Little Sweetheart

Zheng Peipei scoffed, "A guilty conscience betrays itself. You could have just taken one off and thrown it away."

Lan Xiaqiu retorted angrily, "Does everything in the world belong to you? Have you no shame?"

"Everyone, please calm down," the dorm manager intervened. "Arguing and fighting won't solve anything."

"This is the first time I've seen such a fierce thief. Class monitor, you're amazing!" Zheng Peipei taunted deliberately.

"You…" Lan Xiaqiu's face flushed red and white with anger.

The atmosphere became tense again. The dorm manager said, "Stop arguing! Anymore and you'll all lose points. Go to your homeroom teacher tomorrow and explain everything. We'll keep this bracelet for now."

Gu Siyi tugged on Zheng Peipei's hand and persuaded, "Forget it, arguing won't get us anywhere now. Don't make a scene."

Outside the dorm room, a crowd had gathered, eager to watch the drama unfold.

Zheng Peipei snorted and glared at Lan Xiaqiu.

Worried about another fight, the dorm manager temporarily moved Lan Xiaqiu to another room for the night.

The next morning, Gu Siyi, Zheng Peipei, Lan Xiaqiu, and Xu Lin were called to the office. The bracelet lay on the homeroom teacher's desk.

Zheng Peipei began, "Gu Siyi lost her bracelet in the dorm two days ago. Last night, Xu Lin found an identical bracelet with Lan Xiaqiu. Before this, Lan Xiaqiu never wore bracelets, while Gu Siyi wore hers every day. Lan Xiaqiu claims she bought it herself, but she can't provide any proof."

Lan Xiaqiu countered, "You keep accusing me of stealing without any evidence and expect me to prove myself? Why should I?"

"Why?" Zheng Peipei sneered. "Because you have a guilty conscience and can't provide any evidence!"

"Zheng Peipei, stop talking." The homeroom teacher silenced the boisterous girl and turned to Gu Siyi. "Is this bracelet exactly the same as the one you lost?"

Gu Siyi replied objectively, "It's the same, but I added another bead to mine later. This one doesn't have it."

Zheng Peipei immediately chimed in, "Teacher, the charms on this bracelet are interchangeable. Lan Xiaqiu could have easily removed one and thrown it away."

Lan Xiaqiu refused to back down. "Zheng Peipei, these are all just your subjective assumptions! You're just trying to slander me!"

The homeroom teacher massaged his temples. "Zheng Peipei, I wasn't asking you. Please be quiet."

Lan Xiaqiu turned to the teacher, her face flushed with anger and indignation. "Teacher, I swear I don't have Gu Siyi's bracelet. It's not like I can't afford one, so why would I steal? I bought this bracelet because I liked how it looked. I wasn't wearing it because I didn't want to copy Gu Siyi. I just kept it in the dorm as a decoration. Is that wrong?"

The homeroom teacher knew Lan Xiaqiu's family situation personally and knew she didn't need to steal.

Zheng Peipei said sarcastically, "Some people don't steal because they can't afford it, but because they're mentally twisted. Like, they can't stand seeing others with nice things."

"Zheng Peipei, can you stop talking?" The homeroom teacher raised his voice.

Zheng Peipei didn't back down. "Teacher, I'll be quiet if you want me to. But if you believe Lan Xiaqiu's one-sided story without any evidence, I can't accept that. I only trust evidence."

Seeing Zheng Peipei's strong stance, Gu Siyi didn't want to back down either. "Teacher, I was upset for days after losing my bracelet. I don't want to wrong anyone, so I hope Lan Xiaqiu can provide evidence to avoid any further misunderstandings."

The homeroom teacher sighed. These kids were getting harder and harder to deal with.

He turned to Lan Xiaqiu. "Since your bracelets are identical, please show us the purchase record to clear any suspicion. If you have concrete evidence, no one can accuse you of anything, right?"

Lan Xiaqiu gritted her teeth. "I bought it online. I have the purchase history on my phone."

Reluctantly, she took out her phone, opened the shopping app, and showed the order history to the teacher.

The homeroom teacher breathed a sigh of relief after checking the date, which was half a month ago. He showed it to Zheng Peipei as well.

"Alright, the truth is out. Don't jump to conclusions next time. You're classmates and should be united. Now go back to class for morning self-study."

Lan Xiaqiu didn't move. "I want Zheng Peipei and Gu Siyi to apologize to me. They wronged me!"

