Upon hearing Qian Hongwei’s words, several female students began whispering amongst themselves.
“Qian Hongwei is so handsome… Is he implying that he wouldn’t mind if Tang Qiu crossed any lines between them?”
“Why would Qian Hongwei bother speaking up for Tang Qiu? There must be something between them. Look, he’s even got his arm around her. Oh, how I wish I were in her shoes!”
Niu Caijie’s eyes were fixed on how Qian Hongwei’s arm rested on Tang Qiu’s shoulders. Wasn’t this a sign that they had had a fling before?
“She went out for a meal with Ning Mufan. She was trying to hook up with him!”
Qian Hongwei laughed like he had heard a particularly hilarious joke. “In that case, since Ning Mufan and I often eat together, we must be dating!”
Niu Caijie clenched her jaw and bit back her anger, helpless to think of a retort.
“Besides, they weren’t together because Tang Qiu was trying to hook up with him. It was a date.”
“A date?”
Tang Qiu’s astonished gaze swiveled to Qian Hongwei. What is he saying? She and Ning Mufan weren’t dating, and he knew it!
“I’m trying to clear your name,” he told her quietly. “Just play along, will you?”
“But I–”
“I know there’s nothing between you and him. I’m doing this so Niu Caijie will back off. Trust me.”
Tang Qiu exhaled a breath of resignation and removed his arm from her shoulders. He didn’t resist, instead exchanging a glance with Ning Mufan. The other senior looked equally surprised at his words, but it was clear he understood when he announced, “Me and Tang Qiu are dating.”
An uproar rose from the crowd. Ning Mufan, dating a girl in school?
Niu Caijie was stunned. She must have heard something wrong. There was no way that Ning Mufan could be in love with that whore Tang Qiu! “I don’t believe it!” she burst out.
“I couldn’t care less what you believe,” Qian Hongwei scoffed. “Tang Qiu is Ning Mufan’s girlfriend. She didn’t hook up with anyone outside of school. Niu Caijie, you ought to apologize for slandering her!”
Tang Qiu is Ning Mufan’s girlfriend. Hearing him say those words outright made Niu Caijie’s temples throb, like her skull was about to implode. Tang Qiu? That bitch had snatched Ning Mufan from her?
“How could you possibly be attracted to a woman like Tang Qiu, Ning Mufan? What’s so good about her?”
Ning Mufan met her stare evenly. “Everything.” His voice carried over them. “Apologize now!”
Niu Caijie broke down sobbing. “You’re dating that slut… that slut who splashed soup on me and slapped me. Why should I apologize? You two are ganging up on me!”
Ning Mufan’s mouth twitched. Had she forgotten that she had been the one to harass Tang Qiu first? She could ruin both their reputations with those careless words!
Qian Hongwei didn’t have the patience for Niu Caijie’s bawling. “Ning Mufan will be around to protect Tang Qiu in the future. Don’t underestimate him just because he looks gentle, Niu Caijie. You willfully insulted and slandered Tang Qiu. We’re more than capable of using a little leverage to get you kicked out of school!”
“You think I’m scared of getting kicked out?” Niu Caijie shrieked in tears. “I hate you, Ning Mufan!” She ran out of the cafeteria, still weeping, like she had suffered some huge grievance.
The crowd, who had been soaking up the commotion, now stared at Tang Qiu with hostility in their eyes, as if yearning to tear her apart. How could she be Ning Mufan’s girlfriend?
Tang Qiu simply stood there, silently musing, I just wanted to eat lunch, damn it.
“What are the lot of you still doing here? Looking for a beating?” Qian Hongwei patted his basketball, as if in reminder.
A group of girls were watching them, but none of them moved, too afraid of going head to head with Qian Hongwei. Only Niu Caijie would be stupid enough to stir trouble with Tang Qiu–who was apparently now Ning Mufan’s girlfriend–in front of him. Ning Mufan was gentle by nature, but his family name alone meant that he was not someone to be messed with.
The crowd began to disperse. Tang Qiu, too, tried to make an escape, but Qian Hongwei seized the back of her collar and held her in place. She turned around helplessly.
“Do you have some words of wisdom for me, Senior?”
Qian Hongwei laughed, the noise almost indignant. “I just saved your ass again. Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Thank you, Seniors!” Tang Qiu bent in a near-reverent bow.
Ning Mufan couldn’t help laughing at her earnestness. “There’s no need to be so polite, Qiu!”
“He’s right,” Qian Hongwei said. “After all, you’re now my junior’s girlfriend.”
Tang Qiu’s face fell. “Stop fooling around, Senior…”
“It was just a joke. I haven’t eaten yet. Care to treat me to dinner?” Qian Hongwei waggled his eyebrows at her.
Unconsciously, Tang Qiu’s hand drifted to her pocket. Looks like I have to spend money again… But Qian Hongwei and Ning Mufan had come to her rescue–as much as she disagreed with how they had done it. Before she could speak, though, Qian Hongwei beat her to it.
“I’ll treat,” he offered, noticing her slightly pained expression. Grinning, he rapped his knuckles on her head. “What’s with that look on your face? It’s like you think I’m trying to leech away all your money.” As he spoke, he whipped out his credit card, which was more than enough to cover the cost of three bowls of rice with braised pork.
“Senior, it’s fine, let me…” Tang Qiu felt somewhat sheepish; a part of her couldn’t bear to spend so much money, but it wasn’t as though she had a choice.
“Oh, shut up.” Qian Hongwei brushed her off almost disdainfully. “Leave the spending to the men,” he said, and Tang Qiu acquiesced, falling silent.
YOU ARE READING
The Substitute Bride and the Cripple
General FictionTang Qiu was a substitute bride-forced to take her half-sister's place and marry the young master of the Jiang family, a deformed cripple with less than 6 months left to live. "Who would have thought that even a sickly whelp like Jiang Shaocheng wou...
