Chapter 20

"Sang Yue!"

I returned to Nancheng No.1 Middle School. In chemistry class, the teacher asked me to stand up and analyze the ions in the solution.

I removed my hand from my chin and stood up.

Li Guangheng reminded me from the front: "The last big question, the first sub-question!"

Tian Qingqing also said, "Chemistry!"

"..."

Adding legs to a snake is superfluous and shows a lack of ambition.

I only drifted off slightly; I didn't miss a single point of the lesson. Besides, they were going over the monthly exam paper, and I'd already done all the questions before, so I had time to think about them now.

"Hydrogen ions, hydroxide ions, sodium..."

I used to not understand why liking someone was always described in such a tragic way. Wasn't it driven by motivation and impulse? If liking someone is so unwavering, then the red thread must be exceptionally thick.

Now I understand, liking someone isn't painful, but loving someone you can't have is.

I.

I've fallen for my childhood sweetheart, whom I've known for almost two hundred years.

I went from being the person I most wanted to beat him to death to the person I wanted to die with him.

This feeling is...it's absolutely awful.

I wasn't very happy about it, and I finished the analysis in a daze. I must have two heads; I managed to say it word for word.

The teacher nodded, then asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Did you write it correctly?"

I said I forgot.

No kidding, all I can think about are maple leaves, Wu Qi's scent, and the weight of him leaning on my shoulder.

I'm fucking insane.

The teacher had nothing to say, and just smiled and said, "Sang Yue is too modest, she must have written it correctly."

I smiled back.

"It's okay, the results will be out in the next class, then we'll see."

After I sat down, Meng Xiaoqiong leaned over and asked me, "Who do you think is the oldest this time: you, Little Glasses, or Brother Qi?"

My focus was completely off: "Why was Yu Yuan placed between us?"

Meng Xiaoqiong: "..."

She stared at me speechlessly, then reorganized her thoughts: "You, Qi-ge, and Little Glasses, who's the oldest?"

I thought for a moment: "You can guess who will come in second."

Meng Xiaoqiong: "Awesome."

Wu Qi, who was behind him, had only listened for half a minute when he suddenly joined the group chat: "Some people are born to be number one."

I said smugly, "I'm not that good, am I?"

Wu Qi: "I'm talking about myself."

Me: "Okay."

Meng Xiaoqiong was laughing so hard she almost died.

When the bell rang, a friend came to ask Wu Qi to play basketball. He answered and grabbed the basketball from behind him to leave.

The class representative stopped him at the door: "Wait a minute, the director wants to see you in his office."

Wu Qi frowned: "Why is he making such a fuss?"

The class representative, already used to it, replied, "Is this the first day you've met him?"

Wu Qi nodded, then patted the class representative on the shoulder: "You've had a tough time, putting up with him for an extra semester compared to me."

Class representative: "..."

Dark clouds filled the area, an ominous sign, yet Li Guangheng rushed in cheerfully, almost playing "Good Days" for himself.

The classroom felt like a world of contrasting temperatures, one inside and one outside.

"Family! The Autumn Sports Meet is here!" Li Guangheng beamed with joy. "The registration forms are here! Who's eager to try?!"

The classroom was noisy.

Li Guangheng, as if handing out flyers, said: "Are you going to try or not? If you don't kick it, then he will. If he doesn't kick it, then who will?!"

Meng Xiaoqiong covered her face with her textbook: "Doesn't Bald Qiang know how embarrassing this is?"

I'm used to it by now, so I mimicked the class representative's words: "Is this the first day you've met him?"

Before Meng Xiaoqiong could speak, Li Guangheng kicked her, saying, "Which of you two is up? My sister Yue is in good shape, how about she sign up for the 3,000-meter race?"

Me: "...If you want me to live, just say so."

Meng Xiaoqiong scoffed, "Give her a break. All she has is a bit of explosive power. Let's add women's long jump, hmm... 4x1 relay, 100 meters... if she adds 100 meters, let's add 200 meters too, shall we?"

