[Absolute Heartthrob] Chapter 3

When Yan Xi was young and naive, she often said she wanted to “marry Jiang Chizhou and be his wife.” Everyone knew the two didn’t get along.

As they grew older, they learned to mask their true feelings in front of adults, but beneath the surface, the tension between them never faded. On many occasions, Yan Xi tried various tricks to sabotage Jiang Chizhou’s romantic prospects. This time, however, she ended up falling into his trap!

Listening to him shamelessly take advantage of the situation, Yan Xi twitched her lips and said, “Jiang Chizhou, where’s your sense of shame?”

She tilted her head slightly, glancing at his chin and side profile. She couldn’t deny it—her rival was indeed good-looking. He had a high nose bridge, sharp jawline, and handsome features that made him the type of boy girls at school fawned over.

But Yan Xi reminded herself not to be fooled by his appearance. She was about to wriggle out of his arms when he pulled her even closer.

Unwilling to let her arch-nemesis control the situation, Yan Xi opened her mouth to reveal the truth, “I don’t—mmph…”

Before she could finish, his warm hand covered half her face. Jiang Chizhou took a long step forward, his foot resting on hers, preventing her from moving. His broad chest blocked Yan Xi’s entire view, and from an outsider’s perspective, it looked as though they were kissing.

The school beauty shook her head in disbelief, unable to accept what she saw, and eventually left in tears.

Meanwhile, their dog Bian Bian calmly trotted over to the side, lay down, and panted.

For the first time, Yan Xi realized the difference in strength between herself and Jiang Chizhou. Unwilling to back down, she grabbed his wrist and pressed down hard. Then, in a swift motion, she bit his thumb.

“Hiss…” Jiang Chizhou winced and jerked his hand away, saliva glistening on his thumb. “Yan Xi, are you a dog?”

Yan Xi gritted her teeth and snapped back, “I’m your dog!” Her intention had been to insult him by comparing him to their dog, but somehow, the words came out sounding different.

Jiang Chizhou casually wiped the saliva off his thumb, completely unbothered. His lips curled into a smile, his eyes gleaming with amusement. “Oh, so you’re after me, huh?”

“Ugh! No way!” Seizing the opportunity while he was relaxed, Yan Xi quickly retreated. “Even if I stay single for life, I’d never go after you!”

Bian Bian, their dog, looked up with its big, puzzled eyes as if wondering why it kept being dragged into their argument.

Despite the bickering, they both still had to go home.

Yan Xi tugged on the leash, only to find that Bian Bian kept wanting to get closer to Jiang Chizhou. Frustrated, she threatened, “Bian Bian, you traitor, no extra treats for you tonight!”

“Woof! Woof!” Bian Bian barked in protest.

Jiang Chizhou glanced at her with a smug smile. “Good job, Bian Bian. I’ll reward you with double the treats tomorrow.”

Bian Bian happily spun in a circle on the spot.

Yan Xi: Ugh!

Staring down at Bian Bian, Yan Xi regretted her past decisions. Back then, in her attempt to drive away all of Jiang Chizhou’s romantic interests, she had deliberately let Bian Bian bond with him. Now, not only had their relationship improved, but Bian Bian also treated him as its owner!

All the frustration she felt now stemmed from that foolish decision she made years ago. She huffed, “I’m going to tell your mom and report your early dating.”

“Go ahead,” Jiang Chizhou said, completely unfazed. “My mom would probably think her future daughter-in-law is finally secured.”

And he was right. Jiang’s mom was happily married, spoiled by her husband, and had no issues with her son dating early. In fact, back when Yan Xi’s mom, Zhao Qiujing, warned her daughter not to date, Jiang’s mom had even chimed in, talking about how pure and innocent school love was…

As Yan Xi recalled the scene of Jiang Chizhou holding her, the lingering warmth around her waist made her fume. “You don’t even like her, but you still went to the park with her?”

“Went on a date?” Jiang Chizhou clicked his tongue and lazily patted the top of her head. “Yan Xi, how did you not give your Chinese teacher a heart attack?”

Most girls were protective of their hair and didn’t like others touching it, but it seemed Yan Xi didn’t mind.

On the way home from the park, they bickered the entire time, and before they knew it, they had arrived at their building.

Their homes were in different directions, and when Yan Xi turned to leave, Bian Bian refused to follow her. It kept turning its head toward Jiang Chizhou. Annoyed, Yan Xi took a deep breath and shoved the leash into Jiang Chizhou’s hand. “Here, take him. I don’t want this traitor anymore!”

With that, she walked off in a huff, her steps full of exaggerated confidence. As she turned, the tip of her long ponytail accidentally brushed against Jiang Chizhou’s palm, leaving behind a fleeting ticklish sensation.

Jiang Chizhou stood still for a few seconds, his gaze lowering as he bent down to pat Bian Bian’s soft fur. “Bian Bian, your sister is really funny.”

Bian Bian: *You’re the funny one! Your whole family is funny!*

—

With only a week left before the fall semester began, Yan Xi was busy helping her mom clean the house.

