In the following days, Xie Xiao suddenly felt the school was too large, he hadn't bumped into Luo Yanran even once at the cafeteria, supermarket, or the usual spot where they fed cats.
He had even privately messaged her once to invite her to feed the cats together, but Luo Yanran said she was busy and wouldn't go that day.
Xie Xiao could clearly tell she was avoiding him.
Because of what happened that night, Xie Xiao felt like sighing.
Especially when he came back at noon and saw an extra cup of milk tea on the table.
His gaze swept to the other side, where Zhou Mianmian's thin back was distinctly visible.
These days, Zhou Mianmian seemed to be lost in thought, placing a cup of milk tea on his desk every day without saying a word or leaving a note.
It was the kind that she'd sneak onto his desk when he wasn't there.
The first day, Xie Xiao thought it was Lin Yu who had bought it for him and started drinking it without hesitation, but after only one sip, he knew it was from Zhou Mianmian.
Seven parts sugar, her usual preference.
But ironically, after all these years, Zhou Mianmian still hadn't noticed he didn't like drinking milk tea, and even if he did, he didn't like it with seven parts sugar.
But since he had already drunk it, he couldn't exactly give it back, could he?
In the end, Xie Xiao went to the supermarket and exchanged 20 yuan in cash for Lin Yu to give to Zhou Mianmian as a form of payment for buying the milk tea.
It was somewhat a loss since the drink was at most 13 yuan a cup.
In the end, Lin Yu rolled his eyes, pulled out five yuan, and slapped it on Xie Xiao, "You're a spendthrift, 2 yuan for a delivery fee is almost too much!"
Zhou Mianmian naturally didn't want to accept it, but when she saw Xie Xiao toss the barely touched cup of milk tea into the trash can, she still took the money from Lin Yu's hand.
It turned out that when you dislike someone, you start to reject even the things they like to eat.
In the following days, whenever she bought more, Xie Xiao barely touched it.
He would hand it back to her unchanged.
Of course, he would also casually leave it on the desk when she wasn't around.
Otherwise, the occasional 2 yuan delivery fee for drinks he didn't even want to drink, Xie Xiao suspected she was finding a way to take money from him, which was really frustrating.
So, today, seeing another fruit tea, Xie Xiao felt annoyed.
What was Zhou Mianmian trying to do?
Every time he went out to eat with Lin Yu, she would put things on his desk, what was she trying to imply?
At this moment, not many people were in the classroom, most had gone out to eat and hadn't returned yet.
Xie Xiao took that cup of fruit tea, walked over to Zhou Mianmian, and placed it on her desk, "What are you trying to do? Stop buying these things for me in the future, I don't like them, and there's no need."
His tone was actually quite even; by now, he just wanted to avoid any further entanglement with Zhou Mianmian.
At the end of the day, they had no deep-seated animosity, it was just himself who had pathetically played the part of a loyal fool for her all these years.
Just like she said before, they were only friends, she had no obligation to take responsibility for his troubles.
That night too, it was he who decided to buy her milk, what did it have to do with her?
Those had been Zhou Mianmian's exact words back then, Xie Xiao still remembered.
He wasn't a saint, how could he not harbor resentment, but after Luo Yanran came into his life, that resentment gradually faded.
With every gain comes a loss, at least he had eventually discovered his treasure of a girl.
So after Xie Xiao was given a second chance at life, he thought nothing of revenge but only wanted to stay further away from Zhou Mianmian, hopefully never to be entwined with her again.
But at the moment, Zhou Mianmian's meaningless actions were irritating him.
Zhou Mianmian followed the direction of Xie Xiao's slender hand upwards, her eyes landing on his expressionless face.
She still thought Xie Xiao was the most handsome. Among the many boys who pursued her, Xie Xiao was the best.
She forced a smile, "I just want to do something for you, like you once did for me."
Xie Xiao looked at her silently, his tone quite strange, "So you think what I did for you in the past was just buying you bubble tea?"
Zhou Mianmian shook her head somewhat frantically, "Of course not, you did a lot for me."
She lowered her head, somewhat embarrassed, "But I don't have much money, this is all I can afford. If you don't like bubble tea or juice, can I buy you breakfast tomorrow instead?"
Xie Xiao took a deep breath, "Zhou Mianmian, there's no need, I never intended for you to repay me for what I've done, and you don't need to do these things. From now on, let's just be ordinary classmates, and you should stop buying things for me. You don't have much money to begin with, why waste it?"
Zhou Mianmian's eyes brightened, and she looked up at him with a more pitiful gaze, "You still care about me, don't you?"
Xie Xiao: ...Was it his expression that was off or did she really not understand human words? Was he not clear enough?
He looked at Zhou Mianmian somewhat speechlessly, too lazy to argue with her, "Stop doing meaningless things."
With those words, he turned and left.
Just as he was leaving, he ran into Yan Shi coming back, holding a cup of bubble tea in his hand.
Yan Shi's expression was less than pleased; these past few days, Zhou Mianmian had been giving Xie Xiao bubble tea and juice, and many people had noticed.
His friends had even laughed behind his back at him for being a bottom-tier lapdog; he fawned over Zhou Mianmian, yet Zhou Mianmian was fawning over Xie Xiao.
It made him look utterly foolish.
So, upon seeing Xie Xiao, he couldn't help but glare at him fiercely.
Xie Xiao felt he really had to thank them; none of this had anything to do with him.
He simply ignored Yan Shi and walked straight out.
Yan Shi, watching his nonchalant demeanor, grew even more irritated, as though he himself were something special. Hadn't he been fawning over Zhou Mianmian before?
Thinking this made Yan Shi feel even worse.
It seemed to Yan Shi that only after Xie Xiao stopped fawning over her did Zhou Mianmian start paying attention to him, as if he were just picking up Xie Xiao's leftovers?
That was absolutely disgusting.
He looked at the bubble tea in his hand, then looked back at Zhou Mianmian, who now had an additional cup of fruit tea on her desk. That must be the one Xie Xiao didn't want.
With a somewhat grim expression, Yan Shi walked over and handed his purchased bubble tea to Zhou Mianmian, "Mianmian, I bought you a bubble tea."
Zhou Mianmian gave him a gentle smile, "Thank you, Yan Shi, please have this fruit tea."
Her smile remained gentle as she spoke.
Yan Shi, looking at her face, softened as well, but still felt disgusted looking at the fruit tea. He couldn't help but ask, "Wasn't this the one you bought for Xie Xiao?"
Zhou Mianmian was clearly startled for a moment, then her expression turned gloomy. "I'm sorry, I...I don't have much money for living expenses each month, I can't afford to buy an extra cup."
As she spoke, she revealed a pale smile and set the fruit tea aside, "If you mind, then forget it. I'll buy you one tomorrow, as a thank you for the bubble tea you got me these past few days, is that okay?"
As she spoke, her eyes were watery, looking so dewy they could drown someone.
Yan Shi's heart melted instantly. He took the fruit tea, "No need, this is just fine, it's untouched."
Zhou Mianmian seemed very happy, her eyes lit up, but she hesitated, "But I previously gave it to Xie Xiao..."
"It doesn't matter, he didn't drink it, did he? Now it's mine." Yan Shi suddenly felt enlightened after saying this. Whatever Xie Xiao didn't want, Xie Xiao hadn't even touched it before, the two were no longer involved, and he still had a chance!
Zhou Mianmian gave him a sweet smile, "Yan Shi, you are really kind!"
Meanwhile, Xie Xiao went directly to the tutoring building, as today was already Saturday and they would rest tomorrow.
He needed to seize the chance to corner Luo Yanran, maybe he could even get her to come out tomorrow!