Chapter 407: Any Other Questions?

Zhang Nianzhi shot him a glance, her brows furrowing.

She wanted to refuse harshly, but couldn't bring herself to.

"Hmph, I'll think about it."

"Hmm?" Jiang Nian saw she could hang a thermos off her mouth and figured she was genuinely angry. "Then I'll ask you again next class."

He figured at worst he'd just ask a bit more often—no big deal.

Besides, he hadn't betrayed any friendship—just hugged the class president once. Didn't he hug his "son" in the hallway all the time anyway?

In the blink of an eye, two class periods passed—the long break.

Jiang Nian got an excuse from morning exercises and took Li Hua to the small cafeteria for a meatball hotpot, as compensation for that bag of buns that morning.

He swiped the meal card Old Liu had given him—straight up free.

During the break between exercises, the cafeteria looked spacious. Winter sunlight poured in through the big windows, landing on the table in front of two bottles of drinks.

"Nian, what was that this morning?"

"What what situation?"

"Just... Zhang Nianzhi and the class president, they..." Li Hua gestured vaguely, knowing Jiang Nian would surely get what he meant.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Nian set down his chopsticks and let out a sigh.

"Hua, you won't understand. My whole life has been like walking on thin ice—tell me, what do I do about being too popular with girls?"

"Eat shit, you're fooling a ghost!" Li Hua switched tack. "Then, between Zhang Nianzhi and the class president, who do you like more?"

Jiang Nian thought for a moment, then said seriously.

"A man's road ahead is all white frost—don't get trapped in lovey-dovey stuff. They're all good friends, the college entrance exam comes first."

Li Hua was done for, jabbing a chopstick at him.

"Scumbag."

"No kissing, no touching, and that counts as scumbag?" Jiang Nian bit into a meatball and gave Li Hua a rather speechless look.

"Hua, let me simulate life for you."

"What?" Li Hua was baffled.

"Suppose you don't interact with any girls your whole Gao San, and by the time you finish the college entrance exam and get to university, you find everyone has already 'ascended' and each has their own Dao companion."

Jiang Nian looked at him and spread his hands.

"So then, what do you do?"

Li Hua realized the bastard might actually be telling the truth, and his face flushed red on the spot, but he still didn't want to lose face.

"Can't I just find one who doesn't have a boyfriend?"

"Oh-ho, you're gonna date a second-playthrough player?" Jiang Nian laughed. "What if during National Day she tells you she's going home,

but actually she's off to a hotel with her ex?"

That one line completely broke Li Hua's defense.

"Then I just won't date, alright?"

"Your parents are both civil servants—won't they be on your case about marriage?" Jiang Nian said unhurriedly. "Even if you go to grad school, they'll drag you out for it."

"I

just won't get married!"

"It's blind dates, bro." Jiang Nian pointed at him with his chopsticks. "If you're lucky no bride price, if you're unlucky, hard to say."

"After all, this is Zhennan—anything can happen here."

A round of kill-and-finish-off left Li Hua completely dazed. Picturing the scene Jiang Nian described, his lips kept trembling.

"Then... then I can only date in high school?"

"Then I wish you an early heir, twins in one go." Jiang Nian picked up a piece of tofu. "When I get married, let your kid deliver the flowers."

"That won't work either, this won't work either!" Li Hua was getting annoyed, looked up at Jiang Nian. "Byd, then what do you say I should do?"

Suddenly, a crisp voice rang out beside the two of them.

"Senior!"

"It's really you, didn't you run exercises?" Lin Yuxi's tone was delighted. She stood beside the two of them and tapped with a fair little finger.

"Ha, you skipped exercises! I'm reporting you!"

Damn, Lin Yuxi is also a reporting dog.

"Don't talk nonsense, I got an excuse." Jiang Nian said, swallowing another piece of tofu. "Reporting dogs don't get to eat—get out of the cafeteria!"

"Buying meatballs to eat, my classmate's over there." Lin Yuxi pointed in some direction.

Hearing that, Li Hua followed the direction of Lin Yuxi's finger. Those two Gao Yi girls were also looking this way.

"This is my deskmate, Li Hua." Jiang Nian handed the meal card to Lin Yuxi. "Buy your classmate's meal too, just say Senior Li Hua is treating."

"That's not..." Li Hua was stunned, not knowing what to say.

Lin Yuxi didn't lack the money, but thinking it was the first time the senior had spent money on her, she took it gladly with a smile and left.

"Thanks."

After Lin Yuxi left.

Li Hua's face went red again, his whole body tingling like ants were crawling on it.

"No, couldn't you just say you were treating? Why drag me into it, you really are... what if they get the wrong idea?"

"Get the wrong idea about what?"

Li Hua was a typical closet case—could dance Xinbao Island in front of the guys, but froze up around pretty girls.

Jiang Nian didn't have that kind of feeling. Back in the day, with just a hundred yuan of pocket money, he'd gone through love-hate with Tingzi and even got her to cough up gold coins for him in return.

So he had no filter for pretty girls—if one didn't work, he'd just find someone else to hang out with.

