Chapter 173

Seeing Ying Chanxi helplessly pick up that huge stack of Wu San exercise books, looking utterly exasperated, everyone around couldn't help sneaking smiles.

But everyone also noticed something.

The grade's top student, Ying Chanxi, seemed to have a touch of cuteness in her personality.

Many had never interacted with Ying Chanxi before, but all had heard rumors about her from other familiar classmates.

How she'd dominated the grade's top rank since junior high, won the top spot in Fuyi High's independent admission with an overwhelming margin, and once swept first place in every subject during a single test.

She was also class monitor of the elite Class One, making all the prodigies in Class One feel overshadowed—and willingly so.

Now not only vice president of the student union, she was also said to have performed exceptionally well in math competitions.

Though always polite to others, she lacked the usual girlish softness, instead radiating the poise and confidence of a scholarly god.

Many felt too intimidated to speak to Ying Chanxi.

But right now, what Ying Chanxi revealed before everyone was this tender, whimsical innocence—youthful girlhood, blooming plainly before their eyes.

Yet most didn't realize that this side of Ying Chanxi, rarely seen by ordinary people, only ever appeared before Li Luo.

"I'm so jealous," Li Luo sighed. "Only the grade's top student, Ying Chanxi, could possibly draw this single grand prize. I couldn't even dream of it—no fate, no luck."

"Shut up," Ying Chanxi shot him a glare, irritated. "Finish your last draw already. Let's see what you pull."

"I don't care either way—I just felt like eating some spicy strips," Li Luo said, reaching into the prize box, fumbling blindly, then handing the slip to the student across from him.

The male student took the slip, unfolded it, and raised his eyebrows in surprise: "First prize: one pen."

"Huh?" Xu Youyu exclaimed, leaning over to take a look. "Really? There were only three total, and no one's drawn one yet."

"Not bad luck," Li Luo said, surprised, taking the elegant pen case from the student across. "But still not as lucky as the grand prize."

"Can't you just shut up for once?" Ying Chanxi glared at him, eyes half-lidded, radiating wounded reproach.

Yan Zhusheng, curious, leaned over and asked: "Can we open it?"

"Of course," Li Luo said, lifting the lid of the case in front of everyone, revealing the exquisitely crafted pen inside.

The entire pen was deep blue, tinged with black, and under sunlight, tiny specks like stars shimmered across its surface.

When rotated, the light made it shift seamlessly from deep blue to light blue.

On the cap, gold engraving read "2014."

Along the barrel, engraved were the New Year's verse: "The year turns anew, all things renew."

No wonder it was the first prize of the New Year's Eve raffle—clearly elegant and refined.

"Oh, by the way, you haven't picked up your pencil case yet," the student across reminded Li Luo. "Come choose one yourself."

"Oh, sure," Li Luo capped the pen case, stepped aside from the prize table, and made way with Ying Chanxi and the others for the next participants.

Then Li Luo walked over to the prize box, eyeing the scattered pile of pencil cases.

When they were kids, they'd used hard pencil boxes made of rigid material.

After entering junior and senior high, they gradually switched from hard pencil boxes to these soft pencil cases, no longer fearing drops.

Li Luo rummaged through them, then suddenly turned to Ying Chanxi and asked: "Chanxi, do you believe in light?"

"Huh?" Ying Chanxi blinked, then gave him a look of utter disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

"Fine then, this one," Li Luo pulled out the pencil case featuring Ultraman Tiga, unzipped it, slipped the pen case inside, and tossed it into Ying Chanxi's arms. "Five Three with a pen fits your grade-topper image. This is yours."

Ying Chanxi blinked, initially confused, then looked down at the pencil case resting atop the Five Three books, and the pen case inside—then finally understood: "You're giving it to me?"

"Don't want it? Then I'll give it to someone else."

"Who said I don't want it!" Ying Chanxi spun around, blocking him from taking it back. "You already gave it—there's no taking it back now."

"Then at least return the favor," Li Luo chuckled, snatching the three packs of spicy strips from her arms. "These are mine now."

Ying Chanxi huffed, though inwardly thrilled—carrying all those Five Three books felt weightless, her steps light as she walked toward the classroom building. "I'll go put these in the classroom first."

"Then we're heading back too," Li Luo said, motioning to Yan Zhusheng and waving at Xu Youyu. "Senior, we're off. Keep working."

"Bye," Xu Youyu waved back—then saw Li Luo toss a pack of spicy strips straight at her chest. It landed perfectly, caught without falling.

"Senior, this is for you."

"..." Xu Youyu stared blankly, peeling the pack off her chest. "Are you insane? Can't you just hand it over properly?"

"Cough… mistake," Li Luo chuckled awkwardly and immediately dragged Yan Zhusheng away.

