Chapter 23: The Ignored He Qianqian

"So, for this problem, we can convert b to tan b, and tan b is equal to sin a times c. If we draw an auxiliary line, this figure forms a triangle. Take a close look and see if this triangle is a proportional scaling of the larger triangle. If we are not sure, can we try to prove it..."

"Huang Jingjing, you are so smart! I never expected your thinking to be this agile!" Chu Nan genuinely praised her. She was truly a top-tier science student, possessing such a sharp sensitivity to numbers. Even with his own 'cheat' of a photographic memory, Chu Nan felt he lagged behind her in terms of logical analysis.

"Th-thank you. What time is it now?"

"A little past one." Chu Nan was incredibly sleepy.

"Do you want to continue?"

"Bring it on!" Chu Nan felt a sense of competitive spirit. If this girl could keep going, how could he possibly give up?

...

Time passed, and eventually, their eyelids began to droop.

"I... I need to lie down!" Feeling he could no longer hold on, Chu Nan fell onto the bed and began to snore softly.

Huang Jingjing glanced at him and lay down on the bed as well. She felt exhausted, yet for some reason, studying with him felt unique—a strange, comfortable feeling she had never experienced with any other boy before.

At some point, Chu Nan suddenly felt his arm go stiff and ache slightly.

Accompanied by a pleasant fragrance, Chu Nan opened his eyes and was completely stunned.

Huang Jingjing was resting her head on his arm. Her rosy lips were full and glossy, inviting endless imagination. Chu Nan was mesmerized for a moment.

Her eyelashes were so long and beautiful. It seemed she liked to pout while sleeping, making her dimples even more pronounced. How adorable!

Seeming to sense movement, Huang Jingjing slowly opened her eyes. Instantly, their gazes locked.

"I... I'm sorry!" Her face turned red, and she scrambled away as if fleeing...

Chu Nan gave a bitter smile, shook his arm, and caught a whiff of her scent. "What should I do? I don't want to wash my arm today..."

A question also stirred in his heart: if she truly disliked him, would she have stayed up half the night with him, or even fallen asleep right next to him?

It all remained an unknown.

The next day, Chu Nan went to school with Huang Jingjing, with Huang Qi driving them.

As they neared the school, Chu Nan suddenly asked to stop.

"What for? We're still two kilometers away. Why stop here?" Huang Qi asked, confused.

Chu Nan laughed awkwardly. "Well... Brother Huang, why don't you take Huang Jingjing to school first? I want to grab some breakfast here."

Huang Qi nodded and then chuckled. "Fair enough, but aren't you going to treat my sister to something?"

Huang Jingjing quickly interjected, "Brother, no need. Didn't I already bring two eggs?"

"Chu Nan brought two eggs too, but you can't just eat eggs every day! Get out of the car, I have to go look at some property."

"Alright."

Soon, only Chu Nan and Huang Jingjing were left on the side of the road, save for the occasional student passing by.

"Hey, Huang Jingjing, do you want a steamed bun? My treat."

Huang Jingjing shook her head. "No thanks, I already have my two eggs."

"Is that what you eat for breakfast every day?"

"Yes, I'm used to it."

"Aren't you tired of it?"

"Sometimes, a little." Finally, she added, "If you aren't going to eat your two eggs, don't waste them. I'll take them home."

A pang of inexplicable heartache hit Chu Nan. Had this girl really been eating eggs for breakfast for three years?

"I'm an adult, I can eat two eggs easily. I just want a meat bun and some soy milk. Would you like some?"

"N-no, really."

"Boss, two cups of soy milk, one meat bun, and one siu mai." Chu Nan smiled. "If you don't want a bun, just have a cup of soy milk; it'll make the eggs easier to swallow."

"I... I'll pay you," Huang Jingjing said hurriedly. "But I'll have to give it to you when we get home; I don't have any money on me right now."

"A cup of soy milk is only one yuan."

"That's not the point. I can't just take things from people."

"Are we friends, then?" Chu Nan asked, looking serious.

Huang Jingjing lowered her head, her eyelashes fluttering. "I... suppose so."

"What do you mean 'suppose'? Are we or aren't we?" Chu Nan pressed.

Huang Jingjing looked up, her eyes flickering. "Friendship isn't something one person decides on their own. Do you consider me your friend?"

Chu Nan was surprised. "Of course I do! After we spent all that time discussing math problems on the same bed, do you think I don't consider you a friend?"

Huang Jingjing smiled. "Friendship isn't about feelings; it's about mutual acknowledgment. So, from now on, we are friends."

"You silly girl."

It was clear that Huang Jingjing was a person of principle. While Chu Nan found her principles somewhat amusing, he couldn't bring himself to dislike them.

"So, I'm buying you soy milk now. No objections?"

"Okay, I'll treat you back next time."

Chu Nan was speechless. "Why do I feel like you're always keeping your distance?"

Huang Jingjing replied softly, "It's not distance; it's clarity. Even brothers should keep clear accounts."

"Alright, alright, clear accounts it is."

"Young man, here are your buns and soy milk."

"Thanks, ma'am." Chu Nan smiled, took them, and handed one to her. "Here, your soy milk."

"Thank you." Huang Jingjing accepted it with a smile.

"You go ahead," Chu Nan said.

"Aren't we going together?" Huang Jingjing asked, puzzled.

Chu Nan hesitated for a moment before saying softly, "Aren't you afraid of people misunderstanding?"

Huang Jingjing was also stunned. Being sharp and intelligent, she immediately understood why Chu Nan had asked to get out of the car earlier.

"So... he was afraid of being misunderstood for being with me." In an instant, the happiness she felt evaporated.

However, she didn't show much emotion on her face. She just gave a quiet "Oh" and turned to leave.

"She really is afraid of being seen with me. It seems getting out early was the right choice."

Watching her walk away, Chu Nan couldn't help but sigh.

...

When Chu Nan appeared in the classroom, almost everyone's eyes turned toward him.

The expressions on their faces varied: envy, jealousy, and schadenfreude. A mixed bag.

Of course, there was mostly envy, as it was rumored that Chu Nan had been hospitalized after saving a girl—and that girl was none other than the school beauty, Zhou Xiaonan!

Still, a significant portion of the class remained skeptical because it sounded too incredible to be true.

Zhou Xiaonan was the school beauty, a star-like figure; how could she possibly be involved with a poor loser like Chu Nan?

Indeed, that was what most of the class thought, including He Qianqian, Tian Jiaojiao, and Zhang Hao.

At this moment, these people all had plenty to say to him.

He Qianqian had even prepared for Chu Nan to greet her as he passed her desk, just like he always used to.

In truth, after thinking about it for half a month, she wasn't as angry about his previous offense. As long as Chu Nan greeted her obediently, she wouldn't mind things returning to how they were. She would even allow him to trail behind her, buy her snacks, and fetch her lunch. In return, Chu Nan would surely be grateful.

Yes, He Qianqian was convinced of this. She held her chin high, waiting for him to greet her first so she could give him a good piece of her mind.

*Yo, our young master Chu still remembers me? I thought you were too much of a VIP to remember little old me...*

She had already rehearsed this line in her heart, but even after waiting until her chin ached, he didn't come over. In fact, from the moment he entered the classroom, he hadn't even glanced at her, heading straight to Yang Jingtian's side to chat and laugh. This left He Qianqian completely stunned, followed by a wave of boundless fury.

That guy actually dared to ignore her!