Chapter 128: They Say You

After the parent-teacher meeting, Fuyi Middle School returned to its normal study rhythm.

Yet after being whipped by the midterm exams, many classmates became even more serious.

Because he ranked first in the class, several students began approaching Li Luo to ask him questions.

Fortunately, his actual level was already solid, and he could effortlessly explain any concept, so he managed fine.

Moreover, helping others answer questions itself reinforced his own knowledge framework.

Those who frequently explained problems to classmates were often the ones with the clearest and most flexible grasp of the material.

Study and regularly review; revisit the old to understand the new.

In Western terms, this is called the Feynman Learning Method.

Only when you can break down a problem, dissect it thoroughly, and make even a struggling student fully understand the solution process, do you prove you truly comprehend the entire knowledge system behind it.

So recently, Li Luo had grown fond of solving problems for Yan Zhusheng.

He found this method not only improved his understanding and problem-solving skills in science subjects like math, physics, and chemistry, but also gave him a strong sense of accomplishment.

It was like playing a puzzle game.

At the moment of solving the puzzle, his body and mind experienced immense pleasure—he became addicted.

Fortunately, Yan Zhusheng was weak in science, so Li Luo often gave her private tutoring.

In the evening during club activities, the two would go to the rock club to continue training.

If their homework finished early, Yan Zhusheng would dash to the Gao Er building, fetch the club room key from Gao Yuqin, then drag Li Luo along, and sneak off to the rock club.

Yan Zhusheng would act as the music teacher and give Li Luo private lessons.

When second-period evening self-study was nearly over, they'd go to the playground to jog and listen to music.

Later, Gao Yuqin found it troublesome and simply handed the club room key over to Yan Zhusheng to keep.

Now, during spare moments at noon, Yan Zhusheng would often call Li Luo, and the two would rush to the club room to train.

Of course, such time was not common.

Sometimes Ying Chanxi would come to the classroom looking for Li Luo, holding a camera and dragging him to the playground to film an MV.

As a result, Zhu Yufei often complained that the class monitor was elusive—when the basketball court was quiet, no one could find him.

No one knew where he was sneaking off to.

He'd been in the basketball club for nearly two months but had barely attended any club activities.

As for the literature club, Li Luo, leveraging his vice-president status, had pressured for submissions at the end of October—but wrote nothing himself.

All his creative urges were devoted to his beloved Online Novel readers.

After collecting the submissions, during a literature club meeting, Li Luo actually received several letters from girls in other classes.

Ying Chanxi, sitting beside him, narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly: "Li Luo, you've really come up in the world—getting more popular by the day."

"I barely participate in literature club activities," Li Luo said, looking puzzled at the letters, then comparing them with Ying Chanxi's, "but you still have more—at least twice as many as me."

"Hmph," Ying Chanxi gathered the letters on the desk and shoved them into her backpack, "don't you know? You're famous in other classes now."

"How so?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Ying Chanxi shook her head, "it's all what Xin Yan told me over lunch."

"She said even in our Class One, some girls are talking about you."

"In other classes, everyone knows—the class monitor of Class Eight scored 27th in the entire school, the only one from a parallel class who can match wits with the geniuses of Class One."

"That's true," Li Luo nodded. "I've never feared a challenge—even if I let you use one hand."

"You're just full of nonsense," Ying Chanxi rolled her eyes, then her gaze curiously landed on Li Luo's letters, her heart itching to know what they contained.

But she knew her limits and wouldn't actually read them—she could only imagine.

Li Luo, like her, casually stuffed the letters into his backpack without giving them much thought.

Still, Li Luo felt a strange sensation—he never imagined he'd one day attract girls' attention through his academic performance.

It was a novel experience.

……

Under this school-life rhythm, October passed uneventfully.

In early November, during the Student Union's weekly meeting.

Xu Youyu sat at the head, holding a document, asking Vice President Ying Chanxi to distribute materials regarding the sports meet arrangements.

