Lin Qingle never expected that there would be so many people eating together today. She was afraid that Xu Tingbai was not feeling well, so when the people around her were not paying attention, she whispered: Why don’t we just not eat and leave first
Xu Tingbai was uncomfortable and was reluctant to be with others.
But he knew that Lin Qingle really wanted to eat at this restaurant, and he also knew that most of the people here were her good friends. So he didn't want her to leave disappointed because of this factor.
"It's okay, you eat first."
"oh… "
"Didn't you order baked pudding?" Yu Jiayou asked after looking at the marked menu.
Lin Qingle said, "What we ordered just now is enough for the two of us, so we didn't order any more. You can order what you want now."
Yu Jiayou: "Then I'll order some baked puddings, Qingle, you can try it, the baked puddings here are delicious."
Lin Qingle: "Okay."
After a while, Yu Jiayou asked again: "Would you like some ice cream?"
Lin Qingle raised his eyes to see that he was looking at him, and shook his head: "No, thank you."
Lin Qingle's mind was on Xu Tingbai. She was always afraid that he would not be used to being in front of so many people.
"This rib is super delicious." She put a piece on his plate. Xu Tingbai didn't say anything, but picked up the ribs she put on his plate naturally and took a bite.
But in fact, some of the food was not tasty. First, there were many people present and he was not used to it. Another point was that there was someone she mentioned, Yu Jiayou.
He knew Yu Jiayou when he was a child. He was very outstanding, and he must be... still outstanding now.
"Qingle, they all want a glass of juice, do you want one?" It was Yu Jiayou's voice.
Xu Tingbai clenched his chopsticks slightly. This person seemed to be very concerned about the little fool Lin Qingle.
"No, no, I don't drink."
"good."
Lin Qingle was very worried about Xu Tingbai, and everyone could see it, including Yan Dairong.
Yan Dairong hadn't spoken a word since she sat down. She watched Lin Qingle pick up food for Xu Tingbai, watched Xu Tingbai eat it without any refusal, and watched the two of them whispering to each other. It seemed as if there was a separate barrier that isolated all of them.
She had always been loved and pampered by everyone, but she felt so unwilling in her heart... Such a submissive and obedient person turned out to be Xu Tingbai? Obviously, when facing her, he always rejected her so harshly!
"I'm going to the bathroom." Halfway through the meal, Lin Qingle stood up and told everyone.
"Okay, go ahead." After saying that, Jiang Shuyi saw Lin Qingle looking at Xu Tingbai worriedly, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, we are all here and will wait for you to come back."
Lin Qingle felt a little embarrassed when Jiang Shuyi saw through his thoughts, so he turned around and went to the inner room of the restaurant.
When Jiang Shuyi saw the people leaving, he said to Xu Tingbai, "Qingle is really good to you, isn't he?"
Xu Tingbai realized that someone was talking to him, and turned his head slightly: "Jiang Shuyi?"
"Ah... you know me?"
"I guessed." Xu Tingbai said, "It's either you or Yu Tingting."
Yu Tingting, who was standing by, flushed with excitement when she heard her name coming out of Xu Tingbai's mouth. She started looking at Xu Tingbai as soon as she sat down. She was feeling sorry while looking at him just now, wondering how could she not see how handsome he was!
"I, I'm Yu Tingting! I'm on your left!"
Xu Tingbai nodded slightly in her direction.
Yu Tingting was very happy: "It seems Qingle has told you about us."
"Occasionally."
"Hehe, we are Qingle's best friends in school. Of course, we are the best friends within the school." Yu Tingting said meaningfully that she fell in love with the bookstore outside of school, so she must be best friends with you. "
Xu Tingbai paused slightly, and curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
Jiang Shuyi: "That's true. After all, that little girl won't risk her life for us in the physics competition."
Xu Tingbai felt something was wrong when he heard this, and frowned slightly: "What?"
Jiang Shuyi: "It's the physics competition. She has been squeezing out her time recently and has been busy preparing for it. It's all for you. She's so nice to you."
"… "
Jiang Shuyi: "I hope Qingle can take first place this time! And get the 10,000 yuan prize!"
