Chapter Five
Shen Yue's figure disappeared around the corner.
Under Qu Qi's probing gaze, You Congxi haphazardly stuffed the candy into her pocket. Before she could even organize her thoughts, Qu Qi waved her hand and said, "Don't explain. Explaining is just covering up."
You Congxi: "...It's really nothing."
Qu Qi raised an eyebrow: "I haven't said what it is yet."
You Congxi: "...I am not a beauty."
You Congxi: "...And we almost had a free-fighting match yesterday."
How can it be so funny?
Qu Qi was practically bursting with laughter inside, but she kept a straight face, humming a tune: "I'm not Huang Rong~ I don't know martial arts~ I only want Brother Yue~ perfect love~"
You Congxi: "
You Congxi grabbed his pen, turned around, and left.
"......"
Shen Yue stared blankly at the empty seat marked "1" in front of him.
He Qi dragged a stool over from the side, straddled it, and idly twirled his cigarette pack: "Where did you get these cigarettes?"
Shen Yue: "That grandson Wen Hu hid it."
Wen Hu was in the same class as them in the first year of high school, but after the class was divided, he went to the science class next door.
He Qi clicked his tongue, then, glancing out of the corner of his eye, saw Shen Yue's right hand casually resting on the table, making a clattering sound, and clicked his tongue even louder.
Shen Yue glanced at him and said, "If your teeth are stuck, just pick them out with a toothpick."
He Qi was puzzled: "I haven't had a chance to ask you yet, what happened between you and those guys from No. 10 Middle School? You disappeared halfway through a fight on Nanchuan Street yesterday, so it turns out you went to No. 10 Middle School to start a fight."
Shen Yue recalled the injury on You Congxi's eyebrow, his expression growing even more impatient, his tone icy: "A bunch of idle socialites who spend their days fooling around, beating them up is doing a service to the people."
He Qi clicked his tongue: "I knew it! You weren't just acting on impulse—"
With a "rip," You Congxi pulled out a chair at table number one, sat down directly, and didn't even spare a glance for the two people she had just met.
Although he hadn't yet found out who the beauty was, sensing the awkward atmosphere, He Qi coughed lightly, stood up, and made as if to leave: "Well, Lao Shen, I just remembered I have some exam-related matters to attend to, so I'll be going now."
Shen Yue pretended not to know him.
Taking advantage of the fact that You Congxi didn't have a third eye, Shen Yue stared at her unabashedly for a while, wanting to ask her why she had helped him earlier, but afraid that she would say it was an act of heroism.
After waiting for a while, Shen Yue felt itchy all over, so he let out a long breath and decided to go all the way and gently touched Xia Congxi's shoulder.
You Congxi turned around and gave him a questioning look.
Shen Yue opened his mouth—
"Don't whisper to each other." Tang Miaosong walked in, wearing high heels, and immediately noticed two top students in her class acting suspiciously.
You Congxi turned around decisively.
Shen Yue: "......"
How did you manage to come in at such a perfect time?
He was unwilling to give up. He glanced at Tang Miaosong, who was bent over sorting papers on the podium, and then looked at You Congxi, who was organizing stationery in front of him.
Before he could even raise his hand, he received a cold glare from Tang Miaosong.
never mind.
I won't ask anymore.
The next second, Shen Yue seized the opportunity and poked You Congxi's shoulder blade.
You Congxi turned her ear slightly to the side, keeping her eyes fixed on Tang Miaosong, and lowered her voice: "Is there something you need?"
Shen Yue: "Why did you help me just now?"
You Congxi hesitated for a few seconds before replying: "Act bravely and righteously."
Almost simultaneously, a stern voice rang out in the quiet classroom: "If you talk again, you won't get the exam; you'll get zero points."
Shen Yue has become obedient.
"......"
Time flies during exams. After finishing the last subject, politics, in the afternoon, You Congxi threw all her stationery into a file bag and got up to go find Qu Qihui.
And for some reason, she didn't want to spend too long in the same space as Shen Yue, who was slowly packing his things behind her.
Even if he smells very nice.
It smelled so good that it made her do several more problems.
But in You Congxi's eyes, he is now the embodiment of trouble.
It's best to get away immediately.
You Congxi decided to buy a fragrance diffuser that smells like dead mites.
When she slammed the chair onto the table, there were hardly any people left in the classroom. You Congxi, clutching the file bag, stepped out.
The sound of a chair scraping against the floor came from behind me.
You Congxi sensed something was amiss and quickened his pace.
She really didn't want to have any more contact with him; she hated trouble.
Fortunately, the classroom wasn't large; a few quick steps and you could walk right out of it.
"Travel along the Congxi River".
You Congxi, who had already reached the door, thought: "..."
You Congxi decided to pretend to be deaf for a second.
The next second.
You Congxi watched in disbelief as a colossal creature suddenly appeared at the previously empty doorway.
Is this the legendary teleportation?
