“Don’t you dare insult Anqing, or I’ll beat you up!”

Hearing Xie Jinxia actually start insulting her best friend, Xu Yuting instantly lost her cool and shouted furiously at her.

“Yuting, don’t be impulsive… My dad says good kids don’t fight.”

The boy felt stung by the words, but feared the two girls fighting even more.

“Hmph, it’s all his fault. All his fault.”

Xie Jinxia’s reason frayed. She glared fiercely at the boy, as if ready to devour him whole.

“I’ll hit you!”

Seeing her keep going, Xu Yuting snapped. Waving her tiny fists, she charged forward—too fast for the boy nearby to stop her.

“Who’s scared of you?”

Xie Jinxia didn’t flinch. Cheeks puffed like a little bull, she charged right back.

Because of one boy, the two girls began shoving each other on the spot.

What followed was the “battle.”

Enraged Yuting shoved the round-faced girl.

The round-faced girl stumbled back a step—0.1 damage taken, anger meter +10.

She shoved back.

Yuting shoved again.

…

This was the simple, unadorned truth of a girls’ fight.

“Zi… Ziqing, could you please stop them?”

Zhao Anqing watched anxiously. Knowing he was too weak to intervene, he turned to the short-haired girl standing calmly nearby.

Chen Ziqing hadn’t spoken a word since it began—still as a statue, silent as shadow.

“You didn’t brush your teeth. Your breath smells.”

Chen Ziqing stayed perfectly composed, eyes on the scuffle, bluntly addressing the boy.

“A-apologies… but can you stop them?”

Zhao Anqing paced in worry, too flustered to care about himself.

“Let them fight. They’ve shoved before when they disagreed. Here—gum. Freshens your breath.”

Still watching, Chen Ziqing pulled a small bottle from her pocket, shook out a few pieces, and offered them.

“No, thank you… But will they be okay?”

Zhao Anqing declined politely, gaze fixed on the arguing girls.

“Xie Jinxia, big dummy!”

Like casting a spell, Xu Yuting yelled it—then shoved.

“Xu Yuting, fickle! New friend, forgot the old one!”

Xie Jinxia chanted back, shoving without yielding.

“I’m not fickle! You went too far!”

“It totally is…”

They argued while shoving—back and forth.

The conflict stayed exactly there.

“If you don’t take it, I won’t talk to you. Won’t be your friend either.”

Chen Ziqing, one of the onlookers, stated flatly.

“Y-you… willing to be my friend?”

The subtext was clear: *Eat the gum, and we’re friends.* The boy heard it—but doubted his ears.

…

Chen Ziqing said nothing. Her clear, bright eyes held his.

Her pale little hand hovered midair, gum resting on her palm.

True to her word: no gum, no words.

“Th-then I’ll take it.”

Friendship outweighed manners.

Hands trembling with excitement, he reached for the gum—

But nerves made his fingers fumble the tiny pieces.

“Open your mouth…”

Chen Ziqing’s voice was calm, clear—like a little adult, no childish lilt.

“Mm.”

He obeyed instinctively.

She pinched the gum together and placed it gently on his tongue.

“I’ll be your friend… for Yuting’s sake.”

Chen Ziqing felt indifferent toward new friends—take it or leave it.

But refusing meant losing Xu Yuting.

Young as she was, she weighed consequences, not emotions.

“Thank you…”

Zhao Anqing murmured, a strange warmth in his chest.

*Lucky to be Yuting’s friend.*

By now, the “battle” was winding down.

“Huff… huff… Xie Jinxia, big dummy! I’m never playing with you again!”

Exhausted, Xu Yuting bent over, hands on thighs, panting too hard to shove—only words left.

“Xu Yuting, big silly! No cupcakes for you! Hehehe, so pitiful.”

Xie Jinxia squatted, equally spent, reduced to taunts.

“Hmph! No cupcakes for me? Then no candy for you!”

“Cupcakes beat candy.”

(She loved that candy—but lies win arguments.)

“Liar! Your cupcakes suck!”

Two kids, fiercely defending their favorite treats.

“Um… how much longer will they argue?”

Zhao Anqing still felt guilty, but worry had eased.

“No idea. Till their mouths dry out. Why haven’t you spit the gum out?”

Chen Ziqing sounded bored.

“Spit it? I can’t waste your gift.”

The gum sat untouched on his tongue—long gone of sweetness or chill.

He’d never had gum. Didn’t know it shouldn’t be swallowed.

Naively, he waited for it to melt like candy.

“…Open your mouth.”

Chen Ziqing watched him a beat, then commanded.

“Huh?”

Confused, he obeyed.

“You didn’t even chew it? Sucking it like candy?”

She saw the intact pieces clearly. *Dummy,* she thought, eyes sharp with disbelief.

“Gum isn’t candy. Swallowing it causes trouble.”

Quickly, she plucked the gum from his mouth, then calmly walked to a nearby trash can and tossed it.

“O-okay… I understand.”

Zhao Anqing bowed his head, cheeks burning. *Such a fool…*

Too embarrassed to stay near his new friend.