WWML 29

chapter 29

“Want to scold me a bit?”

The voice was calm and cool, suddenly sounding.

Gu Zhao jumped, her hand trembling, almost losing her grip on the steering wheel.

Damn it.

She had been pretending to sleep.

“Scold me?” Gu Qingning opened her eyes. Her gaze was clear, showing no trace of sleepiness.

Gu Zhao felt like dying. “……”

Her ears were incredibly sharp.

He forced a chuckle. “No, no, my second brother was joking. He’s always a bit unpredictable. Don’t take it seriously.”

Gu Qingning didn’t respond, turning to look out the window instead.

The cold atmosphere was even more awkward than before.

Gu Zhao felt exhausted, as if he had gone back to square one overnight.

That mouth of his second brother really caused a lot of trouble.

At the bank, Gu Qingning refused Gu Zhao’s company and went in alone.

Fortunately, there weren’t many customers, and she quickly got her card.

When she came out, she saw Gu Zhao’s car was still there, so she tapped on the window.

Meeting Gu Zhao’s gaze, she asked, “Why haven’t you left yet?”

Gu Zhao smiled. “Get in. Wherever you want to go, I’ll take you.”

Being a good brother, he was willing to go as far as acting as her driver.

Gu Qingning looked up at a phone store across the street. “No need. You go ahead if you have something to do. Don’t wait for me. I’m going to buy a phone.”

Buy a phone?

Gu Zhao’s eyes lit up, and he quickly got out of the car.

He hurried after her into the store in just a few strides.

As soon as they entered, a sales assistant approached.

“Welcome!”

Gu Zhao nodded. “We’ll just look ourselves.”

The assistant smiled and stepped aside.

Browsing the counters, Gu Zhao couldn’t help giving suggestions.

“Qingning, this one’s better. Why don’t you take a look?”

Gu Qingning said nothing, her eyes fixed on the counter opposite.

She stepped forward and told the assistant, “Please get the white one in the middle.”

“Sure, please wait a moment.”

The assistant took the phone from the display case, handed it to her with both hands, and spoke softly, “You have good taste. This phone is a recently released model, very cost-effective, and has excellent camera resolution. You can try it out.”

Gu Qingning glanced at the phone and replied in a flat voice, “No need to try. I’ll take this one. Also, please help me get a SIM card.”

So straightforward that the assistant was slightly taken aback.

“Okay, please wait a moment.”

During this time, Gu Qingning turned to the counter to pay.

“Card payment.”

Two voices spoke in unison.

Gu Zhao handed his bank card to the assistant. “Use this one.”

“Wait.” Gu Qingning pulled her card back and gave hers instead.

“Use this one.”

The assistant smiled and nodded. “Please wait a moment.”

Gu Qingning turned to the man beside her and returned his card.

Gu Zhao looked helpless, took back his card, and sighed lightly. “You can’t accept a little gift from your brother?”

Gu Qingning replied calmly, “Soft and hard tactics don’t work on me.”

“……”

Second brother, you’ve really gotten me into trouble.

After paying, Gu Qingning pocketed her phone without another glance.

Before leaving, Gu Zhao deliberately asked the assistant for Gu Qingning’s phone number.

Sitting in the car, Gu Zhao buckled his seatbelt and asked, “Qingning, why don’t you save third brother’s number? Call me if you need anything.”

Gu Qingning looked at her phone and refused decisively. “No need.”

Those two words again made Gu Zhao twitch his lips.

Good thing he had been smart enough to get her number first.

On the way back to school, Gu Zhao couldn’t help talking.

“Qingning, really, there’s no rush for the grade-skipping exam. If you don’t do well this time, it’s okay. Don’t stress too much.”

The backseat was silent.

“Qingning, why not think carefully about the exam?” Gu Zhao glanced at the rearview mirror and continued.

“Actually, second grade isn’t bad either. I can talk to the principal and transfer you to second grade. How about that?”

Regarding grade skipping, he had experience. Her entrance exam had been terrible; at that level, she couldn’t have passed.

Moreover, the grade-skipping exam was public. If she failed, the whole school would know, and it might hurt her pride.

“No.” Gu Qingning’s voice was calm. “There’s no need.”

Her tone was certain, without hesitation.

Gu Zhao was speechless, moved his lips, but said nothing.

Arriving at school, there was still over half an hour before the exam.

As soon as she got out, someone came looking for Gu Zhao.

“Qingning, I’ll be back later,” he said, then followed the vice principal.

The warm sunlight shone around her as Gu Qingning walked slowly out of the parking lot.

She reached into her pocket. Besides her phone, there were a few coins, and for a moment, an exceptionally handsome face appeared in her mind.

Lost in thought for a moment, she pulled out her phone and smoothly dialed a number.

It didn’t take long for the person on the other end to answer.

“Who’s this?”

A calm, low, magnetic voice, particularly pleasant to the ear.

Gu Qingning’s eyes narrowed slightly. “It’s me, Gu Qingning.”

The other side was silent for a moment, then a low laugh reached her ears. “I thought some little kid had forgotten about me.”

Listening closely, there was a trace of grievance in the tone.

Gu Qingning pursed her lips. “I haven’t forgotten.”

Just three words, and it instantly made Master Fu’s heart leap with joy.

The little lion had behaved.

However, she followed up with words that crushed him.

“I still owe you two hundred yuan.”

“……”

Fu Juncheng felt a chill.

He was just two hundred yuan?

He closed the file and tossed it on the table. “Is this your phone number?”

Gu Qingning replied, “Yes. When you have time, I’ll repay you, or I can transfer it.”

Her distant and polite tone made him frown. Fu Juncheng tapped the table lightly. “No need to pay. Just let me treat you to a meal.”

Gu Qingning hesitated, but finally agreed. “Okay, you decide the time and place.”

His deep voice carried a trace of urgency. “Then noon?”

“I have an exam soon. I can’t make it at noon.”

“Exam?” Fu Juncheng was slightly surprised and seized the opportunity to ask, “Which school are you at?”

Gu Qingning answered truthfully. “Yizhong.”

He had his ways to check anyway.

Yizhong?

Fu Juncheng raised his brow, then said, “Alright then. If you get a perfect score, you don’t have to pay. I’ll treat you to a meal.”

Gu Qingning’s lips curled into a teasing smile. “Are you sure? You still have a chance to go back on your word.”

Hearing the challenge in her tone, Fu Juncheng chuckled softly. His voice was gentle, magnetic. “Such confidence from the little kid? Going to take first place?”

Gu Qingning thought for a moment. The grade-skipping exam seemed to be ranked. “There are no rankings for this exam.”

Fu Juncheng blinked. “No rankings?”

How could an exam have no rankings?

“I want to enter senior year, so I have to take the grade-skipping exam,” Gu Qingning explained calmly.

Fu Juncheng understood.

His deep cold eyes softened with a smile. His low voice said, “Do well. Get a perfect score, and I’ll celebrate for you.”

After hearing Gu Zhao and others doubt her, his sudden trust left her slightly stunned.

After a moment, Gu Qingning asked hesitantly, “Do you really think I can pass?”

“As long as it’s you, I believe.” Fu Juncheng’s lips lifted slightly, a trace of smile lingering in his deep eyes.

He teased, “After all, a hot-tempered little lion wouldn’t do something she wasn’t sure of.”