Chapter 945
IF140
After failing to find Li Zhuangsheng for several days, Hu Mengdie could no longer bear it. At lunchtime, she cornered Li Zhuangsheng at the bottom of the stairs, and without caring about the stares of others, grabbed his wrist and left.
"Are you avoiding me?" Hu Mengdie asked, her eyebrows furrowing.
She couldn't understand what was wrong with Li Zhuangsheng at all. The atmosphere was so ambiguous on Sunday... This sudden estrangement made her extremely sad and stirred up painful and unsettling memories from her past.
"No..." Li Zhuangsheng stammered, unwilling to admit it.
Even though he believed the other party was toying with him, he didn't directly confront Hu Mengdie, because he felt that exposing someone's scheme would embarrass them. Of course, it's also possible that he lacked the courage to confront someone directly.
He hoped this matter could be swept under the rug, that Hu Mengdie would think her plan had failed and end it on its own. He could also pretend he knew nothing and hadn't been fooled at all.
"So where have you been these past few days?" Hu Mengdie took a deep breath, afraid of scaring the other person and making them mistakenly think that she had a fierce personality.
“Yes, I’m eating at the school cafeteria…” Li Zhuangsheng turned his face away.
“You…” Hu Mengdie’s eyes twitched slightly, and she was speechless for a moment.
There's nothing wrong with what they said from any perspective. They're not going home for lunch, so eating in the school cafeteria is perfectly reasonable. Who says they have to eat off-campus? In fact, eating in the school cafeteria is in accordance with school rules and regulations!
But something's not right. Li Zhuangsheng was eating lunch in the school cafeteria; he was clearly avoiding her! Hu Mengdie wasn't stupid enough to be fooled by such a small lie!
"Nothing else, I'll be going now... The bibimbap in the cafeteria will be gone soon..." Li Zhuangsheng could only stammer, intimidated by Hu Mengdie's imposing presence.
"Where's the thing I told you to wear?" Hu Mengdie's eyes swept over the object, and her suppressed anger was reignited!
"Ah, you mean that..." Li Zhuangsheng coughed lightly, "That thing, uh, um... well, I left it at home."
"You left it at home? Why?"
"Yeah, it's pretty weird..."
Li Zhuang thought to himself, "I've already compensated you with a silver bracelet, which is more expensive than those shoes. I don't owe you anything anymore, so there's no need for me to wear that hair tie you gave me. It feels like a dog leash."
Hu Mengdie took a deep breath, veins bulging on her forehead: "What happened to you? Or did someone say something bad about me?"
Hu Mengdie was absolutely confident in herself at this moment. Although she couldn't be called a moral exemplar, she was a well-behaved girl with strict family upbringing, and there was absolutely nothing she could do to step into Li Zhuangsheng's minefield.
After thinking it over, she concluded that it could only be that someone was talking badly about her behind her back! And that person was either Zhu Zhixue or Li Xiuyu!
According to Hu Mengdie's speculation, Li Xiuyu is highly likely.
“No…” Li Zhuangsheng shook his head.
Indeed, no one had spoken ill of Hu Mengdie. Li Xiuyu didn't directly name Hu Mengdie, but merely described a phenomenon; all of this was deduced by Li Zhuangsheng himself. Although Zhu Zhixue had also insulted Hu Mengdie, it was only ordinary hostility—after all, the two had fought.
"Then why are you avoiding me? Don't deny it, I won't believe your excuses!"
Hu Mengdie narrowed her eyes. She inexplicably thought of the estrangement she felt before she transmigrated, so she was not as calm as she appeared. In fact, she was so flustered that she lost her composure.
She even hardened her heart, thinking that even if she dragged Li Zhuangsheng to an empty classroom at school and "did it" with him today, she would never let him leave like this! "I didn't..." Li Zhuangsheng still denied it.
"You didn't? Then why did you suddenly eat lunch at the school cafeteria?"
"I...I studied in the classroom after I finished eating..."
"study?"
Hu Mengdie was stunned, her eyes filled with a clear sense of bewilderment. This answer was too unsolvable, so unsolvable that Hu Mengdie could only remain blank.
"you……"
Hu Mengdie hesitated for a long time, but ultimately did not ask the inexplicable question, "Why do you want to study?"
"Why are you suddenly studying so hard?" Hu Mengdie asked, biting her lip.
"I... I just feel that my grades have been really bad lately, and they're getting worse and worse. Most of the time, they're just really bad..." Li Zhuangsheng stammered, his face slightly flushed. He never expected Hu Mengdie to ask such a question.
What does it mean to start studying hard? As a student, do I need a reason to study hard?
Li Zhuangsheng grew increasingly nervous as he hastily tried to cover up his lie, keeping his head down and avoiding Hu Mengdie's gaze, afraid that she would see through it. Even so, he felt his lie was too clumsy and too illogical. How could anyone not see through a lie if you can't even speak a complete sentence properly?
He mentally prepared himself for Hu Mengdie's "storm," but to his surprise, she quieted down and didn't ask any further questions.
Hu Mengdie's gaze swept over Li Zhuangsheng, and seeing his evasive eyes and blushing face, she suddenly had a flash of inspiration and understood something.
In her memory, Li Zhuangsheng should have continued to indulge in anime and neglect his studies at this time, but the future can be changed, and the reason that prompted Li Zhuangsheng to change all this was himself.
What Li Zhuangsheng himself considered a clumsy lie was interpreted differently by Hu Mengdie:
Why did Li Zhuangsheng suddenly become so "studious" the day after he almost confessed his feelings? Because he felt inferior; he felt unworthy of himself, so he wanted to study hard. Young boys often struggle with this kind of internal conflict, let alone someone as proud as Li Zhuangsheng. Back then, he and Li Zhuangsheng had dated for a long time, but the other hadn't made any further moves until he passed the interview and secured his place in the university, at which point he finally mustered the courage to confess his feelings.
From this perspective, Li Zhuangsheng is probably feeling the same way. Most people would feel there's a huge gap between them, and Li Zhuangsheng is certainly aware of this, which is why he wants to study hard to be worthy of himself. But this sensitive and insecure feeling in his youth is something he can't express, which is why Li Zhuangsheng seems so guilty and afraid to face himself.
The thought of Li Zhuangsheng's heartfelt desire to fight for love instantly put Hu Mengdie at ease, and she even felt excited and secretly pleased.
What could be more joyful and surprising than your beloved turning over a new leaf for you? Hu Mengdie couldn't help but smile, unable to suppress the joy.
So that's why he didn't wear the shoes he bought himself or his own hair tie. It's because he felt inferior and unworthy.
Hu Mengdie could completely understand the anxieties and uncertainties that young people often experience.
That little scheme of hers is quite cute! Hu Mengdie smiled as she sized up Li Zhuangsheng, making him feel a chill run down his spine. (End of Chapter)