Chapter 81: Were You Kicked in the Head by a Donkey?

As soon as the message was sent, Jiang Muwen saw the phrase “The other party is typing…” at the top of the chat page. She watched as Wen Yichen typed and erased, edited and re-edited, only to finally send a single word: “Okay.”

It felt as if something had suddenly vanished from her heart, leaving her frustrated and suffocated. She wanted to send Wen Yichen another message, to ask about that photograph, to understand what was really going on between him and Xia Manman. But after typing and deleting several drafts, she cleared the input box again—forget it, if she kept pressing on this issue, he’d probably find her annoying…

In the end, Jiang Muwen set her phone aside and pulled out her homework. She worked late into the night, not only finishing her assignments but also lying awake in bed, unable to sleep.

The next day, she was utterly drained, devoid of energy, as if she had suffered some immense blow… No, she had indeed been wounded.

She barely spoke all day; apart from listening in class, she spent her breaks with her head down, sleeping on her desk. Xia Manman, undeterred by wind or rain, continued to approach Wen Yichen with questions, and Jiang Muwen had gradually grown numb to it all.

“Wen Yichen… I have a question I can’t figure out. Can you help me?” Xia Manman’s voice reached Jiang Muwen’s ears again, making her uncomfortable all over.

Wen Yichen glanced at the problem, then instinctively looked toward Jiang Muwen. His lips parted, about to refuse.

Finally, Jiang Muwen slowly straightened her back and leaned against her chair, glancing at Xia Manman standing beside Wen Yichen. Though she had so much she wanted to complain about, she held it in.

She took a deep breath, then exhaled, as if restraining herself. Her small hand reached into the desk, pulled out a workbook, and tossed it onto the table.

“Bang—” The sound drew the attention of the nearby classmates.

At that moment, the atmosphere around Jiang Muwen felt heavy. Even though she said nothing, no one dared ask what had happened.

The noise naturally caught Wen Yichen’s attention. He looked up, gazing at Jiang Muwen’s back, suddenly sensing something was wrong…

She seemed… upset?

Wen Yichen looked at Jiang Muwen, then at Xia Manman, gripping his pen with hesitation.

He really didn’t want to explain the question, but out of courtesy, he didn’t know how to refuse.

“Xia Manman,” Bai Xu finally couldn’t stand it anymore. Propping his head in his hand, a trace of laziness still in his eyes, he said, “Did you not pay attention in class? You can’t even solve this kind of problem? Do you really think Brother Chen has nothing better to do than explain trivial questions to you?”

Bai Xu was fed up with Xia Manman—she came to Wen Yichen’s desk nearly every break, asking questions that seemed almost foolish. He couldn’t understand why Wen Yichen would indulge her and keep explaining things.

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Hearing Bai Xu’s words, Xia Manman froze. She glanced awkwardly at him, then at Wen Yichen. “Wen Yichen…”

“You should ask the teacher. The answer will be more professional,” Wen Yichen replied, putting away his pen and pushing the homework toward her.

Refused so directly, Xia Manman had no reason to linger by Wen Yichen’s side. She mumbled an “oh,” and walked away, crestfallen.

“Wen Yichen, has a donkey kicked your brain?” As soon as Xia Manman left, Bai Xu pressed Wen Yichen for answers.

“…?”

“She’s like a weasel wishing a chicken a happy New Year, and you can’t see it?” Bai Xu scooted his chair closer. “Are you living in the mountains? Don’t you know how the classmates are gossiping about you two lately?”

His voice was low, barely audible to anyone but the two of them.

“There’s nothing between me and her. The more they talk, the worse it gets, isn’t it?” Wen Yichen replied. He was right, but without an explanation, the classmates would assume he tacitly agreed. In any case, it was a mess he couldn’t untangle.

“Just stop being so nice to her, won’t you?” Bai Xu looked at Wen Yichen, genuinely tempted to crack his head open and see what was inside.

“You don’t understand. Last time I was harsh with her and made her cry…” Wen Yichen finally confessed to Bai Xu. He was wary of Xia Manman, afraid that saying anything might make her cry again.

“I think she’s pretty tough…” Bai Xu muttered, then leaned back in his chair. “I just scolded her and she didn’t cry.”

Wen Yichen looked at Bai Xu, lips parted to say something, but the class bell rang. Bai Xu seemed uninterested in continuing, dragged his chair back, and patted Wen Yichen on the shoulder. “The one you should really be concerned about is her… right?”

As he spoke, Bai Xu shifted his gaze toward Jiang Muwen, gently nodding to urge Wen Yichen to pay her more attention. After all—her state today was clearly off.

Following Bai Xu’s gaze, Wen Yichen looked toward Jiang Muwen. The girl was engrossed in her book, her small figure hunched over. He leaned forward, gently poking her with his pen.

No reaction at all.

With the teacher about to enter, Wen Yichen had no choice but to sit there, anxious, deciding he’d talk to Jiang Muwen after school.

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Yet even Wen Yichen hadn’t expected Jiang Muwen’s mood to be so low, so low that he didn’t dare approach her directly, and could only quietly follow by her side.

She walked in silence, and he shadowed her every step, watching her carefully and attending to her every move.

“Wen Yichen—”

Suddenly, Xia Manman’s voice called out from behind, making Wen Yichen startle.

He turned and glanced at Xia Manman.

She trotted over, glancing at Jiang Muwen beside him—who indeed looked unhappy.

Seeing this, Xia Manman felt a secret satisfaction, then looked expectantly at Wen Yichen. “I thought I wouldn’t be able to walk home with you two today.”

“…”

“…”

After she spoke, silence fell once more. Jiang Muwen glanced at Xia Manman—this girl had never walked home with them, so why did she stick to them like chewing gum for a whole semester?

The more Jiang Muwen thought about it, the less she understood. She parted her lips, about to voice all her doubts, but Wen Yichen spoke first: “You really can’t walk home with us today. We’re in a hurry, so we’re taking a cab.”

As he spoke, Wen Yichen’s large hand grasped Jiang Muwen’s, enveloping hers completely. The warmth from his palm spread to hers, making her heart race wildly.

The next moment, he gently pulled her forward. His strength wasn’t great, but it seemed magical, compelling her to follow him willingly.

Before she could react, Wen Yichen’s soft, gentle voice whispered in her ear, “Jiang Muwen, let’s take a cab home today. My mom is waiting for us to have dinner together!”

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