Zheng Peipei rolled her eyes. "You're pushing it! Who told you not to show the evidence last night? Who knows if you were jealous of Gu Siyi's bracelet and bought an identical one just to throw hers away? There's more to this story than meets the eye. Don't think you can get away with this!"

"Zheng Peipei, you…" Lan Xiaqiu was speechless with anger.

Zheng Peipei chuckled, her expression defiant.

The homeroom teacher intervened. "Zheng Peipei, you're being unreasonable."

Zheng Peipei retorted, "She made things complicated herself and now she wants us to apologize? Dream on!"

"Enough, both of you. Go back to your class now." The homeroom teacher waved them away.

He kept Lan Xiaqiu behind to comfort her.

Leaving the office, Zheng Peipei grumbled, "Even if she didn't steal it, isn't it creepy to buy the exact same bracelet? And she wants an apology? My foot!"

Gu Siyi said sincerely, "Peipei, your fighting spirit is too strong. I'm truly impressed."

Zheng Peipei was aggressive and sharp-tongued, her words like bullets from a machine gun. Even Gu Siyi, the one who lost the bracelet, felt like she was watching a defense lawyer at work.

Zheng Peipei snorted. "I can rise to the occasion when it matters and protect my Yi Ge!"

"Let's give it up for Peipei! Loyal and righteous, she's a true friend!" Gu Siyi laughed and clapped.

Back in the classroom, Su Han noticed the empty seats and turned to Xiang Li, who sat near the corridor. "What happened?"

"Yeah, what's going on?" Lu Jiaye poked his head out, eager for gossip.

Xiang Li whispered, "Gu Siyi lost her bracelet a few days ago, and Lan Xiaqiu had an identical one. Zheng Peipei accused her of stealing it. I heard they even fought in the dorm last night…"

They fought… Lu Jiaye's eyelids twitched. As expected of the fierce Zheng Peipei.

"What kind of bracelet?" Su Han asked.

Xiang Li cautiously glanced at Xia Zhijun. "It seems to be the one Xia Zhijun gave to Siyi."

Xia Zhijun: "…"

No wonder Gu Siyi seemed guilty yesterday… She lost it.

"Who fought with whom?" Xia Zhijun suddenly asked.

"Zheng Peipei and Lan Xiaqiu."

"What about Gu Siyi?" he asked again.

"She was there when it happened and tried to stop them."

Lu Jiaye sighed. "That Zheng Peipei, she's too impulsive. All brawn and no brain, and scary as hell."

Su Han corrected him, "Peipei is just straightforward and brave."

"…??"

The comparison was clear. Zhou Xiao looked at Lu Jiaye and couldn't help but add, "No wonder Zheng Peipei can't stand you."

"Who says she can't stand me? She drags me to play games with her every day. She's stuck to me like glue!" Lu Jiaye protested.

As they were talking, Zheng Peipei and Gu Siyi returned to the classroom.

As soon as they sat down, Su Han asked, "Peipei, what happened?"

Zheng Peipei snorted. "She showed the purchase record."

Lu Jiaye said, "So you wronged her?"

"Wronged my ass! Who told her not to show it last night!" Zheng Peipei's gaze shifted from Lu Jiaye to Xia Zhijun. "I bet Lan Xiaqiu likes Xia Zhijun. Why else would she buy the exact same bracelet? It's just sick."

Lu Jiaye clicked his tongue. "So the root of the problem is our Xia Zhijun. The class monitor has a secret crush…"

Xia Zhijun kicked his chair, his face cold. "Shut up."

After class, Gu Siyi received a WeChat message from Xia Zhijun: "Rooftop, 7 p.m., extra lessons."

Gu Siyi breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he wasn't going to question her about the bracelet. "Okay," she replied.

During lunch break, Xia Zhijun was walking towards the dormitory with Lu Jiaye and the others. As they were passing through a secluded path, Lan Xiaqiu suddenly appeared and blocked their way.

Looking at Xia Zhijun, she asked, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Lu Jiaye whistled, enjoying the drama.

"Sure." Xia Zhijun turned and walked away, Lan Xiaqiu following behind.

Lu Jiaye was about to follow them when Zhou Xiao stopped him. "Don't stir up trouble. Can't you see Zhijun's not in a good mood?"

Lu Jiaye shrugged innocently. "I'm just a bystander."

