Chapter 3 I am your strongest back wing 3
"Nonsense, you are inseparable from him, how could you not know where he is?" said the girl.
Tang Ai smiled coldly and asked, "Don't you know how to find it yourself?"
"If I can find you, I will find you?" The girl finally became unhappy. She thought that this legendary gardening girl was just a weak and quiet girl, and she could scare her by being well prepared, but she didn't take her seriously at all.
"Isn't that your own business?" Tang Ai was a little overwhelmed by being surrounded by people. She wanted to leave, but the girl grabbed her wrist and said arrogantly, "What's your attitude? I really don't understand why Xichen likes to be with someone like you!"
"What kind of person am I? What's wrong with me?" Tang Ai looked at the girl with sharp eyes. Judging from her dress and the car she drove, she must be a girl from a wealthy family. Did she also feel that she was of low status and unworthy of standing with these rich second-generations?
The girl let go of her hand, put her hands on her waist, and sneered, "I've known you for a long time. You come from a small city and have nothing. You don't even know the names of luxury items. How can you be worthy of standing with Xi Chen? Xi Chen is the eldest son of the Xi Group in Ancheng. He comes from a wealthy family and has the courage to do great things! He earns more money in a day than you make in a year's pocket money. How can a country chicken like you compare with a golden phoenix?" Her sharp words pierced Tang Ai's heart like a cold arrow. People gathered around to watch. Tang Ai felt her face flushed and her self-esteem was thrown to the ground and trampled on.
"Just study hard! Xichen only pays attention to you out of pity. You have to know that even if Xichen is willing to be with you, his family will not agree! His father will strongly oppose it! If you are stubborn, his father may take back Xichen's shares and management rights in the subsidiary, and you will cause Xichen to lose everything, do you know that?" Before the girl could finish speaking, Tang Ai suddenly pushed away the people surrounding her and ran away stumblingly. She didn't even notice that the book fell from her arms.
What were those people's intentions? She hadn't done anything, so why did they say those things to provoke and hurt her?
Suddenly, a light drizzle fell from the sky, and Tang Ai ran into the gymnasium in one breath. Her mind was still replaying what the girl had just said, she talked about Xi Chen's identity. In fact, she had known that Xi Chen's family background was excellent, but she didn't know it was so excellent. This excellence became a barrier between her and him. Those high-ranking people thought she was not worthy of standing with him, and those mediocre people thought she wanted to jump onto the tree and become a phoenix.
But, it was obviously not like that. Only she knew that she liked being with Xichen because he gave her warmth, dreams, and a direction to work hard. But who would believe her? Who would stand by her side and help her overcome all difficulties? It was really hard to be alone.
The rain gradually got heavier, and Tang Ai's bangs were wet. She walked to the stands like she had lost half her soul, and squatted inside to avoid the rain, looking pitiful.
The rain lasted for a long time. Tang Ai could not see the edge of the playground through the misty drizzle. She didn't know how long she had been there, but in this environment where she could only hear the sound of rain, her heart gradually calmed down.
When will I be able to remain indifferent to other people's sharpness? Tang Ai really envied those people with strong hearts.
At some point, the sound of footsteps mixed with the sound of rain. Tang Ai looked up and saw a tall boy holding a transparent umbrella running towards her from the mist. He came to her side, slowly squatted down, and held the transparent umbrella between the two of them.
It’s Xi Chen.
There was a bright light dancing in his eyes, and his soft fingers gently stroked her eyelashes, wiping away the remaining moisture one by one.
"Why are you here?" Seeing Xi Chen, the softness in Tang Ai's heart suddenly melted away, her voice became tearful, and tears quickly filled her eyes.
Xi Chen held her face with one hand and whispered, "A girl named Lin Xiaoya came to me and said that you were bullied by a girl from another school, and she also told me that you ran here."
Tang Ai lowered her eyes and said, "I'm sorry to have made you worry again."
"Xiao Ai." Xi Chen lifted Tang Ai's face up with force, his eyes sparkling. "If anyone dares to bully you again in the future, remember, fight back without hesitation! I will be your strongest backer. No matter what happens, I will stand by you, support you and protect you."
Tang Ai asked in astonishment: "Why?"
Xi Chen's expression became serious. The warmth of his palms still lingered on Tang Ai's face. He looked at her and said gently but firmly, "Because, no matter who I am, my heart is clear to you and can be witnessed by the sun and the moon!"
His appearance became blurred in Tang Ai's sight. She finally couldn't help herself and leaned forward slightly, sinking into his arms. Xi Chen hugged her tightly, patting her back from time to time. Tang Ai didn't cry in his arms, but suppressed the complicated emotions in her heart, secretly telling herself that she must not let down Xi Chen who was so good to her.
When the rain gradually subsided and a little warm sunshine came through the clouds, Xi Chen helped Tang Ai up and sent her back to the dormitory. Many people looked at him curiously along the way, but Xi Chen kept holding Tang Ai's shoulders tightly and never let go.
In the dormitory, Lin Xiaoya was wearing headphones and dancing in front of a full-length mirror. When the door was pushed open, Lin Xiaoya was startled. After seeing that it was Tang Ai, she took off her headphones and asked, "You're back?"
"Yeah." Tang Ai nodded gently. Just as she was about to go back to her seat, she turned and looked at Lin Xiaoya again, "Thank you for today."
"Ah." Lin Xiaoya reacted and scratched her head a little embarrassedly. She witnessed the group of girls bullying Tang Ai today, but she was timid and didn't dare to step forward to help, so she had to go to Xi Chen. Now that Tang Ai came over to say thank you, she felt a little embarrassed.
