Chapter 27: A Truly Genuine "Slap in the Face"

Ignoring the ball flying toward him from across the court, he swung his racket and waved at Jiang Wuyang, looking incredibly cheerful.

Jiang Wuyang lowered her gaze, ignored him entirely, and turned to head toward the cafeteria.

Lin Jiachi stood frozen, watching her retreating back. He couldn't understand why she wouldn't acknowledge him when he had taken the initiative to greet her. She had always responded with a smile in the past...

An indescribable sense of dejection washed over him. He tossed his expensive racket aside and said petulantly to the person on the other side, "I'm done. You play by yourself."

The person opposite him watched the racket hit the ground, their heart bleeding for the equipment, but they could only offer soothing words of compliance.

When Sang Wan heard the mention of the Grade 11 Liberal Arts Class A, she paused, her footsteps coming to an instinctive halt.

"...Huh?"

Jiang Wuyang frowned, taken aback by Sang Wan's reaction. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing." Sang Wan felt a wave of panic. *What if I just reminded Yangyang of unpleasant memories from Class A? I'm such an idiot.* But it seemed Yangyang didn't really care.

She probed tentatively, "Yangyang, let's go play badminton next time! It looks like so much fun."

In truth, Sang Wan truly loved badminton, but her previous seatmate hadn't known how to play, and she couldn't drag anyone else along.

"Sure." Jiang Wuyang’s eyes brightened slightly. She curled her lips into a faint smile and agreed without hesitation. She had learned to play badminton and actually quite enjoyed it, but she had never had anyone to play with before. Ruan An'an was in poor health and couldn't engage in strenuous exercise, so everyone accommodated her, staying in the classroom to keep her company after class. Consequently, Jiang Wuyang had been confined to the classroom with them.

Now, she finally had a chance to have some real fun!

"Once Meng Yanche gets back, you two will definitely hit it off! He loves badminton too."

"Who is Meng Yanche? And where is he?"

"Meng Yanche is our class’s arts representative," Sang Wan said as they walked. "He’s in Nanshi for a piano competition. He should be back in a couple of days."

Jiang Wuyang nodded, feeling a spark of curiosity about Meng Yanche.

They arrived at the cafeteria, but it was crowded with a sea of heads. Sang Wan hesitated at the entrance. "Yangyang, why don't we go to the small convenience store next door instead? They have a purple sweet potato and taro paste bread that is absolutely delicious! You have to try it!"

Sang Wan pulled Jiang Wuyang toward the shop, singing the praises of the snack as they walked. The convenience store was indeed less crowded, though it was smaller, meaning popular items sold out quickly. People usually rushed there early; if you were late, you were left with nothing but scraps.

Sang Wan dragged Jiang Wuyang through the throng of people and headed straight for the bread section.

As expected, the favorite purple sweet potato and taro paste bread with pork floss was nearly gone. Fortunately, there were two left—just enough for her and Yangyang.

Sang Wan happily reached out for the two loaves. She grabbed one easily, but when she went for the second, she couldn't move it. A large, well-defined hand was planted firmly on the bread, competing with hers.

Sang Wan looked up, ready to bare her teeth at the culprit, only to realize that the person was actually quite handsome. He had sharp, striking features, a cool-looking tear mole, and distinct, well-defined lips. She froze for a moment.

Taking advantage of her distraction, the man snatched the bread from her hand.

Sang Wan snapped out of it, stood up, put her hands on her hips, and roared, "Hey! Who do you think you are? Don't you know about 'first come, first served'? I got here first—that bread is mine!"

No matter who he was or how handsome he looked, in Sang Wan's eyes, he couldn't compete with that delicious bread.

Lin Yan frowned, radiating a cold, low-pressure aura. "I was here first."

Sang Wan wasn't intimidated. "Are you being reasonable? My hand was literally on it, and you're telling me you were here first?"

Lin Yan: "..."

Jiang Wuyang, who had been busy picking out snacks for class, walked over upon hearing the commotion. "What's going on?"

Seeing Jiang Wuyang, Sang Wan immediately transformed into a damsel in distress, throwing herself into Jiang Wuyang’s arms to act spoiled. "Yangyang, this guy is a jerk! He’s trying to steal my food. What is it, does food taste better when you steal it from someone else?!"

Jiang Wuyang smiled and caught Sang Wan, then followed her gaze. She froze upon seeing the familiar face. "Lin Yan?"

Seeing Jiang Wuyang staring at him so intently, a streak of smugness crossed Lin Yan's heart. "It’s me. Now, can you give me the bread in your hand?" His tone was entitled and arrogant, enough to make anyone sick.

Sang Wan had frozen the moment Jiang Wuyang called out his name, assuming they were friends. Her expression turned guilty, and she whispered, "Yangyang... is this your friend? You should have told me; I would have just let him have it."

Lin Yan curled his lips slightly, crossing his arms and standing to the side with self-satisfaction, waiting for Jiang Wuyang to hand the bread over. *They all said Jiang Wuyang had changed a lot,* he thought, *but she doesn't look any different to me. Still the same disgusting, infatuated fool.*

Jiang Wuyang rolled her eyes and, with lightning speed, snatched the bread back from Lin Yan’s hand. She stuffed it into Sang Wan's arms.

"Don't worry, if you like it, we buy it. Since when does stealing make you right?" She looked at Lin Yan coldly. "I don't know him. Friend? He's no friend of mine."

Sang Wan was instantly a fan of Jiang Wuyang’s move. *Wuwuwu, Yangyang is so cool!*

Lin Yan stood his ground, his face darkening. "Jiang Wuyang," he said, the words squeezed through his teeth.

Jiang Wuyang ignored him and turned to leave, but before she had taken two steps, a familiar voice rang out. Ruan An'an appeared like a ghost.

"Brother Lin Yan, why are you here? I've already bought my things, we—" She hadn't even finished the words "let's go" when her eyes landed on Jiang Wuyang.

Then, seeing Lin Yan standing there, her internal alarm bells rang. *Why are they meeting now? This is a terrible time! Lin Yan hasn't done anything yet! How can a dry, boring meeting like this make Jiang Wuyang angry?!*

Ruan An'an frantically searched for a way to salvage the situation. Her eyes landed on the bread in Sang Wan's hand, and a thought flashed through her mind. She put on a surprised expression. "Sister Yangyang! Do you like this bread too? What a coincidence, I love it! Our tastes are really quite similar, aren't they!"

Sang Wan immediately made a gagging motion. "Having the same taste as you is a stroke of bad luck. Once I get back, I'm quitting this bread forever. But right now, both of these are mine! I got them first, and I won't share a single one with you!"

Ruan An'an’s lips curled imperceptibly, though her eyes filled with tears. *This idiot is practically handing it to me.* She looked at Jiang Wuyang, looking incredibly aggrieved. "Sister Yangyang, I really like this too. Isn't one enough for you? Can't you just let me have one?"

Jiang Wuyang: *...I haven't even spoken yet.*

*But since you asked...*

"Fine, fine, fine. Take it, hope you choke on it."

Jiang Wuyang, who had been standing a meter away from Sang Wan with her hands in her pockets, took two long strides forward. She snatched the bread from Sang Wan’s hand and threw it hard at Ruan An'an. The corners of the bread packaging were sharp, and it struck Ruan An'an square in the face.

With that single impact, Ruan An'an burst into tears, a red mark appearing on her cheek. This time, her distress was real, not an act.