Chapter 372 Elopement

In a flash, night fell.

Before evening self-study, Jiang Nian reluctantly left his seat. Half of his chemistry test paper was done, his mind filled with chemistry problems.

At this hour, the cafeteria no longer served food.

However, he could exit the school’s west gate to eat; the snack street offered a wide variety of delicacies.

Turning his head, Li Qingrong also stood up.

“Hmm?” Jiang Nian was puzzled, thinking the class monitor wouldn’t want to go to the restroom, which was indeed convenient. So he said nothing.

The two left the classroom one after another and stopped at the stairwell.

He went down the stairs, and looking back, found Li Qingrong still following him.

“You…” Li Qingrong tilted her head, her expression cool and aloof, silently averting her gaze.

“Where are you going?”

Jiang Nian thought for a moment, “To pee.”

This time, it was Li Qingrong’s turn to be stunned, unsure how to respond for a moment.

“Okay.”

With that, she could only turn around and prepare to return to the classroom.

The class monitor’s intention was too obvious.

“Hey, wait…” Jiang Nian at least acted like a normal person, “I actually plan to go out the west gate to grab something to eat after I pee.”

Li Qingrong thought for a moment, then turned around and followed him again.

Automatic follow was activated.

Jiang Nian couldn’t help but mutter to himself, wondering why the class monitor was so secretive. She wouldn’t say when asked, insisting on waiting until they were outside school?

After relieving himself in the downstairs restroom, Jiang Nian exited.

The night was deep.

Li Qingrong stood by the flowerbed not far from the washbasin, almost blending into the night. From a distance, her expression seemed somewhat indifferent.

After a minute, Jiang Nian shook the water from his hands and walked towards her.

“What’s wrong with you today?”

Li Qingrong shook her head, not speaking.

As the saying goes, a woman fears a persistent suitor, and Jiang Nian was a very patient person. After walking a short distance, he turned around and asked again just before exiting the school gate.

“Are you in a bad mood?”

Fortunately, the class monitor didn’t play a guessing game and spoke directly.

“My parents are coming back next month, and I don’t want to stay at home.”

“Huh?” Jiang Nian was stunned, unintentionally getting caught up in a family conflict, “Then rent a place and hide, no comfort, no questions asked.

Directly solving the problem.

He thought the class monitor wasn’t short on money; if it was just about not wanting to see her parents, then finding a place to hide would be safe and easy.

The public security in Zhennan was quite good; a two-thousand-yuan community would be considered top-tier.

Two thousand yuan could get you a place in the city center.

Not to mention in a county town adjacent to the city, with the budget maxed out, what kind of refuge could she find?

If the class monitor was short on money, he would be even happier.

I’ll support you.

He would be delighted, as he still owed her for the VIP driving school favor. The lingering sense of obligation in their friendship always bothered him.

Walking to the intersection of the snack street.

The streetlights were just coming on, and night had fallen.

A cold evening breeze swept across the brightly lit street, with a street of food courts featuring towering neon signs opposite them.

Li Qingrong paused for a moment at his words.

Jiang Nian was almost entirely on her side, which suddenly made her feel a surge of relief and warmth in her chest.

“I can’t find a place…” “Leave it to me,” Jiang Nian said directly, “If you’re unhappy next month and want to run away, send me a message.”

“Okay.” Li Qingrong nodded.

She sat with Jiang Nian at a small stall, watching him order a bowl of Fuding meat slices and a bag of chicken cutlets.

Originally, she had prepared many words to answer Jiang Nian’s questions.

However, none of them were used.

She was very happy.

Jiang Nian didn’t know what the class monitor was thinking; she was mostly lost in thought, or watching passersby, yet her lips were slightly upturned.

She seemed to be in a better mood, even a little… happy?

He didn’t understand, but as long as the outcome was good, that was all that mattered.

This month was destined to be busy, but Jiang Nian no longer cared. Busy was not bothersome; he wouldn’t mind if more things came his way.

In front of the snack street.

Two figures darted out.

“Brother Xiaofan, class is about to start.” Cao Yang quickly chased after him, “Are we still going out to eat? We’ll get caught.”

