Chapter 929
IF124
Lin Yuehua rarely showed hostility towards specific people; she treated all those who were lazy in their studies equally, which is why she was an enemy of the world and had no friends.
Li Zhuangsheng heard his female classmates say bad things about her more than once, such as what's the use of good grades? Even if she gets into Tsinghua or Peking University, she'll be useless if she doesn't know how to get along with people.
Every time Li Zhuangsheng heard these things, he would secretly nod in agreement, thinking they made sense, but at the same time, he vaguely felt that these people were just sour grapes, or more like a curse.
On several occasions, Lin Yuehua clearly overheard these words, or rather, they were meant for her. However, in most cases, she would only give them a cold glance and show no other reaction.
Someone with a rich inner world like Li Zhuangsheng couldn't help but speculate about the other person's thoughts. He wondered if Lin Yuehua truly didn't care, or if she was simply "outnumbered and powerless" in the face of such attacks? What was she thinking? Did she find their words childish and laughable, or was she wavering and filled with shame and resentment?
However, Li Zhuangsheng was merely speculating. He had no way of knowing Lin Yuehua's inner world, nor was he particularly interested. His feelings towards Lin Yuehua were a mixture of respect and awe, but he didn't dislike her. He believed that there was more than one path to success, and that Lin Yuehua would likely become an academic elite in the future.
Most importantly, Li Zhuangsheng felt that Lin Yuehua was determined and diligent, qualities he lacked most. Precisely because he himself could not achieve these qualities, Li Zhuangsheng had great respect for those who could.
He watched as Lin Yuehua returned to her seat and began studying. After hesitating for a moment, he took out his math test paper and went up to her.
He needs to change himself; for example, he should humbly ask for help when he encounters problems he doesn't understand. So what if Lin Yuehua is a little fierce? After all, you're the one who wanted to ask her a question!
"Lin Yuehua..." Li Zhuangsheng said cautiously.
Lin Yuehua looked up at him, her eyes, through her glasses, seemed to reveal a hint of ferocity.
"Well, there are two questions I don't understand... Could you explain them to me?" Li Zhuangsheng said in a low voice.
Lin Yuehua seemed somewhat surprised, not expecting Li Zhuangsheng to ask her to explain a problem. However, she frowned slightly but did not refuse.
"Where don't you know?" Lin Yuehua asked coldly.
"This is it..."
"You can't even do this?"
Li Zhuangsheng's eye twitched slightly; he was already starting to regret his actions. Actually, it wasn't just Lin Yuehua who had good grades; he should have asked others.
"Didn't we just cover this in class today?" Lin Yuehua asked again, ignoring Li Zhuangsheng's changing expression.
"Well, I... I didn't understand at the time..."
Li Zhuangsheng scratched his head, stammering. He couldn't very well say that he still couldn't do it now because he was daydreaming back then.
His face began to burn, and he prepared to pick up the exam paper and leave. No wonder Lin Yuehua had a bad reputation; how many of those top students had such a bad temper? He was filled with resentment, but just as he stood up, Lin Yuehua suddenly pressed the exam paper down on his hand.
"Look, this is very simple... Hmm? Why are you standing up?"
“Nothing…” Li Zhuangsheng sat down again, feeling frustrated as he listened to Lin Yuehua finish explaining the question.
……
"Hu Mengdie".
Just as Hu Mengdie returned to the classroom from the playground, someone called out to her. She squinted to make out who it was—a nodding acquaintance from high school. Their relationship seemed alright; they could at least exchange a few words.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Hu Mengdie asked with a smile.
"Oh, Zhu Zhixue asked me to come find you," the girl said, scratching her head. "Zhu Zhixue likes Li Zhuangsheng, did you know that?"
Hu Mengdie was slightly surprised, then smiled and said, "I know now."
The girl nodded and smiled slightly: "Okay, it's good that you know. Zhu Zhixue was just afraid that you wouldn't know and might misunderstand something."
Hu Mengdie simply smiled and remained silent.
"I'll be going now, I just wanted to pass on a message... Oh, by the way, do you like the school heartthrob?"
"Well, what do you think?"
The girl burst into laughter: "How could that be? I think Zhu Zhixue is just overthinking it!"
Hu Mengdie smiled and didn't say anything more. She didn't want to provoke Zhu Zhixue too much; if she did something drastic, it wouldn't be good if she took advantage of her proximity.
It seems Zhu Zhixue is really interested in someone else's husband... Little girl, that's not a good habit. Hu Mengdie gave a cold laugh.
It's strange, though. How could Zhu Zhixue like someone like Li Zhuangsheng? Isn't she with a gang of thugs? Li Zhuangsheng is the complete opposite of that kind of person!
Hu Mengdie frowned, a sense of crisis rising in her heart. She knew that if she took the initiative now, she could win over Li Zhuangsheng at this moment.
