The Fake Girlfriend is Online - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A Different Side

Mu Jinxuan had fallen into a heavy sleep upon returning to the classroom after her game at noon. Wrapped in a thick, fleece-lined jacket with her hood pulled up, she only shifted positions when her arm went numb, then continued sleeping.

Qing Mo Ran toyed with the “warm reminder” that An Xiao Xi had sent over during the break. She looked at her slumbering deskmate and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Warm Reminder: My dear junior high deskmate and high school alumnus, Student Qing, hello! I am writing this with a heart full of sorrow; I hope you read it carefully. Regarding your new deskmate, you must realize the following points:

1. She is a school bully, yes!! Wuwuwu, you actually ended up sitting with a bully. You’re so well-behaved and sensible; why do you have to deal with a deskmate like this? She’s not as kind as me, not as considerate as me, and she’s a bully!

2. She is a school bully. Protect yourself. If she hits or bullies you, you must tell me. I won’t abandon you!

3. She is a school bully. Important things must be said three times. She is the woman who dares to go head-to-head with Li Yulan! Take care; tell me if anything happens. Even though I might not be of much use, I’ve got your back!

Qing Mo Ran turned again to look at the girl sprawled on the desk. The wind from the window fluttered the pages of the textbooks nearby, but the girl remained motionless. She looked exceptionally quiet, like a sleeping cat.

So, school bullies are like this?

Qing Mo Ran blinked and tossed the note casually into her drawer.

Shortly after, the bell rang for the start of class. The final period was Chinese with Li Fei, but he always finished discussing class matters before starting the lesson.

As the bell rang, Li Fei walked in carrying a stack of test papers. He called for silence and got straight to business.

“Quiet down, students. You all know the classmate who just reported today, right? It’s Student Qing Mo Ran, the one I told you about at the beginning of the term. She’s officially joined us today, but her leg injury hasn’t fully healed. I hope you all can help her out.”

As Li Fei spoke, students occasionally turned back to look at Qing Mo Ran. Once he finished, the class chatterbox, Luo Qi, chimed in: “Received! Guaranteed that the pretty girl will feel the warmth of family here.”

“Student Luo Qi, make sure your actions are as good as your words,” Li Fei nodded. Having a kid like Luo Qi in class certainly helped liven the atmosphere.

“Alright, now let’s talk about the mid-term results. Originally, everyone in Class 1 was ranked at the top during the entrance exams. But during this mid-term, some people in our class managed to rank at the bottom of the entire grade. Take the Chinese exam for example—I want to ask Student Luo Qi, how did you manage to get 20 points out of a 60-point essay?”

The previously grinning Luo Qi instantly wilted. Classmates covered their mouths to stifle laughs, dying to see a 20-point essay.

“Of course, I have to admit, Luo Qi is very imaginative. But this was supposed to be an argumentative essay; why did you write a narrative?”

At this, the whole class burst out laughing.

Mu Jinxuan, who had been sleeping, shifted her position. She pulled back her arms and ran her hands through her hair. Qing Mo Ran watched as her deskmate frowned and lifted her head. Because of the hood, her expression was hidden, but her slender index fingers were rubbing her temples. Qing Mo Ran had a premonition: her bully deskmate had likely slept herself into a cold.

Sure enough, a moment later, Mu Jinxuan began to cough.

“Cough, cough…” Mu Jinxuan covered her mouth with her hand, thinking, I couldn’t be this unlucky, right? Sweating during the game and then getting hit by the cold wind gave me a cold. D*mmit.

Qing Mo Ran covered her mouth and laughed softly. From this perspective, she really did look like a sickly little kitten.

Hearing the laughter beside her, Mu Jinxuan turned and glared: “Student Qing, what’s so funny?”

Qing Mo Ran immediately stopped smiling and reached toward the top of Mu Jinxuan’s head: “There’s…”

Before she could finish, Mu Jinxuan sharply jerked her head away, leaving Qing Mo Ran’s pale, almost translucent palm hanging awkwardly in the air. An icy atmosphere spread between them. The students nearby who witnessed this didn’t even dare to breathe.

Qing Mo Ran withdrew her hand and rubbed her nose. “There was a leaf on your head.”

Mu Jinxuan reached up and plucked the leaf that had drifted in from the window. The atmosphere remained at a freezing point. For the rest of the day until school ended, the two didn’t say another word, aside from Mu Jinxuan’s intermittent coughing.

As school let out, Qing Mo Ran stopped Mu Jinxuan as she was heading out and handed her a box from her drawer.

“Here. It’s cold medicine. But if it gets serious, it’s better to go to the hospital.”

“Thanks,” Mu Jinxuan nodded and took the box.

As soon as Mu Jinxuan left the classroom, the surrounding students swarmed Qing Mo Ran.

“Holy crap, did I just hear the School Bully Mu say ‘thank you’? Am I hallucinating?”

