Chapter 41: PUA Man, Stay Away from My Daughter (8)

Xie Qi’an was getting annoyed with Shen Xi’s self-centered attitude—acting as if the whole world should revolve around him. It was even worse when he tried to impose his opinions on her.

“Xie Qi’an, I… I was just giving you my opinion.”

Class hadn’t started yet, and while the room wasn’t full, quite a few students had already arrived.

Several curious glances, subtle but unmistakable, landed on them. Shen Xi’s face started to heat up, but instead of backing down, the stubborn pride of youth made him feel an odd sense of conquest over Xie Qi’an.

“Thanks, but I don’t need it.”

A student sitting in front of Xie Qi’an, who had overheard the entire conversation, couldn’t help but interject:

“Xie Qi’an, last time, you ran to the teacher over some minor issue, and Shen Xi didn’t even get mad at you. Now you’re acting all high and mighty again. Do you really think this school belongs to you?”

“Oh? Should I beg him to be mad at me?”

Xie Qi’an responded nonchalantly as she closed the book she had been reading and tucked it into her desk drawer.

“Did I throw a tantrum at you?”

Her dad always said that these self-proclaimed “rational and objective” people were often more insufferable than the ones actually involved. He was right.

“If this isn’t throwing a tantrum, then what is?”

Hearing Shen Xi’s accusation, Xie Qi’an tilted her head in innocent confusion.

“But you guys practically delivered yourselves to me for this.”

“If you were just sitting there quietly, and I suddenly picked a fight with you, then yeah, that’d be my fault. But when you put your face right next to my foot, how can you blame me for kicking it?”

After successfully making both of them storm off in frustration, Xie Qi’an silently pulled out another practice test and got to work.

She could already predict that after today, her classmates would probably avoid befriending her altogether.

But she wasn’t particularly bothered by that.

Her dad always told her that useless socializing would only slow her down. If she didn’t feel lonely, then meaningful connections would be more comfortable for her.

Other girls linked arms with their friends to visit the campus store, went to the bathroom in pairs, gossiped about the cute boys at school, or whispered about who got caught dating by the dean. Xie Qi’an, on the other hand, kept her head down, filling out test paper after test paper.

She knew she wasn’t as naturally brilliant as her dad and uncle, so she had to make up for it by working harder—much harder.

During high school, she temporarily put aside piano and dance, only taking private lessons at home during her monthly break.

For the school’s New Year’s Eve gala, the music teacher had choreographed a dance drama featuring a classical dance solo. In the end, Xie Qi’an was chosen for the role.

Even though she hadn’t practiced as intensely since starting high school, her solid foundation and the high physical demands of classical dance made her the perfect candidate for the performance.

When she got the news, she ran to the small grove behind the school and called her dad and uncle, eager to share her excitement.

She was wearing a blue-and-white school uniform, her long hair lazily tied into a ponytail. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a warm glow on her face. Her lips curled into a smile, and her eyes sparkled like the night sky.

“Dad, our class’s performance for the New Year’s Eve gala is my dance! Parents are allowed to come watch. Will you and Uncle be there?”

At that moment, Xie Hui happened to be visiting his grandfather. The old man, despite his age, had sharp ears—he was practicing Tai Chi when he heard the conversation and immediately shuffled over.

“An’an is performing? Can Great-Grandpa come watch too?”

Xie Hui sighed as he watched the old man clutching the phone protectively, as if afraid he’d snatch it away.

After the elderly man finished chatting with his beloved great-granddaughter, Xie Hui took back the phone and promised his daughter that he’d definitely attend.

Once she hung up with her dad, she called her uncle. When he also agreed to come, her mood visibly improved.

She walked back with a smile on her face, her steps feeling extra light.

But as soon as she saw Shen Xi blocking her way, the smile on her lips faded instantly.

“Xie Qi’an, you’ve performed in so many shows since you were a kid. I’m sure this one doesn’t mean much to you. Just tell the teacher you’re dropping out.”

Xie Qi’an had originally planned to just walk around him, but his words made her stop in her tracks.

Seeing her pause, Shen Xi assumed she was considering his request and hurriedly continued:

“Look, this performance isn’t important to you, but it is to Shu Xia! She really needs this opportunity. She wants that prize money, and you—”

Shu Xia was the girl who had won first place in that last competition and was also a classmate.

Unlike Xie Qi’an, who was aloof and proud, Shu Xia was like a warm, radiant little sun. She got along well with everyone.

But before Shen Xi could finish, Xie Qi’an cut him off.

“I think if Shu Xia truly wants to perform in the gala, the right thing for her to do is to talk to the music teacher herself—not expect me to just step aside.”

“And how many performances I’ve done before has nothing to do with you. Why do you think you have the right to decide for me? If you have nothing better to do, why don’t you go do a few more practice tests?”

She hadn’t realized before just how annoying Shen Xi was. If it weren’t for the fact that the second semester of junior year was about to start, Xie Qi’an would seriously consider asking her dad to transfer her to another school.

She had no interest in wasting time on someone so unreasonable. Shen Xi’s self-righteousness was actively interfering with her daily life.

Shen Xi stood frozen, watching her retreating figure. For the first time, he wasn’t sure if he was doing this for his original purpose or if… he had actually developed feelings for her.

Back at her dorm, Xie Qi’an didn’t want to talk about it out loud with her roommates around, so she opened her chat app and started venting to her dad instead.

