[Absolute Heartthrob] Chapter 5

Yan Xi said goodbye to Xiao Ran, intending to explain where she was going, but Xiao Ran held her back.

Xiao Ran set down her bike and grasped Yan Xi’s smooth, slender fingers. She noticed that Yan Xi’s hands were round and soft, a healthy pink. In contrast, Xiao Ran’s hands were rough, calloused from years of work, and the touch stung slightly.

Embarrassed by the difference, Xiao Ran quickly withdrew her hand and, glancing nervously at Jiang Chizhou, whispered, “Sis, we can handle the money issue together. Don’t… don’t just agree to anything.”

In her mind, anything that involved money as bait was never a good thing.

Yan Xi, being straightforward, hadn’t thought that deeply. She just assumed Xiao Ran was worried about the money. Casually, she waved her hand and draped her arm around Xiao Ran’s shoulder, acting carefree. “Don’t worry. Your sister is awesome! What can he do to me?”

A cold glance shot in their direction. Yan Xi stuck her tongue out at him and gave Xiao Ran a light pat on the shoulder.

Determined to go with Jiang Chizhou, Xiao Ran grew more anxious. “Sis, maybe I should go with you?”

Jiang Chizhou knew of Xiao Ran but wasn’t close to her. Whether it was due to her family’s circumstances or genetics, at fifteen years old, Xiao Ran was only about 1.55 meters tall and thin, looking fragile.

“Little girl, listen to your sister and go home,” Jiang Chizhou said with disinterest, signaling to Yan Xi with his eyes.

After years of bickering and banter, there was a genuine unspoken understanding between the two. Yan Xi reassured Xiao Ran multiple times before she finally agreed to go home. Once Xiao Ran left, Yan Xi and Jiang Chizhou headed off together.

Back at home, Xiao Ran still felt uneasy. She knew they were longtime neighbors, but anything that could clear a 500-yuan debt couldn’t be simple.

Pacing in the living room, Xiao Ran finally picked up the landline. “Auntie, I have something I want to talk to you about.”

She didn’t directly mention the 500-yuan debt but emphasized that Yan Xi might be pressured into doing something she wouldn’t like.

When Zhao Qiujing heard that Yan Xi was with Jiang Chizhou, she immediately relaxed. “With Chizhou? Oh, it’s fine. Let them be; those two troublemakers are used to this.”

Xiao Ran hadn’t expected this response. After hanging up the phone, she sat back on the couch, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

—

Meanwhile, Yan Xi had arrived at their destination with Jiang Chizhou.

Looking up at the large, ornate sign with its bold characters, Yan Xi blinked in surprise. “This is it?”

She had expected something more intense, but it was just a restaurant.

Seeing her relaxed expression, Jiang Chizhou gave her a heads-up. “My buddies are all inside. There might be a lot of people.”

Yan Xi patted her chest confidently. “No problem! I can handle it!”

Understanding what she was thinking, Jiang Chizhou pressed his thumb against her forehead, making her tilt her head back. “You don’t think you’re just here for dinner, do you?”

Yan Xi, putting on a “good girl” act, dodged away and flashed a fake professional smile. “What else do you need me to do, boss?”

After all, she owed him 500 yuan, which made Jiang Chizhou the boss.

“When we go in, no matter what I say, you can’t contradict me. You need to give me face in front of my friends, got it?”

Yan Xi raised an OK sign, signaling her understanding.

She remained relaxed as they made their way to the private room. But when the door opened, and she saw who was inside, her expression faltered.

Now she understood why Jiang Chizhou had brought her to this gathering of his buddies. Seated around the table were mostly members of the high school basketball team, along with a few guys who often hung out with them but weren’t on the team.

Some were in their second year, others in their third, and there were several people Yan Xi recognized from childhood. There was He Xincheng, who used to egg Jiang Chizhou on to pick on her, Song Feiyang, who had helped deliver intel on the school beauty over the summer, and two other guys who had been close to Jiang Chizhou during middle school.

These guys had witnessed the long-standing rivalry between Yan Xi and Jiang Chizhou. They knew the two couldn’t stand each other. Now, giving face to Jiang Chizhou in front of them? That would mean admitting defeat. And in front of people she knew?

Could she really do this?

Sensing her hesitation, Jiang Chizhou passed by her and whispered, “500 yuan.”

With a sigh, Yan Xi composed herself and sat down next to him.

Song Feiyang greeted her excitedly, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey, Sister Xi! I didn’t expect the person Jiang was bringing to be you!”

“You know her?” one of the basketball players asked.

“Of course! Me, Jiang, He, and Yan Xi all grew up together,” Song Feiyang explained. Though he didn’t live in the same neighborhood, they had known each other since elementary school.

“Childhood sweethearts,” someone teased, casting a playful look between Yan Xi and Jiang Chizhou. “Jiang, is she your girlfriend?”

Jiang Chizhou took a sip of the beer his friend handed him, smiling lazily. “Nah, just a little tagalong.”

Yan Xi: “…”

She forced herself to smile.

The guys who knew them well weren’t buying it. He Xincheng offered a more plausible suggestion. “So, you two have made peace?”

“Not really,” Jiang Chizhou shrugged, pulling a plate of shrimp closer to himself. He gestured for Yan Xi to start peeling.

