CHAPTER 114: LITTLE XI, LET’S GO

Jian Ci’s lips parted, ready to refuse, when Elias leaned over far too close to Yu Xi. "Did you finish your assignments? Can I copy from you?"

Jian Ci’s eyes narrowed. There’s no need to lean that close, he thought, irritation flaring.

"Little Xi, let’s go," Jian Ci said firmly.

Yu Xi didn’t ask questions. He simply rose with his tray. "Sure."

"Wait—what about the assignments?" Elias called after them.

Jian Ci turned, his voice cold. "Do your own work. Otherwise, I will tell your father."

Elias leaned back in his chair, smirking. "You wouldn’t dare."

Jian Ci’s lips curled into a sharper smirk, his eyes gleaming with challenge. "Try me," he said as he pushed himself up from the table.

Alarna looked up at him, her gaze flicking to the plate in front of him, still more than half uneaten. "Aren’t you going to finish eating?" she asked, her voice tentative.

"I am full," Jian Ci replied curtly, already turning away.

"The cookie—" Alarna began, but Jian Ci was gone, walking alongside Yu Xi without a backward glance.

Alarna pressed her lips into a thin line, her appetite vanishing. She didn’t want to eat anymore.

Elias chuckled, shaking his head. "Keep trying. He is friendly, but he also has a wall around him. He keeps everyone at a distance."

Rowland added quietly, "Except Yu Xi."

Alarna lowered her gaze, setting the cookie down before forcing herself to eat again. It was humiliating, but she reminded herself that all great things took effort.

"Maybe you should ask for Yu Xi’s help," Elias suggested slyly.

Alarna stiffened. There was something about Yu Xi that had irritated her from the very first day they met. She didn’t like him, but she couldn’t show it—not when he was the person Jian Ci was closest to. If she hadn’t known Jian Ci’s family history, the tragedy of his mother, she might have thought the two of them were dating.

Jian Ci had always strongly opposed EE relationships, his stance rooted in the knowledge of what could happen when things went too far. He had seen the consequences firsthand, and that conviction was unshakable.

Alarna knew this well, which was why she was certain nothing was happening between Jian Ci and Yu Xi. Still, she also understood that if she wanted to be with Jian Ci, she would have to tolerate Yu Xi’s presence in his life.

"That’s a great idea," Alarna said aloud, her tone light but her thoughts running deeper.

Rowland smiled faintly, biting his lower lip, and Alarna noticed the subtle gesture. After breakfast, Rowland walked to the vending machine to buy a drink. Alarna followed, standing beside him as he pressed the buttons.

"Why don’t you buy one for Yu Xi?" she asked suddenly.

Rowland nearly dropped his juice. "I—I... what are you talking about?"

"I know you like him," Alarna said plainly.

Rowland’s eyes widened, and he hurriedly covered her mouth with his hand. "Shhh! Don’t let others hear you." A group of students passing by glanced curiously at them.

Rowland pulled his hand back, flustered. "Don’t tell anyone."

"I won’t," Alarna promised. "But why not pursue him?"

Rowland pouted, his shoulders slumping. "He barely looks at me. He really isn’t interested."

Alarna tilted her head, her voice firm. "Really? I think you have a chance. He carried you, and he was so gentle with you."

Rowland’s heart skipped. He remembered the pictures on the forum, the ones of Yu Xi carrying him, and his cheeks heated instantly. The memory was vivid, and the teasing comments from other students echoed in his mind. Alarna, watching him closely, said, "If you don’t try, you might regret it."

Rowland shifted nervously. "What should I do? I have never pursued anyone before."

Alarna tapped the vending machine display, selecting a bottle of iced coffee. She handed it to him with a small smile. "Start with this."

Rowland’s eyes softened. "Thank you, Alarna. You are so nice."

She waved it off. "Aren’t we friends? No need for that."

Meanwhile, Jian Ci sat at his desk, fiddling with his communicator. Yu Xi had said he needed to fetch something, but he hadn’t returned yet. Jian Ci sighed, bored, wishing he had gone with him. Restless, he decided to bombard the chancellor with messages again. Uncle Jael had been avoiding him—and with good reason. Jian Ci was relentless. He wanted to be in the same team as Yu Xi, and he wasn’t about to let it go.

He resumed harassing Jael when a shadow fell across his desk. Thinking it was Yu Xi, he looked up with a bright smile. "Took you long enough—" But the smile faltered when he saw Alarna instead.

Alarna’s heart nearly exploded at the sight of that smile, even though it wasn’t meant for her. She swallowed the ache, silently hoping that one day, when they were together, Jian Ci would look at her exactly like that.

"You need something?"

Alarna shifted her weight, clutching a small bag in her hands. "Yes. Instructor Lal asked me to tell you to come to his office later."

Jian Ci frowned. "He could have just called me."

"I don’t know," Alarna replied quickly. "He just told me to tell you."

"Okay, thanks," Jian Ci said, already turning back to his desk. But Alarna didn’t leave. His brows furrowed. "Anything else?"

"Oh, you left this," she said, pulling out a cookie, followed by several sugary snacks. "And I also brought you these."

Jian Ci blinked. "Why?"

"For your sugar levels," Alarna explained, her voice soft but hopeful.

"There’s really no need," Jian Ci said flatly.

Just then, movement caught his eye—the distinct cloak of the chancellor passing by the door. His heart leapt. "Thanks, but I am really full. You can give it to someone else," he said hurriedly, rising from his chair. Without another glance, he rushed out of the classroom.

Alarna stood frozen, her gaze falling to his wrist. He wasn’t wearing the bracelet she had given him. Instead, another one gleamed there. She bit her lip, the sting of disappointment sharp, before setting the snacks neatly on his desk.

Meanwhile, Jian Ci’s voice rang down the hall, urgent and eager. "Chancellor!"