Chapter 14 Decline

Cheng Jinyue escaped from home today.

There were so many people visiting him during the Mid-Autumn Festival that he couldn't handle it and ran to a coffee shop near his home to take refuge.

He held the game console and pressed the buttons with a crackling sound. The juice he ordered was almost gone. Just as he was about to order something else, a girl walked in.

The girl was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and high-waisted jeans. Her bangs were combed up, with only some hair hanging down on both sides. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and a bulging schoolbag was hung on her shoulders.

It was obviously an ordinary outfit, but Cheng Jinyue couldn't take his eyes off it.

After placing her order, she walked towards Cheng Jinyue.

Her legs are straight and long, her skin is very white, her hair is tied in a ponytail, and she has a pair of dark almond-shaped eyes with slightly upturned corners and curled eyelashes. She is very thin, but not too slender. She should have some muscles, and maybe she is very strong and full of vitality.

She looked about the same age as me, and had memorized a lot of books, so she must be a good student.

The girl sat at the table opposite Cheng Jinyue, took out the test paper and pencil case from her schoolbag, and started writing seriously.

She lowered her head and thought seriously, with her hair hanging in front of her forehead, which made Cheng Jinyue feel itchy.

Cheng Jinyue stood up and pretended to just go to order, but his eyes were fixed on the girl.

She was writing a math test paper. Her handwriting was neat and there was not a single correction on the paper.

The cover of the notebook next to it also has the school emblem of Mingyuan No. 1 Middle School printed on it.

Mingyuan No. 1 Middle School is a famous school throughout the province. Cheng Jinyue knows it very well because his father bought a school district house nearby and wanted to send him there.

But Cheng Jinyue heard that Mingyuan’s students could only wear school uniforms, were not allowed to perm or dye their hair, had to study until 11 o’clock every night, and had only ten days of winter and summer vacations.

Cheng Jinyue's mother always said that he could not spend all the money in the family in three lifetimes.

So he didn't want to study and just wanted to eat and wait for death.

Perhaps because his gaze was too obvious, the girl raised her head and said, "Hello, what can I do for you?"

Cheng Jinyue came to his senses and took a half step back: "No...it's okay."

He grabbed the hem of his sweatshirt and stammered, "I was just watching you do math problems... I was trying to figure out how to do it."

The girl nodded.

Cheng Jinyue thought she would say something else, but unexpectedly the girl just said "oh" and continued to do the questions without looking at Cheng Jinyue again.

What's so good about this damn math test?

The sweatshirt he is wearing is Prada.

A bumpkin who doesn’t even know Prada!

Definitely not knowledgeable.

Cheng Jinyue was thinking about it, and after ordering the food and returning to his seat, he secretly looked at the girl opposite him.

She picked up her phone, as if she was chatting with someone, with a smile in her eyes. Perhaps it was because she was tall, or perhaps it was because she was a good student and had the aura of a top student, which made her sweet smile seem a little cold.

How could a person be like this... Cheng Jinyue was at a loss for words and couldn't think of any other words, so he just thought it looked nice.

————

Jiang Zhao didn't pay much attention to this little episode.

She downloaded WeChat, registered an account, named her ID Jiang, and then searched for Luo Yan's phone number.

As soon as the friend request is sent, the other party accepts it immediately.

Luo Yan pulled her into the group.

I don't do math, math does me.

What an abstract group name.

Jiang Zhao changed the note and added friends in the group one by one.

Lin Chongyang: Welcome back our class representative.

Jiang Zhao responded with a shy expression of a soybean man.

As soon as he entered the group, Chen Huaiyu started asking questions in the group.

Chen Huaiyu: Class representative, did Brother Xiong notify you about the training?

Jiang Zhao thought about it and thought that Chen Huaiyu should be talking about mathematics competition training.

Jiang Zhao: Yes, I said it before the holiday.

Jiang Zhao: Why do you call me the class representative too?

Chen Huaiyu: @Lin Chongyang, your father told you there was training, why don’t you believe it?

Jiang Shengnan: What training?

Jiang Zhao: For those competing, there should be those in math, physics, chemistry and biology. Brother Xiong said that we will be notified after the joint entrance exam of eight schools.

Jiang Zhao: Most of them are in their second year of high school.

Lin Chongyang: @Jiang Zhao, class representative, have you finished writing Chinese? Please copy it for me.

