Flirt First, Run Later [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Xie Shenxing’s progress was alarmingly fast. On the first day of summer vacation, Liang Chu unexpectedly spotted a fifth-grade textbook. Flipping through it casually, he realized it wasn’t just fifth-grade materials. The entire collection of elementary and middle school supplementary books was right there.

During the time Liang Chu was at home, Xie Shenxing had never left his sight, so these materials must have been purchased while he was away at school. It was clear that Xie Shenxing had already breezed through Jing Ke’s second-grade workbooks and was now aiming for more advanced challenges.

But fifth grade? That was skipping way too far ahead.

Underneath the textbooks lay exercise books, half-finished upon inspection. The more Liang Chu looked, the more uneasy and astonished he became. The exercises were almost entirely error-free. How was that even possible? Even with dedicated teachers guiding them, few students could achieve such perfection. Yet Xie Shenxing, studying on his own, maintained both speed and accuracy.

Liang Chu muttered, “Did he copy the answers?”

Banya Xiong replied, “That doesn’t seem likely… He doesn’t strike me as that kind of person.”

“This is just unbelievable…” Liang Chu closed the book, knowing deep down it wasn’t possible. Since Xie Shenxing was proactively seeking knowledge, he had no reason to deceive any teacher. Buying books just to copy answers would be fooling himself—something he wouldn’t do.

Liang Chu rearranged the items as they were and said, “Do you think he’s a reincarnated soul? This is way too fast.”

Banya Xiong responded, “He’s not reincarnated. If he were, why would he bother with these exercises? That’d be redundant.”

Xie Shenxing needed to go to school. Liang Chu pondered. Otherwise, his potential would be wasted. With proper instruction, he could truly shine.

Although he had largely mastered the textbook content, Xie Shenxing hadn’t been exposed to extended problems beyond the curriculum. Guidance from a teacher was still essential. Given Jing Ke’s current age and circumstances, providing that was nearly impossible. Moreover, Xie Shenxing was noticeably unbalanced in his studies. His Chinese and math skills were astounding, but his English was a mess. With no one to teach him pronunciation or phonetic symbols, he relied solely on self-study, which had its limits.

Liang Chu grew increasingly convinced that Xie Shenxing needed a teacher.

Fortunately, summer vacation had just begun, leaving two months to figure something out.

The weather was scorching, the ground baking under the heat. Like everyone else, Liang Chu dreaded going outside, preferring to stay indoors with no desire to venture out. The streets were nearly empty. Summer was the season for afternoon naps, and Liang Chu rarely left his room except for meals. He lay on his bed watching DVDs, marveling at how wonderful life was and how comfortable sleep felt.

“If I were a girl, I’d marry my bed.”

Banya Xiong curled up at his feet. “If I were human, I’d marry my egg.”

Often, Jing Wenwu would come over to play. Since Liang Chu was the only boy his age in the Jing family, he was Jing Wenwu’s only playmate. On days when Jing Wenwu didn’t visit, Xie Shenxing would read his books, while Liang Chu and Banya Xiong sat side by side watching TV. However, their tastes didn’t always align. One wanted to watch movies, another preferred animal documentaries, and yet another craved cartoons. Liang Chu found it frustrating, especially when they watched superhero films or monster battles. Banya Xiong would go wild, cheering relentlessly for the monster villains: “You have to win! I’m on your side!”

During that summer vacation, Liang Chu unexpectedly discovered that Xie Shenxing’s life in the Jing family was far from easy. It wasn’t because of the Jing family members themselves, they looked down on Xie Shenxing, which was actually a good thing. When people look down on someone, they neither spare them a second glance nor bother to make things difficult for them. The Jing family was a perfect example of this: self-proclaimed as noble, they were too stingy to exchange even an extra word with Xie Shenxing.

The real trouble came from the two housekeepers of the Jing family.

These two housekeepers were old-timers in the household, having worked there for seven or eight years, taking care of daily chores in the east wing. Before Xie Shenxing arrived, they had also been responsible for looking after Jing Ke.

But human nature has its flaws. The housekeepers disliked Xie Shenxing for his unclear background and, much like the Jing family, hardly spoke to him, guarding against him as if he were a thief. It had to be said that the words Jing Hongjie spoke on the day Xie Shenxing first arrived at the Jing family had been quite effective.