First place in the physics competition, prize money? For him
Xu Tingbai: "... Isn't she good at physics and was selected by your teacher to participate in the competition?"
Jiang Shuyi was surprised and said, "The teacher didn't recommend us to participate in this competition. After all, it's useless for the college entrance examination and it takes up a lot of time. Qingle went there just for the prize money... Didn't you guys make an appointment to see an eye doctor?"
Xu Tingbai was completely stunned.
So, she went to that competition just because of him.
Is it for his eyes, so that he can have money to see a doctor, that you work yourself so hard
She already has enough homework, how stupid is she to make these choices for him...
"What are you talking about?" Lin Qingle came back, wiped her hands, pulled out a chair and sat down.
But as soon as she sat down, Xu Tingbai stood up and said, "Come out with me."
Lin Qingle: "Are you going home?"
Xu Tingbai said nothing and left his seat.
"Wait for me, wait for me." Lin Qingle quickly stood up and said to the people present, "Then I'll go first. I just paid the bill. You guys take your time to eat."
As he spoke, Lin Qingle chased to Xu Tingbai's side, gently pulled his sleeve and wanted to take him out.
"Stop." Suddenly, Yan Dairong stood up.
Lin Qingle looked over.
Yan Dairong glanced at Lin Qingle and sneered: "Xu Tingbai, what do you mean by this?"
Lin Qingle looked between the two of them in confusion, only to hear Yan Dairong suddenly say, "If you want to see a doctor, if you need money, just tell me. What kind of a sad drama are you guys playing, risking your life to participate in the competition for you, and taking the mere 10,000 yuan prize for you? Ha, what do you want to prove? It means that she treats you better, right?"
No one expected Yan Dairong to suddenly speak in such a sinister way.
Jiang Shuyi and Yu Tingting knew only a little about the affairs of Yan Dairong and Xu Tingbai, and were stunned by this scene.
Yu Jiayou understood. In fact, when he heard that Lin Qingle participated in the competition for this reason, he was also stunned. He thought Lin Qingle was just a little nicer to Xu Tingbai, that's all...
He never thought she could do this for Xu Tingbai.
"Dai Rong, what are you doing?" Yu Jiayou pulled her.
Yan Dairong shook off his hand. She stared at Xu Tingbai's sleeve which was naturally pulled by Lin Qingle, and was extremely angry.
She had wanted to maintain her gentle appearance, but at this moment, she could no longer control herself. She felt humiliated and suffocated!
"Xu Tingbai, why do you treat me like this? Can't you see how good I am to you? Where did Lin Qingle come from? She is the daughter of a murderer and the whole school looks down on her! Why does she overshadow me?"
When Xu Tingbai heard her mention Lin Qingle's private affairs, his face suddenly turned cold: "Who she is has nothing to do with you. Speaking of this, I have something to ask you, Yan Dairong, were you the one who caused those things about her on the Internet before?"
Lin Qingle was startled and suddenly looked at Yan Dairong.
Yan Dairong sneered: "So what? I'm just putting the facts up there to tell everyone. I didn't say anything wrong."
Yu Jiayou stood up suddenly: "Dai Rong! What did you say? Those things on the Internet are you—"
"I told you I'm just stating the facts. Brother, are you two sick? You clearly know what kind of person Lin Qingle is, yet you still hang out with her all the time. Do you like her so much?!"
Jiang Shuyi: “…”
Xu Tingbai: “…”
Lin Qingle: “… ?”
Yu Tingting: "Bullshit! We all know who Qingle is, so you don't need to tell us. Why are you having a seizure here? I knew you were just pretending in school... You're also engaging in cyberbullying, so fucking despicable!"
"Shut up." Yan Dairong was completely irritated today. She had liked Xu Tingbai since she was a child. When the two families were still on good terms, she went to his house every day.
Later, his family got into trouble, and her parents were disgusted, so they stopped associating with their family and stopped letting them have any contact. She didn't dare to disobey her parents, so she didn't go to see him for the first two years. But later, she heard that he had moved away, so she secretly went to see him.
