Chapter 282: The Little Puppy Who Bites: Chanxi

After the morning basketball game ended, Class 8 successfully advanced to the next round.

Before leaving the court, the PE teacher called over all eight classes that had advanced and had them draw their next-round matchups early.

"Which class are we facing next?"

"Class 3," Zhu Yufei said upon returning. "Not bad—not especially strong. I watched today; Class 1 and Class 7 are about our level, the rest are slightly weaker."

"Class 3?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. He thought it was quite coincidental—he'd be facing Zhao Rongjun.

After the morning basketball game ended, everyone returned to the classroom to continue self-study. When school let out at noon, Li Luo went to lunch with Yan Zhusheng and the others.

"Are we going straight home after this afternoon?" Li Luo asked the group.

"I still have class," Ying Chanxi picked up a piece of chicken from Li Luo's plate. "Class ends at four."

"Me too," Qiao Xinyan said.

Zhao Rongjun beside them also nodded—he was in the physics competition and had to go to the competition class in the afternoon.

Xu Youyu had to handle some student council matters and would also return late in the afternoon.

"Come with me to the Rock Club," Yan Zhusheng tugged Li Luo's sleeve, reminding him. "The president asked us to go this afternoon."

"Can I come along and watch?" Xu Yinghuan asked, very interested.

"Of course," Yan Zhusheng nodded.

After hearing everyone's afternoon plans, Li Luo nodded: "Then let's regroup after we're all done."

Because Zhao Rongjun had been going every night recently to sell fried rice with Lin Xiu, Li Luo worried it would affect his studies, so now on Saturdays he always invited him to study together.

Seeing this, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng also brought along their best friends.

Thus, the seven-person study group took its first shape.

Among the seven, there were two grade number ones, two in the top thirty, and one in the top sixty to seventy.

Yan Zhusheng's grades weren't bad either; under Li Luo's tutelage, she could now score within the top two hundred.

Xu Yinghuan had the weakest foundation among them—last semester's final exam placed her at 480-something, and her entrance exam was only 460-something.

After all, during her middle school entrance exam, her score was barely above the cutoff line—she was among the lower-ranked students at Fu No. 1 High.

So when Yan Zhusheng invited her to join the study group and explained who was in it, Xu Yinghuan naturally joined without hesitation.

If she could absorb even a tiny bit of talent from these few, it would be enough for her to get into a good university.

Besides, there was free dinner.

Li Luo's cooking was far tastier than what she ate at home.

Plus, she could watch them flirt.

Where else could she find such a good deal?

"By the way, next week we're playing your Class 3—did you know?" Li Luo said, smiling as he ate.

"I know," Zhao Rongjun said, unimpressed. "We're meeting so early? Kind of unlucky."

"So little confidence? Don't be scared before the match even starts," Li Luo encouraged. "How about the loser calls the winner 'Dad'?"

"You're so childish… I'm not betting."

"How's that childish? I'm just trying to spark your fighting spirit."

"Thanks a lot."

After lunch, Ying Chanxi went to class, Xu Youyu went to the student council.

Li Luo, Yan Zhusheng, and Xu Yinghuan headed toward the Rock Club.

By then, Niu Qingling and the others had already arrived.

Li Luo walked into the Rock Club and asked curiously, "What's the new task this time? Another parent-teacher meeting?"

"Only first-year students perform at the first semester's parent-teacher meeting," Niu Qingling laughed. "This time it's the basketball tournament—you and Xie Shuchen both played, right?"

"How does the basketball tournament have anything to do with our Rock Club?"

"The finals are scheduled for the 30th of this month," Niu Qingling said. "And the 27th to 29th are midterms."

"After the exams, the 30th is an extra day, so the school decided not to hold classes—just self-study in the morning and everyone gathers in the afternoon to watch the game."

"Then it's May Day holiday."

"So we're in charge of the opening performance."

Li Luo nodded in understanding: "That explains it."

"What song?" Yan Zhusheng stepped up to the microphone, adjusted its angle and height, then asked.

"We have a few options," Niu Qingling said, smiling at Li Luo. "But I was wondering—would our great Li genius have a new song for us to practice?"

"Cough… let's keep it normal," Li Luo thought for a moment. "Since it's a basketball game, let's pick something energetic—how about 'I Believe'?"

"I believe I am who I am~ I believe in tomorrow~"

"I believe youth has no horizon~"

Yan Zhusheng sang two lines, then tilted her head and asked, "This one?"

Li Luo gave her a thumbs-up, then picked up his guitar: "Let's go."

