During the afternoon class break, remembering what Chuchu had mentioned, Xiang Ri decided to head to the homeroom teacher's office first. He knocked on the door, and a voice from within responded, "Come in."
Pushing the door open, Xiang Ri entered, only to find not just his homeroom teacher, Chen Xiaofen, but also Miss Ren, the tall and sharp-tongued Ren Yun. As soon as Ren Yun caught sight of him, she shot him a fierce glare. Xiang Ri felt bewildered—what had he done to offend her now?
"Ah, Xiang, you're here?" Before he could speak, Chen Xiaofen greeted him warmly.
"Yes, Miss Chen, I heard you were looking for me?" Xiang Ri's heart was uneasy. Despite her usual enthusiasm, he could detect a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
"It's nothing much," Chen Xiaofen replied, her gaze meaningful as she studied her prized student. As though in passing, she added, "I heard from some of your classmates that a girl named Chuchu seems to treat you very well?"
Xiang Ri's heart skipped a beat. Now he understood. This was a protective "mother-in-law" doing her due diligence. Recalling what Chuchu had told him at lunch, it was clear she had answered on his behalf when Chen Xiaofen had asked about his absence that morning. A girl knowing his whereabouts so well was bound to raise questions.
He had intended to clarify the misunderstanding in one go but caught sight of Ren Yun frantically signaling to him with her eyes. Noticing Chen Xiaofen's expectant expression, Xiang Ri hesitated, then changed his words at the last moment. "Chuchu? She's my cousin."
"Cousin?" Chen Xiaofen's furrowed brow instantly smoothed out, and her long-standing doubts dissipated. Nodding toward her daughter, she then turned back to Xiang Ri with a smile. "Alright, Xiang, if there's nothing else, you can return to class."
"Of course," Xiang Ri replied, nodding politely before leaving. Seeing her relieved expression made him feel as though a burden had been lifted.
He had barely taken a few steps when hurried footsteps approached from behind. Without turning, he knew who it was. Sure enough, Ren Yun's sharp voice rang out. "You've got some nerve, Xiang Ri, lying to my mom like that. Your audacity knows no bounds!"
Stopping in his tracks, Xiang Ri turned to face her. "Weren't you just now signaling for me to say exactly that?"
"Die!" Ren Yun glared at him, fuming. "I was signaling for you to explain things clearly! Who knew you'd twist it into another lie?"
"Sounds like you're the one lying," Xiang Ri countered with a smirk. "Anyway, I've said it before—if you want to explain it, do it yourself. I'm not getting involved."
"You—" Ren Yun was so enraged she couldn't form words. She shot him another death glare before turning to leave but stopped a few steps away. Looking back, she said, "Xiang Ri, there's something I need to discuss with you. When is your hand going to heal? Our match against the university team is in a week, and if we lose and get eliminated, don't blame me for not keeping our original deal!"
"Oh, you mean the deal where I get to touch your butt?" Xiang Ri asked with feigned innocence, pretending to recall.
"You bastard!" Ren Yun seethed, gritting her teeth in frustration. "Let me tell you, if we lose, you can forget about touching me at all!"
"Actually, there might be a way to help my hand recover faster…" Xiang Ri said in a tone dripping with mischief.
"What is it?" Ren Yun immediately took the bait.
"If you let me touch that spot of yours five hundred times in a row, I'd probably be fully healed within the week," he replied with a wicked grin.
Ren Yun instantly realized she'd been duped. This scoundrel clearly had no intention of taking her seriously—he was just toying with her.
Furious, she nearly lunged at him but stopped, knowing she was no match for him. Left with no choice, she cursed venomously. "Xiang Ri, you shameless, despicable, deceitful scoundrel!"
"So, I have so many good qualities? How come I didn't know about them?" Xiang Ri touched his nose with an innocent expression. "But if we're talking about breaking promises, isn't that you? You said I could touch you, but then you backed out. Who's really the one going back on their word?"
"But I clearly said you had to help me win the game first! You haven't done that yet. If, in a week, you help me beat Beihai University, I won't just let you touch me five hundred times—I'll give you my entire self!" Overcome with impulse, Ren Yun blurted out words she didn't fully comprehend.
"Are you serious?" Xiang Ri's heart leaped. Although this tall, slender girl was on the skinny side, her statuesque figure—standing over 1.8 meters—was undeniably alluring. The thought of an affair with such a beauty, free of responsibility, was worth the gamble.
"Of course!" Ren Yun, already committed to her words, refused to back down, her competitive nature driving her forward. Seeing the eager glint in his eyes, she decided to provoke him further. After all, she doubted his hand could heal within a week.
"I should tell you... this would be my first time. If you help me beat Beihai University, I'll give you my first," she added boldly.
"Deal!" Xiang Ri agreed without hesitation. Then, a wicked grin spread across his face. "Your first time will definitely be mine—you can't escape! Haha…" With a triumphant laugh, he strode away.
Ren Yun stood frozen, dumbfounded. Suddenly, the possibility dawned on her: What if he actually managed to win? Would she really have to follow through…? Panic crept in, and she regretted her impulsive words. Though she was confident his hand wouldn't heal in a week, he might still play through the pain. With his monstrous skills, victory wasn't entirely out of reach.
Moreover, even if his injured hand worsened, it was only a matter of added pain for him. But for her, it meant sacrificing something far more precious—her first time as a woman!
A chill ran down her spine as she recalled the gleam of mischief in his eyes before he left. Would she truly be able to refuse him if the time came?
Xiang Ri, on the other hand, was in high spirits, already envisioning the scene where Ren Yun stood stunned as he triumphed over Beihai University. The thought filled him with anticipation. He found himself wishing the match was tomorrow so he wouldn't have to wait so long.
"She's been so haughty with me—when the time comes, I'll make sure to settle all scores. This is a chance I can't let slip by!" His daydream continued until school ended, his thoughts so consuming that he didn't hear Chuchu call him several times.
"It's dismissal already?" He snapped back to reality.
"What on earth were you thinking about?" Chuchu pinched his arm playfully, pouting.
"Heh heh, I was imagining tonight, the three of us—me, you, and Qing—sleeping together. Heh heh…" Xiang Ri's cheeky response made Chuchu blush furiously. She immediately denied him, saying, "No way! Tonight, Sister Qing and I will sleep together. You're on your own!"
"What? How could you do this to me?" Xiang Ri was dumbfounded. For a moment, he wondered if Chuchu had developed some mind-reading ability and was punishing him for his thoughts.
Chuchu's response left him speechless. "I asked the doctor last time, and she said we need to exercise restraint with this sort of thing. Doing it every day is bad for your health."
"Really?" Xiang Ri suddenly recalled seeing Chuchu at the hospital that day. It all made sense now—why she had been there. Still, he quickly shifted the topic to avoid dredging up unpleasant memories, especially since a certain female police officer had also been present. "Well, in that case, Chuchu, let Qing accompany me tonight."
"Sister Qing said she's not ready yet. You'll have to wait." Seeing the crestfallen look on his face, Chuchu giggled and ran off.
Xiang Ri sighed, unable to do anything but laugh bitterly. Just as he was about to chase after her, he suddenly remembered his promise to tutor a certain girl today. With a resigned sigh, he began brainstorming excuses to get out of it.