Chapter 27: A New Trend Emerges

"Xianyu Qing, how’s the view up there?" Bai Liyao’s face betrayed a hint of envy.

He was handsome and sunny-looking, but in truth, somewhat frail; to be precise, his movements lacked coordination. He remembered how, as a child, his father had always encouraged him to explore nature, yet every outing ended with bumps and bruises. Even his sister used to tease him, saying he might have the body of a boy, but not nearly the agility of a girl. Whenever he watched boys his age leaping and climbing with abandon, he longed for that same carefree exhilaration.

Xianyu Qing had been the opposite as a child. The villagers would mock her, saying she was anything but ladylike. So she’d learned to avoid crowds, quietly indulging in these "unladylike" pursuits. The last time Bai Liyao caught her at it, her instinct had been to flee, but his simple "You’re amazing" showed her he didn’t mind at all.

"You can come up and see for yourself," Xianyu Qing patted the spot beside her.

Bai Liyao scratched his nose, embarrassed. "Better not."

He couldn’t even climb up, let alone sit atop the tree.

Xianyu Qing hopped down lightly, landing before him. "Where’s your cat?"

"I took her to the pet shop. I’ll pick her up again this weekend," Bai Liyao replied, his eyes fixed on the student council badge pinned to her chest. "Are you… a council officer now?"

"Yes," Xianyu Qing nodded. "Taking your cat to the shop is wise."

Otherwise, she’d be torn about whether to report it—she wasn’t one to bend the rules.

Bai Liyao seemed to notice the relief on her face, and chuckled softly. "Lucky for me I had the foresight."

Xianyu Qing smiled, her lips curving gently.

She hadn’t been used to smiling in front of others. After meeting Mao Wandou and Lu Yansen, she’d changed a little.

"Why did your parents name you ‘Qing’?" Bai Liyao pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, brushed off two small stone stools beneath the tree, and sat down first.

Xianyu Qing settled beside him and explained the story behind her name. "Because my grandfather loves mackerel."

That’s what Ning Wenyu had told her when she was little.

In truth, when she first came home with Xianyu Feng, she refused to eat anything except the fish porridge made from her grandfather’s home-raised mackerel.

The old man said, "Let’s call her Xianyu Qing, then. A casual name makes for a healthy child."

Bai Liyao was enlightened. So that’s how it was. What if her grandfather had happened to prefer blackfish?

Starting with the topic of names, Bai Liyao learned that Xianyu Qing was a distant relative of the Nangong family. Xianyu Qing, in turn, was surprised to discover Bai Liyao was Bai Luomei’s younger brother.

No wonder there was something familiar about him. On closer look, apart from the color of their eyes, the siblings did share some resemblance.

With this connection, their conversation became even more relaxed.

"I’ve heard Lady Nangong is very strict. Is it stifling living there?" Bai Liyao asked.

After all, in the Nangong household, "climbing trees" would surely be forbidden.

Xianyu Qing was about to answer when a somewhat familiar voice rang out: "I wondered who was sneaking off to the woods for a tryst during lunchtime. Turns out it’s you, the country fish girl!"

Xianyu Qing stood, her gaze cold as she looked at Lu Hankai’s sneering face, knowing he was here to pick a fight.

Bai Liyao edged closer to Xianyu Qing and whispered, "Do you know him?"

"We’re both equestrian enthusiasts," Xianyu Qing replied calmly.

"You ride horses too?" Bai Liyao’s eyebrows shot up.

"Just the basics, nothing compared to his skills," Xianyu Qing said modestly. Yet Lu Hankai felt she was mocking him for being injured by a horse last time.

"You brat, if not for your trickery last time, I wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Today, I’ll settle the score!" Lu Hankai growled through clenched teeth.

Xianyu Qing blew on her student council badge, then looked up at Lu Hankai with an expression that said, "How do you intend to settle it?"

Lu Hankai scoffed. Did she think he’d be intimidated by her council position? Didn’t she know his uncle was the deputy dean of the academy!

Today, he’d show her just how insignificant she was.

Lu Hankai rushed forward. Xianyu Qing instinctively shoved Bai Liyao aside, caught Lu Hankai’s swinging fist, and twisted it downward.

Lu Hankai howled, "Ah, ah, she’s hitting me!"

Xianyu Qing: "…"

I hadn’t even used any force, and you’re already screaming!

Just then, several people burst onto the scene. Leading them, Luo Liya shouted, "Xianyu Qing, as a council officer, how dare you assault someone!"

Her words were accompanied by classmates snapping photos and recording videos.

Xianyu Qing was speechless. Was this the new trend now?

Bai Liyao stepped forward to defend her. "He started it!"

Lu Hankai made an exaggerated show of pain and argued, "I only happened upon you two here and tried to separate you. I never expected her to attack me!"

"Oh my, how terrifying! How did someone so abusive get into the student council?"

"Should we be worried for our safety now?"

"Look, she’s still holding his hand!"

One after another, their accusations grew more heated.

Bai Liyao was at a loss for words. Xianyu Qing remained expressionless, but suddenly twisted Lu Hankai’s hand even further, then pressed along his arm a few times. Lu Hankai let out a strange sound.

Everyone shuddered. Did they hear wrong, or had Lu Hankai just moaned?

Xianyu Qing repeated the motion twice more. Despite his efforts to suppress it, Lu Hankai’s groans slipped out.

"So, does it feel better?" Xianyu Qing released his hand. "I noticed your injury hadn’t healed, thought I’d help loosen it up."

"You’re talking nonsense…" Lu Hankai began, then stopped, staring at his arm in bewilderment, rotating it experimentally.

Ever since his injury, his hand had felt off. Now, his whole arm was flexible and strong, and even the shoulder and neck pain from riding had vanished.

What… what was happening?!

Lu Hankai’s shock was so genuine that the student filming hurried to turn off their phone.

Bai Liyao snatched it away, grinning slyly. "Keep recording! You can’t just film part of it, or people might misunderstand."

"You—!" The student tried to retrieve it, but Bai Liyao tossed the phone to Xianyu Qing.

Xianyu Qing slipped it into her pocket. "We’ll go to the council right now and report what happened. This video will make excellent evidence."

Lu Hankai and his group were dumbstruck.

Luo Liya refused to yield. "Don’t think you can clear your name that easily. We all witnessed you assaulting him!"