Left with no other choice, You Congxi reluctantly looked up and met that sour face: "Is there something you need?"
Shen Yue's Adam's apple bobbed.
Her eyes are so round.
Like a puppy.
So small.
It feels like I could hold someone completely in my arms.
You Congxi waited a few seconds, then her patience wore thin. She lowered her head and made as if to walk around him, saying, "If there's nothing else, I'll go first—"
My wrist was grabbed, but only for a second before being quickly released.
You Congxi stopped and frowned as she looked at him.
"you......"
They were so close that You Congxi's nostrils were filled with his scent.
Shen Yue lowered his eyes and met her gaze.
You Congxi's heart skipped a beat.
Shen Yue kept his eyelids closed and spoke in a lazy tone.
"Don't arrive at the exam room so late next time, you'll be late."
You Congxi: "?"
You Congxi: "
You Congxi walked away with firm, resounding steps.
-
A milk tea shop near the school gate.
He Qizheng failed to find out who Shen Yue's lover was, but he learned something else from Wen Hu.
"What?! Are you sure???"
Wen Hu was in the middle of a crucial moment in the game, and without even looking up, he casually replied, "Believe it or not."
Shen Yue ordered a glass of lemonade with full sugar, carried it in, and sat down on the single sofa next to him.
Wen Hu looked up from the game and asked, "Yue'er, what did you do yesterday?"
Shen Yue took a sip of his ice-cold lemonade with a blank expression: "A heroic act."
Before they could react, he asked again, "Believe in what?"
He Qizheng took a big gulp of milk tea, chewing on the tapioca pearls as he exclaimed in shock, "Tiger said that the little confidante you took revenge on yesterday... the one who stood up for justice, was playing some weird, cheesy song to provoke them while kicking a thug like he was chopping vegetables, taking down Tianyan and Mohican right away. According to insiders, the alley was a river of blood, extremely gruesome, almost unbearable to look at, and chilling!"
Shen Yue: "......"
Shen Yue tried to bring You Congxi's little face into this bloody scene.
When Wen Hu finished a game and looked up, he saw a strange smile on Shen Yue's face and exclaimed in surprise, "Shen Yue, what are you laughing at?!"
He Qizheng also looked over suspiciously.
Shen Yue coughed lightly as if to cover up his embarrassment, his lips straightening again: "Can't I even laugh? Is it any of your business?"
He recalled what Mohican and Tianyan had said yesterday. At the time, he thought it was made up, but now it seemed that at least 50% of it was true.
They deserve it for not doing their jobs properly and instead engaging in extortion.
Remembering something, Shen Yue tossed the cigarette from his bag to Wen Hu as if it were a hot potato: "Next time you put cigarettes in my desk drawer, I'll offer them up to the sea, and you can just wait to die."
"No, no, no, Brother Yue, this won't happen again, this won't happen again." Wen Hu chuckled as he took the cigarette, lit one for himself, and offered one to He Qizheng.
Shen Yue moved a little further away with a look of disgust: "Don't smoke in the room, it's making my lungs hurt."
"I don't smoke, I'm just having a quick fix. My dad's home today, and if he smells cigarette smoke on me, you can expect to be treated to a feast tomorrow." He Qizheng bit the cigarette holder, then took it off and clipped it to his ear.
He looked at Wen Hu: "You didn't see how dangerous it was today..."
With He Qizheng's embellished description, Wen Hu listened with constant alarm and kept exclaiming "Fuck!" Shen Yue was so annoyed that he almost jumped into a no-man's-land.
When Wen Hu heard the lines, "Da Hai caught him red-handed without a sound, and You Congxi bravely leaped into the bridal chamber to save his friend," he almost jumped off the sofa, his eyes wide with amazement: "Holy crap, awesome!"
Shen Yue's hand trembled, blood splattered in P City, and he died.
With a "smack," Shen Yue slammed his phone on the table and said in a sinister tone, "Are you all tired of living?"
He Qi was pushing the newly ordered blueberry mini cakes toward Chen Yue.
Seeing that Shen Yue's expression had softened, He Qi asked in confusion, "When did you and You Congxi become so close? Weren't you still fighting each other without bloodshed yesterday at noon?"
Wen Hu: "What happened yesterday at noon? How come I didn't know anything about it??"
Wen Hu: "But you two, one for a confidante and the other for a confidante, are quite in sync, hahaha."
He Qizheng's eyes darted around: "Could it be...?"
Shen Yue: "...She was also acting bravely and righteously."
He Qizheng gave a thumbs up: "Then you have even better chemistry, both of you are warm-hearted people who would speak up for justice when you see injustice."
Shen Yue gulped down a mouthful of lemonade.
-
The results from No. 1 High School come out very quickly; usually, the scores for each subject are released one after another on the third day after the exam.
In Chinese class, the Chinese teacher walked in wearing a little bee hat and carrying test papers.
