Chapter 149 Picking a Green Plum 4: Friendship Turns sour
After seeing the person pressing down on her, Su Cheng finally understood why she wasn't in pain.
It turns out they were using Xi Congshuang as a human punching bag, holding her tightly, no wonder she didn't feel any pain.
But that's not the most important thing right now!
Su Cheng felt embarrassed to continue sitting and instinctively wanted to get up, but the two teenagers had long arms and legs, and Su Cheng's fall was also strange, resulting in their limbs getting tangled. Every time she moved, she would either press down on Xi Congshuang's thigh or her head would hit Xi Congshuang's chin.
Su Cheng felt even more embarrassed and kept apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
After Xi Congshuang's chin was bumped again, she couldn't stand it any longer and raised her hand to press down on the back of her neck: "Don't move."
Su Cheng immediately became obedient and didn't move.
The two people, who were lying on top of each other, were finally separated in the corner.
Xi Congshuang brushed the dust off her school uniform trousers: "I thought you had left school a long time ago, but I didn't expect you to still be inside."
“It did take a little time…” Su Cheng noticed something out of the corner of her eye and suddenly reached out to grab Xi Congshuang’s hand. “You’re injured.”
Xi Congshuang: "Really?"
Following her gaze, there really was one. It looked like a scrape from pressing down on the ground with the elbow. The skin was slightly broken, but there was no bleeding.
She didn't feel anything until she mentioned it, and then she felt a burning pain in the scraped area.
Take a closer look; it's not really serious. It will heal completely in a couple of days once the scabs form. It's just a minor issue.
Xi Congshuang tried to pull her hand away, but couldn't, so she just let her go: "It's alright."
He reached into his pocket with his other hand, but found nothing.
Since she was skipping class, she couldn't just walk around the school with her backpack on. Xi Congshuang only had her phone in her pocket; her tissues were in her backpack and she hadn't brought them out.
"..." It's over.
Suddenly, she found the dust and scars unbearable.
Su Cheng: "No, I need to take you to get some medicine."
The arm she held in her hand was fair and flawless, but there was an abrasion, which was as regrettable as a flaw in white jade.
She pulled a pack of wet wipes from her school uniform pants and stuffed it into Xi Congshuang's hand. She then used her strength to lead Xi Congshuang to the right side of the alley.
Xi Congshuang glanced down at the wet wipes she was given and obediently let them be pulled away.
This minor injury didn't warrant a trip to the hospital. Having lived here for a long time, Su Cheng knew exactly where the cheaper and more affordable clinics and doctors were nearby, and she easily led the person there.
As soon as she entered, the doctor, who was writing and drawing behind the transparent glass counter, asked, "It's rare to see you here. Is something wrong?"
Su Cheng: "It wasn't me, it was my friend who got hurt."
"A fall?" The doctor looked up, turned behind the counter, and said, "Let me take a look."
A few minutes later, Xi Congshuang sat in a chair, raised her arm, and the doctor cleaned the dust off the abrasion and began applying iodine.
When the cotton ball soaked in iodine was pressed onto the abrasion, Xi Congshuang frowned and almost pulled her hand back, but Su Cheng quickly grabbed her arm and wouldn't let her back down.
The clinic was empty at this time, but it wasn't quiet either.
It was all Su Cheng's voice: "Are you alright? Will it leave a scar? Do you need a tetanus shot?"
"..."
It's just a small scratch, there's no need to get a tetanus shot.
The doctor was speechless: "It's not that serious, it's just a scratch. Apply some iodine and spray some abrasion spray, and it'll be fine in a few days. Oh, and just be careful not to get it wet."
Su Cheng glanced at the quiet Xi Congshuang and said cautiously, "It's not that she's more nervous because I'm injured."
After treating her abrasions, Su Cheng was about to go to her part-time job when she saw Xi Congshuang standing there with a transparent bag in her hand, so she turned around and came back.
Where are you planning to go later?
Xi Congshuang thought for a moment and said, "I don't have anywhere I want to go. Let's go back to school."
Su Cheng couldn't understand: "You went through all that trouble to climb over the wall and even scraped your arm in the process, and now you're going back?"
Wouldn't that mean all our previous efforts were in vain?
Xi Congshuang frowned: "Then I have nowhere else to go."
Su Cheng didn't know how much of a future Xi Congshuang was in those words, but she was successfully softened by them and felt bad about just leaving her there.
It wasn't just because she was injured; her teacher also mentioned that her home wasn't in a distant city, and her parents weren't around either, so she'd probably be alone even if she went home.
She could also understand why Xi Congshuang didn't like going back, because she didn't like going home either.
When I get home, it's either a smoky mess or a deserted place. What's the point of going back to a place like that?
