On the way, Feng Ning fumbled through her pockets. She exclaimed, "Damn it, where's my phone?"
Jiang Wen stopped in his tracks.
"Did I drop it where I fell just now?" She clicked her tongue in frustration. "Can I borrow your phone to make a call?"
After dialing, she heard the ringing sound; it hadn't been turned off yet. Feng Ning let out a small sigh of relief. "It's going through, so it should still be here."
They continued walking toward the school gate.
Even though this phone was a gift from Qilan for topping up her account, losing it like this made Feng Ning feel heartbroken.
She rambled on, "I've always been really afraid of losing things. When I lost my bus card and ten yuan in elementary school, it felt like the sky was falling. I hid on the rooftop at Shuang Yao's house and didn't dare to go home."
As she spoke, Feng Ning sniffled a couple of times. "Jiang Wen, what shampoo do you use? It smells pretty good."
Jiang Wen remained silent.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
"What should I say?"
She sniffed again. "The brand of your shampoo."
"You can't afford it," Jiang Wen replied flatly.
"......."
Feng Ning was furious.
Ugh! Disgusting rich people!!
But at that moment, her legs were weak, and she could only rely on Jiang Wen to help find her phone. She swallowed her anger and chose not to humiliate herself further.
Jiang Wen placed her on a bench.
Feng Ning reached out her hand, "Can I borrow your phone again? I want to search for ways to reduce swelling quickly."
Jiang Wen hesitated for a moment, then took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.
A gust of wind blew by, rustling the bushes, and Feng Ning shivered. She admired the seemingly expensive phone for a while.
She opened the browser and typed "how" in the search bar when the history suggestions popped up:
--- How can I stop liking someone?
"Jiang Wen, did you find anything?" she shouted.
"Make a call with my phone," he instructed.
Two minutes later, amidst the ringtone melody of [You Shouldn't Be Infatuated with Me, I'm Just a Legend], Jiang Wen was stunned for a few seconds. He held back his frustration, his face darkening as he knelt in a pile of snow to retrieve the ringing phone.
Just as it played [Hey Yo, Brother Won't Be Lonely, Because Loneliness Is Accompanying Brother], he took a deep breath and angrily hung up the call.
Feng Ning sat on the bench, gazing at Jiang Wen with a profound look in her eyes.
He handed the phone back to her, his fingertips red from the cold.
Feng Ning immediately changed to a flattering expression, eagerly accepting it and cradling it in her hands as she examined it repeatedly with concern.
Fortunately, although domestic phones may be knockoffs, they are durable and can withstand drops. After being frozen in the icy weather for half a day, it showed no signs of damage.
As they headed upstairs, Jiang Wen couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so unconventional?"
Feng Ning looked a bit confused and raised her head slightly, "What's wrong with me?"
"Mobile ringtone..."
"Oh." Feng Ning suddenly perked up, her tone excited. "I think it sounds great! I really resonate with some of the lyrics of this song."
"......"
"When I was in Junior High School, I especially loved singing this song for my fans at karaoke."
Jiang Wen shot her a sideways glance. "Fans...?"
"Yes." Feng Ning looked quite smug, unfortunately, he couldn't see it. "I had a lot of idols when I was in Junior High School! I had some enthusiastic fans, like Shuang Yao and Zhao Weichen. They even wanted to set up a fan club for me at one point. But I'm not the type to be high-profile, so I firmly refused!"
As she spoke, her breath brushed against the skin behind his ear, tickling him.
Bouncing along, Feng Ning leaned on Jiang Wen's back, catching a glimpse of his short black hair tips, his semi-transparent earlobes, and a small section of his tall and straight nose bridge.
"By the way, do you remember that guy who burned my hair?" Feng Ning said cheerfully. "He pursued me for a long time, right? Then at our Junior High School graduation, after we finished eating and went to sing, I specifically sang this song for him, Brother Is Just a Legend."
"And then?"
"Then he was so shocked that after graduation he never contacted me again, hahahahaha."
After laughing, Feng Ning sighed lightly. "But I've heard from others that he has had at least four or five girlfriends since high school and is living happily."
"Why are you telling me this?"
She said seriously, "To brainwash you."
"Brainwash me about what?"
"At an age when you understand nothing, regrets are common." Feng Ning's casual words lingered in his ear. "Whether you like someone or not is just a fleeting moment; don't take it too much to heart."
After a few seconds of silence, he asked, "Did you hurt your leg or your brain?"
"Huh?"
Jiang Wen's tone was laced with undisguised disdain, colder than the snow falling outside. "I can't believe you actually said something so pretentious."
Feng Ning was momentarily taken aback by his sharp tongue, feeling a mix of anger and amusement. "Hey, how did I never notice you were this mean before?"
"I never realized you were this foolish either."
Feng Ning couldn't help but laugh in frustration.
Although their interactions began with her ulterior motives, intending to "educate" him, she found that Jiang Wen wasn't as unbearable as she had imagined. Despite his lack of manners, he could be quite funny and even charming at times. So even though his words were harsh, she secretly felt relieved.
—He didn't sound like someone who was "trapped."
And how could Jiang Wen not understand the main idea behind her earlier statement? She had learned to be less blunt and more subtle now.
Who doesn't have a bit of pride?
He had always been seen as a prodigy by others, but his self-esteem had been trampled on multiple occasions. Jiang Wen was already disheartened.
Now that they had some contact, she kept her distance like he was a venomous snake, repeatedly drawing boundaries. The anger that Jiang Wen had suppressed for so long was being stirred up again by her actions.
He spoke without thinking, getting increasingly agitated: "I must have been blind not to see how tasteless, narcissistic, and arrogant you are. Please don't use those ridiculous quotes about youthful pain that you probably found somewhere to lecture me in the future."
How did a heartfelt conversation turn into a childish argument? Feng Ning snapped back to reality, wondering if something was off.
She hadn't said anything particularly offensive; why did he get so worked up?
Feng Ning struggled for a moment and said angrily, "Some people, it was already enough that they couldn't have me before, but now they're attacking me personally?"
"Who is attacking you?" Her words provoked him into a fit of rage.
"Hey, hey, hey, I never said it was you; you admitted it yourself."
Jiang Wen pretended to let go, saying, "You can get down and walk by yourself."
A wise person knows when to yield. Feng Ning decided not to argue with him and put on a magnanimous act: "Alright, alright, it was my fault."
As they reached the classroom door, Jiang Wen roughly dropped her. Feng Ning lost her balance and stumbled a couple of steps before managing to steady herself.
Just as he was about to leave, she called out to him.
Jiang Wen stopped.
"Even though you humiliated me and insulted me today, I, Feng Ning, will not hold a grudge against someone petty. A statesman can tolerate much." Feng Ning patted her chest.
Jiang Wen closed his eyes and used all his self-restraint. He lifted his foot to leave.
She shouted from behind, "Thank you for helping me find my phone today! Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Jiang Wen! May you be happy every year!!!"
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