Chapter 65: Fang Baoyu Starts Showing Off Again

The last day before National Day.

He Chen, Ruan Liuzheng, Lin Miaomiao, and Qian Sanyi—four neighbors from the same community—once again coincidentally met Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao, who had just adjusted their schedules to match theirs at the school gate.

Habit becomes second nature.

This has become routine.

The five walked in together, chatting as they went.

“National Day is coming soon—what are everyone’s plans?”

“What plans? I just want to sleep for a few days straight, nothing else!”

“Dream on! National Day won’t even give you three days off, tops—and right after, you’ve got the monthly exam. Can you even sleep?”

“What a curse! Why couldn’t the monthly exam be scheduled before National Day? Why force us to take it right after? Can’t we just have a few days to relax after?”

“Even Li Tie, who swore he’d follow the Gaokao schedule strictly on the first day of class division, immediately changed his mind and gave us a favor—made us attend evening self-study that night, saying he didn’t want us to lose momentum! Do you think he’d let us relax for days?”

“Doesn’t anyone want to go out for a few days? I’d actually like to get out and wander around!”

“I just want to sleep. I’ve felt sleep-deprived lately—especially seeing Lin Lei, the top student in the whole school, burning the midnight oil until he’s exhausted. These past two days, he either missed the bus and was late, or fell asleep on it and overshot his stop, skipping the entire morning self-study. Who isn’t under massive pressure? Everyone’s staying up even later.”

Ruan Liuzheng listened to Qiao Yingzi and the others complaining, and her whole mood soured.

Even Lin Lei, the top student in the entire school, was pushing himself this hard. How immense must the pressure be for someone like He Chen, who had climbed up from sleeping through classes, still chasing him and Suishikenengbeichaoyue ?

She’d originally had some ideas for National Day.

Now, all of them vanished.

Seeing Ruan Liuzheng’s gloomy face and her best friend Huang Zhitao’s furrowed brows, Qiao Yingzi knew they were both under heavy pressure and quickly reassured them: “Actually, Lin Lei isn’t deliberately burning the midnight oil—he’s just having trouble sleeping because he misses home, so his schedule’s a bit off. It’s not what you think.”

“You’re sure?” Ruan Liuzheng sounded skeptical.

Some top students are the most annoying—they score brilliantly, then brag about losing just one point and sighing over not getting full marks.

Even worse, they pretend not to try hard, then sneakily stay up late every night.

She didn’t quite believe Qiao Yingzi’s explanation.

“It’s true,” Qiao Yingzi hurriedly told her what Fang Yifan had told her—that Lin Lei had insomnia and even asked her for sleeping pills.

Ruan Liuzheng relaxed.

But He Chen fell into thought.

“How can you sleep so well?” Ruan Liuzheng glanced at He Chen, her tone dripping with envy.

Everyone turned to look at He Chen at once, all sharing the same silent agreement with Ruan Liuzheng’s remark.

Whether Lin Lei was suffering from insomnia or just studying too late, his usual level of effort as the top student was undeniably admirable.

Even this top student couldn’t sleep peacefully—how could He Chen, who refused evening self-study and still insisted on sleeping at exactly nine, not draw stares?

“Yingzi! Taozi!”

At that moment, Fang Yifan’s voice interrupted their thoughts. They turned to see him running over, beaming with pride. He spoke to Qiao Yingzi and Huang Zhitao, but his eyes kept glancing sideways at He Chen—clearly a show of defiance.

“Since class division, have you been lonely? I’ve got good news—my family’s moving to Shuxiang Yayuan too, right downstairs from Yingzi’s house! Now the three of us can go to and from school together again. Surprised? Happy?”

“You’re really moving?” Qiao Yingzi had heard rumors—after all, Fang Yifan’s mom was renting the apartment directly below hers—but hearing him confirm it still surprised her, stirring complex emotions.

In the past, she’d have been purely delighted.

Having such a great buddy living downstairs meant she had an ally.

Now, though she was still happy, her first thought was whether this closer proximity might make He Chen think too much.

And Fang Yifan and He Chen didn’t get along—this new arrangement would surely challenge the carefully planned routine she and her best friend Huang Zhitao had built to walk into school together with He Chen’s group.

Huang Zhitao, privy to the full story and an objective observer, instantly understood her friend’s tangled thoughts and sighed inwardly.

It was becoming more and more like Dream of the Red Chamber.

What was this?

Since they’d been separated from the Bi Sha Chao as children, now they were all moving into the Grand View Garden—Yingzi in the Xiaoxiang Pavilion, and Fang Yifan insisting on moving into the neighboring Yihong Academy?

“We absolutely have to move!” Fang Yifan didn’t care about any of that—he loudly voiced his excitement: “With me around, going to and from school will be way more fun! Oh, and don’t forget Lei’er—if you have any questions, you can ask him on the way!”

It took him this long to remember there was another person besides the three of them—his cousin. He only thought of him now because his cousin’s presence would make Yingzi and Taozi more willing to follow his plan.

“My dad’s coming home today. Tomorrow’s the holiday—we’ll move over then! Yingzi, Taozi, come over and visit!”

He grew more and more smug, especially when he caught He Chen speechless—his confidence soared.

Sure, He Chen lived nearby, but he was across the street, in a different community. Meanwhile, Fang Yifan just had to lift a finger and moved straight into Shuxiang Yayuan—right under Yingzi’s window.

When it comes to proximity granting advantage, how could you possibly compete with me?

Today was truly a great day—Dad came home, all past frustrations and Biemen were wiped clean. Starting tomorrow—or rather, starting today—he would finally stand tall before He Chen and begin his long-awaited revenge!

Qiao Yingzi watched his arrogant, triumphant expression and wanted to bang her head against the wall. Her worst fear had come true—but seeing He Chen’s calm, unbothered face, she felt both relieved and quietly disappointed.

What was this?

Was he truly not bothered at all?

He Chen truly didn’t care about Qiao Yingzi and Fang Yifan’s relationship. In his eyes, Qiao Yingzi was less interesting than her father, Old Qiao.

The only reason he’d grown closer to her recently was because she genuinely loved the stars and had a telescope at home—he’d been using her father’s high-quality telescope every night to observe the heavens, aiding his Gui Xi Gong cultivation, giving them shared topics.

In his eyes, Qiao Yingzi truly had no gender distinction.

That classic philosophical question: Can men and women have pure friendship?

Yes.

But only if the other person is ugly enough.

Qiao Yingzi wasn’t ugly—but for He Chen, whose standards were exceptionally high, her delicate features were, in a way, the very foundation for pure friendship.

By the time they reached the teaching building, the group scattered in twos and threes. After morning self-study, everyone headed to the playground for morning exercises.

But before they finished, the playground erupted in noise.

This time, it wasn’t Ji Yangyang taking the stage—it was someone collapsing mid-exercise: Lin Lei, the top student of the entire senior grade.