Chapter 074: Jealous?

The update was delayed, and Xiao Mo apologizes! But there will still be two chapters today, so everyone can rest assured! Once again, apologies!

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The man with the green glasses didn’t summon Cui Jiang’s parents to the school, nor did he trouble Yang Tian any further. Instead, he started to appreciate this student. Every time he walked into the classroom, his eyes would first seek out Yang Tian, and throughout the lesson, he would constantly look over, as if teaching only him.

Naturally, this drew the discontent of other students, especially Cui Jiang, the so-called Physics Prince. Yet, the man with the green glasses paid no mind to their complaints or the reports to Ms. Bao Yuehong. That was simply his way.

Yang Tian, however, did not enjoy this attention. With the green-glassed teacher always watching him, he couldn’t even nap in class anymore, and more importantly, he could no longer skip classes.

Winter arrived swiftly, blanketing the campus in a vast expanse of snow. The students’ clothing grew thicker and heavier.

Yang Tian quietly bought a set of down clothes for Huang Juan, leaving them on her bed, along with a knitted hat, gloves, and a hand warmer. Of course, there was a set for Yang Xueling as well, which he’d bought and brought home the previous week.

What Yang Tian didn’t expect was that Huang Juan had also bought him clothes—a heavy, branded suit and a plush overcoat. They fit him perfectly, and his heart was warmed; she had truly saved up to buy him a suit. That suit and overcoat must have cost her all her savings.

So every day he wore the suit and overcoat to class and to the internet café. It was a bit extravagant for a high schooler, but he loved how invigorated he felt in them.

As the weather grew colder and the winter break approached, An Qi and her mother decided to invite Yang Tian and the others for a meal at their family’s small eatery, making dumplings for everyone.

An Qi’s mother seemed to know that the children would be more at ease without her there, so after making the dumplings and a few side dishes, she left to take a walk, leaving An Qi to host Yang Tian and the rest.

“An Qi, your mother’s really got skill—these dumplings are beautiful!” Zhao Shilei and Zhang Yunxiang ate with gusto. Back at school, the two of them mostly survived on instant noodles, spending any leftover money on magazines, novels, or games at the internet café. They rarely had the chance to eat something this good.

“You’re eating the ones I made. My mom’s dumplings are small and pretty, but mine are as big as rice balls!” An Qi laughed, covering her mouth.

“Oh my, then I can’t eat these! If I do, won’t Chen Ming be furious with me when we get back?” Zhao Shilei joked, quickly scooping the large dumplings from his own bowl into Chen Ming’s, which set off a round of laughter. Chen Ming and An Qi exchanged glances, both blushing.

The six of them sat around a small table. Yang Tian had Huang Juan on his left and An Qi on his right, with Chen Ming beside An Qi.

After a while, An Qi suddenly stood up, leaned over, and planted a gentle kiss on Yang Tian’s cheek. Huang Juan and Chen Ming were both stupefied, and even Zhao Shilei and Zhang Yunxiang looked on in shock, first at Huang Juan, then at Chen Ming.

Both of their faces changed. Huang Juan’s smile froze, her dimples vanishing, while Chen Ming looked downcast, adjusting his glasses in silence.

“Yang Tian, thanks to your help, my family got through this crisis. The loan is paid off, and as for the money we owe you all, we’ll return it as soon as possible! You never let me say thank you, so I couldn’t find a better way to show my gratitude. This kiss is special—it’s not really a kiss but the friendship you always talk about. Still, it’s the first time I’ve kissed a boy!” An Qi pursed her lips and smiled sincerely.

“Oh, the first time? So that was your first kiss? That’s it, An Qi’s first kiss went to Yang Tian…” Zhao Shilei exclaimed.

“Shut your mouth! Don’t stir things up!” Zhang Yunxiang stuffed a large dumpling into Zhao Shilei’s mouth, cutting him off, because he’d already noticed Chen Ming’s face growing gloomier.

“Friendship? All right, I accept! But it wasn’t just me who helped—you should thank everyone here, and Ms. Bao as well! Also, let me clarify something for all of you: there’s a difference between a peck and a kiss. A peck is friendly and caring, quite casual. You’ve probably heard that abroad, there’s a custom where people greet each other with a peck on the cheek. A kiss, however, is mouth to mouth, expressing love, usually between couples or lovers. Understand?” Yang Tian was calm, knowing An Qi simply meant to thank him. Though her way was unusual, there was no other meaning behind it. She was, after all, a country girl with a simple mind.

“Really?” Huang Juan and Chen Ming asked in unison, their faces lighting up with relief.

“Of course! When have I ever lied to you? By the way, were the two of you just jealous? Having such thoughts at your age—that’s precocious, you know!” Yang Tian laughed heartily. Huang Juan hurriedly bowed her head, blushing, and pinched his arm lightly.

Chen Ming, on the other hand, lunged over to snatch dumplings from Yang Tian’s bowl, giving his head a playful smack in revenge.

Those were all the big dumplings, obviously An Qi’s handiwork. The room filled with laughter once more.

“An Qi, since I helped you too, shouldn’t I get a thank-you peck? Or better yet, a kiss!” Zhao Shilei teased.

But before he could finish, Chen Ming’s fist flew, making Zhao Shilei quickly change his tune, “I only wiped the table and washed the dishes, but it was Chen Ming who gave you real support, both emotional and material. You should kiss him instead—remember, a real kiss, not just a peck!”

He shouldn’t have said anything. As soon as the words were out, not only Chen Ming but An Qi as well descended upon him, and the two began pummeling Zhao Shilei. On the other side, Yang Tian and Huang Juan laughed until their sides ached, while Zhang Yunxiang ignored everything and simply focused on eating.

After the meal, they went to the park next door for a snowball fight. Back in their village days, they’d often played in the snow, but this was their first snowball fight since starting high school—a nostalgic event.

All six were as joyful as children, tumbling together in a chaotic brawl.

Yang Tian always stood in front of Huang Juan, shielding her from incoming snowballs, and then scooped up huge clumps of snow to hurl back at their attackers.

Behind him, Huang Juan was equally energetic. With Yang Tian protecting her, she played with abandon, pelting anyone she saw and occasionally rushing out to take a snowball for him.

Chen Ming shielded An Qi, while Zhao Shilei and Zhang Yunxiang fought solo. Zhao Shilei, ever the joker, naturally became everyone’s main target.

Fortunately, Zhang Yunxiang often came to his rescue; otherwise, Zhao Shilei would have ended up buried in snow.

By the end of the battle, a new “couple” had been formed—Zhao Shilei and Zhang Yunxiang. Zhao Shilei affectionately called Zhang Yunxiang “wife,” and Zhang Yunxiang responded with playful ambiguity, sending the whole group into fits of laughter.