Chapter 17: The Crazy Couple
After lunch, Gu Qinghuan went straight back to class.
Xia He wanted to follow her, but she refused.
Eating together could still be explained as “on the way,” but bringing a second-year senior to class would just be too weird.
She felt that Xia He was sticking to her a bit too much — probably because his “little tricks” had been seen through, so now he was curious about her. Honestly, that was the sort of attention she’d rather politely decline.
As soon as she entered the classroom, Qin Yue pulled her to her seat and asked, “What did the student council want with you?”
Gu Qinghuan flashed a victory sign. “I joined the student council!”
Qin Yue’s eyes went wide. This wasn’t just efficiency — she really meant it when she said she’d do it!
“What?!” the classmate at the next desk leaned over. “Class monitor, you joined the student council?”
Another student immediately posted in the class group: [The class monitor joined the student council!!!]
Class 3 instantly became lively, students crowding around Gu Qinghuan.
The richest girl in class, Jiang Chuchu, had no interest in the student council, but other well-off classmates still held it in a certain amount of awe.
After what happened yesterday with Gu Qinghuan’s shout, the whole conversation had gotten vague and speculative, and in the end, they’d just dropped it.
Now that they heard she had joined the student council, it was definitely big news.
Jiang Chuchu asked, “How did you join?”
Qin Yue might not know, but Jiang Chuchu’s father had discreetly warned her not to be too curious about the student council. If she ever needed anything, the family could handle it — no need to get involved.
Gu Qinghuan thought for a moment. Since Xia He’s situation was more serious, she decided not to reveal it.
She just said casually, “The president was satisfied with me and accepted me. But I probably won’t have any real authority, so don’t expect too much.”
“You’ve met the student council president?” someone interrupted. “What does he look like?”
Despite all the gossip yesterday, no one knew the president’s name or face — only that, since the change in leadership last year, the council had gotten far more ruthless.
Gu Qinghuan shook her head. “I haven’t met him in person. I only saw the vice president, Bai Hanshan — he told me.”
“Bai Hanshan!” the exclamation came from a boy who always wore headphones between classes — Gu Qinghuan remembered his name was Xu Xinghe. “He’s my goddess’s younger brother!”
The girl in front of him clearly knew who he meant. “Bai Qingyin?”
The topic immediately shifted to Bai Qingyin — the singer-songwriter who’d shot to fame three years ago on a music idol survival show, now quite a big name.
Jiang Chuchu was about to say something when her phone lit up. Someone she had added at a party last year but had never messaged her before had suddenly sent her a text.
Xia He: [Don’t tell anyone the student council president’s name.]
Jiang Chuchu’s lips twitched. She was about to ask “Why?” when another message popped up first.
Xia He: [Otherwise, some of the good deeds you’ve done might just reach your dear mother’s ears~]
Jiang Chuchu: [Xia! He!]
She ground her teeth. Who knew how much Xia He actually knew? If her mother found out, she’d be dead.
She had no choice but to swallow her anger. But after she cooled down a little, she was still puzzled: Why had Xia He said “the student council president”? Did he not want people to know he was the president? What was the point of keeping that secret?
As she was wondering, Yu Xin asked Gu Qinghuan, “So what will you do in the council?”
Gu Qinghuan replied, “Right now, I’m in charge of keeping an eye on a senior named Xia He — making sure he doesn’t cause trouble.”
Jiang Chuchu nearly choked on her own saliva. She grabbed Gu Qinghuan’s arm. “Who did you just say?”
Her reaction was so strong that Gu Qinghuan was a little surprised. “Xia He. Xia like summer, He like grain seedlings. What? You know him?”
So that’s why he wanted me to keep quiet! Jiang Chuchu nearly ground her teeth to dust.
“Stay away from him,” she said vaguely. “His family situation is… complicated, so his personality is a bit… intense.” She had almost said “perverted.”
Thinking of the scars on Xia He’s arm, Gu Qinghuan nodded in understanding. “Got it.”
Jiang Chuchu felt a little relieved.
Now that she was in the student council, Gu Qinghuan felt more confident about dealing with Yan Zhengqing. If he came looking for trouble again, she could at least split his hostility with Jiang Chuchu.
But that still wasn’t enough — she needed to find a way to completely suppress him.
The problem was, she didn’t understand the so-called “rules of the circle” at all and might overlook something important. She wondered if Qin Min would be willing to teach her…
“Xie Xiangxue! Someone’s looking for you!” a classmate sitting near the door suddenly shouted.
No one else paid much attention, but Gu Qinghuan and Jiang Chuchu looked up — only to see a shoulder-length-haired girl standing at the classroom door.
Even from across the room, Gu Qinghuan could sense from her posture that she seemed timid.
Xie Xiangxue walked over, looking at her in confusion. “May I ask who you are?”
The girl didn’t answer — she just stared blankly at her, eyes suddenly reddening before tears welled up. She quickly mumbled, “Sorry,” and ran away.
The student by the door gaped. “Why’d she run off crying?”
“I don’t know!” Xie Xiangxue said, completely baffled — like she’d been accused of hitting the girl or something.
When she returned to her seat, Gu Qinghuan asked curiously, “Who was that girl?”
“How would I know?” Jiang Chuchu replied.
So, probably not a rich second-generation, Gu Qinghuan thought.
Then Yu Xin said, “I know her.”
Both Gu Qinghuan and Jiang Chuchu turned toward her.
Seeing their interest made Yu Xin a little nervous, but she continued, “Her name is Lin Xiaoxue — Xiaoxue as in the solar term Minor Snow. She was born on November 22, so her parents named her that.”
“She was your classmate?” Gu Qinghuan asked.
Yu Xin nodded. “Yeah, we went to the same middle school. She often took part in dance performances. I didn’t expect her to come to Mingde.”
“But you and Xie Xiangxue didn’t go to the same middle school, right?” Gu Qinghuan asked, puzzled.
Yu Xin shook her head.
“Then how does Lin Xiaoxue know Xie Xiangxue? And why would she come to see her only to run off crying?” Jiang Chuchu asked, just as confused.
“I have no idea,” Yu Xin admitted.
The three of them couldn’t figure it out, so they dropped it.
But by the end of the school day, they would know exactly why Lin Xiaoxue had come.
As soon as the last bell rang and the teacher left, Yan Zhengqing walked in with the same two lackeys from before.
A student heading for the door was shoved back by one of the lackeys. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Yan Zhengqing scanned the room until his gaze landed on Xie Xiangxue.
Gu Qinghuan immediately stepped in front of Xie Xiangxue’s desk, staring him down without a hint of fear.
Jiang Chuchu went up to the podium. “Yan Zhengqing, what are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” Yan Zhengqing laughed in anger. “What do you think I’m here for?”
Song Yi, from the back of the first row, also walked over and planted himself in front of Yan Zhengqing. He was slightly taller and more muscular, his presence immediately overwhelming. “What’s your problem?”
Yan Zhengqing’s voice was cold and firm. “You’re Xie Xiangxue, right? What did you say to Xiaoxue? She cried all afternoon and told someone to tell me never to see her again.”
In her head, Gu Qinghuan quickly connected the dots:
Xiaoxue = Lin Xiaoxue.
Yan Zhengqing = Lin Xiaoxue’s boyfriend/pursuer.
So, the situation was: Lin Xiaoxue had gone to see Xie Xiangxue, run away crying, and Yan Zhengqing thought Xie Xiangxue had bullied her — so he was here to settle the score.
Gu Qinghuan fell silent.
From Jiang Chuchu’s expression, she’d clearly reached the same conclusion. She moved her lips and muttered four words, “Crazy man, crazy woman.”
