Kidnapping the Female Teacher's Best Friend - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Zhou Ruoxin had the day off today and didn’t have to go to tutoring. In the afternoon, she rode her electric scooter over to find Mo Zibei.

Zhou’s mother had wrapped some wontons (or húntun/dumplings), and knowing that Mo Zibei liked them, Zhou Ruoxin specifically brought some for her in a food container.

The security in this old residential building was very lax, and they basically didn’t question visitors, not to mention Zhou Ruoxin used to live here. She skillfully parked her scooter in front of Mo Zibei’s unit entrance, entered, and climbed the stairs. When she was about to reach the eighth floor, she called Mo Zibei, and Mo Zibei came out of her bedroom to open the door for her.

“Have you had lunch yet?” The strands of hair near Zhou Ruoxin’s ears were damp with sweat. She reached up to brush them aside and handed over the food container.

“Not yet.” Mo Zibei took the food container she offered and stepped aside to let her in.

“There are wontons inside, eat them while they’re hot.” Zhou Ruoxin dropped this sentence and went to the back to wash her face.

Mo Zibei put the food container on the dining table, went to the balcony to get a towel, and waited for her to come out: “Wipe your face.”

“Mhm,” Zhou Ruoxin asked while wiping her face, “Is the air conditioner not on in the house?”

The doors to her bedroom and Mo’s father’s bedroom were both open. If the air conditioner were on inside, it wouldn’t be this hot in the living room.

“The air conditioner is broken.” Mo Zibei went to her bedroom, brought out the floor fan, and plugged it in. The small fan began to whir and blow air.

“Why don’t you call someone to fix it?” Zhou Ruoxin sat on the dining chair opposite her.

“Even if it’s fixed, the effect isn’t great.” Mo Zibei lowered her head to drink the wontons.

“Why don’t you sleep at my place tonight?” Due to global warming, the temperature gets higher year by year, especially now during the peak of summer.

Mo Zibei slightly shook her head, indicating she didn’t want to go.

Zhou Ruoxin bit her lip and spoke again: “You don’t have to sleep on the bed; you can just sleep on a floor mat next to me.” Zhou Ruoxin knew Mo Zibei didn’t like to be close to people; usually, she would at most touch Mo Zibei’s arm and had rarely held her hand.

Mo Zibei put down her spoon and looked at Zhou Ruoxin: “It’s too much trouble.”

Zhou Ruoxin sighed, knowing it was pointless to press further, and simply changed the subject.

The two chatted for a while. After Mo Zibei finished her wontons, Zhou Ruoxin took her on the electric scooter to Wanda Plaza, saying they were going to see a movie.

The two arrived at the location, and just as they picked up their tickets, Meng Yuanhao’s call came in.

“I don’t want to argue today,” Zhou Ruoxin glanced at Mo Zibei’s phone screen. “Don’t tell him where we are.”

Mo Zibei lowered her gaze, scanned the phone, didn’t answer the call, and put the phone in her pocket after the ringing ended automatically.

Seeing her action, the corners of Zhou Ruoxin’s mouth curved slightly, and her eyes were filled with a smile.

They bought cola and popcorn and sat next to each other.

“How are you going to explain it to Meng Yuanhao later?” Zhou Ruoxin was referring to Mo Zibei not answering Meng Yuanhao’s call.

“Tell him the truth.” Mo Zibei took a sip of cola, her eyes fixed on the big screen.

The joy that had just welled up in Zhou Ruoxin sank again. Mo Zibei was still the same as before, completely unchanged.

Mo Zibei watched the whole movie very seriously, but Zhou Ruoxin’s mind wandered. She pondered whether there was anyone in the world who could make Mo Zibei different, who could earn her attention, and receive her favor…

Even after the movie ended, she hadn’t figured out the question. At least, in all these years, she hadn’t seen Mo Zibei treat anyone specially, not a single person.

“Shall we go?” Many people had gotten up and left their seats, but Zhou Ruoxin was still sitting still. Mo Zibei asked.

Zhou Ruoxin was called back to attention by her question. She turned her eyes to stare at Mo Zibei for a few seconds, then stood up smiling.

They exited Screening Room No. 2, and just as they reached the cinema door, they unfortunately ran into Meng Yuanhao.

Meng Yuanhao was with his cousin. Seeing the two of them, his expression first showed surprise, then displeasure: “You two came to see a movie, why didn’t you call me?”

“Who made the rule that you have to be called when someone goes to the movies?” Zhou Ruoxin scoffed.

The two started trading insults back and forth.

Mo Zibei stood by without saying a word.

Meng Yuanhao’s cousin also couldn’t figure out why his cousin and this aggressive-looking girl were fighting. He had seen Zhou Ruoxin a few times when they were little, but he didn’t recognize her now.

There were many people coming and going to watch movies, and people kept glancing their way.

Meng Yuanhao’s cousin felt a bit embarrassed and forcefully dragged Meng Yuanhao further inside.

Seeing this, Zhou Ruoxin also pulled Mo Zibei and walked outside.

“I’m so mad.” Zhou Ruoxin grumbled to Mo Zibei as they walked.

“Do you still want to look at clothes?” She remembered Zhou Ruoxin had said she wanted to shop for clothes after the movie.

“I haven’t cooled down yet.”

Mo Zibei stopped talking and sat down on an empty chair not far away, waiting for her to calm down.

Zhou Ruoxin also sat down next to her but didn’t speak.

“Do you want to drink milk tea?” After about two or three minutes, Mo Zibei spoke.

“Will you buy it for me?”

“Mhm.”

The corners of Zhou Ruoxin’s mouth curved slightly, and the anger in her heart instantly vanished.

