Zhang Xiaochu paused, his gaze then falling on the slender arm gripping his wrist.
"You—" Zhang Xiaochu raised an eyebrow, about to speak with a smile, when Bai Tang directly shook off his hand.
"Men and women should keep their distance."
Zhang Xiaochu: "..."
"Who was it that used to sling an arm around my shoulder and call me Chu Ge?" Zhang Xiaochu snorted. "You really did hit your head too hard!"
This girl had made plenty of enemies at school, which was why she'd always wanted to join his crew.
Though she dressed like a nonconformist, her true nature was still that of a fragile, delicate flower.
Those tough-girl looks were just her shield.
So, he never thought she was suited for their group.
The food arrived quickly, and Bai Tang ate calmly, completely ignoring the boy beside her.
"There's a race tonight. I heard your crush is going too. You in?" Zhang Xiaochu teased.
"My crush? Who?" Bai Tang asked, then immediately realized.
"You mean Si Rui?"
Zhang Xiaochu smiled, studying her with a hint of curiosity, a sly grin on his face. "Bai Tang, you seem really different from before. You don't happen to have a twin sister or something, do you?"
As he spoke, he reached out to touch Bai Tang, but she smacked his hand away with her chopsticks.
Zhang Xiaochu: "..."
The few people nearby: "..."
Did their Chu Ge just get hit?!
"You hit me?" Zhang Xiaochu twitched his mouth, putting on a fierce expression. "Bai Tang, do you believe I'll beat you up?"
Bai Tang looked at the boy, whose fierce act was more cute than threatening, and couldn't help but laugh. Her mind flashed back to the kid she used to bully, who was just as gruff and utterly un-intimidating.
She couldn't resist reaching out and pressing down on his flashy, spiky golden hair.
Everyone: "..."
Did their Chu Ge just get teased by a girl?
Zhang Xiaochu's ears reddened slightly. This brat, since when did she get so flirty?
"From now on, stick with me. I've got your back!" Bai Tang withdrew her hand and said calmly.
Zhang Xiaochu scoffed. "Bai Tang, you really did lose your marbles, daring to talk to me like that!"
Bai Tang curled her lips, a deep smile in her eyes. "Suit yourself."
Zhang Xiaochu's gaze fell on the girl who was now focused on eating, and he nodded almost involuntarily. "Fine, you've got my back!"
Everyone: "..."
Chu Ge, have you lost it too?
"Eat up, my treat!" Bai Tang picked up a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Zhang Xiaochu.
Zhang Xiaochu took them but didn't move. "So, are you going to see your crush tonight?"
"No."
"Why? Didn't you used to like him a lot?"
"Not anymore."
"Is it because of Bai Xi'er? I heard Si Rui's taking her tonight. Want me to take you to stir up some trouble?"
Bai Tang smirked, a hint of an unreadable smile flickering in her eyes. "You're in the race tonight too, aren't you?"
Zhang Xiaochu paused. "I just said you hit your head too hard, but now it looks like you're pretty sharp!"
Seeing Bai Tang silent, he continued, "I'll take you to see some real driving skills tonight. How about you be my cheerleader?"
"I'll think about it. I'm leaving now."
-
After afternoon classes ended, Bai Tang was heading back to the Bai residence. Just as she reached the entrance, a flashy golden sports car pulled up right in front of her.
Bai Tang remembered the car she'd wrecked a few days ago.
She almost wondered if the original owner's taste in everything was learned from this flashy kid.
Zhang Xiaochu got out, his golden hair blazing, a roguish grin on his face. "Come on, I'll take you myself."
With a bit of pulling and dragging, Bai Tang was shoved into the passenger seat.
The car sped off. Bai Tang glanced at Zhang Xiaochu's excited expression and couldn't help but smile. "I recall you never beat Si Rui in your races, right?"
Zhang Xiaochu: "..."
"How about you just shut up!"
Zhang Xiaochu snorted. Annoying!