Returning to High School to Save My Wife - Chapter 8

Although Jiang Yuan always felt that Liang Qi’s behavior was somewhat unusual, she still ended up taking her to the cafeteria.

After all, Liang Qi really did look unwell. If Jiang Yuan left her alone in the classroom and Liang Qi ended up skipping lunch the entire noon, it would seem too inhumane of her.

On the way to the cafeteria, Liang Qi was pale and even unsteady on her feet, nearly fainting several times. Jiang Yuan couldn’t bear to watch, so she had to reach out and support her.

Every time this happened, Liang Qi would shyly smile at her and lean into her embrace. The two of them stood so close that it bordered on an ambiguous level, drawing attention from those around them.

Jiang Yuan could only try to convince herself not to take it personally, Liang Qi was sick, after all.

Even though Liang Qi had freeloaded meals at her place, was overly familiar, loved cozying up to people, and constantly bothered her with every little thing her well-bred upbringing still reminded her not to lose her temper over trivial matters.

Because Liang Qi moved so slowly, they arrived at the cafeteria quite late. Seeing the long line at the food counter, Jiang Yuan said to Liang Qi, “Go find us a seat first. I’ll get your food for you.”

Looking at Liang Qi’s weak and feeble state, she was genuinely worried that Liang Qi might end up dropping her tray on the floor.

Hearing this, Liang Qi blinked at her apologetically. “Then, I’ll leave my meal to you.”

Just as she was about to leave, Jiang Yuan suddenly remembered something and called out to her, “Wait, what do you want to eat?”

Without hesitation, Liang Qi replied, “I like spicy food.”

Jiang Yuan was taken aback and reminded her, “People who are sick shouldn’t eat anything too stimulating.”

She suddenly recalled a time when Liang Qi had eaten at her house. Back then, Liang Qi had claimed to prefer light flavors was that just polite guest behavior?

Noticing Jiang Yuan’s expression, Liang Qi realized her slip-up and quickly backtracked, “No, I mean when I’m sick, I lose my appetite, so I crave something with stronger flavors.”

That explanation made sense. When people are ill, their digestion weakens, and they often lose their appetite. Eating something more flavorful could help stimulate it.

Jiang Yuan nodded. “Alright, I’ll keep an eye out for something suitable for you.”

“Thank you so much!” Liang Qi beamed sweetly before turning to find a seat.

The cafeteria was packed, making it hard to find a spot for two. Liang Qi circled around for a while without success when, suddenly, a girl’s voice called her name from not too far behind.

“Qiqi!”

Liang Qi turned and immediately recognized the familiar face.

The girl had stylish shoulder-length layered hair with straight black bangs, a quiet and scholarly appearance, and an air of maturity that set her apart from their peers. It was none other than her best friend, Qiao Shuxue.

“Qiao-jie?” Liang Qi blurted out, noticing that the four-person table Qiao Shuxue was sitting at still had two empty seats.

Qiao Shuxue pulled out the chair beside her. “Looking for a seat? Sit here, it’s free.”

Liang Qi immediately plopped down next to her. “Thanks, Qiao-jie! I was just worrying about not finding a spot.”

Aside from Qiao Shuxue, there was another girl sitting across from them with a striking figure. The moment she saw Liang Qi, she teased with a grin, “Well, well, look who we have here! If it isn’t our beloved Liang Qiqi, who abandoned her dear friends?”

Liang Qi shot her a mock-reproachful glance and teased in a mimicking tone, “How could anyone compare to our Princess Tan’s popularity? After just one summer break, you’ve had suitors lining up surely you’ve long forgotten about an old flame like me?”

Qiao Shuxue, long accustomed to their banter, smiled helplessly. “Even after a whole summer apart, you two still love to bicker like this.”

“Giggle, isn’t it all because Sister Qiao spoils us?” Tan Zhiyan chimed in sweetly.

Unlike Qiao Shuxue and Liang Qi, who had known each other since childhood, Tan Zhiyan had only met them in high school. The three hit it off instantly and quickly became inseparable best friends.

Now, Qiao Shuxue and Tan Zhiyan remained in Class 10, while Liang Qi had been promoted to the elite Rocket Class, leaving them behind.

Shengjiang No. 1 High School introduced the Rocket Class starting from sophomore year, with placement exams held every semester. The roster of the Rocket Class often changed, while regular classes remained relatively stable students who didn’t make the cut typically stayed in their original classes.

Originally, all three had similar academic performances. But Liang Qi had suddenly buckled down and earned a spot in the Rocket Class, leaving the other two feeling a bit wistful. Yet the moment they reunited, it was as if nothing had changed.

“It’s great that Qiqi got into the Rocket Class. We should step up our game too,” Qiao Shuxue said with a smile, then suddenly noticed Liang Qi didn’t have a tray in front of her. “Huh? Qiqi, didn’t you get any food?”

“I’m not feeling too well today, so my deskmate got it for me.” Liang Qi spotted Jiang Yuan in the distance carrying two trays and searching for her, so she quickly waved her over.

“Not feeling well? What’s wrong? Are you sick?” Tan Zhiyan asked.

“Maybe,” Liang Qi sighed, thinking it was best not to mention lovesickness to Tan Zhiyan she’d probably think she was being ridiculous.

“Is it serious?” Qiao Shuxue asked worriedly. “Qiqi, you don’t look too good.”

