Chapter 6: This Time, Bai Qingxia Will Sit with You in the Corner
After she finished speaking, she gave a soft humph, lifted her fair chin, and added, “That’s right, it was at the same mall as yesterday.”
Hearing this, Lu Yuanqiu smiled and said, “Let me guess—did you neither accept nor refuse? Did you tell the class monitor you’re focusing on your studies, and you'll consider it after graduation?”
Exposed without mercy, Hu Caiwei was at a loss for words.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she burst out, “Lu Yuanqiu, what do you mean by that?!”
Lu Yuanqiu waved his hand dismissively. “Nothing at all. Are you buying it or not? If not, put it back.”
Seeing that her two friends were about to come over to get their things, Hu Caiwei quickly stopped them. “Wait a minute, you two. Today isn’t about paying or not paying, it’s about his attitude!”
“Lu Yuanqiu, is this how you act when you like me? Is this your way of showing it?”
“If you don’t believe me, I’ll agree to the class monitor’s confession tomorrow!”
The next moment, a scene that made Hu Caiwei’s temples throb with anger unfolded.
Lu Yuanqiu started clapping, singing as he smiled, “Happy confession, I wish you happiness, you’ve already found someone better~”
Watching this, Bai Qingxia pursed her lips slightly, her usually cool face close to breaking into a smile. But when she noticed Lu Yuanqiu glancing her way, she quickly turned her head, an instant of panic in her eyes.
“You definitely went to the mall yesterday! Lu Yuanqiu, you’ll regret this.”
With that, Hu Caiwei grabbed her two friends and made for the exit of the supermarket.
A voice called out from behind, “Stop!”
Hu Caiwei curled her lips and turned around. “What, already regretting it?”
Lu Yuanqiu slammed the counter, startling the three girls. “Regret? Nonsense. Put everything you took back where it belongs!”
Hu Caiwei’s mouth fell open, her hands trembling as she stood rooted to the spot, her eyes welling up with tears. “You…”
Her two friends, having already heard of Lu Yuanqiu’s notorious reputation at school, hurried over to return all the items to their original places.
Once done, they quickly rejoined Hu Caiwei. “Let’s go, Caiwei.”
“Let’s go, let’s go…”
Dragged out by her friends, Hu Caiwei left the supermarket, teary-eyed, glancing at Lu Yuanqiu with a look full of grievance and anger.
“Tch.” Lu Yuanqiu clicked his tongue, feeling much better inside.
Perhaps Bai Qingxia didn’t care much, but Lu Yuanqiu still wanted her to witness the scene.
“What did you want to tell me?” Bai Qingxia stepped back in, hugging her backpack.
Lu Yuanqiu said nothing, circled around the counter, walked up to her, and gently clipped a pink hairpin into her loose hair.
After clipping it, he lightly flicked it with satisfaction. That pretty face, adorned with the pink hairpin, looked even purer.
And so much more youthful.
Bai Qingxia stared blankly at the boy in front of her, at his smiling face, forgetting even to refuse.
After a long moment, she finally came to her senses, quickly took off the hairpin, and handed it back to his chest. “I don’t want it.”
“This is a thank-you gift,” said Lu Yuanqiu, gently pushing her pale, delicate hand back.
Seeing Bai Qingxia’s confusion, Lu Yuanqiu explained, “For voting for me during last year’s sports committee election. Thank you.”
Bai Qingxia’s expression was one of surprise.
Her slender fingers gripped the pink hairpin, her beautiful eyes already starting to flicker evasively.
A few seconds later, Bai Qingxia shoved the hairpin back into Lu Yuanqiu’s hand, then turned and rushed away as if fleeing.
“Hey! Slow down! Walk, don’t run! If you dare run on the street, I’ll report you to the school tomorrow!”
Holding the hairpin, Lu Yuanqiu chased after her for a few steps.
Bai Qingxia didn’t look back, but she did slow down, switching from a run to a walk.
Lu Yuanqiu realized that, regardless of how credible it was, the threat of “reporting her for stealing” was always effective with her.
