CFAIACTH Chapter 89 - “Spring Day” and the Rainstorm

Jing Qingxia and Zhong Mingxue arrived at the original courtyard a step behind the main group.

"Are you feeling any better?" Zhong Mingxue asked, supporting Jing Qingxia's arm.

Jing Qingxia smiled helplessly at Zhong Mingxue's excessive concern. "I probably just had a nightmare from that biology question I was struggling with last night. I didn't sleep well, but it's not that serious."

"Then you should rest in your room this afternoon. Your lips look pale," Zhong Mingxue replied, her worry showing no sign of lessening despite the light tone.

Warmth spread through Jing Qingxia's heart. Unable to resist, she kissed Zhong Mingxue's forehead.

Feeling the cool warmth of Jing Qingxia's lips, Zhong Mingxue gripped her clothes tighter, her face flushing at the sudden kiss.

She's getting sneakier.

But I don't mind.

The other students were busy tidying their rooms. Faint complaints from pampered young masters and mistresses drifted through the courtyard from various rooms.

Only Su Zhenyi stood alone in the main hall, polishing a bright purple motorcycle.

Amidst the wooden furniture, the metallic lump of bright purple stood out like a sore thumb.

"Hey, Cousin, you're here! Your room is the same one as before, all tidied up and ready for you to just unpack and settle in. Here's your emergency kit—this one's for you. It has a locator device inside. If anything happens, we can find you anytime. I thought of everything this time, didn't I?" Su Zhenyi handed the two women their equipment packs and room keys.

Jing Qingxia took the two packs and the keys, but instead of leaving, her gaze fixed on Su Zhenyi's motorcycle.

In her previous life as a special forces soldier, she had trained on various vehicles, but her favorite had always been motorcycles.

Most vehicles were like meat wrapped in steel, but a motorcycle was steel wrapped in meat.

Unsafe, yet the most nimble and thrilling.

"Why bother bringing a motorcycle here when it's raining and muddy?" Jing Qingxia circled the bike with keen interest, inspecting it from all angles.

"Because the roads outside are such a mess. Buses and cars are too uncomfortable, so I figured I'd bring something more comfortable. Who knew it would rain every day for so long? Now I spend all my time wiping it down here instead of getting a proper ride." Su Zhenyi gently stroked the motorcycle's frame.

Jing Qingxia glanced over the motorcycle and immediately recognized that some of its components, at least the shock absorbers, had been specially installed by Su Zhenyi. They were clearly upgraded to withstand the rough mountain roads.

Su Zhenyi noticed Jing Qingxia staring at the shock absorbers she had personally selected. Realizing her cousin shared her expertise, she perked up, suddenly feeling understood. She wanted to pull Jing Qingxia aside for a proper chat.

Zhong Mingxue approached and took the keys from Jing Qingxia's hand. "Xiaxia, aren't you tired? Go back and rest now. Don't push yourself to the point of getting a fever—the medical facilities here aren't great. Sleep for a full afternoon before coming out again. Otherwise, it'll affect your condition and give you a headache."

Zhong Mingxue's nagging demeanor stood in stark contrast to her usual aloof, untouchable demeanor.

Su Zhenyi listened, utterly dumbfounded.

Jing Qingxia turned to Su Zhenyi, grinned widely, and said, "Well then, we'll have to talk another time. I need to go back and rest."

Zhong Mingxue opened the door but didn't immediately go inside. Instead, she pushed her suitcase and stood in the doorway, waiting.

Jing Qingxia promptly followed and obediently entered the room.

"Tsk! Go on, go! Go keep your wife company! And don't forget to put the tracker on—you know I've reminded everyone!" Su Zhenyi muttered as the door closed behind Jing Qingxia.

She rolled her eyes bitterly, thinking, That smug look on my cousin's face is clearly her showing off about having a wife. Don't think I don't know!

She couldn't believe Jing Qingxia, with her sturdy build, would need an afternoon to recover from a bus ride into the mountains. It was obviously an excuse to spend time cozying up with Zhong Mingxue.

But she was wrong.

That afternoon, Jing Qingxia really did stay in her room and sleep soundly, not reappearing at all.

This prompted some students to whisper protests, wanting to rest in the room for a day before starting their winter vacation project.

Su Tai quickly suppressed these murmurs.

Zhong Mingxue was surprised that Su Tai would help her. At first, she'd thought he still harbored feelings for her.

But to her surprise, Su Tai maintained a strict distance throughout the entire trip.