"I don't even know them..." Li Hua stammered, "What if they think I'm being frivolous?"

"Didn't you see, Lin Yuxi's two classmates are pretty good-looking." Jiang Nian lowered his head, "Since you don't want to meet them, forget it."

Hearing this, Li Hua's expression instantly turned serious.

He recalled Lin Yuxi's looks, and from afar her class-

mates did indeed seem pretty, the main thing being how young they were.

"I didn't want to meet them, the way you put it sounds like you're pimping. But I'm just curious whether the first-year textbooks have been revised yet."

After a while, Lin Yuxi brought her classmates over.

"Xixi, which upperclassman made that bet with you?" Of the two girls, the slightly bolder one asked curiously.

"This one, just to add the upperclassman on QQ I nearly worked myself to death." Lin Yuxi pointed at Jiang Nian, who was burying his head in his food.

"That month I stayed up doing problems to break eight hundred and forty, my skin got worse."

Hearing this, the two girls giggled. And Jiang Nian just kept his head down eating, letting Li Hua stammer through the whole conversation.

The two girls thanked Li Hua, learning he was a top student in the Olympiad class. They added him on QQ, chatted a while, then prepared to leave.

"Upperclassman, we're heading out." Lin Yuxi waved.

"Okay."

After the few of them left, Jiang Nian took the meal card from Li Hua's hand.

"How'd it go?"

"Ugh... didn't perform well, got a bit tongue-tied." Li Hua started putting on airs again, wanting to laugh but forcing his face to stay straight,

like some mighty champion.

"Hey, the junior girls were all pretty friendly, huh."

"Friendly my ass, you poser!" Jiang Nian had finished eating, nearly spitting out his meatball, "So is there anything else you want to ask?"

"Not asking, what the hell is there to ask!" Li Hua waved his hand, "But don't talk nonsense, I have a pure friendship with the junior girls."

"Alright, that's it for today's math class."

"Class rep, come here for a sec."

As soon as the third period ended, nearly half the class vanished in an instant. Especially the boys, clutching basketballs and soccer balls as they charged downstairs.

"Claim the court, claim the court!"

"Old Ma, get running!"

"Run my ass! Born Li Hua!"

Zhang Ningzhi was still in her seat, with no intention of getting up at all. It seemed her "consideration" wasn't over yet, she'd have to wait a bit more.

Jiang Nian thought for a moment, then asked curiously.

"Are you not feeling well today? Since you can't do strenuous exercise then. Well, no choice, I'll just have to go with..."

"You're the one not feeling well!" Zhang Ningzhi puffed up angrily and cut him off, frowning at him, "What are you trying to do?"

Little liar!

Jiang Nian remained unhurried and said frankly.

"I'll just have to play soccer with Li Hua and the others, after all this group can't do without me."

Hearing this, Zhang Ningzhi actually felt a bit embarrassed.

She thought she'd misunderstood him, assuming he was going to say he'd play badminton with the class monitor, and couldn't help her face heating up slightly.

"Oh, oh, I see."

"Why's your face red?" Jiang Nian grinned.

"None of your business!" Baby Zhizhi immediately ran off to find Yao Bei Bei.

While talking with Yao Bei Bei, she glanced once more in Jiang Nian's direction. Seeing him talking with the class monitor, her face reddened again.

Too embarrassed to do that thing again, way too shameful.

"Then I'll head down first, play some ball with Zhang Ningzhi." Jiang Nian chatted a few sentences with the class monitor, gave a greeting, and prepared to leave.

Li Qingrong had no particular reaction, just nodded.

"Mm."

After going downstairs, Jiang Nian met up with Zhang Ningzhi.

"While we haven't gathered yet, let's play a bit."

Zhang Ningzhi gave an "oh," and walked down the stairs. Suddenly she seemed to remember something, and asked Jiang Nian.

"You have a competition during evening self-study, so can you still finish the chemistry test paper today?"

As his desk-mate, she knew Jiang Nian had been busy lately trying to improve his chemistry score.

"Hard to say." Jiang Nian frowned slightly, "If I skip the nap at noon and squeeze out some time, I should be able to write two sheets."

"I... help you grade and correct it?" Zhang Ningzhi asked.

"You got time?"

"Mm."

"Then great, I'll bring you a drink tonight." Jiang Nian smiled, "Let's not talk about this for now, after we dismiss I want to go down and kick a ball for a bit."

"Oh, alright then." Zhang Ningzhi pressed her lips together.

PE class was still the same old routine—gather, run laps, do exercises. Before dismissal, Jiang Nian gave Liu Yang and the others a heads-up.

"I'll play some badminton, I'll be down in a bit."

"Damn! You're playing with girls again, you bastard!"

"You mutt, kick him off the team!"

"Hey, you can't put it that way either." Li Hua stepped in to smooth things over, "It's not that he doesn't play soccer, he'll probably just play a bit and come."

When the words fell, Liu Yang, Ma Guojun, and Lin Dong all looked toward Li Hua.