Heh, next time he could use that threat to play a bit more daringly with her.
At this thought, Lu Yuanqiu silently slapped himself.
How indecent. The girl is still a year away from adulthood!
He stared at the hairpin in his hand, puzzled. “She voted for me, so what? Why be embarrassed to admit it? Is voting for me that shameful?”
“Or is she just shy?”
Mumbling to himself, Lu Yuanqiu put the hairpin into his pocket.
After school starts tomorrow, he’d find another chance to give her this little thank-you gift.
He hoped to see her safely appear in class.
Night fell, and upon returning home, Lu Yuanqiu was changing his shoes at the entrance when a deep voice came from the living room.
“Lu Yuanqiu, school starts tomorrow. Have you finished your summer homework?”
Lu Yuanqiu poked his head in and saw a middle-aged man sitting stern-faced at the table.
It was his father, Lu Tian.
Lu Yuanqiu was dumbfounded. “We have summer homework?”
No sooner had he spoken than Lu Tian grabbed the clothes hanger beside him, storming over with an intimidating air. “With that attitude towards your studies! How are you going to get into college next year?”
His mother, Su Xiaoya, failed to stop him and slapped her thigh in exasperation. “There you go hitting the child again! He’ll be silly for real if you keep this up!”
“Mom’s right! Dad, calm down! Don’t get so worked up, or you’ll end up with high blood pressure!” Lu Yuanqiu dashed around the house, chased by his father.
Lu Tian roared, “You little brat, are you cursing your old man?!”
Just then, the door to his sister’s room creaked open. The short-haired little girl poked her head out and egged their father on, “Dad, hit him harder, or else my brother will come hug me later…”
Turning his head, Lu Yuanqiu saw Lu Yidong give a coquettish hum before slamming the door shut.
Lu Tian was baffled. “Why would you want to hug your sister anyway?”
No sooner had he spoken than Lu Yuanqiu walked silently over to the middle-aged man, spread his arms, hugged him, and said with soulful eyes, “Old man, don’t be surprised. If you want, I can hug you too.”
“Disgusting! I’ll beat you to death today!” Lu Tian shuddered in revulsion, flying into another rage. Lu Yuanqiu sprang away in terror.
Su Xiaoya watched her husband and son chasing each other around the living room, shaking her head helplessly.
Those two were a lost cause.
…
September first, the start of senior year.
Lu Yuanqiu overslept that morning. He hurriedly put on his blue-and-white school uniform, bought two breakfasts, and pedaled his bike to Lucheng No.7 High School.
He rushed to the classroom door, panting, and the first person he looked at wasn’t the homeroom teacher or Hu Caiwei, but Bai Qingxia.
At that moment, she was helping classmates move desks. Hearing the commotion at the door, she and the others looked over.
But soon, Bai Qingxia’s ears flushed red, and she turned her head away.
Yes!
She’d made it to senior year!
Lu Yuanqiu was so thrilled he barely noticed the resentful look Hu Caiwei shot him from the other side.
Suddenly, there was a loud bang at the podium. Startled, Lu Yuanqiu quickly looked over.
The homeroom teacher, Liu Wei, pushed up her thick, high-prescription glasses and said sharply, “Lu Yuanqiu, do you think you’re the main character? Late on the first day? Get in line for seats first, then I’ll deal with you!”
Lu Yuanqiu shrugged nonchalantly and joined the more than fifty students in the corridor.
At the start of each semester, the first thing was to arrange seats based on last term’s final exam results.
Top students in front, bottom students in back.
Lu Yuanqiu had ranked dead last at the end of last term, so he expected to be in the farthest corner of the last row again.
But then he noticed Bai Qingxia looked uncomfortable, her small hands tightly gripping her uniform sleeves.
Suddenly, Lu Yuanqiu remembered.
He wasn’t last last term—
He was second-to-last!
The very bottom was Bai Qingxia!
That academic star had, for once, scored a zero!
As for why she got a zero…
ps.
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