Chapter 55: My Boyfriend Is Timid
It was not that he despised the girl.
The young lady was, after all, only a high school student. It was normal for her to be unable to solve it—just that he still held a little hope inside.
He was already old and could barely take a single step of improvement in the mathematics field even after years. He truly wanted to help nurture more talents for the country.
As a paramount existence in the local mathematics field, he had met a mathematical genius many years ago. He had originally thought that he could pull that person into the mathematics field and bring the local mathematicians to greater heights. Alas, that person was much too secretive with their ident.i.ty and had far too many responsibilities. It was impossible for that person to give up everything else and focus on only researching mathematics.
With pain in his heart, he gave up—cough, or he should say—he did not dare to go bother that person. After so many years, he thought that he had met another one.
After all, anyone who could enter this group was not your average Joe.
He gave a self-deprecating smile when he realized he had driven himself into a dead-end again.
The young lady had never claimed to be good at mathematics. It was he who was too desperate for a disciple and hence had given her a mathematical question to test her. She must already be excellent in piano, so how could her mathematics be good too?
After the conference was over, he lowered down his head and was about to leave when a professor from the mathematics department of Huazhong University came over. “Have you heard of the first-place holder in the Math Star Compet.i.tion this year?”
Huaxia University and Huazhong University were the top two schools in the country. Both schools were situated in the capital. Compet.i.tion and cooperation existed between the two.
Feng Xingshen shook his head. “Isn’t there a first placer every year?”
The other replied, “She scored 288 marks in the Math Star Compet.i.tion!”
To Feng Xingshen, such compet.i.tions were third-rate and he never saw any importance in them. “That still cannot mean anything. We still have to look at the national compet.i.tion.”
…
…
Bin City.
The weather turned colder in mid-September. It was cold from dawn to dusk. Hence, Xue Xi put on another school sweater when she went to school.
As usual, she wore her white baseball cap and carried a heavy school bag as she alighted from the car in front of the provision store.
Autumn was here, and the leaves along the roadside had tinges of yellow. At this timing, the shops on both sides of the street were all peddling their breakfast menus.
Xue Xi was beautiful. Hence, she was the focus of the crowd wherever she went. She pressed her baseball cap down lower, ignored the crowd’s gaze, and entered the provision store.
The moment she entered, she could feel that something was amiss.
The store was usually empty and void of any customers. Yet, there were seven to eight different men standing inside currently. They all had short, shaved hair and donned a variety of clothes, but when she entered, they all turned to look at her in unison.
The leader of the group was a scar-faced and fierce-looking individual. When he spotted Xue Xi, he was first momentarily stunned, then forced out an ingratiating smile at her.
Xue Xi was a little stunned.
These few people must be hooligans who collect protection fees along the streets. From this leader’s fierce expression, was he warning her to not stick her head into other’s business?
She subconsciously turned to look at the counter.
Xiang Huai was still sitting in the darkness in a laid-back manner and holding a book. His posture was very elegant and n.o.ble-like. One who knew him would know that he was a provision store owner, but those who did not would even believe if told that he was from a wealthy family.
However, currently, on his chiseled face, she saw that his sharp eyebrows were slightly furrowed together, his jaw was tense, and his brown eyes were dark. He did not seem happy.
That’s true. No one would be happy when asked to pay protection fee, right?
Under the gazes of the few men, she instinctively inched toward the shelves beside her, pretending to be buying something to show that she had nothing to do with him.
She did not notice what was on the shelves but peeked at Xiang Huai from the corner of her eyes.
An idea popped into her mind right at this moment.
What if—only suppose—Xiang Huai got beaten to death by these hooligans? Would the curse on her be automatically dispelled?
The same moment her hazy eyes lit up, her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly!
The pain was excruciating—more so than at any other time. It felt as though breathing itself was a painful act!
…F*ck! As expected, that won’t work.
No matter how indifferent she was usually, she still could not help but spew vulgarities inside.
How could one simply watch as the person she loved died?
She merely toyed with the idea a little and her heart was already in such terrible pain.
She took a deep breath. Despite seething in anger, she still stepped toward Xiang Huai and stood before him, asking, “You don’t have money to pay the protection fee?”
Xiang “G.o.d of Poverty” Huai: “?”
Since he did not speak, she took it as a silent admittance. “…Leave it to me.”
The man, who was just about to explain, shut his mouth up tightly upon hearing this.
He then saw the little kid turn to face the few idiots in front of him and say in an indifferent voice, “My boyfriend is timid, so look to me if you have any issues.”
Right after saying this, his little girlfriend took a half-step back with her right leg and arched her body forward slightly. She held up both fists and displayed, in all seriousness, an attacking position from the Army Boxing Style. Her small face was tensed up, as though she could rush at them at any moment.
From his angle, he could see her side profile from under her baseball cap.
Her small nose bridge, slightly-curled eyelashes, plump and moist cherry-pink lips… Every inch of her looked perfect.
He, who had just been raging because these idiots had messed up a task, instantly deflated. His dark expression softened and the corner of his lips even curled up into a light smile.
Meanwhile, the supposed-hooligans standing before them: “???”
Their gazes flitted between Xiang Huai and the young lady. They were dumbstruck.
Holy cow!
What did we just hear? This young lady said that Boss is her… b-b-boyfriend?
And that Boss is… timid?
They turned to look at Xiang Huai in fright, only to see the frightening and infamous “Black Yama” extend an arm to place on the table, then rest his head lazily on the same arm. In that instant, the alluring-looking man slowly said, “They are so scary.”
“…”
“Little kid, protect me well.”
“…”
The crowd: Boss, how can you be this shameless?!
While they were in a daze, Xue Xi instantly attacked after confirming that these people were here to collect protection fees!
Bang!
Scar-faced man was dealt with a heavy Army Boxing fist and fell onto the ground.
The rest of the group cowered backward in fear as they stared at the young lady walking toward them slowly and expressionlessly. Inside, they screamed: Sister-in-law, please listen to us. We are here to pay protection fees!
If they did not say it, Sister-in-law would pummel them.
But if they did say it, Boss would pummel them.
After weighing the odds, they decided to run for their lives in the end.
Xue Xi rubbed her fists and worked her wrists, then said to Xiang Huai, “They ran away.”
Xiang “Gigolo” Huai was a conscientious person. With his eyes lowered, he sighed. “They will come again.”
“…”
“Can I call you?”
Xue Xi paused for a moment. “Fine.”
She then turned to look at the prepared breakfast on the dining table and said to him, “Let’s eat.”
Xiang Huai did not move from his seat.
When Xue Xi looked at him quizzically, he “weakly” said, “I’ve been frightened.”
“?”
“My legs feel weak. I can’t walk.”
“…”
His tone was amorous, yet also lazy, as he said, “Help me walk there.”