Chapter 9: After Class, Come Into My Arms (7)

At noon, Rose He finally managed to corner her target.

She recalled the softness of that person’s lips.

A slight smile played on her lips, a hint of allure glimmering in her eyes without her even noticing.

“Rose He! I’m talking to you! Do you have any shame left?” The girl speaking was visibly impatient and tried to give Rose a shove.

Rose sidestepped her, lowered her head, and took a sip from the milk tea she held in her hands.

Hmm, it had gone a bit cold.

She raised her hand, pulled out the straw, and in one swift motion, poured the taro-scented drink all over the girl who had just spoken.

“Of course I have shame. With a face this pretty, why would I want yours instead?” she replied, letting out a peal of laughter before tossing the now-empty cup at one of the girl’s companions.

She added, “Su Jing is mine. Don’t even think about it, any of you!”

With that, Rose He turned and walked away.

The coldness in her eyes when she mentioned Su Jing made the group of girls shudder.

A Si stood at the back. Seeing Rose He stride right toward her, she instinctively took a few steps back, feeling a bit at a loss.

Just moments ago, she had actually been worried Rose might get bullied.

“A Si!” Rose He greeted her with a radiant smile. “Let’s go together.”

A Si glanced at Rose, pressed her lips together, and replied, “Alright.”

“Wait for me a moment,” A Si said, trotting over to the group of girls. She bent down to pick up the discarded cup Rose had thrown, tossed it into the trash, then returned to Rose’s side.

She spoke softly, “Rose, next time, don’t litter, okay?”

The girl tilted her head slightly, her clear eyes reflecting even the sunlight.

Rose found her incredibly cute; her fingers itched with the urge to pinch her cheek.

Before she could act, A Si added, “Well, you can throw things, but you need to pick them up afterward.”

It was obvious that Rose had been bullied by those girls earlier. Forbidding her from throwing things didn’t seem quite fair.

Rose suddenly laughed.

“Let’s go,” she said.

Out of the corner of her eye, A Si noticed the group of girls looked like they wanted to come over, so she tugged gently at Rose’s sleeve.

Seeing the concern in A Si’s eyes, Rose, for the first time with anyone other than Su Jing, found patience within herself. She said gently, “A Si, it’s alright.”

She pointed at the group behind them, her tone brash, “They wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me.”

And even if they did, she wasn’t afraid. After all, A Si could handle herself.

But A Si said nothing. She simply looked up at Rose with those dewy eyes, the dimples at the corners of her mouth flickering in and out of sight.

Rose’s heart melted.

Unable to resist, she reached out and pinched the girl’s cheek, saying, “Come on.”

A Si was led into the classroom by Rose He.

Everyone around them looked as if they’d seen a ghost.

Rose was notorious for her swagger at No. 1 High; apart from Su Jing, no one else caught her eye. She especially couldn’t stand girls. When she first arrived, she had made a few of them cry.

But there was nothing anyone could do, not with her formidable father backing her up.

A Si ignored the stares, quietly taking her seat and pulling out her book to read.

Rose didn’t return to her own desk. Instead, she walked to the podium, grabbed the chalkboard eraser, and banged it loudly against the board.

She declared, “From now on, I’ve got A Si’s back. Anyone who messes with her is messing with me.”

She finished her announcement and dashed back to her seat, looking almost eager.

“A Si, were you scared at the school gate just now?” Rose propped herself on her desk, raising one hand. “I swear I wasn’t the one making trouble—they came looking for me first.”

A Si was clearly a good girl.

Rose worried A Si might dislike her for this.