Chapter 6

Though Qiu Li’s position in the Qiu family was miserable, appearances still mattered. No matter how much they disliked him in private, the Qius would never risk gossip by neglecting him in public.
So, of course, the kindergarten he attended was the most prestigious international academy in all of Rong City, a place for the children of the rich, powerful, and untouchable.
Getting in wasn’t exactly hard, but it wasn’t easy either. By Friday, Yan Xiao had finally completed all the admission paperwork, personally escorted by her mother.
In her previous world, her family had been ordinary, she’d never even stepped inside such an elite school.
She’d once refused to go to kindergarten out of embarrassment, but now that she was here, she couldn’t help being curious.
Chen Ziyi, her mother, had braced herself for tears. All her friends had told her that their children sobbed on their first day, clinging to their legs for dear life.
But her daughter?
The moment they reached the gate, after a few polite words with the teacher, the little girl looked up with a bright smile and chirped, “Bye-bye, Mommy!” Then she marched straight through the gates, backpack bouncing behind her like a tiny soldier heading to war.
Chen Ziyi, ready for hugs and dramatic goodbyes, stood frozen in place, her arms still outstretched. Watching that small figure vanish without a backward glance, she felt a strange emptiness, though she smiled and waved when the teacher reassured her they’d take good care of her.
The kindergarten was enormous, larger even than the elementary school Yan Xiao had attended in her old life.
Since she was new, the teacher gave her a tour, introducing every building and explaining which areas belonged to which classes.
Yan Xiao liked everything she saw, until she learned that the younger and older classes were in different buildings.
The school had three levels: lower, middle, and upper classes, each in its own wing, with only the cafeteria and playground shared.
That meant she couldn’t see Qiu Li all the time.
Which meant fewer chances to farm hate points.
She pouted for a bit, but quickly found her optimism again. At least we’re in the same school now. I can still find him during breaks and lunch.

