Chapter 175: Just Consider It Research Material

"Huh? Class monitor, you're here too?"

As Xu Youyu followed Li Luo toward the drum kit, Shao Youpeng, who was teaching someone to play bass, instantly noticed her.

In fact, Xu Youyu was no longer his class monitor.

When classes were reassigned, Xu Youyu chose humanities and is now in Class Sixteen.

Shao Youpeng stayed in Class One.

But seeing Xu Youyu, he still blurted out the title "class monitor" without thinking.

Hearing Shao Youpeng's greeting, Xu Youyu politely nodded at him.

But Shao Youpeng got excited immediately and asked, "Class monitor, wanna try the bass? I can teach you."

Hearing this, Xu Youyu immediately shook her head and declined: "No thanks, you go ahead—everyone's still waiting in line."

Then she pointed at Li Luo: "Someone said he'd teach me the drums—I came to see if he's bluffing."

"Huh?" Shao Youpeng blinked, then laughed. "Li Luo's just joking, right? He's never even touched a drum kit—how could he possibly play?"

"Really?" Xu Youyu looked puzzled, but still followed Li Luo over to Niu Qingling's side.

Li Luo grinned at Niu Qingling: "Sister Qingling, mind if I borrow the drum kit for a bit?"

"Huh?" Niu Qingling, who was bored anyway, had assumed Li Luo was up to something else—until he asked to borrow the drums. "You can play this?"

"Just a little." Li Luo held up his fingers, thumb and forefinger pinched together, humble. "But fooling some amateurs shouldn't be a problem."

"Then go ahead." Niu Qingling, always eager for entertainment, immediately vacated the seat and smiled. "You ever practiced before?"

"A little."

But only in his mind.

Li Luo sat at the drum kit, picked up two drumsticks, relaxed his posture, stepped on the pedals with both feet, and instantly slipped into rhythm.

Shao Youpeng and Xie Shuchen both craned their necks to look over; Yan Zhusheng also stopped playing his guitar and turned toward Li Luo.

But Li Luo smiled at them, raised his drumsticks, and called out: "Ready—one, two, three—go!"

The moment he spoke, his hands struck.

The familiar drum rhythm instantly filled Shao Youpeng's ears.

Under years of默契, including Yan Zhusheng, everyone instantly fell into sync and seamlessly launched into the opening of "Brave Heart," riding the drumbeat.

Niu Qingling stared at Li Luo, astonished—he was so effortlessly skilled.

His drumming level didn't feel any worse than hers.

If Li Luo knew what Niu Qingling was astonished by, he'd feel a little embarrassed.

After all, he was borrowing her own muscle memory—perfectly replicating it, one-to-one.

With the soul-possession mode enhancing him, the effect was nearly identical to hers.

But since he was teaching Xu Youyu the drums, Li Luo only played with Shao Youpeng and the others for one or two minutes before stopping, signaling them to let other classmates take turns.

Then Li Luo smiled at Xu Youyu: "Senior, how's that? Wanna give it a try?"

"Can I?" Xu Youyu walked beside Li Luo, curiously examining the drum kit. "How do you even start?"

"First, sit over here."

Li Luo gave her his seat; once she sat down, he handed her one drumstick and kept one for himself.

"This is the bass drum—step on the pedal with your foot. Each press makes it sound." Li Luo pointed at her right foot. "Yes, just like that."

Xu Youyu tried pressing a few times; hearing the dull thud of the bass drum, she perked up: "And then?"

"Let's keep it simple. Look at this drum." Li Luo pointed to the snare drum directly in front of her. "This is the snare—hit it here with your drumstick."

Xu Youyu followed his instruction and raised her stick to strike.

"Don't tense up—relax your arm." Li Luo patted her shoulder and arm, leaning forward over her head, nearly embracing her from behind. "Try again."

"Like this?" They'd lived under the same roof for months; Xu Youyu paid no mind to how close Li Luo was—she simply struck the snare again as he instructed.

"Good. Now follow me." Li Luo raised his own drumstick and said, "Match my rhythm—I hit, you hit. Together."

Thump, thump, thump.

The snare drum sounded monotonously.

Li Luo patiently guided Xu Youyu until she grew familiar with the rhythm, then told her to pause and said: "Keep the same rhythm—don't move your hands. Use your foot to hit the bass drum, matching my beat."

As Li Luo continued striking the snare, Xu Youyu followed his instruction, pressing the pedal in sync with his snare hits.

"Perfect. Now I'll stop—but keep your foot going. Can you do that?"

Xu Youyu nodded.

Li Luo stopped his motion; only the bass drum's pulse remained.

Once Xu Youyu was comfortable with the rhythm, Li Luo suddenly extended his drumstick, inserting his snare hits between the bass drum beats.

