Chapter 333 Putting aside the fact that he’s a bastard, he’s still a decent person.

“This, I can explain…”

Jiang Nian coughed, “Last time… I had something, so I took a leave from PE class.”

“I’m not listening, I’m not listening, you’re better friends with the class monitor.”

Zhang Ningzhi’s expression dimmed, already entering human-machine mode.

“No, no, you’re still my top-tier friend.”

Jiang Nian argued, “I’m free this week, you didn’t ask me out either.”

“That just shows your heart of friendship isn’t firm; it’s either absolutely firm or absolutely not firm!”

“Case closed, half the blame is yours!”

Hearing this, Zhang Ningzhi immediately became anxious.

“You!! Nonsense, you didn’t ask me out either, how can you blame me?”

“Then let’s play together, it’s just a casual game anyway.”

Jiang Nian changed the subject, giving Zhang Ningzhi another option for friendship.

“I won’t.”

“Private ownership, is it?”

Jiang Nian pointed at her.

“Of course not, what are you talking about!”

Zhang Ningzhi sulked for a while, then explained to him, “I mean…” She babbled on and on, and Jiang Nian was completely lost.

“So, are you playing?” he asked.

“Mm.”

“Alright, let’s go down together.”

Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief, then added, “Oh, right, I’ll be taking a leave tomorrow too.”

“What for?”

Zhang Ningzhi was no longer angry.

“To take the driving test for subject one, I’ll probably leave after the first class.”

He said, “I’ll be back after the test, hopefully before school ends.”

“Oh, oh, go tell the class monitor.”

“She’s not my deskmate.”

“So, by saying that, are you implying you want the class monitor to be your deskmate?”

Zhang Ningzhi had a knack for Yin and Yang, as if she was born with it.

“It’s not impossible…” Jiang Nian hesitated.

“You!”

Zhang Ningzhi immediately started hitting him with her fists, making Jiang Nian submit.

“Just kidding, let’s go, let’s go.”

PE class.

It was still the usual routine: two laps, exercises, then free activity.

The boys rushed to the basketball court, dividing into groups for games on one court. The other two courts were more relaxed, only playing casual shooting.

The class outcasts walked to a corner of the playground and squatted down, starting to play with flowers and grass, or absentmindedly playing on the exercise equipment.

Sun Zhicheng was still brooding over the humiliation of the pot-throwing game, vowing to thoroughly defeat Yang Qiming. So he pestered Lin Dong, dragging him upstairs.

Several girls also went upstairs, preparing to play pot-throwing.

Yang Qiming, on the other hand, took Huang Cailang to the sports field, leaning over to watch girls from other classes. He walked leisurely, basking in the sun, utterly content.

Zhou Yuting hurried towards the third-year building. Her figure disappeared around the corner of the wall, quickly vanishing from sight.

With a ‘bang’, the white badminton shuttlecock flew high.

Jiang Nian and Li Qingrong played for two minutes without breaking much of a sweat. Seeing that it was almost time, they rested and swapped with Cai Xiaoqing.

Half a class later, it was his turn to be paired with Zhang Ningzhi.

He put a little pressure on Zhang Ningzhi, who immediately ran all over the court. After playing, she was sweaty and went straight to rest.

At this moment, Li Qingrong entered the court.

Both sides had warmed up. As they played, their swing movements unconsciously grew larger.

Finally, the sonic boom of a high clear shot echoed across the court.

On the cool stone bench of the playground, Zhang Ningzhi sat at the edge. Basking in the warm sun, her mouth was slightly agape.

She was a bit stunned…

…So, Jiang Nian had only been warming up all this time?

Zhang Ningzhi watched the high-difficulty shots flying back and forth, an unavoidable thought surfacing in her mind.

Would he find playing with her very boring?

Then, Zhang Ningzhi began to feel anxious, worried about gains and losses.

Of course, if Jiang Nian thought that way, he would suffer the most severe blow, getting a good beating!

Soon, she shook off her anxiety. Everyone has their own specialty. There’s no need for internal conflict.

Bang, the badminton shuttlecock landed.

A fair hand picked up the shuttlecock, holding it for a moment, hesitating.

“No more playing, let’s go back to the dorm to get water.”

Hearing this, Wang Yuhe immediately remembered that today was hair-washing day. So she said “Oh” and slung her badminton racket over her shoulder.

Suddenly, she heard the sonic boom of a racket hitting a shuttlecock from the adjacent court.

She couldn’t help but stop and turn to look next door. After watching for a short while, her mouth unconsciously curled up as she said sourly,

“I can do that too.”

Chen Yunyun just pursed her lips and smiled, her gaze sweeping across the adjacent court. But she didn’t linger, it was a fleeting glance.

“Let’s go.”

She found it strange that Jiang Nian didn’t take a leave from PE class. And then she felt a tiny bit of sourness, because Jiang Nian hadn’t looked for her.

Even if it was friendship, it shouldn’t be so biased, right?