After cleaning up and changing the bedsheets, Zhao Qiujing nodded in satisfaction. “Ran Ran will be coming over the day after tomorrow. She’s shy, but you kids will get along well. Make sure to ask her if she needs anything.”

While placing a green potted plant on the windowsill, Yan Xi waved her hand dismissively. “I know, Mom. You’ve reminded me at least ten times already.”

Ran Ran was her cousin, full name Xiao Ran, and they were the same age, with birthdays only a day apart. Xiao Ran was a good student, and now that they were both going to the same high school, it seemed like fate.

Xiao Ran’s family lived far away, making it inconvenient for her to attend school. Due to financial difficulties, they couldn’t afford to rent an apartment near the school, and the cost of boarding at the school and meals was too much for her aunt to handle.

Unable to care for her third daughter, Yan Xi’s aunt felt troubled, so Zhao Qiujing offered to help.

It wasn’t out of nosiness but rather gratitude. Zhao Qiujing often said, “When our family was struggling, your aunt dropped out of school to work and support me and your uncle. She went through a lot.”

Yan Xi’s aunt had married young to support her siblings, but she hadn’t had much luck in life. Now, she relied on help from her family to get by. Although she was never greedy, always feeling like a burden to them, Zhao Qiujing still felt guilty toward her.

Yan Xi wasn’t unfamiliar with her cousin Xiao Ran. They saw each other during the holidays, but Xiao Ran was quiet and introverted, while Yan Xi was lively and outgoing, so they hadn’t gotten very close.

Overall, Yan Xi had a good impression of her cousin. It might even be fun to have someone to go to and from school with.

The next day, Yan Xi went with her mom to buy a bicycle for Xiao Ran’s commute to school. Relying on her own sense of style, Yan Xi picked out a pink one, and Zhao Qiujing, fully trusting her daughter’s taste, paid for it without hesitation.

To make things easier, Yan Xi rode the bike home. As she entered the neighborhood, she spotted a familiar figure.

Jiang Chizhou was babysitting!

His family had guests, and the adults had gone out, leaving two little rascals in his care.

It seemed like karma had finally caught up with him.

Yan Xi knew a secret about Jiang Chizhou: though he seemed indifferent to everything and hated trouble, he was very indulgent when it came to people he cared about.

The air was filled with the giggling of little children, and Jiang Chizhou frowned, holding a handful of lollipops to placate them. “Take the candy and be quiet!”

The two kids accepted the bribe, taking the lollipops from his hands.

But as soon as they had the candy, they started running around and laughing again, their playful sounds like a ringing in his ears.

Jiang Chizhou raised the lollipops high and asked them, “What’s this?”

“Candy,” they replied.

“And what’s this?”

“Also candy!”

“Good.” He unwrapped one lollipop, then another, holding one in each hand. Then, in front of the kids, he popped both into his mouth. “Keep being noisy, and I’ll eat the candy for you.”

Thanks to her excellent vision, Yan Xi could see the smug expression on his face.

After locking up her bike, she strolled over, clearly entertained. “Jiang Chizhou, have you no shame, stealing candy from kids?”

Jiang Chizhou glanced at her, not surprised by her appearance, and

goaded her, “You want to try?”

Yan Xi loved kids, and whenever she saw her friends’ children, she couldn’t resist playing with them. She didn’t decline this time either and walked over with a smile, greeting the children, “Hi, little ones, want to play with me?”

From beside her, Jiang Chizhou let out a snort, then corrected the kids, “Call her Auntie, not Sister.”

Yan Xi flipped her hair and smiled sweetly at the kids, “Don’t listen to him. Call me Sister. We’re still young.”

But then Jiang Chizhou slowly raised the remaining unwrapped lollipops, and the clever kids instantly changed their tune, “Auntie!”

Yan Xi’s smile twitched, annoyed by the sudden shift. She gritted her teeth and muttered, “Jiang Chizhou, just you wait!”

She was determined to find an opportunity to get back at him!

—

September marked the start of the school year, and the campus was once again bustling with activity. During registration, the place was crowded with people.

The scorching sun beat down on the sky, and heat radiated from the ground. Yet, some students were still chasing after balls on the playground, sweating profusely.

In the middle of the game, Jiang Chizhou’s phone kept vibrating on the sidelines. Just as the players took a break, someone from the audience called out, “The black phone is ringing!”

Everyone looked over, and Jiang Chizhou recognized his phone. He strode off the court, causing some of the girls watching to squeal in excitement over his looks and physique.

The phone call lasted no more than ten seconds, during which Jiang Chizhou didn’t say a word. After hanging up, he turned to his teammates and told them he had to leave.

The game was getting intense, so his friends tried to stop him. “Come on, Jiang, we’re about to win! We need you!”

Without hesitation, Jiang Chizhou waved his hand and continued walking away.

A teammate caught up to him and asked, “Hey, where are you going?”

Jiang Chizhou replied, “To find someone.”

His friends were puzzled since they had never seen anyone call Jiang Chizhou off the court so quickly. “Who is it?”

As he unlocked his phone with a swipe, a new message popped up. Jiang Chizhou let out a breath and said, “My ancestor.”