You Congxi closed his eyes as soon as he saw her.
Why are my legs suddenly starting to ache?
From the moment she started first grade, she developed a deep-seated hatred for writing.
It's not that I don't want to learn, it's that I simply can't learn it.
In the words of their elementary school Chinese teacher, they were simply born without a knack for this.
There was no other way but to desperately memorize some excellent essay templates and clichés, and then practice my handwriting to barely get a passing grade.
Now that he's in high school, he can write argumentative essays, and You Congxi breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he can write essays by memorizing materials.
But a person who lacks a sense of language—
Who wrote this?
Shen Yue casually picked up a printed "model essay" with his fingertips and glanced through it with a frown.
“Let’s use this one. It’s completely worthless. Every word can be used as a negative example.”
You Congxi stared at the familiar handwriting, speechless.
The Chinese teacher initiated a Chinese language group activity, ostensibly to help new classmates get to know each other, learn from each other's strengths, and improve their Chinese language skills.
You Congxi, Qu Qi, Shen Yue, He Qizheng, and Yin Zixuan, a transfer student with a high ponytail, are in a group at the next table.
You Congxi glanced at Shen Yue's exam paper and felt that there must be something fishy going on.
A person should not and cannot get 58 points in a Chinese composition with a full score of 60.
This is utterly absurd!
The model essay didn't have a name on it. Shen Yue glanced at You Congxi in front of him. Although he didn't know You Congxi's writing level, he was eager to show off his skills in front of her and make her look at him with new eyes.
Thinking of this, Shen Yue cleared his throat and spoke even more earnestly.
"First of all, the handwriting is acceptable; at least the marks for neatness won't be lost, which is the only redeeming quality of the entire essay."
You Congxi's lips twitched; he didn't know whether to be happy or to say thank you.
Yin Zixuan turned her head and looked at her a few more times.
"Let's look at this topic first, 'Explore the unknown and forge ahead bravely,' which is standard but at least it gets to the point."
"Let's look at the opening paragraph again: 'The road ahead is long and arduous, but I will persevere in my pursuit.' Qu Yuan's famous lines have inspired us to reflect on and explore the future."
"—It also reminds me of my mother. On that torrential rainy night, it was my mother who carried me on her not-so-broad shoulders..."
Shen Yue: "......"
He Qi was lying on the table, laughing wildly.
Yin Zixuan withdrew her gaze from You Congxi, lost in thought: "So that's how it can be written. How could I have forgotten such a versatile template?"
Qu Qi laughed so hard he fell onto You Congxi, unable to straighten up.
You Congxi: "
What's the problem?
Shen Yue: "This is a classic case of being off-topic, and..."
He paused, seemingly considering how to organize his thoughts: "This example is suitable for first graders, but if someone is still writing this in their second year of high school—"
"My suggestion is to go back to elementary school and repeat the year."
Qu Qi sensed a subtle change in the aura above her head. She looked up, puzzled, "Xiaoyu, what's wrong?"
You Congxi smiled and said, "It's nothing."
Yin Zixuan raised her hand and said, "I don't think it's that bad. At most, it's just that the examples used are old-fashioned and the transitions are awkward. It's not enough to make someone go back to elementary school to repeat a grade."
You Congxi: "..."
For a moment, they couldn't tell whether they were enemies or friends.
Qu Qi knew that You Congxi had face blindness, so he introduced her to her in her ear: "She just transferred from the experimental school next door when she started her second year of high school. It's normal that you don't recognize her."
You Congxi nodded, subtly glancing at Yin Zixuan a few times.
She always felt a sense of familiarity about Yin Zixuan.
Yin Zixuan met her gaze and smiled at her.
Shen Yue was taken aback, unsure whether Yin Zixuan was supporting or opposing, so he could only vaguely agree and continue with the process: "Okay... let's go straight to the ending."
"Lu Xun once said: 'The unknown is a chopstick, and so is exploration.' The unknown and exploration promote and complement each other. We should make good use of Lu Xun's chopsticks to contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation."
Shen Yue: "...Did Lu Xun say that?"
He Qizheng was laughing so hard he almost choked: "Oh my... I really can't take it anymore, hahaha... Lu Xun's chopsticks, hahahaha!"
Qu Qi: "I'm really out of laughing... Who wrote this, hahaha!"
The Chinese teacher strolled over, smiling with narrowed eyes: "Of course, this wasn't said by Lu Xun, it was said by our class's little philosopher."
Yin Zixuan: "A philosopher?"
She glanced at You Congxi, then lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.
The Chinese teacher just smiled and remained silent.
Little Philosopher: Is it too late to jump out of the window and leave this world now?
Shen Yue noticed that You Congxi hadn't spoken and assumed she had some question she was embarrassed to ask, so he took the initiative to ask, "You Congxi, is there something wrong?"
You Congxi was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "Nothing, I was just thinking about some philosophical questions."
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