“I’m feeling much better now,” Liang Qi replied cheerfully. “With my deskmate looking after me, you don’t need to worry.”

Just then, Jiang Yuan sat down beside her with the trays and handed one over. “Here’s yours.”

“Thanks.”

Liang Qi took the tray and saw that Jiang Yuan had picked sweet and sour pork ribs and scrambled eggs with tomatoes both dishes were actually quite appetizing.

Her mood instantly brightened. “These are all my favorites!”

“That’s good.”

Jiang Yuan didn’t think much of it and picked up her chopsticks to eat. But Tan Zhiyan noticed the scrambled eggs with tomatoes on Liang Qi’s tray and let out a surprised “Huh?”

“Qiqi, since when do you eat tomatoes? Didn’t you, ow!”

Before she could finish, Tan Zhiyan felt a sharp kick under the table. She looked up to see Liang Qi frantically signaling her with her eyes.

“Huh?”

Confused, Tan Zhiyan glanced between Liang Qi and the person beside her before suddenly catching on. She smirked knowingly. “Oho!”

“Ahem,” Liang Qi cleared her throat and explained, “When you’re sick, it’s better to eat something appetizing.”

Jiang Yuan paused mid-bite upon hearing their conversation. “You know each other?”

“Yeah, we used to be classmates,” Liang Qi nodded.

“We’re Qiqi’s best friends,” Tan Zhiyan added with a grin. “The very best kind~”

“Qiqi, introduce us to your deskmate,” Qiao Shuxue said.

Liang Qi set down her chopsticks, cleared her throat, and introduced to Jiang Yuan, “The one sitting across from me is Sister Qiao, Qiao Shuxue. And the one next to her you can just call her Zhiyan.”

Tan Zhiyan interjected sharply, “Qiqi, Sister Qiao asked you to introduce your deskmate, so why are you introducing us instead?”

“You guys don’t know each other,” Liang Qi felt a headache coming on for the first time because of her mischievous friends, worried that they might leave a bad impression on Jiang Yuan. “Especially you, I was afraid not introducing you would scare her off.”

Tan Zhiyan sighed dramatically, “Ah, out with the old, in with the new.”

“Shut up,” Liang Qi rolled her eyes at her and turned to Jiang Yuan. “She’s always like this just ignore her.”

“Hello,” Jiang Yuan, seemingly unfazed, smiled lightly. “I’m Jiang Yuan.”

“Jiang Yuan?” Tan Zhiyan exclaimed in surprise. “The Jiang Yuan who’s ranked first in the grade?”

Qiao Shuxue was also taken aback. Although she had long known Jiang Yuan’s name, this was her first time meeting her in person. She hadn’t expected that the girl before her with such delicate features and an outstanding presence was actually the top student who had aced the entrance exam.

Once again, she recalled Liang Qi’s phone call during summer break.

Could Liang Qi’s sudden determination to study hard and get into the elite class be related to her?

And how had they ended up as deskmates?

Liang Qi’s words answered her question: “Yeah, the teacher arranged it, she’s supposed to help me with my studies.”

“Who’s your homeroom teacher?” Tan Zhiyan asked casually.

“He Wei.”

“Oh wow, the grade director.”

“Yeah, I heard she’s pretty strict.”

“What’s there to be afraid of? With your science grades, Qiqi, no matter how strict she is, it won’t affect you,” Tan Zhiyan said dismissively.

“Your science grades are good?” Jiang Yuan was somewhat surprised. The lowest-ranked student in the elite class had good science grades?

“Yeah,” Qiao Shuxue nodded. “Qiqi is really strong in science, but she’s severely unbalanced in subjects, so her overall grades have always dragged her down.”

“Qiqi has won several awards in math competitions,” Tan Zhiyan added helpfully.

Hearing this, Jiang Yuan couldn’t help but reassess Liang Qi slightly.

She had assumed Liang Qi was just a shameless slacker who had lucked into the elite class, but it turned out her science grades were this impressive.

“Hehe, Qiqi, did you pass Chinese this time?” Tan Zhiyan teased, deliberately poking at her weak spot.

“…”

Liang Qi shot her an exasperated glare and nearly threw her chopsticks at her.

“Let’s eat!”

After the meal, Liang Qi and Qiao Shuxue headed back to their respective classes. Class One was on the first floor, while Class Ten was on the second, they weren’t even on the same level. Before parting, Qiao Shuxue called out to Liang Qi, “Qiqi.”

Liang Qi stopped in her tracks. “Sister Qiao, you called me?”

Qiao Shuxue glanced at Jiang Yuan, who had already started back to class, then quickly returned her gaze to Liang Qi. “She…”

“She’s great,” Liang Qi said firmly.

Qiao Shuxue paused slightly, studying her for a moment before suddenly smiling softly. “Mm, we’re happy for you, Qiqi, making new friends in your new class.”

Tan Zhiyan teased, “Ah, Sister Qiao, I can’t help but feel Qiqi has taken a liking to her. Maybe we should just sell Qiqi to her though I wonder if she’d even want her.”

Liang Qi huffed, “Go away, stop stirring up trouble!”

Tan Zhiyan winked in the direction of her classroom. “I just wanted to help you ‘make friends’ no good deed goes unpunished!”

Liang Qi mulled over those two words repeatedly: “Help me!”

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.

Perhaps Zhiyan and Shuxue might actually be able to help her.

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