Chapter 36: Since She Wanted To, She Would Try To Give Her A Chance
The room was quiet, and as no one touched the phone, the screen automatically dimmed, causing the avatar in sight to darken as well.
After hesitating for a moment, Wei Qingyu clicked the "accept" button next to the avatar just before the screen went dark.
"A ding" sounded, and Ji Xiao, who was leaning against the pillow, sat up straight.
She looked at the empty list with the rabbit avatar added, and immediately took the initiative to greet: [Sister, thank you just now.]
Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao's almost instant message after her agreement and replied as succinctly as ever: [No problem.]
Ji Xiao looked at the simple two words, pursed her lips, and continued: [How about the day after tomorrow, I treat you to a meal when we go to school.]
Seeing Ji Xiao's proposal, Wei Qingyu, who didn't want to reveal her identity, felt tense. She quickly refused: [No need, I just helped when I passed by, you don't have to worry about it.]
But Ji Xiao persisted: [How can that be? As you said, we're just strangers who happened to meet, but you still helped me out so much. I must repay you for this favor.]
Despite being separated by the phone screen, Wei Qingyu could sense Ji Xiao's sincerity and loyalty from her words.
She had never imagined that the Ji Xiao who used to be arrogant and felt like the universe revolved around her would understand the concept of gratitude and repayment.
This greatly exceeded Wei Qingyu's original impression of Ji Xiao.
Wei Qingyu tapped lightly on the screen and replied faintly: [I just helped out casually, no need for repayment. I believe anyone would do the same in such a situation.]
Seeing the indifferent reply from the other side, Ji Xiao felt like she had heard this sentence somewhere before.
Frowning, she tried to recall for a long time, but couldn't remember.
Then she looked at the rabbit girl on the screen and asked again: [Can I add you as a QQ* friend then? Consider it making friends with you.]
*a messaging app
Wei Qingyu understood that Ji Xiao wanted to be friends with her, but she really didn't want her to know what she had done for her today.
Although she could use the excuse she gave Ji Xiao earlier to explain, there was an inexplicable sense of guilt in her heart.
It was as if...
This time, she did this for Ji Xiao, not just because she saw injustice.
Wei Qingyu: [I don't use QQ much.]
Upon seeing this reply, Ji Xiao typed a line quickly: [Sister, you're so mysterious.]
Just before sending it, she felt that this sentence might not be appropriate.
The mysterious rabbit girl had been rejecting her attempts to dig deeper since earlier. Perhaps she truly wanted to remain anonymous, only intervening when she saw injustice.
So Ji Xiao swiftly deleted the line and changed it to: [Since that's the case, I won't add you on QQ, but I still want to thank you.]
Wei Qingyu looked at the message Ji Xiao sent and felt a hint of satisfaction in her turquoise eyes. She lightly typed "You're welcome" on her phone, but then received another message from Ji Xiao: [Thank you for still believing in me and speaking up for me, even after knowing I was a jerk in the past.]
Wei Qingyu's hand paused. Accustomed to Ji Xiao's usual "this Young Miss" demeanor, seeing such sincere words suddenly made her wonder if the person on the other side was really Ji Xiao.
The girl's turquoise eyes lingered on the words in the white box, mysterious and enigmatic.
The words Ji Xiao said during their confrontation that day echoed in her ears once again.
‘I...I just want to turn a new leaf, won't you give me a chance…’
Wei Qingyu suddenly realized that it had been a long time since she had seen the perverted and sinister look in those golden-orange eyes.
It had also been a while since she had been thrown into that pitch-black little room with no daylight.
After a while, Wei Qingyu deleted "you're welcome" from the chat box and hesitated, using a stranger's tone to type a paragraph: [Ji Xiao, since we're on this topic, I have something to remind you.]
Ji Xiao couldn't help but sit up straight, her attitude formal as she replied, [Go ahead.]
Wei Qingyu looked at Ji Xiao's response, her hands hovering over the screen, unsure of how to proceed.
After a moment's hesitation, the room echoed with the tapping sound again: [Since you've chosen to turn over a new leaf, don't repeat the mistakes of the past.]
Since she wanted to, she would try to give her a chance.
[Don't disappoint those who trust you.]
Ji Xiao looked at the two sentences sent by Miss Rabbit, feeling quite moved.
