Chapter 8: An Unexpected Invitation

Xie Bingran said coldly:

“I’m not going.”

Xu Chen: “Give me an explanation.”

Xie Bingran: “You were the one who rejected me first.”

Xu Chen: “Are you free after school this afternoon? Let me take you out to eat.”

He repeated his original question once more.

Xie Bingran narrowed her eyes and looked up at Xu Chen. “What do you mean?”

Xu Chen: “I only turned you down once, but now I’ve invited you twice… You can’t refuse my second invitation so casually.”

Xie Bingran laughed coldly, then pulled out a cigarette and placed it between her lips.

Zhao Feng hurried forward, flicked his lighter and lit her cigarette for her.

Xie Bingran took a drag. Maybe it was the smoke that made her squint again.

She paused and spoke evenly:

“Not today. I have plans.”

This time, she didn’t directly refuse.

Xu Chen: “It has to be today.”

His tone was firm—no room for argument.

Zhao Feng clicked his tongue and interjected:

“Sis-in-law, is this how you talk to Bing ge?”

Xu Chen: “…”

Xie Bingran took another drag:

“Not today. Tomorrow, maybe.”

With that, she stood up and walked away without looking back.

Zhao Feng and his cronies trailed after her at once.

Though she said “not today,” Xie Bingran had still agreed to Xu Chen’s invitation.

Xu Chen frowned, his mood clearly soured.

If Xie Bingran doesn’t show up this evening, something’s bound to go wrong…

I still need to figure out a way to stop her. This evening, I must intercept Xie Bingran.

At least there’s one more day.

Chen Dahai jogged over, bent down in front of Xu Chen, shock and gossip written across his face:

“Young Master Xu, what’s going on here? So you and Bing ge are friends…”

Chen Dahai paused. “Wait… she just said she liked you—what’s that about?”

Xu Chen couldn’t be bothered to explain. He said to Chen Dahai:

“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”

He pulled out a ten-yuan note and handed it to Chen Dahai.

“Go pay for it. I need to get back to class.”

Chen Dahai clutched the ten-yuan note, still full of surprise and confusion.

He glanced at Bing ge’s receding figure, then at his good friend Xu Chen, and asked:

“What about your Zhao Linlin?”

Xu Chen’s face flickered with displeasure:

“What do you mean, ‘my Zhao Linlin’? Don’t bring her up again…”

Chen Dahai nodded thoughtfully:

“Right… Zhao Linlin’s just Class 6’s flower, but Bing ge’s one of the top three beauties at our school.”

He patted Xu Chen’s shoulder excitedly:

“Young Master Xu, well done! You’re having dinner with Bing ge. If all her secret admirers hear this, they’ll go insane!”

Xu Chen ignored him and walked away.

Chen Dahai paid and hurried to catch up.

……

……

After two morning classes, it was break time.

On the field, each class formed neat lines. On the podium, the head of Discipline was lecturing into a microphone.

Xu Chen stood at the end of Class 5’s line when he glanced over at Class 6’s formation.

Zhao Linlin stood in the middle. She turned her head and looked at Xu Chen.

The nonconformist girl saw him looking and immediately put on a pouty expression before turning her head away.

Xu Chen let out a cold laugh and deliberately ignored her, turning his gaze toward Class 3.

At the end of that line, Xie Bingran stood with her hands in her pockets, head down, perfectly still.

From the podium came the Discipline Head’s announcement:

“Attention: a disciplinary action from last Friday’s brawl in the academic area…”

“Xie Bingran of Senior Year Class 3 receives a major demerit…”

“Li Rui of Senior Year Class 3 receives a demerit. Liu Ao of Senior Year Class 1 gets a warning…”

As Xie Bingran’s name echoed, many students turned to look at the end of Class 3’s line.

‘Bing ge’s’ reputation only grew stronger.

Xie Bingran stayed motionless, head lowered, expression unchanged, as if it had nothing to do with her.

Xu Chen shook his head helplessly as he watched her profile.

He’d seen this exact scene before in his previous life and it played out just as he expected.

Since his rebirth, Xu Chen knew the real reason Xie Bingran was punished: she’d stood up for a bullied girl during last Friday’s fight.

Bing ge’s title of ‘Righteous Hero’ wasn’t unwarranted.

It also explained why, despite frequent punishments, she remained popular among students.

And tonight’s events? Xu Chen only knew the outline, not the exact place or details, which made things difficult.

All he could do was find a way to intercept Xie Bingran.

……

……

At lunchtime.

Chen Dahai was surprised. Today the Young Master Xu didn’t eat off-campus but headed straight to the cafeteria.

Xu Chen went to the cafeteria because he knew Xie Bingran would be there at noon.

Inside the noisy cafeteria, people jostled for space.

Xu Chen looked up and spotted a long table in the corner filled with a group of tough-looking boys.

Among them was Zhao Feng from the morning and Li Rui, who’d been reprimanded during the assembly.

Seated at the center was ‘Bing ge’ Xie Bingran.

Her brothers laughed and joked around her. She held an unlit cigarette in her mouth, silent and brooding.

Xu Chen was about to approach when a red-faced girl walked up to Xie Bingran.

She lowered her head slightly and handed over what looked like a love letter.

Xu Chen fell silent…

‘The ladies’ man Xie Bingran’ really was no joke.

Xie Bingran didn’t stand but reached out and took the pink envelope, offering the girl a perfunctory smile.

The girl blushed even deeper, then ran off.

Xie Bingran’s brothers teased her, laughter ringing out.

She remained composed, as if used to it.

She looked up and locked eyes with Xu Chen across the room.

For some reason, Bing ge’s gaze flickered in panic before darting away.

Xu Chen started to move toward her, when a girl’s voice called from behind:

“Xu Chen, that’s way out of line—pretending not to see me!”

Xu Chen turned and saw an angry Zhao Linlin.

Her arms were crossed and her brow twisted.

She wore a polka-dot shirt and ripped jeans studded with plastic rhinestones.

A Walkman hung at her waist, its headphones around her neck.

Two similarly dressed nonconformist friends trailed behind, eyes full of accusation.

Xu Chen frowned. He didn’t want to keep arguing with Zhao Linlin, so he said calmly:

“Zhao Linlin, I told you yesterday—don’t contact me again. We go our separate ways, back to our own lives.”

Zhao Linlin’s anger flared: “Are you doing this on purpose to piss me off?”

Xu Chen looked exasperated:

“I don’t have time for this. You have so many older brothers and even husbands in your games—go bother them. I’m really busy!”

Zhao Linlin: “What nonsense are you talking about?!”

Her shrill voice drew the cafeteria’s attention.

Xu Chen turned to leave, but Zhao Linlin grabbed his arm.

“You can’t go, Xu Chen—explain yourself!”

His earlier words had basically dumped her.

Despite her nonconformist style, she was still Class 6’s beauty queen with plenty of admirers.

Getting publicly rejected hurt her pride.

Xu Chen stared at her arm clamped around his, utterly speechless.

This nonconformist girl really was a handful.

Why was she being clingy when he tried to ignore her?

At that moment, a cold, clear voice rang out from the long table:

“Hey… don’t touch my man.”