Chapter 573: [Extra] Chanxi: The Break in Middle School

At the start of eighth grade, gossip began circulating within Class Five.

Soon after, because Ying Chanxi's performance in the parallel class overshadowed the key class, these rumors spread to other classes.

So much so that even Zhao Rongjun couldn't help asking Li Luo in private: "Are you really dating Ying Chanxi?"

"What kind of bullshit are you spouting?" Li Luo stared at Zhao Rongjun in disbelief, then noticed several nearby kids straining to eavesdrop, and sighed in exasperation, "Just that nagging housekeeper? How could I possibly date her?"

"But I heard you two were really close over summer vacation," a classmate whispered, "Ying Chanxi even came to the court to call you home."

"That's because my mom found out I hadn't done my summer homework and sent her to fetch me," Li Luo's face darkened, annoyed. "She didn't even speak up for me—got me beaten up instead."

"That still doesn't sound bad?"

"Our families live across from each other," Li Luo said flatly. "Does living across the hall mean you have to date? What kind of brains do you have?"

"That's true," Shao Heqi nodded vigorously. "I don't think it's real either—just rumors going around."

"Exactly," Jin Yuting said. "They don't even match. Xi Xi is number one in the grade—her boyfriend should be from the key class."

"That's not fair to say," Shao Heqi frowned. "The key class isn't invincible—we've got several people in my class who can rank in the top 160."

Like Shao Heqi—he ranked in the top 100 in this semester's entrance exam.

If you only counted Class Five, he and Ying Chanxi would be the most compatible.

At least, that's what Shao Heqi thought.

Especially since Ying Chanxi was class monitor and he was deputy monitor—he grew more convinced of it the more he thought.

…

Soon, the news reached Ying Chanxi through Jin Yuting's mouth.

When she first heard rumors about her and Li Luo, she kept a calm face, but her heart pounded wildly.

But when she learned Li Luo had outright denied it, her expression darkened and she clenched her fists.

So on Saturday after school, Ying Chanxi packed her bag, went looking for Li Luo, didn't find him, and went downstairs to the school basketball court.

Sure enough, Li Luo was playing basketball.

Ying Chanxi walked to the sideline and heard a few classmates whistle, smirking and chuckling.

Li Luo spotted Ying Chanxi by the sideline and sighed in exasperation, rushing over before she could speak: "What are you doing here? Go away, go, go—don't interrupt my game."

"I have something to say to you," Ying Chanxi said, frowning. "Play if you want—I'll wait here for you to go home together."

"Are you annoying? We're playing all afternoon—do you plan to wait here all day?"

"I'll wait."

"Fine," Li Luo gave up, rolled his eyes, and ran back to the court.

But Ying Chanxi really did wait there for hours.

The other classmates couldn't bear to watch anymore—they ended the game early, slung their bags over their shoulders, and left for home.

So around three in the afternoon, Li Luo had no more game to play and had to walk home with Ying Chanxi.

"Thanks to you, I lost at least two hours of playing," Li Luo muttered on the way, kicking small stones, his youthful energy still unspent, venting on pebbles.

"I didn't stop you from playing," Ying Chanxi said beside him. Seeing a stone he kicked land in front of her, she kicked it into the bushes beside the path.

"Hey!" Li Luo snapped, glaring at her. "Why do you always oppose me? Did I owe you from a past life?"

"Maybe you did," Ying Chanxi sniffed. "Besides, walk properly—look ahead. Don't kick stones; it's dangerous."

"You're so controlling."

They bickered all the way, so Ying Chanxi never got to ask the question she'd planned—until they neared their neighborhood, when she finally found an opening: "Have you heard any gossip lately?"

"What gossip?"

"About… us."

"You heard too?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow, then waved it off carelessly. "Don't worry—I already told them it's not true."

"... What do you mean?"

"How could we possibly be dating? That's ridiculous," Li Luo laughed twice. "Just stop bothering me and you'll be fine."

Hearing this, Ying Chanxi's face froze. She glanced at Li Luo, huffed in pique, and quickened her pace ahead.

"Hey, why are you walking so fast?" Li Luo noticed her mood shift, hurried after her, studied her profile curiously, then asked suspiciously, "Do you like me?"

