Cloud Girl Chapter 10
Because Chen Nanyi and Xu Xiaomeng were "assigned" to return the costumes during the last gathering, Chen Nanyi came to the rehearsal room again the following afternoon.
Jian Dan greeted Xu Xiaomeng, who was already there, and without saying a word, picked up the bag of prop costumes and walked out.
Seeing this, Xu Xiaomeng hurriedly followed.
Throughout the journey, Xu Xiaomeng kept trying to get Chen Nanyi to share some of what he had with him—perhaps because he felt that since he was a boy, he should ask for more.
However, Chen Nanyi had finally managed to coax Chen Yijing to sleep, and was feeling exhausted and annoyed.
Seeing his expression only made me more impatient.
Why did he have to ruin such a good life, living such a troublesome and masochistic life? It's especially upsetting to see him like this now.
However, what Chen Nanyi was too embarrassed to admit was that the reason she "discriminated" against Xu Xiaomeng was because during a physical education exam, Xu Xiaomeng, who was called in by the PE teacher to be the proctor, exclaimed in surprise, "Are you Chen Nanyi?" while recording Chen Nanyi's score, inadvertently revealing that Chen Nanyi had someone else take the exam for her.
If it were someone else, even if they knew the person taking the exam, they would pretend they didn't see it.
But the way he did it made it seem like he was targeting her.
Therefore, although she tried her best to be fair and did not want to blame him for his diligence in this matter, she could not help but feel uncomfortable.
She probably felt the same way as everyone else, hoping to maintain a relationship with him that was neither too close nor too distant.
After all, he holds a position and sometimes needs his help, but because of his "uprightness" and "bad character," many people are afraid of being implicated, which is why they are so distant from him.
Thinking this, Chen Nanyi walked on, slightly out of breath, deliberately keeping her distance from him.
But thinking about it carefully, Xu Xiaomeng might really be naive, or rather, the kind of naive that comes from pure kindness.
I went to borrow the costumes and props by myself. In the club, no, in all situations, I was more like a laborer or a cohesive agent!
Most people are just using him because they know it doesn't matter if something isn't finished, he'll take over on his own.
Although he may be expressing his attitude towards the world in his own way, and some of his views are in line with Chen Nanyi's aesthetic.
However, Chen Nanyi would clearly distance herself from people who lack emotional intelligence and IQ, or who knowingly pretend to be stupid to gain friendship and companionship.
She always felt that such a person was really pitiful, not even as good as Chen Yijing, so she was too embarrassed to take advantage of him.
However, it's unclear whether they were just unlucky or if the prop shop owner was their real nemesis.
Chen Nanyi and Xu Xiaomeng squeezed onto the bus and finally managed to hand over the costumes to the owner of the costume shop.
I thought I could leave immediately, but the shop owner said he needed to check it before I could leave.
Well, let's check it out. Unexpectedly, she spotted a tear about five centimeters long on a performance costume.
Chen Nanyi's immediate thought was that the item might have already been broken when it was borrowed.
However, she wisely refrained from saying this—after all, she wasn't the one who performed the initial examination.
They originally thought they could just lose a little money, but the shop owner was very aggressive and wouldn't stop until they bought the costume, and he was asking for an exorbitant price.
"Let me tell you, you little brats, you're not leaving here without buying this dress..."
Xu Xiaomeng glanced awkwardly at Chen Nanyi, who was standing to the side with his hands behind his back. Her face was flushed, and she whispered, begging her boss not to speak so loudly or say such unpleasant things.
As a result, the female boss was not at all impatient with Xu Xiaomeng's fair skin and red lips, and instead spoke even louder.
"Oh dear, these students tricked me! They're so shameless..."
The level of rudeness in her language was so extreme that, for someone like Xu Xiaomeng who wouldn't even point the blade of a pair of scissors at someone, it was practically street cursing.
Chen Nanyi was indignant.
Although she was unaware of the previous rental situation and could not intervene now, she had no choice but to bear the brunt of Xu Xiaomeng's "plea for help".
After all, they are now one entity.