She felt that Mo Zibei was still a little bit special to her, even if it was just a little bit.

After drinking the milk tea Mo Zibei bought, Zhou Ruoxin was much happier and in the mood to browse clothing stores.

She drank while picking out clothes, trying on anything she liked.

However, Meng Yuanhao arrived shortly after.

He hadn’t finished his movie and rushed over early.

Mo Zibei was sitting on the sofa in the store, waiting for Zhou Ruoxin to try on clothes.

Seeing Meng Yuanhao approach, Mo Zibei voluntarily moved aside, making space for him. Meng Yuanhao pursed his lips but sat down, his voice muffled: “I think you’re favoring her today.”

“She said she didn’t want to argue today.” Mo Zibei’s sentence served as an explanation.

Meng Yuanhao tightened his face and didn’t speak.

Zhou Ruoxin tried on a cyan-white dress and thought it looked good. She wanted to ask Mo Zibei for her opinion, but when she came out, she saw Meng Yuanhao again.

“What are you following us for again?” Zhou Ruoxin said crossly.

“I came to find Zibei.” Meng Yuanhao’s tone was also not good.

Zhou Ruoxin’s face fell. She tossed the dress aside and pulled Mo Zibei’s arm, walking out.

Meng Yuanhao was about to follow but noticed the cyan-white dress Zhou Ruoxin had tossed onto the sofa.

Recalling the way she was smiling as she held the dress earlier, she must have liked it.

Hesitating for two seconds, Meng Yuanhao picked up the dress and paid for it using his phone.

Leaving the store, he didn’t go looking for the two of them but took the dress back to the Zhou residence.

When Zhou Ruoxin and Mo Zibei returned to the Zhou residence, Zhou’s mother frowned and lectured Zhou Ruoxin: “You child are becoming more and more careless. You even left clothes you paid for in the store. Luckily, Yuanhao saw it and brought it over for you.”

Zhou Ruoxin was about to argue back but fell silent when she glanced at the dress.

She clutched the dress and returned to her bedroom, with Mo Zibei following behind.

“Who cares that he bought it for me.”

Mo Zibei took the dress from her hand and looked at it: “It’s very pretty.”

Zhou Ruoxin’s eyes sparkled at the comment. She craned her neck to look at Mo Zibei: “You think it’s pretty?”

“Mhm.”

Hearing the satisfying answer, the corners of Zhou Ruoxin’s mouth curled into a smile.

After a while, Zhou’s mother knocked on the door. Zhou Ruoxin remained seated, so Mo Zibei opened it for her.

“You two take some watermelon slices over to Yuanhao.” Zhou’s mother came in holding a fruit platter.

Zhou Ruoxin pouted, looking unwilling: “What fruit doesn’t he have at his house? Does he need these few slices of watermelon?”

Zhou’s mother gave her a helpless, chastising look and handed the fruit platter to Mo Zibei.

Mo Zibei took the platter and softly called out to Zhou Ruoxin: “Let’s go.” Only then did Zhou Ruoxin reluctantly get up from the bed.

On the way, Zhou Ruoxin grumbled with a frown: “We’re taking him watermelon, and he’s definitely going to get smug.”

“Mhm.” Mo Zibei replied with an “Mhm” and said nothing else.

Just as Zhou Ruoxin said, seeing the two of them bring fruit, Meng Yuanhao was indeed very smug.

“This watermelon is so sweet.” As soon as they entered, Meng Yuanhao reached out, took a slice, and bit into it.

Zhou Ruoxin quietly tsked.

Mo Zibei also took a slice and squatted by the trash can to eat it, calling out to Zhou Ruoxin: “Come and eat.”

“Mhm.” Zhou Ruoxin went over as well.

After finishing the food, Meng Yuanhao dragged Mo Zibei to play video games again. Zhou Ruoxin was in no hurry to leave and stayed nearby, causing trouble for Meng Yuanhao.

Meng Yuanhao got angry and frustrated, and the two soon started squabbling again, but they eventually made up.

After Zhou Ruoxin left, Mo Zibei ate dinner at Meng Yuanhao’s house. It was cooked by his housekeeper, and the food was quite good; Mo Zibei had eaten it a few times before.

Mo Zibei hadn’t cycled out, so when she left, she rented a shared bicycle to ride home.

The days passed unhurriedly like this. A few days before school started, Mo Lin (Mo’s father) returned and bought Mo Zibei two pairs of shoes.

The students at Kaicheng No. 1 Middle School mostly wore school uniforms, so parents didn’t buy many clothes for their children, but they bought quite a lot of shoes.

Dinner was cooked by Mo’s father simple, home-cooked dishes.

Both father and daughter were reserved people. Even after not seeing each other for many days, they didn’t have much to say.

Dinner was very quiet, and Mo’s father had a small amount of wine.

“You are eighteen this year; you are an adult now.” Towards the end of dinner, Mo’s father said this stiffly.

“Mhm.” Mo Zibei put down her chopsticks.

Mo’s father looked at his daughter. Her appearance resembled her mother more fair skin and severe eyebrows.

He had originally wanted to say some words of advice, but as the image of that person flooded his mind, he didn’t know what to say anymore.

“Go to bed early.” With this phrase left hanging, Mo’s father said nothing more.

“Mhm.” Mo Zibei got up to take a shower and then returned to her bedroom.

The night was very quiet, and there was no longer the sound of cicadas. The only noise was the continuous whirring of the floor fan.

With her hands behind her head, she stared at the ceiling, thinking: School is about to start. This is the last year of high school.

The past time had flowed away, and the days would never return.

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