But after hesitating for a moment, she decided not to make a move. She would be unwilling to settle down with him in this muddled way.
She was extremely confident in her high school self, and Li Zhuangsheng was repeatedly captivated by her, which she noticed. Besides, as a reborn person, how could he possibly be outmaneuvered by a young girl?
Moreover, based on her understanding of the future, Li Zhuangsheng had never been in a relationship, and Zhu Zhixue ultimately had nothing to do with him.
However, Hu Mengdie was still a little jealous of Zhu Zhixue's feelings for Li Zhuangsheng. How could Li Zhuangsheng possibly attract such beautiful girls, whether it was Qin Luanyu who came all the way from Hangzhou, or this classmate Zhu Zhixue!
This is outrageous! I'm going to get angry!
……
"Oh, thank you."
After hearing her friend's reply, Zhu Zhixue smiled and nodded.
Although Li Zhuangsheng said there was no possibility between him and Hu Mengdie, Zhu Zhixue was still a little uneasy. So she asked a friend who could speak to both of them to convey her claim to Li Zhuangsheng.
In her opinion, it was unlikely that Hu Mengdie liked Li Zhuangsheng. Besides, Li Zhuangsheng wasn't particularly attractive to most girls. She figured that if she said that, Hu Mengdie would wisely keep her distance from him.
When it comes to dealing with people, it's always best to be courteous first and then resort to force; one shouldn't be too impulsive!
Li Zhuangsheng is still the same Li Zhuangsheng; she is extremely confident in herself.
"Is the school heartthrob really that great? Since you like him so much, why don't you tell him?" the girl said with a smile. "I think he's just a bit of a blockhead. He might not even realize it if you don't tell him."
"Well..." Zhu Zhixue smiled, "Don't worry about it, I have my own way of doing things!"
Actually, she was a little resentful. Even though no one cared, and it didn't matter, she was still a bit angry. She had been longing for Li Zhuangsheng for years, yet he hadn't recognized her!
Perhaps he had long forgotten Wang Shuangmei from her first year of junior high. She felt a pang of frustration and resentment. At the same time, she felt wronged, as if this was "unfair." She had given so much; how could he not recognize her?
Although she was aware of how much she had changed during puberty, and it was normal that Li Zhuangsheng wouldn't recognize her... but Li Zhuangsheng was different.
Therefore, she felt a sense of resentment and unwillingness when facing Li Zhuangsheng, as if it would be less sacred for her to say it herself.
Zhu Zhixue secretly thought that once Li Zhuangsheng recognized her, she could pinch his nose, make a face at him, and take the opportunity to confess her feelings to him... Zhu Zhixue had fantasized about this scene countless times.
And if the other person still doesn't recognize her, she'll wait until after the college entrance exam to be with him. That's what she told herself.
Serves you right, you didn't recognize me throughout high school!
snort!
Zhu Zhixue returned to the classroom and saw Li Zhuangsheng and Lin Yuehua sitting at their desks, listening to each other explain a problem.
She didn't care too much; instead, she felt a little sorry for Lin Yuehua. After all, Lin Yuehua was notoriously bad-tempered, to the point that few people in the class were willing to ask her for advice. Li Zhuangsheng probably lacked experience; poor thing.
Zhu Zhixue strolled back to her seat and stared at Li Zhuangsheng. A short while later, he returned after asking his question.
Zhu Zhixue laughed again and got up, sitting down in front of Li Zhuangsheng: "Hey, let me tell you, I just..."
The two chatted and laughed for a few more minutes until the bell rang for evening study.
Li Zhuangsheng picked up his English book and started memorizing vocabulary. He's the type of person who only has a short attention span, but he was really into it right now, so he was memorizing the words very loudly.
Actually, Li Zhuangsheng wasn't in such a hurry or anxious to change himself before, but he felt that he was useless.
He fantasized all day that Hu Mengdie and Zhu Zhixue liked him, but given who he was now, why would Hu Mengdie and Zhu Zhixue like him? How could he possibly be worthy of them?
Yes, he should change himself first. For example, he should study hard and become a top student. Asking Lin Yuehua for help would be the first step in studying seriously.
Okay, starting today, I'm going to study hard and stop playing on my phone!
……
"What a coincidence, you're here again." The next day at noon, Hu Mengdie smiled brightly at Fatty's Chicken Cutlet.
"Ah... um..." Li Zhuangsheng nodded timidly, pretending to put his phone away.
He actually swore he would never play on his phone again, but Japanese anime was just too good to pass up.
"Why do you eat here every day?" Hu Mengdie asked with a smile as she sat down opposite him. "Don't you get tired of it?"
"It's alright, their chicken rice is actually quite delicious!"
