Back in the classroom, thankfully Li Yanwang wasn't there.
Class monitor Mu Nan glanced at them as they returned, signaling with her eyes for them to quickly sit down.
Many students in the classroom looked at the group with curiosity, wondering what they had gone out to do together.
The group quickly returned to their respective seats.
Cui Ying deliberately lowered her head, not wanting anyone to see her left cheek.
If this matter got out, it would naturally be Xu Ying's fault, but she and Qiu Man also didn't want to be gossiped about.
At the back of the classroom, Xu Ying's gloomy gaze was fixed on Qin Tian and the others. She held a pen in her hand, drawing lines forcefully on her draft paper.
Beside her, Wu Xin glanced at her, then at Qin Tian, who had just sat down, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
It wasn't just him; many of the sharper students in the classroom, after a brief consideration of the situation of Xu Ying and Qin Tian returning to the classroom one after another, had their own suspicions.
"Zhang Peng, what's going on?"
Qian Sheng, sitting diagonally opposite Zhang Peng, turned to him and asked in a low voice.
Several students around them all perked up their ears.
"What's going on?"
Zhang Peng feigned an expression of confusion.
"Don't play dumb, tell us, where did you guys go?"
Qian Sheng pressed with a smile.
Zhang Peng ignored him, took out a study guide, and pretended to start doing exercises.
"Old Master Zhang, that girl from the class outside the classroom earlier, is that how she called you?"
Qian Sheng's face was full of schadenfreude, and his tone carried a hint of threat.
Zhang Peng glanced at him, then suddenly looked in the direction of class monitor Mu Nan and called out, "Monitor, Qian Sheng is constantly disturbing my studies!"
"Holy cow!"
Qian Sheng's expression changed, and he quickly turned back.
"Everyone be quiet and study; we don't have much time."
Mu Nan frowned, glared at the two of them, and said loudly to everyone in the class.
As soon as she finished speaking, the whispering in the classroom finally ceased.
"Qin Tian, thank you."
Xia Nuannuan leaned closer and whispered her thanks in a voice only they could hear.
Qin Tian looked at her with a smile.
"If you hadn't been there just now, I really wouldn't have known what to do."
Xia Nuannuan said with a serious expression.
After all, it was because of her that Cui Ying and Qiu Man had incurred Xu Ying's resentment.
"Do we need to be so polite between us?"
Qin Tian asked with a playful smile.
Xia Nuannuan's pretty face flushed slightly, and she instinctively nodded, then hastily shook her head.
"Alright, let's do our exercises!"
Qin Tian said, unable to suppress a chuckle.
Xia Nuannuan responded with a sound like a mosquito's hum and then lowered her head to focus on her work.
After the first evening self-study session ended, Su Yan and Tian Jiajia came again. They learned about the events from Xia Nuannuan.
Tian Jiajia was furious. If Su Yan and Xia Nuannuan hadn't stopped her, she would have stormed into the classroom to curse Xu Ying.
This was her specialty.
After Tian Jiajia finally calmed down her anger, she cupped her hand over her mouth and asked, "Nuannuan, you weren't lying to me just now, were you? That Old Master Zhang actually dared to fight with two boys?"
Xia Nuannuan chuckled and nodded, "Zhang Peng is actually a pretty good person."
"Doesn't he like one of those girls?"
Tian Jiajia lowered her voice and asked again, glancing at Cui Ying and Qiu Man, who were sitting by the window in the classroom.
Xia Nuannuan was taken aback by this and looked at her with a strange expression.
Su Yan also showed a hint of surprise on her face.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Tian Jiajia blinked with a puzzled expression.
"Jiajia, do... do you like Zhang Peng?"
Xia Nuannuan's words were startling.
Tian Jiajia was instantly dumbfounded.
Su Yan looked at Xia Nuannuan with surprise, thinking she was truly amazing.
As expected of someone with experience, she could utter such words so easily.
"Ah???"
After a long pause, Tian Jiajia suddenly exclaimed.
Many students in the classroom heard the exclamation and looked over with curious gazes.
"Shhh... keep it down."
Xia Nuannuan put her finger to her lips and made a shushing gesture.
Tian Jiajia nodded repeatedly, her face full of disdain as she whispered, "Nuannuan, what are you talking about? How could I possibly like that jerk? Impossible, impossible, even if all the men in the world died, it would still be impossible! What were you thinking? You scared me to death."
"Really? Why do I feel like you're paying a lot of attention to him?"
Xia Nuannuan frowned slightly, staring at her intently, feeling that she was being disingenuous.
"That's because he's too much of a jerk. Liking him? Absolutely impossible, even if I were beaten to death, it would still be impossible!"
Tian Jiajia waved her hands vigorously, denying it with firm conviction.
"What do you think?"
Xia Nuannuan's questioning gaze turned to Su Yan beside her.
Tian Jiajia smiled and said, "Nuannuan, what are you thinking? She knows me best..."
"I also feel that way a little."
Su Yan nodded slightly, agreeing with Xia Nuannuan's statement.
Tian Jiajia was stunned.
"Jiajia, there's nothing wrong with admitting you like someone. I'll help you."
Xia Nuannuan raised her hand and patted her shoulder, saying earnestly.
At this moment, she felt that she had finally found a kindred spirit.
Otherwise, all her good friends were single, and she was the only one who was always teased and ridiculed, which made her feel quite embarrassed.
"Nuannuan, I really don't like him!"
Tian Jiajia looked as if she were about to cry.
"Okay, okay, you don't like him, I understand everything!"
Xia Nuannuan said in agreement, but in her heart, she was already contemplating how to get the two of them together.
"Yanyan..."
Tian Jiajia cast a pleading glance at her good friend Su Yan.
Su Yan smiled gently and nodded, "I think it's great. I wish you successful singlehood soon."
"Ahhh... are you both crazy?"
Tian Jiajia covered her head with her hands, looking as if she were about to cry.
...
...
"What? Tian Jiajia likes Zhang Peng?"
Qin Tian was stunned by this shocking news, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Xia Nuannuan put her finger to her lips and made a shushing gesture, beckoning him over.
Qin Tian quickly nodded, leaned his ear closer, and glanced at where Old Master Zhang was. He saw that Zhang Peng was holding a tissue and was enjoying picking his nose.
To be fair, although Tian Jiajia couldn't compare to Su Yan and Xia Nuannuan, in the eyes of most boys, she was definitely considered a beauty.
Her forthright and cheerful personality was also very appealing.
Of course, her sharp-tongued ability to not back down when facing Zhang Peng was a bit intimidating.
In Qin Tian's opinion, Zhang Peng and Tian Jiajia were like a bickering pair who clashed whenever they met. How did she suddenly fall for him?
"It's true. Jiajia is too embarrassed to admit it, but Su Yan and I can both see it."
Xia Nuannuan whispered in his ear.
"She even asked me if Zhang Peng liked Cui Ying or Qiu Man. She must be jealous. She says she'd rather die than like him, but that's just saying the opposite!"
"Mm, the 'true fragrance' principle, I understand that."
Qin Tian nodded in realization.
"The 'true fragrance' principle?"
Xia Nuannuan looked at him with surprise.
"It's one of the four fundamental essences of humanity. No one can escape it."
Qin Tian stated earnestly.