Don’t Pretend to be Poor with Me - Chapter 53

What has he given for other people’s romance.

Song Yan responded too straightforwardly, to the extent that Ruan Tian felt dazed for a moment, then recovered: “You agreed?”

“Yeah.”

“Why did you suddenly agree?”

Ruan Tian looked dumbfounded.

Song Yan calmly replied: “I saw a familiar friend.”

A familiar friend?

Ruan Tian doubtfully opened up the handbook. When she flipped to the first page and saw a photo in the bottom corner of ‘Shang Wei, the outstanding student representative of Beijing’s HuiYing International School’. She realized that HuiYing International School was the school that Song Yan had attended before while in Beijing.

And the aforementioned Shang Wei with the identity of taking first place was directly invited to participate in this competition. The other participants had to undergo a pre-selection competition.

“Song Yan, not bad, your friend is very outstanding.”

Ruan Tian also didn’t think too much of it, simply thinking that Song Yan wanted to reminisce over the past with an old friend, then happily pulled out an application form as well as the competition handbook and handed it over to Song Yan, “You can take the competition handbook first. Go back and look over the layout of the competition as well as any important matters. Then fill out the application form and hand it to me tomorrow.”

Song Yan hummed in agreement, accepted the paperwork, then as if unwilling to look any longer, he immediately turned to leave.

He walked away halfway when he suddenly thought of something, then turned around to ask: “Teacher, where is the closest ATM machine?”

Ruan Tian hurriedly replied: “Just past FengKaoBiGuo.”

“Okay.”

Song Yan once again thanked her, then quickly left the classroom.

When he arrived at the dorms, Xia Zhiye still hadn’t returned.

Song Yan tossed his things onto the table, then grabbed a set of clean clothes and entered the bathroom.

When he exited after he finished showering, he wanted to toss his clothes into the washing machine to wash, but once he got to the washing machine and started it up, the washing machine didn’t move at all.

Could it be that it broke after buying it just a month ago?

Song Yan lowered his head, pursed his lips, pressed around to test it out, but the washing machine didn’t turn. After trying to start it up for ten minutes, Song Yan felt that the Hello Kitty’s smile was exceptionally taunting.

Just as he was irritably thinking about directly switching over to a new washing machine, the door opened.

Xia Zhiye carried a bag in his hand as he entered the door. He saw Song Yan standing in front of the washing machine with an irritable face, and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Song Yan impatiently tossed out a: “The washing machine is broken.”

“?”

Wasn’t it perfectly fine just yesterday?

Xia Zhiye placed the bag in his hand onto the table, then walked over: “Let me see.”

Song Yan moved aside: “Even if you look at it, it’ll still be brok-……”

Swoosh——

“……-en.”

Song Yan hadn’t finished speaking when Xia Zhiye reached out and understatedly turned the water valve of the machine. Then a wave of water flowed out, and the washing machine obediently began to turn.

It turned energetically, and turned in such a way that Song Yan’s face hurt.

Xia Zhiye leaned against the washing machine and looked at Song Yan. Song Yan lowered his head and silently stared at the washing machine. Three seconds later, he turned and walked away.

Xia Zhiye laughed as he grabbed the other’s wrist and dragged him back: “Don’t go, I’ll tell you how to use it, or else if you leave your clothes until I come back to wash them, it’ll be too smelly.”

Song Yan thought to himself, I have money now and I can dry clean my clothes.

But he still unwillingly stood there motionlessly as he listened to Xia Zhiye finish explaining.

Then, after Xia Zhiye finished speaking, as if he was speaking to a preschooler, he smiled then asked: “Did our little friend Song Yan understand?”

With a wooden face, Song Yan replied: “I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“Then our little friend Song Yan is really amazing.”

Xia Zhiye’s manner of speaking was so artificially exaggerated that it felt mystifying1.

And it made Song Yan so annoyed that he wanted to kick the other.

Xia Zhiye hurriedly laughed as he pressed the other’s leg down: “I’m praising you. Also, I’m commending our intelligent, cute, little friend Song Yan, and have even prepared a cute little gift.”

Hearing the word ‘gift’, Song Yan instantly thought of the fastest way to escape dorm 613.

You can’t blame him for having gift PTSD. The crucial point was that the gifts that Xia Zhiye gave in the past have exceeded the aesthetics of regular people. He didn’t want to give Xia Zhiye a beating just before the other left.

But his speed of escape was by far not as good as the speed at which Xia Zhiye captured him.

Before he could open the door to the dorms, Xia Zhiye reached out and captured him by the waist, pulling him back while his other hand pulled out a small flower pot as if conjuring it out of thin air.

Song Yan originally thought he would see some strange pink-colored item, but instead, he saw a lush green item. He frowned slightly: “What is that?”

Xia Zhiye: “Sago palm.”

Song Yan: “? Do you think I’m blind or an idiot?”

Did he not know that this was a sago palm?

He was asking what was wrong with Xia Zhiye to be suddenly giving him a sago palm.

Xia Zhiye pushed the sago palm that couldn’t be much bigger than his palm over in front of Song Yan: “If you look carefully, you’ll know.”

