The Pitiful Guy I Saved Is a Possessive Big Shot - Chapter 20

The temperature had risen over the last two days, and the piercing winter cold was gone. Although Shi Qingning was still dressed warmly, with several layers tucked under his school uniform, his complexion looked much better than when it was freezing.

He jogged over the short distance, and the tips of his nose and ears were tinted a light pink, making him look soft and inviting.

“Mint!”

Bai Yexi habitually reminded him, “Walk slower.”

But he himself jumped straight down from the top of the wall. He landed lightly and silently. His posture skillfully absorbed the impact; the boy stood steady without even bending his knees much. It was a beautiful, impressive move.

Shi Qingning was stunned for a moment and took a second to reach Bai Yexi. He instinctively looked at the wall. From a distance, it didn’t look like much, but up close, it was incredibly high.

“Jumping down like that is too dangerous.” Shi Qingning couldn’t help but worry. “Don’t climb so high next time. Stay safe.”

Bai Yexi turned slightly and patted the dust off his hands behind his back. Only after the dust settled—ensuring it wouldn’t make Shi Qingning cough—did he turn around.

Today, Bai Yexi wore a hoodie and cargo pants. He looked sharp and cold, like a blade unsheathed, giving off a chilling pressure. The sunlight hit him, and the sturdy brim of his hood cast a shadow over half his face, revealing only his high bridge and straight nose. He was strikingly handsome in a sharp, intimidating way.

The only time his aura softened was when his gaze landed on Shi Qingning’s face. He said softly, “Mm, I’m fine.”

Shi Qingning was momentarily dazed by his looks before remembering to ask, “Why are you here?”

Bai Yexi looked at him a bit longer before shifting his gaze to the distance. “Just checking out the school.”

Shi Qingning guessed as much and said with a smile, “Are you looking forward to starting school too? I asked my mom today. She said your records will be transferred the day after tomorrow. If all goes well, you can start the day after that.”

Bai Yexi pressed his thin lips together, let out a nearly imperceptible sigh, and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Why are you being so formal with me?”

Just as Shi Qingning finished speaking, a voice called out from behind them.

“Xiao Ning!”

It was Shi Yi calling them. Shi Qingning turned and waved at his brother, then pulled Bai Yexi along to meet him.

Shi Yi was standing with the vice principal. After Shi Qingning greeted the man, the vice principal asked, “And this is…?”

Shi Qingning introduced him: “This is my friend, Bai Yexi. He’s joining the 29th Middle School in a couple of days.”

The vice principal hesitated to speak, but Shi Yi spoke directly. “Principal Sun said he saw him climbing over the school wall a while back.” Shi Yi glanced at Bai Yexi, his tone calm—hauntingly calm. “What was that about?”

Before Bai Yexi could speak, Shi Qingning took the initiative to explain. “Because he was too excited to start school early.”

Vice Principal: “…??”

Shi Yi: “…” I don’t believe a word of that.

Shi Qingning continued to explain earnestly, “His records aren’t here yet, so he has to wait two days to enter.”

Hearing his brother say that Mint had come here so early made Shi Qingning feel even more pained. The school gate security was very strict; you had to have a student ID to enter. “In two days, we can walk through the main gate together.”

The vice principal couldn’t help but wipe his sweat again. “Right, right. Wanting to go to school is a good thing. But don’t climb the walls anymore; it’s not safe.”

“He won’t, he won’t,” Shi Qingning said, looking at Bai Yexi.

Bai Yexi, who had been stared at by Shi Yi without any change in expression, finally spoke. “I will use the main gate from now on. Sorry.”

Escorted by the vice principal, the three of them left the school through the side gate. Since lunch breaks aren’t very long, Shi Qingning made plans to see Bai Yexi in the evening before leaving with his brother to eat.

Shi Qingning wasn’t attending evening self-study for now, so he planned to use that time to tutor Bai Yexi on the lessons he missed during the day.

After lunch and a short rest, Shi Qingning was sent back to school. The afternoon consisted of four classes. To get the students focused after the break, the schedule was packed. However, this didn’t stop the students from being distracted.