They watched him closely, preventing him from approaching other rooms. One day, when Xie Shenxing went downstairs to fetch a glass of milk, Liang Chu happened to step out and saw one of the housekeepers interrogating him: “This glass of milk isn’t for you, is it?”

Xie Shenxing acted as usual, saying nothing as he slowly made his way upstairs. Liang Chu quickly ducked back into his room. Xie Shenxing placed the milk on the table, and as Liang Chu picked up the glass and glanced back, he saw the housekeeper sneakily peeking in their direction.

In truth, the Jing family couldn’t care less about a single glass of milk. It wasn’t necessarily that they genuinely suspected Xie Shenxing of stealing—it was merely their way of belittling him. Little did they know that fortunes change, and one should never underestimate the potential of the young. Liang Chu detested such behavior. If it were him, he would never be able to endure such humiliation, yet Xie Shenxing managed it. He had never heard Xie Shenxing mention the incident; his expression remained calm throughout. In fact, Xie Shenxing had always been capable of this. Even when Liang Chu and Jing Wenwu first met him, they hadn’t been particularly kind, yet he had endured that as well.

Summer passed in the blink of an eye. The vacation ended, and school started again soon.

The children bought new clothes and new schoolbags, happily looking forward to returning to school. Liang Chu was also delighted because he had finished his summer homework. He was sure some of his classmates hadn’t, hehe.

The first day of school brought beautiful weather: gentle sunlight and a cool breeze that chased away the summer heat, lifting everyone’s spirits.

Xie Shenxing had grown taller again. He stood nearby, holding the schoolbag, waiting for Liang Chu to finish tying his shoelaces so they could go downstairs together. He had already helped pack the bag the day before, secretly stuffing it with Liang Chu’s favorite snacks to satisfy his cravings at school.

Xie Shenxing looked down at him. Despite being a teenager, he carried the steadiness of someone decades older, like an ancient tree rich with experience.

The little radish head slowly and meticulously threaded his shoelaces. When Xie Shenxing kindly offered to help, he was rudely pushed away: “Don’t bother me, can’t you see I’m busy?”

Xie Shenxing let him do it himself, lowering his gaze to scrutinize him freely. The gentle expression vanished from his eyes, replaced entirely by greed and ferocity, like a monster lurking in the shadows, coveting a tender rosebud.

The little rosebud arrogantly waved its leaves at him. He truly wanted to carry it back to his nest and hide it away. Unfortunately, his wings were not yet fully grown, so he could only lie nearby, carefully guarding it.

In fact, it was just as well that school had started. Xie Shenxing averted his gaze. When Liang Chu was around, he found it hard to focus, constantly wondering what he was doing whether he was smiling or pretending to be serious, whether he needed food or drink and required his care. He was more than willing to waste time on him, and before he knew it, the summer vacation had come to an end.

The sound of hurried footsteps clattering up the stairs echoed from outside—so brisk and energetic that it was instantly clear who it was. Sure enough, before the person even appeared, their voice arrived first: “Jing Ke, you’re so slow! So slow! Hurry up! We’re all waiting for you!”

Xie Shenxing snapped out of his thoughts. Just as Jing Wenwu burst into the room, Liang Chu tied a slipknot in his shoelaces, stood up, and said, “Alright, I’m ready now. Look how impatient you are.”

Jing Wenwu grabbed his hand and pulled him downstairs. Xie Shenxing followed behind, carrying the schoolbag. As they stepped out of the hall and headed toward the main gate, Liang Chu turned back to look at Xie Shenxing. “You’re coming to school with me today.”

Xie Shenxing narrowed his eyes at him. Was this little heartless brat actually learning to rely on someone?

Jing Wenwu slowed his pace. “What’s the big idea? We still have to drop off Jing Qin and Jing Qi. There’s not enough room in the car.”

Liang Chu hesitated for a moment. “We can squeeze in the back. Jing Qin and Jing Qi are so thin.”

The driver was already waiting outside, having opened the car door. The two sisters sat in the backseat, hugging their schoolbags, leaving only one spot in the back and the passenger seat free.

Jing Wenwu shot a furtive glance at Xie Shenxing, released Liang Chu’s hand, and darted into the backseat, making a face at him.

“What’s going on? Why the rush?” the driver asked with a laugh.

