Chapter 28 We’re just friends, baby, are you that possessive?

Jiang Nian actually didn’t care who was gossiping about him behind his back, nor was it possible for him to be affected, let alone reflect on himself.

After all, his reputation preceded him, with both good and bad, and he had to live out his own eccentricity.

High school was a microcosm of society; among any three people, there was bound to be an idiot.

People’s mouths were their own, and a single ‘idiot’ could label you. Besides silently cursing their mothers, there was nothing you could do, so it was better to pretend not to know.

Rather than doubting himself, he preferred to blame others.

Zhang Ningzhi: “I can’t say. Selling out others doesn’t feel very good.”

Jiang Nian was speechless, clicked on her avatar, and prepared to delete her.

If you don’t speak, you’re an accomplice, right? What’s the difference between you and someone standing by and kicking me twice? Your kindness is good, but hunting mothers is my specialty.

Beep beep, the next second.

Zhang Ningzhi: “I’m talking about something else now, oh. Are you familiar with Yu Tongjie in class?”

Jiang Nian’s finger moved away from the delete friend button. He didn’t like her tone just now. But he really appreciated Zhang Ningzhi’s flexible bottom line.

So-called friends are those who are willing to abandon some minor moral constraints to get along. Translated, it means, “Don’t be friends with a saint.”

Tolerance for friends: 1. Cannot betray the country, cannot break the law. 2. I must have the right to know.

Not necessarily supportive, but not condemning.

“Yu Tongjie? Isn’t he the one who got promoted to Class 3 with us?” Jiang Nian quickly typed a reply, then, finding typing inconvenient, asked, “Can you do voice messages?”

Zhang Ningzhi: “I…”

Jiang Nian: “Did your phone run out of power?”

Zhang Ningzhi weakly replied, “Then you call me.”

A slightly noisy ringtone rang for about five seconds, followed by a rustling sound. The sound of the night wind could be vaguely heard, as if she was taking the call on a balcony.

“What did Yu Tongjie say about me?” he asked directly.

The moment of testing their friendship had arrived.

On the other end of the phone, Zhang Ningzhi swallowed, and whispered, “He said… you cheated on the exam to get promoted to this class. I already refuted him for you.”

“Cheated?” Jiang Nian’s tone was slightly displeased.

Life Qi trembled and felt cold. No connection meant it was open? What kind of cheat judge!

Listening to Jiang Nian’s tone, Zhang Ningzhi’s heart pounded nervously, “Don’t be angry. I believe you. We were sitting in front and behind each other during the exam.”

Jiang Nian wasn’t angry at all. It was still the same old saying: people’s mouths are their own.

His hand was itching; he needed a knife.

Listening to her rambling comforts, such as “score higher next time,” “there’s a mid-month test,” and “a long road tests a horse’s strength,” Jiang Nian just wanted to laugh.

“Don’t go looking for a fight, oh. Fighting will get you demoted,” Zhang Ningzhi said nervously, “What others say doesn’t matter. Just do your own thing.”

“Mm-hmm, got it.” Although Jiang Nian wasn’t kind, it didn’t stop him from liking kind, big-chested beautiful girls.

Yu Tongjie was just a dead thing.

Finally, Zhang Ningzhi, unable to keep things to herself, asked another question, pretending to be casual but in fact very obviously.

“Why didn’t you add me yesterday?”

“Uh, aren’t we sitting in front and behind each other? I didn’t think of it in the classroom. I only remembered after the holiday. I was just about to add you when you added me first.”

“Oh, okay, but you added a girl in the classroom who was blowing a very big bubblegum,” Zhang Ningzhi said faintly.

No, what is this?

We’re just friends, baby, are you that possessive?

“Do you usually pay this much attention to me?”

“Huh?” Zhang Ningzhi was stunned, and instantly panicked, “No. I didn’t, it just happened. Don’t overthink it, I’m a little sleepy.”

The voice call was hastily hung up. Jiang Nian clicked his tongue, threw his phone, and left the room.

In the living room, his mother was still replying to messages on the sofa. Seeing Jiang Nian come out, her beaming expression receded a little, but thinking of his grades, she couldn’t keep a straight face.

“Someone from my unit, her son Yu Tongjie, seems to be in your class. Both of you got promoted. Do you remember him? Want me to take you to meet him another day?”

He never kept things to himself. “Yes, he just told someone I got promoted by cheating on the exam.”

Upon hearing this, Li Hongmei’s expression changed.

“Then that person has a really bad heart. You should have less contact with him. I was originally thinking of having a meal with both families, but now there’s no need. Good intentions wasted on a dog.”

Jiang Nian smiled. His temper was inextricably linked to his mother’s.

The next day.

On the first day of the National Day holiday, Jiang Nian lay at home all day.

Zhang Ningzhi hadn’t said a word since last night, and Jiang Nian couldn’t be bothered to care. He didn’t know what had happened, but ever since the Divorce System arrived, his mindset had changed.

Life is like a piece of tofu; no matter how rotten, it’s still just tofu dregs.

If he followed his original life trajectory, his future self would divorce, and even if he worked hard, he wouldn’t get promoted or a raise. He was very poor when he was young, and after a few years of hard work, he wouldn’t be young anymore.

Jiang Nian had come to terms with it. Life’s happiness comes from self-effort. Deep blue, add points!

He didn’t leave his room until dark, only to find Uncle Xu from next door chatting with his own father, which made him pause.

“Uncle Xu? Are you on holiday today?”

In his memory, Xu Qianqian’s father was particularly busy, the kind of workaholic who was always striving. He heard that he was originally going to transfer hospitals but didn’t because of Xu Qianqian.

“Mm, Xiao Nian is awake?” Director Xu showed a gentle smile, “Your mom told me you got promoted to the Olympiad class. You’ve made great progress.”

Jiang Nian simply stood there and chatted with Old Xu.

“More or less, I memorized some books.”

Li Hongmei poked her head out from the kitchen, glanced at Jiang Nian laughing in the living room, and frowned.

“You’ve been playing all day. Go call Qianqian over for dinner.”

Ever since Xu Qianqian’s mother passed away five or six years ago, the two families had basically spent every major and minor holiday together. Being neighbors across the hall was convenient, just adding two more pairs of chopsticks.

“Oh.”

The door opposite was ajar. Jiang Nian ambled in and saw Xu Qianqian’s door open. She was hunched over her desk doing homework. Hearing the movement, she looked back.

“Have you finished your homework?”

“No, I plan to copy yours.” Jiang Nian sat down on her bed, sighed, and lay down, “I don’t want to do the ones I know how to do. I’ll look at the ones I don’t know later.”

“Get up, don’t sleep on my bed,” Xu Qianqian couldn’t stand him. “You’re dirty. Get out!”

“I haven’t even left the house today.”

“Still dirty.”

“Whatever. Hey, I called you for dinner.” Jiang Nian sat up from the bed, stood beside her looking at her test paper, and then suddenly pointed to a spot, “This word is misspelled.”

“Where is it misspelled? It’s supposed to be like this,” Xu Qianqian glanced at it, a little hesitant.

“It’s wrong. The correct spelling is…” He casually used Baidu to show the evidence, placed his phone on the table, and after showing off, he slipped away, “Remember to come eat, the food’s ready.”

Leaving the girl alone, staring blankly at the test paper, a thought slowly emerged in her mind after a long while.

Did he really memorize everything?

Dinner was mostly adults chatting, usually lasting very late. Jiang Nian and Xu Qianqian ate extremely fast, put down their bowls, and exchanged a tacit glance.

“Mom, I’m going to the neighbor’s to do my homework.”