Chapter 129: Where Are You? (3)

"Qiao Xi is really the best. The moment I said I was hungry, she didn't even ask a single question before offering to treat me," Ji Niansheng sighed.

Upon hearing this, Ou Ya suddenly recalled what Ji Niansheng had said outside the teacher's office during the first break. He had seen Qiao Xi the day before yesterday, so it was possible he knew something, and he had clearly left some things unsaid earlier. With this in mind, Ou Ya changed his tune.

"Let's go."

"Oh? A sudden change of heart? Didn't you say you were busy?" Ji Niansheng stared at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Ou Ya offered no explanation, simply repeating, "Are you coming or not?"

"Of course. It's already settled that you're treating me, remember?" Ji Niansheng said, showing no signs of hesitation.

The two did not go to the school cafeteria; the reason was simple—two handsome men sitting in the cafeteria together would attract far too much attention.

"Go ahead and ask whatever is on your mind. I'll tell you everything I know, without holding anything back." Once he was halfway through his meal, Ji Niansheng looked at Ou Ya. "I'm guessing this is about why Qiao Xi didn't come to class today, right? To be honest, I don't know, but it’s likely related to that guy named Gu Heng. You've heard of Gu Heng, haven't you?"

Ou Ya had not only heard of him, but he had also seen him once. Although he hadn't looked into the matter, based on what he had witnessed that day, the relationship between Qiao Xi and Gu Heng was definitely not ordinary.

"Honestly, Qiao Xi is actually quite easy to get along with. When she found out I didn't have a place to stay, she even took me to her friend's house, though that friend of hers wasn't exactly great. If it had been Leng Xinmeng, she would have just left me on the street without a second thought." Once Ji Niansheng started talking, he found it hard to stop. "But looking at it now, it seems unlikely we'll see her at school anymore. Actually, that's not necessarily true—Yu Fan isn't the type to let someone slip away that easily."

However, if their alleged relationship had just been a ruse to deceive him, that would be a different story. He felt rather foolish for having conceded so easily back then; he should have investigated more thoroughly and gotten the facts straight. Now, he was left with nothing—it was a truly miserable state of affairs.

"But if you want to see her, it's not impossible. I know where she lives now."

"How do you know that?" Ou Ya asked.

"I went to her house, though I only made it as far as the front door," Ji Niansheng replied, burying his head back into his food. He suddenly looked up at Ou Ya. "Why the sudden interest? It couldn't be because you're the vice president, could it? To be honest, I thought you were interested in her at first, but you didn't react at all. Now that she's stopped coming to school, you're suddenly concerned—seems a bit late for that, doesn't it?"

Ou Ya remained silent, pondering Ji Niansheng's words.

That day, she had treated Niansheng to a meal and even taken him to stay at her friend’s house; she had seemed perfectly fine. Perhaps her absence was solely due to Gu Heng, and he hadn't missed some other crucial detail.

"Why aren't you eating?" Ji Niansheng finally noticed that Ou Ya had barely touched his chopsticks.

"I am eating," Ou Ya said, slowly continuing his meal.

After they finished, the two left the restaurant.

"You go back to school first. I have some business to attend to," Ou Ya said.

Ji Niansheng didn't mind and waved him off. "See ya."

Once Ji Niansheng had walked a fair distance away, Ou Ya pulled out his phone, found Qiao Xi’s number in his contacts, and dialed. Regardless of the answer, he wanted to ask her himself, even if there was a good chance she wouldn't pick up.

The phone rang for a long time. Just as he thought the call would automatically disconnect, she picked up, though there was a long silence on the other end.

"It's me," he said.