bookbashuk Page 98
Page 98
Silence fell between them. For the first time, Chen Xiao felt awkward—he used to be at ease and had endless topics to talk about when he was alone with girls. But with Kato Megumi, his flirtatious words seemed completely out of place.
"Why did you draw my profile?" Chen Xiao finally broke the silence.
Kato Megumi was clearly taken aback: "You went through my notebook?"
"I saw it by accident," Chen Xiao lied. "It's well drawn."
"I just drew it casually out of boredom." Kato Megumi looked away. "You're too conspicuous; it's hard not to notice you."
Chen Xiao put a band-aid on the wound, deliberately lingering his fingers on her knee for a second longer: "Then why did you say I was lonely?"
Kato Megumi didn't answer immediately this time. She looked down at her knees, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her face: "Because... you look at everyone the same way." She looked up, her gaze clear, "like looking at yourself in a mirror."
These words were like a key, suddenly unlocking a locked room in Chen Xiao's heart. His succubus system sounded a sharp alarm, and the data panel flashed wildly—Kato Megumi's favorability towards him suddenly jumped from 30% to 45%.
"Kato-kun," Chen Xiao asked with a smile, "can I pursue you? Just... like an ordinary person."
Kato Megumi's eyes widened in surprise; this was the first time Chen Xiao had seen such a noticeable change in her expression: "Why?"
“Because…” Chen Xiao thought for a moment, then gave a sincere smile, “I want to know what it feels like to be truly seen by you.”
Kato Megumi watched him quietly, her gaze scrutinizing. Outside the infirmary window, cherry blossoms drifted down in the wind, a petal landing in her hair. Chen Xiao reached out to brush it away, but stopped mid-air, waiting for her permission.
This small gesture of restraint seemed to touch Kato Megumi. She nodded slightly, allowing Chen Xiao's hand to rest on her hair.
“I can consider it,” she finally said, her voice barely audible, “but don’t get your hopes up too high.”
For Chen Xiao, this was enough. "Interesting. Things will be different when I win you over," Chen Xiao said, his cunning still evident.
Chapter 105 Having Kato Megumi under her thumb, the next one is Chihaya Aine.
"Interesting. When I win you over, things will be different then." Chen Xiao muttered to himself, a determined glint in his eyes.
"Ah, Chen Xiao, what are you saying? You don't think I can't hear you, do you?" Kato Megumi pouted and looked at Chen Xiao with a serious expression.
Chen Xiao showed no embarrassment whatsoever; instead, his smile widened even more: "It doesn't matter if you can hear me. I said I'll win you over."
His slender fingers tapped lightly on the edge of the infirmary bed, the rhythm mirroring the turbulent emotions in his heart.
Kato Megumi sighed and curled her knees up even tighter: "I feel like Chen Xiao's lecherous eyes are watching me." She said this, but her eyes unconsciously followed Chen Xiao's movements.
Chen Xiao smiled and reached out to ruffle her hair. This intimate gesture made Kato Megumi stiffen slightly, but surprisingly, she didn't pull away.
"I'll take you home after school," Chen Xiao said, her tone leaving no room for refusal.
Kato Megumi opened her mouth as if to refuse, but hesitated when she saw Chen Xiao's focused gaze.
In the end, she simply nodded slightly.
When the school bell rang, Chen Xiao was already waiting at Kato Megumi's desk. All the girls in the class cast surprised or envious glances at her, and whispers rose and fell.
"Isn't that Kato? How could Chen Xiaojun be..."
"I heard that Chen Xiaojun personally took her to the infirmary during PE class today..."
"That Kato Megumi, who has such a low profile?"
Kato Megumi quickly packed her schoolbag with her head down, the tips of her ears slightly red.
Chen Xiao stood calmly to the side, even smiling at the girls who were staring wide-eyed.
"Let's go," Kato Megumi said softly, walking quickly towards the classroom door.
The two walked side by side on the campus path where cherry blossoms were falling, and the setting sun cast long shadows of them.
Yui Yuigahama stood at the corner of the teaching building, her fingers unconsciously following the silhouette of the figure behind her.
Yukino Yukinoshita leaned against the window, observing the scene with indifference.
"This is the first time I've seen Chen Xiao be so proactive towards a woman," Yukinoshita said calmly.
Yuihama's voice betrayed her disappointment: "Yes, in the past, although I said I was going to pursue girls, most of the time it was the girls who were throwing themselves at me..."
"He hasn't made a move on you yet because the time isn't right. Don't fall for it," Yukino Yukinoshita warned.
Chen Xiao seemed oblivious to the gazes from afar, focusing intently on maintaining a perfect distance from Kato Megumi—close enough to show intimacy, yet not so close as to make her feel pressured.
"What does Kato usually do after school?" Chen Xiao asked casually.
"Nothing special... I read books and occasionally go shopping," Kato Megumi replied simply.
Just as Chen Xiao was about to continue the conversation, a pink figure entered his field of vision. It was a girl carrying a guitar, wearing black-rimmed glasses, walking with her head down, looking at her phone, and almost bumped into them.
"Be careful." Chen Xiao reached out and steadied the girl's shoulder.
The girl looked up, revealing a pair of bright eyes behind her black-rimmed glasses.
She looked a year or two younger than them, probably a junior high student.
"Ah, sorry!" the girl apologized hastily, her gaze visibly pausing when it met Chen Xiao's face.