Xia Zhijun led Lan Xiaqiu to a deserted flower bed and asked, "What do you want to say?"

Lan Xiaqiu had been holding back her emotions for a long time, wanting to pour her heart out. But facing Xia Zhijun, she suddenly felt speechless, her eyes welling up.

Xia Zhijun grew impatient. "If there's nothing else, I'll be going."

"There is!" Lan Xiaqiu blurted out, her voice choked with sobs. "Gu Siyi wronged me."

"Oh?" Xia Zhijun raised an eyebrow.

Lan Xiaqiu continued, "Just because I bought the same bracelet… She lost the one you gave her and insisted that mine was hers. She accused me without any evidence."

Xia Zhijun looked at her coldly. "Then why did you buy the exact same bracelet?"

"I… I thought it looked nice." Lan Xiaqiu lowered her head, her voice barely a whisper. "I just… have the same taste as you."

Xia Zhijun remained silent.

Lan Xiaqiu looked up at him again. "Gu Siyi was wrong to accuse me."

"So? What about it?" Xia Zhijun retorted.

"I… I just wanted you to know what kind of person Gu Siyi is."

Xia Zhijun laughed, his smile cold and mocking. "Let me tell you this, no matter what, I'll always protect her."

"…" Lan Xiaqiu stared at him, stunned. The person she had admired and idolized for four years, the person she had poured all her heart into… Every word he said felt like a knife twisting in her heart, ripping her apart.

"Do… Do you hate me?" she finally asked.

"I didn't before. I didn't even know you existed. But now…" Xia Zhijun sneered, his eyes filled with disgust. "You even bought the same bracelet I gave her. You're pathetic."

"I…" Lan Xiaqiu couldn't hold back her tears any longer. They streamed down her face.

Xia Zhijun turned and left, his tall figure cold and resolute.

Lan Xiaqiu watched him go, her heart breaking. The person she had liked for four years, her idol, her everything… He had just crushed her with his words.

Lan Xiaqiu didn't show up for afternoon classes. As the class monitor, Gu Siyi had to report the absent students, so everyone noticed.

After class, Su Han turned to Xia Zhijun, curious. "What did you talk about? Why did she skip class?"

Lu Jiaye made a throat-slitting gesture. "Don't tell me you silenced her for good to avenge Little Dimple?"

Xia Zhijun ignored them and left the classroom.

Lu Jiaye leaned towards Gu Siyi and whispered, "News flash! The class monitor confronted Zhijun at noon and skipped class this afternoon."

Gu Siyi looked at him, confused. "Why would she confront him?"

"Who knows… But I think Peipei was right. The class monitor likes Xia Zhijun."

Zheng Peipei chuckled. "A wolf in sheep's clothing."

Lu Jiaye nodded. "Exactly… Wait, is that how you use that idiom?"

Zheng Peipei glared at him. "I'll use it however I want! Got a problem with that?"

Gu Siyi ignored their banter, her mind replaying certain events.

Lan Xiaqiu used to ignore her, but after finding out she was Xia Zhijun's sworn sister, she started being friendly, buying her drinks, and asking for help with studies…

She heard they were classmates in middle school. Could it be that Lan Xiaqiu had liked him for a long time?

At 7 p.m. sharp, Gu Siyi arrived at the rooftop. Xia Zhijun was already there, leaning against the railing, looking at his phone.

Gu Siyi walked up to him and asked casually, "More practice questions?"

Xia Zhijun put away his phone and turned to face her, his arms resting on the railing behind her. "Let's talk first."

"About… what?" Gu Siyi felt a strange nervousness.

His aura was too strong. When he focused on her like this, she felt a strange pressure.

"Why didn't you tell me you lost the bracelet?"

"I didn't want you to be upset…" Gu Siyi mumbled.

"But I'm more upset that you lied to me." His expression was serious.

Gu Siyi felt guilty. "I didn't mean to…"

Seeing her meek and apologetic expression, Xia Zhijun couldn't stay serious any longer.

His stern facade softened. "Fine, I'll let it slide this time. But don't lie to me again, okay?"

"Okay." Gu Siyi nodded obediently.

Xia Zhijun chuckled. "And don't lose the things I give you, okay?"

"I won't!" Gu Siyi promised, her expression sincere.

Xia Zhijun smiled. "It's okay even if you do. Just tell me immediately, and I'll buy you a new one. It's not a big deal."