They'd rehearsed together long enough; everyone picked it up quickly. After a few runs, the whole band was playing smoothly.

Xu Yinghuan sat on a chair nearby, watching. She saw the occasional glances between Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng, watched him play guitar and her sing lead, and her eyes sparkled—how perfectly matched they looked.

After about an hour of practice, Niu Qingling felt it was enough and nodded: "We won't over-rehearse—we're all familiar enough. No problem before the 30th. Let's call it a day."

Xie Shuchen and Shao Youpeng followed Niu Qingling out of the Rock Club.

But Yan Zhusheng didn't rush to leave.

Once everyone else had gone, she turned her eyes toward Li Luo and said, "I want to sing a little longer."

"What song?"

"The songs from my mom's new album."

"Didn't get enough singing out of your system just now?" Li Luo chuckled.

"I'm training your guitar skills," Yan Zhusheng said seriously. "What should you say?"

"Uh…" Li Luo glanced at Xu Yinghuan, still sitting beside them, and coughed twice awkwardly. "Someone's still here."

"Huanhuan isn't a stranger. Go ahead."

"Alright, alright." Li Luo gave in to her. "Teacher Yan, you've worked hard. Let's keep going."

"Mm. Student Li is very well-behaved." Yan Zhusheng nodded and picked a song for him to play.

Xu Yinghuan: "…?"

Well, well.

Hearing Li Luo's address and seeing Yan Zhusheng's clearly pleased expression, Xu Yinghuan froze in confusion, then barely held back a laugh.

She thought: You two are playing pretty freely behind closed doors?

Even role-playing now.

…

At four in the afternoon, Ying Chanxi, having successfully finished the competition class exam paper, nodded in satisfaction, packed her bag, and went downstairs with Qiao Xinyan.

At the school gate, the seven of them met up smoothly, bought groceries at the market, returned to Bihai Lanting, and Li Luo went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Ying Chanxi hurried in after him, firmly tied on her apron, closed the kitchen's glass door, and happily helped Li Luo prepare the ingredients and cook.

"Why are you smiling so happily?"

Li Luo glanced at Ying Chanxi's face and asked.

"You're going to scold me for smiling?" Ying Chanxi snorted. "We're all gathering to study—can't I be happy?"

"I didn't say you couldn't." Li Luo set the pre-bought roast duck aside, slipped open the lid, and slipped a piece into his mouth.

"You're stealing food?" Ying Chanxi spotted his move and immediately called him out.

"How can a chef's tasting be called stealing? That's sampling for the guest's saltiness."

"You'd dare say that about pre-made roast duck?" Ying Chanxi rolled her eyes at him.

"Here." Li Luo took another piece of roast duck and held it to her lips. "Want some?"

"I—I don't want…"

"Really not?" Li Luo smiled, continuing to tempt her. "It's delicious. Open up. Good girl."

With Li Luo's finger pressed against her lips, Ying Chanxi hesitated for a few seconds, then finally opened her mouth, gently took it in—and, while Li Luo wasn't looking, bit down hard.

"Ow…" Li Luo yanked his hand back sharply. "Are you a dog? Why do you keep biting me?"

"Hmph." Ying Chanxi chewed the roast duck, still washing vegetables for him. "Stop stealing food. Get cooking—everyone's waiting."

"Stick out your finger. I'll bite you back, then we'll talk."

"Nope." Ying Chanxi hummed a cheerful tune, like a victorious puppy wagging its tail, savoring her prize, nearly dancing with joy.

The two bickered back and forth, cooking while occasionally making small gestures.

Though not as thrilling as with Xu Youyu, being alone in the kitchen with Ying Chanxi was still quite pleasant.

After all, if it were the senior sister, Li Luo would have to stay on edge the whole time—nowhere near as relaxed as this.

"By the way, I've discussed it with Zhusheng." Li Luo brought up something mid-cooking. "Isn't the mid-term exam at the end of the month?"

"What about it?"

"I plan to check her six elective subjects' scores, then, based on the specific reforms for the college entrance exam, help her pick three electives." Li Luo said.

"Zhusheng's geography is a strength—definitely one to pick. Besides that, she'll likely choose two science subjects, or one arts and one science."

"Once we decide, all three of us will pick the same ones."

"That way, when we're divided into classes in Gao Er, we should end up in the same class."

Ying Chanxi listened to Li Luo's words and fell silent for a moment.

But since she could be in the same class as Li Luo, she no longer cared much about the rest.

So finally, Ying Chanxi nodded lightly and whispered, "Mm. I'll follow you. Whatever you say."