Returning to Parents' Seventeen
Chapter 83: Not Hiding Anymore?

Chapter 83: Chapter 83: Not Hiding Anymore?

Returning to the classroom from the bathroom, Xu Chuning was struck with a huge shock.

Deng Xitong had been holding back all this way; when she sat down at her desk, she finally couldn’t contain her laughter.

The girl in the front seat, Chen Mengyao, heard the laughter, turned her head, and asked, "What are you laughing about? Did you see a joke or something?"

Deng Xitong continued laughing by herself for a while before wiping away the tears of laughter, glancing at Xu Chuning, and then turning to look at Shen Sinian who was chatting with He Jianzhang. Only then did she answer Chen Mengyao’s question, "...I heard something funnier than a joke."

Chen Mengyao was curious, "What is it?"

Deng Xitong waved her hand, "I can’t tell you."

Chen Mengyao: "..."

She looked at her disdainfully and huffed, "Fine, I won’t tell you any gossip next time either."

Deng Xitong: "It’s not that."

She hurriedly explained to Chen Mengyao, "What I just heard is really absurd and outrageous."

"What could be more outrageous than what I’ve heard?" Chen Mengyao was surprised.

Deng Xitong was taken aback, her eyes wide as she asked, "What did you hear?"

Chen Mengyao subtly glanced upwards, gesturing for Deng Xitong to look behind her.

When Deng Xitong looked back, she met Shen Sinian’s gaze.

After a few seconds of eye contact, Deng Xitong diverted her eyes and said, "It’s nothing, I was just doing a vision test."

Shen Sinian: "?"

He voiced a confused "Oh," and didn’t pry further.

Deng Xitong, turning her gaze back from Shen Sinian, whispered to Chen Mengyao, "...The gossip you’re talking about, it’s not about Shen Sinian, right?"

Chen Mengyao: "Yeah."

Deng Xitong looked at her calm demeanor, pursed her lips nervously, and guessed, "...Is it related to Shen Yubai?"

Chen Mengyao’s eyes lit up as she guessed, "The thing you heard, it wouldn’t happen to be about those two as well, would it?"

Deng Xitong: "...You’re really smart."

Chen Mengyao coughed and said indifferently, "That’s no secret gossip."

She murmured, "People in school have already been talking about it."

Xu Chuning, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, chimed in at the right moment, "When did the rumors start?"

"It started spreading after that incident in the cafeteria," Chen Mengyao said, looking at her. "At first, the rumors were kind of normal, just saying that the two of them share a brotherly bond, but later on, things got a bit more ridiculous."

Xu Chuning, who was not a regular at the school forums and wasn’t in gossip groups, wouldn’t have known even if she were, as she had no time to pay attention—that was normal.

Hearing what Chen Mengyao said, Xu Chuning frowned, "Do people actually believe that?"

Chen Mengyao whispered, "Yeah, some described it so vividly that it’s hard not to believe."

Deng Xitong looked up, "But you didn’t believe it, did you?"

Chen Mengyao rolled her eyes at her, "I’m not stupid."

Speaking of which, she asked her, "Where did you two hear about it?"

"In the bathroom," said Deng Xitong.

Chen Mengyao nodded, knowing that the bathroom indeed was a hot spot for spreading gossip.

"Is that all you heard?" she asked.

Deng Xitong glanced at Xu Chuning, hesitated, and said, "There was also something about Shen Yubai going to the art building with a girl."

Chen Mengyao was surprised, "What? When did that happen? How come I don’t know about it?"

"They say it happened at noon," Deng Xitong remarked. "But that’s fake."

Chen Mengyao: "How do you know?"

Deng Xitong: "Because we ate lunch together at noon."

Chen Mengyao didn’t eat at the cafeteria at noon, so she didn’t know.

Hearing what Deng Xitong just said, she sighed with a disappointed expression, "Oh well, I thought there was some explosive gossip."

Deng Xitong: "..."

The bell for class rang again.

Chen Mengyao turned her head to sit properly.

Deng Xitong tilted her head and poked Xu Chuning’s arm, "Don’t be nervous, the rumor about Shen Yubai going to the art building with a girl will definitely be debunked after school."

Xu Chuning hummed, helplessly saying, "I’m actually not nervous."

Even if other classmates find out that it was her who went to the art building with Shen Yubai, it doesn’t matter. They didn’t do anything shady, nor are they in a premature relationship. Even if rumors spread, Xu Chuning has the confidence to prove herself innocent.

But proving oneself takes time and can delay many things.

And after you prove yourself, not everyone will necessarily believe you.

So, Xu Chuning thought, if she could nip the rumor in the bud, she would try her best to do so.

As for the stuff about Shen Yubai and Shen Sinian, that’s totally nonsense. She believes that even if some classmates mention it in front of the teacher, the teacher wouldn’t believe a bit of it.

Thinking this, Xu Chuning felt a little more at ease.

Similarly, she also deeply felt that she shouldn’t walk alone with Shen Yubai in the future. The few times she met him were seen by classmates and then spread.

For a while, she didn’t know if she was just unlucky or if Shen Yubai was too noticeable.

In the following few days, Xu Chuning and Shen Yubai met, but when they stood together, it was either Shen Sinian or Ban Shu in between them.

At first, Shen Yubai didn’t notice Xu Chuning avoiding him. By the time he realized it, there was only half a month left until the final exams.

Xu Chuning definitely wanted to review well to get a scholarship, and it wasn’t good for Shen Yubai to confront her at this time and ask why she was avoiding him, whether his piano playing wasn’t pleasant to listen to, or if he had offended her again.

Shen Yubai thought about it and decided somewhat unhappily that he must talk it out with Xu Chuning after the final exams.

And Xu Chuning was completely unaware that Shen Yubai, a grown man, could be so sensitive.

She distanced herself from him simply because she didn’t want to be distracted by those rumors before the final exams. She just wanted to focus on reviewing.

That day, the six of them had breakfast together again on their way to school.

Somehow, Yu Gaoyi and Ban Shu, along with Cheng Mingyin who lived near the school, had also joined their breakfast group. They ate breakfast at the small shop together and then walked to school.

Walking along, Xu Chuning realized that the person beside her had become Shen Yubai.

Realizing this, she subconsciously looked around for Cheng Mingyin.

Unfortunately, Cheng Mingyin was chatting with Yu Gaoyi.

Watching, Xu Chuning silently slowed down, deciding to subtly increase the distance from Shen Yubai.

She had not anticipated that despite her taking very small steps, Shen Yubai still remained by her side.

Xu Chuning frowned and turned her head to look at the boy beside her. Shen Yubai was looking down at his phone, seemingly completely unaware of her little attempts.

Thinking this, Xu Chuning strode forward a bit faster.

Two minutes later, Shen Yubai was still beside her.

"..."

Xu Chuning was not a fool. If she couldn’t sense a problem here, then she couldn’t have been the top of her class every year.

"Shen Yubai." She pursed her lips, unable to restrain herself from speaking.

Shen Yubai slightly raised his eyes, his handsome pale face turning towards her, "What’s up?"

Seeing his indifferent demeanor, Xu Chuning couldn’t help but wonder if she was overthinking it. She was silent for a moment, ultimately letting her gaze fall on his phone, "What are you looking at?"

Shen Yubai put away his phone without any particular emotion and said, "Nothing much."

Xu Chuning: "...Oh."

Shen Yubai glanced sideways, pausing before asking, "Not avoiding anymore?"

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