"I'd never like you!" Ying Chanxi kicked at him—he dodged easily—and she turned, backpack on her back, and walked home without looking back.

She didn't even go to Li Luo's house for dinner.

…

From that day on, they began deliberately avoiding each other.

Previously, on weekends, Ying Chanxi would come to Li Luo's house on her own, helping Lin Xiuhong in the kitchen and happily eating together.

But after that, Lin Xiuhong had to ask Li Luo to fetch her before Ying Chanxi would come over.

As for school:

Before, they used to go to the cafeteria together for meals.

After that, they never ate together again.

Especially since Ying Chanxi still held the top rank in the grade, untouched by anyone, while Li Luo's grades showed no improvement whatsoever.

The gap between them widened further; Lin Xiuhong grew increasingly frustrated, constantly comparing him to Ying Chanxi, making Li Luo grow more and more annoyed.

So unlike in childhood, during eighth grade, Li Luo and Ying Chanxi no longer clung together as before.

Li Luo hung out with the boys, playing ball and chatting; Ying Chanxi stayed with the girls—they each had their own circles.

But just as eighth grade neared its end and the second middle school summer vacation approached, Li Luo passed by the homeroom teacher's office and heard a familiar voice inside.

"Ying Chanxi, the learning atmosphere in the key class is far better than in the parallel class—why won't you consider transferring?"

"I've already considered it, Teacher Li," Ying Chanxi's voice came from inside. "And I really like Teacher Zhang's teaching style. Besides, being in the parallel class hasn't affected my top rank."

"Not reconsidering at all?" the key class's Teacher Li asked. "Take this notice home and show it to your parents."

"My father respects my decision, so there's no need." Ying Chanxi shook her head. "Or you can call my father—either way, I have no intention of changing classes."

Li Luo stood outside the door, eavesdropping, then heard footsteps approaching, so he quickly hid around the corner.

Seeing Ying Chanxi's figure emerge, he silently watched her leave, then crept back to the office door.

"Teacher Li, maybe we should just drop it. We already asked about this last summer vacation. Now we're in ninth grade—changing classes means adjusting to a new environment again. Why bother?" Teacher Zhang Wei said inside.

"I heard there's a student named Li Luo in your class?" Teacher Li asked.

"Yes, what about it?"

"Is Ying Chanxi dating him?" Teacher Li said. "Could this affect Ying Chanxi's studies?"

"First, there is no early romance in my class, Teacher Li, don't spread rumors." Teacher Zhang's voice grew stern. "Moreover, Ying Chanxi's rank as number one in the grade is unquestionable—clearly, she hasn't been affected at all."

"Hmph!"

Li Luo heard footsteps again and hurried away. After the top-class Teacher Li left, he silently watched the teacher's back, his mind swirling with thoughts.

Last summer vacation?

When had Ying Chanxi rejected the transfer request?

He had no idea at all.

Was it because he was in Class Five that Ying Chanxi refused to transfer?

Li Luo thought of this, then immediately shook his head.

How could that be?

…The final exam results came out.

Ying Chanxi remained number one in the grade.

Lin Xiuhong, staring at her son's ranking of over four hundred, flew into a rage.

So that summer, Lin Xiuhong ordered Li Luo to stay home and arranged for Ying Chanxi to prepare a full revision plan for him—he must study hard.

Originally, Li Luo thought he'd get Ying Chanxi to cover for him, and he'd still play basketball and video games as usual.

But this time, Ying Chanxi, contrary to her usual self, supervised him extremely strictly.

This made Li Luo very annoyed.

"We must've hated each other in our last life."

"Don't talk nonsense. Keep writing."

"I can't solve it."

"Didn't I just teach you? It's the exact same problem type."

!

"How is this the same?!"

"You weren't even listening when I explained!" Ying Chanxi was also getting frustrated. "Can't you just study seriously? How else will you get into Fuyi High?"

"Why do I even need to get in? Isn't it better if I don't?" Li Luo said rebelliously. "Then I can stay far away from you."

"So you just want to stay far away from me? You'd prefer never seeing me again, right?" Ying Chanxi's temper flared; she bit her teeth as she demanded.

"What else?"

"Then stop studying! Go play your basketball!" Ying Chanxi threw her pen on the ground, leapt to her feet, and stormed out.

