Three days after I met with Li Min, a news headline buzzed. The school tipped off everyone's phones with the alert of the expulsion of Shi Qi. Obviously, Li Min had applied her mysterious power, much to my satisfaction.
While I was in my room, I saw the notice and smiled. After a while, I got a phone call. "How do you like my work? You did not call me to thank me for assisting you this time, huh?" She ignited the flame of trouble in my life. However, I find it puzzling why she needed appreciation when she did something good. This person sure does have strange habits.
Noticing my unwillingness to talk, she rang her voice again in my ear. It was tepid—neither cold nor warm, just plain. "Come buy me a launch at the cafeteria today." She made it sound easy. In fact, I find it impossible that she would only need that launch. She kept dragging me to the limelight even when I was unwilling to do it. After all, I love staying in the shadow.
"And if I refuse?"
My answer was calm yet brusque. However, I knew I had made a deal with the devil, and she couldn't let go of any opportunity to mess me up. In any case, what I would achieve with that cold help of hers is still worthwhile. After all, pulling the right and left-hand support of Toa Feng would strip off her defense. However, this Li Min had given me no little trouble. It was much to my displeasure.
"You dare not refuse. At least, I believe you can't start thinking about the consequences."
Li Min's voice sounded teasing, but it was as deadly as a venom. It was not weak at all. This situation made me curse her endlessly for her continuous defiance. Anyway, there was nothing I could hold against her for the time being. When I do, she will fall under my control. I hate being subjected to anything and everything under heaven or below the earth—I am just superior.
"Alright."
I replied the devil and abruptly ended the call before she came up with another unhealthy request and conditions. I checked my time on my phone, and it was 12:30 pm. Then, I went to the sink and washed my face. At least I wouldn't be gloomy and dull like I was only coming out of bed now.
In a few minutes, I got to the destination, and it was the famous eatery in the school: 'Cuisine, and health.' This area was where I had met Li Min before when we exchanged contact details. No, to be precise, she forced my information out of my hands. What an awful situation. I found her seated alone, and many people clustered in the restaurant too. However, this situation was not a bother to her at all. She had always been aloof, contrary to any pretense.
I maintained my sanity and wore an expressionless face as I sat down facing her. She motioned for the restaurant's attendants. In a flash, two adults came to our table. They were slightly fat and looked frisky. However, they wore a white apron and cap: an entire set of the restaurant uniform. They look harmless and plain. One of them faced me while the other was with Li Min.
"What do you want?"
We were asked separately, although the same question. I looked at Li Min, trying to figure out what she would want. But her attention was on the attendant.
"I want Sichuan pork!" she said directly.
"I want Chow Mein" I also voiced out my order listlessly.
The two attendants left immediately, and soon, they brought the ordered meal. They passed a catalog with the price of the meal.
"Do you want to pay cash or with a credit card?" My attendants spoke calmly and respectfully.
"I will pay via card. Also, I want to know the price of the food that she ordered." I replied. It was only nice to do so. Besides, I did not want the reminder of the she-devil; that would have probably been a disaster. However, just as I said this, the attendant beside Li Min became cold and gloomy. In fact, he almost skewered me with his baleful gaze. Li Min nodded for him to pass me the catalog, but the attendant was clearly hesitant to do so. It was contrary to my expectation. However, this action was much to the dissatisfaction of Li Min as she frowned. Regardless, she hastily wore a slight smile. These flickers of emotions couldn't escape my feverish gaze—I saw everything but remained impassive.
"Lady, I will pay for it." He forced the words out.
Now it looks like I understood the strange vibe I had when the two of them came to serve us. For someone as clever and quick as Li Min, she must have understood it; it was no wonder she gazed at the attendant unusually.
"Don't bother with that because I could easily pay for myself, but I want him to do it." Li Min hissed arrogantly; however, she was helpless on how people wished to desire her all the time. After all, she was the school's number one beauty. Li Min had both facial beauty and temperament—no one came close. I guessed she must have realized that she couldn't possibly deal with everyone. Regardless, what was the use of feeling pity for these men? They were clearly older adults. Wasn't that assault to want to mingle with a teenager like her? This fleeting thought must have crossed her mind. Even if she were sixteen or seventeen years, there was no way she could grow fond of much older adults.
My attendants left and came with a scanner and scanned my card with the amount entered. I was debited with 350 Yuan almost instantly. Then we began to eat as they left for other duties. Just as they left, I decided to hound answers from Li Min.
"I noticed how you looked at that attendants like you had a deeper meaning," I asked lightly, skillfully laying my net. It would be good to catch in some plot (I thought).
Li Min dipped her spoon into the soup and scooped it with a slice of pork as she ate calmly—she totally ignored me like I was not existing. When her food was about half of the original, she finally spoke.
"Talking about it makes me disgusted. Honestly, looking at that person's eyes, you could easily see he wished to rip my clothes out and eat me raw. In fact, he smells like pepper and spice."
'What has pepper and spice got to do with that.' Mincing words like she was talking to a child. Still, I listened. Even though she felt disgusted like she fervently proclaimed, why did she betray a helpless expression?
As if reading my next question. No, to be precise, Li Min predicted my next question because she forthrightly answered my doubt.
"I sighed because he was definitely seeking his own grave. To be precise, he couldn't get what he wanted even if he changed his fate."
'what an arrogant tone.' I stole a glance at her. She makes me want to distance myself from her.
The meal lasted for a while, and we talked a little even though there was nothing specifically interesting to talk about with Li Min. After everything, she shamelessly dismissed me without any appreciation. And when I complained about it, she smiled wickedly.
"Now you know how it feels when you are not appreciated, right?"
She couldn't have honestly plotted this result only to make me feel a grain of pain. Obviously, she had set me up for this precise reason: making me admit she had been of help to me. Anyway, it did not bother me.
Nighttime, after I had done so many activities during the days, I decided to retire. The black cloud of the endless dark sky had overcast the sun, and the night was happy to take over. I took the lonesome street towards my dorm; however, I saw a group of girls antagonizing a female student after a few moments of walking.
The people had an absurdly manly physique. They were clearly the notorious class bullies of class C: 'The termite.' Although their activities were not too conspicuous, many people also knew about them, especially the girls. They did because it was an activity that mainly involved girls. Although such a group could withstand the pressure from guys, it wasn't to pressure guys. So their activities revolved around girls. That's why many girls were more familiar with them. Of course, guys knew their superficial side only. Also, even though they knew deep enough, no one was interested in them.