Chapter 64 Strategy: Chapter Sixty-Four is So Alluring!
Bai Jiangxin suddenly and inevitably thought of a possibility.
If she had crushes on other people before him, it means that her yellow brain might have also fantasized about other men before him.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Bai Jiangxin's expression darkened.
Xiang Di suddenly exclaimed "Wow!" and several other students in the class followed suit.
Bai Jiangxin looked up and realized that a group of students in formal attire were passing by in the classroom corridor.
The girls wore floor-length chiffon gowns, and the boys wore suits and ties. Someone recognized them as classmates from the arts program, who would also be the hosts for next week's coming-of-age ceremony. They were wearing formal attire to school now, most likely for a rehearsal.
There are many handsome men and beautiful women in the special talent class, and quite a few beauties who are considered school beauties. Some even became famous online for posting beautiful photos and were chosen by a director to film web dramas before graduation. However, there is only one universally recognized school heartthrob.
Several handsome boys and beautiful girls with special talents, while attracting attention, couldn't help but glance into the window of Class 97.
Since they rarely pass by the top class, they definitely want to catch a glimpse of the school heartthrob.
Unfortunately, the school heartthrob remained aloof as always, oblivious to everything around him, his head bowed as he read, never once looking up.
The girl sitting next to him, however, stared at them with wide, almond-shaped eyes, utterly amazed.
They're all so handsome and good-looking; they could totally be celebrities.
Bai Jiangxin raised his head and glanced out the window.
He didn't look at the girl, but he did take a extra look at the two boys.
It felt so-so.
She's not even as good as Zhou Linxiao.
After eating too much rich and heavy food, she's actually starting to crave light and simple dishes?
The girl was undeniably beautiful, but as for the boys... well, my husband is definitely a cut above the rest. After all, his title as the school's heartthrob isn't just for show.
With a relaxed expression, Bai Jiangxin withdrew his gaze from the comparison he had been secretly making and continued reading.
They do have good taste.
But if she has such good taste, how come she still had crushes on other people when she was in her first and second years of high school?
Although they hadn't interacted in the past two years, she should have seen him speak at various grade-level meetings.
Who else could she possibly have a crush on besides him?
By this time, several outstanding students with special talents had already walked away, and the classmates began to discuss the coming-of-age ceremony next week. Xiang Di turned to Bai Jiangxin and asked, "Will you wear a formal dress for the coming-of-age ceremony next week?"
Bai Jiangxin said calmly, "I won't wear it."
"So what are you going to wear?"
School uniform.
Xiang Di didn't speak for a moment, but Bai Jiangxin had already heard her heartfelt regret.
Ah... I thought I'd see you in a suit.
I can't even imagine what it would be like if you were wearing a black suit, a side-parted hairstyle, and silver-rimmed glasses. Oh my god, I'd probably flood the place!
"Wearing a school uniform is fine, it's convenient," Xiang Di chuckled.
There was no rule that coming-of-age ceremonies required such elaborate attire, Xiang Di reassured herself.
[Forget it, my husband is handsome even in a school uniform; he'd still steal the show!]
"And you?" Bai Jiangxin countered, "What are you planning to wear that day?"
"Me? I can wear whatever I want." Xiang Di rolled her eyes, speaking in a nonchalant tone. "I don't really care about this. I'll probably wear a school uniform like you."
But that's not what she really thought.
[Just kidding, how could I wear anything? My aunt already spent a fortune to buy me a fairy-tale gown, and even booked her personal hairstylist for me.]
【Then you'll obediently fall at my feet, man, just wait, I'll definitely seduce you to death.】
Bai Jiangxin raised an eyebrow and gave a faint "oh".
Then he'll wait.
-
The senior high school students' collective coming-of-age ceremony was scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Friday was a particularly nice day. The sky was already bright enough to be blinding in the morning. All afternoon classes for the senior students were canceled. Day students who lived close to the school could go home to change into their formal attire, while boarding students could change in their dormitories.
Considering that the girls in the class might take a long time to put on makeup, Chen Jinghua asked everyone to gather on the playground.
Ye Minjia was the class monitor and was responsible for gathering the classmates. When he arrived at the playground, none of the girls in the class had arrived yet, and only a few boys were standing together chatting.
"Wow, the class monitor is so handsome."
Ye Minjia is usually carefree and irresponsible, but today, wearing a suit, he exudes a unique kind of roguish charm.
He clicked his tongue: "How about it? Doesn't it look like Ah Zu when he was young?"
