Chapter 2: Bai Xiruo
I should have said so earlier... So I'm the leader... Then it's fine!
Bai Xiruo, such a familiar name...
For some reason, Zhang Chen felt as if he had heard that name somewhere before.
He immediately turned his head, and suddenly the atmosphere shifted:
"Well... since that's the case, you guys go ahead. I'll have a private 'discussion' with her."
As he spoke, Zhang Chen suddenly realized why he had been standing with them earlier...
Emmm... Transmigration, I became the leader of the yellow-haired gang...
Seeing this, Skinny Monkey and the Spiky-Haired Guy were very confused, but they just exchanged glances and didn't ask further.
They greeted Zhang Chen and left:
"We're leaving now, Bro. Call us if you need anything."
"Mm." Zhang Chen nodded.
After the boys walked out of the dead end, Zhang Chen turned to look at Bai Xiruo. At this moment, she still didn't dare to stand up, cowering timidly in the corner, looking utterly helpless.
Zhang Chen walked over to the overturned lunchbox, which had a dirty shoe print on its back, and carefully picked it up.
The food inside was completely spilled out, scattered all over the ground, covered in dust.
It was definitely inedible.
Although he had just transmigrated, from the girl's reaction just now, such a meal seemed extremely precious to her.
This was something Zhang Chen had never experienced.
In his original world, although he hadn't felt family affection – his parents had both abandoned him as a burden after his birth and never cared for him – he had never lacked food or clothing.
So now, he felt that a girl who found even such a meal precious, and was bullied like this at school, was simply too pitiful...
Holding the lunchbox, Zhang Chen walked over to Bai Xiruo, slowly crouched down, and carefully observed the girl in front of him.
Bai Xiruo hugged her knees, sobbing with her head down. There was some dust on her fair knees and calves, which also looked like bruises.
She didn't dare to make eye contact with Zhang Chen, much less reach out to take her lunchbox.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen didn't know how to comfort a girl.
He was indeed an all-rounder academic genius, but only in academics. When it came to interacting with girls, especially comforting them, he had very little experience...
Of course, this didn't mean he lacked female attention. On the contrary, he was very popular with women!
It's just that at that time, his mind was entirely focused on his studies, and he had no time for romantic games with girls!
As for him, who had only recently awakened and started to indulge, he was even more immersed in games and novels, and hadn't yet reached the stage of so-called youthful romance!
He had just gotten addicted to reading novels, and it directly transported him to who-knows-where, didn't it?
Now he was essentially on the job with no experience...
He could only rely on his own feelings to comfort the girl in front of him.
So he opened his mouth and said...
"Have you... eaten?"
Zhang Chen held Bai Xiruo's empty lunchbox, surrounded by the mess of spilled food on the ground, and asked with a sincere expression.
Bai Xiruo sniffled, not looking at Zhang Chen. Out of fear, she didn't dare not answer Zhang Chen, and mumbled softly, "No."
After speaking, she cowered even more.
"Then I'll take you to eat." Zhang Chen put the lid back on the lunchbox, trying to speak in as gentle a tone as possible.
But understanding the situation, how could Bai Xiruo possibly go eat with someone who had bullied her!?
Bai Xiruo immediately wanted to refuse, but forced by Zhang Chen's intimidation, she cried even louder...
Her two watery eyes were like a bursting riverbank, quickly forming two waterfalls on her face...
She sniffled, crying and looking at Zhang Chen, her voice almost pleading, "Can you... please not bully me anymore...?"
"I..." Zhang Chen was dumbfounded. How did one sentence from him make her cry so terribly...
But he had just arrived; he didn't know anything!
He nervously looked behind him, no one was watching. Zhang Chen quickly clasped his hands in apology:
"Oh, ancestor, please stop crying. I won't bully you, really! I just... want to take you to eat."
Although he didn't know the full story, Zhang Chen could guess the general idea from these few words.
Clearly, this girl named Bai Xiruo had been bullied by him more than once...
Bai Xiruo's crying did not subside after hearing him, she just continued, "I really... I didn't mean to provoke Su Yu... I really didn't..."
"Su Yu?"