Li Luo froze, stunned.

By the time he reacted, Ying Chanxi was already gone.

"Hey wait—"

Li Luo realized he'd messed up and immediately jumped up to chase after her.

First, he fished a spare key from between the couplet slats on the opposite door, unlocked Ying Chanxi's front gate, but found no one inside.

Then he chased out of the compound, scanned the main road—but Ying Chanxi's figure was long gone.

After searching all afternoon, Li Luo returned exhausted to the compound, glanced at the rooftop of his building, and suddenly remembered something.

He climbed all the way to the roof, pushed open the door, and saw a small figure crouched in the corner, back turned to him.

The setting sun cast its glow across Ying Chanxi's profile, making her look especially beautiful.

Li Luo walked silently behind Ying Chanxi and gently poked her back.

Ying Chanxi shifted slightly away, refusing to acknowledge him.

"I searched for you all afternoon—did you just squat here the whole time? Your legs must be numb."

"Mind your own business."

"Look, look," Li Luo chuckled. "You don't like being told what to do either—so why do you insist on controlling me?"

"Leave me alone. You don't want to see me anyway—so just never see me again."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Li Luo poked her back again. "Come on, come back with me. If my mom finds out, she'll beat me again."

"I'll help your mom beat you."

"Are you even human?"

"I'll beat you right now!" Ying Chanxi spun around, raised her tiny fist, her face scowling—but somehow, it only looked adorably fierce.

In the end, she didn't actually hit him.

"I'm sorry," Li Luo apologized again. "Alright? I'm sorry."

"Will you study seriously now?"

"I'll study, I'll study—I'll study, okay?"

"That's better."

…

Li Luo said he'd study, but his enthusiasm lasted only three minutes.

After Ying Chanxi's anger subsided, he only held out for a few days before slipping right back into his old ways, utterly unable to study.

So when the new term began in third grade, Ying Chanxi still often chased after him, urging him to review properly, hoping only that Li Luo would pass the entrance exam with her into the same high school.

But Li Luo, because of his terrible grades, had long since given up, fully accepting his own limitations.

And when Ying Chanxi successfully passed Fuyi Middle School's independent admission, Li Luo felt even more strongly that they were not on the same level at all.

Once the high school entrance exam ended, they were destined to be people from two different worlds.

So on the day before the exam, on the way home from school.

Li Luo flicked his hand away.

Ying Chanxi fell to the ground.

Watching Ying Chanxi's back, tears in her eyes, being helped away by Jin Yuting, Li Luo's face remained numb as he stared at the scene.

A voice deep inside told him he should run after her, just like during the summer vacation—just apologize to Ying Chanxi, and she would surely forgive him.

All he needed to do was apologize…

He knew this very well.

Ying Chanxi was just such an easily comforted little girl, so easily fooled.

A few words from him could cheer her up instantly.

It had always been this way since childhood.

But in the end, he turned away and said to Zhao Rongjun: "What are you standing around for? Let's go play basketball!"

…

On graduation day.

Shao Heqi was utterly stunned when Ying Chanxi called him over for a photo; his smile stretched so wide his lips seemed ready to split.

Then he watched as Ying Chanxi called out to another classmate and took another photo with them.

"Huh? Me?" A chubby boy in class was stopped by Ying Chanxi, who wanted to take a photo with him; he looked utterly bewildered, even slightly frightened.

Trembling, he took a photo with Ying Chanxi, then watched as she continued searching for others to pose with.

Soon, Ying Chanxi's last photo subject remained.

Li Luo sat at his window seat, glanced at Ying Chanxi as she approached, then turned his gaze to the window: "No photo."

Ying Chanxi gripped her camera tightly, standing silently beside the desk for several minutes, as if waiting for Li Luo to change his mind.

But Li Luo simply tilted his head toward the window, never once looking at her.

Finally, Ying Chanxi turned and walked to the back door, handed the camera to Jin Yuting, and quietly tugged her sleeve, whispering: "Tingting, can you do me a favor?"

…

At the back door, a girl stood there, her back to the classroom windows, raising one hand in a victory sign, a faint, bittersweet smile on her lips.

Between her two fingers lay precisely the back of a boy.

Jin Yuting pressed the shutter.

She froze this moment.

(End of Chapter)