After the 99th Confession, The Cold School Beauty’s Personality Collapsed - Chapter 81:

Chapter 81:

As Qin Luo and Jia Ting walked downstairs, they saw Mi Jiaxuan clearing tables in the lobby. Because of her hearing impairment, Mi Jiaxuan had trouble communicating with others, so her main job was cleaning. She was about to push the cart with dirty dishes to the kitchen when she noticed Qin Luo and Jia Ting coming down the stairs. 

She stopped in her tracks, surprised.

For Mi Jiaxuan, who had never left the village or even traveled to the county seat, seeing them together felt like watching a celebrity couple walk the red carpet. She remembered how Qin Luo had stepped in to help her during her first year of high school when she was being bullied. 

Back then, he wasn’t as strikingly handsome, but to Mi Jiaxuan, he had always been the most impressive person she had ever met.

In her eyes, Jia Ting was a beautiful girl from the city—elegant, charming, and with a natural warmth. Standing next to Qin Luo, they seemed like a perfect match, a thought that stirred both admiration and a touch of sadness within Mi Jiaxuan.

She kept her head down, not daring to meet Qin Luo’s eyes, and tried to walk past quietly. 

But suddenly, someone stood in front of her, stopping her in her tracks. 

Startled, she looked up to see Qin Luo.

“Why didn’t you greet the young master when you saw him? Have you forgotten?” He teased playfully.

Though he’d only been home a few days, the soft-spoken, gentle nature of Mi Jiaxuan left a strong impression on Qin Luo. He couldn’t help but tease her every time he saw her.

Jia Ting watched this with a raised eyebrow, recalling that this girl had a congenital hearing issue and could barely speak clearly. To her, Qin Luo’s teasing might seem a bit harsh. But she knew him well enough to doubt he meant it that way.

Blushing, Mi Jiaxuan lowered her head and softly said, “Young Master.” Her voice, though unsteady and not pleasant due to her condition, was as polite and clear as she could manage.

“Good girl,” Qin Luo said with a smile before walking away with Jia Ting.

Mi Jiaxuan’s eyes lingered on Qin Luo’s back, feeling a mix of emotions—relief, admiration, and a tinge of sadness. She glanced at Jia Ting, silently believing that only someone as special as her could be worthy of Qin Luo.

On the street, Qin Luo pointed to the middle school across from the restaurant. 

“See that? That’s where I went to school. Believe it or not, I was often the first to show up in the mornings.”

“I believe it,” Jia Ting replied. “You must’ve been very dedicated.”

“If my teachers heard you say that, they’d laugh.” Qin Luo said, smiling.

“Why? Did you not like studying?” Jia Ting asked, intrigued. “Then why were you the first one there every morning?”

Qin Luo chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. “I hated studying. I used to climb over the school wall to spend all night at internet cafes. I’d sneak back in before dawn and go straight to the classroom to sleep. That’s why I was the first one in.”

Jia Ting stared at him, shocked. “You snuck out to play games?”

Qin Luo nodded, amused by her reaction. “Yeah, it was the norm. I guess it’s surprising to you, though.”

Given her background and upbringing, it made sense. Jia Ting likely attended top schools with strict rules and high standards. Things like sneaking out or misbehaving were probably unheard of in her circles.

“But weren’t you afraid of getting caught?” she asked.

“Of course. I was caught several times.” Qin Luo admitted.

“Did you ever get expelled?”

“No,” he said. “My head teacher was a kind man. He never yelled or lost his temper. The worst he did was throw a book on a desk in frustration. One time, when I got caught sneaking back in, he just talked to me, asked me to promise not to do it again.”

“That’s… irresponsible of him.” Jia Ting said, frowning.

“Maybe,” Qin Luo continued, “but he was a good person. Another time, I got caught sneaking out again. This time, I bumped into him on my way to the internet cafe. And guess what? He asked me if games were really that fun. I said yes. He said, ‘Alright, let’s go play together.'”

Jia Ting’s eyes widened. “No way. He went with you?”

“Yep. At first, I was terrified. But then we actually played together. I got absorbed in the game until I noticed he wasn’t moving. I looked over, and he’d fallen asleep. I even asked for a blanket to cover him. The next morning, we had breakfast together and went back to school. He taught three classes that morning, and I slept through them.”

“And you never snuck out again?” Jia Ting asked, fascinated.

“Nope,” Qin Luo said with a nostalgic smile.

“Your teacher sounds amazing. I’ve never had one like that,” Jia Ting said softly.