She wanted to help him, but he ignored her... and now, not only did he ignore her, he was getting so close to someone else!
"I'm going to stay with you instead of her. Who do you think you are?" Xu Tingbai said coldly.
Yan Dairong: "Xu Tingbai, you can't even see! You are no longer the Xu Tingbai you used to be! Why do you still look down on me!"
Xu Tingbai listened to her anger and his expression became calm: "Yes, I am not the Xu Tingbai of the past. I am just a blind man and I am not worthy. So please stay away from me."
The girl's ferocious expression froze for a moment, as if she suddenly realized something, and hurriedly walked in front of him: "No, I don't mean to look down on you, I, I just..."
"Didn't your parents tell you to stay away from me? Since you've already obeyed them, just listen to them." Xu Tingbai said, "Your parents are right. My family is rotten to the core. There is no need to have any contact with your Yan family anymore."
"My parents are my parents, and I am me..."
"Yeah."
Yan Dairong opened her mouth, looked at his sarcastic expression, and suddenly couldn't say the word "yes".
"But, but I can help you, even if it's just in secret, I can do more than Lin Qingle!"
"unnecessary."
"you-"
"Why are you still standing there? Let's go." Xu Tingbai grabbed Lin Qingle's arm and walked out.
"What about your mother? Don't you want to know what's going on in prison?" Yan Dairong suddenly said coldly.
Xu Tingbai's steps suddenly paused.
Yan Dairong's face was gloomy: "I was the one who told you about her before, don't you want to know in the future?"
Xu Tingbai clenched his fists: "You don't have to say it again, I never begged you."
"Okay." Yan Dairong laughed in anger. She slowly took two steps forward and said, "Okay, that's it. I don't have to pretend that I have more news."
"… What do you mean."
"Your mother is dead, you didn't know that." Yan Dairong said, "She committed suicide in prison a month ago. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would be sad."
Xu Tingbai froze, his face suddenly turning pale.
"Your father didn't tell you, right? That's right... why would he tell you? You can't do anything." Yan Dairong had completely lost his mind and just wanted to see Xu Tingbai suffer. "You've been waiting for her. Oh, what a pity, she can't come back!"
Yan Dairong thought Xu Tingbai would collapse after she said this. She wanted to see him like this. She wanted to see him be like her!
But, there was nothing.
He actually left.
With Lin Qingle.
Yan Dairong looked at his back in disbelief, almost going crazy: "Xu Tingbai—"
"Dai Rong! Stop talking nonsense!" Yu Jiayou said sternly.
Yan Dairong's eyes suddenly turned red: "Why does he... Why does he!"
—
Xu Tingbai kept walking, and Lin Qingle was worried that he would fall, so he grabbed his arm and led him towards home.
But along the way, she didn't dare to speak.
She vaguely felt that there was something different in Xu Tingbai's mood.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally arrived at the alley on Yueqian Road.
"We're downstairs at home..." She looked at him worriedly.
His voice was very deep and hoarse: "Okay, go back and be careful."
"Wait." Lin Qingle grabbed his arm as he stepped onto the stairs.
Xu Tingbai stopped and waited for her to speak.
Lin Qingle hesitated for a moment: "Yan Dairong is talking nonsense, don't believe her, your mother will be fine, even if she is, she will definitely inform the family..."
"Yes, I know."
"Don't be sad..."
"No, I didn't believe it." Xu Tingbai said, "You can go home, don't worry about anything, I'm going back too."
Lin Qingle: "Xu Tingbai..."
"Don't be so stupid next time."
"What?"
"Who will be held responsible if you participate in the competition for me and your performance is affected?"
Lin Qingle didn't expect that he actually knew about this, and quickly said: "It won't affect my grades, I just squeezed out the usual spare time-"
"But I don't want you to be so tired because of me!"
“… I’m not tired.”
Xu Tingbai was stunned.
Lin Qingle said: "Really, I'm not tired at all."
It was early summer, but the corridor was dark and still not warm at all.
The young man stood at the stairs, his heart aching as he listened to the girl's confident voice.
How can I not be tired...
How can you not be tired when you have to drag someone along