Chapter 105: The Choice (Part 1)

Dan Chouchou stood alone against several people, never once losing ground, which left those girls looking livid.

Finally, the last class ended. Qiao Xi packed up her books and left, with Dan Chouchou following closely behind, not forgetting to shoot a few retorts at those who had been whispering.

Once outside the classroom and beyond the school gates, the jeers and curses continued, chants of “Get out of Yingran!” and “Go back to Fengyang!” all shouted in unison.

At last, once they were far enough away from the school, the noise faded, and quiet returned. Dan Chouchou’s throat was nearly hoarse, but she still grumbled, “Damn those guys, they really get on my nerves.”

“You’d be better off ignoring them,” Qiao Xi said calmly.

“If I could hold it in, I wouldn’t be called Dan Chouchou,” she replied hoarsely.

Qiao Xi understood her well enough to know that even if she told her to keep silent, the frustration would still weigh on her, which was why she had stayed quiet the entire afternoon without trying to stop her.

“What kind of lousy school doesn’t know anything? They’re all clueless, blaming you for everything without understanding the situation. It’s infuriating! Aren’t you angry?” Dan Chouchou asked.

“There’s nothing to get angry about,” Qiao Xi answered. Then she added, “Besides, you’re protecting me too.”

“That’s different. We’ve known each other for so long, I understand you. Of course I know you wouldn’t push someone down the stairs on purpose. But those people don’t even know Gu Dieyan well—they’ve never even spoken to her, yet they all take her side just because she’s the school beauty. So what if she’s pretty? Compared to her, you’re just as good-looking. She just puts on that fragile act to get sympathy. What’s so great about that?” Dan Chouchou’s anger grew as she spoke, and with it, her disdain for Yingran deepened. The more she hated Yingran, the more she longed for Fengyang. “Life was so much better in Fengyang. Why do we have to make ourselves suffer in this lousy school?”

Qiao Xi remained silent.

Only then did Dan Chouchou realize and hurriedly added, “I don’t mean anything else by it. Transferring here was my own decision; it has nothing to do with you.” Although it was because of Qiao Xi that she came here, it was still her choice. “It just feels like we clash with this school or something—there’s always trouble.”

“Are you going home tomorrow?” Qiao Xi asked.

“Oh, right, tomorrow’s Saturday—no classes! That’s great. I can avoid going back to that lousy school for a while.” Dan Chouchou said, then remembered to answer, “Yeah, I’m taking the bus back early tomorrow morning.”

“Let’s go together,” Qiao Xi said.

“Huh?” Dan Chouchou was momentarily stunned, then paused again. “You mean you’re going back too? Have you decided to return to Fengyang?”

Qiao Xi hesitated before replying, “I have plans with Gu Heng.”

Dan Chouchou’s face fell.

“So you’re just going to see Gu Shao,” she said, then her eyes suddenly lit up. If Gu Shao knew about what’s going on here with Qiao Xi, perhaps he’d want her to return to Fengyang after all. Although it was hard to change Qiao Xi’s mind once made up, it wasn’t impossible.

Qiao Xi said nothing.

“Want to come over for dinner?”

“If I go to your place, I’ll probably end up staying late again. Better not—I’m going home tomorrow, and I need to wash all the clothes I’ve piled up these past few days, or I won’t have anything to wear next week.” She was just lazy as always.

“Alright then, see you tomorrow.”

“Okay, I’ll come find you.”

At the crossroads, they parted ways.

After dinner, Qiao Xi told her grandmother, “I’m going home tomorrow.”