Chapter 35
Before we knew it, the day of finals had arrived.
I didn't feel much at first, until I saw the expectant eyes of the students in Class 5, and then I began to understand a little bit about how holidays are the biggest thing for school children.
It was snowing lightly outside. Wu Qi came to find me and sat down on my desk. "It's final exam today. A bunch of people outside are betting on who will be number one in the grade."
I stared at him without saying a word.
Wu Qi: "I stole the slip of paper with their bets."
"..."
I'm so bored.
Although I cursed inwardly, I still secretly glanced at the note.
On the slip of paper, the one that landed on me had a pound of spicy strips, three bags of potato chips, six bags of pickled bamboo shoots, and eighteen sticks of sour sauce. The one that landed on Yu Yuan, with his small eyes, had a pound and a half of spicy strips, five bags of potato chips, ten bags of pickled bamboo shoots... and eighteen sticks of Alpenliebe???
No, is the difference really that big?
The next moment, Wu Qi said what I was thinking: "No..."
"Right? I also think it's unreasonable—"
"No one's pressing me down?" Wu Qihao asked, puzzled.
"..."
"Can't I be the top student in the whole grade?" Wu Qi seemed genuinely troubled. "I have no vision."
I:"……"
Big brother.
It would be a miracle if someone actually pressured you.
Even Buffett wouldn't dare do that.
But I still tried to comfort him a little, taking out a bag of sunflower seeds from my pocket, "I'll bet on you."
"You have the best eye." Wu Qi was satisfied and gave me a thumbs up. "Looks like I have no choice but to win."
Wu Qi took some melon seeds and went to find them, showing off that he had a ticket, and it was Sang Yue's ticket no less—asking them if they were envious.
Even through the air, I could feel his tail wagging so hard it was practically flying up to the sky.
"Stop making noise! Don't disturb those who are studying hard and reciting their lessons!" The proctor finally managed to scatter them when he arrived at the exam room.
Although I think I heard someone mutter quietly, "All the good students are gambling here."
Good at studying: ?
The bell rang, and the exam papers were distributed.
I once went to see the Baku (a mythical creature that eats dreams) and visited its dream storage warehouse. I remember clearly that human exams made up a large portion of my nightmares.
Not finishing the exam, not knowing how to do the questions, being caught cheating, getting scolded for not doing well on the exam... and so on.
I was puzzled at the time. How could a few scraps of paper change a person's fate?
It wasn't until the proctor announced, "Ten minutes left to hand in your papers," followed by sighs of varying sizes throughout the exam hall, and an oppressive restlessness filled the air, that I was truly drawn into this anxiety.
This anxiety lasted until the results were released, on the first day of winter break.
The entire school exploded like a lit firework, bursting open with a bang and then quickly dissipating.
Our little group—a bunch of dung when we're together, but scattered like stars in the sky when we're apart—finally felt reluctant to leave as we walked to the school gate.
Li Guangheng, with snot and tears streaming down his face, said, "Believe me, I'm really sad because I have to part with you, not because I have to hand in my report card when I get back."
Meng Xiaoqiong rolled her eyes at him. "I'm prepared to not be able to contact you for a whole holiday. I wish you well, my friend."
Li Guangheng: "Could any of you take me in? I don't want to go home."
Xu Feng raised his hand: "I can! But you have to come to my house and take a beating for me."
"What? You want me to go to your house and get a beating? Do you think my mom doesn't beat me hard enough?" Li Guangheng turned and asked, "Or is there anyone else willing? Someone who won't get a beating..."
Li Guangheng looked around, but no one paid him any attention.
Finally, it fell to Wu Qi.
"Qi-ge, you did well on the test this time, right?" He picked up Wu Qi's report card. "You're 19th in the grade this time, and 20th last time... Wow, that's a huge leap forward. Your mom probably won't beat you up, right?"
"puff."
I couldn't resist.
Wu Qi's mother... such an unfamiliar term.
Someone like Wu Qi, who seems to have sprung from a rock, is more believable if he's a mother than if he actually has one.
Wu Qi was clearly stunned for a moment.
“I…” Wu Qi stammered, which was uncommon for him. “My mom… my parents went on a long trip.”
Li Guangheng's eyes visibly brightened.
I found it funny.
It's funny to hear.
I couldn't resist.
"Ha ha."
At that one sound, everyone's eyes immediately turned to me.
It seems that they have witnessed some rare phenomenon.
The conversation naturally turned to me: "Sister Yue, where are your parents?"
I:"……"
I can't laugh anymore.
Wu Qi, gloating from the side, also asked, "I'm asking you. Where are your parents?"
I:"……"
I don't know, because I'm a little white rabbit.
Faced with their expectant gazes, I finally blurted out a few words: "My...my parents..."
Everyone: ?
Me: "I went on a long trip with Wu Qi's parents."
Everyone: ?
Wu Qi: "???"
That's what happened later.
A large group of people came to my house because Wu Qi's house was really simple, while my house was decent enough.
I never imagined I would see so many living things in my humble abode. I didn't have anything to offer them, so I took out the large bottle of orange juice and some sunflower seeds that I had been saving for a long time.
Everyone in the room sat down on the sofa, throwing their schoolbags into the entryway.
Li Guang sat cross-legged and took out a pack of playing cards from his bag. "Come on, let's play Landlord."