He had already been disciplined once and couldn’t help but feel uneasy. The school couldn’t expel Zhang Xiaofan, but it was easy to make things difficult for him.

Tell his parents, and he’d be beaten once they held him down.

“Coward, what are you afraid of?” Zhang Xiaofan snorted, “What’s a grade director? Ji Ming isn’t any good either.”

He preferred the strategist Zeng Yunde over bringing Cao Yang.

Unfortunately, Zeng Yunde had an emergency at noon, his face swollen like a pig’s head. After his IV drip, he chose to go home and recuperate.

Cao Yang was truly a coward, despite his big build.

Last time, he crashed his bike into a tree, and instead of checking if he was missing any body parts, he went to feel the tree. What a useless, cowardly fellow.

Suddenly, Cao Yang patted Zhang Xiaofan.

“Brother, brother, look who that is.”

Zhang Xiaofan hadn’t intended to eat here; he looked down on these food court stalls, thinking they weren’t classy enough.

He had only been walking quickly, intending to pass through the snack street to eat at a restaurant on the other side.

“What’s wrong?” He was a bit impatient, turning his head to look in the direction Cao Yang was pointing, “Holy crap, isn’t that…”

Under an old tungsten light bulb in a makeshift wind shelter.

Jiang Nian was sitting at a table with a girl whose back was very pretty. She was tall, with a beautiful high ponytail.

Just by looking at her back, one could tell she was a great beauty.

Her slender, pale neck, a small patch of skin exposed to the cold wind, appeared fair and smooth under the bright orange light.

Zhang Xiaofan watched the scene before him, practically fuming with anger.

No, another new person?

Damn you, Jiang Nian, why don’t you just die!

At this moment, he had to admit. He was a little jealous; he didn’t like lemons, but his mouth was filled with their sour taste.

“Damn it! Let’s go see!” Zhang Xiaofan couldn’t stand it; he had to figure out, “What’s this person’s deal, damn it!”

“Brother, calm down, calm down.” Cao Yang was timid and held him back, “Let’s eat, brother, it’s not worth it for us.”

There was another thing he didn’t say: if he got punched and threw up later, how would he eat?

“Don’t stop me!” Zhang Xiaofan, blinded by jealousy, rushed forward and said, “Damn you, Jiang Nian, you…” Before he could finish his sentence, he naturally saw Li Qingrong’s full face as he approached.

The profanity he had just uttered got stuck halfway.

The reason for his silence wasn’t fear of Jiang Nian. It was simply because Zhang Xiaofan recognized Li Qingrong, and his entire body instantly trembled.

He befriended Sheng Zeyang and Lü Xuan, not because he liked interacting with them, but because they were the limit of his social connections.

Beyond that, people didn’t acknowledge him.

As for Lü Xuan and Li Qingrong, there was a huge gap; they weren’t friends from the same circle at all.

So, when he saw Li Qingrong raise her eyes to look at him, he wisely stopped his profanity.

But the words had already been spoken, so he needed to make amends.

Zhang Xiaofan’s face instantly turned red, “You… you… you… you… you… you… you… you… good student, it’s almost time for self-study, why are you out here too?”

Jiang Nian was stunned, thinking what kind of evil had possessed this idiot. He spoke like a dean of students, even calling her a good student.

“Don’t be crazy here.”

Li Qingrong glanced at him, then lowered her gaze, meticulously peeling the last white filament from an orange segment, and handed it to Jiang Nian.

“It’s peeled.”

This scene almost made Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes pop out. The tall Cao Yang, who arrived later, was also completely dumbfounded.

No, are you addicted to peeling oranges?

Once in the cafeteria at noon, and now again!

Jiang Nian took the orange, glanced at Zhang Xiaofan, who stood like a new recruit, and found him increasingly strange, “Anything?”

If he were alone, his words would be filled with profanity, but the class monitor was present.

Moreover, after entering Class Three.

His temper had also mellowed a bit; he wasn’t as arrogant as he was when he first went to the gym, his temper shifting from overt to covert explosions.

Mainly, Zhang Xiaofan was too weak; arguing with him was beneath him.

