Chapter 301 - 176: Simply Too Innocent
Compared to the dresses Li Zhi had worn before, today’s outfit wasn’t quite surprising enough to turn heads in the classroom.
Or perhaps the impact of her previous two outfits was so strong that today’s more conventional attire didn’t seem quite as stunning in comparison.
But best friends could always find something to praise.
The moment He Zhiyu saw Li Zhi, she noticed the pearl hair clip.
The little author praised softly, "Wow, Zhizhi, this pearl hair clip is gorgeous!"
The sudden compliment made Li Zhi pause. Before she could say anything, she heard He Zhiyu continue.
"Zhizhi, where did you buy this hair clip? I want to get one too. It’s just so pretty."
Li Zhi opened her mouth, but she couldn’t say she’d bought it herself.
Seeing the expectant look in He Zhiyu’s eyes, Li Zhi finally said, "It was a gift. I don’t know where it was bought."
Hearing Li Zhi’s words, He Zhiyu froze for a second, then the little author’s gaze fell on Shen Yuan across the classroom.
Seeing He Zhiyu’s glance, Li Zhi’s brow furrowed slightly.
Sure enough, the next second, He Zhiyu’s knowing gaze met Li Zhi’s.
Then, Li Zhi saw He Zhiyu lean in close, lower her voice, and whisper, "Was it from Shen Yuan?"
Li Zhi nodded slightly, tacitly confirming He Zhiyu’s guess.
At this, He Zhiyu’s face broke into a look of pure satisfaction.
The little shipper had gotten her sugar.
Then, He Zhiyu smiled brightly and whispered to Li Zhi, "I knew it was from Shen Yuan! He has great taste. You can tell he put a lot of thought into it."
Hearing He Zhiyu’s words, Li Zhi glanced up at her and asked, a little puzzled:
"Zhiyu, whose side are you on, anyway?"
’Whichever side is dishing out the sweetness, of course!’
He Zhiyu opened her mouth, but ultimately didn’t say the words.
The little author had a feeling that if she actually said that, she would probably die.
So, He Zhiyu chose Li Zhi’s side without hesitation.
"You, of course, Zhizhi! I’m definitely on your side!"
After hearing He Zhiyu’s words, Li Zhi silently watched her for a few seconds.
Those calm eyes seemed to pierce right through a person. The stare made He Zhiyu’s fingertips turn cold, and she even found herself holding her breath without realizing it.
The little author forced a smile, her fingers secretly twisting the hem of her clothes, while she repeatedly chanted in her mind: ’Lord Zhizhi, have mercy...’
Just as He Zhiyu was about to break, Li Zhi finally looked away nonchalantly and opened the notebook on her desk as if nothing had happened.
The tense atmosphere instantly dissipated. He Zhiyu secretly breathed a long sigh of relief, shrinking her neck as if she’d just survived a disaster. Not daring to speak carelessly again, she just lowered her head and pretended to organize her pencil case.
「Meanwhile, at the other end of the classroom,」
Ah Jie was recounting some historical gossip he had just collected.
"Before Sun Ce died, he entrusted his wife, Da Qiao, to the care of his younger brother, Sun Quan. In reality, although Sun Quan never married Da Qiao, secretly... you know!"
As he finished, everyone around him got that "we know" look on their faces.
Ah Jie continued his tale.
"The two brothers, Sun Quan and Sun Ce, looked very similar. And Da Qiao was a recent widow, so when things got heated at night, she’d always call out the wrong name—sometimes Bofu, sometimes Zhongmou."
Ah Jie paused for a moment, then added, "And that’s the origin of the idiom ’six of one, half a dozen of the other’!"
The moment he finished speaking, the air around them seemed to freeze, plunging them into a strange silence.
"FUCK!" Shen Yuan suddenly shouted, pointing a finger straight at Ah Jie. "Damn it, you little punk, are you the Green Hat Warrior or something?!"
Chen Mingyu immediately followed with a "Pah!" and said with a scornful look, "And a ’grieving widow’ my ass!"
"Fuck, Ah Jie, can you please be normal for once! If you keep this up, you’ll never find a girlfriend!" Yang Ze grabbed Ah Jie’s arm tightly, his tone earnest as he tried to persuade him.
However, the moment Yang Ze finished speaking, the gazes of all three boys were drawn as if by a magnet, landing in perfect unison on Zhuo Peipei, who was standing behind Ah Jie.
Zhuo Peipei’s expression was calm, as if she were completely unfazed by their argument.
After confirming that Zhuo Peipei hadn’t reacted, Shen Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and continued.
"Jie, this historical gossip of yours is way too ridiculous. It’s corrupting the morals of our little club! Plus, the content is way too explicit. Next time you find any similar gossip, remember to tell me first. I need to review it."
Hearing Shen Yuan’s words, everyone gave him a look of contempt and simultaneously flipped him the double bird.
Seeing this, Ah Jie smirked, snorted coldly, and retorted without holding back, "Oh yeah? Then why don’t you tell us what fun historical gossip you’ve dug up recently?"
Shen Yuan shook his head. "I’ve been too busy lately. I haven’t had any time to look for that stuff."
A hint of exhaustion crept into his voice.
Seeing this, the disdain on Ah Jie’s face grew more pronounced. He sneered, "Busy? I think you mean busy being in love! You’re stuck to your Li Bao all day, every day. How could you have any energy left for historical gossip!"
Before Shen Yuan could even open his mouth, Ah Jie continued, "Damn, I’m so jealous!"
Yang Ze and Chen Mingyu nodded in agreement, chiming in in unison, "Damn, so jealous."