Chapter 172: Who

"After all, she was today's morning hero of Class Eight; as class monitor, I should give her some reward to encourage her."

Li Luo said to Ying Chanxi as he walked down the stairs, "I don't care about the lottery anyway—let her draw instead."

"Oh." Ying Chanxi didn't mind this, but… she had clearly promised to accompany her this morning.

"Zhusheng, take this." Ying Chanxi shoved her stamp album into Yan Zhusheng's hands, "Use mine."

"Oh." Yan Zhusheng looked down at the album in her hands—sixteen stamps neatly arranged, all from Ying Chanxi's efforts—"Thank you, Xixi."

"No need to thank me." Ying Chanxi reached out and yanked Li Luo's stamp album into her arms, "Let's go."

Li Luo: "... What's the difference?"

"None of your business."

The three of them walked down the stairs together and soon arrived at Houde Road.

Along the roadside, three booths had been set up: one each for Gao Yi, Gao Er, and Gao San lottery draws.

"Oh? You're here?"

Xu Youyu, patrolling and inspecting the area, saw Li Luo and the others and waved cheerfully, "Hurry and line up—we're about to hit a hundred people."

There's a difference between being in the first hundred and the second hundred—it means two extra lottery chances.

Hearing Xu Youyu's reminder, Ying Chanxi immediately pulled Yan Zhusheng into line, leaving Li Luo behind.

"Why aren't you lining up?" Xu Youyu looked at Li Luo with a puzzled expression.

"My stamp album was stolen." Li Luo pointed at Ying Chanxi's album, looking innocent, "President, could you give me a replacement?"

"I can only give you an empty album." Xu Youyu rolled her eyes, then asked, "What about Ying Chanxi's own?"

"It's in Yan Zhusheng's hands."

"And what about Zhusheng's?"

"She stayed in the classroom helping all morning—she never went to play." Li Luo said, "I'm a kind person, so I gave up my chance."

"Oh, you're a good person." Xu Youyu nodded.

"Can't the senior give me a consolation prize? Like an extra draw or something?"

"Why do you always think of cutting corners?" Xu Youyu looked exasperated, "When the lottery ends at noon and there are leftovers, you can take some."

"I don't want prizes I didn't draw myself."

"... I think you're just asking for trouble."

The two chatted idly nearby, then moved close to the lottery booth to watch Yan Zhusheng and Ying Chanxi reach the front, hand in their albums, and successfully qualify among the first hundred, earning four lottery chances each.

"Let's each take one turn, alternating?" Ying Chanxi eagerly suggested to Yan Zhusheng, "You go first?"

"You go first, Xixi." Yan Zhusheng was extremely deferential.

So Ying Chanxi didn't refuse—she reached into the lottery box, pulled out a slip, and handed it to the student in charge.

The student wearing the badge unfolded it and read: "Participation Prize."

Another student beside her reached into the prize box, pulled out a pack of spicy strips, and handed it to Ying Chanxi: "If you don't like spicy strips, you can exchange it for candy or something."

"Why didn't you let me exchange mine just now?" a girl who had just drawn her prize hadn't even left yet, and now demanded.

The boy handing out prizes broke into a sweat, glancing awkwardly between Ying Chanxi and the girl.

"Um… this is fine, no need to exchange." Ying Chanxi, used to sudden male kindness, naturally declined, then turned to Yan Zhusheng, "Zhusheng, your turn."

"What prizes are there?" Yan Zhusheng glanced at the prize box, curious.

"First prize is a pen—only three total, specially customized New Year's edition; second prize is a small pillow, big enough to fit both hands inside, perfect for napping in class—twenty total."

The prize distributor said, "Third prize is stationery pencil cases—fifty total—and participation prizes are all small snacks."

"There's also a special prize—a mystery award—that will only be revealed if drawn."

Li Luo listened with interest: "Making it so mysterious? Senior, what's the special prize? I didn't hear anything."

