Chapter 1879: Fried Eggs with Garlic

Translator: Atlas Studios  Editor: Atlas Studios

“So I’m born to revolve around you?”

Chu Boyang picked up the food on his plate and said calmly, “Compared to before.”

“Yes. After reading so many books, you should know what self-awareness is. I know that I’m scheming. If I do anything shameful one day, it will dirty your eyes. But more importantly, although I’m not a good person, I still hate it when others criticize me. Even if it’s the truth, it won’t do.”

“I don’t want to hear others saying that I’m shameless.”

Chu Boyang watched as she pushed the onions aside with obvious disgust.

Her lips twitched slightly. “I thought you didn’t care about these?”

“So I deserve to be criticized?” Ji Fengmian suddenly lost his appetite and stuffed a few more mouthfuls of rice into his mouth. “Who’s not a human? I don’t care, so anyone can hang something on me without any scruples?”

Chu Boyang looked at her calmly. “You can refute me.” He slowly sent a mouthful of rice into his mouth. “You must be feeling aggrieved because of what I said to you in the handicraft class. If it wasn’t for you, you can explain or prove your innocence…”

Ji Fengmian moved quickly and finished the dishes in no time. Other than the onions piled in the corner,

“There’s no need!” She placed her chopsticks on the table with some force. “Since I’ve already been so unbearable in all of your eyes, I might have to prove it again. Who am I proving my innocence to? Them? Or you? Which one of you is worthy?”

Chu Boyang’s clear eyes darkened.

“It seems like you’re indeed aggrieved.”

Ji Fengmian stared at him for a while before suddenly standing up.

“You’re right. I’m not a saint. It’s indeed unfair for me to suffer such injustice for no reason.”

Chu Boyang finished the last mouthful of food. “So, this is also a reason for you to prove your innocence.”

“Not enough!” Ji Fengmian raised his voice and looked down at Chu Boyang with a cold smile. “They accused me for no reason. How can it be as simple as proving my innocence?”

She picked up her plate and pushed her chair away. “They made me suffer, so I should make them suffer more than me. I have to thank you today. I suddenly realized that I have a bad taste. I can’t be more interesting.”

“So, it’s best to be careful. Don’t think that I’m just saying that. I’m very scheming. If I don’t let it have some use, I’ll be letting it down.”

The entire canteen fell silent.

All the children looked at Ji Fengmian with confusion, disgust, and fear.

The reason why there weren’t many people around Ji Fengmian was because she was indeed scary.

Chu Boyang looked up at her. “You don’t care about the suspicions of others, but you have such a big reaction after I said it?”

Ji Fengmian was stunned and his grip on the plate tightened.

After a moment of silence, she stared straight into his eyes and said frankly,

“Because I feel that reading so many books can’t make up for your brain that has been bitten by a dog. It’s a little sad! After all, I’ve known you for a long time. Now that I realize that I’ve misjudged you from the beginning to the end, I feel that it’s a waste of my feelings!”

Chu Boyang looked up at her. His usually expressionless face finally revealed some emotions.

His face was clearly not mature, but his anger was filled with tension.

Ji Fengmian suddenly felt happy. It was nothing more than poking at Chu Boyang’s sore spot.

Seeing that something was amiss, Ji Qing stood up and walked towards them worriedly.

“Sister Mian…”

“Stop right there.”

Ji Fengmian interrupted her coldly and glanced at her coldly. He picked up the plate and piled it at the corner.

She walked out of the canteen.

She looked like she wanted to do something.

Chu Boyang stood up with a frown and followed her.

Everyone in the cafeteria looked at each other before they followed suit.

When they went out, Ji Fengmian was by the flowerbed. He bent down and plucked all the lilies that had survived.

In front of everyone, including Chu Boyang and Ji Qing.

She even threw the flowers in front of Ji Qing.

Staring at Ji Qing, whose eyes were red and trembling, he said coldly,

“Don’t you like it? Take it. I’ll give it to you. You can stay as long as you want.”

The surrounding children couldn’t help but criticize her.

Ji Fengmian continued to look at Ji Qing coldly. “Ignorant and self-righteous. I do hate you.”