Jiang Zhao: I was outside and didn’t bring my Chinese textbook.

She took a picture of the math paper she was working on and the coffee placed beside it.

Lin Chongyang: Not eating at home during the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Lin Chongyang: [Picture]

It was dinner time, and Lin Chongyang took a picture of his dining table.

Chen Huaiyu: Brother Chang didn’t win the math competition and his family didn’t give him food.

Chen Huaiyu posted another picture below.

Chen Huaiyu was obviously having a family gathering, and the round table was so big that it couldn't even fit a mobile phone camera.

Lin Chongyang: Get out

Luo Yan: [Picture]

Seeing Luo Yan's picture, Jiang Zhao couldn't help laughing.

Luo Yan’s picture showed an iron plate similar to the one in the school cafeteria, with three dishes and a ball of rice so cooked that no grains could be seen.

Jiang Zhao: The cafeteria of the University of Science and Technology?

Luo Yan: Yes [crying]

The stupid soybean man shed a string of tears.

Jiang Zhao found it hard to imagine Luo Yan making this expression.

Jiang Zhao: So pitiful, I feel sorry for you.

Su Chen: [Picture]

Su Chen took pictures of the tutoring class.

Su Chen: There are people who are even worse off than you. I haven’t finished class yet.

Chen Huaiyu: It’s okay, you have gained spiritual nourishment.

Yang Ziwen: The worst thing happened here, in the hospital during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Chen Huaiyu: What happened to Brother Yang?

Yang Ziwen: I’m going to die.

Lin Chongyang: I will burn the test papers then, you won’t be polite

Pei Zhiyu: Your parents didn't beat you to death? You burned it for others?

Chen Huaiyu: It’s the father’s fault if the son is not well educated. It’s my fault.

Lin Chongyang: I will take you two with me when I die.

Jiang Zhao now understood why Lin Chongyang was so engrossed in typing on his phone during evening study that day.

A group of primary school students.

The waiter came and brought a cheesecake.

"Wait a minute." Jiang Zhao called to the waiter, "I didn't order any cake. The wrong cake was served."

The waiter smiled slightly, walked over and whispered, "The handsome guy across the street ordered this for you."

Cheng Jinyue continued playing the game, but his mind was not on the game at all. He would secretly glance at the opposite side from time to time. He didn't know how many times he died in the game that he could have finished long ago.

When I peeked again, the girl was not in her seat.

Cheng Jinyue turned his head and saw Jiang Zhao standing beside him. He bent down and said, "Classmate, thank you for the cake. Here's the money."

She held a fifty-dollar bill between her fingers.

"What do you mean?"

"Cake money."

Cheng Jinyue's face suddenly turned red: "Who wants your money?"

He felt humiliated by the girl across from him, and the pride of being the boss of Yucai High School was completely gone. Cheng Jinyue said fiercely, "Don't look down on me. Who needs your money?"

"But I don't need it either." Jiang Zhao said with a smile.

"Okay then, I... I don't want cash. Add me on WeChat and transfer it to me."

"Sorry, classmate." Jiang Zhao put the money on the table: "I don't use mobile payment."

Cheng Jinyue took a deep breath. He didn't understand how someone could be so stupid. Was she really Mingyuan's? Hadn't he been hinting so clearly?

He said, "Don't you understand what I mean?"

Cheng Jinyue really wanted to shout out: Who the hell cares about this fifty yuan? I don’t want money, I want your WeChat…

Jiang Zhao shook his head slightly: "I think you don't understand what I mean?"

Cheng Jinyue was stunned for a moment.

He understood.

He was politely rejected.

He looked incredulous.

Isn't he handsome enough?

Doesn't he look rich enough?

In Yucai Middle School, wherever he went, people would look at him with respect.

Nerd, country bumpkin.

This was the first time in Cheng Jinyue’s sixteen years of life that he was rejected. He didn’t take the money on the table and rushed out of the cafe with a yell.

Jiang Zhao sighed slightly and walked to the front desk with the money. "Hello, could you please tell me if the cake I just ordered was paid for by mobile phone or cash?"

The waiter, thinking he was about to witness a young and ignorant act, smiled awkwardly and said, "Cellphone."

"Then please return it and I'll give you the money."

After getting the refund, Jiang Zhao went back to continue doing his homework.

Several waiters looked at her and whispered something.

Jiang Zhao just pretended not to see it.