"byd, you son of a bitch took a bribe, didn't you?"

"Die, Nantong—you definitely cut some shady deal!"

"Guaranteed. Normally Li Hua, that old dog, barks the loudest. He definitely got something good and isn't telling. Later we'll give him an albara."

After they dispersed, Jiang Nian turned and left amid Li Hua's pig-slaughter-like shrieks, grabbed his badminton racket, and went to find Zhang Ningzhi. "It's a bit noisy."

Over there, Zhang Ningzhi saw him coming. Her whole face lit up at once, and then she jogged over. "Didn't you say you were going to play soccer?"

"Got kicked off the team. Let's play some badminton." Jiang Nian waved the racket. "Later I'll go beg them on my knees to let me back."

"Oh oh, so pitiful." Zhang Ningzhi's eyes squeezed into a crescent-moon slit.

"Mm-hm." Jiang Nian stood to one side holding the racket, stood for a while, then said, "It's our turn. Just hit it however you want."

"Okay!"

The shuttlecock danced in the air above; the force wasn't much.

No matter what shot Zhang Ningzhi hit, Jiang Nian could return it easily. And he kept feeding her shots within a range she could reach.

After playing a while, Jiang Nian gradually began ramping up the intensity. Zhang Ningzhi immediately ran back and forth, panting, and stepped off the court to rest.

Li Qingrong watched from the side for a while and saw Zhang Ningzhi step off.

"Can I play?"

Hearing that, Jiang Nian looked at Zhang Ningzhi. Zhang Ningzhi's face reddened again, but luckily the flush from running covered her shyness.

She thought once more of that scene during morning self-study and was instantly embarrassed enough to dig her toes into the ground.

What is he looking at me for!

As if I'm the one—it's not like I'm the one keeping him in line!

"Y-yes... you can." After speaking, Zhang Ningzhi held the thermos she'd brought, stood to one side, and awkwardly sipped hot water while blowing on it.

Jiang Nian and Li Qingrong exchanged a glance and grinned broadly.

"You serve?"

Bang!

The sonic boom exploded again above the court; unlike the earlier intensity, the shuttlecock traced a silver arc through the air.

After a few exchanges, Li Qingrong leaped up for a smash.

Zhang Ningzhi stood to one side, carefully clutching her thermos as she watched.

After school.

After being rotated almost nonstop through one P. E. class, Jiang Nian walked out of school with the crowd, facing the slightly cool sunlight overhead.

After playing a few rounds, he turned and headed to the sports field.

The class's ball team was running back on defense, training in full swing. Looking closer, a few girls from the class were watching from the side.

Damn, these guys... way too damn realistic.

Of course, after Jiang Nian stepped onto the court, the intensity on the field instantly jumped a big notch, and the few of them ran until they were out of breath.

As a result, he received plenty of blessings from his teammates.

He walked out of school and asked around about a firewood storage room on the first floor near the teachers' apartment. Cheaper was fine—after all, no one would be living there.

The first floor of the teachers' apartment was all storage rooms; some teachers would hook up water and electricity and then rent them out to Gao San or Gao Si students.

Take Luo Yong, for example—the place he rented was in the middle section of the teachers' apartment.

Luo Yong stood under the sparse parasol trees, scratching his face awkwardly.

Last weekend, just because he'd skipped practice, he'd been kicked out of the starting lineup by Jiang Nian on the spot and dropped to substitute.

To say he wasn't angry would be impossible.

But after Class Three beat Class One, Luo Yong was itching to play again. After all, when love goes wrong, the battlefield ought to go right at least once.

He also went to the last P. E. class practice.

He hadn't expected Jiang Nian to come find him, saying he was looking for a place. That did make him a bit tempted—perfect chance to bring up the starting lineup.

"Nian-ge,

why'd you suddenly think of renting a place?"

He'd originally wanted to use this to open the conversation, but Jiang Nian shut him down with one line.

"Sneaking off to guard the camp, what else could it be."

"Uh..." Luo Yong was stunned, thinking that was way too blunt, and after a long while squeezed out, "Alright, perfectly normal."

He didn't bother with more talk, so he took Jiang Nian along to look for a place.

"It's already December, the good places are all rented out. What's left now is either sublets or bad ones."

"No one'll be living there, just looking for a place to watch videos." Jiang Nian said casually. "Water and electricity are enough, a smaller space is fine too."

He remembered the last system task of a hundred-fold return—last time it had him earn a hundred yuan. Next time it might have him earn five or six hundred, or a thousand.

A hundred didn't matter—he could finish it with people around him.

A bigger amount might involve hoarding. Anyway, going after the system's wool, even giving it away for free is fine.

Rent a storage room first, get prepared.

Even if it goes unused, it's no loss, because the teachers' apartment isn't far from the Gao San building. Through the basketball court side gate, it's only two or three minutes' walk.

Perfect—solves Chen Yunyun and the others' problem of washing and blow-drying their hair.

Not much trouble either—just buy a heating rod and two hair dryers and it's solved, no need to run off right after class every day.