However, badminton is a competitive sport after all. If you play with someone whose skill level isn’t equal, you won’t get that dopamine rush.

So, she wasn’t too sour, at most she’d be quietly sour for a little while.

One cannot deprive others of their happiness for their own. This is unfair and distorted.

Unless… it becomes private, then that’s another story.

The winter day was mild.

The dismissal bell echoed through the campus, instantly awakening the nearby teaching buildings.

Zhang Ningzhi had already been called away by Yao Beibei. They had arranged to go to the teacher’s apartment to find a cat, then rush back to school for class.

More and more people gathered.

“Qingqing, I’m going to eat now.”

Jiang Nian handed the racket back to the class monitor, his address becoming increasingly casual.

Li Qingrong didn’t look at him, her gaze averted. A trace of panic flashed across her face before she took the racket he offered.

“Mm.”

Jiang Nian smiled, waved, and left.

He strode across the Yin and Yang line cut by the shadow of the teaching building, moving from the darkness into the bright sunshine.

Suddenly, he ran like an arrow released from a bow, the spirited youth seeming to glow.

“How do you do this problem again?”

In the classroom, Jiang Nian was scratching his head, a bit flushed.

The road is winding, but the future is bright. However, to actually get started, one must tackle problem after problem.

Splash, he flipped to the answers.

Only a few people remained in the classroom at noon, making it feel somewhat cold.

A cold wind swept through, and Zhou Yuting stood by the aisle. Her expression was complex, she said nothing, staring intently at Jiang Nian.

When he looked up, he was startled.

“What the hell?”

“Are you free?” Zhou Yuting asked, conflicted.

Jiang Nian sat in his seat, propping his head with his hand, giving his nemesis a wary glance. His eyes slowly moved as he asked absently,

“Something wrong?”

“Yes, can we go outside to talk?”

Zhou Yuting hadn’t expected that one day she would have to humble herself before Jiang Nian.

“Oh, no time.”

Jiang Nian flatly refused.

He didn’t know what the other party wanted, but based on experience, Zhou Yuting never opened her mouth for anything good. Refuse first, then what? What if it’s a matter of life and death?

Then he’d have to refuse even more.

“You!”

Zhou Yuting instantly trembled with anger.

Fortunately, it wasn’t her first time knowing Jiang Nian; being angered so often had desensitized her. She quickly calmed down.

“Jiang Nian, I’m begging you.”

Zhou Yuting’s tone softened, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s, and she simply stood in the aisle, not moving.

“Alright, then beg me.”

Jiang Nian put down his pen, turned his head, and said calmly, “Beg me, and I’ll consider it.”

Zhou Yuting froze. She hadn’t expected Jiang Nian to be so harsh.

“You… are you really going to be like this?”

“See? You haven’t actually reached the point of needing to beg me.”

Jiang Nian spread his hands, “Come on, you can do it.”

Sometimes it wasn’t that he was harsh, but that there were too many idiots in this world.

Zhou Yuting was stunned, her face turning very ugly. She knew that words like “we’re classmates” were useless.

Jiang Nian was a hard-hearted person, a scoundrel among scoundrels.

Her heart was filled with anger, and she almost wanted to just leave. But… after hesitating for a while, she ultimately couldn’t bring herself to do it.

The major joint exam was coming up this weekend, leaving only two days besides today.

Zhou Yuting was full of worry; that matter had to be settled. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to eat or sleep well.

Two minutes later, she finally gave in.

“Jiang Nian, I beg… I beg you, please help me.”

Hearing this, Jiang Nian stopped writing.

He just glanced at Zhou Yuting, neither asking what was wrong nor agreeing. He simply walked out of the classroom, minding his own business.

Seeing this, Zhou Yuting quickly followed him.

In front of the railing outside the classroom.

Jiang Nian gazed at the distant Qingmu Ridge. The sky was azure, without a single cloud. He withdrew his gaze and looked downstairs, saying,

“Speak, what is it?”

In this atmosphere, Zhou Yuting remained silent for a while.

She had too many questions, but lacked evidence. More often, she relied on intuition, yet facing Jiang Nian, she felt like a hedgehog, unable to get a grip.

“Is that account yours?”

Jiang Nian yawned, not replying.

“Too lazy to complain, my time is limited. Before the major joint exam, an inch of time is an inch of gold. You’d best get to the point.”

Apparently, the obedience test in the classroom had worked.

Zhou Yuting actually didn’t act spoiled or throw a tantrum. Her convoluted thought processes temporarily returned to normal under the skillful hands of Doctor Jiang.

“The school is investigating cheating. I asked Le Zhi. His score in the last joint exam was very strange, but he didn’t say anything.”

She paused, then continued.

“Logically, someone in his situation would at least be randomly checked. But nothing happened, instead, they’re investigating others. Can you help me?”

Jiang Nian turned to look at Zhou Yuting, realizing that this person did have a bit of cleverness, and seemed to be getting smarter and smarter.

“Alright, how can I help you?”

