El hibisco como pintura

Capítulo 11

"Gao Xiaoyuan!"

Hearing the authoritative roar, Gao Xiaoyuan shivered, her mind immediately clearing, and she looked up at Teacher Duan in terror.

"If you don't listen to me properly, I'm going to kick you out!" Teacher Duan's eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

Gao Xiaoyuan didn't like Teacher Duan, and she was also a talkative rooster, but there was nothing she could do, since she was the homeroom teacher! So she quickly sat up straight and pretended to be serious.

"Our new classmate is named Chen Shuai. Let's all get to know him." As soon as Teacher Duan finished speaking, Chen Shuai strode up to the podium, then casually tossed his backpack onto it: "Hello!"

Wow, so handsome!

"So energetic..."

"I never expected a handsome guy to join our class!"

...

Gao Xiaoyuan felt like she was suffocating. She seriously doubted whether there was something wrong with her eyesight or if she was just daydreaming.

The boy standing on the platform named Chen Shuai is the same annoying boy who stole her phone! Then…then isn't he Deng Zhuofan? If he is Deng Zhuofan, then he's a student in Class 0 of Grade 1? If he's a student in Class 0 of Grade 1, then he should be dead? But, but, wait a minute, Teacher Duan seemed to say his name was Chen Shuai? What's going on?

Just as Gao Xiaoyuan was stunned, Chen Shuai spotted her at a glance. A roguish smile suddenly appeared on his face. Then he walked down from the podium, put his hands in his pockets, and coolly walked up to Gao Xiaoyuan.

Is the phone working properly?

Chen Shuai's words immediately caused a stir among the female students around him.

“Um… my phone…” Gao Xiaoyuan glanced awkwardly at Chen Shuai, then quickly lowered her head. He had recognized her; what a coincidence!

"Is it not easy to use?"

"No, no!" Gao Xiaoyuan suddenly felt as if a scorching gaze from all around her was about to melt her.

"If it works well, then keep using it. My phone is yours now." Chen Shuai smiled generously.

Gao Xiaoyuan stared at Chen Shuai with her mouth agape, unsure of what to say. She glanced around and saw that the girls sitting nearby were all looking at her with jealousy.

Ugh, what bad luck! I was already being ostracized by my classmates, and now this mess has made things even worse. It looks like it'll be hard for me to stay in this class from now on.

Seeing Gao Xiaoyuan's awkwardness, Chen Shuai suddenly found her quite amusing. He pushed the notebooks on Gao Xiaoyuan's desk aside, plopped down on it, and smiled at her, saying, "Be my girlfriend!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the students gasped in surprise, and Teacher Duan turned deathly pale. As for Gao Xiaoyuan… she almost fell off her chair; if there had been a crack in the ground, she would have crawled into it.

"Your silence means you agree."

"I...I won't..."

“It’s settled then,” Chen Shuai said, turning around and walking to the front of the classroom before Gao Xiaoyuan could react. He picked up his bag and then walked to the male classmate next to Gao Xiaoyuan, saying, “Move aside.”

The male classmate clearly didn't understand what Chen Shuai meant and just stared at him blankly.

Chen Shuai rolled his eyes, bent down and leaned closer to the male classmate: "Can you understand human language?"

The male student nodded blankly.

Chen Shuai straightened up and pointed to the seat where the male classmate was sitting: "This place is mine now."

"How could you do this? Your seat should have been arranged by Teacher Duan." Gao Xiaoyuan could hardly believe that there would be such an unreasonable classmate in the school, especially in front of a teacher.

“Let him sit there,” Teacher Duan said, pointing to the male student next to Gao Xiaoyuan. Her expression was not good. “You can go to the back.”

Gao Xiaoyuan was speechless. Teacher Duan had actually given in? Why? How could such a strict person like Teacher Duan compromise with this brat named Chen Shuai? Gao Xiaoyuan stared at Teacher Duan in astonishment. Just then, a strange and eerie piece of music started playing. Gao Xiaoyuan jumped in fright and quickly took her phone out of her bag.

Another message, from the same number.

Gao Xiaoyuan glanced at Teacher Duan, who was glaring at her. Gao Xiaoyuan quickly turned off her phone and stuffed it back into her bag.

