Chapter 89 - 89: Misunderstanding
Wen Nian went off-topic as usual, but Shen Jun answered in the simplest words. Their interactions were just like when they had first met.
Seeing this, Wen Nian did not dare to say anything else. She obediently finished her lessons and returned to the noodle shop for dinner after school.
Zhou Mei realized that Wen Nian did not have much of an appetite today. Everyone had finished eating, and there was still more than half a bowl of rice in her bowl. She asked, “Are you feeling unwell today?”
Wen Nian turned around and saw her mother looking at her. She shook her head weakly and said, “I’m feeling fine. Mom, go do your work. I’m fine.”
Zhou Mei chuckled softly. “You’re almost making rice paste out of the rice in the bowl. You call this fine?”
Wen Nian followed Zhou Mei’s gaze and looked down at the rice in her bowl. She looked up and laughed dryly at Zhou Mei. “I’ll finish it immediately.”
Just as Zhou Mei was preparing to inquire further, a customer who had placed a custom order for braised food arrived at the door. Even though Wen Xing was already handling the front desk duties, Zhou Mei decided to personally attend to this customer as this was a huge order.
Worried that she would be questioned, Wen Nian quickly finished eating and cleared the dishes into the kitchen. She bade farewell to her parents and slipped away.
After completing her homework in the evening, Wen Nian found herself contemplating whether or not to send a message to Shen Jun before going to bed. However, she ultimately decided to wait until the following morning. What if he had cooled down and let go of his anger after a good night’s sleep? Perhaps, by then, she could muster up the courage to have a conversation and mend the situation. She hoped that this matter would resolve itself in due time.
With this mentality, Wen Nian fell asleep.
The next morning dawned with an even colder weather. Wen Yu realized that he didn’t have any sufficiently warm clothing in his dormitory. Shivering, he urgently requested Wen Nian to bring the thickest clothes available from their home to school.
As Wen Nian arrived at the parking lot and parked the car on the sidewalk, she caught sight of Wen Yu rushing towards her, clad in a tweed jacket. “Quick, quick, quick! I’m freezing!” he exclaimed, his teeth chattering from the cold.
Wen Nian swiftly retrieved the clothes from her bag and handed them to Wen Yu. However, she couldn’t resist mocking him mercilessly. “Well, serves you right! The weather forecast predicted that it would be colder this week, but you insisted on being a gentleman and not dressing warmly. You even tried to look handsome by wearing so little,” she teased, a mischievous grin on her face.
Upon hearing Wen Nian’s teasing remarks, Wen Yu playfully used his height advantage to toss the jacket he had taken off at Wen Xiangxiang. With a swift motion, he grabbed the down jacket and swiftly put it on, shielding himself from the biting cold.
Wen Nian was so angry that she grabbed onto Wen Yu’s jacket and tried beating Wen Yu with the jacket. “You are so annoying. You messed up my hair!”
While expressing her frustration and tugging at her hair, Wen Nian happened to catch a glimpse of Shen Jun passing by. Thinking that he hadn’t noticed her, she lit up with delight and greeted him, “Good morning, Shen Jun!”
Shen Jun walked straight ahead without responding.
Upon witnessing the interaction between Wen Nian and Shen Jun, Wen Yu became displeased. “Is that your classmate? What kind of person is he? He didn’t even respond when you greeted him. How rude! You’re not allowed to hang out with him anymore.”
Realizing that the matter from the previous day still lingered, Wen Nian let out a soft sigh. “You don’t understand,” she said with a hint of resignation. “Just go to your class. I’ll head back to the classroom first.”
Wen Yu retorted indignantly, “I’ll understand if you tell me!”
Wen Nian was feeling annoyed and couldn’t be bothered with him. She threw the jacket at him. “There’s only one thing you have to do now, and that’s to prepare for your exam. I can handle my own matters.”
Wen Nian turned around and made her way towards the classroom. As she took her seat, she couldn’t help but sense the palpable atmosphere of tension and unease that surrounded her.
After completing her early morning reading, Wen Nian retrieved the set of practice questions she had answered incorrectly and handed them to Shen Jun.
With the intention of sparking a conversation, she started discussing her errors. “I didn’t make many mistakes last night, but I’m still having trouble with the force analysis of circular motion. Most of my errors are related to this topic.”
Shen Jun didn’t accept the set of practice questions. He kept his gaze fixed on his book, avoiding eye contact. His tone was indifferent as he spoke, “Didn’t he tell you not to associate with me? I believe it’s best if you don’t talk to me.”
Wen Nian froze for a moment before explaining, “You’ve misunderstood. I…”
Upon hearing Wen Nian’s attempt to defend the other party, Shen Jun’s frown deepened, and he interjected, “You don’t need to explain to me. You mentioned that he was the one who helped you catch up on your lessons during the winter break, right? Well then, let him continue doing that now, so there won’t be any misunderstandings.”
Confused by Shen Jun’s sudden outburst, Wen Nian couldn’t comprehend why he was making such a big deal out of a seemingly minor issue. She believed that the misunderstanding had occurred that morning, and she felt frustrated that he didn’t give her an opportunity to explain her side of the story. She couldn’t help but feel puzzled and somewhat hurt by his reaction.
Feeling helpless in the face of Shen Jun’s anger, Wen Nian realized that trying to reason with him in that moment would be futile. Instead, she made the decision to contact Zhou Mei and explain the situation, giving an excuse for why there was no need to deliver food to Shen Jun for the next few days..