【Dad, you wouldn’t believe how annoying this classmate of mine is. He’s so self-important, it’s unbearable! He keeps nitpicking at me like I’m doing something wrong when I know I’m perfectly fine.】

At this moment, Xie Hui was watering the flowers his grandfather kept. When his phone vibrated, he picked it up and glanced at the screen.

【Mm, our little princess is doing great.】

After venting to her father, Xie Qi’an went to complain to her uncle for a bit as well. Only after letting out that strange frustration did she gather her things and head to the classroom.

Her good mood lasted until she entered the classroom in the afternoon, where she was met with many accusatory stares for no apparent reason.

Ignoring the strange looks from everyone, Xie Qi’an quietly decided to complete another test paper.

One student, who couldn’t stand her indifferent attitude, spoke up in reproach after she sat down:

“Xie Qi’an, didn’t you see that Shu Xia was crying?”

Xie Qi’an flipped open a book, uncapped her pen, and responded perfunctorily, “Mhm, yeah, I didn’t see.”

After saying that, she even put on her headphones, blocking out all their endless chatter.

As she worked on her problems, she absentmindedly thought that the next time her uncle went on a business trip, she should ask him to bring her a pair of noise-canceling headphones—it would probably be even more useful.

For the school’s New Year’s Gala, winning an award came with prize money—the first-place prize was 5,000 yuan. Shu Xia had planned to use the money to replace her phone, but she hadn’t even been selected to perform.

Xie Qi’an didn’t understand all these petty calculations; she simply focused on solving problems and reading.

Her uncle had told her that if she studied when others weren’t, she was effectively studying twice as much!

During the night self-study session, the teacher announced the results of the monthly exam. Xie Qi’an, who usually ranked within the top ten, had made it into the top three this time—especially impressive was her perfect score in English.

In contrast, Shu Xia had dropped out of the top ten. The moment she received her test paper, she buried her head on her desk and started crying.

The teacher distributing the test papers saw this, knocked on the desk lightly, and sternly said, “Quiet!”

“Are you here for class or to chat? If you want to chat, take it outside!”

The teacher even used Xie Qi’an’s English essay as a model example and read it aloud to the class. Out of the corner of her eye, Xie Qi’an noticed Shu Xia crying again.

Her intuition told her that she’d have another argument soon. With a sigh, she reached up to rub her temples.

When the bell signaling the end of the night study session rang, Xie Qi’an quickly packed up her things, but she was still blocked at the classroom door.

“Xie Qi’an, do you really have to make Shu Xia cry so many times?”

Knowing she wouldn’t be able to leave, Xie Qi’an simply leaned against the teacher’s podium. Even though she was slightly shorter than Shen Xi, her imposing presence didn’t lose out in the slightest.

“Clicking your tongue, if she thinks crying will solve the problem whenever someone is better than her, then with how many outstanding people exist in this world, just how long does she plan on crying?”

“If Meng Jiangnu had been like her, crying over the Great Wall, Qin Shi Huang could’ve lived a few hundred more years, and all the Great Walls he built still wouldn’t have been enough for her tears.”

“Only the useless try to solve problems by crying. Clearly, all of you are like that.”

Xie Qi’an had always spoken firmly, but at least she used to be polite. Now, she was just outright irritated and cursing them.

“Dropping a few tears makes you think you’re the embodiment of justice? Go find someone who actually cares and be their confidante. Don’t come here and disgust me. I have no interest in playing these ridiculous drama plots with you.”

Earlier, when the teacher had announced the results, they had also shared the overall rankings for the entire sophomore year.

“Oh, right, the teacher said I’m ranked tenth in the whole grade. Since you love standing up for justice so much, why don’t you take Shu Xia and cry in front of the nine people ahead of me? But hurry up, or they might leave before you get there.”

With that, Xie Qi’an turned and left.

She had instinctively disliked Shen Xi, but now, she found herself disliking Shu Xia—the person he was defending—just as much.

Shen Xi turned to look at Shu Xia, who was sitting at her desk with reddened eyes. Just as he was about to comfort her, he overheard some classmates whispering:

“Why do I feel like Xie Qi’an actually made a good point…”

“Yeah, instead of working hard when she’s struggling, she just cries. Is she really blaming others for doing better?”

“Shh! Keep your voice down! If Shu Xia cries again, Shen Xi will come after you. Let’s see how you handle that.”

Meanwhile, at home, Xie Hui had just finished showering and was lying on his bed, about to rest. When he saw the scenes transmitted by the system, he watched as his usually sweet and well-behaved daughter turned fierce while scolding others. He couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smirk.

【Host, don’t you think you should reflect on how you’ve raised your once soft and delicate little girl into this?】

The system took the initiative to speak up, making Xie Hui shrug helplessly.

To him, his daughter was adorable no matter what—if she was soft and delicate, he would protect her more. If she could defend herself, then he would always be her unwavering support.

Between the two, Xie Hui actually preferred the latter.

“Hmm? But I’ve never cursed in front of her.”

Back when Xie Qi’an had just learned to talk, he had been furious at a subordinate during a meeting and let a few choice words slip. Later, she had gone to her great-grandfather and, in a babyish voice, mumbled “no brains,” which led to Xie Hui getting dragged to the old family home and scolded by his exasperated grandfather for a long time.