OHHACOM Chapter 23.2

He Zheng immediately turned to Jiang Nuan, “Nice! Nuan-ge! Hurry up and mess up your brain! Lu Ran’s brain is so sharp, if he gives it to you, you’ll get into Tsinghua or Peking University for sure!”

Jiang Nuan quickly crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at He Zheng’s face.

Another boy joined in, laughing, “He Zheng—better watch out! Lu Ran’s got Jiang Nuan’s back now! Don’t get yourself into trouble with him!”

Lu Ran turned and picked up the chalk. “Now, let’s focus on the problem.”

In an instant, everyone flipped open their physics notebooks to the problem, heads tilted up to the board.

Some girls whispered to each other, “Oh my god—Lu Ran just made that statement…”

“So heartbreaking… Do you think he actually likes Jiang Nuan? Whoever poured water into her bag must be regretting it so much right now!”

“Yeah, instead of causing trouble for Jiang Nuan, they ended up making Lu Ran speak out! But Lu Ran… there’s no way he likes Jiang Nuan, right? Last semester, he was so cold to everyone! Maybe he just couldn’t stand the bullying.”

“Suddenly, I’m reminded of Young and Dangerous, where Chan Ho-nam always had Little Stammer’s back!”

Hearing these hushed conversations, Jiang Nuan was about to go crazy!

She didn’t feel any joy from being “protected” by Lu Ran. Instead, she was worried that the rumors would spiral out of control!

“Enough! Chan Ho-nam never actually protected Little Stammer! Little Stammer ended up dead!” Jiang Nuan grumbled angrily.

This was followed by a round of light laughter.

Meanwhile, Lu Ran, standing on the podium, acted as if he hadn’t heard anything. He continued to conduct his mechanics analysis with a calm and steady demeanor.

“What kind of nonsense was that? I don’t want your brain! And who says you can’t hit girls? Use your brain and tell me who did it, and I’ll go hit them myself!” Jiang Nuan felt like her chair was on fire, making it impossible to sit still.

Unexpectedly, Lu Ran turned around and pointedly called her out, “Jiang Nuan, do you understand?”

“No! I don’t want your brain!”

Finally, after enduring the rest of the afternoon classes, the homeroom teacher came in at the end of the day and said to the class, “It’s been almost a week since school started. If anyone has any complaints or issues with their seating arrangements, now is the time to bring them up. Within reason, we can discuss possible changes.”

Some students raised their hands, complaining about being blocked from the blackboard or not being able to see clearly from the back. A few even managed to switch to the seats they wanted.

This was her chance! Jiang Nuan decided to save herself!

She raised her hand high, “Teacher Nie! I think my eyesight has gotten worse this semester. Could I move closer to the front?”

Yes, if she could move away from Lu Ran’s vicinity, then Lin Mixia and the other girls who liked him wouldn’t have as many excuses to bother her. The rumors might even die down on their own!

Teacher Nie nodded, “Alright, I’ve noticed you squinting a lot during class. How about you switch with Yao Qin in the front row? If your eyesight really is getting worse, it might be time to consider getting glasses. Yao Qin, do you mind?”

Yao Qin agreed. She didn’t like her current seatmate, who wasn’t known for cleanliness.

Jiang Nuan happily packed up her belongings and switched seats with Yao Qin.

Teacher Nie asked again, “Anyone else uncomfortable with their seating arrangement?”

At that moment, Lu Ran raised his hand.

“And me, Teacher Nie.”

Instantly, Lu Ran became the center of attention.

Lin Mixia looked at him in shock.

“What’s wrong? Is this seat not good for you?” Teacher Nie was very concerned about Lu Ran’s dissatisfaction with his seat.

“My eyesight has worsened this semester too. Please help me switch seats.” Lu Ran’s voice was calm.

Jiang Nuan pursed her lips, thinking: What a hassle.

Lin Mixia couldn’t hold back and immediately said, “You didn’t seem to have any trouble seeing during class!”

“You’re not me.” Lu Ran replied.

The classroom fell silent again.

Jiang Nuan didn’t have time to care about the tension between Lu Ran and Lin Mixia. She smiled at her new seatmate, glancing at their desk out of the corner of her eye.

Her new desk partner’s area was “cluttered” filled with tissues that looked like they had been used to wipe either a nose or a shoe. Their textbooks had oil stains… Jiang Nuan wasn’t a neat freak, but this was a bit much even for her.

Her seatmate smiled at her, revealing a piece of chili stuck to their teeth—a rather comical sight.

“But Lu Ran, you’re quite tall. Moving you to the front might be a problem for the others. Let’s see if anyone is willing to switch with you.”

Lu Ran turned slightly. Some of the boys sitting in the front were eager to move back. After all, being right under the teacher’s nose wasn’t ideal for sneaking around during class.

“Liu Yu, would you be willing to switch with me?”

Jiang Nuan was stunned. Of all the names he could call, why did he have to call her new seatmate?

Don’t agree!

Don’t agree!

Don’t agree!

Jiang Nuan almost wanted to burn three incense sticks and pray in front of Liu Yu.

Liu Yu turned around, smiling in a way that crushed Jiang Nuan’s hopes.

She suddenly remembered that Rao Can had once told her that Liu Yu had a crush on Lin Mixia!