Jing Wenwu tattled, “Jing Ke wants to bring that guy to school!”

The driver chuckled. “Then why did you run off? Let him come if he wants. Hurry up and get in the car. We can’t be late on the first day of school.”

Liang Chu was slightly surprised at how smoothly things were going, but then it dawned on him that the driver had probably misunderstood—thinking that “bringing him to school” meant dropping him off at the gate, not realizing Liang Chu intended to take him inside.

Liang Chu was happy to let the misunderstanding slide. He opened the back door and said to Jing Wenwu, “Get out.”

“Why?”

Liang Chu replied, “The passenger seat can’t fit two people. Should I sit there instead?”

That would mean Jing Wenwu would have to sit next to Xie Shenxing. Without hesitation, Jing Wenwu leaped out of the car and scrambled into the passenger seat.

Jing Qi sat by the car door, with Jing Qin on the inside. Her big, dark eyes watched Liang Chu and Xie Shenxing warily, and she shrank back slightly. Knowing the sisters were a bit afraid of Xie Shenxing, Liang Chu smiled and got into the car first, sitting in the middle to separate the sisters from him. Jing Qin visibly relaxed.

The car set off and soon arrived at the school.

The driver unlocked the doors and leaned over to open them. Liang Chu hopped out and grabbed Xie Shenxing’s hand, pulling him toward the school.

The school gate was bustling with students and parents coming and going. Xie Shenxing stared at the hand holding his fingers, a sudden possibility dawning on him, and he froze.

Liang Chu tugged but couldn’t move him. Turning back, he said, “Come on, what are you spacing out for?”

“Where do you think you’re going?” The driver finally realized the gravity of the situation and stepped forward to block their path. “Coco, you go in by yourself. He can’t follow. How about Uncle brings him along to pick you up this afternoon?”

“That’s definitely not happening,” Liang Chu remained unmoved. “If I’m not taking him to school, then why did I bring him here at all?”

The driver smacked his forehead. Who would have thought that “bringing him to school” meant taking him inside like a toy?

They had already reached the school gate. The driver crossed his arms and watched without another word. This prestigious school only allowed students inside, recognizing uniforms rather than individuals. Parents were strictly required to stop at the gate.

Sure enough, Liang Chu was stopped at the entrance. The security guard asked, “Is he a student here? Where’s his uniform?”

Liang Chu answered truthfully, “No, he doesn’t have a uniform.”

The security guard smiled amiably. “You can go in, but he can’t follow you.”

Liang Chu said, “Either we both go in, or neither of us does.”

The guard remained unmoved, pointing at the sign hanging by the entrance. “Look up and read it yourself. Non-students are not allowed to enter.”

Liang Chu thought to himself, Oh, my dear brother, thank you for being so dedicated to your job.

“Alright then!” Liang Chu said, turning and walking away. He climbed into the car and sat down. The driver looked at him with a headache. Liang Chu said, “Let’s hurry home then. As if I’m so eager to go to school. Let’s go.”

Jing Qin and Jing Qi stood nearby, unsure of what was happening. Jing Wenwu was also stunned and ran over to pull him. “Coco, come on! Class is about to start!”

Liang Chu clung to the back of the seat, refusing to be pulled out, and warmly invited, “You come up too! Let’s go home together.”

The warning bell rang, ding-a-ling-a-ling. Jing Wenwu said, “If you don’t go, I’m leaving by myself!”

Liang Chu didn’t care in the slightest. “Go ahead then. I’ll go back by myself.”

Jing Wenwu was nearly infuriated. “Why are you so annoying today!”

Liang Chu ignored him. Seeing that no one was moving, he shifted from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat, grabbed the steering wheel, and said, “Hurry up, everyone, get in!”

Normally, the driver would just drop people off and leave, but he hadn’t expected so many complications today. He hadn’t even taken the keys out of the ignition. Xie Shenxing’s expression changed drastically. He rushed into the car, pulled out the keys, and wrapped his arms around Liang Chu, trying to coax him out. “Coco, be good. Let go and go to school.”

Liang Chu turned his face to glare at him. Who am I putting on this act for? And you’re undermining me!

Xie Shenxing chuckled softly, his heart softening. He reached out to touch Liang Chu’s eyes. “Why are you glaring at me? Trying to scare me? Get down now.”