Ignoring the discussions around her, she continued, “I can’t understand why you hide something when you hate someone. I hate you, so I naturally have to let you know. Otherwise, what’s the point of me hating you?”

As she spoke, she raised her chin at the flowers under Ji Qing’s feet. “I hate you. So what if I plucked them? I don’t have to do these things behind your back.”

Turning to look at Chu Boyang, her face was full of sarcasm. “I don’t have the mood to play tricks with you. I’m not worthy or worth it. If I do it openly, others will think that it’s me and criticize me. I won’t feel aggrieved even if I suffer. If I do it secretly, others will also think that it’s me. In the end, I’ll have to bear the reputation of being a scheming person who dares not to do it. I’ll go around in circles and suffer the greatest humiliation. Am I crazy or stupid? What do I want?”

No one understood what Ji Fengmian meant.

However, Chu Boyang’s expression suddenly changed.

What was the point of going around in circles and suffering the greatest humiliation?

Indeed.

Ji Fengmian had never been a naive and stupid person. She shouldn’t have done such a thankless task.

Ji Qing bent down and picked up the flowers. The surrounding students surrounded her.

Ji Fengmian looked coldly at the dense crowd and mocked.

The incident had attracted the attention of the director.

The children started talking at the same time. They talked about how Ji Fengmian had plucked all the flowers from the flower bed.

The dean was a little angry. “I’ve never said that Ji Fengmian was the one who did this. You don’t have evidence. It’s very irresponsible to accuse others like this. Do you know that? If it’s something you didn’t do but you’re determined, won’t you feel aggrieved?”

There was silence for a while.

“But we clearly saw her circling the flowerbed in the past… Who else could it be? How could such a beautiful flower be so heartless…”

The dean sighed. “Those flowers weren’t deliberately destroyed by Ji Fengmian. The reason why they bloomed so beautifully is because of her. She has been taking care of them. Therefore, it’s impossible for her to destroy them. No one will easily destroy something they love.”

There was an uproar.

“How is that possible? Those flowers are clearly lovers…”

“It’s true that Ji Qing sowed the seeds, but if she was alone, there wouldn’t be such a flourishing flower…”

The children refused to give up. “But she plucked all the flowers just now. Even if it wasn’t her, she did ruin the things she loved…”

The director shook his head helplessly. “Since she has decided to destroy it, it means that she really feels that… there’s no reason to continue loving those things. Or perhaps… it’s not worth her love.”

Chu Boyang, who had been standing silently at the side, suddenly blinked. He looked up at Ji Fengmian, but she didn’t look at him.

The dean paused and looked at the teachers standing at the side. He said, “In the afternoon class, teach the children how to nurture lilies.”

The teachers nodded and agreed.

“I’m taking leave.”

Ji Fengmian patted the dirt off his hands and said, “Director, Uncle Chu is bringing me out in the afternoon.”

The director looked at her for a while before saying, “Alright, you know a lot about cultivating lilies anyway.”

Ji Fengmian pursed his lips. “Please lend me your phone.”

“Come to my office.”

“Thank you.”

Ji Fengmian thanked him and walked towards the office, brushing past Chu Boyang expressionlessly.

Chu Boyang’s fingers moved slightly, but Ji Fengmian had already walked away.

—

Compared to the other children in the orphanage, Ji Fengmian’s life was relatively good.

Uncle Chu had started doing business in Ping Cheng City in the past few years.

The business wasn’t big. Other than giving some to the welfare institute every year, she didn’t hide anything from Ji Fengmian.

Although the director was also puzzled, he had never heard Uncle Chu mention this before.

Selfishly, she also felt that it was better to continue like this. This way, they could receive more funding every year.

Sometimes, Uncle Chu didn’t attend Ji Fengmian’s birthday. Instead, every year after his birthday, he would come to the orphanage to give everyone an exquisite cake.

Needless to say, every child would be happy to eat the delicious cake.

That was enough.

It wasn’t until the day of Ji Fengmian’s birthday that Chu Boyang appeared again.

At night, they played in the courtyard after dinner.