Li Zhuangsheng raised his voice slightly, and the boss sitting behind the counter smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this.
Even the best food can't be eaten every day. Li Zhuangsheng was just subconsciously worried that if he moved to a different place, Hu Mengdie wouldn't be able to find him, or she might simply stop looking for him altogether.
Fortunately, I hadn't eaten here for several days during the National Day holiday, so it's not too greasy now.
"Is that so?" Hu Mengdie said with a smile, "I thought you were waiting for me here specifically."
Li Zhuangsheng's face flushed, and he instinctively denied it: "No, I just like the chicken rice at this restaurant!"
Why would Hu Mengdie say that? Does she think I like her? Please don't misunderstand!
"Fine, fine, you stubborn tsundere!" Hu Mengdie snorted inwardly, but remained outwardly calm, and exclaimed, "Then it seems this place's chicken rice is really delicious, I'll have a serving too!"
"You haven't eaten yet?"
"Yes, not yet."
Hu Mengdie called the owner to bring her a serving of chicken rice and took out two pairs of disposable chopsticks from the chopstick holder.
Hu Mengdie ate her chicken rice in small bites and said softly, "This chicken rice is really delicious, but you probably also like Steamed King's fried noodles, right?"
Li Zhuangsheng was taken aback: "How did you know?"
How would I know? Because you mentioned Steamed King's sausage fried noodles to me. That's the place your classmate kept going to even after finding a cockroach in his food. Hu Mengdie thought to herself.
"Yes, how would I know?" Hu Mengdie tilted her head and smiled. "Do you want to know how I know?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"I won't tell you yet," Hu Mengdie winked playfully.
Li Zhuangsheng's lips twitched slightly, and he said again, "You saw me sitting inside eating?"
Hu Mengdie smiled and shook her head.
"...I'm done eating." Hu Mengdie took a sip of soup.
"Are you full already?" Li Zhuangsheng asked in surprise, looking at the food that was still more than half full.
"Okay, all right. Dance students need to be careful about their diet!" Hu Mengdie sighed.
What a waste. Li Zhuangsheng looked at the leftover food with regret.
"What a waste," Hu Mengdie exclaimed.
“That’s true…” Li Zhuangsheng agreed.
Hu Mengdie raised the corners of her mouth and pushed the leftover plate in front of Li Zhuangsheng: "Then you can finish it for me, don't waste it."
Li Zhuangsheng was startled and looked at Hu Mengdie with embarrassment.
"What's wrong?" Hu Mengdie tilted her head, a hint of displeasure on her face. "Are you complaining that I've already eaten again?"
"No, no... I don't dislike you..."
Li Zhuangsheng quickly waved his hand. He remembered that last time Hu Mengdie thought he disliked her, so she acted very unhappy.
"If I can't finish this meal, is it okay if you eat it for me?" Hu Mengdie tilted her head, a sly glint in her eyes, and placed the chopsticks she had used in front of Li Zhuangsheng. "Here, these chopsticks are for you, or do you want to use new ones?"
Li Zhuangsheng was a little confused and at a loss. He was both happy and hungry but didn't want to waste food... In the end, he picked up the unopened new chopsticks next to him.
"I'll just use these chopsticks... I'm not saying you're bad, I just feel that men and women shouldn't touch each other..."
"Men and women should not touch each other?"
Hu Mengdie seemed to be savoring the words, but in her heart she was thinking, "Fine, fine, you said it. Once we're together, I'll use those words to really mess with you!"
Of course, this was a result she already knew. Li Zhuangsheng was a very hypocritical person.
She glanced sideways at Li Zhuangsheng eating her leftovers. Her smile brightened, as if she had returned to those happy times of the past.
Li Zhuangsheng once jokingly complained that he had gained weight from always eating her leftovers, and insisted on buying a bicycle to ride to and from get off work to lose weight.
Li Zhuangsheng ate his chicken rice in a daze, and after a while, he said sullenly, "I think it's better for you to keep some distance from boys. You don't want to be harassed by boys, but this way you can easily be misunderstood... I know you're joking with me!"
"Are you jealous?" Hu Mengdie saw through Li Zhuangsheng's little thoughts at a glance and smiled. "Don't worry, I also mind indirectly kissing other people. I just don't know why, but I feel like it doesn't matter if it's you."
What does this mean?! Does she mean I'm special? She doesn't like me, so why does she always say such misleading things? Is Hu Mengdie a sadist who enjoys teasing me?
Li Zhuangsheng took a big gulp of soup, and to hide his embarrassment, he made small talk by repeating, "Oh, am I the only boy who has ever eaten your leftovers?"
Hu Mengdie was about to nod, but then suddenly paused. She seemed to remember something, and a look of embarrassment and anger flashed across her face:
"Why do you keep asking these kinds of questions!" (End of Chapter)