"Are you crazy?" Tian Qingqing rolled her eyes at him. "There are six of us, and you're just a card player. Whoever becomes the landlord is going to get ganged up on."
Li Guangheng raised his chin, "Then we'll pair up. I'll be in a group with Xu Feng, Xiao Qiong and Qingqing will be in a group, and Sister Yue and Brother Qi will be in a group."
That's how the teams were divided.
It was done without anyone's consent.
Wu Qi sat on the armrest of the sofa, his arm draped over my shoulder, peeling sunflower seeds for me while looking at my cards.
“Three 4s and two 5s,” he said.
The opposing team played three 8s and two 3s.
Wu Qi then said, "Three 9s with two 6s."
The opponent has three Qs and two 7s.
Wu Qi is about to play his trump card, and Xu Feng is caught off guard.
"No, bro, we're in cahoots."
I:"……"
I kicked Wu Qi out and started my own team.
Wu Qize would whisper in the ear of every team he was on the sidelines, and when they made a mistake, he would join them in expressing his regret, muttering things like "What a pity," "Why didn't we just win?" "How could they have gotten that?" "There must be a spy."
I don't know if there were any spying agents.
But I can clearly see that there's one person who's a bit dim-witted.
Later, one team won a round and then stopped playing, so Meng Xiaoqiong organized a game. The remaining players weren't interested and started playing Truth or Dare.
There were four people in total: me and Wu Qi, Qingqing and Xu Feng.
Four playing cards; whoever draws the ace gets to choose one of truth or dare.
Tian Qingqing was the first to draw the ace.
She tugged at the hair tie on her wrist, a little flustered. "I choose truth."
Xu Feng stroked his chin: "Do you... have someone you like?"
Tian Qingqing's face flushed red instantly.
"I...I...I..."
“Oh, what do you mean, ‘what do you mean,’ that’s such an old-fashioned question,” Wu Qi slapped Xu Feng away. “I have a question.”
Xu Feng: "..."
Tian Qingqing rested her hands on her knees, her clenched fists loosening slightly, her eyes filled with gratitude. She repeated, "It's still the truth."
Wu Qi asked, "Whom do you believe in, the God of Wealth or the God of Marriage?"
Tian Qingqing: "..."
Tian Qingqing: "?"
I:"???"
What a huge pot!
I glanced at Wu Qi; he was watching the spectacle with amusement.
Ordinary people might find this question absurd, but in Wu Qi's and my eyes, it's just teasing children, simple and ignorant.
After some assessment, I concluded that this question is as meaningful as asking, "Do you like your dad or your mom more?"
After a moment of confusion, Tian Qingqing began to think and finally came up with an answer: "The Matchmaker."
I breathed a sigh of relief.
very good.
Tian Qingqing did not suffer any loss.
I was just thinking that I would definitely find a good match for Tian Qingqing in the future, the kind that means we'll grow old together and be of one heart forever, when I heard Tian Qingqing say, "But it would be great if the God of Marriage could also take on the job of finding a God of Wealth, and find me a handsome and rich partner."
Me (the matchmaker himself): "..."
Wu Qi (the God of Wealth himself): "..."
Completely oblivious to the two unfortunate "secondary" parties, Tian Qingqing continued, "No... it should be that I can guarantee that every single person I date from now on will happen to be rich!"
"..."
This is no longer just putting the matchmaker in a difficult position.
This is like treating the God of Love as a chef, making pies and throwing them down from the sky every day.
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Seeing that he was about to fail in his duty, a certain God of Wealth quickly changed the subject: "Doing the work of two people by one, who do you think you can work to death? Don't dream about it, hurry up and move on to the next round."
He then collected all the playing cards and shuffled them again.
Tian Qingqing was confused and muttered with a frown, "Didn't you ask that...?"
I secretly chuckled.
Then he raised his hand and drew the ace.
"..."
gloat.
"Sister Yue! Haha! I knew it would be you this time!" Xu Feng laughed smugly, taking my cards to show everyone. "You're usually the quietest, so let me ask you something exciting..."
Xu Feng stared at me with his small eyes for a long time, then looked at Wu Qi, and finally burst out laughing.
My bad premonition was finally confirmed.
"Sister Yue."
"...Hmm?" I was a little nervous.
"How far have things progressed between you and Brother Qi?"
At sixteen or seventeen, you're curious about everything. Especially this kind of thing, you wish you could install 24-hour surveillance to keep track of every development in your relationship.
My relationship with Wu Qi, though an open secret, took on a taboo connotation under the backdrop of "Truth or Dare".
The air suddenly became slightly ambiguous.
Even Meng Xiaoqiong and Li Guangheng, without anyone noticing, had turned down the game volume and were eavesdropping.
And we were at the center of this ambiguous relationship.
For a moment... I didn't dare to look them in the eye.
The innocent and impulsive scenes from New Year's Eve flashed before my eyes, and even Wu Qi's breathing seemed to increase quietly.
It might still be a little difficult for either of us to talk about this right now.
I plan to make up a lie to get by.
“Just… I started to speak, but I was interrupted by someone after only two words.”
"relative."
My immediate reaction was, "Huh?"
“Honey.” Wu Qi saw through my trick and looked down at me, seemingly trying to correct me again and force me to face the relationship between us.
So he mimicked my tone, sounding nonchalant and irresponsible.
"At once--"
"Kiss your little lips."
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