Orange Storm chapter 36

Jiang Zhijin is Present

Jiang Xinxin nodded quickly and immediately turned to run towards the teaching building. Behind her, Chen Yao looked confused and shouted, “Hey, where are you going?”

“Back to the classroom,” Jiang Xinxin turned around and waved at her. “I’ll be right back.”

At this time, it was just after the lunch break, and it wasn’t time to enter the examination hall yet. Most of the boarding students took the opportunity to rest in their dormitories, while some day students either napped in the classrooms or were engaged in review and preparation.

Jiang Xinxin ran to the classroom door and nearly collided with Fang Xing, who was coming out.

Fang Xing took a step back to avoid a collision. Jiang Xinxin was also startled, stopped at the door, and looked up at him, saying, “Fang Xing, I need to talk to you.”

Fang Xing lowered his head, met the gaze of the girl in front of him, and asked, “What’s up?”

Jiang Xinxin seemed a bit out of breath from her hurried run. She took a couple of deep breaths and whispered, “You… come out for a moment.”

There were only a few people in the classroom, and their voices were low, so no one paid attention to their conversation. Only when Fang Xing and Jiang Xinxin walked side by side towards the exit did Tan Zhuo, who had been brushing up on problems with his head lowered, glance up.

Only after the two had disappeared did Tan Zhuo lower his head again. His face darkened, as if he had seen something filthy. He drew a heavy line on his test paper, directly tearing through the entire sheet.

Jiang Xinxin brought Fang Xing to a corner of the corridor where no one was around and stopped. Fang Xing looked at her and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“…Something.”

In fact, Jiang Xinxin hesitated, wondering if she was meddling in other people’s business. However, at this point, she could only hesitate to speak.

“Just now, Yao Yao and I were waiting for a food delivery at the school gate, and a woman came looking for you, claiming to be your aunt.”

The next moment, she saw Fang Xing’s expression suddenly turn cold.

Jiang Xinxin was taken aback, and she didn’t know if she should continue. But Fang Xing had already spoken, asking, “And then? What did she say?”

“She… said your younger brother is sick, and she came to find you, asking if you are in this school…” Jiang Xinxin whispered, “I find it strange. If she’s your aunt, shouldn’t she know something? I asked the gatekeeper to wait for a while and secretly came to ask you first.”

After a moment, Jiang Xinxin heard Fang Xing say, “Thank you.”

“I don’t know her.” Fang Xing’s tone was stiff. “And I don’t have a younger brother.”

“Oh.” Jiang Xinxin nodded, not asking anything more, only saying, “What should we do now? Should I go and tell the gatekeeper?”

Fang Xing didn’t speak. After a moment, he sighed softly and then looked at Jiang Xinxin, saying, “Talking to the gatekeeper won’t help. I’ll think of a solution.”

After saying that, he looked at Jiang Xinxin again and said seriously, “Thank you.”

Jiang Xinxin’s face turned slightly red, and she quickly waved her hand to indicate that it was okay. “It’s nothing. I just happened to see it and came to tell you.”

Fang Xing asked, “Are you going back to the gate?”

Jiang Xinxin immediately replied, “Yes, Yao Yao is still waiting for me at the gate.”

“I might give you a call later.”

Although Jiang Xinxin didn’t know what had happened, she immediately nodded, “Okay.”

It was only at this moment that Fang Xing realized Jiang Xinxin seemed a bit nervous, probably frightened by him. Realizing this, his expression softened, and he even smiled at her.

“It’s okay, you can go back.”

Jiang Xinxin nodded and turned to walk a few steps. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, she turned back to Fang Xing and whispered, “Both Yao Yao and I won’t talk about this to anyone else. You can rest assured.”

Fang Xing was stunned for a moment, nodded to Jiang Xinxin, who smiled at him, and turned to leave.

Fang Xing immediately turned on his phone and first called Tang Yi. Probably during the lunch break, Tang Yi answered the phone after a while, still sounding a bit sleepy.

“Calling your class teacher during school hours to show off that you brought your phone, right, Fang Xing——”

Without waiting for him to finish, Fang Xing spoke directly, “Teacher Tang, please do me a favor.”

He spoke quickly, and a sense of urgency was evident. Tang Yi’s tone also changed immediately.

“What’s wrong?”

“Someone came to find me at the school gate, a woman, a lunatic. Could you please call the gatekeeper and tell him there is no such person as me in the school?”

He paused for a moment, then continued, “I got a zero in the comprehensive exam before transferring because of her. I’ll explain it to you later.”

Tang Yi didn’t ask much and immediately replied, “Alright, I understand.”

After hanging up the phone, Fang Xing waited in place for a few minutes. After estimating that Tang Yi had made the call, he called Jiang Xinxin next.