"Looks like my phone suits your taste." Chen Shuai gave Gao Xiaoyuan a cool, mischievous smile.

Gao Xiaoyuan immediately turned her head to the other side; she couldn't be bothered to pay him any attention.

"Class, let's begin our lesson now." Teacher Duan walked solemnly to the podium and opened her textbook.

But Gao Xiaoyuan had no interest in the lesson. Her gaze fell on her phone in her bag. What could that message contain? With that thought, Gao Xiaoyuan reached for her phone without thinking and secretly pressed the keys.

The message opened, and inside was a photo of a young woman leading a five- or six-year-old child.

Gao Xiaoyuan was stunned, then slowly raised her head to look at Chen Shuai beside her.

The young woman in the photo is Principal Chen, and the little boy next to her is Deng Zhuofan, or rather, Chen Shuai.

Deng Zhuofan or Chen Shuai

Is it Deng Zhuofan or Chen Shuai?

Who sent the text message?

Could it be Xu An?

The rain was getting heavier and heavier when a white, transparent umbrella appeared in the rain. Under the umbrella, Gao Xiaoyuan stood blankly, staring at the house in front of her.

That was where Principal Chen lived; she had to make inquiries to find the address. Now she really wanted to ask Principal Chen what her relationship with Deng Zhuofan was.

As she rang the doorbell, Gao Xiaoyuan's heart pounded like a deer's. She didn't know what the outcome would be, but she had a bad feeling. She felt that Principal Chen had some kind of inextricable connection with the matter of Class 0 in the first year of high school, but she couldn't figure it out.

The door opened.

“Principal Chen…” Gao Xiaoyuan froze as soon as she said this, because she realized that the person who opened the door was not Principal Chen, but Chen Shuai.

"How did you end up here?" This surprised Gao Xiaoyuan.

Chen Shuai's face broke into that roguish smile again: "That's the question I should be asking you."

Gao Xiaoyuan stood there blankly, not knowing what to say.

"Did you miss me, so you came to find me?" Chen Shuai leaned against the door frame with one hand, tilting his head and looking at Gao Xiaoyuan with a mischievous smile.

“You…” Gao Xiaoyuan calmed down. She remembered the photo. The child that Principal Chen was leading was Deng Zhuofan, but Chen Shuai appeared at Principal Chen’s house. So if Principal Chen adopted Deng Zhuofan, then by analogy, the Chen Shuai in front of her was Deng Zhuofan. This reasoning made sense. But why didn’t Deng Zhuofan die?

"Come in quickly, you'll freeze if you stand at the door, and it will break my heart." Without waiting for a reply, Chen Shuai grabbed Gao Xiaoyuan and pulled her into the room.

The room was very clean; the white walls and simple furniture made the house look very tidy.

This was Gao Xiaoyuan's first time visiting Principal Chen's house, and she could tell he was very wealthy. When Gao Xiaoyuan turned to look at Chen Shuai, she realized his arm had been around her shoulder the whole time. She quickly moved aside and pulled her arm away from his.

"I...I'm here to see Principal Chen." In order not to let Chen Shuai see her nervousness, Gao Xiaoyuan casually put her umbrella by the door, but she knocked it over because she was too nervous.

Chen Shuai smiled, turned around, opened the wardrobe next to the door, took out a men's sports jacket and draped it over Gao Xiaoyuan's shoulders: "Go sit on the sofa."

Gao Xiaoyuan looked at the clothes draped over her shoulders and felt a surge of emotion. She slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, then looked around the room and asked, "Is Principal Chen here?" At the same time, her eyes were fixed on Chen Shuai.

Chen Shuai poured a glass of hot water and handed it to Gao Xiaoyuan, then sat down next to her. "She went to a meeting and won't be back for a few days." Chen Shuai leaned back on the sofa, glancing sideways at Gao Xiaoyuan: "Did you need to see my mother?"

"Your mother?" Gao Xiaoyuan feigned surprise.

Chen Shuai smiled: "Why are you swearing?"

Gao Xiaoyuan opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. It's best not to argue with this kind of guy.

