The School Prince is a Girl - Chapter 9

Bai Xi’s final remark successfully piqued Old Mr. Bai’s interest. Though nearly fifty, his hands—well-maintained and showing little age—were crossed over his desk as he gestured for Bai Xi to continue.

However, Bai Xi had no intention of lingering on that subject. Instead, she pivoted the conversation. “Our Bai family centers on the White Dove Group, overseeing countless subsidiaries and branches both at home and abroad. I know how exhausting it must be for you, Father, to manage such a massive enterprise. I shouldn’t trouble you with such a trivial matter. Yet, though the matter is small, it is happening right under our noses. If something goes wrong, it will directly impact our headquarters. I ask that you proceed with caution.”

“I want to know why you said that location is desolate,” Old Mr. Bai said, his eyes narrowing. He shared the same slightly upturned “peach blossom” eyes as Ye Ying, now shimmering with a mix of praise and contemplation.

“Your son has only heard rumors; it wouldn’t be proper to repeat them to you,” Bai Xi replied, lowering her gaze and deferentially “kicking the ball” back to him. “If you are interested, Father, it wouldn’t be much trouble to have it investigated.”

Old Mr. Bai did not take offense. Instead, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod. “I will. I recall you are currently in Grade 12, Class 2 at Nanluo High School? Study hard. When you’re free, feel free to drop by the company more often.”

“Understood.” Bai Xi sat upright, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. After a moment’s thought, she looked up and accepted his invitation.

Looking closely, one could see that both Bai Xi and her brother took after Old Mr. Bai. Beneath standard, elegant willow-leaf brows sat naturally expressive peach-blossom eyes. The slight upward tilt at the corners removed any hint of frivolity, replacing it with an air of nobility. Their nose bridges were straight and well-defined without being abrupt, giving their features a striking three-dimensional quality. From the side, the profile was flawless.

Their lips, of moderate thickness, possessed a natural luster. However, due to Old Mr. Bai’s age and the siblings’ frail health, the color was somewhat pale. This paleness, combined with the slight natural upturn of the corners of their mouths, gave them a permanent, gentle smile—making it difficult for anyone to feel animosity toward them.

They all shared faces of noble elegance and warmth, but in reality, they were each more cold-hearted than the last—with the exception of Bai Xi’s older brother.

After chatting with Old Mr. Bai for a while and having lunch at the company, Bai Xi prepared to leave the Bai Corporation Building. She noticed that the “tail” that had been following her was gone, replaced by four well-trained bodyguards.

Mission accomplished. Bai Xi was highly satisfied with this outcome. Leaning back in the rear seat of Old Mr. Bai’s Lincoln Continental, she felt a trace of admiration for the old man’s efficiency. No wonder Madam Bai feared him so much.

Bai Xi had always known where Madam Bai’s spies were. To avoid suspicion, she couldn’t deal with them herself. She had to “borrow a knife to kill”—or rather, use her father’s authority to clear her path.

Having reclaimed a measure of her freedom, Bai Xi’s mood improved significantly. Though more trouble lay ahead, she didn’t pay it much mind. She didn’t let her excitement get the better of her, however, and had the bodyguards escort her back to school.

As she passed the sports field, Bai Xi spotted the students running laps. She shielded her eyes from the sun and squinted. Oh? Ye Ying?

Despite the blistering sun, Bai Xi sauntered toward the field. She had already skipped half a day of classes; missing the last period wouldn’t hurt.

After two warm-up laps, the group—whose physical stamina clearly didn’t match their intellectual prowess—looked half-dead. Once the teacher announced free time, they collapsed haphazardly onto the grass. One lap at Nanluo’s field was eight hundred meters.

Among the heap of exhausted students, Ye Ying’s stamina was decent. She remained upright, walking slowly to cool down her aching body.

“Tsk. Collapsing after only two laps? Your stamina is lacking,” Bai Xi remarked, walking over looking fresh and clean, having not run a single step. She watched Ye Ying with a glint of amusement.

Ye Ying, who usually looked either cold or falsely gentle, was now flushed. Beads of sweat sparkled on her forehead, and her high ponytail gave her a vibrant, energetic look. Standing amidst her miserable-looking classmates, she appeared exceptionally vivid and beautiful. In the reflection of Bai Xi’s dark eyes, the world seemed a bit more colorful.

The exhausted students looked up sharply, wanting to see which shameless person was stirring up trouble. Their expressions turned complicated when they saw it was Bai Xi. What right does this famous “sickly young master”—who once went to the hospital just from a fall—have to say that?

Ye Ying, however, didn’t think that way. She had personally seen Bai Xi take down a crowd with ease. That level of fighting skill and reaction time couldn’t belong to a “weakling,” even if Bai Xi did end up in the hospital from exhaustion immediately after the fight.