Even though the original owner had done many bad things in the past, there were still people willing to believe in her.
So, it wasn't all for nothing.
Ji Xiao looked at the kind-hearted Miss Rabbit in the chat box, her eyes slightly curved. She didn't expect her first recognition in this world to come from her.
Ji Xiao nodded: [Mm, I won't.]
Although it was just a simple sentence, Wei Qingyu felt as if she had received a guarantee. She looked at Ji Xiao's unchanged avatar for a long time, sighing softly.
She hoped that she could keep her word.
Wei Qingyu said: [Then I'm off, still have homework to do.]
Ji Xiao nodded busy, replying: [Goodbye, boss.]
Then, a small penguin waving a flowery emoji popped up on Wei Qingyu's phone.
Simple yet adorable, it made people couldn't help but smile.
Wei Qingyu glanced at the penguin for a moment, then raised her hand and pressed the back button.
But the next moment, another message came in.
[XwX: Um, can I still chat with you in the future?]
Ji Xiao felt that this sentence was ambiguous, so she quickly added: [Here, not revealing mask.]
She didn't really want to know who this Miss Rabbit was, she just felt it was rare to meet someone she could chat with so well in this world. It would be a pity to let such a chance encounter slip away.
Since Miss Rabbit wasn't willing to dox, she wanted to be internet buddies with her, so today's encounter wouldn't be in vain.
Wei Qingyu looked at the message for a long time without making a decision.
At first, she just wanted to help Ji Xiao, but then she impulsively added her as a forum friend.
Originally, it should have stopped there, but she didn't expect Ji Xiao to extend an olive branch of friendship to her. Did she know that user 190245 was her?
Wei Qingyu's expression tensed for a moment, then relaxed.
It's probably precisely because she doesn't know who the other person is that she made such a request.
It's like making an online friend.
Neither knows the other's true situation, and all their interactions exist only in the virtual code of the internet.
Thinking this way, Wei Qingyu's conflicted heart eased slightly.
She looked at Ji Xiao, whose demeanor was quite different from usual and felt a slight flutter.
[User 190245: Sure, but I can't guarantee I'll reply promptly. I don't often use forums.]
Ji Xiao's eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly: [Okay, you go ahead and get busy, we'll chat again when we have the chance!]
As soon as she finished speaking, two little things—one white and one pink—appeared on Wei Qingyu's screen, playfully pinching each other's butts, with the big characters above them—good sisters.
Although she knew these emojis were the silly pictures she often used with Qi Qi and Fang Yiming, Wei Qingyu, who rarely used emojis, subconsciously substituted these two little things for her and Ji Xiao.
The warm breeze of mid-autumn noon slipped through the window crack and fell on Wei Qingyu's body, stirring up a burst of heat on her teenage skin. Her fair face appeared calm, but beneath the gently swaying long hair, her earlobes turned a fiery red.
….
The chrysanthemums in the school flower bed quietly bloomed over the weekend, clusters of them emitting a fragrant scent with every breeze.
As Ji Xiao stepped out of the car, she saw Qi Qi and Fang Yiming walking over from not far away.
"Qi Qi! Fang Yiming!" Ji Xiao rarely competes with Qi Qi, catching sight of them first before shouting and chasing after them.
“Hey, Sister Xiao, aren't you in good spirits, huh?" Qi Qi hooked Ji Xiao's arm and teased.
"Of course. The bad stuff is all in the past, feeling pretty good now," Ji Xiao said with a smile.
"Oh, speaking of which, who is that User 190245 anyway? Like a monk, appearing out of nowhere, then disappearing suddenly. Do you guys know who they are?" Fang Yiming, prompted by Ji Xiao's reminder, asked curiously.
Qi Qi shook her head, looking at Ji Xiao: "Don't know, I kept an eye out afterward, but didn't see them in other posts. Sister Xiao, do you know?"
"I don't know either." Ji Xiao also shook her head. "I added her* as a forum friend that day, but she never revealed herself. Feels like someone who does good deeds without wanting recognition."
*Chinese pronouns sound the same ‘ta’, only differ in characters ä»– - he/him, 她 - she/her, 它 - it. So Fang Yiming still asked the gender, but then the author wrote 她 on her dialogue.