Li Luo and Shi Yanran sat in their Class Eight seats, next to Gao Yuqin, the Class Seven monitor.

As the documents were being handed out, Gao Yuqin leaned close to Li Luo's ear and whispered slyly: "Li Luo, I heard you're dating someone?"

Li Luo took the documents from the student in front, glanced at Gao Yuqin in surprise, then frowned: "Where did you hear this rumor?"

"Your own classmates told me," Gao Yuqin blinked. "Many girls in the dorms are talking—you're dating Yan Zhusheng."

"... You really have nothing better to do," Li Luo said, exasperated. "We're just desk partners."

"But Lu Wei told me last time you've already chosen Yan Zhusheng," Gao Yuqin said. "I didn't believe it at first, but now all your classmates are saying it—I have to believe it."

"They say you two often eat lunch together, disappear somewhere unknown, and frequently vanish during evening self-study."

"Aren't you afraid the teachers will catch you?"

Li Luo twitched his mouth: "Use less imagination—we're just going to the rock club's room to train."

He waved the document in his hand: "The sports meet is coming up—we'll both be performing on stage. Who has time for anything else?"

"Oh? So you're not dating yet?" Gao Yuqin raised an eyebrow, her gaze turning playful.

But Li Luo only chuckled: "Gao Yuqin, I think you'd be better off focusing on your studies."

"If I really wanted to date someone, you wouldn't even be in the running."

"Let's just focus on the meeting."

I have to say, sometimes girls are just a very strange kind of creature.

Lu Wei from Class Seven was quite good-looking and doted on Gao Yuqin, even climbing over the school wall just to buy her a bubble tea.

But the more easily attainable something was, the less interest Gao Yuqin had in it.

After repeatedly hitting walls with Li Luo, she first grew unhappy, then became fiercely motivated, occasionally teasing Li Luo.

Rebuffed, she only grew more determined—truly maddening.

"This year's sports meet is tentatively scheduled for the 13th to the 15th of this month, that is, next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday morning."

Xu Youyu, after ensuring the materials had been distributed to everyone, began speaking: "Let's organize the tasks for the next two weeks."

"First, I'll hand out the sports meet registration forms shortly; take them back and pass them to your class sports representatives, and complete registration by this Thursday."

"Second, all student council members should promptly confirm which events you plan to enter."

"Then we'll assign you duties at the sports meet based on your participation."

"Including hosting, maintaining order, guiding athletes, and so on."

"Third, for the opening ceremony, each class will enter through the track in front of the podium and must submit a promotional phrase and introduction highlighting your class's character by this weekend."

"Fourth…"

Xu Youyu methodically laid out all the arrangements for the sports meet up front.

Beside him, Gao Yuqin, though eccentric in matters of love, was still a competent class monitor, diligently taking notes.

Li Luo, with his Memory Palace, had no need to rush—he merely held a pen, pretending to take notes.

After the meeting ended, he stretched, sent Shi Yanran forward to collect the sports meet registration forms and other items, then prepared to return to the classroom.

At that moment, Ying Chanxi walked up to him, eyeing him with sharp suspicion, and asked: "What was that Class Seven monitor whispering to you just now?"

Li Luo glanced at Ying Chanxi and replied honestly: "She said I've been spending a lot of time with some girl lately, and asked if I'm dating."

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi froze, then realized she'd been frequently seeking out Li Luo lately, dragging him around campus to film MVs—clearly drawing plenty of attention.

Had it really spread this far?

Thinking of this, Ying Chanxi's face flushed red: "Y-You didn't say anything wrong, did you?"

"Of course not," Li Luo said. "I'm studying hard, improving daily, striving to be an outstanding youth representative of Fuyi High—how could I possibly be dating?"

Hearing Li Luo's flippant banter, Ying Chanxi let out a light sigh and playfully punched his shoulder, half-amused.

But as they stepped out of the classroom, for some reason, a faint sense of quiet disappointment lingered in her heart.