Gu Siyi: "…"

Xia Zhijun reached out and gently touched her earlobe, his eyes soft. "I heard from Zheng Peipei that you were very sad about losing the bracelet. You even went back to the classroom to look for it and cried."

Gu Siyi blushed. "I was sad, but I didn't cry… I held it in."

Xia Zhijun let go of her earlobe. Just as Gu Siyi sighed in relief, he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug.

She struggled slightly. Xia Zhijun tightened his hold and whispered, "No one's here. Let me hold you for a while, okay?"

"Don't… Don't do this…" Gu Siyi stammered, her face burning.

Xia Zhijun released her after a while and looked at her, sighing wistfully. "I wish I had met you a few years later."

Gu Siyi: "…?"

"Then you wouldn't be able to escape me. You would be my girlfriend, and I could hug and kiss you whenever I want." His eyes were dark, filled with a possessive desire.

"Stop it…" His words were too suggestive, making Gu Siyi flustered. She turned away from him.

Girls matured emotionally slower than boys. At this point, Gu Siyi felt apprehensive and uneasy about excessive intimacy, suggestive words, and Xia Zhijun's possessiveness.

Sensing her discomfort, Xia Zhijun restrained himself. He didn't want to scare her away.

"Let's go downstairs. It's too dark here to study."

"Okay." Gu Siyi nodded eagerly.

As they reached the stairwell, Xia Zhijun extended his hand. Gu Siyi knew what he wanted. She glanced at the hallway and said, "Lights are still on."

Xia Zhijun didn't move. "But I'm used to holding your hand downstairs. I don't want to walk if you don't hold my hand."

Gu Siyi laughed. "Are you being difficult on purpose?"

"No, this is a habit you created. You have to take responsibility." He said it matter-of-factly.

"…" Gu Siyi didn't want to argue with him on the rooftop, so she took his hand and led him downstairs.

Xia Zhijun smiled. "Good girl."

Gu Siyi muttered, "You're a little overbearing and unreasonable."

Xia Zhijun asked casually, "Am I?"

"…"

As they walked downstairs, Gu Siyi remembered what Lu Jiaye had said about Lan Xiaqiu approaching Xia Zhijun. Curious, she asked, "Lan Xiaqiu approached you at noon?"

"Yes," Xia Zhijun replied.

"What did she say?" Gu Siyi pressed.

"You want to know?" he asked back.

"A little…" she admitted.

Could it be that Lan Xiaqiu confessed to him?

"Why do you want to know?" he asked again.

"Forget it if you don't want to tell me…" Gu Siyi mumbled.

"Don't worry, it was nothing important." Xia Zhijun said casually.

They arrived at the study room. Xia Zhijun took out two handwritten physics and chemistry test papers. "Midterm exams are next week. You need to catch up. Don't bother listening in class this week. Just focus on understanding these questions."

Gu Siyi looked at him doubtfully. "Your questions are better than the teacher's lectures?"

Xia Zhijun flicked her forehead. "The teacher has to cater to the whole class, especially the students with good foundations. These questions are tailor-made for you. Which do you think is more effective?"

"Of course, the ones you made for me." Gu Siyi said without hesitation.

"Good."

"Thank you, Master. You've worked hard. Let me get you some tea."

Gu Siyi took out a bottle of mineral water from her bag and handed it to Xia Zhijun, her smile flattering.

Xia Zhijun took the water. "I'll be watching you until you finish these. No going back to the dorm before that."

Gu Siyi: "…."

From a playful rascal to a strict teacher in a split second!

Xia Zhijun glanced at his watch. "Let's begin. Try not to stay up too late."

Gu Siyi pushed aside all other thoughts and focused on the questions.

She was so engrossed that she didn't even look at her phone when it rang.

After yesterday's experience of studying outside, she knew that once Xia Zhijun got serious, there was no room for negotiation.

With exceptional focus, she finished the tasks ahead of time. Xia Zhijun collected the papers with satisfaction. "I'll go over them and explain the wrong ones tomorrow."

Reaching her dorm building, Gu Siyi said, "Don't stay up late either. You can correct the papers tomorrow."

Xia Zhijun knew she was concerned about him. He smiled and patted her head. "I know what I'm doing."

The next morning, during the second period, which was English class, Lan Xiaqiu's parents arrived at the classroom door with Lan Xiaqiu in tow. The homeroom teacher accompanied them.