I:"……"

My name is being added to and increased in number.

I really need to reflect on whether I have ever mistreated Meng Xiaoqiong.

If I haven't abused her, I have to make up for it. You just wait and see, one day I'll be jumping rope with her braids in my hair.

"Don't be angry, look how upset you are, your face is all pale." Meng Xiaoqiong hugged her, "I'm here with you, aren't I?"

Indeed, Meng Xiaoqiong has great stamina. She signed up for everything I signed up for, and even gave Li Guangheng a free 3000-meter race.

I pushed her head away: "...My face is naturally white."

Li Guangheng turned around again, troubled by the prospect of working with boys.

“Are all the guys in our class suffering from kidney deficiency? They don’t report anything,” he said. “Only Fengzi and I report a lot.”

So Meng Xiaoqiong asked me, "Does Brother Qi have kidney deficiency?"

I give up.

"How the hell should I know!"

"I just asked a question, and you're getting all worked up," Meng Xiaoqiong said. "As long as your kidneys aren't weak, you can decide how to report it to Brother Qi."

The application form was handed to me again. I looked it over and finally wrote Wu Qi's name.

Wu Qi.

My handwriting is nothing like his; it's awkward, with rounded, connected strokes, and it looks terribly ugly.

But that didn't stop me from filling out his application form.

Just to clarify, this isn't about liking.

This is the chance for revenge.

Hehe. Run yourself ragged.

-

The reason Wu Qi was called away was that he didn't write out the process during the exam—a classic story that will be remembered forever.

The education bureau, unlike the competition organizers who valued talent, hated Wu Qi so much that they gritted their teeth and ultimately ranked him 120th on the final list, causing him to lose first place.

As for the real number one...

It's still Yu Yuan.

This person scored 3 points higher than me in English listening comprehension.

Damn, I really hate my English teacher's Northeastern accent.

But then again, I don't really care. I'm not that competitive. Second place is fine, I've been second before in the Heavenly Realm.

Meng Xiaoqiong and her group were making a bet up front, exchanging money for goods. Xu Feng was pressuring me, so I angrily handed over three bottles of cola, muttering, "Those kids from Nancun are bullying me because I'm old and weak..."

Li Guang, who was pressing down on Wu Qi, became even angrier and handed over six bottles: "If I have children in the future, they don't need to learn to speak first. I will teach them how to write out the process of taking exams first."

Tian Qingqing didn't join this round, and probably won't join in the future. Looking at the table full of Cokes, she let out a cold "Eek."

Meng Xiaoqiong beat Yu Yuan with one move and became the ultimate winner, bowing to each of the non-existent audience members.

When Wu Qi returned from the second-to-last class, it was clear that the head of student affairs had a bad talk with him; he was probably being manipulated and his head was spinning.

I lay on the table with my eyes closed, trying to rest.

Li Guangheng struck up a conversation, telling him like a timid wife that he had lost the bet. Wu Qi just smiled and said, "Don't have too high hopes for me. I usually live in legends."

"..."

Pfft, what a show-off.

Li Guangheng was displeased upon hearing this: "That's terrible. Sang Yue has even higher expectations for you. She signed you up for every single sports meet."

Wu Qi chuckled.

“Really,” Li Guangheng said, caught in the middle, probably thinking I was asleep. He then said to Wu Qi, “It was like filling in a calligraphy template; I wrote one page.”

I deliberately calmed my breathing, maintained my original posture, and didn't move.

As long as I can act convincingly.

Wu Qi couldn't hit me.

There was a sound of pages turning, probably because Wu Qi had seen the registration form and returned it to Li Guangheng.

My eyes were tightly closed.

Suddenly, Wu Qi spoke up, his tone slow: "That's alright, she's different."

Li Guangheng: "How is it different?"

"she--"

Wu Qi said slowly and deliberately, "She is arrogant because she is favored."

...

I unconsciously bit my lip.

broken.

I've become arrogant and spoiled.

I also want to forget my friends for the sake of beauty.