Tang Ai smiled slightly and sat back in her seat.
Lin Xiaoya recalled how Tang Ai had just thanked her, and a faint smile spread across her face. This girl wasn't that difficult to get along with.
The weather was fine on the weekend. Because the summer heat had faded and the winter cold had not yet arrived, it would be very comfortable to go out and play. Xi Chen invited Tang Ai to go boating again, and this time Tang Ai did not refuse.
The people boating on the lake were the same as those who went to the botanical garden last time, except that this time, there was an additional tube tree.
Tang Ai didn't know how Tong Lin got into this team, but when she thought carefully about Tong Lin's abilities, she was not so surprised.
"Girl, you're surprised, right?" Tonglin raised her eyebrows at Tang Ai and said.
Tang Ai said: "If it were someone else, I might be surprised, but not you."
Tonglin grinned and said, "Let's go, let's go play together." After that, she came over, hooked her arm around Tang Ai's shoulders and said to Xi Chen, "Master Xi, can I borrow your little Ai for you?"
"What's their little Ai?" Tang Ai's shoulders were firmly hooked by Tong Lin, so she could only stare at her.
Tonglin laughed out loud: "Haha, you're shy!" As she said that, she pushed Tang Ai onto the boat. The seven of them took two boats. Tonglin, Tang Ai, Xu Yueping, and Xi Chen were on one boat, and Shen Ruoyun, Zhong Nan, and Yu Jie were on the other.
Shen Ruoyun was very dissatisfied with this assignment. "Why put me here? Do you want me to be stimulated by watching these two guys show affection?"
"You can jump down and swim with us." Zhong Nan hit back.
"No way!" Shen Ruoyun got angry, put his elbows on the side of the boat, propped up his cheeks with his palms, looked at Tang Ai on the opposite boat, and sighed, "Tang Xiaoai, I miss you so much."
Tang Ai exposed him: "When you see a girl, you tell her you miss her, but no one will believe you."
Shen Ruoyun said, "Tang Xiaoai, you have learned bad things."
"Get out of the way!" Tonglin suddenly scooped up a handful of water and threw it at Shen Ruoyun. Shen Ruoyun was hit in the face and wanted to fight back unwillingly. Tonglin immediately shouted, "Xu Yueping, hurry up! Step on the pedal and turn!"
Xu Yueping's feet kept turning the impeller, and the boat quickly escaped from Shen Ruoyun's boat. The boat shook violently, and Xi Chen immediately grabbed Tang Ai's arm and said, "Be careful." Then he turned to Tong Lin and said seriously, "Tong Lin, stop it! We are on the boat, it's very dangerous."
Seeing Xichen's serious face, Tonglin pouted and said, "Alright, alright, stop making trouble."
Then, she lay on the side of the boat boredly, watching Shen Ruoyun paddling the boat desperately with red eyes trying to catch up, and she couldn't help laughing again.
Tang Ai signaled Xi Chen not to worry. In fact, she was in a very good mood seeing so many of her friends having so much fun.
If only that day had always been like this, the whole lake would have been filled with the sounds of Tong Lin and Shen Ruoyun playing together. When I turned around, I could have seen Zhong Nan and Yu Jie looking happy. If I had been bored while boating on the lake, I could have chatted with Xi Chen and Xu Yueping.
How nice it is, quiet and harmonious.
But they had been boating on the lake for less than half an hour when a clear voice suddenly came from the lake, and someone was calling out loudly, "Brother Xichen," not far away.
Shen Ruoyun was the first to stick his head out of the boat and asked in surprise, "Why is Shanshan here?"
Yes, it was Xi Shanshan. She was on another boat, rowing towards him excitedly. When Tang Ai saw her, she didn't react. It was not until the boat slowly approached that she saw another person on the boat. Her pupils suddenly became larger. Wasn't that the girl who almost hit her that day? Did she know Xi Shanshan? Could it be...
An uneasy thought grew in Tang Ai's heart. Xi Shanshan's boat slowly approached Xi Chen's boat, and she was eager to try in the boat: "Brother Xi Chen, I want to go to your place."
"Shanshan, it's dangerous!" Shen Ruoyun stopped Xi Shanshan's movements. Tonglin said lazily, "I'm sorry, a boat can only carry four people, and our boat is hidden."
Xi Shanshan said disapprovingly: "Then one of you should come out."
Having said this, Xu Yueping stood up and said, "How about..."
"Sit down." Tonglin gestured with her hand, "You can't walk. You have the most strength here, and you have to step on the boat."
Seeing Tong Lin's attitude, Xi Shanshan immediately became dissatisfied. While they were talking, Tang Ai's eyes were always on the girl. The girl saw that she was staring at her, and she couldn't help rolling her beautiful eyes.
"Sister Xiao Ai." Xi Shanshan attacked Tang Ai, who was the softest-hearted. "Why don't you go to Shen Ruoyun and let me get on this boat, okay?"
Xi Chen held Tang Ai's hand tightly and was about to speak when he suddenly heard Tang Ai say, "Not good."
All of the companions around her looked over at once. It was strange that Tang Ai rejected Xi Shanshan without even thinking about it! She was always good at compromise, but this time it was really unexpected.
As expected, Xi Shanshan looked a little unhappy, but she still smiled stiffly: "Sister Xiaoai, what are you talking about?"
"I'm telling you, I don't want to switch with you." Tang Ai said this to Xi Shanshan, but her eyes were fixed on the girl on the opposite boat.
The girl finally felt guilty and quietly avoided the gaze.
