"This... I actually don't think it's all that hard. The leader is a softhearted man — he answers to coaxing, not to force. Facts have proven it: if you soften your attitude a little, act a bit spoiled, the leader won't have the heart to keep ignoring you." Kang Xiaobo said after a moment's hesitation.

Gossiping about his own leader behind his back was rather improper, but Feng Xiaoxiao was pitiable enough. A girl who had transferred here for the boy she loved, only to win no understanding and no praise from him — cold neglect instead. It made Kang Xiaobo sympathetic, and that was why he had said a little more than he should have.

"Oh? Wei Zhao answers to coaxing, not to force?" Feng Xiaoxiao was startled by Kang Xiaobo's words. Kang Xiaobo was one of the people closest to Wei Zhao; if even he said so, then her earlier strategy — had it been wrong?

It seemed that simply trying to embarrass Wei Zhao or to strong-arm him would not only fail to work, it might even produce the opposite result. It seemed that if she wanted Wei Zhao to submit, she truly would have to change her plan.

"That's right. I think a girl ought to learn how to be sweet. Look at you — you don't know how to be sweet at all. How could the leader possibly like you?" Kang Xiaobo said matter-of-factly. "You should know that Sister-in-law Tang Yun isn't inferior to you — she's even a bit taller than you. If you really do like the leader, then you have to be gentler!"

"Is that so..." Feng Xiaoxiao frowned slightly. Be gentler with Wei Zhao? Gentle with a boy? What a joke. She was Feng Xiaoxiao! How could she possibly go courting a boy's favor? If anyone found out, they would laugh until their teeth fell out.

No. Absolutely not. Especially the spoiled, sweet act — when had she ever played sweet? She had never done such a thing in her life. How could she possibly manage it?

But... if she did not do it, then Wei Zhao certainly would not teach her to street-race... Was street racing really so important? Feng Xiaoxiao felt a little lost. She had wanted to find Wei Zhao only because he had ignored her once before, and she had bristled at it — a mere hanger-on, daring to be so arrogant with her. She had been angry, so seeking him out had been nothing more than a way to vent her spleen. As for learning to race from him, that had been a mere side matter.

Earlier, Feng Xiaoxiao had assumed that if she asked Wei Zhao to teach her racing, he surely would not refuse. Instead she found that Wei Zhao would not even give her the time of day. That alone she could have swallowed. What she could not swallow was this: Wei Zhao had actually pissed all over her head, and tied firecrackers to her backside with a dead knot! Did he mean to kill her? Feng Xiaoxiao truly could endure no more. She wanted revenge! This was no longer as simple as learning to race — she hated Wei Zhao to the marrow, and only if he paid a price would her fury be quelled.

In that case, Kang Xiaobo's suggestion really did deserve reconsideration. The key was how to carry it out.

Even if Feng Xiaoxiao were to act sweet with Wei Zhao now, and get him to teach her racing, in her eyes that was a trifle. Racing or not racing no longer mattered; she had to make Wei Zhao suffer.

That's it... Suddenly Feng Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up. Since Wei Zhao liked Tang Yun, then she would truly play the third party and break up Wei Zhao and Tang Yun! Then she would make Wei Zhao fall in love with her, and then she would dump him... Hah hah, and when Wei Zhao was in so deep he could not pull himself out, she would tell him the truth — by then he probably would not even have time to cry, would he?

At this thought, Feng Xiaoxiao was brimming with fighting spirit again. With her beauty, was taking Wei Zhao down so difficult? However good he and Tang Yun might be together, they were not in the same class. But she and Wei Zhao were not only in the same class, they were deskmates — with such a convenient position, the pavilion by the water catches the moon first. If she still could not win this battle for love, then she really would be a failure.

Seeing Feng Xiaoxiao's expression shift and flicker — now delight, now pique, now brimming with hope — Kang Xiaobo thought she had come around, and said, "Anyway, I only told you all this because I felt sorry for you. But don't you go wrecking things between the leader and Tang Yun!"

"I won't. I'll just quietly treat him well and keep an eye on him from the sidelines; he doesn't need to like me back!" Feng Xiaoxiao nodded. "But you have to keep it a secret for me!"

"That goes without saying," Kang Xiaobo said with a smile and a nod. He did rather sympathize with this girl, Feng Xiaoxiao.

When Wei Zhao arrived at Guan Xuemin's villa, he was surprised to find two police cars parked at the gate: one was Qiu Lingshan's local-plate police vehicle, and the other was the patrol car Yang Huaijun had driven when he came to the school to pick Wei Zhao up last time.

Yang Huaijun being here did not strike Wei Zhao as anything strange, but Qiu Lingshan being here too puzzled him somewhat. Why had she come as well?

He rang the villa's doorbell. Nanny Liu opened the door; she knew Wei Zhao and hurriedly invited him in, fetching him a pair of slippers. "Professor Guan is in the study. There are two guests. One is Mr. Yang, whom you know."

"Ah, I know. I'll go find them myself; I know the other one too," Wei Zhao said with a smile to Nanny Liu.

"All right." Hearing that he knew them both, Nanny Liu said no more and went off to busy herself with her own work.

Wei Zhao went to the study door and knocked. Guan Xuemin's voice came from inside: "Is that Xiaoyi? Here already?"

"It's me!" Wei Zhao pushed the door open and nodded with a smile — then was startled out of his wits by a figure rushing up to meet him. He was about to dodge aside, but once he saw who it was, he could only smile bitterly.

Yang Huaijun gave Wei Zhao a bear hug and burst out laughing. "Take a look at how my body is doing now!"

Wei Zhao rolled his eyes. "You won't die for the time being. But if you want to recover your former strength, you'll have to wait."

"I can still recover my strength?" Yang Huaijun was first stunned by Wei Zhao's words, then overjoyed. "Eagle... Wei Zhao, you mean I can regain my former strength?"

"When have I ever spoken empty talk?" Wei Zhao shrugged.

But before Yang Huaijun could speak, Qiu Lingshan, sitting on the sofa, curled her lip in disdain and beat him to it. "All the time!"

"You brain-dead girl, if you keep quiet, no one will take you for a mute!" Wei Zhao was displeased at Qiu Lingshan's interruption and shot her a glare. "Don't you come begging me later! Just treat everything I ever promised you as empty talk!"

"Brother Yang, look at him — he's bullying me!" Qiu Lingshan turned to Yang Huaijun, looking utterly wronged and pitiful.

"Huh?!" Wei Zhao was dumbstruck. Qiu Lingshan... had a little-girl side too?

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