“Nothing, just remember to go back to class on time.” Zhang Xiaofan said with a serious face, which made Jiang Nian’s back feel a chill. In an instant, the composure he had cultivated for several months broke.

“Heaven-Defying, have you been Possessed by Ji Ming?” Jiang Nian’s expression was strained, “So responsible, you should be the grade director.”

Zhang Xiaofan didn’t care what Jiang Nian said; his heart was calm. If he were truly brainless, he wouldn’t have befriended Sheng Zeyang.

“Anyway, just remember.”

With that, Zhang Xiaofan was only too happy to leave, as if he were just a righteous passerby, reminding Jiang Nian to return to the classroom on time.

Cao Yang, listening from the side, was utterly confused, not understanding how Brother Xiaofan had changed. He quickly caught up, asking curiously.

“Brother, what was wrong with you just now?”

“Don’t even mention it, I almost kicked an iron plate.” Zhang Xiaofan wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, then cursed Jiang Nian as an idiot.

Cao Yang was even more bewildered, and couldn’t help but ask again.

“Who’s the iron plate? Jiang Nian?”

“Is he worthy?” Zhang Xiaofan snorted.

“Then it’s…”

Cao Yang thought for a moment, there were only two people at that table, if not Jiang Nian, then it was the girl, “That good-looking girl?”

Thinking of the girl’s face, Cao Yang couldn’t help but gasp.

“Brother, that girl looks quite unapproachable.”

“Get lost!” Zhang Xiaofan was furious, “Can’t even eat without running your mouth.”

Snack street.

Sun Zhicheng rushed back to school from the other end, having missed time eating in the afternoon, only to see himself about to collide with Zhang Xiaofan and his companion.

He flinched and immediately turned into the nearby bookstore.

Zhang Xiaofan’s car keyhole and both tires were damaged by him. Revenge felt great, but getting caught wouldn’t be fun.

Fortunately, the two didn’t seem to be coming for him, hurrying off in the other direction.

Sun Zhicheng immediately breathed a sigh of relief, bought two pen refills from the bookstore, glanced left and right, and continued on his way.

Passing a certain snack stall, perhaps because he was walking too fast.

He only saw a blur, but even with just a glance, he still recognized Jiang Nian and that cool, aloof figure.

The class monitor?

Holy crap, still on a date this late?

In Sun Zhicheng’s eyes, it was normal for these two to be dating. But he didn’t expect them to be out at this hour, almost time for class.

Planning to elope?

He suppressed his excitement and hurried towards the school. Looking at the brightly lit school before him, his heart was also filled with light!

At the stall, Li Qingrong turned to look around.

As self-study approached, there were very few students left on the street. The snack street seemed empty, and many stall owners were idle.

The lively night was quietly becoming silent.

Jiang Nian and she, however, still remained there, as if eloping.

She lowered her gaze, and a premonition suddenly arose in her heart. If she suggested not returning to school, Jiang Nian would likely take leave with her.

The night wind blurred, and her heart also quieted with it.

Ultimately, Li Qingrong abandoned that thought. Having already experienced it, there was no need to repeat the feeling.

It was merely an infinitely extended period of time together, three hours……

Go for a walk by the river…

Li Qingrong felt a slight stir of intention.

“What’s wrong?” Jiang Nian finished eating, pulled out two tissues to wipe his mouth, “Back to the classroom, or continue walking outside?”

At that moment, Li Qingrong’s eyelids twitched.

“Let’s go back to the classroom.”

The night sky was a translucent deep blue, merging with a strange yellow, showing a gradient of gray haze. Li Qingrong walked back to school, her eyes slightly lowered.

His grades weren’t very good, and the time for evening self-study was extremely important for him to digest the results of the day’s exercises.

A walk by the river, though passionate, was not as good as being hidden in the ordinary.

Just in time.

The two entered the noisy classroom one after another, a large group of people standing in the aisle, chattering away, unlike usual.

Jiang Nian was confused and pulled Li Hua over to ask.

“What’s wrong?”

Li Hua raised an eyebrow, “I heard we’re going to the administration building for a lecture later.”