Chapter 135: Every Time You Are Mentioned, She Becomes More Talkative

Lu Yuanqiu had always been missing a driving force—a motivation to truly enjoy his youth. In the past, he had lived in a daze, squandering his years without realizing that his teenage years were the most precious stage of life. But this time, with Bai Qingxia alive, he seemed to have found the motivation to strive and embrace his youth. In this life, he studied diligently, improved his grades, actively participated in school activities, and built good relationships with his classmates. He was certain that if the election for sports representative were held again, he would receive far more than just a single vote.

Lu Yuanqiu could clearly feel the difference between these two lives. After lying down for a while, unable to sleep, he thought about the basketball finals the next day. He simply opened his eyes, got up, washed, and changed into sportswear before heading out. Putting on his headphones and playing music, Lu Yuanqiu began to run through the streets at 4:30 in the morning.

Lucheng, the city where he had grown up, was located at the border between the north and south of the country. Just like its geographical position, it was a very mediocre city. The pace of life was neither too fast nor too slow, the cost of living was moderate, and the wage standards were average. Even the housing prices remained steady, never fluctuating outside a narrow, predictable range. Lu Yuanqiu had heard netizens comment that the taxis in Lucheng were a major highlight of the city due to their extreme speed. The drivers drove as if their lives depended on it, as if they were rushing to be reincarnated; they disliked using the brakes, preferring to rely on sharp steering, convinced of their own superior driving skills.

Just then, a taxi screeched past the road next to Lu Yuanqiu, leaving dark, charred tire marks on the pavement.

"Damn it, you scared the hell out of me!"

Lu Yuanqiu shouted back. He had nearly thought the taxi was going to mount the sidewalk and hit him. After the car came to a stop, the front passenger door opened. Lu Yuanqiu saw a flamboyant woman in high heels, black stockings, and revealing clothing tumble out of the vehicle. Then, the taxi sped away.

Lu Yuanqiu glanced at her and turned to continue his run, but suddenly he stopped, stunned. That woman looked so familiar. He looked back again and realized that the woman sitting drunkenly on the side of the road was none other than Sister Li.

She didn't live in the Gui Lane area, did she? This was Wangjiang Road, quite a distance away.

Lu Yuanqiu ran over and tentatively called out, "Sister Li?"

The woman with the garish makeup turned her head to look at him, and Lu Yuanqiu was taken aback. The cheap makeup on Sister Li’s face had been ruined by tears. Her right cheek was swollen, marked with the messy imprint of five fingers as if she had been slapped. Her hair was disheveled, and her clothes were torn, making her look incredibly disheveled and miserable.

"Are you... Xia's classmate?" Sister Li sniffled. Seeing it was Lu Yuanqiu, whom she had met before, she spoke with hesitation.

"I'm Lu Yuanqiu. Let me take you home." Lu Yuanqiu didn't say much, leaning over to help her up.

Once she was standing, Zhang Li wiped away her tears, trying to save face, and said jokingly, "That son-of-a-bitch taxi driver, he had the nerve to touch my leg. Heh, did he pay for it before touching? I won't lower myself to his level, otherwise, he’d be waiting to go to jail!"

Lu Yuanqiu knew she worked at a karaoke bar and guessed she must have been bullied today.

"Are you hurt?"

"No, no, it's nothing. I can go back myself. Are you out for a run? Go ahead and finish your run; I'm fine, you don't need to see me home."

Lu Yuanqiu frowned. "Why are you being so polite with me? My time isn't that precious, and I don't have school today. Think of taking you home as just a walk." Seeing the young man's persistence, Zhang Li stopped refusing.

As the two walked toward Gui Lane, they began to chat. Sister Li was quite cheerful; as she spoke, she started laughing, as if she weren't the same person who had been crying and nursing a swollen face just moments before.

"Are you running so early because of the basketball game?" Sister Li asked.

Lu Yuanqiu looked at her in surprise. "How do you know about the basketball game?"

Sister Li replied, "Xia told me. She said you're great at basketball, that you can dunk and jump very high. She said that if you win the game, you'll take her to the cinema with the movie tickets you win."

Lu Yuanqiu couldn't help but laugh. "Was she acting proud when she told you?"

Sister Li said, "Of course. She told me with a smile. Every time she mentions you, she talks so much and praises you to the skies. I can't even question you—if I say one skeptical word, that girl gets sulky and stops talking to me."

"Really?" Lu Yuanqiu couldn't suppress his grin, laughing a bit mischievously while looking at Sister Li with suspicion.

"Why would I lie to you?"

Although he knew that anything coming from Sister Li would likely be "embellished" with good intentions, Lu Yuanqiu was still quite pleased to hear it.

Lu Yuanqiu said, "That sounds too fake. She never praises me to my face. I have to ask her if I'm good, and even then, she’ll only answer in a tiny voice that I am."

Sister Li clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes at him. "You don't understand, do you? A young girl is bound to be shy. With her personality, how could she possibly praise you to your face?"

"Ah, that's true, but you should say these things to her in front of me; the expression on her face would definitely be priceless."

Sister Li replied, "That wouldn't work. If I did that, Xia wouldn't talk to me about you anymore; she'd think I have a big mouth."

The two chatted the whole way and soon arrived at the courtyard in Gui Lane. Lu Yuanqiu helped Sister Li upstairs. He noticed that Bai Qingxia’s door was shut tight, but as they got closer, he could hear Uncle Bai snoring inside. A light was on in the window—likely the lamp by Uncle Bai’s bed. Bai Qingxia had once mentioned that Uncle Bai was afraid of the dark.

Seeing Lu Yuanqiu standing at Bai Qingxia’s door, Sister Li whispered a reminder: "Don't look for her now; you'll scare her. No one usually comes by in the middle of the night, and I wouldn't knock on her door at this hour either."

Lu Yuanqiu nodded silently and followed her to her place.

Sister Li continued in a low voice, "Sit here for a while. Xia wakes up early every day; she'll probably be up soon."

"Alright."

After entering Sister Li's room, Lu Yuanqiu glanced around casually. Her room was similar to Bai Qingxia’s next door, probably only about ten square meters. However, since she didn't use a curtain to partition the space, it appeared slightly larger. The furniture and appliances were quite complete: there was a television, and even two small speakers along with an old phonograph. On the corridor outside her door, there were many potted plants growing fresh flowers.

If she weren't working at the karaoke bar, Sister Li would likely be a refined woman with a tasteful lifestyle. But if she weren't working there, she would likely lose her only source of income. Lu Yuanqiu knew that Sister Li’s monthly salary couldn't even compare to a single red envelope he received during the New Year. Receiving a red envelope only required saying "thank you," while her salary required Sister Li to endure a month of torture, sacrificing her dignity and her body.

After she poured Lu Yuanqiu a glass of water, she opened the fridge, took out an ice pack, and applied it to her cheek. Just then, Lu Yuanqiu’s gaze was suddenly drawn to a yellow floral dress hanging on the clothes rack.