Chapter 36: Could You Pick Me Up for School Tomorrow Morning? [Second Update]

“It’s fine, come on! What’s there to be shy about? We’re happy today, isn’t a hug normal?”
Lu Yuanqiu approached with a laugh.

Bai Qingxia glanced back at the steps, blushing as she took a step forward and pressed her hand firmly against Lu Yuanqiu’s chest, trying to keep him at a distance.

But the boy was tall and sturdy; he didn’t budge an inch.

For a moment, she felt as if she were that girl again, cornered in the supermarket storeroom, bullied with nowhere to escape.

“Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing?! What’s going on here? In broad daylight, harassing a young girl, is that it?!”

Lu Yuanqiu was startled and turned his head.

He finally noticed a warm-hearted man on an electric scooter, who had stopped at the steps and was glaring at the scene before him.

A hero had arrived to save the damsel.

Lu Yuanqiu wasn’t wearing his school uniform, and with his short hair and athletic build, he looked every bit the tough street punk. Bai Qingxia, on the other hand, was dressed in her uniform, her features pure and delicate, her eyes red-rimmed, appearing fragile and helpless.

Anyone could guess what seemed to be happening here.

Lu Yuanqiu lifted his chin. “Yeah, I am harassing her. So what? What’s it to you?”

“Hey, you’ve got a real temper, huh? Come on, let’s settle this!”

The man was straightforward. He parked his scooter, stepped down, and strode toward them. Seeing this, Bai Qingxia hurried forward, spreading her arms wide to shield Lu Yuanqiu behind her. Her expression was tense as she glared at the man, refusing to let him approach, the cake in her hands trembling slightly in midair.

The man froze, halted in his tracks. When he understood what was really happening, his throat bobbed and his expression turned speechless.

Lu Yuanqiu, hidden behind Bai Qingxia, stuck out his tongue at the man with a mischievous flourish.

With a slap, the man smacked his own face, then returned to his scooter, muttering, “Fine, serves me right for being nosy!”

He sped away as if another glance might make him spit blood on the spot.

Once he was gone, Bai Qingxia lowered her arms and turned to glare at Lu Yuanqiu in embarrassment and annoyance.

Lu Yuanqiu quickly wiped the silly look off his face.

He handed her the leather shoes, picking up where they’d left off. “Since it’s a birthday gift, don’t stand on ceremony. When it’s my birthday, you’ll have to give me a present too.”

Bai Qingxia dropped her gaze and reached out to take the shoes.

She hesitated. “But your birthday already passed.”

“Well then…” Lu Yuanqiu started, but suddenly paused, staring at her. “You know when my birthday is?”

Bai Qingxia’s eyes widened in alarm. She quickly looked away. “No… I don’t know, I really don’t.”

A lie.

But Lu Yuanqiu had no idea how the girl before him had learned his birthday.

“In any case, just give me a present next year on my birthday. Fair’s fair.”

Bai Qingxia lowered her head and nodded lightly.

She turned to leave, but as if remembering something, she stopped and said to Lu Yuanqiu, “Lu Yuanqiu, could you… could you pick me up for school tomorrow morning? Just wait for me at the entrance of Osmanthus Alley.”

Tomorrow was the sports meet. There would be an opening ceremony in the morning, and every class had to march in formation.

So all the students needed to arrive at their classrooms in their class uniforms early. Since Bai Qingxia didn’t board at school, she’d have to wear her uniform from home.

She probably didn’t want people on the street staring at her…

Lu Yuanqiu immediately understood. He smiled and agreed, “Of course.”

Bai Qingxia smiled as well. “Thank you. Tomorrow at seven… or seven-thirty.”

“All right.”

The next morning.

Lu Yuanqiu was jolted awake by his seven o’clock alarm. He leapt out of bed with the energy of a carp.

After a quick wash, he fetched his DK uniform from the balcony.

Su Xiaoya had a habit: new clothes had to be washed before the kids wore them, so she’d put the class uniform in the laundry as soon as he brought it home.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, he changed into his uniform. Just then, Lu Tian walked by. “You don’t know how to tie a necktie, do you, dummy? Let me—”

He cut himself off. The blue tie at Lu Yuanqiu’s neck was knotted perfectly. The son shot his father a disdainful look and walked past him.

“Have you ever worn a tie before?” Lu Tian asked in surprise.

Lu Yuanqiu grinned. “It’s a talent every real man is born with!”

He was joking, of course. In his previous life, he’d worn suits more than anything else—how could he not know how to tie a bow?

Lu Yuanqiu set out from home, riding his bicycle to the corner of Osmanthus Alley as agreed.

He checked his watch—it was nearly seven-thirty.

Soon, a girl in a school uniform approached, carrying a pink backpack. Lu Yuanqiu looked at her curiously. “Where’s your class uniform?”

Bai Qingxia replied awkwardly, “I’m wearing it under my uniform.”

Lu Yuanqiu glanced down. The thigh area of her school trousers was bulging—clearly the skirt was underneath, though she was still wearing canvas shoes.

Before he could ask, she hurriedly explained, “The leather shoes are in my backpack!”

“All right, hop on.”

This girl… She’s wrapped up in her uniform and still wants me to pick her up? Isn’t that a bit much?

Lu Yuanqiu was amused by the thought.

On the way, the two of them saw plenty of teenagers in all sorts of outlandish outfits. They even spotted a student in blue-and-white striped hospital pajamas—no doubt from Seventh High.

The annual autumn sports meet was always a giant cosplay event.

They parted ways a few hundred meters from the school. Lu Yuanqiu rode ahead onto campus.

When he arrived at Class 28, there were already more than a dozen students inside, all in uniform.

The girls, regardless of how well they knew each other, had instinctively gathered together in a shy, excited huddle, whispering among themselves.

A few boys, perhaps still waiting for their friends, sat by the windows, feigning melancholy, striking moody poses.

Lu Yuanqiu entered in uniform. The girls all turned to look, sneaking glances at him before quickly regrouping, whispering even more excitedly.

Whatever they were saying, some were so thrilled they stamped their feet.

Thick-skinned as ever, Lu Yuanqiu edged closer to eavesdrop.

“I never thought Lu Yuanqiu would look so handsome in uniform.”

“He’s tall and strong—clothes look good on him. He must be the most muscular guy in our class.”

“But I still prefer Zheng Yifeng—he’s fair and skinny, and with the DK uniform, he’s the perfect Japanese-style heartthrob.”

Lu Yuanqiu piped up, “How perfect is he, exactly?”

The girls immediately turned, faces flushing as they pushed him away. “Why are you eavesdropping, you’re a boy! Get lost, get lost!”

At that moment, Bai Qingxia entered.

The girls turned to look again, surprised to see her.

“Why isn’t she wearing the uniform?”

Bai Qingxia ignored them all, quietly heading to her seat.

She set down her backpack and picked up the class placard next to her desk.

During the recent morning exercises, while the others ran laps, she had been practicing marching with the placard on the field under the homeroom teacher’s guidance.

Liu Wei was amazed to discover that Bai Qingxia walked with remarkable poise.

It wasn’t just her looks—there was a certain indefinable grace about her, as if she’d received formal dance training in the past.