Chapter 82: Zhu Yingning's Law: Taking Out Your Anger is Very Uncultured

"I'll go out and take a look." The expression "suspicious behavior" sounded strange, so Zhu Yingning changed his shoes and was about to go out.

Zou Hao added: "It was a woman, wearing a hat, sunglasses and a mask, and she should be over 1.7 meters tall."

"Who is it? A debt collector?" Sun Mingyuan said casually. "Xu Sirui, who do you owe money to? Money or love?"

Xu Sirui rolled his eyes at him and followed Zhu Yingning into his slippers.

They walked one after the other into the stairwell, where Zou Hao had reported that the so-called suspicious woman had been lingering. As expected, they met the eyes of a tightly wrapped woman crouching at the junction of the 16th and 15th floors. Seeing them, she seemed startled, covering her face with sunglasses and a mask before running downstairs.

"Wait!" Zhu Yingning called her and quickly chased after her.

She ran so fast that Xu Sirui, wearing slippers, had trouble keeping up. He managed a few steps, his foot nearly slipping out from under the front of his slippers. By the time he adjusted his shoes and looked up, the two had already vanished from sight.

The suspicious woman, though considerably taller than Zhu Yingning, had slender limbs and wasn't particularly athletic. After reaching the 10th floor and about to be caught up by Zhu Yingning, she quickly turned around, ran to the elevator, and frantically punched the buttons.

Unfortunately, the elevator is on the 7th floor and it takes time to get up.

Zhu Yingning successfully blocked her in front of the elevator. Just as he was about to ask her why she was lingering in front of their house, he took a closer look and found that the woman looked very familiar.

Especially height.

Suddenly, she suddenly realized something and tentatively called out the other person's name: "...Guo Yingying?"

The "woman" whose name was called shrank back for a few seconds, perhaps realizing she'd been discovered. After a few seconds of hesitation, she slowly removed her glasses and mask, revealing Guo Yingying's face. Whether it was from running or being caught peeping, her face was red as if it were bleeding.

"You..." Zhu Yingning was speechless. She had never encountered such a situation before. She stared at the embarrassed Guo Yingying for a while before asking softly, "Are you... here to see Xu Sirui?"

Guo Yingying's impression of Zhu Yingning can be described in one word: dull.

The reason she agreed to go that day for coffee was, in fact, a somewhat ulterior motive for exploration. A teenage girl, inevitably wary of others of the same sex around her crush, would be to be competitive. After chatting for a while, she gradually realized that Zhu Yingning had a certain air of indifference. This indifference wasn't dull, but rather a dullness that had nothing to do with shrewdness, like a cool pebble rather than a sharp machete. Her wariness of Zhu Yingning wasn't so much dispelled in a friendly way as it was dismissed with a condescending and arrogant attitude, believing she posed no threat.

So, hearing such sharp words from someone she had always considered blunt, stripping away the fig leaf she used to hide her girlish thoughts, she felt so ashamed she wanted to cry. She clenched her sunglasses tightly in her hands and shouted in self-deprecation, "Laugh if you want to, whatever! I'm just so embarrassed anyway!"

Zhu Yingning was stunned for a moment and asked in confusion: "Why should I laugh?"

"Don't you think I'm particularly funny?" Guo Yingying said, the corners of her mouth turned downwards, and the tip of her nose suddenly turned red.

Zhu Yingning was startled by her and quickly patted her back to comfort her: "What's funny? What's funny? Not at all." She racked her brains and said kindly, "You're not funny at all. You're very cute."

Guo Yingying was stunned: "...cute?"

It's not like she hadn't been praised before for her beauty. Growing up, she'd been showered with compliments like "pretty" and "cute." But in this situation, it seemed like Zhu Yingning wasn't referring solely to her appearance. She stared at her with wide eyes, bewildered, and Zhu Yingning seemed to be at a loss for words. The two of them stared at each other again, as if competing to see who could hold each other's gazes long enough without blinking.