Cell phones were strictly checked, and all electronic devices were banned. But extracurricular books weren’t heavily checked yet, so a fantasy manga published over the winter break passed through five or six hands in half a day.

But today, the hottest topic wasn’t manga. It was the new student.

The chemistry teacher ran over by two minutes. By the time class ended, the hallway was already noisy. As soon as the classroom door opened, the sound of chatter flooded in.

Shi Qingning was focused on the last problem in his workbook. He didn’t get distracted until he finished the answer, closed the book, and looked up to hear the laughter and noise at the door getting louder. There were even some whistles.

“It’s the one in the fourth row by the wall!”

“Man, this trip was worth it!!”

“Quick, quick! Look at his face!”

Shi Qingning looked toward the door. The group outside pretended nothing was happening and looked away, but the noise in the hallway didn’t stop. Most of his classmates had left for the break, but a few remaining students peeked in his direction.

The students’ guesses from the morning were right—people were actually coming to crowd around and see the “handsome guy.” However, Shi Qingning had been absent from morning exercises and lunch today, so he hadn’t participated in group activities yet. His classmates weren’t familiar with him and hadn’t talked to him much.

Before long, the students in the hallway were so noisy they attracted the grade supervisor. The crowd outside the classroom vanished instantly, and it finally became quiet. Shi Qingning didn’t leave the room but habitually went to the window for some fresh air.

The next class was English. Three minutes before it started, the classroom—which usually stayed half-empty until the bell rang—was miraculously full. A short-haired girl walked in carrying a stack of papers.

Song Qianqian had just returned. He squeezed past his seatmate to his desk and didn’t forget to tell Shi Qingning, “The English teacher is handing out extra reading material. He loves calling people to read it out loud. Better check for new words quickly.”

The vocabulary of tenth graders wasn’t very large yet, so extra reading was always a major struggle for them. Shi Qingning thanked him as the papers were passed from the front row. He kept his copy and passed the rest back, scanning the text.

It was a science article about new energy sources, related to the current unit. A few technical terms were marked with translations and phonetic symbols, so it wasn’t too hard for a high school student. But clearly, very few people shared that opinion.

When the English teacher arrived, everyone lowered their heads in unison, each trying to look more occupied than the last. The teacher was used to this. He took a slow sip of tea, set the cup down, and said, “How’s the reading going? Let’s find someone to read it.”

The teacher shook the paper in his hand, making a crisp rustle that sounded loud in the silent room. “Today’s sheet has phonetic symbols. If you hit a word you can’t say, just stop, and I’ll demonstrate.”

The teacher’s tone was gentle, yet no one dared to look up. In a sea of black hair, only one unfamiliar, handsome boy didn’t lower his head.

The English teacher looked at the boy with curiosity. “Is this our new student?” He glanced at the seating chart. “Shi Qingning…? Come, let the new student read a bit.”

With the person chosen, the students finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it’s not me.

But their attention was soon captured by an elegant voice. The new student’s voice was clear and his accent was refined—pure British English. His reading was not only fluent but had a rhythmic quality that was very pleasant to hear. His intonation and pauses were perfect, sounding exactly like a professional recording.

Some people even turned around secretly to confirm he was actually reading it live. Even knowing it was him, people couldn’t help but wonder if a recording was playing.

The teacher was also surprised, and his expression turned increasingly satisfied. Shi Qingning finished the four-hundred-word page in less than three minutes without needing any help from the teacher.

After he finished, the teacher led a short round of applause and nodded. “Very good. This student reads very fluently, and the accent is standard.”

This was the first time the new student had been called on, and his performance clearly exceeded expectations. Seeing many students looking at him with curiosity, the teacher struck while the iron was hot. “See? Don’t be afraid to speak up. Practice more, and you can communicate with your classmates to learn from each other.”

After emphasizing the importance of oral English, the teacher continued the lesson.

When class ended, someone finally couldn’t resist walking up to Shi Qingning. Once one person started, others followed. In an instant, five or six students surrounded his desk.

“Um, classmate… can I ask how you practiced your speaking?” The person speaking was the short-haired English class rep. She was fidgeting with her sleeves, clearly nervous.

