Lin Xiaole squinted her eyes, pretending to look behind me for a long time before exclaiming in mock surprise, “Oh my — Ugly, where’s your rival Xia Wei today?” “Boring!” “Stop pretending to be noble, shameless! Everyone at school knows about your disgrace, and yet you still have the face to stay at Yunxiao. If it were me, I’d have jumped off a building by now.” Dong Luo called out. Go jump then! I couldn’t be bothered with them; they weren’t the school rules, so what right did they have to tell me to leave? I turned my scooter to go around them. Lin Xiaole quickly followed, speaking in a strange tone, “Ugly, don’t leave. Remember last time at the bar when you and that creep embarrassed us? And that thing this week, don’t think you’re safe just because someone’s protecting you.” I looked at them coldly, “What do you want?” “Oh, oh — What’s with that look? Are you trying to scare me or hit me? Come on, come on.” She leaned her face closer, “Slap here, or you’re not human.” “Haha, she’s an animal.” Dong Luo and Chen Yanan echoed like sycophants. I endured! A good woman doesn’t fight with shrews. I endured! And endured some more! “Move aside!” I said, clinging to the last shred of my patience. “No!” Lin Xiaole shrieked, “What can you do to me?” I took a deep breath, “What exactly do you want?” “Three-eight, Ha—” All three burst into laughter, “To mess with you, it’s fun!”
I couldn’t take it anymore! I was furious — but just then, Chen Yanan sneakily twisted the accelerator when I wasn’t looking. The electric scooter let out a strange cry, and under the immense force, I had to let go. The scooter, now out of control, dashed towards the roadside, and with the trio’s laughter echoing, it plunged headfirst into a ditch with a ‘thud’. My volcano erupted. I, Xiang Xiaowu, am not a saint, I have my temper.
“Go to hell!” I roared, pulling off my backpack and swinging it at them. “Ah — she’s gone mad.” Lin Xiaole, that shameless woman, actually leaned against Dong Luo, pointing at me with an innocent look, “Look, Xiang Xiaowu has lost it.” As soon as she said that, I clutched my chest and squatted down. Since childhood, whenever I got extremely angry, I would struggle to breathe, turn pale, and feel like my stomach was being twisted. Perhaps frightened by my reaction, the monkey-like girls hastily picked up the backpack and ran off. I squatted by the roadside, biting my lip hard as tears fell onto the ground. After some time, a gentle hand landed on my shoulder, “Classmate, are you okay?” Obvious question, if I were okay, I’d have gone home already. I looked up… and then — I froze. I never expected it to be Gu Nanxiang standing in front of me. He stood against the light, his face unclear, but his gaze was unforgettable, so gentle, so handsome, was he an angel? How else could he be so beautiful?
“Gu Nanxiang, maybe we should call an ambulance,” came an annoying voice. Who was so tactless to follow Gu Nanxiang? I looked up and exhaled in disappointment. It was the overseas returnee beauty in full NIKE sportswear, already on her phone. If an ambulance were to take me away in front of Gu Nanxiang, I’d rather die of the pain. I shook my head and waved my hands, “No need, please don’t call, I’m fine, just a little stomach pain.” “Are you sure you’re okay? You look terrible, I think it’s better to go to the hospital.” Ah, I looked at him in a daze, how could there be such a handsome guy in the world, his exterior cold as ice, but his voice… gentle as water.
“Classmate, what’s wrong with you, your drool…” Oh no, how embarrassing! I quickly wiped my drool.
“I’m fine now, I need to go home,” I said, standing up in a fluster to leave.
“Wait.” He stopped me, pointing at the electric scooter in the ditch, “Is that your scooter?” “Yes.” I nodded. — Oh no! How embarrassing! He jumped into the ditch, helped my scooter up with effort, and slowly pushed it out. “The mirror is broken.” “Oh.” I said, looking down, “Thank you.” His hands were now covered in mud, but he nonchalantly brushed them off, smiling. His smile was beautiful, revealing white teeth, like a ray of sunlight, like a breeze. My heart was racing with excitement, the kind of excitement that comes with happiness.
“Gu Nanxiang, don’t get too involved with her. Look, your hands are dirty,” the returnee beauty handed him a tissue, giving me an impatient look, urging, “Let’s go, we’re supposed to play tennis at the city sports center. Lin Xiaole has already booked the time slot for us, it’s the weekend, if we’re late, someone else will take the court.” “Let Lin Xiaole and them go with you. I think she’s quite ill, I’ll take her home.” Oh my god! Gu Nanxiang is going to take me home. My heart was pounding, Xiang Xiaowu, do you have a heart condition?
“Okay. Hurry up, see you later.” I was still squatting, clutching my chest, my forehead covered in cold sweat, without the strength to stand.
“Xiang Xiaowu, let me take you to the hospital!” As he spoke, his hand gently rested on my shoulder.
