Chapter 117: Love Like the Tide

The day after the diving incident.

As for this matter, almost no one at school was discussing it.

The Vice Principal had flexed his muscles.

Xingnan’s sharpest blade!

As for Bai Yi and Zhang Xiaoxiao, Jiang Linyuan had no idea what happened to them afterward.

But judging from the Department Head’s tone, Xiao Su seemed to be planning something.

When it comes to standing up for others, I have to hand it to Xiao Su.

As for how Xiao Su found out about this.

Jiang Linyuan guessed that the Department Head must have secretly tipped her off.

While others were singing and dancing at school, attending the Music Festival, Xiao Su was lying alone in the Nursing Home.

When I went to see her that day, I felt she was a bit pitiful.

Oh well, it’s not too late to go today.

But speaking of Zhang Xiaoxiao...

Jiang Linyuan stared at the B-card in his system, lost in thought.

What conditions did she meet to trigger the card drop?

My usual card-swiping process is: heart flutter, confession, rejection, get the card.

On Zhang Xiaoxiao’s side, the heart flutter was unclear, I never confessed, and as for rejection...

She just said, “Refuse salvation,” didn’t she?

Me saving her equals me confessing to her? What kind of logic is that in the system?

Not just verbal confessions, but actions count too? Making the other person receive your feelings and then getting rejected counts too?

A simple example, like sending a love letter? Or a banner-style confession?

A deeper one is this hard-to-describe operation with Zhang Xiaoxiao?

I’ll try with a C-card next time.

Let’s go see Xiao Su today, and thank her while I’m at it.

Jiang Linyuan arrived at the Nursing Home once again. This time, he didn’t bring a fruit basket; instead, he brought some small snacks.

He pushed open the door. Su Muzhi was habitually looking out the window. Hearing the sound, she turned her head, her gaze landing on Jiang Linyuan:

“Hehe, I heard someone acted heroically yesterday and went to fish out a water ghost?”

Her words were as sharp as ever.

“Xiao Su, when you say that, my heart aches.”

Jiang Linyuan sat by the bed, setting the plastic bag of snacks aside.

“You’re not afraid of a sore body, but you’re afraid of a sore heart?”

Su Muzhi snorted coldly, reaching out her hand toward him.

“What for?”

“Give me some snacks. Why put them so far away?”

The snacks were meant for her anyway, so Jiang Linyuan didn’t refuse. He handed them over:

“When I came in just now, the nurse reminded me that the meals here are mostly nutritious, and told me to have you eat less of these snacks.”

“Hehe, sorry to say, I’m not eating the nutritious meals.”

Su Muzhi tore open a bag of chips, picking one up and stuffing it into her mouth.

“Mom has someone make meals specifically for me and send them over.”

“I’m guessing there’s no braised chip dish on the menu.”

“Hehe, there could be boiled Jiang fish fillets.”

Su Muzhi shot him a glance, saying flatly.

Another subtle dig at me!

“Don’t worry, Xiao Su, no need to be jealous. I’ll jump into the water for you someday too.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

“There’s still a difference between going out to sea and jumping into water.”

Su Muzhi smiled slightly, lifting her slender neck:

“Besides, I don’t need you to save me. Being saved by a country bumpkin or something would be too embarrassing.”

Jiang Linyuan shrugged it off:

“Going out to sea or jumping into water, it doesn’t matter. I’m willing to get all wet for you, Xiao Su.”

“Because everyone says love is like the tide, so even if you drench me completely...”

Before Jiang Linyuan could finish his sentence, Su Muzhi leaned over, shoved the chip in her hand into his mouth, shutting him up.

“Sometimes, it’s better for you to just stay quiet.”

Su Muzhi pulled her hand back and shot him a glare.

Too fast. Didn’t get to lick Xiao Su’s hand. What a shame.

Jiang Linyuan chewed the chip, thinking regretfully.

“Zhang Xiaoxiao, I looked into it. Small misdeeds constantly, no major crimes, and she has a disabled mother at home.”

Su Muzhi suddenly brought up the serious topic again:

“I’ll take care of her mother, but I can’t stand her. What do you think?”

“That depends on you, not me.”

Jiang Linyuan said.

Su Muzhi nodded in satisfaction:

“As for Bai Yi, her family’s been having some trouble recently. Director Bai might be forced into early retirement.”

Jiang Linyuan paused for a moment, then simply nodded.

Xiao Su’s tone... She didn’t make that move?

“Speaking of Bai Yi, she actually saw me a long time ago. Hehe, that day on Purple Mountain, she might have even recognized me. How interesting.”

Su Muzhi suddenly said, a smile on her face.

Jiang Linyuan thought for a moment and said:

“Even earlier than that?”

“Mm.”

Su Muzhi tilted her head back slightly, grabbing another chip and putting it into her mouth:

“I only remembered after hearing how she pretended to drown even though she knew how to swim.”

“Hehe, so it was her.”

“Xiao Su, hurry up and tell me. Don’t keep me hanging.”

Jiang Linyuan nudged her, urging her on.

“I can’t remember exactly when it was. Probably some gathering of peers in the so-called circle?”

Su Muzhi recalled:

“I met a girl. She was the type who really liked to please others.”

“There were plenty of arrogant and domineering types at the gathering. In classmate Jiang’s words, they were the young masters and princesses.”

“As for what happened after that, I don’t think I need to say more.”

Jiang Linyuan thought about it:

“That girl, it was Bai Yi. She got picked on at the gathering?”

“The extent of the teasing might be more exaggerated than you think.”

Su Muzhi said, but she didn’t go into detail. She just added:

“I couldn’t stand it, so I helped her out a little.”

See, that’s Xiao Su for you, always standing up for people.

Su Muzhi suddenly laughed as she spoke:

“After that, she stuck to me like a clingy puppy the whole gathering. It was really annoying.”

“I made it very clear that I was annoyed and told her to go away. Guess what she said?”

Jiang Linyuan thought about Bai Yi’s personality and tentatively said:

“Sorry, what did I do wrong?”

“No.”

Su Muzhi shook her head:

“She just smiled foolishly, said she was dumb and didn’t have any real friends, so she didn’t know how to make friends.”

“She hoped I could teach her how to make genuine friends.”

She said this, wearing a scornful expression:

“I said all you need is a test. People’s feelings can be tested, friends or family alike. But I never expected she’d actually go through with it, listening to someone she’d only met once. Really...”

“Is that how you really feel? That it has to pass a test?”

Jiang Linyuan interrupted Su Muzhi, staring into her eyes.

Su Muzhi met his gaze for a second or two, then slowly looked away, saying:

“Back then, I was being tormented pretty badly by my mother. So it’s normal that my thinking was a bit twisted, right?”

Jiang Linyuan suddenly said:

“Do you want to go out?”

“Now? The nurse will come around for a check soon...”

Su Muzhi answered instinctively, but Jiang Linyuan cut her off.

“Are you really worried about that? The Shanghai Heiress?”

Su Muzhi froze for a second or two, then let out a low chuckle:

“A country bumpkin will always be a country bumpkin, always interrupting people’s words.”

“Do you want to...”

“Let’s go.”

This time, Su Muzhi interrupted Jiang Linyuan, her smile radiant:

“Lying here, I’m bored to death. So, let’s go.”

She lifted her chin, a smile on her face, like a princess about to set out in full finery.

Ps: Done writing this arc. Whether you’re satisfied or not, it is what it is. Anyway, I’m not writing this kind of heavy, twisted story again.