Chapter 21
As the semester drew to a close, a heavy snowfall occurred. The students in Class 5, having long since become oblivious to the world around them, noticed someone shouting, "It's snowing!" A whole row of heads turned in unison. Seeing this, their homeroom teacher, Chen Xiaoyan, smiled and said:
"If all the students in our class can recite 'Bring in the Wine' completely, I'll give you a PE class this afternoon."
Upon hearing this, the students in the class cheered excitedly, and then stared at the few "holdouts" with hungry wolf-like eyes.
Liang Jing trembled: "I'll carry it... I'll carry it, okay?"
Ms. Chen gave a few "holdouts" a break and negotiated with the old chemistry teacher to secure a physical education class for the students in Class 5.
The snow was falling heavily, and only the students from Class 5 were playing on the playground.
In this temperature, Lu Mingxiao was still able to leave his down jacket unzipped. Luckily, he was wearing a black turtleneck sweater underneath. Jiang Huaiyu had half her face buried in her cashmere scarf, with only her eyes showing as she watched the group of boys playing wildly. She had just thought Lu Mingxiao's black sweater was quite warm, but the next second she saw Liang Jing grab Lu Mingxiao and stuff a clump of snow into his collar...
Of course, Liang Jing was eventually buried in a snowdrift by Lu Mingxiao, and he loudly begged for mercy, calling for his father.
After dealing with Liang Jing, Lu Mingxiao turned to look at Jiang Huaiyu.
Jiang Huaiyu sensed something was wrong and turned to leave. Before he could take two steps, he heard the crunching sound of footsteps on the snow behind him. He quickened his pace, and Lu Mingxiao simply ran over and put his arm around his shoulder.
"What are you doing, Yu-ge? We finally managed to get a PE class, why aren't you enthusiastic at all?" He exhaled a puff of white smoke and said with a smile, "Let's go have a snowball fight?"
Unlike him, Jiang Huaiyu was not resistant to the cold. He wore a scarf and earmuffs, with rabbit fur earmuffs covering his ears. He also wore non-slip snow boots, which made his face look even smaller, leaving only a pair of clear black pupils, like a little fox hiding in the snow.
"I'm not going." He looked at Liang Jing, who had just crawled out of the snow, with disdain: "Too barbaric."
"Savage?" Lu Mingxiao narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to him: "I'll show you what savagery really means today."
Jiang Huaiyu stared at him warily: "What are you going to do?"
Lu Mingxiao chuckled, then suddenly bent down, grabbed Jiang Huaiyu's legs, and with a burst of strength, hoisted her up and ran off: "Let's go~ Let's have a snowball fight!"
"Lu Mingxiao!" Jiang Huaiyu dared not struggle too much, fearing that this wild horse might lose its footing and the two of them would fall into the snowdrift together. He punched Lu Mingxiao in the back: "What's wrong with you! Put me down!"
With his own weight plus his winter clothes, he weighed about 70kg. I don't know what Lu Mingxiao ate to grow up like this, but he could carry him and still walk like the wind, and even dodge the snowballs that Liang Jing threw at him!
Lu Mingxiao carried him through the chaotic scene of the fifth-grade boys. Liang Jing called out from afar, "Brother Xiao, where are you going? Are you coming back for dinner?"
Lu Mingxiao: "Wait! I'll treat you guys to spicy strips!"
Liang Jing: "Then why did you carry the academic genius away?"
Lu Mingxiao: "If you don't have enough money, you can use him as collateral!"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
Once the group of boys had moved away from the chaotic battle, Lu Mingxiao slowed down. Jiang Huaiyu was hanging on his shoulder. The winter school uniform was thick, so he didn't feel uncomfortable with the pressure on his waist and abdomen. He kicked his calves and asked, "Where are we going?"
After he finished asking the question, Lu Mingxiao stopped in his tracks. He stood in front of a bench in the corner of the playground and bent down to put Jiang Huaiyu down.
Jiang Huaiyu peeked out from under his scarf, his narrow eyes widening slightly. He looked up at Lu Mingxiao, bewildered, and asked, "Why did you bring me here?"
