Quick Transmigration: The Control Group in Sweet Novels

Xia Nian stood in the aisle, holding a water glass in her hand, looking somewhat lost.

When Xu Yao saw her, she smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Xia Nian, I took your seat for a while."

Xia Nian kept her head down, looking at the girl's smiling face, hiding her discomfort, and said in a muffled voice, "...It's nothing."

Chen Zuo closed the book, smiled faintly, and joked, "Bring your own stool when you have a problem, don't take up someone else's seat."

The boy's voice was lazy, giving others face, but it was completely devoid of emotion.

Xu Yao's smile froze for a moment, her eyelashes fluttered twice, and she forced a nonchalant smile, saying, "Okay, I'll get it next time."

She pursed her lips, stood up, and stepped aside to let Xia Nian in, her smile mischievous.

"Xia Nian, I'm sorry."

Xia Nian was still a little surprised. She looked dazed and whispered, "It's okay."

She sat down and caught a glimpse of Chen Zuo, who had already lowered his head to continue writing his questions, his profile clean and clear.

Xia Nian knew perfectly well that he wasn't standing up for her.

Chen Zuo has always been polite and respectful to his classmates, and he would have helped anyone who was in the class just now.

But her heart skipped a beat and suddenly accelerated, a sweet feeling welling up from the bottom of her heart. She lowered her head and pretended to organize her textbooks, her ears burning red.

Should she say thank you...? Xia Nian pondered, mentally preparing herself before mustering her courage.

"...Thank you." The voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.

Chen Zuo hummed in response, without even raising his head, showing no sign of concern.

Upon hearing this short syllable, Xia Nian's eyes, hidden behind her black-rimmed glasses, flickered, shining brightly like a lit flame.

*

I stared at the blackboard, painstakingly climbing over each square.

As soon as the bell rang, Ji Tingyu breathed a sigh of relief. In the blink of an eye, she had already slumped onto the table, her pale cheeks pressed against her arms, her lips bloodless.

"Let me get you some hot water," Qi Yang said, somewhat worried when she saw her like this.

"It's okay, let's go buy some milk tea. I want some hot milk tea." She sighed, feeling a slight cramp in her lower abdomen. "This darn period..."

Qi Yang glanced at her pale face. "You shouldn't go like this. I'll bring it back for you."

Hearing this, Ji Tingyu was both touched and embarrassed. "Are you sure you can manage by yourself?"

"It's okay." Qi Yang gave her her school uniform jacket. "You can use this to rest for a while. I'll go buy some; I'm thinking of having a drink too."

"Yangyang, you're so kind," Ji Tingyu sniffed and exclaimed.

Qi Yang stepped out of the classroom. The night breeze rushed into her collar, washing away the stickiness on her body. Early autumn evenings come early, and the sky was already tinged with a thin layer of twilight.

School gate.

Lou Yu, having eaten and drunk his fill, exclaimed, "Brother Zuo treated us; food always tastes delicious!"

Chen Zuo said disdainfully, "What a disappointment!"

Lou Yu didn't mind at all, chuckled, and turned to ask, "Shall we go fight?"

Chen Zuo paused, and saw a familiar figure turn into a milk tea shop on the street in the distance. The figure wore a white school uniform and had a ponytail, with the ends of her hair brushing as she walked.

"You go first, I'm not going back yet." Chen Zuo's gaze followed her.

Lou Yu was confused. "Where are you going?"

The boy didn't turn his head; his voice echoed in the wind.

"Collecting debts."

The milk tea shop was lit with warm yellow lights, and the air was filled with the sweet aroma of tea. Qi Yang stood in line at the order counter, unaware of the figure behind her.

Chen Zuo lowered his eyes and obediently followed behind her in line. His gaze swept lightly over the girl's hair hanging over her collar, which was clearly contrasted with her fair neck. Her tall figure attracted the attention of many people in the store, but he was completely unaware of it.

Just as Qi Yang was about to speak, she suddenly felt someone speaking close to her ear.

"I helped you find the thing and even covered up your secret crying. Aren't you going to give me some hush money?" The voice came from behind, unhurried and with a lazy smile.

Qi Yang paused, then turned her head.

Chen Zuo raised an eyebrow slightly, his school uniform zipper half-open, and looked at her with a half-smile.

Qi Yang took two seconds to react and realized that he was talking to her. She was a little surprised. Was Chen Zuo really such an outgoing person?

Are they close?

But there was still a long queue behind her, not giving Qi Yang any time to react. She didn't want to stand there and argue with the other person any longer, so she could only ask, "What would you like to drink? Pick one."

What would you like to drink?

"Taro Boba".

"Me too."

Qi Yang turned to the clerk and said, "Three cups of taro boba, one of them hot."

The clerk deftly tapped a few times on the screen. "Okay, three cups of taro boba, 21 yuan. Cash or WeChat?"

Just as Qi Yang was about to take out her money, a slender hand reached over to her, holding a fifty-yuan bill, and handed it to the shop assistant.

The girl turned her head, her small face full of confusion, her eyes wide open. "Wasn't it supposed to be hush money?"

Chen Zuo's lips curled into a smile. "He changed his mind at the last minute."

"Hush money? Just one cup of milk tea from you? That's too cheap for you."

Qi Yang: ?

The clerk gave Chen Zuo his change, and the two of them made way for the people at the back of the line to order.

The bubble tea shop was still air-conditioned, and the streetlights shone in, making the girl's hair shimmer. Qi Yang took out a twenty-yuan bill from her pocket and handed it to him, her small face feigning seriousness and maintaining a distance. "This is for two cups of taro boba."

Chen Zuo glanced at it, then didn't take it. "Come on, can't you treat me to something nice next time?"

Qi Yang asked instinctively, "So, what do you want to eat?"

Chen Zuo pretended to think about it seriously for a moment, then said, "I haven't decided yet."

"..."

"I'll let you know when I've thought it through." Chen Zuo's hands were in his pockets, his tone casual. "What's the rush?"

Qi Yang remained silent, not because she had a problem with the hush money, but because the current plot was still outside the scope of the original book.

According to the plot, strictly speaking, the two should not have had any interaction during high school.

Qi Yang's face was expressionless. "Then I'll give you the money. Go eat by yourself."

Consider this hush money as his way of thanking her for helping him find the MP3.

"I'm not going." Chen Zuo raised his hand, pulling it back against her grip. "I told you to treat me next time, so paying doesn't count."

Qi Yang opened her mouth, "You..."

Chen Zuo: "Can't you show some sincerity?"

The girl shut her mouth.

This person is quite a scoundrel.

The two stood facing each other, neither speaking. The music in the milk tea shop changed to a slow song, the melody sticky and mushy, like half-melted sugar.

Qi Yang looked uncomfortably at the scrolling order number on the screen. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the boy's arm very close to her, and the scent of pine wood clearly lingered around her nose. She felt that the distance was a bit too close, so she quietly moved half a step to the side.

Chen Zuo didn't move, but when she did, he glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"130 is ready," the clerk called out.

Qi Yang reached out to take it, but Chen Zuo grabbed the bag first, carrying the three cups of milk tea steadily in his hands. Qi Yang looked at him, and Chen Zuo raised his chin to gesture to her, "Let's go."