Su Cheng: "Since you don't have anywhere you want to go, how about I take you to where I work part-time? If you don't mind the noise."
"I don't mind the noise." Xi Congshuang's eyes reflected Su Cheng's hesitant face, and she lowered her voice, "I won't mind the noise."
Aside from the long summer and winter vacations, Su Cheng occasionally goes to bubble tea shops, but she more often does part-time jobs tutoring her neighbors' kids or working as an online coach.
Given her current financial situation, she could not afford a computer at all, so her main place for part-time work was the internet cafe owned by the boss downstairs from her home, where she entered as the boss's sister.
Suddenly returning to the world of ten years ago, Xi Congshuang, who had been spending all her time in school, didn't feel that there was much difference between now and ten years later, except that entertainment facilities weren't as advanced and online shopping and food delivery weren't as widespread.
When she stood in front of the internet cafe deep in the alley and looked around, the environment was vastly different from what it would be ten years later.
If she had to follow every rule, Su Cheng would lose another way to make a living. She was very curious why she, a high school student, needed to make a living on her own.
I've never heard her mention her parents.
Xi Congshuang looked at the figure walking ahead. Although he was tall, he was thin. Falling from such a high wall onto Xi Congshuang only caused her to have abrasions.
It felt so light, just like an orange falling into my arms.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Su Cheng was about the same age as her, but she spoke as if she were a generation older.
Su Cheng felt inexplicably guilty for bringing Xi Congshuang, who exuded a serious aura, into this place, but she felt even more uneasy about leaving her outside like this.
"Sister Liu, I'm here."
The boss, who had a perm, was playing games at the front desk. When she saw someone come in, she greeted her: "You're here. Why are you so late today... and why did you bring a friend?"
Su Cheng: "She came over to play with me. Sister Liu, you're such a kind person, you'll definitely agree to let her stay too, right?"
"...Come on." Sister Liu glanced at the girl standing behind Su Cheng again, tilting her head to survey the sparsely populated interior.
It's still early, and not many people are around, but the noise from these few people pounding on their keyboards is comparable to the noise of a thousand troops passing by at the same time.
Sister Liu raised her hand and beckoned Su Cheng over: "Is this classmate of yours just an ordinary classmate? He doesn't seem like the type to like having fun."
If I had to put it into words, just by standing in the store, she stood out from the crowd, unlike any other boy I had ever seen.
This student looks like a model student, the kind that teachers always praise.
Su Cheng lied through her teeth: "Of course, she's my deskmate."
Since she had already said so, Sister Liu had no choice but to agree, and then said, "Since you haven't been here for a while, all the places that need sparring partners are full. Everyone says you're very skilled and they want you as their sparring partner..."
"How much do you charge per hour to be my sparring partner? I'll cover you for today; you only need to take care of me." A voice suddenly came from the side.
The two people near the front desk fell silent. Sister Liu paused and looked over.
"..." Su Cheng was shocked for a moment, "Xi classmate, don't say such ambiguous things."
Sister Liu thought to herself that she hadn't misjudged him; he really was a wealthy and good student: "No problem, young boss. I'll give you the key to my lounge. Orange, you know the way, take her upstairs."
Su Cheng: "What about the commission split..."
After Sister Liu took the key and walked out of the front desk, she shoved the key into her hand, pressed her shoulder, turned her around, and pushed her out: "Alright, I'm not short of money. Just bring me a cup of milk tea next time."
After watching the two leave, Sister Liu continued playing games at the front desk.
"It must be tough for someone so young."
This building belongs to Sister Liu. She would occasionally go home for dinner, and over time she became familiar with Su Cheng.
For convenience, Sister Liu often rests on the third floor. There are several computers she assembled herself in the lounge, which also makes things convenient for Su Cheng.
The first floor is the lobby, the second floor has private rooms, and the third floor is locked; you need a key to go up.
There's a way to avoid entering or exiting through the main entrance; there's another staircase at the back of the building.
Otherwise, with more people around, it would be inconvenient for Su Cheng to come and go.
Sister Liu trusts Su Cheng and always gives her the key to the third floor to go up by herself. Su Cheng also shares some of the money she earns with Sister Liu, but Sister Liu never asks for much and lets Su Cheng keep most of it for herself.
Su Cheng took the key and, with practiced ease, led Xi Congshuang around to the back of the building, up the spiraling iron staircase.
Because it's made of iron, the stairs make a crisp, clattering sound as you go up. When Xi Congshuang walks on them, she feels like she's in an amusement park, walking up a platform where she once rode a pirate ship.
The stairs were also made of iron, but she wasn't sure if they were the same type, as Xi Congshuang had never been to an amusement park.
Su Cheng walked briskly up to the third floor, unlocked the door with her key, and said, "Come here, I'll get you a glass of water. Pick a table you like and sit down."