"They look exactly alike, like twins from different mothers! Stop it, Grandpa! Dressed so handsomely, are you trying to kill us?"
Not long after, Wang Sichen arrived. This guy didn't follow the usual path; he was actually wearing a white suit.
The guys were laughing so hard they were dying, asking him why he hadn't told them he was getting married today.
Wang Sichen argued vehemently: "Who says you can't wear white for a coming-of-age ceremony? Look at this whole crowd, everyone's in black, and I'm the only one wearing white. I'm definitely the center of attention. That's called fashion strategy. You guys don't know anything about it."
He had high hopes, but when Zhou Linxiao arrived, he realized that the idea that clothes make the man was utter nonsense; only good looks mattered.
Zhou Linxiao had already participated in a coming-of-age ceremony at his previous international school in March, so this time he was just an audience member, responsible for taking photos of his classmates. He wasn't wearing a suit, just a simple white shirt, and he didn't even have a tie.
Even with such casualness, he still managed to attract the most attention with his chestnut hair that shone in the sunlight and his olive-colored eyes that looked almost transparent like gemstones when illuminated.
Wang Sichen gritted her teeth in jealousy, resenting that her parents were local natives and hadn't given her a mixed-race face.
He thought to himself, "Don't get too cocky, kid. Once Bai Jiangxin arrives, I'll show you that the real Chinese handsome guy is the best."
At this time, the girls in the class had also dressed up and gracefully carried their skirts to the playground.
There weren't many opportunities to dress up during the three years of high school, so most of the girls dressed quite formally today. Many chose dresses with large skirts, and quite a few wore Hanfu and Lolita. Compared to the boys' uniform and unoriginal suits, the girls' outfits were a vibrant display, adorning the entire playground.
The boys were envious, thinking how lucky they were to be girls with so many pretty dresses. But they couldn't help wondering, with the hem of the dress sweeping back and forth on the rubber track of the playground, wouldn't it be hard to wash when they got home?
Ye Minjia was chatting with Zhou Linxiao when Wang Sichen suddenly shoved him and shouted, "Hey, look!"
Ye Minjia thought it was Bai Jiangxin who had arrived, but when she glanced to the side, it was Liang Qianqian.
She already had a mature and sophisticated look, tall with long arms and legs. Wearing this strapless red fishtail dress, she looked mature and capable, leaving all the boys and girls in the class stunned.
The girls surrounded her and praised her, while the boys were more shy. Only Zhou Linxiao generously gave her a thumbs up.
You look so beautiful today.
Liang Qianqian chuckled and said, "Thank you."
Her gaze swept over Wang Sichen, who then exclaimed foolishly, "You look so good, Sister Liang! You could go straight into Hong Kong movies!"
"At least you said something sensible."
Liang Qianqian's gaze finally fell on Ye Minjia. She pursed her lips and arrogantly raised her chin: "Hey, aren't you going to say something nice to me?"
Ye Minjia blinked slowly, coughed lightly while covering her mouth, and frowned as she asked, "Are you getting married today? Who are you going to toast in all this bright red?"
"..." Liang Qianqian gritted her teeth, "You dog who can't utter anything ivory from a dog's mouth."
“Ignore Sister Liang, he even said I’m getting married today too,” Wang Sichen said. “He’s just jealous that we’re dressed nicely.”
Liang Qianqian gave a soft snort and turned to find the girls in her class to gather together.
After she left, Zhou Linxiao chuckled and said, "Class monitor, girls usually want to be praised at this time, why did you do the opposite?"
Ye Minjia turned his head away, his ears turning bright red in the afternoon sun. He scoffed, "Going along with her is so pointless."
More and more people gathered on the playground, but two students from Class 97 were still missing.
Bai Jiangxin hadn't arrived yet, but no one in the class was surprised; he always arrived right on time anyway.
But Xiang Di hasn't arrived yet.
She's the only girl missing from the class now; we'll be taking a group photo of all the girls in the class later.
When the girls asked Liang Qianqian, she didn't know either, saying, "She messaged me at one o'clock saying she was already on the bus. Even if there was traffic, she should have arrived by now."
She had to take out her phone and send a message to Xiang Di.
[Baby, haven't you arrived yet?]
-
Xiang Di had already arrived.
All the senior students are gathered on the playground, waiting for the coming-of-age ceremony to begin. The teachers have also gone down, and even the junior students from the neighboring building have run to the playground to join in the fun.
Compared to the bustling playground, the teaching building was now deserted, and no one noticed that two people were quietly hiding inside.