After the meal.

Ji Fengmian sat beside the flowerbed with a shovel in his hand.

There was dirt on the shovel and on her hands.

Her school uniform, which had been washed until it was slightly white, was clean. Her sleeves were rolled up at her elbows, and her slender and fair arms swayed as the shovel swayed.

She was bored and lazy.

Chu Boyang sat beside her and handed her a paper bag.

Ji Fengmian placed his hands behind his back and rested his chin on his wrist. He glanced at him but didn’t take it.

“Happy birthday.”

Ji Fengmian pursed his lips and turned his head slightly to look at him. “In terms of opportunism, you, Chu Boyang, are also outstanding. You gave me a gift on my birthday to express your goodwill? Should I treat this as a gift to apologize and please me, or a birthday gift?”

Chu Boyang smirked. “If it’s a gift to please you, will you accept it? If not, it’s a birthday gift.”

Ji Fengmian sneered and tightened his grip on the shovel. He turned around and casually flipped through the soil in the flower bed.

“No.”

Chu Boyang stood up and squatted beside her. “I felt guilty for misunderstanding you previously. I also feel the need to apologize to you solemnly.”

“Don’t say anything about you in front of me.”

Ji Fengmian spoke calmly as the shovel hit the soil.

“It has nothing to do with me whether you feel guilty or not. On the contrary, I’m quite happy to hear that.”

Chu Boyang pursed his lips. “Yes, I feel terrible… As long as you’re happy. Perhaps if you accept my apology, I might feel even more guilty for doubting a kind and magnanimous person like you.”

Ji Fengmian laughed.

She turned to look at him and stared at his face for a while.

Her eyes were clear and bright, and her emotions were faint. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

After a long while, she suddenly smiled.

She turned around and sat down. “Let’s see what you’re giving me.”

She took the paper bag over.

She didn’t seem to care anymore.

Had she… forgiven him?

He sat down beside her and watched as she opened the paper bag. “I’ve checked the seeds of the lilies. They’re six months old. It’s not too late to plant them now.”

The smile on Ji Fengmian’s face faded as he fiddled with a few seeds. “You’re giving me these?”

Chu Boyang nodded. “Didn’t you nurture those in the past? You should like them very much.”

Ji Fengmian threw the seed into the paper bag. “Ji Qing likes it more.”

“She probably likes more than lilies.”

Ji Fengmian was silent for a while. “Do you know how to plant flowers?”

Chu Boyang pondered for a while, looking uncertain.

“I attended an afternoon class last time, but I didn’t put it into practice.”

Ji Fengmian stuffed the paper bag into his hand.

She pointed to a nearby flower bed and said, “I’ll give that plot of land to you. You can plant it yourself.”

Chu Boyang was puzzled. “Then what do you want to plant here?”

Ji Fengmian stared at the loose soil on the flower bed and fell silent for a few seconds. “It took too long for the lilies to bloom. It’s been two to three months. I don’t have that much time and patience.”

Chu Boyang looked at her. “It’s not like I’ve never done it before.”

Ji Fengmian turned his head and looked at him calmly. “Can I not want it? I spent so much effort to nurture it, but in the end, it became someone else’s favorite? It’s a little disgusting.”

Chu Boyan frowned.

Ji Fengmian turned around and heaved a sigh of relief. “Aren’t you the apology gift you gave me? Can’t you be a little more sincere? Is it a grievance to let you plant it?”

This sounded like Ji Fengmian’s style.

Chu Boyang nodded. “Indeed, this is more sincere.”

As he spoke, he took out a shovel and walked to another flower bed to loosen the soil.

“Remember, I planted this jar of flowers to apologize to you.”

Ji Fengmian nodded. “…I’ll remember.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

Chu Boyang pressed on.

“What?”

“Why did you vacate that space?”

Ji Fengmian didn’t say anything and ran into the canteen. When he came out, he was carrying a basin.

“These garlic have sprouted. It’s a pity to throw them away. I want to eat stir-fried eggs with garlic sprouts.”

[I can’t say that I’m relieved, but you should be able to tell something, right?]