“Wow, Ye Ying, it’s Young Master Bai! Did he come here specifically for you?” It was Zhu Feng, the roommate who had been with Ye Ying at the school gate earlier. Ignoring her numb legs, she scrambled over to Ye Ying’s side, her eyes gleaming with gossip.

In a class usually filled with nothing but books and test papers, Zhu Feng’s words caused a stir. The girls, in particular, were thrilled to find high-level drama in a class full of nerds.

The boys were less enthusiastic. It wasn’t easy having a “goddess-tier” classmate like Ye Ying join their ranks. They hadn’t even had a chance to get to know her yet—how could they let someone else swoop in? Even if it was the eldest son of the Bai family, it was unacceptable!

“Hey! Since you say we’re ‘lacking’ for being tired after two laps, why don’t we compete?” A tall boy with tanned skin stood up. Others followed, glaring at Bai Xi with hostility.

Teenagers are full of vigor and naivety. They weren’t particularly sensitive to social hierarchy yet. Though they knew Bai Xi was wealthy, they viewed everyone as equals and didn’t hesitate to challenge her.

Bai Xi crossed her arms, looking relaxed in her loose sportswear. Her light-colored hair was slightly messy. Although she had originally only intended to tease Ye Ying, she found the challenge from these “kids” quite interesting.

[002: Bai Xi, were you born yesterday? Picking a fight with children? Let’s get this straight: I am absolutely not helping you cheat. Don’t expect me to lend you your old physical stats.]

Sensing Bai Xi’s thoughts, System 002 wisely cut her off before she could speak.

[Bai Xi: Don’t be so heartless. See that boy who stood up first? Isn’t he the Second Male Lead? I’m doing this for the plot. How can you hold me back?]

002, who had been sleeping on the roof of the teaching building all day, peered down with its round cat eyes. After confirming the 180cm-tall boy was indeed the Second Male Lead, Yang Qi, it nearly jumped off the roof to scratch Bai Xi to death.

[002: Plot my foot! According to the plot, you should be in the classroom falling in love with the Male Lead at first sight and chasing him like a maniac, not provoking the Second Male Lead and the Heroine on the field!]

Hearing 002’s exasperated voice, Bai Xi knew the useless system wouldn’t help. she turned to the group waiting for her reply. “What are the stakes?”

002: ??? I’m not helping her; how does she expect to win?

Bai Xi’s question stumped the students. Wasn’t it obvious? She had insulted their running, so they should race.

Before they could answer, Bai Xi continued, “How about this? You’ve already run two laps, so a race wouldn’t be fair. Let’s do a shooting contest. Most baskets from behind the three-point line in one minute wins. You can all go against me together.”

Without 002’s help, Bai Xi’s physical stats were abysmal. She likely wouldn’t last half a lap before needing an ambulance. If she couldn’t compete in stamina, she would compete in skill. If nothing else, she was confident in her stationary shooting.

Hearing her arrogant tone, the students of Grade 12 Class 2 were instantly riled up. One person challenging the whole class?

Amidst the protests, Ye Ying looked at the calm Bai Xi and sighed inwardly. Her classmates were too impulsive. It was clear Bai Xi was using a provocation tactic, yet they fell for it anyway.

Ultimately, the class chose Yang Qi to face Bai Xi one-on-one. As the class monitor and sports representative, he was their best athlete.

As they prepared for the showdown, other classes on the field were drawn to the commotion—especially since one of the participants was Bai Xi, the most talked-about person at Nanluo lately.

There were four other classes on the field: Competition Class 2, Competition Class 6, International Class 5 (C-level), and Class 7 (D-level). As the crowd grew, Bai Xi, who had initially wanted to move to an indoor court to escape the heat, had to endure the early September sun and stay put.

Two bins of basketballs were brought over. Bai Xi stepped out from the shadows of the corner and glanced at the sun. She suddenly regretted her decision. Why didn’t I pick a cooler day for this?

“I suggest you notify your private doctor first,” Ye Ying said, appearing beside her. Looking at Bai Xi’s pale face, she added, “It wouldn’t look good if the Young Master of the Bai family went to the hospital twice in two days.” She didn’t want Bai Xi to get hurt and drag the whole class into trouble.

“Should I sign a liability waiver then? Stating that my life or death has nothing to do with you?” Bai Xi replied. She was feeling unwell from the heat, and her tone reflected it. She wondered why she was “honored” with such authentic treatment from the Heroine. Was it some sort of “villainess-sensing” instinct that made Ye Ying drop her facade?

“That would be best.” Seeing that her concern wasn’t appreciated, Ye Ying didn’t waste any more words. She tossed a bottle of water to Bai Xi and walked away.

Clutching the mineral water—a frequent “friendly donation” to the school store during PE—Bai Xi paused for a moment, then smiled. This Heroine was indeed interesting.