Nine Star Hegemon Body Art

Once, Xiang Ning had told Xu Tingsheng this: So long as you don’t choose the waters of forgetfulness, I will always give you the pill of regret.

Now, after Xu Tingsheng had just evaded an engagement, Miss Xiang whose heart was broad as the ocean had delivered the pill of regret to him. Also, afraid that the pill was bitter, she had added honey on top of it.

“Do you eat this? It’s a walnut. I’ve even used a hammer to break it open.”

“How about this? It’s a peach. It’s been washed.”

“This mango’s been cut.”

“Want some figs?”

“Peeled pomelos, and pomegranates.”

Xiang Ning’s fake focus on the lesson did not last for very long as she started pulling things out from her backpack like a magician. Fruits, snacks, all washed and peeled and placed on plastic plates with plastic wraps over them.

Soon, the half-table she and Xu Tingsheng were at was filled with things…one could basically have a picnic there.

“She really knows how to dote on him.”

“Yeah, Xu Tingsheng’s blessed enough.”

“The young lady’s so cute!”

People were whispering to one another all around them, accompanied by various sounds of laughter.

So, Miss Xiang was actually here for a date.

It would not be okay for Xu Tingsheng not to eat!

Just having eaten a bit…he looked up and discovered that the old professor had already come over at some point in time.

The old professor coughed and looked first at Xu Tingsheng, then Xiang Ning.

They had been exposed.

Xiang Ning looked at Xu Tingsheng before raising her head and looking innocently at the old professor, saying especially sincerely, “It’s been tough on you, professor. Have some fruits. I was still asking him earlier which kind you might like to eat…”

Those in the classroom who had been feeling nervous along with them broke out into laughter. This…shameless as she was, she was really too adorable.

The old professor had a helpless expression on his face as he rubbed his brows with one hand.

With his other hand, he popped a grape into his mouth and tasted it before immediately taking a second.

The old professor coughed lightly once, took that plate of grapes from the table, turned and left.

“Consider this confiscated! It really is a bit tiring,” Returning to the front to sit, throwing a few more in his mouth and muttering that the taste was not bad a couple of times, the professor looked up at the students, “What are you all waiting for? Eat…there’s so much anyway. Xu Tingsheng won’t be able to finish it.”

As soon as he said so, some classmates near Xu Tingsheng who were rather more familiar with him came over.

“Can I?” Li Xingming wanted to at least seek Xiang Ning’s opinion.

“You can, you can…there’s a lot. Everyone can eat,” Xiang Ning said.

And so, the crowds flocked over.

Soon, it was a bustle of activity in front of Xu Tingsheng.

In a good mood, Xiang Ning went around saying hi to people before sitting down beside Xu Tingsheng and asking him, “Are these all your classmates?”

“Some are. Some are from another two classes,” Xu Tingsheng answered.

“Are there so few people in three classes? It’s about the same as my whole class itself,” Xiang Ning was a bit puzzled.

“Many people didn’t come to class,” Xu Tingsheng explained.

“They’re all skipping class?” Xiang Ning was used to Xu Tingsheng often skipping classes and thought everyone was the same.

“No, they’ve all taken leave. They’re doing internships for their jobs,” Xu Tingsheng said, “For us, we are studying to be teachers. So, for the sake of finding a job in the future, many of my classmates have gone for internships now at schools with vacancies, helping with substitute lessons or whatnot…actually, it’s in order to forge a connection with the school, to grasp the initiative for getting hired.”

“Oh…” Xiang Ning nodded, “Why haven’t you gone for an internship then?”

“Me? Where would I go for an internship?”

“Our school…our class,” Xiang Ning’s eyes shone.

In eleventh grade, she had entered the humanities class, barely remaining at the cut-off for the elite classes. It would not be impossible if Xu Tingsheng really wanted to go. It was just that he had never thought of it before.

“Won’t you go?” Xiang Ning smilingly asked, mouthing, “Student-teacher relationship…solemnly giving me lessons in the day, even needing to be careful about the other teachers and students discovering it…and after returning home, at night, we…wah, how rascally, how fun.”

“It’s clearly not fun in the least,” Xu Tingsheng said painfully.

“Come on.”“Not going.”

“I just want to see you everyday…date you properly. Now, I only get to see you once per week, not even knowing if you will be snatched away by someone else…” Xiang Ning started to act wronged.

“Stop acting pitiful…if I go, you’ll be even more unable to study,” Xu Tingsheng firmly refused.

The bell signalling the end of class rang.

Xu Tingsheng put on Xiang Ning’s backpack and pulled her along in rushing out of the classroom at once.

He was afraid of being surrounded by onlookers. Still, there were evidently many who were interested in seeing how remarkable Xu Tingsheng’s girlfriend was. Also, some who did not have lessons were already waiting to intercept them by the entrance.

“Wow, how many girls have you attracted!” Xiang Ning remarked emotionally along the way.

With great difficulty, Xu Tingsheng finally managed to awkwardly bring her along in leaving the crowds.

“Let’s go. I’ll send you home,” Xu Tingsheng said.

Xiang Ning stood where she was, shaking her head, “No. I want to go to the cafeteria to eat with you.”

“Huh?” Xu Tingsheng asked, “Aren’t you afraid of things like earlier?”

“I’m not! Are you? Is it that you actually have another girlfriend in school?” Xiang Ning had obviously been led astray by Lu Min.

Having no way to outtalk her, Xu Tingsheng could only lead her to the cafeteria.

“Oh, Tingsheng! Is this…your girlfriend?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Which school is she from?”

