact, it was more likely that Lin Ran had pleaded with her, possibly even at great cost, to stir her sympathy, and then pretended to be protecting him in front of Shen Lingshan. The motive? It was simple—"This is just to make you jealous!"
Her best friend, Cui Qianqian, immediately confirmed this and sneered:
"Who would've thought this guy had such deep scheming."
"He even brought out Su Qingyan, the school goddess. Any other girl would definitely feel threatened."
"But doesn't he think about it? Who would believe that a guy like him could be involved with someone like Su Qingyan?"
"Lin Ran is just trying to put on a show. The more he pretends, the more it proves he likes you!"
"As long as you don't fall for it, I guarantee he’ll be crawling back to you by the end of the day!"
Sure enough, after finishing his meal alone at the noodle shop by the school gate, Lin Ran came out, and Shen Lingshan saw him standing at the door of the convenience store, waiting for her.
At that moment, she was fully convinced that her judgment was right.
A proud smile spread across her face, and her tone grew more commanding as she said:
"I’m telling you."
"To get my forgiveness this time, it’s not going to be enough with just two or three gifts!"
...
Apologize?
Lin Ran stared at Shen Lingshan as if she were crazy.
"Apologize for what?"
He was just here waiting for his school flower desk mate, and now this 'green tea' girl appeared out of nowhere.
Shen Lingshan smiled confidently.
"You usually eat in the cafeteria.
"Today, you're at the school gate, waiting for me to come out, right?"
"Don’t act tough now."
Lin Ran laughed.
"Not waiting for you."
Shen Lingshan laughed again, looking at him like she had already seen through his thoughts.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
"If you're not waiting for me, who else are you waiting for?"
"Lin Ran, I see through all your tricks."
"I know you're trying to make me jealous, so you spent all that time getting Su Qingyan to come out and act along with you."
"But do you really think I’ll fall for such a childish trick?"
As soon as Su Qingyan’s name was mentioned, Lin Ran was immediately reminded of the mortifying scene earlier, when the school flower had laid out all his "dark history" in front of him at the restaurant. His temples started throbbing, and he felt the overwhelming embarrassment rushing back.
It was too awkward.
Looking at the person responsible for his "death of social life," Lin Ran’s face turned black—
The school flower desk mate was right.
Getting involved with someone like Shen Lingshan would only bring trouble!
He couldn’t be bothered to keep arguing.
"Yeah, yeah, you’ve seen through me."
"You're really something."
"Now that you’ve said your piece, can you go back to wherever you came from? I’m waiting for someone."
Shen Lingshan was taken aback by Lin Ran’s unexpected attitude.
After recovering, she looked at the boy who used to always listen to her, who had once doted on her, and a surge of anger rushed to her heart. She snapped sharply:
"Lin Ran, what’s your attitude?!"
"I'm giving you one last chance—"
"Apologize right now!"
"Or you’ll regret it!"
Just then, Su Qingyan, who had finished her shopping and was about to leave the convenience store, overheard Shen Lingshan’s angry reprimand as she was standing at the door.
She stopped in her tracks and quietly moved closer to the plastic door curtain at the store’s exit, eavesdropping on the conversation.
She wasn’t in a hurry to show herself.
She wanted to see how her "teaching" would play out—how her silly desk mate would handle the situation.
...
Listening to Shen Lingshan’s angry threats, Lin Ran raised an eyebrow:
"What do I have to regret?"
Shen Lingshan smiled confidently, thinking she had the upper hand:
"If you don’t apologize—"
"From now on, it’s not just holding hands anymore."
"I, Shen Lingshan, won’t even acknowledge you! I won’t speak to you again!"
"Even if you want to find me, I won’t spare you a single glance!"
"We’re done! We’re breaking up!"
Lin Ran nodded.
"Okay."
Shen Lingshan: "???"
The sudden turn left her completely stunned.
It felt like she had thrown what she thought was her finishing move, ready to deliver a lethal blow, but instead, she missed entirely.
She was left flustered and confused.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Lin Ran smiled calmly and explained:
"Just the literal meaning. My desk mate told me to focus on studying and stay away from girls like you."
Then he looked directly at Shen Lingshan and added:
"Specifically, you."
Shen Lingshan was furious.
"I’m not like that!" she shouted, her brain nearly short-circuiting.
"How dare you say that about me!"
Lin Ran feigned innocence:
"I didn’t say it, my desk mate did."
Shen Lingshan nearly lost her mind.
"So you listen to your desk mate’s words?"
Lin Ran looked at Shen Lingshan and finally revealed a slight smirk.
"Why should I listen to you? What makes you so special?"
The words, accompanied by the mockery on his face, were like a sharp sword.
It struck Shen Lingshan so hard that she was left speechless.
Lin Ran continued in a slow, deliberate manner:
"Moreover."
"My desk mate is the school goddess, she’s beautiful, tall, and her voice is pleasant. Why wouldn’t I listen to her?"
He paused, looking at the dazed Shen Lingshan and added:
"Unlike you."
"Short and not even that pretty."