This left Zhong Mingxue torn between laughter and tears.

So it's all because of Jing Qingxia's charm? I was being too presumptuous.

Thanks to Su Tai's assistance, Zhong Mingxue's work quickly fell into place. She assigned tasks to her classmates, asking them to get acquainted with the village children.

She delegated grade levels and subjects to each person, and beyond their teaching duties, she also assigned them tasks to help the village in other ways.

The young masters and mistresses were listless, but the assistants who came with them were brimming with enthusiasm, feeling that they were doing something meaningful beyond just earning money.

---

Jing Qingxia slept until dinnertime, finally waking up due to her growling stomach.

When she opened her eyes and checked the time on her phone, she was surprised. She had thought she was just resting her eyes, but she hadn't even heard Zhong Mingxue leave—she had slept so deeply.

When she first fell asleep, her mind had been hazy, as if she had caught a cold from the downpour.

Throughout her slumber, scenes from the original work flashed through her mind, and she awoke drenched in sticky sweat.

But now, awake, she felt refreshed.

It was almost like a brief fever that had subsided after a good rest.

Jing Qingxia retrieved her underwear from her suitcase and quickly took a shower in the simple yet functional bathroom.

As she emerged to tidy up, she noticed a sheet of white paper lying on the floor.

Assuming it was a message left by Zhong Mingxue before leaving, Jing Qingxia smiled as she picked it up.

But when she opened it and saw the signature, her smile faded, replaced by a frown.

I know the truth behind the Jing Family's false accusation against the Zhong Family. If you want to know more, come talk to me alone. —Xiang Jiayou.

Jing Qingxia turned the paper over, but the other side was blank.

Though reluctant, Jing Qingxia had become familiar with Xiang Jiayou's handwriting during their time as desk partners. After glancing at it twice, she could confirm it was indeed his writing.

After all, the words "Xiang Jiayou" were written with bold, sweeping strokes, exuding an unmistakable air of pride that made them easily recognizable.

The note contained no location or time, just a blank slip of paper with his signature at the bottom.

It was hard to fathom what he intended. If the world's rules were trying to manipulate the plot, they should have had Xiang Jiayou stumble upon the cliff by chance and trick her into going there.

But that wasn't the case.

Jing Qingxia narrowed her eyes and stuffed the note into her jacket pocket. She then calmly opened the equipment pack Su Zhenyi had given her and took out the locator. She attached it to the jade pendant on her chest, just as she had instructed Zhong Mingxue to do before she left earlier.

Next, she retrieved the inhibitor from the pack and tucked it into the inner pocket of her jacket. The small pocket originally meant for a pen was now reserved for the inhibitor.

Zhong Mingxue had taken the only small strawberry umbrella, leaving only the raincoat behind. Jing Qingxia dutifully put on the raincoat before stepping out.

At that moment, Su Zhenyi emerged from her room.

"You just woke up too?" Jing Qingxia asked, somewhat surprised.

"Cousin, do you think I'm as fortunate as you? I was out patrolling all afternoon and got completely drenched. I just came back to change before going to eat. You, on the other hand, actually slept the whole afternoon! I underestimated you!"

Jing Qingxia smiled. "Can't help it. Back at the old mansion, Xiaoxue wore me out."

Su Zhenyi fell silent, her single status making her particularly sensitive to the jab. She vowed never to acknowledge Jing Qingxia again.

Jing Qingxia laughed at Su Zhenyi's expression.

The misunderstanding with Butler Xiao Lin back at the old mansion had been an accident.

But this misunderstanding with Su Zhenyi was entirely deliberate.

Jing Qingxia attributed it to the playful mood she'd developed after her refreshing afternoon nap.

Su Zhenyi, however, saw it as an alpha unconsciously asserting territorial claims over another alpha—even if that alpha was an innocent single cousin.

"Where is Zhong Mingxue now? I want to find her." Despite wearing a raincoat, Jing Qingxia squeezed under Su Zhenyi's umbrella.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you," Su Zhenyi said with an exclamation. "Those young masters and mistresses all complained about the village conditions being too poor and made a long list of demands. They wanted everything delivered from town. So the Student Council decided to consolidate their requests and send a group to town to shop."

Jing Qingxia gazed at the curtain of rain outside the umbrella, imagining how Zhong Mingxue would handle this situation.

Mingxue would undoubtedly realize that letting these classmates direct the staff would lead to an endless flood of unreasonable demands.

