Transmigrated as the School Hunk's Arch-Nemesis [Book Transmigration] - Chapter 15

Jiang Baiyi was feeling pretty high right now. What Shen Yixing had just said sounded familiar, like something he’d said before, but it had been so long that he’d forgotten. He didn’t reach for the cotton swab right away, instead propping his chin with one hand and asking, “Are you concerned about me?”

His voice wasn’t loud, just enough for Shen Yixing to hear. The cotton swab container was brown, making it impossible to see what was inside, much like Jiang Baiyi himself—it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Shen Yixing rubbed the corner of his book with his thumb, unconsciously changing the subject, “Class is about to start.”

“To hell with that, I asked you a question.” Jiang Baiyi bumped his knee against Shen Yixing, staring at him expectantly, waiting for an answer. Shen Yixing felt increasingly uncomfortable under his gaze, pushing the cotton swabs toward him with the back of his hand, “Use it or don’t.”

Jiang Baiyi gripped the container, reminding him, “The last time you got hurt, I was the one who personally disinfected you and applied the medicine.” Having said that, he didn’t forget to stroke his hand dejectedly, like a wounded big dog raising its paw to lick its injury.

Shen Yixing’s ears were buzzing from Jiang Baiyi’s fussing. He gave up on memorizing the Classical Chinese text, looked up at the big dog, and asked, “What exactly do you want to say?”

Jiang Baiyi paused, having forgotten what he wanted to say himself. Originally, he had tried hard to stick his hand in front of Shen Yixing to get his attention, hoping that once noticed, he could tell Shen Yixing he’d taught Sha Xiaohou a lesson. But now that he thought about it, all this effort, what was it for?

“I…” Jiang Baiyi started but stopped. The lid of the container in his hand had been half-opened without him realizing it. Shen Yixing looked at the wound, took a cotton swab from Jiang Baiyi’s hand, and said, “Just disinfect it first.”

Jiang Baiyi spread his fingers and placed his hand in front of Shen Yixing. All that effort earlier was just so Shen Yixing would disinfect his hand. “Go ahead.” He shook his hand, having long forgotten the pain.

Shen Yixing’s hand holding the swab paused, then slowly began to dab at Jiang Baiyi’s hand. Jiang Baiyi looked down, seeing Shen Yixing’s long lashes lowered, casting the shadow of his stray hair onto his fair face.

“Aren’t you going to ask how I got hurt?”

Shen Yixing didn’t ask, only guessing, “Got hit by someone?”

Jiang Baiyi boasted subtly, “Are you kidding? I never get hurt when I fight.”

Shen Yixing replied blandly, “Oh.”

The conversation ended too quickly, and they sat in silence for a long while. Before long, Jiang Baiyi leaned in mysteriously toward Shen Yixing, his eyes curving like fish tails with a beautiful arc, thick lashes fluttering twice, and a glint of light flashing in his ink-black pupils. He put on an air of mystery for quite a while before finally spitting out a few words: “I got it from fighting.”

Shen Yixing followed up, “Was it during lunch break?”

“Yeah, I was bored at noon, so I went to the rooftop and beat up Sha Xiaohou for you.”

Shen Yixing looked up in surprise. That day in the infirmary, Jiang Baiyi said he would vent his anger for him, but he hadn’t expected him to follow through today. Because the injury was sustained while standing up for him, Shen Yixing pursed his lips and softened the motions of disinfecting.

The classroom was noisy, with Zhao Ci and Tang Yuan still playing games obliviously. Yesterday’s seat change had moved the third group to the fourth. Being by the window in the last row put them in a corner of the classroom, so nobody noticed them. When Shen Yixing looked up, he caught Jiang Baiyi staring at him. Their gazes met—like tea leaves pouring into a clear pool, creating ripples that stirred the heart. Looking down further, a pair of moist lips parted slightly, like water droplets sprinkled on rose petals.

Jiang Baiyi’s Adam’s apple bobbed. All the noise around him faded, he was solely focused on the rose petals in front of him.

“Does it hurt?”

“N… no, it doesn’t.”

“That’s good then.” Shen Yixing avoided his scorching gaze, checked the time, and put away the cotton swab container. “Class is starting.”

Right after, a bell rang over the intercom. Jiang Baiyi snapped out of his daze, scrambling to find his books, only to realize he hadn’t brought any. During class, Wang Fusheng let everyone study freely. With no book, Jiang Baiyi pretended to lean over to read Shen Yixing’s. When Shen Yixing concentrated, he read fast and forgot someone was peeking. While flipping pages quickly, he accidentally bumped Jiang Baiyi’s hand, hearing a hiss of pain that made him immediately pull his arm back.

