N-M Chapter 13 Stifling Her Arrogance
Chapter 13 Stifling Her Arrogance
Before afternoon classes began, Lu Yuan indeed strolled back to the classroom, carrying his clothing bag.
Xu Lingjing glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, her heart fluttering with secret joy, already imagining what would happen next.
She was certain that during the break, Lu Yuan would hand her the gift from the bag in front of the whole class and sincerely apologize for his previous coldness.
Then, just like before, he started to revolve his heart and eyes entirely around her.
All she had to do was pretend to be reluctant when she accepted the gift.
That will get everything back on track.
Lu Yuan was still the same person who listened to her every word.
But reality was quite different. As soon as Lu Yuan entered the classroom, he went straight to his seat, buried himself in his workbook, and focused on doing practice problems.
He didn't even spare her a glance the entire time.
Even during breaks between classes, he only chatted with Gao Zhe and never once looked in her direction.
It was as if she didn't exist at all.
Sitting next to Xu Lingjing, Jiang Yiqing saw her anxiety and impatience.
Unable to resist, she leaned closer and whispered in confusion, "Lingjing, why hasn't Lu Yuan made a move yet?"
Xu Lingjing gripped her pen tightly, her anger rising. Her voice was tinged with resentment: "If he keeps dragging this out until I completely lose my patience, I will never accept his apology."
Seeing her frustrated expression, Jiang Yiqing sighed helplessly.
After hesitating for a moment, she got up and walked towards Lu Yuan's seat.
Lu Yuan did not feel any aversion to Jiang Yiqing. In his previous life, when he was in college, Jiang Yiqing had kindly advised him that there was no need to be obsessed with Xu Lingjing.
He was one of the few people who told him the truth.
"Lu Yuan, what are you busy with?" Jiang Yiqing walked to the table with a gentle smile on her face.
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together.
Xu Lingjing was already a girl in the class who dressed exquisitely and looked dazzling. Jiang Yiqing, who could become her best friend, was naturally not bad in appearance and temperament either.
She walked slowly, carrying a faint, pleasant fragrance.
"I was discussing with Ah Zhe where to go to relax this weekend. Do you want to come along?" Lu Yuan looked up and spoke naturally, his tone revealing nothing unusual.
"Really? Where are you planning to go?" Jiang Yiqing's eyes lit up, and she asked casually.
"A new Western restaurant opened in the south of the city, and we plan to try their steak."
Gao Zhe, who was standing to the side, tacitly took over the conversation.
He has always been Lu Yuan's closest brother.
The two could understand each other's thoughts with just a glance, and their cooperation was seamless.
In those days, Western food was still very novel to high school students. Most of them had only seen it in idol dramas and had no chance to try it in person.
No one doubts Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe's spending power.
Both come from wealthy families and are known for their lavish spending, so going out for Western food is perfectly normal for them.
Jiang Yiqing's interest was instantly piqued, her large eyes filled with undisguised longing. However, she didn't forget her original purpose for coming and quickly asked with a smile, "Is that an invitation for Lingjing and me to go together?"
"Xu, ah..." Gao Zhe said, deliberately touching his chin and looking troubled. "Unfortunately, my aunt just gave me three coupons. If you want to give this opportunity to her, then let Xu go."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yiqing's smile froze instantly, leaving her in a dilemma.
She really wanted to try Western food, but she didn't want to say outright that she didn't want to give the opportunity to Xu Lingjing.
For a moment, I stood there, at a loss for what to do.
Xu Lingjing, who was not far away, overheard their conversation and was immediately consumed by jealousy:
In the past, even if Lu Yuan only had two movie tickets, he would endure the pain of not going and give them to her and Jiang Yiqing.
Now that something good has happened, she's not the first person they think of!
The atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, so Jiang Yiqing quickly changed the subject, her gaze landing precisely on the clothing bag next to Lu Yuan's table.
He immediately raised his voice, feigning surprise, "Oh my, Lu Yuan, is this bag full of women's clothing? It looks like the latest styles. Which girl are you planning to give it to?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she instantly attracted the attention of the entire class.
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to the exquisite clothing bag, and they began to chatter amongst themselves.
"It's obviously for Xu, the school beauty. Who else could Lu Yuan give a gift to?"
"I'm so envious! The season is changing soon, and I'm thinking of buying new clothes."
"Lu Yuan is always generous; these clothes must be designer brands, and they're not cheap!"
The students chatted amongst themselves, their envy and jealousy undisguised.
Hearing these words of agreement, Xu Lingjing's vanity was greatly satisfied, and a smug smile unconsciously appeared on her lips as she slightly raised her chin.
