Chapter Ninety-six: The Fuse

  After Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi left, Wang Xiaoxiao suddenly snapped her fingers and said: "Xiaoxiao, I finally know why I always felt that Dai Junyi and Cao Qiang looked familiar. They were the famous duo from our school's second year class six, known as the 'Double Swords United'! Both of them are among the top ten most popular boys in school, and they're even ranked high on the list! Today I met two of them at once, when I get back I'll have to tell the girls in my class, they'll be so jealous of me!"

  I teased Xiao Xiao and said, "Is it really that famous? If you tell the girls in your class that you still eat with them, won't they worship you as a god?"

  Xiao Xiao thought for a moment and said: "It's better not to say it well, I guess even if I said it, they wouldn't believe me anyway."

  Xiao Xiao isn't in the same class as He Xiong, so she thought for a moment and decided to probe, saying: "Xiao Xiao, are Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi really very handsome?"

  "Yes, yes, it's really true to its reputation. I heard the grades are good too, ranking top in the grade. If you want to know something, I can tell you, our class has a group of girls who know a lot about it..."

  "Wait, wait, wait, I'm not asking to know this, I'm saying that after all is it Dai Junyi and Cao Qiangshuai who are handsome or is Xun Gege handsome? I'm asking what you think?"

  Wang Xiaoxiao slightly bit her lip and said, "I think Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi are more handsome. They're the school's acknowledged grasses, after all. The masses' eyes aren't blind. Mu Luo'en isn't bad-looking either, although his skin is a bit dark and he's not very tall. But compared to the school grasses, he's still slightly inferior." After finishing speaking, Wang Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement.

  I teased her with a straight face, saying: "Okay, Xiaoxiao, so now you prefer handsome guys? Otherwise, I'll introduce you to Cao Qiang, and poor Brother Shuai will be left out. He's so pitiful, alone and unloved, who calls him ugly and dull? Can't even talk, can only sigh in sorrow... Poor thing, so sad, so lamentable, so tear-jerking..." I spoke more and more tragically, even pretending to wipe away tears.

  Xiao Xiao got angry, came up and wanted to cover my mouth, saying: "Well, you Nan Xiao Xiao. I wasn't asking what I thought, it was a trap. I told the truth, you teased me, if I said Mu Luo Xuan looked good, I estimate you would say that I have a lover's eyes and see Xi Shi everywhere, really your mouth is like that, when your lips curl up it's one way of speaking, when they curl down it's another way of speaking, I can't argue with you, isn't it okay if I don't speak? Saying this, Wang Xiao Xiao started eating her food mouthful by mouthful. ?? Didn't say anything anymore.

  I hastily said with a flattering tone: "Xiao Xiao, don't be angry, I was just joking, I know you're the most generous and broad-minded. You say Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi are handsome, that's true, but they're only suitable for admiring from afar, not for getting close to, right? As for Xun Gege, he's the one in your heart, isn't he? What I said is correct, right?"

  Wang Xiaoxiao looked up at me and said, "You're the only one who knows, but you still say I do. Hurry up and eat, look at your watch, it's almost a quarter to. There's no one around us anymore. And another thing, what can't be done, what can't be said. You're encouraging me to have an early romance, aren't you? I don't want that."

  I thought to myself: You can be stubborn, but back then, I don't know who said that if we had a pure and simple first love in middle school with Xun Gege, it would have been great. Who else could this person be besides you sitting across from me?

  On the other side, Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi had just walked out of the cafeteria when Cao Qiang said: "A Yi, that piece of clothing you're wearing is new, isn't it expensive? Actually, Xiao Xiao definitely wouldn't do it on purpose, I also know you've always disliked girls with ulterior motives, but I've known Xiao Xiao since childhood, she's absolutely not that kind of girl."

  Dai Junyi didn't show much expression, saying: "I know, Cao Qiang. I've been sitting at the same desk as you for a year now, and I still don't understand your character. How many people can make you say such good things about her? Isn't it just that girl you've been thinking about all along? By the way, do you know what the girls in our class usually say about us two?"

  Cao Qiang shook his head, and Dai Junyi said: "I knew you didn't know, they say we're two icebergs. I sometimes burst out, but you're always the same from start to finish. Don't look at your smiling face, inside you're just like me. To be honest, I really didn't want Nan Xixi to do my laundry for me, isn't this creating an opportunity for you? It's been half a month since school started, and you've been complaining about that girl not coming to find you. Don't deny it, I understand very well. Didn't I just say let her give the clothes to you? Then you can take the chance to chat with her. You're really silly, what's the use of waiting like this? If I hadn't run into you today by coincidence, you'd probably still be waiting like this. We're good brothers, so don't mention anything about gratitude."

