Chapter 207: Phase One
“What did you just say?” Jiang Chuchu suspected her ears were malfunctioning. “If that cockroach has a problem, can he go get treatment or not?!”
He doesn’t even look at what kind of thing he is—he can’t get Qinghuan to like him, yet he still wants to push someone else toward her?
Hearing such news on a perfectly good Saturday morning, Jiang Chuchu almost suspected she had somehow offended Xia He.
Xia He, however, remained as relaxed as ever. “I’ve passed on the information. As for how to deal with it, that’s up to you. I won’t be involved.”
Jiang Chuchu rubbed her temples. “Why didn’t you just tell Qinghuan yourself?”
“My schedule is packed all day. This is the only time I had to call. She’s probably still sleeping at this hour—I didn’t want to disturb her,” Xia He said as if it were only natural.
“I wasn’t sure whether to contact you or Yu Xin, but you just posted on your Moments, so clearly you’re awake.”
Enough. She was going to mute Xia He. Jiang Chuchu’s mouth twitched.
After ending the call, she looked at the pile of case files on her desk and felt even more irritated.
She took a sip of her Americano, stood up, and went out into the garden, thinking through Wei Xiao’s situation.
Since he had already been driven to ask his dubious friends for advice, he would definitely act quickly. That was why Xia He informed her so early—some things depended entirely on speed.
Jiang Chuchu briefly explained the situation in their three-person group chat, making sure Gu Qinghuan would see it as soon as she woke up. Then she started thinking about something else.
What type of person does Qinghuan like?
This directly affected whether Wei Xiao’s scheme could succeed. He must also be thinking about what kind of boy could make Qinghuan fall for him.
But the more Jiang Chuchu thought about it, the stranger her expression became.
First of all, she was certain that Qinghuan wouldn’t date during high school.
She didn’t know the exact reason, but in her impression, Qinghuan was always busy.
As class monitor, she cared about everyone. She was enthusiastic by nature, so aside from studying, she was always occupied.
In that case, where would she find time to fall in love?
Secondly, even if Qinghuan really had someone she liked, Jiang Chuchu couldn’t define her “type.”
No—rather, if Qinghuan liked someone, it wouldn’t be because they fit a type, but simply because she liked them.
Maybe because they both loved food and shared hobbies. Or maybe someone gentle and kind, who would help stray animals with her. Or someone smart and decisive, able to face challenges alongside her.
Jiang Chuchu suddenly became alert.
Wait—how could anyone not like Qinghuan?! Doesn’t that mean someone could confess to her best friend at any moment?!
Yu Xin: [Waking up to such disgusting news… I don’t even feel like eating breakfast.]
Jiang Chuchu: [Xinbao! What if someone confesses to Qinghuan?!]
Yu Xin: [I think Qinghuan can tell at a glance whether someone was sent by Wei Xiao?]
Jiang Chuchu: [No, I mean in a normal situation—someone confessing to her.]
Yu Xin: [That’s not impossible. After all, Qinghuan… huh?]
Yu Xin: [!]
Yu Xin: [Who wouldn’t like Qinghuan?!]
The two of them then spammed hundreds of messages about “what to do if Qinghuan gets confessed to.”
When Gu Qinghuan woke up and checked her phone, before she could even feel disgusted by Wei Xiao’s scheme, she was already so embarrassed by their chatter that she rolled around on her bed.
Gu Qinghuan: [Stop! Stop!]
Gu Qinghuan: [Why are you assuming something that will never happen?!]
Jiang Chuchu: [You have no idea how charming you are.]
Gu Qinghuan: [How did you even type something that cheesy…]
Gu Qinghuan: [I know I’m great, okay, but no one has ever confessed to me since I was little, so don’t worry.]
Yu Xin: [?]
Yu Xin: [What kind of bad taste do people around you have?!]
Gu Qinghuan held her forehead, speechless for once.
Gu Qinghuan: [My classmates all like me, but no one confesses.]
That explanation made sense to Jiang Chuchu and Yu Xin.
After all, Qinghuan’s kindness was sincere and pure. If someone thought she helped them because she liked them romantically, they would instead feel guilty, thinking they misunderstood her intentions.
So the more someone had been helped by Qinghuan, the less likely they were to develop romantic feelings for her.
Not to mention—there were just too many such people.
You might just start thinking “does she like me?”—and then the next moment, she goes off to help someone else. That tiny bit of narcissism gets instantly crushed.
Gu Qinghuan finally dragged the topic back on track:
Gu Qinghuan: [Given Wei Xiao’s personality, he’ll probably start sending someone my way soon, right?]
She paused, feeling something odd about her phrasing, but before she could think further, Jiang Chuchu replied:
Jiang Chuchu: [Turning the tables?]
Gu Qinghuan: [That’s the plan, but I can’t fall for it too easily. I’ll act a bit first.]
On Monday, Gu Qinghuan unusually heightened her vigilance, watching out for anyone confessing to her.
Unexpectedly, the whole day passed peacefully. Wei Xiao didn’t even come to find her.
She was a little surprised. Maybe he hadn’t found a suitable candidate yet? That was possible.
After all, in this situation, he could only use students within the school. And at Mingde, almost everyone knew Qinghuan and Jiang Chuchu were close.
Going after Qinghuan while facing Jiang Chuchu’s pressure? That was quite risky.
Since nothing happened, Qinghuan simply went home as usual after school, taking the bus.
There weren’t many Mingde students on the bus, but not too few either. And since she had neither sanda practice nor tutoring today, her schedule matched everyone else’s—so the bus was quite crowded.
Everyone was a student; there was no need to give up seats. Whoever got one, got one.
By the time Qinghuan got on, there were no seats left. She didn’t mind. While the bus hadn’t departed yet, she took out her earphones, preparing to listen to music.
But as soon as the bus started moving, the person in front of her lost their balance and bumped into her. Qinghuan immediately lost her footing and was about to crash into the metal pole beside her.
At that critical moment, a hand reached out from the side, blocking between her forehead and the pole.
With that hand cushioning the impact, her forehead only hit soft flesh instead of hard metal.
Qinghuan quickly steadied herself by grabbing the pole, then turned to look at the person who helped her.
It was a pale, thin boy, looking slightly nervous as he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, thank you. Is your hand alright?” she asked in return.
The boy shook his head. “I’m fine too.”
The person who had bumped into her realized what almost happened and apologized repeatedly. Qinghuan simply replied, “It’s okay.”
Seeing she was fine, the boy smiled lightly, said nothing more, and held onto the overhead strap while taking out a vocabulary book to study.
Qinghuan pulled out her phone and sent a message in the group chat.
Gu Qinghuan: [Phase one has arrived.]
Jiang Chuchu: [What phase one?]
Jiang Chuchu: [Wait—someone arranged by Wei Xiao?]
Gu Qinghuan: [Probably. Otherwise it’s too much of a coincidence. I’ll observe first.]
Gu Qinghuan: [Gotta say, playing hard-to-get isn’t a bad move.]
Jiang Chuchu stared at that last message, falling into deep thought.
Why did Qinghuan feel more and more like a mastermind schemer lately?