Just when the atmosphere was about to slide into awkwardness, Zhu Yingning finally spoke, tapped her head, and asked her, "Don't you have anything else to do now?"

Guo Yingying nodded suspiciously.

"That's great." Zhu Yingning took her wrist and said, "We are studying right now. Since we have nothing to do, why don't you come and study with us?"

"?"

**

When Zhu Yingning pulled her to the stairwell, Guo Yingying still hadn't figured it out. It wasn't until she climbed more than a dozen steps and a dark shadow suddenly appeared above her that she came to her senses. She looked up and saw Xu Sirui standing on the stairs.

The moment he recognized who she was, Xu Sirui's expression changed obviously, his eyes turned cold, and no matter how she tried to deceive herself, the expression on his face could not be interpreted as happiness or welcome.

Her heart sank.

She had come here out of her deepest devotion to him. Call it impulsive, call it reckless; she simply wanted to check in on him, to show him that not everyone would turn away from him after hearing Feng Da's words. But now, seeing his disgusted expression and his refusal, she couldn't help but wonder if she had been too self-indulgent. Who needed her care? Who cared about her concerns? In his eyes, she and Feng Da were no different; perhaps she meant nothing to him.

Just as Guo Yingying was lost in thought, her heart aching, she felt a gentle pinch on her wrist. She turned her gaze and saw Zhu Yingning calmly say to Xu Sirui, "Xu Sirui, Guo Yingying wants to study with us."

Xu Sirui's brows were furrowed so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death. He opened his mouth to refuse, but in front of Guo Yingying, he couldn't say anything too harsh or heartless. He could only endure it temporarily, reluctantly gave way, and followed behind the two of them.

The three climbed up in silence.

Guo Yingying felt that the atmosphere was terrible, but when she turned to look at Zhu Yingning, she was calm and composed, as if she was completely unaware of the abnormal atmosphere. She was muttering something to herself. Guo Yingying listened attentively and found that she was reciting the periodic table.

“…”

What was wrong with this person? Guo Yingying couldn't tell whether Zhu Yingning was a wise but foolish person, or just naturally dull.

They reached the 16th floor. Xu Sirui's door was wide open. Sun Mingyuan peered around the doorway. Seeing them, he immediately shouted, "How's it going? Have you caught the suspicious person? Which grandson dared to spy on grandpa... Oh my god!" Upon seeing Guo Yingying, his eyes widened. He quickly swallowed back the rest of his words and stammered, "Who is this person?"

"Guo Yingying, a student of our school and a friend of Xu Sirui." Zhu Yingning introduced.

In just a second, Sun Mingyuan displayed his superb facial expression, fading his anger and putting on a flattering smile. He said in a friendly manner, "So we're classmates! Well, why didn't you tell me earlier? I'm Xu Sirui's friend, and since you're his friend, you're also my friend. We're all friends! Come on, don't be polite, come inside and sit down. It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Zhu Yingning and Xu Sirui were speechless watching from outside. Xu Sirui had long been numb to Sun Mingyuan's worthless appearance. He gave him a middle finger and walked into the house. Zhu Yingning whispered to him as they passed by, "Sun Mingyuan, act normal."

"I know, I know." Sun Mingyuan responded perfunctorily and ran into the house eagerly to find a new stool.

Zou Hao and Wu Bo were a little surprised to see Guo Yingying, but they were much calmer than Sun Mingyuan. They just nodded as a greeting.

From another perspective, Sun Mingyuan's servility wasn't entirely without merit; at least it livened up the atmosphere. Guo Yingying sat on the new stool he had brought for her. She had been worried her arrival would make the atmosphere dull, but Sun Mingyuan occasionally cracked jokes, and aside from Xu Sirui's expression, which looked like a debt collector, the atmosphere was generally normal.