Seeing this, Jiang Baiyi, for reasons unknown, reached out and grabbed Shen Yixing’s hand. It was even more startling than the hiss. Shen Yixing tried to pull back, but Jiang Baiyi held it tight.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Baiyi glared at him coldly after being scolded, and once he realized what he’d done, he abruptly let go and bluffed, “Telling your fortune by reading your palm.” To sound professional, he added, “It’s an ancestral craft.”

Shen Yixing: “………”

After school, Shen Yixing went to the bookstore, and Jiang Baiyi, who originally wanted to go, had some business and left mysteriously. At the bookstore, Zhao Ci and Tang Yuan were struggling with exercise books, and the owner told Shen Yixing the book he wanted was out of stock. He suggested the library. Once there, his friends found a corner to game. Shen Yixing searched the shelves. Guided by the library search engine, he found Complete Medieval Musical Scores.

“Baiyi, don’t you believe me?”

Hearing the familiar name, Shen Yixing paused, peeking through the gaps between books. On the other side sat Jiang Baiyi, back turned, with Ruan Ming sitting opposite him.

So, this was the ‘business’ Jiang Baiyi had? He was on a date with Ruan Ming?

Shen Yixing felt sweat on his palms. He shouldn’t be a third wheel, but he was curious, wanting to hear what they were discussing.

“I told you, I didn’t go looking for Shen Yixing.” Ruan Ming sounded agitated but kept his voice low. “The head teacher was talking to me about the monthly exams, and I only heard about Shen Yixing looking for me on the rooftop after I got back.”

“Is that so?”

Jiang Baiyi leaned back, tapping his fingers on the table. Shen Yixing couldn’t see his expression, only hear his lazy voice.

“Yeah… so I didn’t know anything about Shen Yixing getting Sha Xiaohou to hit me. I don’t know what I did to make him want to hit me. Maybe… maybe he heard my confession that afternoon.”

Ruan Ming really wasn’t simple. Shen Yixing’s eyes darkened; he had already told Jiang Baiyi the truth.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ve already taught Sha Xiaohou a lesson for you.”

Jiang Baiyi’s voice had no ups and downs, but it created a massive surge in Shen Yixing’s heart. So he had been moved and guilty all afternoon for nothing; Jiang Baiyi was actually fighting and getting injured for Ruan Ming. Shen Yixing gripped the book, pulled it out, and left quietly.

“You hit Sha Xiaohou for me?!” Ruan Ming turned pale. “Then… did he say anything?”

Jiang Baiyi was already amused by his lies, unaware that a book had been pulled from the shelf behind him.

“Ruan Ming, aren’t you tired of faking it?”

Jiang Baiyi chuckled, ruthlessly dismantling his lies.

“If I’m not mistaken, it was you who asked Sha Xiaohou to wait on the rooftop, then came to find me with an excuse to go up there, right?”

Seeing Ruan Ming’s pupils dilate, he knew he was right.

“Too bad you got called away by a teacher, and that idiot Sha Xiaohou didn’t know you couldn’t make it. He waited forever, and when he saw someone, he assumed it was me and just started attacking.”

Jiang Baiyi’s face darkened, his tone ice-cold. “Judging by your story, you probably wanted to have Sha Xiaohou beat me up and frame it on Shen Yixing. Or have him beat both of us up and frame it on Shen Yixing, right?”

“It’s not like that!”

Ruan Ming shook his head, shock and panic crossing his eyes.

“In short, no matter who got hit, Shen Yixing would be the one to take the fall. You just didn’t expect Shen Yixing to be the one on the rooftop that night, did you?”

Jiang Baiyi smiled. “I thought you specifically asked Shen Yixing to go there, but then I remembered he was wearing the jacket I lent him. You must have mistaken him for me.”

Ruan Ming collapsed into his chair.

Jiang Baiyi stood up. “By the way, just to clarify so you don’t overthink it, hitting Sha Xiaohou was to vent for Shen Yixing, not for you.”

“Then… what you said just now…”

“I was bluffing, just wanted to see your reaction.” Jiang Baiyi commented, “Your acting is terrible. I’m not blind.”

With his plans exposed, Ruan Ming had no rebuttal. Seeing Jiang Baiyi leaving, he called out to him.

Jiang Baiyi looked back, his tone indifferent. “Don’t come up with any more twisted ideas against Shen Yixing, or you’ll end up like Sha Xiaohou.”

Before Ruan Ming could argue, Jiang Baiyi went behind the shelves. He had wanted to find this book as a surprise for Shen Yixing.

“Damn it, isn’t it in 611? Where did it go?”

Jiang Baiyi slid his finger along 611, but the book wasn’t there.

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