Instead, it was better to nip the problem in the bud. By having the Student Union handle it, they could collect only reasonable requests. The students wouldn't dare push their luck too far.

"So, Xiaoxue and Jin Ye went to town."

"Wow, Cousin, you're so clever! That's exactly the right approach. Don't worry, I specifically sent two people—an alpha and a beta—to drive and provide security. Everything will be handled perfectly."

Jing Qingxia nodded, not pressing further.

It was a bit of a shame that she hadn't seen Zhong Mingxue since waking up.

Ah, how much she missed her.

Ah, she'd become so clingy.

Jing Qingxia couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the thought.

The lone wolf she'd always been had developed attachments and someone she wanted to cling to. This new state of affairs was truly amusing.

Su Zhenyi noticed a subtle change in Jing Qingxia's breathing and instinctively glanced at her.

That fleeting glance revealed a hint of a blissful smile.

Su Zhenyi was seething with frustration.

How could some people flaunt their affection even when they're alone? Meanwhile, she couldn't even get a guy to notice her, let alone flirt back! Unfair, absolutely unfair!

"By the way, where's Xiang Jiayou? He seems to have left me a challenge letter." Jing Qingxia pulled out a piece of paper.

"Damn it! We haven't even had a chance to execute our plan, and he's already delivered himself to us? Since he admitted to having ties with Zhong Xiaoling, why don't we just grab him, beat him up, and force him to confess?" Su Zhenyi's fists clenched with barely contained rage.

Just hearing Jing Qingxia's brief description of Xiang Jiayou had made her want to devour him alive.

"You'd take the lead? If we get caught and blamed, I don't want you to rat me out as an accomplice. It's best to avoid violence."

"Why is it so hard to be the good guy? The bad guys just need to be shameless, while the good guys have to stick to rules and reason." Su Zhenyi pouted, feeling frustrated.

As they approached the cafeteria, Jing Qingxia was about to change the subject and press for more information about Xiang Jiayou when a deep, furious voice boomed from inside: "You little brat! Are you looking to die?"

The voice was unfamiliar, and they couldn't identify who it belonged to.

But both Jing Qingxia and Su Zhenyi sensed trouble. Their eyebrows furrowed as they rushed inside.

Inside the cafeteria, a baseball cap-wearing boy clutched his leg with one hand while grabbing Xiao Tian with the other.

Xiao Tian was babbling incoherently, struggling violently with both hands and feet, still clutching his slingshot.

It looked like Xiao Tian had injured a hot-tempered volunteer student.

Xiao Tian's friend—the vice-captain of the patrol team, the little boy—was holding onto the volunteer student's hand. But due to the vast difference in strength, he couldn't resist.

The volunteer student, wearing a baseball cap, released the hand he was using to support his leg and looked up.

As he raised his head, light glinted off the side of his baseball cap, illuminating an unremarkable, common face. However, a scar above his eyebrow, combined with the murderous glint in his eyes, made it clear this was no ordinary person.

Without any restraint, he swung his fist directly at Xiao Tian.

Crack!

Xiao Tian closed his eyes in fear.

But the pain never landed.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Jing Qingxia effortlessly catching the volunteer student's fist with one hand.

"Calm down. Let's not solve problems with violence. What's your name? Who brought you here?" Jing Qingxia asked, trying to distract him with questions.

But the student only stared at her in bewilderment, refusing to answer.

Su Zhenyi had just witnessed Jing Qingxia's true capabilities. That explosive burst of speed—rushing from the cafeteria entrance to the scene of the conflict in a split second, then catching the full-force punch with a single hand—it was simply awesome!

Only someone with this level of strength could say, "Don't resolve problems with violence," because they could use force anytime they wanted, but simply deemed it beneath them.

Su Zhenyi bounced up eagerly, eager to help. "This person's surname should be Huang."

"Classmate Huang, right?" Jing Qingxia said amicably, though her grip remained firm. "Let's talk this out properly. This kid is already notorious in the village for being a troublemaker. Discipline is necessary, but we can't resort to violence, can we?"

Classmate Huang's hand trembled. Gritting his teeth, he realized he couldn't move an inch.

In the end, he had no choice but to relent and release Xiao Tian.

Xiao Tian crashed to the ground, writhing and shouting, "Stop him! And that other guy too!"

Following Xiao Tian's pointing finger, everyone finally noticed Xiang Jiayou preparing to leave the cafeteria.

Su Zhenyi smoothly stepped forward to intercept him. "It's dinner time. You haven't even eaten yet, and you're leaving? Where are you going?"

