Ch 262: Perhaps he will take the bait.

Xu Zhiqiao and Li Xiaoxing sat on one side, Ji Huailuo sat alone on the other, separated by a hot pot with steaming vapor, and fresh, tender green vegetables.

“This composition is nice,” Xu Zhiqiao stood up, “Brother, you sit here, I’ll take another photo of you and Sister Xiaoxing.”

Ji Huailuo was too lazy to move: “We’re eating, what photo?”

Xu Zhiqiao stared down at him: “Of course it’s your stupid photo.”

“…”

Just one more word and he’ll start getting angry and cursing. Are pregnant women’s tempers this unpredictable?

Ji Huailuo dejectedly moved, taking the seat Xu Zhiqiao had vacated.

The current scene became Xu Zhiqiao sitting alone on one side, Ji Huailuo and Li Xiaoxing sitting next to each other.

“Your high school photo was very nice,” Xu Zhiqiao used her mobile phone to find the angle, muttering, “Who took it for you? Are they a photographer now? Can they teach me…?”

Speaking of which, she tilted her head slightly, moving away from her phone: “Brother, move closer to Sister Xiaoxing.”

Ji Huailuo impatiently said: “Are you taking the picture or not?”

Xu Zhiqiao shifted her gaze to Li Xiaoxing, flattering: “Sister Xiaoxing…”

Before she could finish, a smile curved Li Xiaoxing’s lips, and she moved slightly towards Ji Huailuo.

The photo was taken.

The restaurant’s lighting and setting were sufficient; the photo didn’t need editing. Xu Zhiqiao sent it to them directly.

“What grade was that photo of you taken in?”

“Second year of high school,” Li Xiaoxing started to blanch vegetables, “From the second semester onwards, everyone had their own seat.”

A bunch of classmates cried and wailed, as if what was being separated wasn’t just seats, but their lives.

A few tens of centimeters of aisle was enough for these second-year high school kids to have a heart-wrenching farewell.

Ji Huailuo leaned against the wall, kicked the front desk, and angrily said: “Stop howling, I want to sleep!”

“Hey!” The front desk turned around, “You’re even worse, the top student was made the study committee member by the teacher, she was moved to the first row, the distance between you two…”

Ji Huailuo’s expression was like he was looking at a corpse: “I, want, to, sleep!”

Li Xiaoxing happened to come over to move her things.

Her desk was already empty, but her exercise books and test papers were still in the drawer.

“Ji Huailuo,” the front desk had a sudden idea, “I’ll take a commemorative photo of you two?”

Ji Huailuo turned his face, his eyes still filled with anger, asking someone: “Taking it?”

Li Xiaoxing paused her hand that was packing up the test papers, looked back, and met his gaze.

The indentations from sleeping on his cheeks were still there, his hair was fluffy and messy, his youthful energy overflowing.

Two seconds later, Ji Huailuo suddenly looked away: “Forget it.”

“…” Li Xiaoxing pursed her lips, “Take it.”

“Come, come, come,” the front desk excitedly said, “Ji Huailuo, sit properly! You’re polluting the top student’s intellectual aura!”

Ji Huailuo smiled without smiling: “I’ll soon have you reborn back into your mother’s womb…”

The front desk immediately cowered: “Is it done? I’m pressing the shutter!”

That day was after school in the afternoon. The branches outside the window were bare, but they couldn’t block the overflowing youthfulness of these teenagers.

Ji Huailuo and Li Xiaoxing were both wearing school uniforms, but Li Xiaoxing’s school uniform zipper was pulled up to her collarbone, while Ji Huailuo’s was open, his posture crooked, his elbow almost on Li Xiaoxing’s desk.

It was very much like his usual personality.

After taking the picture, the front desk said they would get it developed for them. Li Xiaoxing nodded in thanks and continued to move her things.

Ji Huailuo clicked his tongue, a little disdainful, stood up, and used his two slender and strong hands to grab the edge of her desk, easily lifting the whole desk.

“I’ll take it for you,” he said carelessly, “You’d have to run back and forth ten times otherwise.”

