Chapter 21 The Scar "Like a sulking girlfriend."...

After taking the photos, Qin Man got into Jiang Xuchi's car.

Jiang Xuchi's driver remained silent the entire way. Qin Man and Jiang Xuchi sat facing each other in the back seat, one looking out the window and the other flipping through photos she had just taken on a tablet.

Throughout the entire process, Jiang Xuchi didn't ask her a single question.

He seemed more interested in the photos on the tablet.

Qin Man's elaborate lies were completely useless.

Finally, Qin Man couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Aren't you going to ask?"

"What do you want to ask?"

"..."

"About not going to school?"

Qin Man said, "I thought you were so controlling that you even had to ask about this."

"If I want to know, I can find out without asking you."

Qin Man knew what he was trying to say, and she twitched her lips, revealing a cold smile.

"You're awesome." Qin Man said, then turned her head and continued looking out the window.

Jiang Xuchi is really something else. She was so tired today that she didn't want to do anything, but he dragged her to take pictures, made her fake smile in front of the camera, and even made her sit there for two hours to do her makeup. In the end, she was still furious with him.

“And another thing,” Jiang Xuchi put down his tablet, glancing at her, “I’m controlling?”

Qin Man did not answer.

"I thought you had a controlling older brother, so you would like this feeling."

Qin Man looked at him as if she had seen a ghost, "Don't try to disgust me with Qin Chen."

"I just know you."

Jiang Xuchi locked the tablet, reached out and twirled a few strands of her hair behind her ear.

"You don't understand me at all!" Qin Man exploded, her anger flaring up from the bottom of her heart, turning all the grievances she had felt today into a raging inferno.

She leaned over and pressed her hand against the scar on his forehead.

Of course she knew how that scar came about, and she knew that it represented the most shameful period of Jiang Xuchi's life. Before, he would only follow behind her skirt, silently and secretly, only daring to watch him like a mouse.

"You're doing better than me now, so I have no choice but to listen to you. Aren't you thrilled?"

Qin Man didn't let go, and wanted to say some harsh words, but a hand wrapped around her waist, forcibly pulling her into his arms.

Just then, the driver applied the brakes lightly, and due to inertia, Qin Man fell directly into Jiang Xuchi's arms.

Jiang Xuchi had even tossed the tablet aside, reached out and hugged her waist, resting his chin on the elastic of her skirt, looking up at her.

He laughed heartily, "It's pretty great. The once proud young lady is now completely at my mercy."

"asshole."

"Alright, since you've thrown yourself at me, I'll reluctantly ask why you didn't come to school today."

Qin Man got even angrier, "I'm not telling you."

"See? I asked you and you still wouldn't tell me." Jiang Xuchi let go of her, picked up the tablet again, and held it in front of her. "Come on, pick a few you like."

Qin Man said irritably, "What's the use? In the end, you'll still only keep the one you like."

Jiang Xuchi chuckled again, "You know me quite well."

Qin Man didn't want to hear him laugh anymore; it made her want to punch him. She covered her ears, sat back down, and looked utterly rejected.

Jiang Xuchi was in a good mood and continued looking at the photos. He neither offered a word of comfort to Qin Man about what had happened that day, nor did he do anything excessively out of line, which was indeed in keeping with his aloof personality.

Qin Man realized that this was selfishness.

Jiang Xuchi is just as selfish as she is.

Aside from topics that concern him personally, he doesn't care about anything else, and he's too lazy to even do things that provide emotional value to others, because he doesn't want to accommodate them.

A few days later, Qin Man and Jiang Xuchi's photos were published in the school's weekly newspaper.

The once-ignored weekly newspaper suddenly became like big data, spreading like wildfire and being borrowed by everyone. Every student in Xilai from junior high to high school had read that newspaper.

As Qin Man walked down the corridor, after attracting countless stares from others, her initial excitement gradually turned into impatience.

She once wanted to attract a lot of attention, and she accepted all the envy and jealousy.

Now, she doesn't want excessive attention from others at all.

Attention brings not only envy and jealousy, but also a lot of gossip.

"It seems like something happened to Qin Man's father, did you know?"

"I've heard about it, but I don't know. Only she knows the details."

"How can there be such a despicable person? Her family is guilty of financial crimes, yet she still dares to stay. I've disliked her for a long time."

"Oh dear, she's just a spoiled rich girl who acts arrogantly because her family is wealthy."

"But she's so beautiful. I wish I looked like her."

"..."

These words reached her ears almost without hindrance from every corner.

These kinds of comments weren't uncommon before, but back then Qin Man was arrogant and didn't care about the opinions of these vulgar people.

Things are different now.

She cared terribly.

*

The next day at school, Qin Man resisted the urge to skip class and sat down in her seat.

Pei Shiyu and a group of girlfriends got together to choose their outfits for the banquet. They changed their minds every day, wanting this style today and that style from the fashion show tomorrow, and then they would go to a boutique and change their minds again.

Noticing Qin Man, Pei Shiyu once again feigned concern by approaching her with a magazine.

"Manman, could you take another look at me? I'm not like you, who looks good in everything."