Xiang Jiayou's expression remained impassive. "It's just too noisy here. I want to go back to my room."

"Don't let him go! They're in cahoots!" Xiao Tian shouted anxiously.

The boy beside him nodded vigorously.

Xiao Tian clung to the boy's clothes and pulled himself to his feet.

Jing Qingxia narrowed her eyes, her suspicions confirmed.

Xiao Tian, though mischievous, had become much more obedient after his previous lesson. He was eagerly awaiting her instruction on how to use a slingshot and wouldn't dare cause any trouble.

Jing Qingxia looked at him encouragingly. "Go on, tell us. Why did you use a slingshot? We won't falsely accuse anyone who's innocent."

The surrounding students, already uninterested in their bland food, now focused intently on the unfolding drama.

It was clear from Jing Qingxia's attitude that she was being hypocritical, but none of the students dared voice their objections.

Among the onlookers, Su Tai's eyes burned with fervent admiration.

Jing Qingxia is truly amazing!

This is what it feels like not to be her enemy—so good!

Xiao Tian pointed first at Jiayou, then at Classmate Huang. "I followed this guy and noticed he pretended not to know this other guy when people were around, but they secretly interacted. It seemed strange, so I had Er Gouzi keep an eye on the guy in the hat."

Er Gouzi was the little boy standing nearby. He bowed respectfully to Jing Qingxia.

Thanks to Xiao Tian's storytelling and constant praise over the past few days, Er Gouzi's admiration for Jing Qingxia now surpassed even his devotion to his parents.

"The guy in the hat took something from that other guy and put it in his bottled water. Later, he gave the water to the pretty sister. I've been watching him the whole time—the thing must still be in his pocket," Er Gouzi said.

"Beautiful Sister."

That was what they called Zhong Mingxue.

Jing Qingxia tightened her grip on Classmate Huang's hand.

Suddenly, it all clicked.

This hat-wearing man was one of Xiang Jiayou's people.

If Xiang Jiayou's plan targeted Zhong Mingxue, then the meaningless piece of paper with no time or location suddenly made sense.

He was simply trying to distract her. While she was away, his accomplices would make their move.

He never anticipated she would sleep for an entire afternoon in her room.

Thud!

"Ugh!"

"!!!!"

Everyone jumped in surprise.

Despite all eyes being fixed on Jing Qingxia, no one saw what happened.

The hat-wearing man was already slammed to the ground by Jing Qingxia, emitting a muffled groan.

She locked his arms with her hands and pinned his back with her knee.

With practiced precision, she immobilized him and began searching his body.

In his pocket, she found a small bottle containing flower-shaped white objects.

They resembled candy, yet also looked like exquisitely crafted pills.

Su Tai shot to his feet. "This is... 'Spring Day'! It's an illegal drug! It's..."

Jing Qingxia looked up at him.

Intimidated by her gaze, Su Tai trailed off. He shrank back, his voice dropping to a whisper as he revised his statement: "The flower-shaped white pills are likely Spring Day."

Spring Day, it's Spring Day again!

"What did you do to Zhong Mingxue?" Jing Qingxia turned to glare at Xiang Jiayou.

Su Zhenyi immediately restrained him.

Though both were alphas, Xiang Jiayou's combat prowess clearly paled in comparison to Su Zhenyi's.

Even pinned to the ground, Xiang Jiayou continued to feign ignorance. "What are you talking about? I have no idea! Classmate Huang said he gets carsick, and I just happened to have some motion sickness pills. Spring Day? That's got nothing to do with me!"

"Jing Qingxia. Uh!" Xiao Tian began.

But before he could finish his sentence, the hat-wearing man on the ground seized the momentary distraction. He shoved Jing Qingxia aside, stood up, and kicked Xiao Tian across the room.

Terrified, Er Gouzi rushed to check on Xiao Tian, who had collapsed and was now unconscious.

Dropping his act, the hat-wearing man struggled to break free and sprinted toward the door. But after just two steps, Jing Qingxia caught up to him and countered with a lethal strike, her fist aimed squarely at his face.

Jing Qingxia's head snapped sideways, dodging the punch.

The hat-wearing man's pupils dilated as he stared at Jing Qingxia. He detected no pheromones, yet he felt their suppressive effect, frozen in place. He stared at Jing Qingxia, his face contorted in terror, as if facing a god of death.

Jing Qingxia slammed her fist into his face.

Crack!