Everyone assumed that Lu Yuan was destined to give this gift to Xu Lingjing.
They were even prepared to see Lu Yuan once again lower himself to please Xu Lingjing.
However, Lu Yuan smiled calmly, reached into the clothing bag, took out the teddy bear that came with the clothes, and handed it directly to Jiang Yiqing.
She said calmly, "Actually, this dress was given to someone else, but I don't need this doll, so I'll give it to you, Jiang."
Lu Yuan's actions were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, causing an uproar in the entire class.
Xu Lingjing, who had been beaming with pride, suddenly turned pale, her face turning ashen, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Jiang Yiqing was completely stunned, staring dumbfounded at the cute, fluffy little bear in front of her.
She really liked it, but was too embarrassed to accept it because of other people's stares.
If Lu Yuan had given it to her privately, she would have accepted it without hesitation.
"Lu Yuan...you must be joking." Jiang Yiqing took a half step back awkwardly, neither reaching out to take it nor being willing to refuse directly, her eyes fixed on the teddy bear.
"Hey, it's just a little toy. If you like it, take it. We're classmates, no need to be polite."
Without saying a word, Lu Yuan shoved the teddy bear into Jiang Yiqing's hands.
Jiang Yiqing took the doll blankly, her fingertips touching the soft fur, and she inexplicably clenched it tightly.
You should know that such a teddy bear would cost tens of yuan to buy, which is not a small amount for a high school student.
Besides, it was Lu Yuan who forced it on her, and she had already politely refused. Even if Xu Lingjing was dissatisfied, she had no reason to blame her.
Moreover, Xu Lingjing has never publicly acknowledged Lu Yuan's identity, so she has no right to interfere with who Lu Yuan gives gifts to.
Thinking about it this way, Jiang Yiqing's unease instantly vanished, replaced by a sense of peace. She quickly smiled and said to Lu Yuan, "Thank you, Lu Yuan."
Xu Lingjing witnessed all of this, trembling with anger, yet utterly helpless.
He had already blamed Lu Yuan and Jiang Yiqing countless times in his heart.
After seeing Jiang Yiqing off, Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a knowing smile, their scheme having succeeded.
They knew in their hearts that simply ignoring Xu Lingjing would not be enough to cause any damage.
The most devastating blow to her proud and arrogant nature would be to treat everyone else the same while ignoring her.
Lu Yuan was never a pushover. Having been reborn, he understood Xu Lingjing's personality better than anyone else.
The best way to deal with her is to ruthlessly crush her self-righteous sense of superiority.
Although no one said it outright, everyone vaguely sensed that Lu Yuan had really changed.
She is no longer the person who would only fawn over Xu Lingjing without any scruples.
For a moment, everyone's gaze towards Xu Lingjing became exceptionally complex.
There was pity, curiosity, and also schadenfreude.
Xu Lingjing felt extremely uncomfortable under these gazes, feeling both resentful and angry.
Especially when he saw Jiang Yiqing hanging the teddy bear on her handbag and fiddling with it from time to time, he gritted his teeth and his eyes were full of resentment.
Jiang Yiqing keenly sensed Xu Lingjing's cold gaze and could only deliberately keep her distance from Xu Lingjing, never taking the initiative to say another word to her.
The atmosphere between the two of them plummeted to freezing point.
As school was about to end in the afternoon, Wang Zhishu, the homeroom teacher with a receding hairline, walked into the classroom, stood on the podium, and solemnly announced something to the whole class:
This Saturday, the school will hold a crucial 100-day countdown rally for all senior high school students preparing for the college entrance examination.
The most crucial part of the 100-day countdown rally is the collective oath taken by each class. Therefore, each class needs to select a student representative to lead the whole class in reciting the oath.
This representative not only needs to have a proper image, but also need to be generous, composed, and not stage-frightened.
The homeroom teacher did not decide on a candidate on the spot, but told everyone to go back and think it over carefully, and to vote again tomorrow.
Lu Yuan had no interest in running for student representative; his thoughts were already on the 100-day countdown rally.
He clearly remembered that in his previous life, it was at this very conference that he casually gave Ye Yixian a bouquet of flowers, which led to their connection.
There are basically no classes on the day of the 100-day countdown rally. After the oath-taking ceremony, everyone is free to move around, exchange small souvenirs with classmates and teachers, and take photos together.
This is also the only relaxing and pleasant time before the next three months of intensive review.
Thinking about this, the students were all filled with anticipation.
And Lu Yuan was the same.