Chapter 238 — A Promise in Tang Rhyme

"It's a bit early to be thinking about all that." Wei Zhao naturally knew what was troubling Kang **. He patted him on the shoulder. "Right now the question isn't whether you and she are suited to each other — it's whether Xiaofen will even accept you!"

That was true! Wei Zhao's reminder made Kang ** suddenly realize that all of this was his own wishful thinking. He wanted to be with Xiaofen, but Xiaofen might not necessarily be able or willing to be with him!

"If you really have feelings for her, you can try getting close to her, spending some time together. In time, you'll naturally be able to confirm what your heart truly wants," Wei Zhao said. "But whatever decision you make, the one precondition is this: don't hurt Xiaofen again. You can take the hurt — she can't..."

"Don't worry, Boss! I understand. Until I'm absolutely certain of my own feelings, I won't say a word about this to Xiaofen!" Kang ** felt suddenly much clearer in his mind...

Tang Zhi hadn't slept well the whole night before. In the first half of the night her mother had dragged her into a chat... though "chat" was a stretch — every topic was Wei Zhao, leaving Tang Zhi dizzy and muddled, yet too afraid to say a single wrong word...

At long last her mother fell asleep, but Tang Zhi wasn't so sleepy anymore. Remembering that Wei Zhao's clothes were still at her place, she got up and washed them clean for him.

Returning some clothes — what was the big deal?

But then she thought of how, when she'd gone looking for Wei Zhao to ask for a formula, the whole school had been in an uproar. If she now delivered clothes to Wei Zhao, who knew what people would say? They might even decide that she and Wei Zhao were already sleeping together!

At that thought, Tang Zhi retreated a little. Right — she could ask Liu Xinlan for help. Tang Zhi suddenly thought of her best friend Liu Xinlan. She could have her arrange to meet Wei Zhao — after the next class, a meeting on the *** field, wouldn't that do nicely?

Tang Zhi set down the clothes in her hands and walked briskly out of the classroom, heading for Liu Xinlan's class...

She wanted to ask what the meeting with Wei Zhao was really about, but the ten minutes between classes were nowhere near enough. There was no help for it — Liu Xinlan could only hastily agree for now, planning to ask Tang Zhi for the details at noon or during evening self-study.

"Hey, could you get Wei Zhao from your class for me?" Liu Xinlan was rather brash and didn't care about appearances. She simply grabbed a student from Grade Twelve, Class Five and spoke to him directly.

"Oh, just a moment!" The student thought nothing of it and went straight into the classroom to call Wei Zhao out.

Wei Zhao wondered who could be looking for him. He stepped out of the classroom and found it was Liu Xinlan. "What's this about?"

"Wei Zhao, what exactly is the relationship between you and Yunyun?" Liu Xinlan couldn't very well interrogate Tang Zhi, so she had come to question Wei Zhao instead.

"Yunyun and me? You mean Tang Zhi. Ha..." Wei Zhao looked at Liu Xinlan's expression and found it rather amusing. "What relationship do we have? Isn't it right there for you to see?"

"So are you going out with her or not?" Liu Xinlan decided to just ask outright. She was not one for coyness — she said whatever was on her mind.

"Not exactly," Wei Zhao told her honestly. "What did you actually come here for? Just to ask me this? I don't think you're that much of a gossip. If you've got the energy for this, why not ask whether Kang ** is going out with Xiaofen?"

"Just asking casually!" Liu Xinlan pursed her lips. Wei Zhao's answer had actually set her mind at ease. In her view, Wei Zhao didn't seem like someone who liked to lie; he said it as it was and wouldn't deceive anyone over trifles like this.

"So that's all? Then I'm heading back!" Wei Zhao rolled his eyes. Was this girl sick in the head? Coming all the way over between classes to ask about this? Even Tang Zhi's mother wasn't this nosy.

"Wait — Yunyun wants you to wait for her after fourth period, under the shade of the trees on the left side of the *** field!" Having said that, Liu Xinlan turned and left without waiting for Wei Zhao's reply.

Under the shade of the trees on the left side of the *** field? Wei Zhao rubbed his nose. Did this count as the first time Tang Zhi had ever asked him to meet her on her own initiative?

Back in the classroom, Kang ** asked eagerly, "Boss, I saw Liu Xinlan looking for you just now — what was it about?"

"Relax, Xiaofen's fine. It's about me." How could Wei Zhao fail to guess what Kang ** was thinking? A single sentence set his mind at ease.

Hearing that it had nothing to do with Xiaofen, Kang ** nodded and asked no more.

During the break, Wei Zhao caught sight of Zou Ruoming sitting under the basketball hoop with a miserable look on his face. The "high fours" were not required to take part in the break, so the school made no particular effort to keep these students in line.

The so-called "high four" was in fact a college entrance exam prep class. To boost their revenues, a number of key high schools ran such classes, and they took in not only their own failed seniors who had missed the university cut but also dropouts from other schools and from society at large. Pay the fee, and one could go on attending "high four" here forever.

Wei Zhao gave Zou Ruoming a flat glance. In Wei Zhao's mind this fellow had already been marked for death; anyone who dared to lay a hand on those close to him was not someone Wei Zhao would let off lightly.

A few classrooms away, Wei Zhao spotted Tang Zhi and waved to her, but she glared back at him, turned away shyly, and would not look his way again.

Gu Mengyao and Shen Yushu were forever the focus of most of the boys, and during the break they drew many stares, though the two of them had long since grown used to such looks.

Zhong Yongliang stood by the window in the teaching building corridor, his gaze sliding from Gu Mengyao to Wei Zhao. Ever since Wei Zhao had appeared, nothing had gone smoothly for him! This man had to be erased from his sight!

As Zhong Yongliang seethed, the phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed. He pulled it out and saw that it was his father, Zhong Fabai, calling.

"Dad?" Zhong Yongliang was a little puzzled; normally, while he was at school, Zhong Fabai rarely called him.

"Pinliang, Black Panther has found me through his lawyer from the detention center. He says he wants to see you. What do you think..." Zhong Fabai had no idea why Black Panther wanted to see Zhong Yongliang, but he did not dare refuse offhand. After all, Black Panther was taking the fall for Zhong Yongliang, and if Zhong Yongliang refused to see him, Black Panther might harbor a grudge and turn on them at the last moment, which would be troublesome.