Guo Yingying thought studying was just an excuse to get together. After all, who would give up a beautiful Saturday to get together just to study? But Zhu Yingning actually pulled out his textbook and said to the others, "Let's review physics this week." He then considerately moved his own textbook toward her and said, "Guo Yingying, you don't have a book, you can look at mine first."

Guo Yingying whispered in her ear in shock, "...Do we really need to study?"

"Of course," she said, pulling out a notebook to record your absences. "Even though you've only just joined, if you're absent and disturb your classmates, I'll record it."

“…”

**

After learning for two hours with everyone, Guo Yingying felt that her cerebral cortex had expanded.

Born in Beijing, Guo Yingying was an only child. Both of her parents were undergraduates, not highly educated, but just enough to support their daughter. With her parents' guidance, Guo Yingying had a smooth life from a young age. Although her striking appearance landed her numerous commercials and exposed her to a wide variety of people, including some who had dropped out of school, she possessed a noble character and looked down upon boys who were merely immature and lacked talent. The men she associated with were characterized by good looks, intelligence, and personality. Whether it was the limited character of Feng Da or the temper of Xu Sirui, they all met her requirements. She maintained a disinterest in studying but managed to maintain average grades. She tried her best to listen in class but rarely reviewed afterward.

This was her first time studying with a boy who did not meet her social requirements, and it was also the first time she devoted such high concentration to studying after class.

After two hours, Guo Yingying almost forgot what she came here for. She just felt dizzy from studying Taiyangxue.

"Take a break, eat something and drink some water." Zhu Yingning slammed the exercise book shut.

After receiving her pardon, Sun Mingyuan wailed and rushed to the kitchen like a zombie, pouring water for everyone.

After handing the water cup to Guo Yingying, he wanted to chat with her, but unfortunately Guo Yingying was unwilling to pay attention to him. Holding the water cup, she looked at Xu Sirui who was looking down at his phone across from her and said carefully, "Sirui, are you still planning to go to the studio? The boss has asked me about your whereabouts many times."

I don’t know if he didn’t hear it or did it on purpose, but Xu Sirui didn’t answer, and didn’t even raise his head.

Sun Mingyuan kicked him under the coffee table. He put away his phone, raised his eyelids nonchalantly, and replied, "No."

"Oh...Is that so?" His cold attitude made Guo Yingying very embarrassed. She gripped her water cup tightly. The more awkward she felt, the more she wanted to find a topic to ease the tension. So she continued, "He really likes you. You didn't go to the photo shoot for that sports drink we agreed on last time. Although he was angry, he also felt it was a pity. He asked me to tell you that if you're free, you can still visit him. He knows a Taobao clothing store that's in need of a men's model..."

Xu Sirui listened expressionlessly, said nothing, and just pulled the corner of his mouth impatiently.

Seeing Guo Yingying's eyes red and her hands shaking, Sun Mingyuan quickly responded, "Hey, why are you looking for Xu Sirui? He only has a nice face! I believe your boss is not that superficial. How about this, do you think I can do it? I'm a Dongcheng Peng Yuyan at least, and my character is also very good. Your boss will definitely not lose out by looking for me."

Guo Yingying forced a smile, and Wu Bo also laughed: "Who gave you the title of Dongcheng Peng Yuyan? Did you give it to yourself?"

"How do you know?"

"Go away! I said I was Liu Yifei."

The atmosphere eased a little during their bickering, but Xu Sirui, as if deliberately trying to make things difficult for everyone, suddenly stood up from the stool, making a lot of noise. He didn't look at anyone and went straight to the kitchen.

Guo Yingying's face, which had just calmed down, turned pale again. A few seconds later, two tears suddenly rolled out of her eyes.

This crying scared everyone. Sun Mingyuan was so angry that he wanted to go and argue with Xu Sirui, but Zhu Yingning gave him a look, indicating that he should stay here to comfort Guo Yingying and she would go over.