“I heard it too. D*mn.”

“I didn’t think Bully Mu could be so gentle with a deskmate. If I’d known, I would have volunteered to sit with her. Then I’d be the one she treats specially!”

The crowd gave the speaker looks of utter disdain.

Qing Mo Ran couldn’t help but ask, “Is my deskmate really that scary?”

Luo Qi, standing nearby, explained: “Student Mu is notoriously unpredictable in our grade. Since your hair is short, you must have heard about the school’s hair ban, right?”

Qing Mo Ran nodded; she had cut her hair short specifically because she heard about the rule before coming to school.

Luo Qi continued, “Well, Student Mu originally swore she wouldn’t cut her hair. In the end, she chopped it off right in front of Li Yulan. The next day, she showed up with that cool short cut—it was a total provocation. Plus, she hit a military instructor, got tattoos, and intentionally ignores Li Yulan’s classes.”

Qing Mo Ran clicked her tongue. She hadn’t expected her deskmate to be such a rebellious youth.

Meanwhile, the subject of their discussion was walking past the school gate and turning into a side alley. Before long, she saw an Audi A8 parked quietly. Mu Jinxuan opened the door and sat inside.

“Uncle Fu.”

“Ah, Young Miss is out of class.” Uncle Fu in the driver’s seat nodded gently.

“Mhm. A girl joined our class today and became my deskmate,” Mu Jinxuan said with a smile.

“Is that so? Jinxuan finally has a deskmate.”

At this moment, Mu Jinxuan seemed like a different person—quietly sitting in the back, sharing school life with a close elder like a normal young girl.

During their chat, the car entered “Jincheng” in the East District. True to its name (Brocade City), it was built like a fortress with layers of security and 360-degree surveillance. The greenery was impeccable; it was rumored an Italian landscape architect had been hired for the planning. As a famous villa area, the residents were naturally wealthy and influential.

The car pulled into a villa. Mu Jinxuan changed her shoes at the entrance, shook her dizzy head, and prepared to go to her room. However, walking into the living room, she saw her mother.

Normally, her mother, Ye Xi, wouldn’t be home. She’d be on a business trip or performing in another country.

“Mu Jinxuan, come here.” Ye Xi wore exquisite makeup but her face was a mask of coldness; from a distance, she looked like Jinxuan’s sister. She was supposed to perform tomorrow, but she had received a call from the homeroom teacher about the physics test.

Mu Jinxuan shuffled over in her slippers and stood before her mother.

Ye Xi, seeing that Jinxuan had no intention of sitting down, stood up as well. As a famous ballet dancer, Ye Xi was 170cm tall; though a few centimeters shorter than Mu Jinxuan, her aura was immense.

“Mu Jinxuan, tell me what happened with this physics exam?”

“Nothing. I just didn’t know how to do it.” It was the second time she’d said those words today.

“Nothing? Listen to yourself! Don’t forget your academic grades can’t slip. I haven’t even settled the score with you for cutting your hair, and now you get this score in physics. What exactly do you want? Is this how you repay me?”

Mu Jinxuan snapped her head up. “Repaying you is exactly what I’ve done most.”

With that, she turned and walked out, slamming the door behind her, ignoring her mother’s calls.

Mu Jinxuan tightened her jacket, regretting not putting on more layers. Between her continuous coughing—which made passersby wonder if she had tuberculosis—she finally remembered the medicine her deskmate had given her.

She rummaged through her bag and pulled out the small box. As she did, her sharp eyes caught a small slip of paper tucked in the opening. Extracting it, she saw the “warm reminder” and the three “She is a school bully” warnings. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Am I really that terrifying?

She read the instructions, took out a water bottle, and swallowed the pill. Even if it didn’t work immediately, it gave her the psychological hint that she would get better.

Bag on her shoulder, she wandered aimlessly, not wanting to go home.

“Wow—!” Just as she was considering staying at a hotel for the night, she saw a crowd gathered ahead, cheering.

“Holy sh*t, this girl is so damn cool. That difficulty level must be insane, right?”

“For real. Look at the faces on that other group—a whole bunch of guys can’t even beat one little girl.”

Bored, Mu Jinxuan used her height advantage to peer over the crowd. In the center of the circle, five or six young people in oversized clothes, chains, and caps were having a dance battle. There were two sides: one group of four—two boys and two girls—looking very flashy. On the other side… Mu Jinxuan’s eyes widened.

There was only one girl. She wore a baseball cap over her bob cut, with blue-purple hair peeking out from the brim. A simple hoodie and ripped jeans made her look incredibly sharp.

But how did this girl’s figure look so much like her “crippled,” “good-girl” deskmate?

When the girl tilted her chin up to provoke her opponents, Mu Jinxuan finally saw her clearly. Holy crap, that really is her deskmate! They looked exactly the same!