Hearing this, Zhou Yuting fell silent again.

She frowned, not hearing any reassuring news from Jiang Nian. This person was like a piece of tough meat,

giving no reaction at all.

Seemingly enthusiastic, but in reality, he said nothing.

“I—”

“If you’re smart enough, you won’t keep saying ‘I’ all the time.”

Jiang Nian turned around, “My patience has run out, goodbye.”

With that, he turned and went back to the classroom.

Leaving Zhou Yuting alone, standing blankly in the hallway.

After the lunch break.

Jiang Nian woke up from his nap. Zhang Ningzhi had already arrived, but her mood seemed average. She turned to him with a fake smile.

A rather perfunctory fake smile.

Seeing this, Jiang Nian was a bit surprised.

“Your smile is like a Parisian citizen hearing that France has surrendered. What’s wrong… who made you unhappy?”

Hearing this, Zhang Ningzhi rolled her eyes.

“Nothing.”

“That’s good, I’m relieved.”

Jiang Nian bent down, pulled out a lemon tea from her desk drawer, and smoothly hopped out of his seat.

“Going to pee.”

Zhang Ningzhi gagged and unceremoniously shoved his kidney area.

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Damn, Nine Yin White Bone Claw, is it?”

Jiang Nian touched his waist, thinking, ‘Does it have to be destroyed at the slightest provocation? How pathological!’

He, of course, knew what he did in PE class, but that was a friendship purer than white snow.

Outside the classroom.

Jiang Nian walked against the flow of people, inserting a straw into his lemon tea and heading towards the end of the corridor. Before reaching the restroom, he threw the drink carton into the trash can with a clang.

After relieving himself, a message came through.

He had asked someone to find a third-year student who was about to drop out to become an excavator apprentice, and conveniently reported Yu Tongjie for cheating in the last joint exam.

No strong evidence, just to annoy Squirtle.

Although he knew the school wouldn’t do anything to Yu Tongjie, it was a convenient thing to do anyway; a kick when he was down was a kick.

Moreover, no matter how they investigated, it wouldn’t trace back to him. Le Zhi was an unsolvable bomb card.

The first class in the afternoon was Chinese language.

Old Liu had just arrived in the classroom and didn’t start the lesson immediately. He first talked about some trivial matters, then steered the conversation to cheating.

It was almost a roundabout warning to everyone in the class.

“Ah, this joint exam is also a major examination. Organizing multiple people to cheat already constitutes a violation of the law and a crime. Buying answers…”

After class, Yu Tongjie was called away.

Jiang Nian was indifferent to this, not even bothering to smile. People should bear the consequences of their mistakes, no matter where those consequences come from.

For the remaining two comprehensive science classes, the atmosphere in the entire classroom felt somewhat gloomy.

After school in the afternoon.

Jiang Nian stayed in the classroom writing problems until 5:30 PM, then got up and left the classroom. Not long after he exited, his path was blocked.

Zhou Yuting appeared from the end of the corridor, looking at Jiang Nian with complex eyes.

There weren’t many people in the corridor; those who were going to eat had already left. A few scattered individuals came up from the stairs, looking at the two with puzzled expressions.

Jiang Nian ignored her, preparing to go around and leave.

Suddenly, Zhou Yuting spoke, her voice slightly trembling.

“What… what do you need me to do?”

Clack, Jiang Nian stopped in his tracks.

He turned to look at Zhou Yuting beside him, thinking that a weak Zhou Yuting wasn’t particularly pretty, just an ordinary beautiful girl.

“Congratulations, you’ve become an understanding person.”

Immediately, Jiang Nian asked again.

“First question, are you still in contact with Liu Feipeng and them?”

Suddenly, Zhou Yuting shivered. She realized that Jiang Nian wasn’t targeting her, but all eight of them. “Yes… yes.”

“Then I definitely need it, remember to add me as a friend.”

Jiang Nian patted Zhou Yuting’s shoulder, then turned and went downstairs to eat.

Clack, clack, clack, listening to the footsteps fading away.

Zhou Yuting’s body suddenly relaxed. After her heart pounded several times, she pulled out her phone and added a friend from the class group.

【Application to add – Jiang Yue Nian Nian Wang Xiang Si】

After she finished all this, she looked down at the verification message. Suddenly, she found it a bit amusing. Jiang Nian wanted to get revenge on Liu Feipeng.

But Liu Feipeng had money and connections. Could Jiang Nian be richer than Liu Feipeng?

Forget it, it had nothing to do with her.

After Zhou Yuting confirmed her safety, she didn’t care about anything else. As for cooperating with Jiang Nian, she had no psychological burden.

It was those people who laughed at him for being a pauper back then; she hadn’t chimed in.

Putting aside the fact that Jiang Nian was an asshole, as long as she didn’t go against him, there was actually nothing to worry about, and it was even easier.

After all, she was already an Olympiad class student. What kind of stray dog was Liu Feipeng?

Not familiar.