Chen Shuai tilted his head and looked at Gao Xiaoyuan: "You're really interesting. That's right, Principal Chen is my mother."

"No wonder Teacher Duan didn't dare to say anything to you," Gao Xiaoyuan muttered to herself.

Would you like to stay here tonight?

Gao Xiaoyuan was startled and looked nervously at Chen Shuai, but Chen Shuai laughed out loud. Gao Xiaoyuan knew that she had been tricked by him again, and stood up angrily: "Principal Chen is not here, I'm leaving first." After saying this, Gao Xiaoyuan angrily opened the door and rushed out.

"That brat, he's really going too far! He talks without any restraint. How could Principal Chen have such a son? He's such an annoying guy..." After walking quite a distance, Gao Xiaoyuan finally realized that she had forgotten to bring her umbrella: "Honestly, I was so angry with him that I lost my mind."

"Who made you so confused?"

Gao Xiaoyuan was startled. When she looked up, she found that there was an umbrella above her head, and the person holding the umbrella for her was Chen Shuai.

"You silly goose, you forgot your umbrella, are you just going to get soaked on your way back?" Chen Shuai joked.

Gao Xiaoyuan was stunned. She looked up at Chen Shuai blankly. Although he liked to tease her with his words and was very domineering, he shouldn't be a bad person. At least he remembered to bring her an umbrella.

Why are you looking at me like that? Do you really like me?

Gao Xiaoyuan was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. The good impression she had just made had been ruined by him. What an unreasonable guy!

Gao Xiaoyuan snatched the umbrella, glared at Chen Shuai, and said, "I would never like a narcissist like you! Besides, I don't want to be your girlfriend, so please don't talk nonsense in front of your classmates!" After saying that, she turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something, so she turned back and glared at Chen Shuai, asking, "Are you Principal Chen's biological son?" Even Gao Xiaoyuan didn't know why she asked such a question.

Chen Shuai's smile suddenly vanished, and he stared straight at Gao Xiaoyuan.

"Were you adopted by Principal Chen? Your original name was Deng Zhuofan."

Chen Shuai's face was grim. He suddenly handed the umbrella to Gao Xiaoyuan, then turned and ran away.

"Hello—you are Deng Zhuofan, right? You were a student in Class 0 of the first year of high school, right?" Gao Xiaoyuan shouted.

Chen Shuai suddenly stopped, then turned to Gao Xiaoyuan and said, "If you want to know about me, agree to be my girlfriend." After saying this, Chen Shuai went into the room without looking back.

Gao Xiaoyuan stood blankly in the rain, holding an umbrella, staring at the house.

Shouldn't she have spoken up? Did she hurt him? But why is he still alive, and why is Li Wenbin still around?

When Gao Xiaoyuan looked down, she saw the sportswear draped over her shoulders and couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke it.

"He's a good person, isn't he?"

Gao Xiaoyuan slowly turned around and walked forward.

In a corner across from the house, Xu An held up an umbrella, watching Gao Xiaoyuan's departing figure, and murmured to himself, "Xiaoyuan, does he like you?"

The rain was getting heavier and heavier, and Gao Xiaoyuan's thin figure was completely submerged in the downpour.

Xu An turned his head, his sharp gaze fixed on the house where Chen Shuai lived. He slowly raised his head to look up at the second floor.

The second floor was pitch black when suddenly, a flashlight beam flashed...

Wu Xu'an is back again.

Xu An nimbly climbed up the outer wall of the house to the second floor. He moved very quietly because he knew that Chen Shuai was sitting in the hall on the first floor and he didn't want to disturb him. He just wanted to know who the person who was secretly rummaging through things on the second floor was.

Xu An cautiously approached the window. The window was half-open, and the sounds of things being rummaged through could be faintly heard from inside. Xu An gently lifted one leg, then nimbly jumped through the window and immediately ducked into the darkness.

After scanning the window twice with the flashlight beam and finding nothing, the person lowered their head and began rummaging through the things again.

Xu An slowly approached the person, and just as the person was intently rummaging through the drawer, Xu An reached out and grabbed the person's neck: "You'd better not scream! There are people downstairs."