Left behind, Xu Youyu stared at the pack in her hand, then glanced at the overflowing box of spicy strips beside her.

How to put it…

As student union president, if she wanted spicy strips, she could just take one—these were clearly more than enough, and leftovers would be distributed among the workers anyway.

But she rarely ate them, so she never just took one.

Yet holding the pack Li Luo had tossed her, Xu Youyu instinctively tore it open and took a small bite.

…

By the time Li Luo and the others finished drawing prizes, it was past 10:30 a. m.

After bringing the prizes back to the classroom, Ying Chanxi stayed in Class One to help.

Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng picked up their instruments again and busied themselves in Class Eight.

When the noon bell rang at 11:30, everyone finally sighed in relief.

The morning's class games had ended successfully.

Everyone paired up and headed to the cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, when everyone returned to the classroom, Li Luo called for everyone to restore their seats to their original positions.

When the nap bell rang, students, weary, began to sleep.

Of course, there were those like Zhu Yufei and Zhang Guohuang, bursting with energy and sneaking glances at their phones under their desks.

Probably reading some novel again.

But perhaps due to their fickle nature, lately Li Luo hadn't seen them discussing his book at all.

Probably got tired of chasing updates and went to dote on some new favorite.

Good thing Kong Jun is probably somewhere else, cozying up with Teacher Ding Xiang, and won't come to inspect the classroom.

Li Luo didn't bother with them and prepared for his nap.

But the moment he lay down, he felt two pokes on his shoulder.

Li Luo turned his head and saw Yan Zhusheng had unpacked the two pillows she'd taken in the morning; she handed him one pale blue, keeping a pink one for herself.

"Here," Yan Zhusheng said. "Now we both have one."

"Thanks," Li Luo said without fuss, taking the pillow she offered.

Then Yan Zhusheng pulled out her Bluetooth earbuds, slipped one into Li Luo's ear, and put the other in her own.

They rested on their respective pillows, leaning face-to-face against the desk, exchanged a glance, closed their eyes, and drifted into sleep as soft music played in their ears.

When the lunch break ended, Li Luo stretched in his seat and realized the pillow really was much more comfortable.

Yan Zhusheng also packed away her Bluetooth earbuds and said, "Time to head to the rock club."

"You go ahead," Li Luo said, glancing at the time—it was already 1:30 p. m.

The afternoon club session runs from two to 5:30 p. m., a total of three and a half hours, just like the morning.

Between 1:30 and 2:00 p. m. is the preparation time for each club.

Since Li Luo joined the literature club, basketball club, and rock club, he'd be busier.

As for the basketball club, since there were enough members, he didn't need to help out.

But as vice president of the literature club, he still had to go over and manage things.

Besides that, the rock club, with so few members, also needed his help.

"I'll probably stay at the literature club's booth for about an hour," Li Luo told Yan Zhusheng. "I'll come find you at the rock club at 2:30."

"Okay," Yan Zhusheng nodded obediently, pulled out the harmonica Li Luo had given her from her desk drawer, and slipped it into her pocket. "I'm off then."

"Mm," Li Luo nodded and stepped out of the classroom, soon meeting Ying Chanxi coming downstairs to look for him at the stairwell.

"Li Luo! Let's go!" Ying Chanxi bounced over, tapped his shoulder, and said, "Time to set up our booth."

"Why do you seem so happy?" Li Luo walked down the stairs with her, rubbing his shoulder where she'd hit him—it still hurt. "Why not use this energy to practice barking like a dog right now?"

"Get lost," Ying Chanxi huffed. "We agreed to talk about it at home."

Her good mood now was mostly because Li Luo had given her the first-prize pen.

She'd originally thought the Di Ga Ultraman pencil case was ugly.

But after realizing Li Luo had given her both prizes he'd won, she'd looked at the pencil case and the pen inside during lunch break, and the more she looked, the more she liked it.

In the end, she'd put away her usual pencil case and started using the Ultraman one instead, even planning to go to the school gate convenience store after class to see if they sold ink.

As for Li Luo's constant attempts to annoy her today, Ying Chanxi decided to let it slide for now.

"Come on, don't dawdle," Ying Chanxi quickened her pace, leaping down the stairs two steps at a time, reaching the first floor first and turning to shout at Li Luo, "After I finish with the literature club, I'm going out with Xin Yan."

"Got it," Li Luo walked slowly downstairs, watching the youthful girl ahead of him, her cute ponytail swaying behind her. He looked up at the sunlight filtering through the treetops and the blue sky, exhaling a slow breath.

This high school life was truly interesting.

"Hurry up, you're so slow!"

"Walk slower, don't fall."

"Let's race to the sports field storage shed! Loser barks like a dog!"

"Childish. Do you think I don't know what you're planning? Just wait till tonight."

"Are you scared?"

"No use trying to goad me."

"Hmph!"