The impact of fist against face produced a sound like shattering bone.

Wasn't that like getting hit in the face with a brick?

Every student in their seats instinctively sat up straighter.

Su Tai quickly returned to his seat, burying his head in his hands. He was relieved he'd begged for mercy quickly when facing Jing Qingxia last time.

When everyone looked at the hat man's face again, it was already a bloody mess. His eyes rolled back as he lay collapsed on the ground.

With the hat man dealt with, Jing Qingxia turned directly to Xiang Jiayou. "Want to feel a punch too?"

Su Zhenyi grabbed Xiang Jiayou and flipped him over. His voice trembled as he stammered, "I really didn't do anything! I-I love Zhong Mingxue so much! How could I possibly drug her? How could I make her eat Spring Day? Right?!"

Jing Qingxia knew the potency of Spring Day. She recalled the Omega she'd seen in the public restroom, unconscious and reduced to a wanton state, offering herself to any passing alpha. The memory stirred something primal within her.

Whether it was the paper-thin protagonist from the original story or the Xiang Jiayou before her, both were clearly deranged. Someone capable of destroying what he couldn't possess.

Anger surged through Jing Qingxia. She strode forward and kicked Xiang Jiayou hard in the stomach.

Xiang Jiayou crumpled to the side, a fountain of acid spilling from his mouth as he coughed violently.

But Jing Qingxia didn't stop. Another kick.

And another.

Another kick...

Until the acid in Xiang Jiayou's mouth turned to blood.

Su Zhenyi swallowed hard. Was this what Jing Qingxia meant by "no violence"?

She quickly restrained the out-of-control Jing Qingxia, fearing someone might die on the spot. "Cousin, beating him won't help now. The most urgent task is to find them! It's not just Zhong Mingxue who's in danger—Jin Ye is in danger too. I'll send a car immediately."

An Omega in heat releases massive amounts of pheromones. Jin Ye, as a beta, could care for her, but one of the two professional bodyguards was an alpha, making the situation extremely dangerous.

Moreover, the town's other residents would also be affected by the S-Class Omega's pheromones.

Jing Qingxia's lost composure returned at Su Zhenyi's reminder.

She grabbed Su Zhenyi by the collar. "A car isn't fast enough. Give me the signal receiver and the motorcycle keys."

Su Zhenyi froze.

"You're going on a motorcycle?"

Jing Qingxia didn't explain. She turned to Su Tai and said, "Keep an eye on these two until the bodyguard arrives."

"Yes... yes!" Su Tai hadn't expected to receive orders directly from Jing Qingxia. He trembled with excitement.

Then everyone watched as Jing Qingxia, without looking back, grabbed Su Zhenyi by the collar and disappeared into the torrential rain.

In their shock, the group slowly pieced together what had just happened.

It was terrifying.

Jing Qingxia was terrifying!

It was disgusting.

The hat-wearing man, his face splattered with blood, was disgusting. Their plan to harm Zhong Mingxue was disgusting!

In the downpour, Jing Qingxia, wearing a raincoat, remained relatively dry.

Su Zhenyi, dragged through the rain, was completely soaked. But she wasn't angry. She understood Jing Qingxia's urgency; she felt the same anxiety.

Along the way, she continuously explained the performance of her motorcycle to Jing Qingxia. Finally, when she handed over Zhong Mingxue's tracker, the motorcycle's equipment, and the keys, she could only say, "Drive carefully."

Under such torrential rain, Su Zhenyi couldn't guarantee safety if Jing Qingxia rode the motorcycle at high speed. But she knew persuasion would be futile. She could only prepare for all contingencies, equipping herself with another Jin Ye locator and preparing to drive over.

The blinking white dot on the map proved they were still on the mountain road.

Jing Qingxia shed her thick coat, re-donned her raincoat, and tightly wrapped her motorcycle jacket around her outermost layer.

She put on her motorcycle helmet but didn't lower the visor.

In the downpour, she had to choose to face the wind and rain head-on to see the road clearly.

Boom boom boom!!!

Rumble rumble—

The roar of the motorcycle's engine merged with the thunder.

The bright purple motorcycle transformed into a fleeting violet shadow in the rain, surging without pause over the courtyard steps and threshold before shooting out into the storm.

Su Zhenyi took a deep breath, inhaling the motorcycle exhaust lingering in the air.

She realized that her heavily modified motorcycle, in Jing Qingxia's hands, had finally unleashed its true potential, becoming lightning itself.

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