Chapter 42: Cool Down with Something Cold

Seeing that Xu Yannuo seemed quite satisfied with the declaration post, Chen Ciyi continued browsing through the six posts about the two of them. While looking at the photos in the posts earlier, he noticed that even the ones with fewer comments already had hundreds of replies, and he wondered what people had been saying. Curious, he opened the comment sections under those post photos to see what the imaginative classmates from No. 8 High School had been discussing—after all, he was one of the parties involved.

However, after reading just a few comments, his expression darkened. Soon after, he closed the forum app, opened another application on his phone to input something, then turned off his device and said to Xu Yannuo, “After class, I’ll take you to meet two people.”

Xu Yannuo asked him who he was looking for, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he plugged in his earphones, casually pulled out an exercise book, and started solving problems. However, it was clear that his expression was terrible—the kind of terrible that comes from genuine anger. After all this time of the two of them deliberately provoking and annoying each other, this was the first time Xu Yannuo had seen such an expression on Chen Ciyi’s face.

What a moody person. Just a moment ago, he was fine—buying candy and cooperating with posting online. And now, out of nowhere, he was angry.

Xu Yannuo clicked his tongue inwardly before flipping open his Chinese textbook to start memorizing key points for the exam. There was only one week left until midterms. But thinking about midterms, Xu Yannuo glanced at Chen Ciyi again. Who knew if he was a real top student or just a fake one? Last time, when the chemistry teacher saw the girls crowding at the door to gawk at him, the teacher had sarcastically mocked him in anger. Clearly, even the teacher didn’t believe the “top student” label matched his attitude toward studying. If the chemistry teacher doubted it, surely many others did too. After all, the principal often recruited the wrong people. But it wasn’t entirely his fault—sometimes, students came in with excellent grades but gradually lost interest and slacked off after arriving.

But whatever the truth was, they’d find out after this exam.

When you’re truly immersed in studying, time flies by exceptionally fast. Xu Yannuo felt like she hadn’t even finished memorizing the classical Chinese text when the class bell rang. She glanced sideways at Chen Ciyi, who had been deeply focused on solving problems—the kind of person who could instantly get into the zone. She initially thought he had forgotten about his earlier anger and his intention to take her to find someone, but the moment the bell stopped ringing, she saw him finish writing the last character, put down his pen, remove his earphones, stand up, and say to her, “Let’s go.”

“Who are we going to find?” Xu Yannuo followed him out of the classroom.

This time, Chen Ciyi answered, “You’ll know when we get there.”

Chen Ciyi led her upstairs to the second-year grade level. They walked along the corridor, counting the class signs until they stopped at Class 6 of the second year. Class 6’s evening session was a math class. While most other classes had already ended, their teacher was still lecturing, dragging out the session. Chen Ciyi knocked directly on the classroom door. Through the glass window on the door, the math teacher’s impatient frown was clearly visible. The teacher paused briefly before continuing the lecture. Unfazed by whether the teacher was pleased or finished speaking, Chen Ciyi politely knocked again and then pushed the door open. “Teacher, I need to see Zhao Bingbing from your class.”

The math teacher was interrupted again and finally snapped, “Which class are you from? Can’t you see I’m teaching?”

Chen Ci raised his phone and recorded a video of the math teacher, “You’re occupying our break time. I’ve got evidence now, but I’m not here to pick a fight—I’m here to find Zhao Bingbing.”

The math teacher sighed, his expression grim, “Which class are you from? Go get your homeroom teacher.”

The math teacher was dragging his feet, and Chen Ciyi’s impatience was clearly written on his face. “You better not pick a fight. If you keep this up, I’ll call 110 right now, and it’ll be the police calling your homeroom teacher, Zhao Bingbing.”

The math teacher paused for a moment, then put down the piece of chalk in his hand and called out, “Zhao Bingbing.” He then pointed to the door, signaling for her to step outside.

Perhaps losing the mood to continue the lesson, he picked up his teaching materials and followed Zhao Bingbing out. It was clear that Zhao Bingbing recognized Chen Ciyi. When she saw him standing at her classroom door and calling for her, she couldn’t hide her excitement. Upon hearing the teacher’s signal, she quickly left the classroom and walked up to Chen Ciyi, unconsciously smoothing her hair as she looked at him. “Um, you were looking for me?”

But soon, she noticed Xu Yannuo standing beside Chen Ciyi. Her expression visibly changed as she turned to Xu Yannuo. “Why is she here too?”

Behind Zhao Bingbing, the math teacher stared at Chen Ciyi and said, “Which class are you from? You’d better explain what’s going on clearly, or I’ll send you straight to the student affairs office.”

Without wasting words, Chen Ciyi pulled up the comments he had just seen on the forum and handed the phone to Zhao Bingbing and the homeroom teacher, indicating for them to read it themselves.

The math teacher took the phone, squinting as he leaned close to the screen, reading word by word: “Icecream: This girl is Xu Yannuo from Class 8, Grade 10. She’s not much to look at and has zero shame, using her proximity to seduce Chen Ciyi. I heard she even slept with boys in her class back in middle school…” Halfway through, the math teacher couldn’t continue reading. Beside him, Zhao Bingbing’s face had completely stiffened. She glanced at the homeroom teacher and nervously explained, “That—that wasn’t me.”

Then, pointing at Xu Yannuo, she turned to Chen Ciyi and said, “It’s her! Is she the one who falsely accused me? Did she tell you I wrote those things? Otherwise, what proof do you have that it was me?”

Chen Ciyi smiled, “Whether it’s true or not can be verified with a simple police report. There’s no need for you to smear Xu Yannuo here—she knows nothing about this. She didn’t even know I was bringing her to see you. Don’t bother her again in the future. If you trouble her, you’re troubling me, and I won’t stand by idly.”

With that, Chen Ciyi ignored Zhao Bingbing and turned to their homeroom teacher. “Keep your students in check. I don’t want to see this kind of thing happen again. If it does, I’ll report it to the police immediately. It won’t just be embarrassing for you—the school will suffer too.”

After issuing the warning, Chen Ciyi turned back to Xu Yannuo. “Let’s go. Next.”

In Xu Yannuo’s bewildered state, Chen Ciyi took her to Class 12 of Grade 10. This time, they confronted the girl who had made the post—another one of Chen Ciyi’s admirers. At first, she was thrilled to see him, but her expression froze when she learned he was there to demand she delete the post. She initially refused to admit anything, but when Chen Ciyi made her log into the school forum to check the account, she was left speechless. She promised to delete it immediately and vowed never to spread rumors again.

After everything was resolved, Chen Ciyi took Xu Yannuo to the campus supermarket. This time, they didn’t go to the one behind the teaching building with the limited snack selection, but instead went to the one farther away, located at the entrance of the cafeteria.

Entering the supermarket, Chen Ciyi opened the freezer, picked up a Nestlé Cornetto and a bitter coffee-flavored one, then turned to Xu Yannuo and said, “Have something cold to cool down your temper.”

After closing the freezer door, he walked a few steps toward the checkout counter before suddenly realizing something. He turned back to Xu Yannuo and asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to eat?”