  Cao Qiang smiled and said, "Ah Yi, although you said it's not necessary to say it, but I still want to sincerely say a word of thanks to you, Ah Yi. Others may think you're cold, but actually you're warm inside."

  "I'm pretending to be cool, now the market needs people like me, haha, hurry back to class..."

  After Xiaoxiao and I finished lunch, we said goodbye and returned to our respective classes. Their class is in the building in front of us, which is even closer than mine. I took a boy's jacket full of oil stains back to my classroom, which immediately attracted a lot of attention.

  As soon as I sat down, Gan Lingling looked at me with a disgusted expression and said: "Nan Xiuxiu, didn't you go out to eat? How did you get your clothes so dirty, they're filthy. Stay away from me."

  I took out a large bag from the drawer of the table, I have the habit of bringing a bag to prevent unexpected situations, and after slightly tidying up my clothes, I put them in the big bag and hung it on the hook beside the table.

  At this time, a girl behind me asked: "Xiao Xiao, what's going on? You took a long time to finish your meal today, and you even brought back a dirty boy's clothes."

  I was so focused on bringing the clothes back that I forgot this is a boy's clothing, which might lead to some bad thoughts from others. I didn't want to tell them that I met Cao Qiang and Dai Junyi, after all, Xiaoxiao said they are quite famous. Anyway, later on, some girls had an even bigger opinion of me. I thought for a moment and smiled, saying: "I'm always eating with my good friends, today I ran into my cousin, he's in the first year third class, he was nervous while serving dishes and accidentally got his clothes dirty. I said I have a big bag, so he asked me to bring his clothes back, put them in the bag, and when I get home tonight, let my mom wash it." "Oh, that makes sense, we should be more careful, there are a lot of people in the cafeteria."

  After school in the afternoon, while I was still packing my bag, Lu Zhanfeng was already waiting outside our classroom door and shouted: "Cousin, hurry up! I see your classmates coming out one by one, only you're slow."

  Ever since my brother drove me before, I've become lazy. Although my legs are fine now, I still let him drive me to school and back home from time to time, like today.

  I tidied up and walked towards the door, hearing Wu Hanwen say: "Lu Zhifeng, how can you even daydream while eating? You got your clothes all dirty and had Xiao Xiao bring them to class. Don't you know that her deskmate is a spoiled rich girl who didn't take a liking to Xiao Xiao for an entire afternoon? But you did have the foresight to bring two spare jackets, which were borrowed from boarding students in your class, right?"

  Lu Zhanfeng felt stunned, what was Wu Hanwen talking about? What running god, what clothes got dirty, he didn't see his cousin at all this afternoon. Just as Lu Zhanfeng was about to speak, I rushed up and said: "Brother, I'm done, I'm so hungry, let's hurry home."

  As I stared at him, blinking my eyes, my silly cousin said: "Cousin sister, what's wrong with your eyes? Why are you blinking non-stop? Are your eyes uncomfortable? Let's hurry home."

  Wu Hanwen also quickly said: "Xiao Xiao, your eyes are uncomfortable, it's good that Lu Zhanfeng took you home today, you may feel more comfortable with your eyes closed all the way home, hurry back home." Okay, anyway, the topic just now was successfully diverted by me, although my brother didn't understand my hint.

  After I got home, I told my cousin about the situation with the clothes and asked him to keep it a secret, not to mention it in front of people from Class 10. When mom came back at night, I spoke nicely: "Mom, you're back! Are you tired? Are you thirsty? If you're tired, I'll give you a shoulder massage; if you're thirsty, I'll pour water for you."

  Mom said: "Hurry up and say it, is there something you want or have you done something wrong?"

  I giggled and said, "Mom, actually, it's not a big deal. I just accidentally got a boy's clothes all stained with oil at noon today, so I brought his clothes back."

  Lu Jieqiong said: "Knowing one's mistakes and correcting them is a great virtue, that's good, what's next?"

  "Hey, can you help me wash it? And wash it thoroughly, I need to return it to that guy as soon as possible."

  "I knew you'd say that, hand it over and let me take a look."

  I handed the clothes over to my mom, and Lu Jieqiong took a look at the clothes, flipped through the collar to check the label, and touched the fabric. She said: "This piece of clothing is very good, but it's the latest men's wear that Niuyi just released recently. All the boys in your school are wearing it, I thought it was fake earlier."

  "What? Mom, didn't Niuniu people used to only have women's routes? When did they start selling men's clothes too?"

  "This isn't the headquarters' requirement, is it? We need to diversify our development. And I think the idea of making our store a flagship store will also be rejected. Forget it, why bother telling you this. Sweetheart, you've really found the right person! This dress absolutely needs to be hand-washed, and when washing it, you need to have some skill, or else it'll be ruined. Don't worry, today is only Tuesday, at the latest next Monday I'll definitely get it done."