The moment she entered her classroom, every child turned to look.
Pretty, polite, and rumored to be close with the Qiu family’s prodigy, she became the center of attention in less than half a day.
But Yan Xiao’s mind was elsewhere.
What’s Qiu Li doing right now?
What class is he in?
Does he still remember me?
If not, then all her hard work from last week would’ve been for nothing!
She spent the whole morning scheming, until at last, during the lunch break, she made her move.
After much pleading and strategic pouting, she convinced her teacher to let her eat in the older kids’ cafeteria “just this once.”
She’d expected it to take longer to find him, but the moment she stepped inside, balancing her tiny pink lunch tray, she spotted him instantly.
Alone in the corner, head lowered, perfectly isolated from the rest of the room.
Even surrounded by children, he stood out, like an island in the middle of a crowded sea.
Sunlight streamed through the window, brushing the edge of his pale, delicate face in a soft halo. His lashes, dark as crow feathers, flickered faintly in the light. He was beautiful, almost ethereal, except for the quiet coldness that surrounded him.
Looking at that small figure exuding such heavy keep-out energy, Yan Xiao could practically hear a voice in her head screaming:
“Come annoy me! Come farm me!”
Her spirit burned with purpose.
Balancing her tray, she plopped it right beside his, successfully invading his personal space. The instant his brow furrowed in irritation and his eyes flashed in surprise, she felt an electric thrill.
He remembers me!
Her effort last weekend hadn’t been wasted!
Those wide, delighted eyes left Qiu Li momentarily speechless. He stared, bewildered, and, though he’d never have admitted it, faintly pleased.
Why is she here?
He glanced behind her, expecting to see a teacher or a nanny.
There was no one, just the curious stares of his classmates.
She’d come alone.
But how? He could’ve sworn she didn’t even attend kindergarten.
As she continued smiling at him, beaming like the sun itself, the usually composed Qiu Li felt a strange, uneasy flutter in his chest.
He remembered how he’d misjudged her last week.
Maybe…maybe he should be nicer this time?
But he hadn’t smiled in so long. What if it looked weird and scared her? His lips twitched a few times, then gave up entirely.
Yan Xiao, of course, saw everything, the twitching mouth, the stiff face, the silent glower, and took it all as proof that her “annoy the villain” plan was a roaring success.
Finally, Qiu Li managed, “You” He hesitated, suppressing that faint, secret joy, and said flatly, “Why are you here?”
He hadn’t meant it harshly.
But after years of being mocked under the guise of “friendship,” he’d learned to keep his guard up. Even though this girl didn’t seem like the others, he couldn’t help the suspicion.
Yet in Yan Xiao’s ears, the sentence came out as:
Who said you could come here? Don’t touch my table. Stay away from me!
She blinked. As expected, the aloof villain type, down to his bones.
Still, she thought with a tiny smile, his voice really was nice, crisp and cool, like the sound of dew dripping into a quiet pool.
This was the first time they’d actually talked. She beamed and replied, “I came to school! My class is too noisy. It’s quiet here, so I’ll eat here from now on.”
Qiu Li: “…”
He hadn’t even noticed her uniform before. Now that he did, something unfamiliar warmed his chest. Sunlight gleamed outside, and the little girl’s eyes were curved like crescent moons.
For the first time, he thought, maybe kindergarten wasn’t so bad.
Watching his blank expression freeze at her declaration that she’d be eating beside him every day, Yan Xiao was already mentally adding hatred points to her counter.
At this rate, she’d max out her goal in no time!
Her small face was radiant with joy.
Qiu Li glanced at her across the table, and some of his guardedness melted. He lowered his gaze and murmured a quiet “Mm.”
To him, it was an awkward acknowledgment.
To her, it was icy, dismissive, deliciously rude.
Perfect!
Yan Xiao practically glowed as she dug into her lunch. But out of the corner of her eye, she saw him subtly sliding his tray a few inches away from hers, as if even their plates touching was unacceptable.
She stared for a moment. Seriously? He can’t even handle that much human contact?
Yep. Definitely the reclusive type.
Still, she didn’t push it. It wasn’t wise to provoke him too much, too fast.
After all, if she truly pushed the future villain over the edge, she might not live long enough to complete her mission.
Patience, she told herself. Slow and steady wins the game.
Meanwhile, Qiu Li, thinking she hadn’t noticed his gesture, felt a flicker of relief. He’d only wanted to give her a bit more space. She’d realize it eventually…probably.
When lunch ended, Yan Xiao’s teacher came to find her, it was nap time.
The woman had been quietly watching from the doorway. Everyone knew about the Qiu family’s situation, and no one could force the other children to play with Qiu Li. The best they could do was turn a blind eye.
So when she realized that the little girl sitting with him was Yan Xiao, she’d been genuinely surprised.
If no one would play with Qiu Li, they couldn’t force them, but if someone did choose to? Well, that wasn’t their business either.
Seeing the two children getting along, she’d simply nodded to the other teacher and let them be.
Now, smiling, she called, “Nap time, Xiao-xiao.”
Yan Xiao blinked innocently. “Teacher, can I skip nap time?” she asked sweetly, pulling out her best puppy-eyed act.
The teacher chuckled and took her tray. “No skipping naps. Everyone needs rest, and your friend does too.”
He’s not my friend, Yan Xiao wanted to protest. But if she said that, she’d ruin her cover and never be allowed back here again. So she drooped her head and muttered, “Okay”
To sell the act, she even waved a tiny hand as she left. “Bye-bye!”
The teacher smiled knowingly. “That’s the spirit. You can play with your friend again tomorrow.”
Qiu Li sat frozen, watching her small figure being led away, his mind echoing with a single word:
Friend.
Was that what it felt like to have a friend?
His long lashes fluttered once, and something fragile melted quietly inside his chest.

Author’s Note:
Baby Qiu Li: She said I’m her friend. So happy (#^.^#)
Xiao-xiao: One lie will take a hundred more to fix… ┓(;´Д`)┏