In the kitchen, Xu Sirui opened the refrigerator, found a can of iced Coke from the freezer, and pulled the zipper. Before he could even pour it into his mouth, the Coke was snatched away. He tutted in dissatisfaction and glared over, meeting Zhu Yingning's fiery gaze head-on.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a low voice.

"What do you mean?" Xu Sirui deliberately asked in a riddle.

"Why do you have that attitude towards Guo Yingying?"

"That's my attitude, what do you think?"

She wrinkled her nose, her face full of disapproval. "Guo Yingying hasn't done anything wrong to you, has she? Not only did she not believe what people said, she even took the initiative to come and show concern for you. Is this how you treat a friend who truly cares about you?" Before he could say anything, she pointed out sharply, "Are you truly displeased with her, or are you taking your frustrations with Feng Da out on her?"

"Fuck..." She hit upon Xu Sirui's dark and twisted thoughts. He became angry and embarrassed, and his cheeks instantly turned red. He almost had a myocardial infarction because of her anger.

And Zhu Yingning seemed not to think that this was not enough to provoke him, and continued: "Since you can't teach Feng Da a lesson, you take it out on girls? Xu Sirui, it's very ungentlemanly to vent your anger on others." As she said the last five words, she also matched her movements and poked him hard on the chest, one poking after each word. Xu Sirui felt that she was going to poke a hole in his chest.

He reached out and grasped her fingers, sneering, "What right do you have to lecture me? I haven't even settled accounts with you yet. Did you ask me for permission to call her in?" He was about to say, "Find out whose house this is. It's mine, not yours," but just as he was about to say it, he realized it was too hurtful and quickly swallowed it back. Words are like knives. Some can be said, others can't be said, even in anger. If they are said, even if they reconcile in the future, their relationship will never be the same again. He didn't want to create a rift between them because of a blunt remark.

Zhu Yingning had initially been confident, believing she was completely in the right, but after he questioned her, she realized she had indeed overstepped the bounds. She had let Guo Yingying in because, on the one hand, she felt it was inhumane to leave someone outside in the cold, and on the other hand, she wanted Xu Sirui to know that not all of his classmates had the same attitude as Feng Da, and that there were people like Guo Yingying who were willing to remain his friend. But, no matter what, Guo Yingying was his friend, not hers. How to treat this friendship was his choice, and she shouldn't interfere too much. Besides, this was his home, and inviting someone in required his approval, not her unilateral decision.

Seeing her eyes suddenly go blank and she became dazed, Xu Sirui couldn't help but ask angrily, "You're distracted while I'm talking to you?"

Zhu Yingning came back to her senses: "No."

"You're still saying no?!" He was inexplicably nitpicking about this. "You were completely lost in thought just now."

"I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?"

"Think about what you said... You're right, Xu Sirui, I did do something wrong." She looked up at him, "I should have asked you before making a decision, instead of completely ignoring your thoughts and feelings. I'm sorry."

"Damn it." Xu Sirui was the typical soft-hearted person. The more someone challenged him, the more he wanted to challenge back. But as soon as the other person gave in a little, he would turn around and reflect on himself. As soon as Zhu Yingning apologized, he instantly felt that he deserved to die, and that he was too petty and not like a man.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked unreasonably. "Can't you just stick to your own opinion and stop scolding me?"

"?"

Zhu Yingning commented cautiously, "Your request is very strange."

“…”

"Also, can you please let go of my hand?"

When she reminded him of this, he realized that he had been holding her fingers from beginning to end. His face turned red and he quickly let go of her hand.

However, although she loosened her grip, the warmth of her fingers seemed to still be branded into his palm, and his head felt dizzy. Later, Zhu Yingning said to him gently, "Why don't you apologize to Guo Yingying too? She came all the way to see you, don't let her go back heartbroken." He agreed without much resistance.

After agreeing and following her back to the living room, I realized I had fallen into her trap again. That terrible theorem had come true again - whatever she wanted to do, whatever effect she wanted to achieve, she would eventually achieve it. No one could escape her law.

