TAO | Chapter 2

Stumbling back into the classroom in a daze, Wei Xiaochi plopped down into his seat.

Zhang Mingyang glanced at his deskmate, whose expression was off, and only heard him howl before his head thumped heavily onto the desk.

Wei Xiaochi banged his forehead against the desk, muttering things like 'I lost, I lost big time' under his breath.

A tray of steamed buns cost eight yuan, a bar of Dove chocolate was seven yuan fifty, so he was fifteen yuan fifty in the hole.

Fifteen yuan fifty, that was several days' worth of breakfast money for him!

After a few bangs, Wei Xiaochi stopped, starting to grind his teeth hard, as if he hated something to the core, his face gradually becoming ferocious.

Zhang Mingyang could no longer hold back, cursing him a psycho, and drew a line down the middle of the desk, telling Wei Xiaochi not to cross it and disturb his studies.

Wei Xiaochi was biting the corner of his math book to vent when he heard this and lifted his head—

It was Zhang Mingyang, a face as unremarkable as his own, indistinguishable in a crowd.

Dull black-framed glasses, thick bangs covering his eyebrows, listless and lifeless, like a mushroom left to rot in damp ground.

Seeing Zhang Mingyang was like looking in a mirror for Wei Xiaochi; the air around him reeked of 'bookworm.'

Not only were their appearances ordinary, but even their names were bland.

Wei Xiaochi, Zhang Mingyang, these were names you'd hear everywhere, the kind of extras in novels who get slapped around by the protagonists.

Fortunately, Wei Xiaochi knew his place and played the role of the cannon fodder diligently.

Compared to him, Zhang Mingyang had some inexplicable confidence, always feeling like someone was out to get him.

In his eyes, Wei Xiaochi was the prime suspect for being that someone.

Their class was a gathering place for the top students, with the class president constantly holding the first place in the grade, creating an insurmountable gap between first and second.

The second and third places, however, were neck and neck, always battling it out.

Wei Xiaochi and Zhang Mingyang were the eternal second and third, always fighting but never surpassing the first.

They had been at odds for a long time, yet they were deskmates.

If either of them looked slightly better, this would be the setup for an idol drama where enemies become lovers, but alas, their looks weren't up to par for the CP fans to ship.

Two petty, bespectacled kids, their eyes sparking with electric tension, each gave a cold snort and turned away, ignoring each other.

After turning away, Wei Xiaochi slumped back onto the desk, looking like a wilted baby bok choy.

He thought he was sparing the rod to spoil the child, but it turned out to be feeding meat buns to a dog, losing out for nothing.

Wei Xiaochi was already a timid, weak bookworm; after going without food all morning, he looked even more pitiful, his gloominess at max capacity.

Now, with dark circles under his eyes and pale lips, he looked like a hungry ghost wandering among the living.

Finally, the morning classes ended, and Wei Xiaochi floated to the cafeteria.

No one cooked for him at home at noon, so he always ate at the school cafeteria.

At this time, the cafeteria was packed, full of students in uniforms, with the occasional non-uniform wearer standing out.

That alpha in a floral shirt was particularly conspicuous, standing out like a crane among chickens, with that face that could topple nations and cities, attracting all eyes.

Wei Xiaochi's gaze among them all was the most direct, his eyes swiveling to stare at Jiang Zhan, as if trying to peer into his soul through his skin.

He wondered if this guy's heart was black or white, would he return the money?

The alpha being stared at played with his food, a scowl forming between his brows, his aura clearly off, showing he was in a bad mood.

People around him kept their distance for fear of angering this big shot, only Wei Xiaochi edged closer with steps like those of a creeping demon.

Wei Xiaochi approached Jiang Zhan with his quiet demon steps.

"What's up, Zhan Ge?" Han Ziyang put down his chopsticks, "Is the cafeteria food not good? Should we go out to eat today?"

Hearing Jiang Zhan was going out for food, Wei Xiaochi couldn't wait any longer, just as he was about to speak, he heard Jiang Zhan say:

"I've got no appetite; I ate some buns this morning, and my stomach's been off since."

Wei Xiaochi: !!!

Han Ziyang got annoyed, "They dare sell stale food? Zhan Ge, where did you get those buns from? Let's go complain!"

Jiang Zhan pressed his stomach, his face displeased, "Don't know, someone gave them to me."

Han Ziyang caught sight of Wei Xiaochi eavesdropping out of the corner of his eye, lifting his chin, his tone aggressive, "You, what are you looking at?"

Jiang Zhan turned around following Han Ziyang's gaze.

Those pitch-black eyes carried a strong oppressive force, like a fierce, large carnivore, landing on Wei Xiaochi.

Wei Xiaochi's hair almost stood on end; he lowered his head in panic, quickly finding a nearby seat with his tray, eating with his head down.

Wei Xiaochi kept his head so low his face was nearly in his tray, shoveling rice into his mouth like an emotionless feeding machine.

Afraid Jiang Zhan might recognize him, Wei Xiaochi didn't dare lift his head once during the meal.

Not far away, Han Ziyang's mocking laugh came, and Wei Xiaochi immediately sat like a demure little wife, legs crossed, neck shrunk, continuing his eating machine act.

In front of bad students, bookworms like them knew to keep their heads down and not even fart.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhan only glanced at him and looked away, seemingly not recognizing Wei Xiaochi as the bun-giver from that morning.

Even so, Wei Xiaochi didn't dare relax his guard, his whole body tense like a snake-striking stick.