Li Xiaoxing watched him and the desk leave.

Thinking that she was hurt by Ji Huailuo’s bad temper, the front desk helped explain: “He wasn’t targeting you, he’s always like that, just extra anxious today, he’ll be fine in a couple of days.”

Li Xiaoxing politely said to him: “Thank you for the photo.”

After the seats were separated, Li Xiaoxing rarely interacted with Ji Huailuo, but when Ji Huailuo entered the classroom, he would occasionally tap twice on her desk, mischievously: “Did I scare you?”

–

After the meal, Xu Zhiqiao helped clean up the table, Li Xiaoxing stopped her: “Go watch TV, and eat some fruit.”

“Then let my brother do it,” Xu Zhiqiao ordered, “Sister Xiaoxing, you just supervise. He washes dishes, and breaks three out of every five.”

Ji Huailuo held a stack of bowls and plates: “Go downstairs first, your boyfriend is getting impatient.”

Xu Zhiqiao mumbled: “Finish your work before you leave, Sister Xiaoxing is already very tired taking care of your younger sister.”

“…” Ji Huailuo waited until she went out, “Li Xiaoxing, don’t spoil her, this girl is the best at taking advantage.”

Li Xiaoxing ignored him.

Jinhu is a resettlement residential area, most of the residents moved here after the Tangxin demolition, and the community facilities are not well-equipped.

The water for washing dishes in the kitchen was cold.

Ji Huailuo frowned: “No hot water?”

“The water heater is broken,” Li Xiaoxing said, “Haven’t had time to get someone to fix it yet, leave it, I’ll wash them.”

Ji Huailuo slapped away her outstretched hand: “With a man here, what are you trying to prove?”

“…” Li Xiaoxing was silent, “Can you wash them?”

“Who doesn’t know how to wash dishes,” Ji Huailuo turned on the tap, grabbing the dishcloth under the icy cold water, “Where’s the water heater? I’ll take a look later.”

Li Xiaoxing pointed: “Can you?”

Ji Huailuo laughed angrily: “Hey, do you think that a bad student is completely useless?”

“That’s not what I meant,” Li Xiaoxing shyly said, “I was afraid you haven’t done it before.”

Ji Huailuo lowered his eyes, handing her the washed dishes: “My dad is busy with work, Li Jie and I grew up together, if anything broke at home, I would fix it, and I learned how to do it over time.”

“So, you can skillfully turn off the circuit breaker,” Li Xiaoxing asked, “and then blame it on Qiaoqiao?”

“…”

The sound of water rushing.

Ji Huailuo narrowed his eyes, gloomy: “I really want to beat her up.”

Li Xiaoxing’s eyes curved, her face gentle when she smiled, looking very easy to bully.

Ji Huailuo: “What did Yan Qian tell you?”

“…” The topic changed quickly, Li Xiaoxing paused, “Just said hello.”

“Repeat the exact words.”

“…She was very surprised,” Li Xiaoxing spoke very slowly, “She said she’s getting married, and I said congratulations.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Then why aren’t you going upstairs?” Ji Huailuo stared at her, “Didn’t you make an appointment with my sister?”

Li Xiaoxing: “Something urgent came up at the company.”

Ji Huailuo didn’t know if he believed her, he turned off the tap, the sound of water stopped.

“Don’t associate with her.” He said lightly.

Li Xiaoxing raised her eyes, looking at him: “It’s you who’s associating with her.”

“…” The corners of Ji Huailuo’s mouth gradually straightened.

“Thank you for your trouble,” Li Xiaoxing lowered her gaze, softly, “I won’t waste your time, go back and keep your girlfriend company.”

Ji Huailuo coldly said: “Where did I get a girlfriend?”

Li Xiaoxing: “I don’t know either, I saw it on your WeChat Moments, Jiang Shan and the others’ replies.”

“…”

Grass.

It was that WeChat Moments post he deleted, the one about “to date or not to date”.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Ji Huailuo’s voice was unclear, “I’m lazy, if someone wants to hook me up, I might take the bait.”