Yan Xi: “…”

Angry but still smiling.

For the sake of 500 yuan, she swallowed her pride, put on a clean pair of gloves, and began peeling the shrimp for him.

Jiang Chizhou elegantly dipped the peeled shrimp into sauce and ate it with satisfaction.

Seeing this, one of their old middle school friends laughed. “I remember back in the day, Sister Xi always said she’d marry Jiang Chizhou.”

“Too clingy,” Jiang Chizhou teased, not denying it. He successfully painted a picture of Yan Xi as a lovestruck little childhood friend.

Yan Xi peeled the shrimp faster, putting two on a white plate in front of him.

This stunned Song Feiyang, who was so shocked he nearly choked. “Sister Xi, you’ve really given in to Jiang?”

“I would never…” Yan Xi started to retort, but a nudge from Jiang Chizhou reminded her to hold her tongue.

Swallowing her words, Yan Xi scanned the table and then smiled sweetly. “We’ve known each other for so long, and I realized Jiang Chizhou isn’t so bad after all.”

This response pleased Jiang Chizhou greatly.

The basketball team cheered and raised their glasses. “Jiang, today’s win is all thanks to you scoring so high. Cheers!”

While the guys clinked their glasses, Yan Xi seized the opportunity to pour vinegar into Jiang Chizhou’s bowl. She quickly returned to peeling shrimp, pretending nothing had happened as she offered him a shrimp dipped in sauce.

The pungent smell hit Jiang Chizhou’s nose, and his brow furrowed. Meanwhile, Yan Xi, with an innocent expression, cooed, “I’m feeding you. Go on, eat.”

“Cough, cough, cough—” Song Feiyang choked again, unable to believe what he was seeing.

“Oh~” The rest of the guys started teasing.

“I suddenly don’t feel like eating shrimp anymore.” Jiang Chizhou put down his chopsticks, leaning back lazily to diffuse the awkward situation.

Someone seemed to have caught on. Before the truth could be exposed, Jiang Chizhou made an excuse to leave, dragging Yan Xi with him. They stood in the stairwell, their true selves finally revealed.

“We agreed before coming here. Are you going back on your word? Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

Yan Xi crossed her arms and turned her head away in defiance. “I can’t sell out my dignity for 500 yuan.”

She figured she’d just go home and explain to her mom that she’d caused some trouble and needed help.

She could put on an act in front of strangers, but in front of people she knew, she couldn’t let Jiang Chizhou win!

“I’ll add another 500.”

“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would bend for money?”

“I’ll throw in three months of allowance.”

“Well…”

“I’ll give you an entire semester’s allowance.”

“I’m in!”

Whatever the childhood friends discussed outside, when they returned to the room, everyone noticed that Yan Xi had completely changed.

The shy, quiet girl from earlier had transformed into Jiang Chizhou’s devoted fan, serving tea and water, attending to him diligently.

When they started talking about basketball and Jiang Chizhou’s performance, Yan Xi clapped enthusiastically, her face full of admiration. “Zhou Zhou, you’re amazing!”

It even escalated to, “Zhou Zhou, let me feed you. Open wide…”

—

The dinner finally ended, and the two of them returned home with one new bike and one old bike.

After a tiring day, they were both exhausted and thirsty. Upon entering their building, they noticed the elevator was out of

service. A sign from the repair workers stood in front of it, leaving them no choice but to take the stairs.

Already out of breath after just a few steps, Yan Xi lagged behind while Jiang Chizhou still had plenty of energy.

“Jiang Chizhou, wait for me!”

“What now?”

She mustered the strength to catch up and grabbed his arm. “Drag me up, I can’t walk anymore.”

“Tsk, is that all you’ve got?” he mocked.

When they finally reached their apartment door, Yan Xi stuck close behind him. “Zhou Zhou, I’m going to your place to get some water.”

Unlocking the door, Jiang Chizhou stepped inside, and Yan Xi followed right in.

He placed his keys on the coffee table and said, “Get your own water. I’m taking a shower.”

The two acted casually around each other, a habit formed from years of knowing each other.

Covered in sweat, Jiang Chizhou grabbed his clothes and headed to the bathroom. Unlike most guys who washed their hair and body together, he preferred to do them separately.

While he was washing his hair, a figure silently slipped into the bathroom and snatched his clothes.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door closed, and the sound of running water filled the air. Yan Xi crept out, holding the stolen clothes, and stood against the wall, covering her mouth as she laughed.

Ten minutes later, a furious voice erupted from the bathroom: “YAN XI!!!”

“What are you yelling for, huh?” Yan Xi called back, triumphant after a day of being taken advantage of. She had to regain some dignity somehow.

Ignoring her teasing tone, Jiang Chizhou knocked on the door from inside. “Give me my clothes back!”

“I won’t, I won’t!”

“Yan. Xi!”

Hearing the gritted teeth in his voice, Yan Xi strolled over to the door and negotiated, “I’ll give them back if you call me ‘sister.’”

“Dream on!”

Yan Xi snorted, “Fine, if you don’t want to, you can just come out naked.”

“You’ll regret this,” Jiang Chizhou warned.

“I won’t regr—”

Before she could finish, there was a loud “click”—

The bathroom door opened.