Beside the coffee table in the living room, Guo Yingying had stopped crying. Her fingers were clenched around a tissue soaked with tears, and she was so embarrassed that she couldn't even lift her head.

Seeing Zhu Yingning and Xu Sirui coming out, she stood up, grabbed her sunglasses, mask, and hat that she had placed aside, and said vaguely, "I'll go back first."

"No!" Zhu Yingning was the first to speak out to stop it.

Guo Yingying raised her head, expecting her to say something to persuade her or comfort her, but she replied, "I haven't finished studying yet."

“…”

The corners of Guo Yingying's mouth twitched a few times. "I... don't need to learn anymore."

"Study for a while longer." Xu Sirui said from the side.

His sudden plea to stay shocked Guo Yingying, and Sun Mingyuan, who was standing next to him, was also frightened. He reached out to touch his forehead, muttering, "Ghost Grandpa, please get off Xu Sirui. He may not be a good person, but he is still my brother after all." Xu Sirui impatiently slapped his hand away and said quickly, as if completing a task, "It was my bad attitude just now, not your fault. I'm sorry." The last two words were spoken very quickly and quietly.

Sun Mingyuan was so frightened that his soul was about to be shattered. He looked at Zhu Yingning and shouted, "It's over! I think we really need to hire a master."

"Get out." Xu Sirui pushed his head away.

Guo Yingying clutched her belongings tightly, feeling unsure whether to leave or stay. Zou Hao politely said, "Since you're here, finish your studies first." He pointed at Zhu Yingning and said, "This guy scored 21st in the class on the midterm exam. If he works harder, he'll probably be in the top 20 on the next monthly exam. Cherish this opportunity to make up for the missed classes, classmate."

Wu Bo saw that everyone had already spoken, and if he didn't speak up, he would seem out of place, so he mumbled, "Yeah, yeah."

Guo Yingying breathed a sigh of relief and stayed as expected.

-----------------------

The author has something to say: Ning: No matter what, just catch them all and study them.

This chapter is a combination of the words in two chapters. I think the content is highly relevant and there is no need to divide it into chapters, so I combined it into one chapter and posted it.

I don't know if this chapter and the following chapters will be controversial, so I'll give you a thumbs up in advance><

I recognize the beauty of girls, but rather than simply presenting beauty, I actually want to try to write about the diversity and reality of women. This is very arrogant, and I know that my writing skills are far from reaching such a serious level, so I can only present it to the best of my ability.

Beyond good qualities like kindness and mutual support, I've always believed that women can harbor subtle negative emotions like jealousy, hostility, and resentment, and can engage in healthy competition. No one is perfect; they can't always be perfect, nor do they need to be. They have flaws, make mistakes, and even moral flaws. Even someone as strong-willed as Ningning can't always be brave; she can be indecisive at times.

But no matter what kind of characterization, I will try my best not to maliciously vilify any female character, but just keep a faithful record. As for how readers interpret it, whether they like or hate a character, these are all your freedom.

And, quietly clearing mines...

In addition to spending time shaping female characters, this book also spends some time shaping male characters orz

I know that the market is increasingly emphasizing female-focused narratives, where women are the centerpiece and men are the background. I have absolutely no objection to this model, and I enjoy reading such works myself. However, reading preferences and creative perspectives are two different things. My personal creative perspective is very traditional, stemming from a comic book I love: preserving all forms of human nature.

This is the principle I follow when creating every character, male or female.

Before writing this hero, I wondered: Do I really want to create such a flawed hero in a romance novel? Would he be incredibly unlikable? But after much deliberation, I ultimately decided to follow my heart. If the author can't be confident in their story and characters, their work will become a patchwork of fragments. If even the spirit of the work is lost, how can readers possibly enjoy the story?

In short, you can all curse Xu San, but please be kind to the author... [Please]