"Shh..." Lu Mingxiao looked around and saw that the battle between the boys on the playground had reached a fever pitch. He breathed a sigh of relief and bent down to straighten Jiang Huaiyu's crooked rabbit fur earmuffs: "That silly dog Liang Jing was just plotting loudly with a few boys, saying that they would splash you with a handful of snow when you weren't paying attention. I was afraid you would catch a cold, so I 'stole' you away first."
Jiang Huaiyu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled softly.
Lu Mingxiao sat down next to him, crossing his long legs: "They didn't mean any harm. They probably just thought it was boring for you to sit alone and wanted to drag you along to have some fun."
“I didn’t feel bored at all by myself. The snow scene was beautiful. You can’t see such heavy snow in Shanghai.” Jiang Huaiyu pulled her scarf back in and exhaled a small puff of white mist. “But it was really cold.”
Lu Mingxiao leaned closer to him mysteriously: "President Jiang, have you ever built a snowman?"
Jiang Huaiyu: "Piled up."
"Hmm? You've already done that..." Lu Mingxiao was a little disappointed: "Didn't you say there's no snow in Shen City? I was hoping to show you something new."
“No, not in Shanghai. I went to Austria with my parents when I was about four years old. It snowed a lot there, and we built a snowman together.” Jiang Huaiyu reached out to catch a snowflake falling from the sky. “But…”
"But what?"
"I was too young back then, I've forgotten what the snowman I built looked like." Jiang Huaiyu looked at him, smiled and winked: "So, let's just say I never built one."
His eyes held a cunning glint, and a tiny, glistening snowflake clung to his eyelashes, gradually melting into a round, small water droplet.
Lu Mingxiao felt that a small corner in his heart had melted away silently.
His ears burned, and he quickly turned his head away to look away, but soon he turned back again, still wanting more: "Then...then let's build a big snowman in the yard this weekend."
"Cough..." Jiang Huaiyu's cheeks also inexplicably flushed: "Mmm."
The piano music, with its electric current, echoed through the campus. The PE class was over, and the students in Class 5 walked back reluctantly. Suddenly, someone remembered and asked, "Where's Xiao Ge's spicy snack?"
The school bell broke the delicate atmosphere. Jiang Huaiyu breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, and shook the snow off his boots. "Let's go back to the classroom. Next class is chemistry..."
"Jiang Xiaoyu..." Lu Mingxiao called him softly.
"Hmm?" Jiang Huaiyu turned around.
A sudden touch of coolness brushed against his cheek, then melted quickly. Lu Mingxiao had somehow managed to pinch a bit of snow and stick it on his face.
"Let's have a snowball fight..." The boy's laughter was unrestrained and exuberant, but there was a gentle light in his eyes: "To give you a sense of participation."
"Happy snow, Jiang Xiaoyu, be happy even if it doesn't snow."
...
"Oh my god... I'm totally shipping them, you know..." Zhuoran whispered to her girlfriends, "Like this... like this... holding her face! My god! It's snowing, you have no idea how saccharine that scene was..."
"They're just ordinary friends..." Her friend's head was close to hers: "Seeing two guys and immediately shipping them, isn't that a bit idiotic..."
"Tsk..." Zhuoran beckoned: "Liang Jing, come here!"
Liang Jing ran over excitedly: "Sister Ran, what's wrong? Is there anything you need?"
Zhuoran narrowed his eyes: "Would you hold Zhang Cunmiao's face in your hands?"
Liang Jing: "Why are you holding his face like that? Are you spitting in his face?"
Zhuoran: "That's all, you can leave now."
"Okay, Sister Ran~" Liang Jing turned around and took two steps: "No, who's flattering whose face?"
Zhuoran ignored him and had already turned into groundhogs with her girlfriends.
When Lu Mingxiao and Jiang Huaiyu returned to the classroom, shivering with cold air, Zhuoran had already packed his things and sat in Lu Mingxiao's seat.
Lu Mingxiao raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Ran-jie, what's going on?"
Zhuoran: "Brother Xiao, I was tactless before. Please forgive my rudeness. I will now officially hand over the right to sit next to Jiang Huaiyu to you."
Jiang Huaiyu: "...Did you ask me?"
Zhuoran shrank back: "Hehe~ Genius, no need to thank me."
Lu Mingxiao: "Thank you, Committee Member. I will definitely support your work in the future. If there are any activities, please fill in my name first!"