"I'm sorry... I really didn't know, I didn't mean to..." Bai Xiruo sobbed, apologizing to Zhang Chen, as if she was extremely afraid that Zhang Chen would lay a hand on her.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen felt very uneasy, and even inwardly cursed "himself" a few times for being a terrible person!
Of course, this "himself" referred to the original body.
Looking at Bai Xiruo's pitiful appearance in front of him, Zhang Chen carefully placed the lunchbox beside her and then stepped back a bit. In his current identity, being too close to Bai Xiruo might make her feel suffocated.
He then felt in his pocket and pulled out a wad of crumpled money, several tens of yuan.
"Go... eat something."
He directly placed all the money on Bai Xiruo's lunchbox and returned to his original spot.
"I... won't bully you anymore, I promise."
As he spoke, Zhang Chen pursed his lips, not expecting Bai Xiruo to believe him, but judging by Bai Xiruo's gradually stopping sobs, it had at least some effect.
"They won't bully you anymore either."
"As for that Su Yu you mentioned... I'll figure out what's going on, don't worry."
After a clear and logical explanation, Bai Xiruo remained stunned and dared not speak, her sobbing reduced to only faint sniffling sounds, still not daring to meet Zhang Chen's gaze.
Seeing this, Zhang Chen decided not to stay by Bai Xiruo's side and cause her immense psychological pressure.
He just slowly stood up, a movement that clearly made Bai Xiruo flinch in fear again.
Zhang Chen knew that this trust could not be fully mended with words alone.
"I'm leaving. Remember to go eat something."
Having said that, Zhang Chen turned to leave.
"The money." Just then, Bai Xiruo's timid voice sounded from behind him.
"What about the money?"
"It's too much." Bai Xiruo hadn't stood up yet, but her watery eyes quickly and timidly glanced at Zhang Chen, then quickly looked away.
She reached out, grabbed the crumpled wad of money, stood up, walked in front of Zhang Chen, and held it out to him with both hands, wanting to return it.
"It's all for you." Zhang Chen looked at the money; in his eyes, these few tens of yuan were not much use, but for Bai Xiruo, it was probably a large sum.
He was merely acting out of a desire to compensate Bai Xiruo.
However, Bai Xiruo didn't want to have any connection with him, especially after being bullied by him. Of course, she didn't believe a word of what Zhang Chen had just said.
If she took this money, who knew how he might bully her later.
So, with a choked voice, she tried to place the money on Zhang Chen: "Here, take it back. I don't want it."
"If you don't want it, what will you eat for dinner?"
"I can... eat steamed buns."
"No."
Bai Xiruo remained silent, her hand still extended in front of him, not withdrawn: "..."
Seeing this, Zhang Chen felt a bit helpless.
He didn't want to force her, but Bai Xiruo's pitiful yet stubborn appearance made his obsessive-compulsive disorder act up a bit:
"This is compensation for your dinner. If you don't eat, you're looking down on me."
Although he had just said he wouldn't bully her, from her reaction, the spilled food was very precious to her, and she probably didn't have money to eat anything else.
Even if it was the original body's fault, it was only right for him to make amends now.
Hearing Zhang Chen's tone turn cold, Bai Xiruo's hands trembled twice, her body instinctively became frightened, and she immediately dared not speak again.
"Take the money, go eat. I said I won't bully you, don't worry." Zhang Chen's tone softened again, and he sighed.
"But... it's not needed that much..." Bai Xiruo cautiously glanced at Zhang Chen. She didn't think Zhang Chen would inexplicably give her so much money.
They were all just students; a few tens of yuan wasn't particularly a lot, but it wasn't particularly little either.
At an age where even treating a classmate to a bottle of water would earn you the title of 'tycoon,' suddenly giving tens of yuan, especially from the person who bullied her...
Bai Xiruo lowered her head and whispered:
"I'll give you back the rest of the money later..."
Zhang Chen looked at Bai Xiruo's tear-stained cheeks and red eyes, and said nothing.
After a moment of silence, he awkwardly asked, "How many times have I bullied you?"
Bai Xiruo raised her head blankly, her clear eyes meeting Zhang Chen's through her bangs...
So... he was waiting for her here...
As if having made some kind of decision, Bai Xiruo numbly lowered her head and shook it, replying, "None..."
Zhang Chen's eyes widened: "..."
That's not what I meant, hey!!
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