It was just a small sago palm that was just transplanted over into a matching, attractive little black colored flower pot. There was nothing else special about it. Even if he looked carefully, there was nothing else to see.

Song Yan looked detached and disinterested.

Xia Zhiye pushed the little bonsai even closer: “Look over it again, carefully.”

“What’s there……”

Wait……

Song Yan seemed to have seen some words carved into the tree. He blinked, approached it slightly, then carefully gazed at it.

Song…… Xiaoxi2?!

Song Yan took a deep breath.

As expected, as long as Xia Zhiye was the one sending the gift, then it was inevitable that he would be dancing in the other’s minefield.

After taking a breath, a fist flew outward.

Xia Zhiye hugged Song Xiaoxi and nimbly hid himself: “The sago palm stays lush throughout all four seasons and is easy to raise. I’m just invoking a good omen on behalf of you.”

Song Yan was skeptical: “Really?”

Xia Zhiye’s face didn’t change at all: “Really.”

“……”

He reluctantly let the other go.

Song Yan put his fist away, then with a cold face, he sat down on a chair, and ruffled his hair, “I’m not raising it.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll definitely be in charge of raising the Song Xiaoxi that I brought home. It’s just that I won’t be home for a period of time, so you just have to temporarily raise it for a bit.” As Xia Zhiye spoke, he placed Song Xiaoxi onto Song Daxi’s table, “Look, it’s green, healthy, environmentally friendly, cute, full of vitality……hm? You agreed to Ruan Tian?”

When Xia Zhiye arranged the flower pot, he bumped against the application form and handbook on the table. He picked it up and flipped through it: “You’re really planning on going?”

“Yeah, I felt bad for saying no to Ruan Tian.”

Song Yan half heartedly explained.

Xia Zhiye knew that Song Yan was soft-hearted. If Ruan Tian pushed him, then it was normal that Song Yan agreed, so he didn’t think too much of it, continuing to rifle through the handbook: “The oral competition is on the 28th of next month?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Why?”

Song Yan raised his head.

Xia Zhiye leaned against the table, both hands supporting himself on the table, and he looked down while leisurely replying: “The closing ceremony for our winter camp is also on December 20th. I can’t come back to witness our Yan ge’s enchanting charms.”

It’s fine if you can’t make it back.

Anyway, Song Yan reckons that when the time comes, his charms won’t be enchanting at all.

After all, he agreed to participate in the oral competition in order to take back the things that Shang Wei owes him.

He didn’t want to let Xia Zhiye know about his unpleasant past experiences, and also didn’t want Xia Zhiye to step out to defend him.

There were some things that must be solved completely before he can really cross the threshold.

When Song Yan thought of these things, his expression didn’t look that good.

Xia Zhiye bent over at the waist, and leaned his head closer, his voice low and ambiguous: “What’s wrong? You can’t bear to see me go?”

Song Yan’s ears immediately burned, and he pushed his chair back: “Stay away from me!”

Xia Zhiye disagreed, and even leaned closer, purposely whispering unhurriedly into Song Yan’s ear: “I’ll be leaving for Beijing soon, it’s not too far away?”

Song Yan was fuming with rage, but if he stepped back again, the wall would be right behind him, so he could only stand up and push Xia Zhiye. But once he stood up, he ended up right in Xia Zhiye’s premeditated embrace.

Then, he heard Xia Zhiye softly say: “I agreed to the 21 day cold war plan, so when I come back, can you give me an answer?”

Song Yan tried to play dead.

But Xia Zhiye was unwilling to play along. With undisciplined laughter, he lazily replied: “Classmate Song Yan, on one hand, you’re dragging me along but on the other hand, you won’t answer me. You’re really testing my moral quality and legal consciousness, got it?”

Song Yan didn’t understand, and raised his head.

Xia Zhiye lowered his head to look at him: “Have you heard of the story of the fanatical outlaw Zhang San3?”

“……”

Fuck.

Song Yan kicked Xia Zhiye aside: “What the hell do you have in your brain all day?”

Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Xia Zhiye replied: “You.”

Song Yan: “……”

Why exactly was this person so crude and so flirty?

Exactly what did he see in Xia Zhiye?!

Pooey.

Who likes Xia Zhiye.

Song Yan was shamed into anger, and laid on his bed, covered himself in his blanket, turned around with his back facing Xia Zhiye, and could feel Xia Zhiye try to grab his blanket. He coldly replied straightforwardly: “If you treasure your life, I advise you to go shower now.”

Xia Zhiye paused his movements: “You don’t treasure the last moments you’ll have with me?”

“Go away.”

“You won’t send me off tomorrow?”

“Not going.”

“You won’t warn me to pay attention to safety in Beijing, to study well, and to not pick flowers and trample the grass4?”

“It has nothing to do with me.”

Song Yan coolly defended his image as a ruthless man three times in succession.

But when the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom, he quickly jumped out of bed, opened his bag, pulled out a thick envelope, stuffed it into the bottom-most layer of Xia Zhiye’s bag, then laid back on the bed, pretending as if nothing had just happened.