...
"No way, you actually filled it out?" Lu Mingxiao got his wish and sat next to Jiang Huaiyu, but before he could even warm his seat, Zhuoran handed him a list, saying it was for the school's anniversary celebration and Lu Mingxiao needed to perform a talent.
"How about I perform a backflip?" Lu Mingxiao said. "Or should I bring my Tiger brother over and have him pretend to be dead?"
Zhuoran snorted, said "Think about it slowly," and turned to persuade the next classmate.
"Classmate..." Lu Mingxiao grumbled, nudging Jiang Huaiyu with his shoulder, "Help me..."
"There's no way to save him." Jiang Huaiyu lowered his head and worked on the practice materials provided by Shen City, a teasing smile in his eyes: "Who told you to promise them yourself?"
“You little ingrate…” Lu Mingxiao rested his chin on his hand, turning his head to look at him: “I’m only sitting with you because it’s convenient for me…”
Jiang Huaiyu gave him a half-smile, her narrow eyes curving into small hooks: "What's convenient?"
"So that I can take care of you," Lu Mingxiao said righteously.
"Oh," Jiang Huaiyu said, "Thank you, Brother Xiao. What kind of performance are you planning to give?"
"Jiang~ Little~ Fish~~" Seeing that his pleading and cajoling were ineffective, Lu Mingxiao suddenly called out to Zhuoran, who was struggling to keep up with the conversation: "Literature and Art Committee Member, Jiang Huaiyu said he wants to perform a show with me!"
Jiang Huaiyu gave him a light kick to the shin: "When did I say that?"
"No matter what, brothers should share the hardships. I remember you can play the piano, you accompany me and I'll sing, how about that?"
Jiang Huaiyu's smile froze.
Zhuoran excitedly ran over: "Genius! You can play the piano too? That's so versatile! Can you show us your skills? Please, please~ There are so few people signing up..."
Jiang Huaiyu didn't agree immediately. He looked at Lu Mingxiao and asked expressionlessly, "You also want to hear me play the piano?"
He said the word "also" very softly, and Zhuoran didn't hear it at all. He was still waiting for Jiang Huaiyu's reply, but Lu Mingxiao instantly realized the subtle emotions in Jiang Huaiyu's tone.
"Zhuoran, I was just joking with you. Jiang Huaiyu didn't say she wanted to play the piano. Go ask someone else. Sorry."
Zhuoran left with a regretful expression. The class bell rang, and the students returned to their seats. Those who had been trying to catch up on sleep during the break also sat up sleepily.
The chemistry teacher, an elderly man, entered the classroom with a stern face. He glanced at everyone's demeanor and immediately snorted coldly, "Finals are just around the corner. Some of you shouldn't be so listless every day. Whether you can have a good winter break depends on whether you can improve your grades in the next few days. Alright, wake up! Jiang Huaiyu, come and write down your solution process. It's the last big question from this morning..."
Jiang Huaiyu stood up and wrote his solution process on the blackboard.
However, as he wrote, he became somewhat distracted.
Why was he being sarcastic to Lu Mingxiao just now? He was a little annoyed. Lu Mingxiao didn't know the whole story behind the piano incident, and Grandpa Jiang Qiheng was still on Lu Mingxiao's WeChat blacklist.
Lu Mingxiao actually knew him very well and knew he wouldn't mind showing off his skills in front of others, which was why he made that joke with him. The joke itself wasn't the problem, but if...
There wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for what happened with Grandpa Jiang.
Wait, why add the "if"?
Wouldn't it be better to let things return to their "original" state?
Regardless of why he learned piano in the first place, the established fact is that he has mastered this skill, which is his strength, so why should he avoid it?
Is it because of someone who doesn't like him that he gave up shining?
Or will he continue to shine because of someone who likes him?
The chalk fell lighter and lighter on the blackboard as Jiang Huaiyu finished writing the answer.
The old man nodded in satisfaction, then pushed up his glasses and took a closer look...
"Hey? Jiang Huaiyu, you can't be careless! Why did you write 'Lu' instead of 'Li'?"
Author's Note:
Ah, I wanted to write more for everyone, but my stomach hurts...
Please, I beg you, I'll definitely do it next time!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com