It wasn't until Jiang Zhan and his crew left the cafeteria that Wei Xiaochi slumped in relief, letting out a long breath like someone who just escaped disaster.

Then he sank into a feeling of grievance; he had been eating from that bun shop for years without any issues, why did Jiang Zhan feel sick after just one time?

In the afternoon, Wei Xiaochi couldn't focus on his lessons, constantly thinking about Jiang Zhan.

Wondering if his stomach was better, would he use this as an excuse not to return the money, or even demand medical expenses from him?

After two restless classes, Wei Xiaochi couldn't sit still anymore. During the ten-minute break, he went to check on Jiang Zhan in Class Seven.

In the corridor, he saw a familiar face and excitedly called out, "Classmate."

Zhou Yue frowned at Wei Xiaochi, "Who are you? Mistaken identity?"

"Aren't you from Class Seven, sitting next to Jiang Zhan?" Yesterday when Wei Xiaochi went to Class Seven to find Jiang Zhan, Zhou Yue was there, sitting at the desk to Jiang Zhan's left.

Zhou Yue was puzzled, "Yeah, what's up?"

Wei Xiaochi looked around mysteriously and asked in a low voice, "How's Jiang Zhan's mood this afternoon? Did he leave class to go to the bathroom? Is his stomach okay?"

Zhou Yue: "..."

"Are you sick?" Zhou Yue cursed and pushed past Wei Xiaochi into Class Seven.

Wei Xiaochi was confused, not understanding why Zhou Yue would curse.

Unable to gather information, Wei Xiaochi sneaked to the door of Class Seven to peek inside.

Like last time, Jiang Zhan was asleep on his desk; Wei Xiaochi couldn't see his face, so he didn't know if he was comfortable or if he had bought any medicine.

Han Ziyang, Jiang Zhan's deskmate, was worried seeing him sleep all afternoon, "Zhan Ge, still not feeling well? Should I go buy some medicine?"

Wei Xiaochi perked up his ears, hearing Han Ziyang wanting to buy medicine for Jiang Zhan, feeling incredibly grateful.

Han Ziyang said something else to Jiang Zhan, but Wei Xiaochi didn't catch it clearly, urging him in his mind to hurry up.

Go buy the medicine, go quickly, please, hurry up!

But Han Ziyang just talked, not moving an inch, making Wei Xiaochi anxious, wishing he could lend him his legs.

The bell rang without warning, and Wei Xiaochi glared at Han Ziyang before running back to Class One.

After the third class, Wei Xiaochi went to the infirmary to inquire if anyone had bought stomach medicine that afternoon.

The answer was no.

Was Jiang Zhan actually okay, or was Han Ziyang just talk and didn't really care about his Zhan Ge?

After waiting for five minutes with no sign of Han Ziyang, Wei Xiaochi, after much deliberation, bought a box of Montmorillonite Powder for Jiang Zhan, costing him sixteen yuan eighty.

Money not returned, yet he was spending more.

This was the last time! This was the last time he'd spend money on Jiang Zhan; afterward, Jiang Zhan wouldn't get a single cent from him, not even a hair.

No way!

Wei Xiaochi got a disposable cup from the school nurse, filled it with hot water, and brought it to Jiang Zhan.

He called out to Jiang Zhan at the door of Class Seven, his voice not loud but drawing everyone's attention.

Most bookworms have some social issues, and Wei Xiaochi was no different; he rarely had so many eyes on him, freezing on the spot.

Han Ziyang woke Jiang Zhan up, pointing at Wei Xiaochi at the door, saying something to Jiang Zhan with a strange expression.

Wei Xiaochi knew they were talking about him but couldn't hear the content; he stood there, forced to endure the fiery gazes of many, his social anxiety kicking in.

Wei Xiaochi didn't want to attract attention and definitely didn't like it.

He just wanted to get his money back and draw a clear line with the school bully, buying the medicine out of fear of getting beaten up.

Hardening his resolve, Wei Xiaochi called out to Jiang Zhan again, asking him to come out for a moment, he had something to discuss.

After speaking, Wei Xiaochi retreated to the corridor, waiting nervously out of sight of Class Seven.

Even if Jiang Zhan had a bad temper, he wouldn't be so audacious as to hit someone at the classroom door, right?

Especially since he was holding medicine, here to sincerely collect his debt.

Each second of waiting felt like torture to Wei Xiaochi.

Soon, an alpha walked out of Class Seven's classroom — not Jiang Zhan, but Han Ziyang.

Wei Xiaochi paused, "I wasn't looking for you..."

"You think you can see Zhan Ge just because you want to?" Han Ziyang crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame like a guardian, blocking Wei Xiaochi's path to reclaim his debt.

Wei Xiaochi sensed the hostility in his words, setting the tone for 'bullying with power.'

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face, so Wei Xiaochi decided to show his sincerity first, quickly taking out the medicine he bought for Jiang Zhan.

"It was me who gave Zhan Ge the buns this morning..." Wei Xiaochi paused, not knowing the etiquette of bad boys, but decided to follow local customs and called him Zhan Ge.

"I didn't know the buns weren't fresh; this is the medicine I bought to apologize."

Han Ziyang scoffed, "First, you give buns, now medicine, quite the strategy. Your intentions can't be that simple, can they?"

Wei Xiaochi's eyes lit up; yes, he was here to demand his money back.

Just as he was about to speak, Han Ziyang coldly said, "You're not the first to come looking."

Wei Xiaochi, “???”