Shi Qingning couldn’t remember exactly. His memory was currently in a state where he had the skills but didn’t quite know where he learned them. He answered based on a vague feeling. “Interest is quite important, I think. I remember I kept trying to learn because someone I knew had a very nice British accent.”

Shi Qingning’s tone was gentle, and he didn’t show any signs of impatience, which helped the nervous girls relax. Although he didn’t remember his own learning process well, he briefly shared some practice tips his former tutor had given him.

The students listened intently. Eventually, more people crowded around, and some even started taking notes. Shi Qingning was a bit amused but finished his brief explanation and received many shy “thank you.”

This interaction erased the sense of distance between the new student and the class. During later breaks, many people proactively approached him to chat. By the end of the day, some even asked if he wanted to go to the cafeteria for dinner together.

However, Shi Qingning had to go home, so he declined. After saying goodbye, he left the school with his pass and was picked up by a man in a black suit.

On the way, Sun Ming said, “The Eldest Young Master was going to pick you up. He said he wanted to talk about Mr. Bai.”

“Huh?” Shi Qingning asked. “What happened to Mint?”

Sun Ming shook his head. “He didn’t say. He got a call and had to go to the company first.”

Shi Qingning said, “I hope it’s not that Mint isn’t coming tonight.”

Fortunately, his worry didn’t come true. Not long after he got home, Bai Yexi arrived. He said he had already eaten, but Shi Qingning still pulled him to eat a little more before they went to the study.

Shi Qingning went over the main points of today’s lessons for Bai Yexi. As he was about to get the extra reading materials, he thought of something.

“Mint, are you still living in the same place?” Shi Qingning asked. “I remember it’s quite far from school. What do you plan to do once school starts?”

Bai Yexi looked at the boy’s handsome handwriting in the textbook and said, “I have a bicycle.”

“But you can’t commute every day. It’s too far, and it’s still cold out,” Shi Qingning said. “Have you considered living in the dorms?”

He handed the materials to Bai Yexi and said, “I talked to my family. Most classmates live in the dorms. How about we apply for a room together?”

Bai Yexi’s hand paused as he held the pen. The capped tip left a faint scratch on the paper. He quietly turned the page.

While Shi Qingning was waiting for an answer, the phone in the bedroom rang. It was Dr. Zhao.

“Second Young Master, did Madam Shi ask you about living in the dorms?” He was also calling about the dormitory. “We looked into the situation at the 29th Middle School and think it might not be suitable.”

“Setting aside the environment, you need daily check-ups. The voltage required by the equipment isn’t consistent with the school’s power supply. You’d have to leave every time you need a check-up, which is inconvenient,” Dr. Zhao said. “Madam Shi isn’t back yet, right? We’ll call her again in a bit.”

The two were sitting at the desk, so the voice from the phone was clearly audible. After the call ended, Shi Qingning thought for a moment and said, “I might not be able to stay in the dorms, but I can still help you apply. It would be much more convenient for your schooling.”

Living at school was at least safer than elsewhere. Bai Yexi lowered his eyes, and this time there was no pause in his reply.

“No,” he said directly. “I’m not used to shared dorms.”

Shi Qingning thought that made sense. Mint didn’t seem like the type who enjoyed social living. It wouldn’t be good if there were conflicts. “That’s okay, I’ll look for other ways,” he said. “Wait for my news.”

The dorm issue was put on hold. Because Madam Shi and Shi Yi were very busy, Shi Qingning didn’t have a chance to discuss it in detail.

The happy news was that two days later, it was Bai Yexi’s first day of school. The records were finalized at noon. Usually, a student would wait until the next day to start. However, during the fourth period in the afternoon, Shi Qingning saw Bai Yexi in the classroom.

Bai Yexi had arrived during the break. Since the third period was P.E., everyone was at the field and came back late. The room was mostly empty, and Bai Yexi didn’t introduce himself. He simply added a new desk and sat in the last row on Shi Qingning’s side of the room.

The students in Class 3 hadn’t had a chance to notice this new face yet. By the time Shi Qingning saw him, it was almost time for class. He didn’t even have time to say a proper word before the school bell rang. Shi Qingning had to return to his seat.