In the quiet stairwell of the teaching building, Xiang Di was pressed against the wall, her hands tightly clutching the folds of her dress. Her face was lifted up by the person in front of her, and she tilted her head back to receive a kiss.
She really did arrive early. When she arrived, none of the other students had arrived yet. It was because at noon she had asked Bai Jiangxin when he was going to school, and Bai Jiangxin said he would go early, so she also wanted to go early so she could chat with him a little longer.
At the time, she was getting her hair done at the hair salon with her aunt. Xiang Di was only getting a styling done, without needing to dye or perm it, so she was faster than her aunt. As soon as she finished her hair, she took a taxi to school.
She shared the license plate and location with Bai Jiangxin. When she arrived at the school, she had just lifted her skirt to open the door when the car door was opened from the outside first.
Xiang Di looked up and froze instantly.
After getting off the bus, she stared blankly at the other person for a long time before finally managing to stammer, "Didn't you say you were wearing a school uniform?"
Why wear a suit? Why comb your hair into a side part? And most importantly, why wear glasses, specifically her favorite silver-rimmed glasses?
The fabric of his suit was stiff and the silhouette was impeccable. It didn't look like a ready-made garment bought directly from a store; it looked more like a custom-made suit. On him, it fit him so well that it was indescribable.
His eyes and brows remained as cool and aloof as ever, but the glasses on his nose added a touch of refinement, and he possessed a sharp edge that was somewhere between maturity and naivety.
He is not only a cool and aloof urban man with a calm and composed demeanor, but also a restrained and serious suit-wearing thug.
Good heavens, he really must have mind-reading abilities, otherwise why would his outfit today so accurately match all her quirks?
To call it a coincidence would be too much of a coincidence.
Xiang Di suppressed the urge to swallow.
At this moment, Bai Jiangxin calmly asked her, "Didn't you also say you'd wear the school uniform?"
Do you understand the technique of first criticizing and then elevating? Xiang Di didn't answer, and continued to ask him, "You even used hair gel today?"
He reached out and twirled a strand of her princess curls between his fingers, saying, "Didn't you also get your hair permed?"
"I didn't get a perm, this is a styling treatment, it's temporary, it'll be gone after I wash my hair."
"You got your hair styled and put on makeup."
"Oh? I put on some makeup..." Xiang Di said softly, "I didn't want to wear makeup at first, but my aunt said that since I was wearing a formal dress, I should definitely put on some makeup, so I did."
She felt it was pretentious to say it, but she couldn't bring herself to openly admit to Bai Jiangxin that she wore makeup to look prettier.
God knows how much courage she mustered to barely manage to ask, "...Do you think I'm okay today?"
She was too shy to ask herself if she looked pretty, so she only asked if it was okay. She wasn't greedy; as long as he said it was alright, she felt that all the effort she had put into dressing up today had been worthwhile.
However, Bai Jiangxin remained silent for a long time.
She grew increasingly uneasy, lowered her head, and gently bit her lip. It felt a little sticky, and when she tasted the fruit, she remembered that she was wearing apricot-colored lip gloss with a fruit flavor.
Having forgotten to bring a mirror, and with the bright sunlight outside making it difficult to see clearly through her phone camera, Xiang Di could only ask the person in front of her, "I think there's still color on my lips, right?"
Bai Jiangxin's eyes narrowed. Without answering, he suddenly grabbed her wrist and led her directly around the playground, heading towards the teaching building.
He walked a little too fast, making it difficult for Xiang Di to keep up, so she had to lift her skirt.
A boy in a suit led a girl in a pink and white floral organza dress through the school. Their steps were hurried, and the girl's long hair and the light train of her dress swayed in the air with their quick steps, seemingly carrying a fragrance with them.
When Xiang Di realized she had been taken into the teaching building and asked him why they weren't on the playground, he had already pressed down on her, cupped her face, and kissed her.
She asked him if his outfit was okay, and Bai Jiangxin answered her question in the most straightforward way.
He aroused her so much that her shoulders trembled and her heart clenched with each beat as she felt his lips pressing against hers, lingering and caressing.
Besides, his glasses were pressing against her face, which was a little uncomfortable. Before she could say anything, Bai Jiangxin herself realized that the glasses were in the way.
He never understood the appeal of glasses, always finding them troublesome, and couldn't comprehend why Xiang Di liked them.
However, he still wore them today. Bai Jiangxin held her face in one hand and continued kissing her, while using his other hand to quickly take off his glasses and stuff them into his trouser pocket.