One bass drum, one snare—alternating, interwoven.

The basic rhythm was now taking shape.

"Excellent. Keep your foot going, now add your hands—follow my motion." Li Luo reached out with his left hand, gently guiding Xu Youyu's arm holding the drumstick, helping her strike the snare in time.

The gesture made them seem even closer.

When Shao Youpeng caught sight of this, he felt a surge of envy and jealousy, bitterness rising in his chest.

That bastard Li Luo already had Yan Zhusheng—why was he now flirting with his beloved class monitor?

That's too much!

But seeing Xu Youyu show no sign of resistance, Shao Youpeng could only silently seethe, imagining how wonderful it would be if he were the one teaching her.

But reality was cruel.

Li Luo and Xu Youyu didn't notice Shao Youpeng's gaze at all.

When Xu Youyu could now maintain the rhythm herself, the bass drum and snare alternating in a basic framework—

Li Luo's drumsticks were now free, and his left foot also pressed down on the other cymbal's pedal.

As Xu Youyu's steady rhythm progressed, Li Luo intermittently inserted drum beats and cymbal accents.

Thus, the previously monotonous rhythm instantly came alive in Xu Youyu's ears.

Though she was merely performing a simple, mechanical repetitive motion, when paired with Li Luo, it somehow produced such a beautiful feeling.

This plunged her completely into the moment, and she enjoyed herself immensely.

Until a student council member ran in from outside, found Xu Youyu, and said there was something she needed to attend to—only then did Xu Youyu snap out of her euphoria.

Reluctantly returning her drumsticks to Niu Qingling, Xu Youyu stood and said to Li Luo, "I've got something to do, so I can only stay this long—I'm leaving."

"Is there something wrong?" Li Luo asked, glancing at the running student.

"Two guys are fighting over at the basketball court," the student said helplessly. "Sister Xu, you should go check it out."

"Fighting?" Xu Youyu frowned. "Understood. I'm heading there now."

Seeing this, Li Luo also greeted Niu Qingling, then told Yan Zhusheng, before following Xu Youyu toward the basketball court.

"Why are you coming along?" Xu Youyu asked, puzzled.

"Didn't you say there was a fight?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow. "Obviously to watch the show."

"You're something else," Xu Youyu said, exasperated. "You really do love stirring up trouble."

Unfortunately, by the time Li Luo and Xu Youyu arrived on the scene, the crowd had already pulled the fighters apart.

As student council president, Xu Youyu stepped forward to investigate and learned the dispute arose from line-cutting and fighting over the basketball hoop. She first had the injured sent to the infirmary, then reported the incident to the head of discipline.

By the time everything was settled, over half an hour had passed.

"Phew… exhausted," Xu Youyu sighed, sitting down on a bench beside the basketball court.

Li Luo handed her a bottle of water.

"Thanks," Xu Youyu took it, gulping down a large mouthful.

"Looks like you're really busy."

"You really thought I was idle?" Xu Youyu rolled her eyes at him.

"Aren't you the one who was so relaxed this morning? Even had time to watch us draw lots."

"Heh," Xu Youyu didn't even bother replying, just gazed across the bustling campus. "I should've never taken this president role—so much trouble."

"Do you want to play, Sister Xu?" Li Luo pointed to the basketball court. "Like we did in the gym earlier."

"Oh?" Xu Youyu turned to him. "Little freshman, do you have time to accompany me?"

"There's nothing else to do now," Li Luo said. "Didn't I just run around with you? I haven't even explored the campus this afternoon."

"So it's not you accompanying me—it's me accompanying you," Xu Youyu laughed. "Ask me nicely, and I might agree."

Li Luo stared at her, speechless—but remembering the pure, joyful smile on Xu Youyu's face when they played drums in the gym, he sighed and said, "Please, Sister Xu, just accompany me for a bit."

"Hmm… since you put it that way," Xu Youyu rose from the bench with a smile, lightly patting her backside, then waved her hand. "Fine, I'll reluctantly accompany you for a while."

"Heh," Li Luo smiled, standing up and heading toward the basketball court. "Shall we start with some basketball?"

"Sure thing. Let's go."

…

On the grass in the southwest corner of the playground, Qiao Xinyan, having just returned from the restroom to the picnic spot, sat beside Ying Chanxi and said:

"Chanxi, I think I just saw Li Luo."

"Huh? Near the gym?"

"No, over at the basketball court," Qiao Xinyan said. "But maybe I was mistaken—it was pretty far away."

"You must've been mistaken. I already told him," Ying Chanxi smiled. "He said once the rock club was done, if he had time, he'd come find us here."

"Oh, then I must've been wrong."