Xi Congshuang responded and followed her inside, saying she would pick a computer she liked, even though there were only three computers inside.
Two of the computers were assembled by Sister Liu herself, and the other one was a discarded desktop computer from downstairs, which was placed next to the two more sophisticated and advanced computers to make up the numbers.
Su Cheng poured herself water to mentally prepare herself. For some reason, she felt guilty for leading a good student astray by bringing Xi Congshuang, who had skipped class, out to play games.
Although she herself was a good student, a student with good grades in the conventional sense.
When they returned, Xi Congshuang had indeed chosen a machine and was planting vegetables on the colorful webpage.
Growing vegetables??
Su Cheng: "Your water's here. Are you planning to play this?"
Xi Congshuang turned around upon hearing the voice: "I quite enjoy growing vegetables; I feel a sense of accomplishment when I harvest them."
Of course, these were things that her parents considered frivolous, and the computer she used was also set up by professional programmers to detect and remove malware, so she could not open any pages related to games or entertainment.
The only videos she can watch on her computer are online courses recorded specifically for her; she can't watch anything else.
Su Cheng: "..."
Well, growing vegetables isn't a bad idea; it doesn't require much skill, and it's relatively easy for her.
But what happened next was beyond her expectations. Xi Congshuang finished harvesting all the vegetables, left them aside to grow, opened her video streaming app, and started watching a movie.
During the trip, they also asked Su Cheng for her opinion and decided on a movie that Su Cheng had been quite interested in but had never had time to watch.
He seemed very familiar with the task and was highly skilled at operating the computer.
No, it's not strange that Xi Congshuang is very skilled with electronic products, so why are you so shocked?
Shocked, I heard Xi Congshuang beside me say, "This trailer is pretty good."
Su Cheng leaned over to take a look. "Judging from the date, it should be released at the end of this month."
Then they sat side by side and watched a movie. Xi Congshuang was clearly not satisfied and picked another one to watch.
Su Cheng finally understood why she was so shocked, because Xi Congshuang seemed to have finally seized an opportunity and was going to have a blast.
The light on the screen flickered, reflecting on the face of the person beside her. Xi Congshuang's expression remained largely unchanged, but her eyes were full of interest.
This was the first time Su Cheng had seen her so vibrant since transferring schools.
After the second movie ended, it was getting late, and it was time for them to go home.
There's no need to worry about her homework; she finished it at school long ago.
Xi Congshuang didn't need to worry at all; she didn't write anything.
As Su Cheng shut down her computer and prepared to leave, someone tugged at her sleeve. Following the long, slender, white fingers, she looked up and saw Xi Congshuang's face.
She said, "You still haven't told me how much commission you'll receive."
Su Cheng met her gaze: "..."
If Xi Congshuang's face hadn't been expressionless and serious, she would have suspected that the other person was deliberately saying that to tease her.
No matter how many times Su Cheng heard it, the content of that sentence would make her shudder.
“You’re really good at games, I’ll treat you this time, how about next time?” Xi Congshuang gave an example, “If a movie is released and I’d be too bored going to see it alone, how would you arrange for me to play with you offline?”
"Xi, please don't say such ambiguous things..." Su Cheng wasn't a model student who followed the rules; she had seen other students dating early.
It was shocking and strangely embarrassing.
But looking into Xi Congshuang's earnest and beautifully shaped eyes, one might guess that the young lady is rather ignorant and has only learned half of what people say.
Unable to find any words of rebuke, her voice trailed off as she said, "I'm not a dumpling or a steamed bun, you can't just make them whenever you want..."
She was just hinting at it, hoping that Xi would understand what she meant.
Xi Congshuang: "?" Did I learn it wrong?
Isn't this just jargon specific to this industry?
Xi Congshuang: "So does that mean you're rejecting me? You don't want to be my offline gaming companion and go to the movies with me?"
Su Cheng gave up struggling: "I'm willing."
The objective has been achieved.
At this moment, Xi Congshuang revealed a genuine smile.
A fleeting smile crossed her cool face, as stunning as melting snow on a mountaintop, leaving Su Cheng momentarily stunned.
She knew her new deskmate was an ice queen from the very first day of her transfer. She'd gotten used to her over the years, but she was surprised to find that her smile was even more beautiful.
Also today, Xi Congshuang and Su Cheng exchanged contact information, and a new contact was added to the top of her sparsely populated chat page.
Very few people can talk to her; there are only a handful. She also has a habit of clearing the page, so whether it's pinned to the top or not doesn't make much difference.
But Xi Congshuang subconsciously pinned it to the top; this was the first peer she actively wanted to make friends with.
And before she even realized it, their friendship had quietly soured.
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