“Mm? You added her as a friend? I tried adding her but she didn't accept." Fang Yiming, hearing the spirited discussion, eagerly inquired: "Do you know what grade she's in? Male or female, Alpha or Omega, or Beta? Where does she live?"
Ji Xiao laughed at Fang Yiming's barrage of questions: "Are you doing a census? I don't know, don't know anything. If she doesn't want to say, I didn't ask."
Qi Qi's face was full of regret at Ji Xiao's response. “Sister Xiao, why didn't you ask? What if it's your secret admirer Omega silently guarding you? Oh my, a beauty saving a hero, so romantic..."
Ji Xiao frowned at Qi Qi's words. "You're exaggerating, aren't you? If someone likes me, shouldn't they tell me who they are? Why won't they tell me no matter how I ask? It's our private chat, not a forum post."
"Okay, when you put it that way..." Qi Qi was momentarily convinced by Ji Xiao, then seemed to think of something else. "But what if she..."
Ji Xiao could tell from Qi Qi's tone that she was about to start wild speculation again.
Just the thought of Miss Rabbit's cute avatar and serious tone made Ji Xiao unable to resist interrupting Qi Qi. "No 'what ifs', there aren't that many 'what ifs' in the world. She's just following the example of Lei Feng, doing good deeds without seeking recognition."
Ji Xiao looked at Qi Qi, who seemed about to argue, and said, "Let's drop it."
Qi Qi clicked her tongue discontentedly and turned to look at the passing experimental class.
Just as she was about to say something else, she noticed the weekend assignments for each subject still written on the blackboard, untouched.
Qi Qi looked at the math homework, which had already been assigned to the next unit, and suddenly had an idea. Hooking her arm through Ji Xiao's, she said, “Sister Xiao, please have mercy and let us borrow your math workbook later."
Ji Xiao looked at Qi Qi's silky eyes and wasn't swayed. Instead, she instantly understood her intention. The experimental class progressed faster than regular classes, and Qi Qi and her classmates had finished last week's math workbook assignments. Borrowing Ji Xiao's workbook meant they wouldn't have to worry about math homework for this week.
Ji Xiao smiled as she watched Qi Qi and the clueless Fang Yiming. Her foot stopped at the back door, "If you promise not to gossip about 190245 anymore, I'll give it to you."
"I won't bring it up anymore, just a passing good Samaritan, I have zero interest in them."
"Who's 190245, why don't I know?" One shook their head, and the other played dumb, both expressing sincerity to Ji Xiao.
Ji Xiao smiled knowingly at them both, "That's more like it, come in and get it from me."
At this hour, most of the classmates were already in the classroom, with many starting to review vocabulary before morning reading even began.
The three entered the classroom through the back door and happened to encounter Wei Qingyu, who had just arrived at her desk and was getting books from the back row cabinets.
The morning light, fresh and delicate, passed through the glass beside Ji Xiao's desk, falling perfectly on Wei Qingyu. Each stroke outlined her cold beauty and grace, so stunning that it was hard to look away.
Qi Qi looked at her and whispered, "Why do I feel like Wei Qingyu has become even more beautiful after the sports meeting?"
Fang Yiming nodded in agreement from behind, "Agree, agree."
Ji Xiao glanced at the two girls behind her who were quietly discussing and couldn't help but linger her gaze on Wei Qingyu a little longer.
The autumn air was slightly chilly, and Wei Qingyu had already changed into knee-high stockings.
The pure black above her knees contrasted with her pale skin, the soft cotton fabric accentuating the delicate skin revealed under her skirt.
Indeed, she was beautiful.
Completely different from her appearance at the end of summer.
With these thoughts in mind, Ji Xiao led Qi Qi and Fang Yiming to her desk.
Before the three could fully settle, the morning light streamed onto their faces, revealing three distinctly different expressions of surprise.
Just on Ji Xiao's desk with a pile of books neatly arranged was a small cream-yellow cake.
The simple packaging box also has a bright yellow bow that looks like it was carefully decorated by the person who sent it. It looks extremely ambiguous.
Author’s Note:
Coward Ji: Mom said there won't be two updates today. She's been updating too fast lately. She needs to slow down for a bit and sort out her thoughts. Muah.
Cold Wei (holding a knife): So we'll only find out tomorrow if the cake was from someone...