Xiang Di opened her eyes slightly, almost mesmerized by his decisive action of taking off his glasses.
Needless to say, the lip gloss on her lips was completely gone. Luckily, her aunt reminded her to carry it with her so she could reapply it after the kiss.
Having learned from her previous experience, Xiang Di didn't clumsily keep her mouth tightly shut this time.
Bai Jiangxin could feel that her mouth wasn't closed tightly, and even though their lips were pressed together, he couldn't hear her thoughts.
Because the biological link established a month ago through saliva and the flute has completely failed yesterday, most physical limb contact has also lost its linking effect due to the increased threshold.
For example, a simple hug or a simple kiss does not reach the level of creating a further connection.
Physical contact is no longer effective, which is actually a good thing for him, and also for Xiang Di.
This means that as long as they don't take their relationship any further, they can get along like a normal couple. She can once again have her own little secrets in front of him, and he no longer has to find himself in a situation where he doesn't know whether to laugh or cry because of her feelings.
Bai Jiangxin always believed that even if they were together, he had no right to pry into her heart. Xiang Di was an independent person, and she deserved to have secrets that belonged only to her.
He shouldn't have heard her kind, warm, and even occasionally darker thoughts.
As for what level of physical contact is needed to re-establish the connection, it is unknown since it has not yet been tested on her.
He had originally planned to do this, and wait until after the college entrance examination to decide.
So he really didn't plan to kiss her today.
Just as she had confidently predicted, he was indeed captivated by her dress the moment he saw her today.
He restrained himself from looking at her and tried to talk to her normally, but she was just too easy to guess what he was thinking. Even though he couldn't hear her thoughts, he could tell from her coy little gestures how much she wanted his praise.
The persona she put on in front of him sometimes resembled that of a clumsy child trying to win over an adult. If he didn't like this child, he would think she was a bit scheming.
But he liked the clumsy yet somewhat cunning little boy in front of him.
Bai Jiangxin liked her little tricks.
Whether it's the little trick of pretending to be innocent in front of him, or the pretentious little trick of deliberately dressing up beautifully but pretending that she was forced to dress up.
Even with her hints, Bai Jiangxin did not deepen the kiss. He merely lingered on her lips, his hands holding her trembling slightly, restrainingly and indulgently savoring her lips.
A kiss without a deep kiss can last a long time, until both of you feel your lips are a little sore from rubbing together, and then you pull away slightly.
But they didn't want to leave so soon, so they sat on the stairs and chatted during that time.
Xiang Di's dress was made of organza. In addition to the fluffy skirt, it also had a trailing train. Now, as she sat on the stairs, she flicked the train forward, and the print on the organza instantly looked like real flower petals covering the steps.
She chuckled and tilted her head playfully, saying to him, "Now my legs are longer than yours."
Bai Jiangxin swept her long hair back and gently hummed in agreement.
Xiang Di asked him why he was suddenly wearing glasses today, and Bai Jiangxin said that his eyesight had deteriorated recently, so he went to get glasses.
Although Xiang Di thought he looked good in glasses, she still didn't want him to become nearsighted, so she told him not to overuse his eyes and to close them occasionally to rest.
Bai Jiangxin looked at her and said, "You can't rest."
Xiang Di: "Why?"
Bai Jiangxin: "There's someone dressed so beautifully today that I can't bear to close my eyes."
Xiang Di was taken aback; her cheeks, which had finally cooled down, were flushed again by his words.
She pouted and asked softly, "Does this outfit suit me quite well today?"
My aunt said she was a princess on the run, and she felt like one too.
She wanted to be Princess Elsa when she was little, and she still wants to be a princess when she grows up; she will always have a princess dream.
Bai Jiangxin nodded: "Suitable."
Xiang Di wanted to hear him praise her a little more, so she asked, "Do you think it looks good?"
Bai Jiangxin raised an eyebrow: "Didn't I just say that?"
"...Could you say it again?"
Under her expectant yet sparkling gaze, Bai Jiangxin suddenly pursed his lips.
He wasn't good at giving compliments. Normally, praising her beauty required a natural state of mind, but now that she was staring at him, he couldn't say anything.
Xiang Di saw that he didn't react for a long time and assumed that he was not going to say anything.
She suddenly felt a little ungrateful, smiled and said, "Okay, I heard what you just said anyway."
As soon as she finished speaking, her shoulder was put on his arm, and she was gently pulled into his embrace.
Bai Jiangxin sighed in her ear, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously, and he conceded in a low voice, "...You are very beautiful."