Qin Man glanced at the magazine cover and pointed to the dress worn by the celebrity on the cover: "This one will do."

Sensing Qin Man's perfunctory attitude, Pei Shiyu wasn't too surprised. While flipping through the magazine, she casually said, "But I want to wear that light blue dress."

The huge photo of Qin Man published in the weekly newspaper showed her in a diamond-encrusted light blue dress that perfectly complemented her skin tone.

Qin Man: "Light blue is suitable for people with fair skin."

Pei Shiyu wasn't annoyed by her sarcastic remarks; instead, she smiled even more gently: "Yes, doesn't it suit me well?"

Openly and secretly, Pei Shiyu has compared herself to Qin Man countless times, imitating her in every way, while also finding fault with her in every way.

Qin Man is so unworthy and deserving of such a miserable end, yet Pei Shiyu uses her as a role model.

Too lazy to argue, Qin Man nodded indifferently: "Fine, as long as you're not afraid of people saying you're a copycat. Anyway, I don't care, it's just a dress, no matter how pretty it is, I'll take it off."

"you!"

Pei Shiyu couldn't find a retort and turned pale with anger.

This was the first time Qin Man had spoken so bluntly and had subtly lectured her.

Pei Shiyu stormed off, and Qin Man finally had some peace and quiet.

She thought the school gossip was enough for her to bear, but unexpectedly, Qin Chen called her after school.

"what?"

Qin Man had lost all positive reaction to this older brother, and her tone was full of impatience.

Qin Chen on the other end of the phone: "The photos are pretty good. You're dating that guy?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb."

It took Qin Man a while to realize that Qin Chen was referring to Jiang Xuchi.

"Why are you so angry? Jiang Xuchi is actually worth you taking the initiative to call me from across the ocean."

Why should I care about him? I'm only asking you, are you dating him?

Qin Chen's tone was clearly irritated, and he sounded very dissatisfied with her answers.

Qin Man, carrying her schoolbag, stood at the school gate and watched Jiang Xuchi stub out his cigarette not far away. Suddenly, she smiled.

"What, you still follow our school's official WeChat account? You saw our photos. What do you think? Aren't we pretty?"

"Don't change the subject," Qin Chen said.

"So what if we talked? So what if we didn't? You still have the right to tell me what to do."

Private cars came and went at the school gate, and the setting sun slanted down, making Jiang Xuchi's white shirt shine brightly.

In Qin Man's eyes, he walked towards her step by step, listening to every word of her conversation.

"Heh." Qin Chen sneered, "You can talk to anyone, but not him."

"reason."

"What excuses do you have for the kid I beat up?"

Qin Man knew her brother's temper; he would always look down on people he disliked. Jiang Xuchi's awkward personality was exactly the kind of person Qin Chen hated most.

Even now, Jiang Xuchi is the kind of person Qin Chen hates the most.

"Oh, you don't care about Mommy being hospitalized, but you care about me dating? Qin Chen, you're hilarious."

Qin Man stabbed him, no longer feeling that he had any sense of responsibility, nor expecting him to come back, but she was still deeply disappointed in him.

Qin Chen: "You're the funniest one, dating that kind of person."

Beep, beep, beep.

Before Qin Man could retort, Qin Chen hung up the phone.

That's infuriating.

Jiang Xuchi had already walked up to her, glanced at her off phone screen, and asked, "Where is your brother now?"

"Probably drinking soup in front of Meng Po."

People came and went at the school gate. Jiang Xuchi's face had spread throughout the school thanks to the weekly newspaper, and even more people were paying attention to him. Everyone saw him waiting for someone at the gate; it turned out he was waiting for Qin Man.

Qin Man didn't like so much attention right now and continued walking forward. "You need to see him for something?"

"I'm quite curious, he would even abandon you."

Qin Man immediately turned around and said, "Say one more word."

No one can reopen her wounds, especially Jiang Xuchi.

"Qin Man, watch out, a lot of people are watching you."

This means she should be mindful of how others perceive her.

Qin Man had never cared about this before, but now it was a fatal blow, and she could no longer ignore other people's opinions.

Do you know what people think of you right now?

Jiang Xuchi walked up to her and placed his hand on her lower back, tilting his head to the side.

A voice rang in my ears: "Like a sulking girlfriend."

Qin Man reached out and shoved him without any politeness, "If you're sick, go get treatment."

"Qin Man," Jiang Xuchi's lazy voice rang out, "have dinner with me."

After teasing her, he was about to order her around. Jiang Xuchi's personality was unpredictable and fickle, and no one could figure him out.

"What are the benefits of spending time with you?"

Jiang Xuchi patted her lower back lightly twice with his hand on her back. "I guess it's to keep your secret?"

"Using the same excuse repeatedly is no longer effective."

"Then I'll give you a bag."

Qin Man glanced at him and said, "You're crazy. Stop insulting me."

If Jiang Xuchi were to insult her with such words again, Qin Man would rather be verbally abused to death by her classmates.

"It's just that a new restaurant opened in Chengxi Garden." Jiang Xuchi lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze, but his words sounded surprisingly sincere. "It's your favorite flavor, and I wanted to take you to try it."