"If we announced it during the student council meeting, would it still be a mystery?" Xu Youyu said, "Draw first, then we'll talk."

Unfortunately, the Memory Palace was useless for lottery draws, so Li Luo didn't interfere, letting Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng handle it themselves.

After hearing the description, Yan Zhusheng carefully examined the prizes, then said, "I like that pillow."

"Just because you like it doesn't mean you'll draw it," Li Luo chuckled beside her.

But the next second, Yan Zhusheng had already handed her drawn slip to the student across.

The student unfolded it and looked at Li Luo: "Second prize—one pillow."

Li Luo: "?"

"Did your mouth get blessed?" Xu Youyu stared at him strangely, "Did you worship a crow?"

"Senior, don't talk so crudely," Li Luo twitched his lips, "She's got the skill to draw another."

Second draw.

Ying Chanxi got another participation prize—a pack of spicy strips.

Yan Zhusheng drew again, expressionless.

The student unfolded the slip and looked at Li Luo again: "Second prize—one pillow."

Li Luo: "???"

"Wait… this lottery box isn't rigged, is it?" Li Luo leaned close to the box, staring, utterly baffled.

Xu Youyu nearly choked laughing: "Enough, enough—if you say more, Zhusheng will draw all the remaining pillows."

"I'm done." Yan Zhusheng shook her head, hugging the two still-sealed pillows to her chest, stepping aside, and saying to Li Luo, "I got what I wanted—your turn for the last two draws."

Li Luo nodded, stepped beside Ying Chanxi, and smiled at her, "Little puppy, you go first?"

"Hmph." Ying Chanxi puffed out her cheeks and ignored him, drawing her third prize.

Unfortunately, still a participation prize.

"Your luck's terrible," Li Luo glanced at the three packs of spicy strips in her arms and shook his head.

"Go ahead and draw." Ying Chanxi snorted coldly. "If you've got the guts, draw one too and see — you think you're Zhusheng?"

"Draw then, draw." Li Luo wore a completely indifferent expression, reached into the lottery box and fished around casually, then pulled out a slip of paper and handed it over.

The classmate opposite unfolded it, looked, and said: "Third prize — one pencil case."

"See that?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow and grinned smugly. "It's not as good as Yan Zhusheng's luck, but it's still just a little better than yours."

Ying Chanxi squinted at him, the hand holding her spicy stick clenched so tight she really wanted to punch him.

Still, she took a deep breath and reached her hand in again, fishing out the very last prize slip.

"Huh?" The classmate opposite unfolded the slip, took one look, and immediately showed surprise. "Congratulations, you drew our grand prize!"

"Really?" Ying Chanxi's face lit up with joy, and she immediately slapped Li Luo on the shoulder. "See that! If you've got the guts, you draw a grand prize too!"

"Fine, fine, fine, you're amazing." Li Luo laughed helplessly and shook his head, then asked the classmate, "So what's the grand prize?"

"This is the one and only grand prize." The classmate opposite wore a solemn expression, but Li Luo got the feeling this guy was barely holding back laughter.

Then everyone watched him lift out a huge bundle of books from beneath the lottery stage — a muffled thud as it landed heavily on the table.

"Congratulations, classmate."

The male classmate opposite said to Ying Chanxi, "This year's grand prize is this."

Ying Chanxi's curious gaze swept over, she focused for a look, and then immediately fell speechless.

—Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Tests.

Several thick exercise books, packaged very nicely.

But Li Luo, seeing it from the side, couldn't help but snort with laughter: "No wonder you could draw this — it really does match your identity as the top student of the grade."

"Get lost!" Ying Chanxi kicked him in a huff, then turned to Xu Youyu with a face full of grievance. "Senior, what kind of grand prize is this even?"

Xu Youyu was also finding it hard to keep a straight face: "The grand prize was chosen by the Dean of Academic Affairs, I can't do anything about it either. Just keep it — you can take it as a token of his good intentions."