Xiang Di bit her lip and smiled, as if she could see her smugness at that moment. Bai Jiangxin felt a tickle in her heart and, for some unknown reason, said again, "You're so charming."
Xiang Di's eyes widened instantly.
Bai Jiangxin suddenly lowered his head and leaned it towards her.
The dress had soft cup pads and an underwire design at the chest, so it wasn't very form-fitting and the position was quite low. Therefore, Xiang Di didn't wear a bra today, only nipple covers.
Even though she specifically put a protective tape on her chest to ensure she wouldn't expose herself, it was still very obvious when you hugged her that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
Bai Jiangxin felt that his self-control was getting worse and worse.
He may also need to abstain from sex.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, above her chest, inhaling her scent. His voice was deep and hoarse: "I want to take the college entrance exam tomorrow."
That way, I won't just take a sip to quench my thirst, but will actually fall under your skirt and taste the nectar beneath it.
-
If Qianqian hadn't messaged her to urge her, Xiang Di felt she could have sat on the stairs with Bai Jiangxin for an entire afternoon.
To avoid being discovered that they had been staying together, Xiang Di went downstairs first to gather the classmates, and Bai Jiangxin would go down later.
She ran to the playground, lifting her fluffy skirt. The girl's anxious expression and the billowing skirt really gave people the illusion of a princess on the run.
Everyone praised her for being beautiful, but Zhou Linxiao, as the leader of the praise group, praised her in a slightly different way than the others.
“My sister’s BJD doll also has a dress similar to yours, and it looks very pretty in that dress.”
Xiang Di didn't understand until Zhou Linxiao showed her his sister's collection of doll photos. Only then did Xiang Di understand why Zhou Linxiao always looked at her with such a loving gaze.
It turns out they were treating her like a BJD doll.
A while later, Bai Jiangxin also arrived late, and everyone reacted exactly the same way Xiang Di had when they saw him.
Is Bai Jiangxin about to debut?
"Holy crap, he's so handsome, he's our school heartthrob."
Ye Minjia reacted the most, pointing at him incredulously and shouting, "Damn you, you repressed pervert! You even have a side parted hairstyle! Who are you trying to kill with your curls?"
Bai Jiangxin said calmly, "I'll crush you."
Seeing the reactions of others to Bai Jiangxin's look today, Xiang Di felt even more proud than when she was praised for her beauty.
How could he not be handsome? This is the man she has her eye on.
This is what they call a husband's good looks being a wife's glory.
...
The coming-of-age ceremony for the senior high school students was successfully held on a sunny afternoon. Each class passed through the "coming-of-age ceremony" archway in order, with cameras recording the proceedings. Everyone had an excited yet shy smile on their face.
Many parents of senior high school students also came to witness this moment. After the ceremony, the playground was still lively. Some people were taking pictures, some were presenting flowers, and many junior and senior high school students came over to take pictures with the more famous senior students.
Bai Jiangxin was asked by several younger students to take photos with him, hoping to absorb his academic aura. Surprisingly, he did not refuse and politely smiled at the camera.
Seeing Bai Jiangxin surrounded by several female students who admired him taking pictures, Xiang Di suddenly felt like she was his sister-in-law.
No wonder so many fans want to be the sister-in-law of celebrities; it must feel amazing.
Just as she was feeling smug, a man in a suit and tie walked up to her and asked if her name was Xiang Di.
The man was handsome and tall, dressed quite elegantly, and holding two bouquets of flowers. He exuded a mature aura.
Xiang Di thought to herself, she didn't know whose parents they were, but she felt that they were her aunt's dream girl.
It's a pity her aunt is currently busy taking photos and collecting painting materials; otherwise, she would definitely fall in love with this man at first sight.
Xiang Di looked at the man with a puzzled expression, and asked politely, "Hello? May I ask who you are?"
The man introduced himself: "I am Bai Jiangxin's father."
Xiang Di's eyes widened instantly. She hadn't expected that Bai Jiangxin's father, who hadn't come to the last parent-teacher meeting, would actually show up for the coming-of-age ceremony.
Feeling incredibly annoyed at her own actions in trying to match Bai Jiangxin's father with her aunt, she quickly bowed to the man and said, "I'm sorry, Uncle. Hello, Uncle."
Bai Guang raised an eyebrow, puzzled, wondering why the girl had suddenly apologized to him.
However, he didn't delve into it and simply handed one of the bunches of sunflowers in his hand to Xiang Di.
"Congratulations on becoming an adult. These flowers are from Bai Jiangxin, who asked me to bring them to you."
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