The last period was Politics. Shi Qingning, usually focused, kept wanting to look back, making the students behind him curious as they thought he had dropped something.

When school finally ended, Shi Qingning finally had a chance to go to Bai Yexi. The other students were rushing to the cafeteria to beat the dinner crowd, giving the two a moment alone. The classroom emptied quickly. Shi Qingning walked to the back row, placed his hands on the edge of the desk, and asked with a smile:

“How come you came today? I thought it would be tomorrow.”

Bai Yexi hadn’t even received his uniform yet; he was wearing his own clothes. He leaned back slightly in his chair and looked at the boy, his tone quite serious. “Couldn’t wait.”

Shi Qingning laughed. “You wanted to come to school that badly?”

Wanting to learn was a good thing. Shi Qingning wanted nothing more than to keep Mint in school, where he could grow up safely and stay away from all the messy drama.

“I’m going home to eat tonight. Are you staying for evening self-study?” Just as he asked, he saw Bai Yexi turn his head toward the door.

Shi Qingning followed his gaze and saw a girl standing there, looking like she wanted to enter but was hesitating.

“What is it?” Shi Qingning remembered she was in their class, so there was no reason for her to be afraid to enter. After the English teacher had him read out loud, she had approached him to ask about speaking practice.

Shi Qingning looked at Bai Yexi, thinking their conversation was in the way. He was about to suggest they go outside when he heard the girl’s voice, which was stuttering with nerves.

“I-I have something I want to give to you.”

“To me?” Shi Qingning was surprised.

The girl nodded, her face flushing red. As if she had finally gathered enough courage, she stepped into the room, walked quickly to Shi Qingning, and pulled something out from behind her back.

It was an extremely delicate envelope wrapped with a pink silk ribbon and a hand-drawn heart. But her courage seemed to end there. She wanted to say something but didn’t know how. Finally, she lowered her head, shoved the envelope into his arms, and ran away.

Shi Qingning was left standing there, stunned. “What is this?” He turned to Bai Yexi.

When the girl shoved the item over, it hadn’t landed in Shi Qingning’s arms. Bai Yexi had reached out and taken it.

But in the next second, Shi Qingning’s eyes widened. “What happened to your hand?! Did you get cut?”

On Bai Yexi’s pale, thin palm, a long red line of blood had been sliced open. Bright red blood welled up, quickly staining the edge of the envelope.

But Bai Yexi seemed completely unaware. He squeezed the envelope and said, “It’s just ordinary paper. Nothing else.”

Shi Qingning didn’t care what was in the envelope anymore; his voice trembled slightly. “Your hand is bleeding!”

He rushed back to his desk and grabbed his spare medical gauze. When he returned, Bai Yexi was still holding the letter. Shi Qingning tried to take the envelope so the wound wouldn’t get touched, but Bai Yexi pulled away.

“Be careful.” Bai Yexi’s voice was much calmer than Shi Qingning’s. “I just accidentally cut it on the edge. Don’t touch it yourself, or you’ll get hurt.”

Shi Qingning nodded quickly. “I won’t touch it. Put it down.”

Bai Yexi finally put it down. He said, “Envelopes and postcards nowadays are made too stiff.” He looked at Shi Qingning, his dark eyelashes casting a shadow over his deep, cold green eyes. “If someone gives you one in the future, don’t take it.”

Shi Qingning never expected that the boy would be worried about him even while injured. He promised repeatedly, “I know, I won’t take them in the future.”

Blood dripped from the base of Bai Yexi’s palm, startlingly bright. Shi Qingning only thought about bandaging it quickly. “Let me see… let me see the wound.”

Bai Yexi finally held out his hand. His cool fingers were gently held. Shi Qingning was careful as he touched him, only daring to hold his fingertips to inspect the cut.

“How is the cut so long… does it hurt?”

Warmth traveled from the fingertips. In a place the other boy couldn’t see, Bai Yexi casually shoved the envelope into the back of his desk drawer. He turned his hand over and gently held Shi Qingning’s trembling fingertips.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

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