Chapter 23: The Invitation
Chapter Twenty-Three: Invitation
That evening, as Qing Tian lay in bed preparing to sleep, her mobile phone buzzed from under her pillow. She pulled out her phone and saw the name displayed on the screen, startling her so much that she almost dropped it.
The name “rain” was clearly displayed before her eyes. Her thoughts immediately flashed back to when they were at the Civic Center and he had entered his phone number into her phone. She hadn’t expected it to turn out like this. She silently repeated to herself: Ji Xiangyu.
Qing Tian took a deep breath and slid her finger towards the answer button.
“Hello…”
“Qing Tian, it’s me.”
The moment Qing Tian heard his voice, her fingers tightened. For a moment, her throat felt as if something was stuck, and she couldn’t speak.
After three seconds of silence, Ji Xiangyu broke the deadlock and asked, “Qing Tian, did I make you uncomfortable?”
Qing Tian let out a faint sigh on this end of the telephone call, eager to explain, “I… no!”
On the other end of the line, Ji Xiangyu chuckled at Qing Tian’s nervousness. His mood suddenly improved. “Make me uncomfortable about what?”
Qing Tian became a little flustered by the question. “In short, you know!”
Ji Xiangyu hummed and then got to the main point. “I’ve already placed the invitation on your seat. I hope you can come!”
With Ji Xiangyu’s repeated invitations, it would seem too petty for Qing Tian to refuse. She let out a faint hum, which served as her reply.
Qing Tian didn’t know what else they talked about, only remembering his last sentence: “I’ll call you again!”
Early morning:
When Qing Tian arrived at the classroom, quite a few students were already gathered inside. Unlike usual, everyone was whispering amongst themselves, and when they saw Qing Tian arrive, their gazes were even more hostile.
She walked towards her seat, puzzled. As soon as she reached her desk, she saw a gilded invitation lying on it, with “to sunny, for rain” written in large letters. Qing Tian looked at those words with disbelief. No wonder everyone was so engrossed in gossiping early in the morning. Qing Tian hastily stuffed the invitation into her schoolbag, then cast a chilling glance at the people around her who were trying to join in the fun. Upon receiving the signal, they each went back to their own business as if nothing had happened.
Just as things had calmed down for less than three minutes, Qin Hailan arrived at Qing Tian’s class with three other women. Their group of four was notorious at First High School, and their aggressive aura scared everyone into staying put, not daring to make a move.
Qin Hailan walked to Qing Tian’s desk with a cold, stern gaze and slammed her fist heavily onto the table. The old iron desk let out a muffled groan, startling everyone into gasping.
Qing Tian sat there with a calm expression, not even blinking an eye, and didn’t say a word.
Qin Hailan asked aggressively, “Qing Tian, you’re quite good at playing hard to get. I didn’t realize you were so calculating!”
Qing Tian replied helplessly, “Did you come to me just to say this?”
One of the women beside Qin Hailan said unhappily, “Hey, what’s with your attitude?”
Qing Tian ignored her directly and looked at Qin Hailan inquiringly.
Qin Hailan stopped her sister and smiled faintly. “You’ve got guts. If you can do it, you should be able to handle the consequences. You’re stringing Xia Yang along while also being involved with the Young Master of the Ji Family. Are you too skilled?”
Qing Tian said with a cold laugh, “That depends on whether the other party can handle my approach. But classmate Qin Hailan, it seems neither of them has any relation to you, right?”
Qin Hailan pointed her finger at Qing Tian’s face, her voice filled with anger. “Don’t think I won’t do anything to you. Believe it or not, with one word from me, you won’t have a place at First High School?”
Qing Tian’s expression was one of suppressed anger. She wouldn’t yield to threats; she would only resist. It was like this before, and it’s like this now.
“Qin Hailan, please understand. Whether Xia Yang accepts you or not has nothing to do with me, and I’m not fickle as you say. Judging others with your own prejudice, do you think that’s the act of a smart person? Or do you believe that only violence can solve problems!”
Qing Tian finished speaking in one breath. At this moment, the classroom was unusually quiet. Qin Hailan’s sisters were all startled. No one had ever spoken to their Big Sister like this before. They wondered what would happen next.
Qin Hailan clenched her fist tightly, staring fiercely at Qing Tian, her lips twitching. Qing Tian looked at her calmly. She already knew that Qin Hailan wouldn’t dare to harm her in the slightest.
Time passed, and an unknown amount of time later, a voice broke the deep silence.
