Standing Next To You
Chapter 72: Running Errand

Chapter 72: Running Errand

Bei Sangyun remained in deep silence throughout the entire morning, different from her usual routine of taking a nap during this time.

Instead, she appeared lost in thought, her gaze fixed somewhere in the distance. This unusual behavior even caught Fei Chuan’s attention, prompting him to steal glances at her.

A lot of questions were looming in Bei Sangyun’s mind.

What had gone wrong? How could it work for one moment and then not?

She was sure that for a brief moment, her senses were awakened, and she could vividly recall the sweet, buttery, and tangy flavor of the cheesecake she had just eaten.

But as she ate another one, that delightful taste mysteriously vanished, leaving her bewildered. What had happened? How could something work so perfectly one moment and then disappear the next?

Perhaps there was a precondition, something that needed to be triggered for her taste to come alive? Bei Sangyun sifted through her memories, meticulously examining every detail.

She remembered the first time her taste had returned—it was while she was eating a cookie, a craft of Grandma Pei. And the second time, it was the same with the cheesecake, another of Grandma Pei’s delectable pastries.

Other desserts she had tried had failed to elicit the same response. This left her with one plausible explanation: it had something to do with Grandma Pei’s craftsmanship.

But there was a catch—she had eaten some of Grandma Pei’s baked snacks in the car, and she wasn’t able to taste it at first. Not all of them work.

Did it all come down to luck, then? It seemed her taste could only be reawakened by Grandma Pei’s creations, but it was like a game of chance, a roulette wheel spinning randomly.

With this conclusion, Bei Sangyun found a glimmer of hope, and it calmed her. It meant she wasn’t entirely without hope. If she could unravel the mystery of how this worked, there was a chance she could regain her taste.

As to why Bei Sangyun didn’t rely on scientific or medical methods, the truth was that she had exhausted all such options in her previous life. And none had yielded any results.

Her case was a unique enigma, even the most renowned doctors in the field couldn’t fathom what had caused her condition or how she had contracted it.

Bei Sangyun had already come to terms with the grim reality of not being able to enjoy food. She had grown accustomed to it, and it had ceased to matter. But now that a glimmer of hope had emerged, desperation overtook her.

If there was even the slightest chance that she could eat like a normal person again, she was willing to grasp it with both hands.

Bei Sangyun turned to Fei Chuan who was silently reading a book. The teacher had assigned seatwork, and the rest of the class was busy jotting down answers in their notebooks. But unlike them, Fei Chuan had already finished and was now idling away.

"Fei Chuan," she called out softly.

Fei Chuan raised his head, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"What else is in the package, aside from cheesecake and cookies?"

Fei Chuan: "...."

He had been secretly observing her from the corner of his eyes and was contemplating what kind of things she had in mind as she looked serious while staring into the air.

It turned out that she was just hungry?

Was she thinking of snacks this whole time?

"Tarts and brownies," he replied, slightly puzzled.

Bei Sangyun’s eyes sparkled with newfound hope. Perhaps she could try some of Grandma Pei’s other pastries to see if her taste would respond to them.

"What do I need to do to get a brownie?" she asked eagerly, as if she were willing to part with a quarter of her wealth just for a taste.

’What the heck has gotten into her?’ Fei Chuan couldn’t help but wonder.

One moment, she detested the idea of eating Grandma Pei’s pastries, and now she was practically begging for them.

Tsk. There was simply no understanding her.

’If you’re not going to waste it, I can give you one,’ Fei Chuan almost blurted that out, but he quickly changed his mind. This was a rare opportunity to get back at her.

"If you buy me a drink and deliver it to my desk, I can give you one. But you have to buy it yourself," Fei Chuan said with a sly smirk, fully expecting Bei Sangyun to decline.

It was essentially a way of denying her request, as he believed there was no way the tyrant would run an errand just for a brownie.

Fei Chuan was confident that she would refuse this deal and come up with another request instead. And when she insisted, he would suggest she change her seat instead of running an errand for him.

However, to his surprise, Bei Sangyun agreed without hesitation.

"Alright."

Fei Chuan was taken aback by how easily she accepted the deal. She wasted no time and swiftly left the room, leaving Fei Chuan in stunned disbelief.

She returned ten minutes later, carrying a carton of milk, which she placed on Fei Chuan’s desk.

"Done."

Fei Chuan: "...."

Did she just agree like that?

He stared at her, dumbfounded, and his perception of the tyrant began to shift.

He glanced at the drink and was surprised yet again. How did she know he preferred milk over fruit juice, and it was even the brand he usually drank? This particular milk wasn’t even available in the cafeteria. Where had she bought it?

Although puzzled, Fei Chuan reluctantly accepted the drink and handed her a brownie.

"Here."

Bei Sangyun eagerly accepted it and immediately took a bite. However, it still tasted terrible, but she fought back the urge to make a face since Fei Chuan was still looking at her. She forced herself to swallow it down and nodded as if it were delicious.