Chen Xiao flashed his signature gentle smile: "Little sister, can I borrow your guitar?"
“Chen Xiao!” Kato Megumi frowned. “You can’t just ask someone for a guitar like that.”
The girl had already untied the straps and handed the guitar to Chen Xiao: "It's okay."
She looked at Chen Xiao curiously. "My name is Chihaya Aine. I just returned from studying abroad. Senior, you can play the guitar? Someone as handsome as you must look amazing playing the guitar."
Chen Xiao took the guitar, lightly touched the strings and tried a few notes: "I know a little bit about it."
He sat down on a bench by the roadside, his slender fingers dancing nimbly across the strings.
The moment the intro started, both Megumi Kato and Ayane Chihaya opened their eyes wide.
I sang a song to express my feelings.
This is not your average campus guitar performance.
Chen Xiao's fingering was incredibly precise, and the melody flowed out like a torrent, sometimes as intense as a storm, and sometimes as gentle as a spring breeze.
When he began to sing, his deep, magnetic voice blended perfectly with the piano music.
Kato Megumi unconsciously held her breath.
She had seen Chen Xiao showcase his various talents in front of girls—his prowess on the basketball court, his excellent exam results, and even his skillful cooking techniques. But the music at this moment was different; it struck straight to the heart, making it irresistible.
When the music ended, a number of students who had been drawn to it had gathered around.
Chihaya Aine clapped excitedly: "That's amazing! Senpai, you're definitely a professional!"
Chen Xiao smiled modestly, but his gaze was fixed on Kato Megumi's face: "Do you like it?"
Kato Megumi pursed her lips, her eyes sparkling: "...Your playing is unparalleled. You're so talented, why are you paying attention to me?"
This answer made Chen Xiao smile even more. He understood girls too well—when they said "it's okay," it often meant they really liked it but didn't want you to know.
However, Megumi Kato honestly said that she played exceptionally well.
"Here's your guitar back, thank you." Chen Xiao returned the instrument to Chihaya Aine, gently touching her hair. "I'll hear you play again sometime."
Chihaya Aine's face flushed red: "I... I don't play as well as you, senpai..."
“Everyone has their own style.” Chen Xiao naturally took out his phone. “Can we add each other on LINE? We can chat about music sometime.”
Kato Megumi watched this scene from the side, her expression subtle.
She knew Chen Xiao's methods all too well—first showcase her talent to pique interest, then create opportunities for further contact. But strangely, she didn't feel disgusted or want to leave as usual.
"Is Kato jealous?"
After seeing Chihaya Aine off, Chen Xiao leaned close to Kato Megumi's ear and whispered a question.
Kato Megumi rolled her eyes at him: "You're overthinking it." But her slightly quickened pace betrayed her emotions.
For the rest of the journey, Chen Xiao deliberately maintained a relaxed and pleasant conversation, and did not mention the matter from earlier.
He talked about interesting things at school, the movies he had recently watched, and even complained about the cafeteria food, just like an ordinary male high school student.
This ordinary conversation actually made Kato Megumi relax, and she would occasionally chime in with a few words.
When they parted ways at the crossroads, Megumi Kato even took the initiative to say, "See you tomorrow."
Chen Xiao stood there, watching Kato Megumi's figure disappear around the street corner, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
His phone vibrated; it was a message from Chihaya Aine:
[Senior, I'm planning to join the school's music club, and if there's an opportunity, I'd like to ask you to be my mentor.]
Chen Xiao quickly replied with an "OK" and then put his phone back in his pocket.
The setting sun cast his shadow long, like a carefully woven net, silently enveloping the two very different girls.
The next morning, Chen Xiao made a special detour to buy Kato Megumi's favorite lemon tea.
When he placed the drink on her desk, the girls in the class let out a series of quiet gasps.
Kato Megumi stared at the bottle of drink for a long time before finally whispering, "Thank you."
These two simple words gave Chen Xiao a strange sense of satisfaction—not from the system notification of increased favorability, but from something purer.
However, the peace was short-lived. During the lunch break, an unexpected visitor broke the tranquility.
Chihaya Aine appeared in the high school building, holding several flyers for a music festival.
"Senior!" She waved excitedly at Chen Xiao, completely unaware that the atmosphere in the classroom had instantly frozen.
Kato Megumi watched as the lively junior high school girl ran up to Chen Xiao, and the two chatted enthusiastically about the details of the music festival.
She silently closed her lunchbox, got up, and left the classroom.
Chen Xiao noticed Kato Megumi leaving, but he didn't chase after her immediately.
Sometimes, a little jealousy can actually accelerate the development of feelings.
He listened to Chihaya Aine speak with a smile, but his gaze drifted to the window—Kato Megumi sat alone under a tree, his back looking particularly lonely.
"Senior? Are you listening?" Chihaya Aine asked, tilting her head.
“Of course.” Chen Xiao looked away. “But I have some things to take care of right now. We can talk about the details later, okay?”
He picked up the lunchbox that Kato Megumi had left behind and followed her.
Chihaya Aine sighed softly, "Senpai, you really are as legendary as they say, a womanizer. I need to learn to control myself and not be attracted to you."
Chen Xiao, carrying the lunchbox left behind by Kato Megumi, hurried towards the cherry blossom tree in the corner of the campus. From afar, he saw Kato Megumi sitting alone on a bench under the tree, fiddling with her phone. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on her.