The teacher knocked on the door. "Gu Siyi, come out for a minute."

Gu Siyi walked out. Lan Xiaqiu's mother sized her up. "You're Gu Siyi?"

Gu Siyi nodded.

Lan Xiaqiu's mother stepped closer and jabbed a finger at Gu Siyi's shoulder, her voice sharp. "You're the one who spread rumors about my daughter stealing your things, got your classmates to isolate her, and even beat her up!"

Gu Siyi froze. Beat her up? When did that happen?

Lan Xiaqiu's mother pulled up Lan Xiaqiu's sleeve, revealing bruises. "Look! Bruises on her arm and waist! How can you lie so shamelessly?"

Gu Siyi realized these must be injuries from the fight with Zheng Peipei…

As she stood there speechless, Lan Xiaqiu's mother shoved her again. "Who are your parents? Call them to school right now! Spreading rumors, physical assault, bullying… You're so vicious at such a young age! Just you wait till your parents get here. We're going to the hospital for a check-up, and this isn't over!"

The homeroom teacher tried to mediate. "Please calm down. Let's talk this through."

The lesson continued inside, but everyone was distracted, their attention on the drama unfolding outside.

As Lan Xiaqiu's mother continued to shove Gu Siyi, Xia Zhijun suddenly stood up and strode out of the classroom.

The English teacher exclaimed, "Xia Zhijun, where are you going?"

Xia Zhijun ignored her and walked out.

"Whoa…" The students gasped. "Xia Zhijun couldn't just sit there…"

Out in the corridor, Gu Siyi was forced to back down by the relentless shoving. She was angry but held her tongue, afraid of getting Zheng Peipei into trouble.

"No one spread any rumors. It was all a misunderstanding." She stood her ground and explained.

"Misunderstanding?" Lan Xiaqiu's mother scoffed. "You think you can just brush this off as a misunderstanding?"

Before Gu Siyi could say anything else, someone grabbed her hand.

She turned and saw Xia Zhijun.

"What… What are you doing?" she thought frantically. The teacher was right there!

Xia Zhijun tightened his grip and pulled her behind him, facing Lan Xiaqiu's mother. His expression was cold and imposing.

Lan Xiaqiu's mother was shorter than him and felt intimidated by his aura.

The homeroom teacher said, "Xia Zhijun, go back to your class. Don't make things worse."

Xia Zhijun ignored him and looked at Lan Xiaqiu's mother, his voice calm but firm. "Gu Siyi's parents are out of town and can't come to school immediately. But she's my sworn sister, and I'm her brother at school. If you have anything to say, you can say it to me."

When he spoke with such seriousness, his boyish air vanished, replaced by a powerful and intimidating presence.

Lan Xiaqiu's mother faltered and looked at her husband. He spoke up, "Let's all calm down. The teacher and parents are here. This isn't the time to be fighting."

"These two are birds of a feather, both rotten to the core!" Lan Xiaqiu's mother spat. She turned to the homeroom teacher. "My daughter came home yesterday afternoon and cried all night. She was bullied at school, and the school won't even give us an explanation?"

"Oh, you're looking for the one who hit her?" Zheng Peipei's voice rang out.

The homeroom teacher: … Not another one! And it had to be this troublemaker!

Zheng Peipei walked up to Gu Siyi, a disdainful smile on her face. "You're looking at the wrong person. Gu Siyi didn't hit anyone."

Lan Xiaqiu's mother refused to listen. "I don't want to hear any excuses! My daughter was hurt, and that's a fact!"

"Who the hell is making excuses? I'm telling you, I'm the one who hit her! If you want revenge, come to me!"

Gu Siyi tugged on Zheng Peipei's arm, worried that she would get into serious trouble.

Zheng Peipei pulled up her sleeve, revealing bruises and scratches. "See this? I have injuries too! Let's all go to the hospital for a check-up! You think your daughter is an angel? She fought back even more fiercely! I didn't say anything because I have more class, but she has the nerve to cry and act like a victim? What a joke!"

Gu Siyi: "…?"

She had underestimated Lan Xiaqiu's fighting spirit.

Inside the classroom, Lu Jiaye and Su Han were peeking through the window.

Seeing the injuries on Zheng Peipei's arm, Lu Jiaye exclaimed, "Holy crap, she even injured our Peipei?"

They had assumed Zheng Peipei had the upper hand in the fight…

Su Han frowned, his expression grim.

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