Chen Nanyi, who studied Chinese, quickly and skillfully countered the attack with her persuasive and PR-effective approach.
"Boss, there's no reason for you to force me to buy this! Every place has its rules for doing business. You're going to sell this tattered garment just because it has such a tiny tear? How are you going to do business? Besides, this tear can be easily patched up. Why are you making such a fuss?"
Chen Nanyi skillfully controlled her disdainful tone, picking up a corner of the costume with a contemptuous look that prompted the shopkeeper to blurt out, "You say it's easy! Then you can mend it so it's undetectable, and I'll pretend nothing happened."
Chen Nanyi's attempts to provoke him only stopped when the boss, panting, uttered those words.
After succeeding, Chen Nanyi leisurely reached out and picked up a needle and thread from the costume shop owner's counter in the bustling street, and began to sew up the costume.
Thanks to being in charge of the household from a young age, Chen Nanyi has good hands-on skills.
The stitches were so perfect that no difference could be seen, leaving even Xu Xiaomeng stunned.
But to everyone's surprise, the shop owner was so despicable that he was determined to take several hundred yuan from Xu Xiaomeng before he would stop.
How much money can a student have?
Chen Nanyi had already been overwhelmed by the soaring prices, and now she was being blatantly "robbed," causing her previously suppressed temper to explode.
She stood in front of Xu Xiaomeng, looked coldly at the shop owner, and spoke in an unfriendly tone.
"Fine, if you keep bothering us, then we'll call the police. The clothes are intact, and the security cameras outside still work. If you try to sabotage us by tearing them now, that would be extortion. But never mind..."
After glancing at the shop wall, Chen Nanyi suddenly chuckled, "I think I'd better call the Industry and Commerce Bureau. I can get a two thousand yuan complaint fee, right? That can also cover your compensation."
The female boss's face was filled with anger and rage, and only then did Xu Xiaomeng notice that the shop did not have a business license.
But seeing the female boss looking like she was about to rush over and hit someone, Xu Xiaomeng couldn't help but feel a little scared. He tugged at Chen Nanyi's sleeve, about to say that it wasn't appropriate to be so aggressive.
Fearing that the female boss would see through their disagreement and their arrogance, Chen Nanyi quickly grabbed Xu Xiaomeng's hand and put it behind his back along with his own, while still staring intently at the female boss.
Chen Nanyi was so calm—which also reveals some aspects of her combative nature.
You'll regret messing with her!
Even if the plump and strong female boss stepped forward, Xu Xiaomeng believed that Chen Nanyi would not be afraid. On the contrary, he would be filled with boundless fighting spirit and would make the female boss pay.
However, the female boss seemed to be the type who wouldn't admit defeat until she hit a wall, and wanted to say a few more sharp words. Chen Nanyi quickly followed up, "If you want to make threats, like saying you won't rent to us anymore, then forget it. Anyway, there are other shops on the street besides yours. You should worry about your shop's reputation! Now, are you letting us leave, or are you calling the police?"
Chen Nanyi emphasized the final point about calling the police.
The effect was quite obvious.
The female boss's face was contorted with anger. She wanted to say something harsh, but then she remembered the saying "the way of business is harmony," and swallowed back the hurtful words she wanted to say before calming down a bit.
She had always been unhappy with her life, which led to her developing a gloomy personality, and few people around her dared to provoke her.
However, having encountered a tough opponent like Chen Nanyi today, there was nothing they could do but show some weakness on the surface.
The shop owner reluctantly offered a few kind words, but even Xu Xiaomeng, who is usually not good at pointing out people's mistakes, was somewhat displeased.
However, knowing when to stop, Chen Nanyi, still seething with anger, raised an eyebrow and said, "Forget it, I'm already being lenient by not asking you for compensation. Don't do this again..."
As Chen Nanyi spoke, she saw the sinister look in the shop owner's eyes and stopped talking, thinking to herself that she was still feeling wronged.
After a moment of impatience, even after leaving the store, Chen Nanyi's face remained gloomy.