"It’s good," she commented, eager to get more snacks and not wanting to upset Fei Chuan today.

Fei Chuan merely raised an eyebrow and was about to ignore her when Bei Sangyun spoke up again.

"I’d like to have the tart."

Fei Chuan: "..."

Bei Sangyun looked at him expectantly.

Fei Chuan observed her for a moment and finally made a counteroffer.

"Then, choose another seat."

Bei Sangyun paused, then shook her head firmly. "I can’t agree to that."

Fei Chuan narrowed his eyes. "Why not? Is it because you won’t be able to torment me?"

"No," Bei Sangyun replied. "It’s because we want everyone to know we’re friends. If we sit apart, how would they know we’re already on good terms?"

Bei Sangyun provided what sounded like a reasonable excuse, but her real motive was to remain beside Fei Chuan for easy access to the snacks Grandma Pei always cooked for him.

She had noticed him eating pastries in class before, and this proximity would allow her to grab one every day. If she sat apart from him, getting to the food would be more difficult.

Plus, she found she could take short naps when seated beside him. Her condition didn’t just rob her of her sense of taste; it also made it hard for her to sleep soundly. Only when she was close to Grandma Bei could she rest without nightmares, and for some reason, she could take brief naps in this particular seat. If she changed it, she might lose that precious nap time.

There were several important reasons why Bei Sangyun couldn’t agree to changing seats.

Fei Chuan squinted at her, and they locked eyes, neither of them backing down.

Finally, Fei Chuan averted his gaze. He couldn’t hide his annoyance as he uttered a dismissive "tsk".

"Then, at least sit a bit farther away from me," he insisted.

Bei Sangyun was torn. If she distanced herself too much, how could she sneakily nab his snacks?

"Can you change it to something else?" she asked, trying to find a compromise.

Fei Chuan gave her a piercing stare, his expression clearly conveying his desire to put as much distance between them as possible.

Suppressing her irritation, Bei Sangyun sighed in defeat. "Alright."

She shifted her seat a few centimeters away, but Fei Chuan wasn’t satisfied with this meager effort. He kicked her seat a few times until there was an arm’s length between them.

Bei Sangyun: "..."

Even so, an arm’s length was still within her reach, and she contemplated whether she could still sneakily pilfer some snacks when he wasn’t looking.

Fei Chuan finally felt a sense of relief as he gained some breathing room. Being close to Bei Sangyun, with the lingering scent of her lavender bamboo shampoo, had been extremely uncomfortable for him. That fragrance reminded him of the time when they were in front of the gym’s door.

Fei Chuan immediately shook his head to get rid of that thoughts in his mind.

Meanwhile, the entire class, supposed to be engrossed in their seatwork, had surreptitiously turned their attention to the unfolding drama without making it obvious.

In the hushed classroom, even a whisper couldn’t go unnoticed. They could not help but pay attention.

Furthermore, the tyrant had left the room and returned with a carton of milk. It was impossible for the students not to be curious about the unusual spectacle.

Lin Sunji’s seatmate leaned in closer and whispered, "Did the tyrant just run an errand for that loser?"

Lin Sunji narrowed her eyes as she glanced toward the back of the classroom. "No way. She must have done it to force her target to consume whatever she bought."

"Like feeding a pet," her seatmate added in realization. "As expected of the tyrant, after physical violence, she’s now resorting to mental abuse. She’s so ruthless."

A mysterious glint flickered in Lin Sunji’s eyes as she contemplated the situation. "Well, she wouldn’t change without a reason. But our classmate seems to be in a dangerous spot. She keeps harassing him relentlessly. What if he decides to harm himself due to the pressure?"

Her seatmate’s eyes widened. "That must be the tyrant’s goal. She’s pressuring him to take matters into his own hands." She shivered at the thought. "Shouldn’t we report this?"

"How can we report this? We don’t have much evidence right now."

Well not now, but she would be able to put that bitch in her place soon.

****

Additional Scene:

Butler Xin was just about to attend a crucial appointment when he received a call from Bei Sangyun.

Bei Sangyun: "Where are you?"

Butler Xin had grown accustomed to her impulsive requests, so there was no need for pleasantries or small talk. He promptly informed her of his location.

"Good. So, you’re less than ten minutes’ drive away from the school."

A sense of foreboding washed over Butler Xin. Could it be that she was about to present him with yet another baffling request?

His gut feeling proved to be accurate.

"Buy this drink for me and deliver it to the school in less than ten minutes."

"But, Master, I have an important meeting right now—"

"Who is more important, me or the person you are meeting with?"

"...You, of course."

"See you in ten minutes."

With a click, the call ended abruptly.

Butler Xin stared at his phone in speechless frustration for a few moments. Then, he clenched his teeth and swiftly left the building. He immediately contacted one of his men, who was typically reserved for urgent matters.

"Go buy this drink for me and meet me at the school. You have less than ten minutes!"

Butler Xin wasn’t suprised by Bei Sangyun’s questionable order anymore. He believed she was doing this to make his life harder.