“A Lan, why are you here? Qing Tian….”
That evening, as Qing Tian lay in bed preparing to sleep, her mobile phone buzzed from under her pillow. She pulled out her phone and saw the name displayed on the screen, startling her so much that she almost dropped it.
The name “rain” was clearly displayed before her eyes. Her thoughts immediately flashed back to when they were at the Civic Center and he had entered his phone number into her phone. She hadn’t expected it to turn out like this. She silently repeated to herself: Ji Xiangyu.
Qing Tian took a deep breath and slid her finger towards the answer button.
“Hello…”
“Qing Tian, it’s me.”
The moment Qing Tian heard his voice, her fingers tightened. For a moment, her throat felt as if something was stuck, and she couldn’t speak.
After three seconds of silence, Ji Xiangyu broke the deadlock and asked, “Qing Tian, did I make you uncomfortable?”
Qing Tian let out a faint sigh on this end of the telephone call, eager to explain, “I… no!”
On the other end of the line, Ji Xiangyu chuckled at Qing Tian’s nervousness. His mood suddenly improved. “Make me uncomfortable about what?”
Qing Tian became a little flustered by the question. “In short, you know!”
Ji Xiangyu hummed and then got to the main point. “I’ve already placed the invitation on your seat. I hope you can come!”
With Ji Xiangyu’s repeated invitations, it would seem too petty for Qing Tian to refuse. She let out a faint hum, which served as her reply.
Qing Tian didn’t know what else they talked about, only remembering his last sentence: “I’ll call you again!”
Early morning:
When Qing Tian arrived at the classroom, quite a few students were already gathered inside. Unlike usual, everyone was whispering amongst themselves, and when they saw Qing Tian arrive, their gazes were even more hostile.
She walked towards her seat, puzzled. As soon as she reached her desk, she saw a gilded invitation lying on it, with “to sunny, for rain” written in large letters. Qing Tian looked at those words with disbelief. No wonder everyone was so engrossed in gossiping early in the morning. Qing Tian hastily stuffed the invitation into her schoolbag, then cast a chilling glance at the people around her who were trying to join in the fun. Upon receiving the signal, they each went back to their own business as if nothing had happened.
Just as things had calmed down for less than three minutes, Qin Hailan arrived at Qing Tian’s class with three other women. Their group of four was notorious at First High School, and their aggressive aura scared everyone into staying put, not daring to make a move.
Qin Hailan walked to Qing Tian’s desk with a cold, stern gaze and slammed her fist heavily onto the table. The old iron desk let out a muffled groan, startling everyone into gasping.
Qing Tian sat there with a calm expression, not even blinking an eye, and didn’t say a word.
Qin Hailan asked aggressively, “Qing Tian, you’re quite good at playing hard to get. I didn’t realize you were so calculating!”
Qing Tian replied helplessly, “Did you come to me just to say this?”
One of the women beside Qin Hailan said unhappily, “Hey, what’s with your attitude?”
Qing Tian ignored her directly and looked at Qin Hailan inquiringly.
Qin Hailan stopped her sister and smiled faintly. “You’ve got guts. If you can do it, you should be able to handle the consequences. You’re stringing Xia Yang along while also being involved with the Young Master of the Ji Family. Are you too skilled?”
Qing Tian said with a cold laugh, “That depends on whether the other party can handle my approach. But classmate Qin Hailan, it seems neither of them has any relation to you, right?”
Qin Hailan pointed her finger at Qing Tian’s face, her voice filled with anger. “Don’t think I won’t do anything to you. Believe it or not, with one word from me, you won’t have a place at First High School?”
Qing Tian’s expression was one of suppressed anger. She wouldn’t yield to threats; she would only resist. It was like this before, and it’s like this now.
“Qin Hailan, please understand. Whether Xia Yang accepts you or not has nothing to do with me, and I’m not fickle as you say. Judging others with your own prejudice, do you think that’s the act of a smart person? Or do you believe that only violence can solve problems!”
Qing Tian finished speaking in one breath. At this moment, the classroom was unusually quiet. Qin Hailan’s sisters were all startled. No one had ever spoken to their Big Sister like this before. They wondered what would happen next.
Qin Hailan clenched her fist tightly, staring fiercely at Qing Tian, her lips twitching. Qing Tian looked at her calmly. She already knew that Qin Hailan wouldn’t dare to harm her in the slightest.
Time passed, and an unknown amount of time later, a voice broke the deep silence.
“A Lan, why are you here? Qing Tian….”