The intensive training and provincial competitions have always been a process that flushes money down the drain. Even though the provincial schools will reimburse some expenses, there will always be times when one needs money to spend outside.

If he directly transferred money to Xia Zhiye, Xia Zhiye would definitely not accept it, but he didn’t want someone as clearly outstanding as Xia Zhiye to have to worry about money when competing with others.

Also, the food in Beijing was terrible, the prices of goods were high, and the weather was also cold. What if Xia Zhiye ended up freezing and starving?

The more Song Yan thought, the more he couldn’t feel at ease. Ultimately, he reluctantly felt better after he sent Shen Jiayan a message, and told the other to visit the training camp if he had time.

Meanwhile, the day Xia Zhiye left, he unwillingly wore a cap and mask and sent Xia Zhiye off to the security check. After ensuring that that pile of cash was brought along securely with Xia Zhiye, he called a cab and returned from the airport back to the dorms alone.

Only then did he realize that the distance between NanWu’s airport and No.3 Middle High was so far.

When he walked along the corridor to the innermost dorm room 613 all alone, he had already prepared his heart to be welcomed by a desolate and dark room.

But as soon as the door opened, the bright lights in the room flowed out onto his face. Song Yan was slightly dazed for a moment, then saw little fatty, who was in the midst of moving his bedding up onto the top bunk, and furrowed his brow: “What are you doing?”

“Yan ge, you’re back?” On the top bunk, little fatty tucked in the last corner of his bedding, “Lord Xia said you can’t sleep alone at night, and told me to come over to accompany you.”

“……”

“Later on, I’ll wake you up every morning, and I’ll eat lunch and dinner with you every day.”

“……”

“Also, the manual for the washing machine is under the Hello Kitty, and the key to Wine Alley is in Lord Xia’s drawer. Lord Xia also gave me a list of foods you can’t eat.”

“……”

“So don’t worry, when Xia Zhiye comes back later, I promise that you’ll be undamaged.”

“……”

Song Yan stood in the same spot, and suddenly didn’t know what he was feeling at heart.

After a short period of silence, he nodded: “Ok, up to you.”

After he finished speaking, he walked into the bathroom.

He showered, got into bed, and turned off the lights.

Everything was as normal.

Song Yan felt that he actually wasn’t that dependent on Xia Zhiye. Even though Xia Zhiye wasn’t here, he’ll still live just as he’s supposed to.

So after taking a sleep aid pill, he shut his eyes and fell asleep.

Midway through the night, he woke up due to thirst, but he was also extremely tired and unwilling to open his eyes and get out of bed. According to his usual habits and instincts, he dazedly called out: “Xia Zhiye.”

In a rare series of events, no one responded.

Song Yan’s bad temper once again burst out, and he increased his volume and impatiently shouted out: “Xia Zhiye!”

Only then did the person on the top bunk suddenly awaken: “What’s wrong?!”

Then the ladder began to shake with a violent burst of force: “Yan ge, what’s wrong?”

Why was this person’s movements so big today?

Song Yan irritatedly turned over: “I’m thirsty.”

“If you’re thirsty then drink water, why shout?”

“?”

Did Xia Zhiye change his voice at the age of 16 or 17?

Also, how dare Xia Zhiye speak to him like that?

Song Yan’s bad temper finally accumulated to its peak. He opened his eyes and was just about to scold a certain someone, but once he opened his eyes, he saw someone holding up a phone with its flashlight on, but the light illuminated a face that was smooth and round, and deathly pale.

Even if Xia Zhiye was crushed 800 times by a wheel, it was impossible for him to look like that.

So at that moment, the soul of a Beijing primary school student district level taekwondo champion that had been lurking in Song Yan’s body for many years awakened. Then a straight punch that was extremely standard quickly flew out.

Little fatty stared blankly as that fist flew towards his little tummy with lightning speed. With great alarm, his head was filled with question marks, but before he could shout out loud, he felt his soft little tummy receive a deadly strike, and he fell heavily to the ground.

He lay on the ground and hugged himself while feeling greatly wronged.

Who can understand what he has given for other people’s romance.

.

The author has something to say:

Little fatty: Today I deserve a caption

Don’t worry, little fatty has a meat shield, he’s fine. Yan ge will also sincerely offer an apology gift, and they can still hold their friendship together.

1. To be more precise — the phrase that author uses to describe this is more like ‘it sounds normal but actually feels as if it is mocking/ridiculing you’. Hence XZY says things so exaggeratedly it feels as if he’s mocking SY.

2. Xiao = small. XZY’s nickname for SY is Song Daxi (lit. Song Big happiness), so the sago palm is called Song Xiaoxi (lit. Song Little happiness). They’re so cute I’m crying.

3. A famous criminal law professor, Lou Xiang often uses the name Zhang San (CN’s version of ‘John Doe’, a nameless man) as an example of a perpetrator when lecturing about the law. As such, the character ‘Zhang San’ has become a meme of a crazy outlaw who perpetrates countless crimes.

4. To womanize/flirt around.