Xu Xiaomeng walked with her on the street, her strides were not small, yet she followed closely behind Chen Nanyi.
He covered his other hand with one hand, which Chen Nanyi had involuntarily let go of as soon as he walked out of the store, barely having time to savor the lingering warmth of that hand.
Then he suddenly remembered the smile she had given that disgusting shop owner.
Unlike his first smile, which was beautiful but carried a hint of cunning and determination, this smile made his face flush red, and he felt ashamed of his lack of words.
Chen Nanyi walked around by herself for a while, then suddenly turned back and asked, "Has she done this before?"
Her tone was harsh, carrying an air of unyielding authority—she would never have been so rude in the past, but she was so angry today that she was questioning her like this.
Although Xu Xiaomeng was gentle, she wasn't one tolerating every question. Caught off guard by the sudden question, she couldn't hide her embarrassment and could only stammer a hesitant reply.
Chen Nanyi's jaw tightened immediately, and she asked expressionlessly, "How much did you want?"
Her expression was very unfriendly, as if she was about to explode at any moment.
Before she could even feel the joy of being inexplicably protected, Xu Xiaomeng, fearing she would rush back to find the boss, quickly waved her hand, "It's not much."
As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly felt embarrassed that she had been so easily taken advantage of. Xu Xiaomeng glanced at her blankly, then lowered her eyes.
The scene fell silent for a while.
Chen Nanyi probably didn't know what to say when she saw him, a grown man, behaving like this.
After a long pause, she finally found her voice, "Then I'll get reimbursed when I get back..."
Xu Xiaomeng quickly waved her hand again, "No need, it was my mistake, I'll take responsibility myself."
Chen Nanyi was stunned again. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she tried her best to hold it back.
She nodded and didn't say anything more.
For some reason, Xu Xiaomeng was startled when she saw that fleeting raised eyebrow, feeling as if she had lost something, but because Chen Nanyi's movements were so fast, she couldn't grasp the thought.
Chen Nanyi also knew the principle of moderation; she had never intended to go back to the shop owner, and was just trying to scam him.
Xu Xiaomeng simply accepted her bad luck and had nothing to say.
The atmosphere between the two of them froze again.
Time flows on, and the shimmering waves on the riverbank sway and glow under the setting sun.
The light and shadow filtered through the sparse branches and leaves, casting a warm glow on Chen Nanyi's face.
Feeling sleepy, Chen Nanyi scratched her hair and said, "Let's go back then!" before walking away on her own.
"Um," Xu Xiaomeng said, somewhat embarrassed, and reached out to stop her.
"Hmm?" Chen Nanyi frowned again.
"The way back is on the other side," Xu Xiaomeng said with a slight smile.
"Huh? Oh..." Chen Nanyi, realizing what had happened, touched her nose sheepishly and obediently walked back.
Seeing Chen Nanyi's awkward reaction for the first time, Xu Xiaomeng couldn't help but feel a pang of tenderness in her heart.
He lowered his head, smiled, and followed after them with a leisurely air.
The setting sun casts its warm glow upon the earth, bringing peace and tranquility to the day.
Small Theater
Xu Xiaomeng ￣へ￣, “Who put this here?! They must be trying to harm me, making me trip and fall so I can't take the level exam tomorrow! How despicable! How could there be such a person! Absolutely scum…”
The little dumpling whimpered, "It's Mommy!"
Xu Xiaomeng (⊙o⊙), “Ah~, what! Um... haha, everyone loves him! I knew it all along, it must be because Xiaolinlin is so considerate of me, she didn't want me to have a tough battle tomorrow, that's why she did this, I'm so touched, I'm so happy, so happy…” (﹏)
Chen Nanyi →_→, "Someone who can write an SC paper can't pass the level exam, and yet they say such things? How can you be so shameless?"
Xu Xiaomeng ￣□￣, “Hey, I don’t need to be shameless, I have you, that’s enough!”
Chen Nanyi, "Hmm?"
Xu Xiaomeng (∩△∩), "Because you can eat, but you can't be shameless~"
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