“Huh? Can you say that again? Sorry, I didn’t quite catch it.”

“…”

“This student, is anyone sitting here?”

“No…heck, chairman, why’re you pretending to be a stranger when we’re so close?”

“Heh, I came over to observe up close, see what aspect the girls from our class have lost in.”

“…”

It was fine that his classmates and schoolmates were having fun fooling around.

“Hello, Vice Principal Niu…hey, a respected Vice Principal like you-why are you joining in?”

“None of ya business,” Old Niu pushed Xu Tingsheng aside and asked, “How old are you, young lady?”

“Seventeen,” A smiling Xiang Ning said.

Old Niu turned and stared at Xu Tingsheng, “You beast…this, senior high?”

“Uncle Vice Principal, I’m in eleventh grade,” Xiang Ning answered.

“Right. Remember to apply for our school in the future! Don’t look down on it. Over the past few years, our enrollment marks have been steadily rising. Come over and Grandpa will watch over you,” Old Niu said without feeling any shame at all.

“Right, I’ll work hard,” Xiang Ning replied.

With her current results, she would indeed need to put in some effort to get into Yanzhou University whose enrollment marks were currently steadily rising every year.

“It’s alright. Eat first. If you really can’t get in here, Grandpa will think of a way for you…at most, we can get Xu Tingsheng to donate a building to the school or something.”

“…”

This might be the most trying meal Xu Tingsheng had eaten over the years.

Xiang Ning who had been brimming with excitement originally also felt a bit panicked at the onlooking crowds as she muttered, “Hey, Xu Tingsheng, it’s so frightening to date you! It’s fortunate that I’m not attending university together with you…”

While she said that, she still dragged Xu Tingsheng for a stroll at the student plaza after finishing the meal, accompanying him to the library too.

“You won’t have regrets like this, right? When I attend university in the future, you’ve got to come accompany me too!” Xiang Ning said at the entrance of the library.

Once again, he felt a sense of deja vu.

“Alright,” Xu Tingsheng said.

When Xu Tingsheng drove Xiang Ning home, it was already past 9pm.

The next day was the weekend.

Xiang Ning had borrowed a pile of DVDs from somewhere as over the next two days, she simply sat on the sofa and watched them one after another.

In the midst of watching an Italian movie, she told Xu Tingsheng who was mopping the floor, “Wow, did you know that more than half of Italians’ texts carry the word love? How romantic! You even said that there are very few people who are more romantic than you.”

Watching <>, she decided to learn a segment of dance. In the end, she fell down and got half of her backside swollen.

Then, she quickly found consolation in <> that Moon Geun Young acted in. This was because her character in that movie was mocked for having both sides of her butt uneven, one big and one small.

Maybe because the movie narrated the relationship between a male lead who was doing an internship in his university days and a female lead who was in senior high, Xiang Ning was especially enamoured by it. She rewatched it immediately after finishing it and insisted on summoning Xu Tingsheng over to watch as well.

Bored but unable to leave, Xu Tingsheng could only lie on her thigh and close his eyes to rest.

Xiang Ning did not mind as she watched while muttering aloud:

“The male lead’s head is too big. You look better than him.”

“The female lead is so cute. Her face is so round…still, I’m a bit taller than her.”

“Look, they’re so similar to us.”

“Look, look at this part. The male lead goes to the female lead’s school as an intern teacher and even conducts lessons for her. How fun! I want it too…say, Xu Tingsheng, will you go or not? Xu Tingsheng…hey, you’re actually asleep?!”

It looked like Miss Xiang really rather looked forward to him being an intern teacher at her senior high. Xu Tingsheng decided to give the matter some thought.

After watching one movie after another, Xu Tingsheng was finally unable to suppress his curiosity as he asked Xiang Ning, “Why did you suddenly think of binging movies like this?”

“To study dating! Lu Min said that I don’t even know how to date. This isn’t fine…I’ve got to learn more, and I can do so by watching movies. My Little Bride was even recommended to me by her.”

Xu Tingsheng pointed at the horror film which was currently playing, “This is also counted?”

Miss Xiang expressed, “I borrowed this by mistake. Still, it’s pretty interesting.”

That night, Xu Tingsheng was on his way to dreamland when he vaguely heard some ghostlike imitation wailing beside him. Then, pointy objects suddenly touched his face…

By reflex, Xu Tingsheng swatted that person flying.

“Xu Tingsheng!”

Xu Tingsheng turned on the lights and saw Miss Xiang in a strange get-up. She was wearing pointy bugles on all ten fingers…looking furious whilst pitiful as she sat on the floor.

“You hit me! Sob…my butt hurts…now it’s even more uneven.”

“Falling down once on each side, it should be even now, right?”

“…They’re the same side.”

“Who asked you to suddenly run over…I also didn’t know it was you,” Xu Tingsheng defended himself.

“Huh? Who else could it be if not me? Are you dreaming, Xu Tingsheng?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong,” Xu Tingsheng hurriedly evaded the topic, got off his bed and carried her, “Still, if you’re learning about dating, you can’t learn from horror films!”

As he said that, Xu Tingsheng bit off one of the bugles on her fingers…

Miss Xiang petulantly stuffed the remaining nine into his mouth all at once.

Going to bed again, Xiang Ning already had no way of lying properly. She wanted to sleep in a prone position, yet was afraid of pressuring and spoiling her chest which had just grown a little with great difficulty. And so she could only sleep sideways, half her body resting in Xu Tingsheng’s embrace.

“My butt hurts,” She said in his arms.

“What to do?”

“Rub it for me.”