Now, getting to sit next to Lin Mixia? Liu Yu was probably overjoyed!

But Lin Mixia was glaring daggers at Liu Yu, as if ready to rip his head off if he nodded.

But Liu Yu didn’t care and responded, “Sure!”

Jiang Nuan’s heart shattered!

What was the point of moving closer to the blackboard now? She was just going to be under the teacher’s scrutiny with no benefit!

And now Lin Mixia and her group might cause even more trouble for her!

Jiang Nuan clutched her textbooks, helplessly watching as Liu Yu stuffed his messy things into his backpack and casually stood up.

Jiang Nuan wanted to tug on his sleeve and say, “Don’t go” but Lu Ran had already packed up his things neatly and slung his backpack over his shoulder. Under the watchful eyes of the entire class, he made his way to Liu Yu’s desk.

His gaze fell on Jiang Nuan’s hand, which was still reaching out. She immediately pulled it back.

Liu Yu left, and Lu Ran calmly sat down as if completing a cycle.

He looked at the desk, still cluttered with Liu Yu’s trash.

Without a word, Lu Ran brought over a trash can and placed it by his feet. Zhou Yan, who sat nearby, shyly handed him a packet of tissues. He softly thanked her.

Lu Ran used the tissues to wipe all the garbage off the desk into the trash can.

He didn’t put his backpack in the desk right away. Instead, he tilted his body slightly and frowned as he reached inside, pulling out a plastic bag.

Whatever was in the bag had gone moldy, covered in a layer of green fuzz.

Zhou Yan, who had been ready to help, recoiled in disgust, and the other students were shocked as well.

Jiang Nuan smelled something rotten and immediately covered her mouth, stepping back.

Oh my gosh!

What is that thing?

He Zheng, sitting near the podium, burst out laughing.

“Liu Yu! Did you leave a bun or a steamed roll in there? Did you want to treat Lu Ran to a snack?”

A few students who couldn’t help but laugh easily joined in.

Jiang Nuan, who had originally felt miserable about sitting next to Lu Ran, couldn’t help but feel a bit gleeful now.

That’s what you get for switching seats! Let’s see if you can even fit your backpack in there!

“Lu Ran, you’d better check carefully… Who knows what other treasures might be in there? You wouldn’t want to crush your backpack.” Jiang Nuan teased in a “good-natured” tone.

Lu Ran didn’t say anything. His hand trembled slightly, and the plastic bag nearly swung into Jiang Nuan’s face. Thankfully, she reacted quickly and dodged.

With a “plop” the bag landed in the trash can.

After school that evening, Jiang Nuan happily headed home with her backpack, feeling giddy watching Lu Ran disinfect his desk with cleaning supplies borrowed from the school janitor. She was so happy she could eat three bowls of rice!

On the bus, Jiang Nuan and Rao Can were recounting the day’s events to Cheng Doudou, though their focus was slightly different.

Jiang Nuan was thrilled that Liu Yu’s “treasures” had grossed Lu Ran out.

“Hahaha, you should have seen the look on Lu Ran’s face! It was priceless! Do you think I should start hiding steamed buns in my desk too?”

“You’re so hopeless.” Rao Can nudged Jiang Nuan’s head. “You didn’t see Lin Mixia’s expression. First, Lu Ran voluntarily asked to switch seats, which was like a slap in her face. And then he completely ignored her lingering feelings for him. On top of that, he ended up switching Liu Yu over to sit next to her. That probably drove Lin Mixia to the brink of a breakdown!”

After Rao Can finished, Cheng Doudou tilted her head and said, “Why do I feel like Lu Ran was avenging Jiang Nuan?”

“Avenge me? For what?”

“For Lin Mixia telling Zhou Yan and the other girls that your pants were altered from Lu Ran’s old school pants! And today, someone poured water into your bag, right? That could have been Lin Mixia too!”

Jiang Nuan thought for a moment and said, “I don’t think it was Lin Mixia who poured water into my bag.”

“Why not?”

“She’s too proud for that. She wouldn’t stoop to pouring water into my bag.”

“Wow, you’re being all magnanimous now?”

“It’s not about being magnanimous. I just believe in confronting the right person for the right crime.”

As they spoke, they saw Lu Ran riding his bike past them.

“So cool and carefree” Rao Can said with a smirk. “Honestly, looking back, your crush on Lu Ran wasn’t bad at all. Today, when he stood on the podium and declared that anyone who bullied you wouldn’t be able to graduate… Lu Ran really must have lost his mind!”

“…I’m going to strangle you!”

That night, when Jiang Nuan got home, she spread out her homework and started working diligently. She decided to finish the basic problems first and leave the harder ones for later.

At 8:30 p.m., she stretched and sneezed.

Her mom always liked to leave the window open to let in some fresh air, but she never remembered to close it. Didn’t she realize that the late spring chill could freeze her to death?

Just as Jiang Nuan reached the window, she saw two people standing downstairs—a boy and a girl.

Both were wearing jackets over their Affiliated High school uniforms.

“What’s this? A budding romance? Meeting in the courtyard like this—aren’t they afraid of getting caught by their parents?” Jiang Nuan rubbed her chin, regretting that she hadn’t bought a bag of sunflower seeds after school.

The more she looked, the more familiar the two figures seemed. Isn’t that… isn’t that…