“There’s more to the story,” Qin Luo continued. “On the day I graduated from junior high, a few friends and I went to an internet café. We only booked two hours, but one of my friends found a bug in the system, so the computers didn’t log us out when our time was up.”

“We kept using them for free until the network administrator caught us. He locked us up on the third floor and threatened to call the police.”

“One of my friends had a phone, but he was too scared to call his parents, so he called our head teacher instead. Our teacher came quickly, carrying a wooden stick. He confronted the network administrator, demanding that we be let go.”

“That was the first time I saw him act so fiercely. He was waving that stick and shouting. In class, he never raised his voice, and he definitely never cursed.”

As Qin Luo spoke, he sighed, lost in the memory.

Jia Ting listened patiently and finally said, “He was a great teacher.”

“Yeah,” Qin Luo agreed with a smile. “Out of all my teachers, he’s the only one whose name I still remember.”

They continued walking as they talked. Whenever they passed a spot that held memories for Qin Luo, he would point it out and explain. For example, he told Jia Ting about a pancake stall near his old school. The woman who ran it had been there since he was in primary school. Even after more than 10 years, she still sold her pancakes for 3 yuan each.

“3 yuan? How does she make money?” Jia Ting asked, surprised.

Qin Luo shrugged. “Maybe she’s just used to it.”

Hearing this, Jia Ting smiled. “I want to try one.”

“Why hesitate? If you’re out of cash, I’ll lend you 3 yuan,” Qin Luo teased.

“My stomach is still full from your braised pork,” Jia Ting said, rolling her eyes playfully.

They kept walking and soon reached a bridge with steps leading up on both sides. Qin Luo explained, “Our county is in a basin. My dad said it used to flood a lot during heavy rains, so they built this flood embankment. It was once the main entrance to the county. There was a river below, and people fished here or came for late-night dates. It even earned an interesting nickname.”

“What’s the nickname?” Jia Ting asked.

Qin Luo hesitated before replying, “Are you sure you want to know?”

“It’s just a name,” she said, puzzled by his secrecy.

“It’s called ‘Night Battle Bridge,'” Qin Luo said, with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

“Night Battle Bridge? Did people fight here or something?” Jia Ting asked, confused.

Qin Luo smirked. “I wouldn’t recommend digging deeper into that.”

Intrigued, Jia Ting took out her phone and searched for “Night Battle Bridge.” As she read, her face turned bright red. “You…you!”

Qin Luo grinned. “What?”

“Why did you make me look this up?” she demanded, embarrassed.

“You were curious,” Qin Luo said innocently. “I warned you.”

“You…” Jia Ting glared at him, at a loss for words. She hoped to guilt-trip him with her stare, but Qin Luo only gave her a mock-serious look.

“Jia Ting, I need to correct you,” he said, feigning seriousness.

“Correct me? About what?” she asked, baffled.

“You need to have an open mind to be a perfect person,” Qin Luo began, giving an exaggerated lecture. “Different people see things differently. Sure, you might judge what you read, but you should also understand that it stems from basic human nature.”

He continued with a long-winded explanation about human behavior, sprinkling in bits of wisdom and nonsense. Jia Ting’s shock turned to bewilderment, then to reluctant understanding.

The system notification pinged in Qin Luo’s mind, rewarding him for his “teaching.” 

For a moment, he felt guilty. He had just given a lecture that would likely confuse Jia Ting even more. But it was also oddly satisfying.

Before long, Qin Luo regretted it. 

Jia Ting took his words to heart and bombarded him with endless questions about human behavior. He picked up the pace, trying to escape her relentless curiosity, and soon they found themselves at the top of the embankment. The area was lined with old willows and scattered fitness equipment.

A breeze rustled the willow branches, making Jia Ting’s hair dance. A few young people passing by stared at them, whispering and guessing if they were celebrities.

Jia Ting’s phone rang. “Uncle? Yes, I understand. I’ll be back soon,” she said softly, hanging up.

“Leaving already?” Qin Luo asked.

“Yes,” she replied, tucking her hair behind her ear—a simple movement, yet it showed a grace beyond her years. “Do you have plans for the summer?”

“Sort of,” Qin Luo said. “I plan to go on a road trip, see some places. Staying home all summer would be boring.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“Not sure yet. Maybe the mountains in Tibet, the seaside, or Sichuan for the food and scenery.”

Jia Ting listened, her eyes never leaving him. “Sounds nice.”

They returned to the hotel together in silence, the warmth of their shared memories lingering between them.