When she answered, Fang Xing asked, “Is she still there?”

“Yes.” Jiang Xinxin hid her phone in her sleeve and spoke quietly, her eyes watching the direction of the gate.

“Just now, the gatekeeper told her that there’s no such person in the school, but she didn’t leave. She’s sitting on the flower bed at the entrance now.”

Fang Xing guessed.

Intuition told him that even if the gatekeeper said to Zhai Wan there was no such person in the school, she wouldn’t give up. Based on her personality, she probably would wait at the school gate, checking every student as they left, confirming once again to ensure there was no Fang Xing among the nearly two thousand students in the school.

Like a lunatic.

If Zhai Wan saw him, what happened at Chaocheng High School might be replayed in front of all the teachers and students at Shaojiang High School.

“Understood, don’t bother about her anymore.” Fang Xing sighed, “Thank you.”

After hanging up the phone, he hesitated for a moment and finally called Jiang Zhijin.

The call was answered almost immediately.

“Playing with your phone during school hours, huh, study god?”

Jiang Zhijin’s tone was quite lazy, but there was a hint of a smile. At this time, Fang Xingcouldn’t help but laugh a little upon hearing him speak.

Jiang Zhijin continued, “What’s up?”

After a pause, Fang Xing whispered, “That woman came to find me.”

Jiang Zhijin took a second to react and immediately knew who Fang Xing was talking about.

He was about to go out to the bar and had reached the living room door. However, upon hearing Fang Xing’s words, he stopped abruptly, and the smile on his face disappeared.

“Where is she? Your school? Did she come suddenly?”

“Yeah…” Fang Xing hesitated for a moment. “She called and texted me a few days ago and came to the school today.”

No wonder.

Jiang Zhijin unconsciously frowned. “What did she say to you?”

“A lot. Apologies, asking me to help save her son…” Fang Xing closed his eyes. “She also sent me a few pictures of her son.”

Damn.

A surge of anger rose within Jiang Zhijin. He took a deep breath, suppressing the anger, and his voice still sounded calm: “Send me the photos and then delete them. Did she see you?”

“No, the gatekeeper told her there’s no such person in the school, but she didn’t leave.”

“Still at the school gate?” Jiang Zhijin opened the door. “I’m coming over immediately.”

“You—” Fang Xing hesitated for a moment, not saying anything more.

He really, really, really didn’t want Jiang Zhijin to get involved in this mess. These things originally had nothing to do with him, but he always had to face a bunch of troubles because of it.

This feeling was ten thousand times more anxious than when he faced it himself.

“I’m already on my way.”

Jiang Zhijin knew what Fang Xing was thinking, his tone neither fast nor slow.

“Adult matters are solved by adults. High school students who are not yet adults should stay in school and study well, understand?”

“I’m just a few days awa—” Fang Xing sighed, gave up arguing, looked silly at the sky for a while, and suddenly said, “I’m coming out to meet her with you.”

Whatever, it didn’t matter how others saw it. If the other party cried, made a scene, or went crazy when meeting him, so be it. In any case, there was still Jiang Zhijin.

Jiang Zhijin.

These words seemed to be synonymous with courage.

“Nonsense.” Jiang Zhijin’s voice came through the phone immediately. He should have already gotten into the car; the sound was a bit distant but still clear.

“Don’t you have class this afternoon?”

“I have an exam.”

“Then focus on the exam.” Jiang Zhijin didn’t hesitate. “If I see you leaving the school gate before school ends, I’ll break your legs. Try me if you don’t believe it.”

A real threat, Jiang ge.

“I’m a bit worried if you go alone.”

Jiang Zhijin couldn’t help but sigh, “Worried about what? Afraid she’ll beat me up?”

“…No.” Fang Xing smiled, “After all, she came to find me. I just feel that the responsibility shouldn’t be on you.”

Jiang Zhijin is innocent in all of this.

“Then it shouldn’t be on you either. The only thing you should bear is the upcoming exam—if you fall behind from the top, I won’t come to the next parent-teacher meeting, even if you beg me.”

Jiang Zhijin sighed as he spoke, “Can minors stop thinking so much? Can you give adults some space to solve problems?”

Knowing that Jiang Zhijin on the other end couldn’t see him, Fang Xing still held the phone and smiled, and his eyes became a bit warm as he smiled.

“Alright.” Jiang Zhijin on the other end also laughed, “Hang up, I’m here for you.”

Here for you.

Fang Xing, you have Jiang Zhijin.

Fang Xing held the phone with his right hand, and with his left hand, he quickly raised it to cover his eyes. After a moment, he softly responded with a “Hmm.”