Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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On Monday morning, Xue Manqing was the flag bearer for the flag-raising ceremony.
Dressed in a white military uniform, she marched in step, forcefully raising the national flag as the national anthem played, her salute impeccable, radiating youthful vigor.
It was hard to reconcile this with the dishevelled girl who had been splattered with greasy soup by Ji Rang in the cafeteria that day.
The principal of Haicheng No. 1 Middle School was a former soldier, and every flag-raising ceremony at the school was exceptionally formal, with the flag-raising team selected only from students with excellent grades and appearance.
As the national anthem played, some students whispered among themselves.
“No way, every time I see Xue Manqing, I think of the scene where Ji Rang splashed her with vegetable soup.”
“Wow, not vegetable soup! It was just a few drops of oil!”
“That’s still embarrassing! So many people were watching. It’s worse than being rejected to your face when you confess!”
“What’s wrong with this goddess? The top student next to her is way better than Ji Rang! Why is she so fixated on him? Besides being handsome, his grades are terrible, his temper is awful, and he’s incredibly fierce. If they were together, she’d definitely be a victim of domestic violence!”
“Damn, you ignorant kid! Do you know how rich Ji Rang’s family is? His dad practically monopolizes the entire electronics and information industry in Haicheng. Ten top students can’t compare!”
“Didn’t his dad make the financial news last year for collaborating with Apple? That amusement park under construction in the city center is a joint venture between his dad and Xue Manqing’s Fuyong Group. Tsk tsk, they’ve even got their hands on the real estate industry.”
“Wow, does that mean they’ll have to get married?”
“What the hell are you talking about? Watching too many family dramas?”
Yue Li, who was listening intently while singing the national anthem, was speechless. “…………”
Are you guys high school students or paparazzi from a gossip magazine?
After the flag-raising ceremony came the morning assembly. After the dean of students finished speaking, the routine list of students who had been involved in fights, stayed out all night, or violated school rules was announced.
Ji Rang’s name appeared on the list almost every week.
The big shot, who was lazily standing at the end of the class line and didn’t even wear his school uniform properly, glanced at the second-grade class’s section and suddenly felt a little relieved.
Luckily, she couldn’t hear it.
As a result, not only was he not on the list of violators, but the dean of students also changed the subject: “Here, I would like to give special praise to Ji Rang from Class 9 of Grade 11. He stepped forward when his classmates encountered difficulties and even supervised his classmates to complete their homework. Ji Rang’s spirit of helping others and changing his behavior is worthy of emulation by all students!”
Ji Rang: “?”
Thunderous applause erupted from below.
Qu Dazhuang and his friends laughed so hard they were doubled over.
Awesome, Brother Rang is awesome. Everyone else only gets bullied, while the big shot not only gets praised for it but even earns extra credit.
Ji Rang kicked him over.
Qu Dazhuang grimaced in pain and hurriedly covered his mouth. Seeing the big shot lose his temper, the people around him quickly withdrew their various curious looks. Even when he was being praised, the big shot was still the same big shot who could beat someone up violently anytime, anywhere.
No one dared mess with him!
After the morning assembly ended, the students hurried back to their classrooms for lessons.
While the teacher had yet to arrive, Yue Li quickly pulled out her phone and shared with Qi Ying the gossip she had heard during the flag-raising ceremony.
Qi Ying looked at her helplessly and wrote on her draft paper: “Li Li, didn’t you say you were going to put all your energy for gossip into studying?”
Yue Li stuck out her tongue, stuffed her phone back away, and also wrote in the notebook: “Gossip is a seasoning for studying! Scientific research has shown that taking appropriate breaks helps with concentration.”
Qi Ying: “…”
She continued writing on her own: “Tell me, do you think the big shot will really marry Xue Manqing? I suddenly feel like being rich isn’t such a good thing either. It means having so little freedom.”
At this moment, the Chinese teacher walked in, interrupting the gossip on paper.
Although Yue Li’s grades weren’t great, she was attentive in every class, taking out her textbook to listen.
Qi Ying looked at the classical Chinese text in her book and silently thought, “He won’t do it. If the general didn’t like her, he would even refuse the Emperor’s bestowed marriage. Let alone now. She just didn’t know if, this time, she would also become someone he disliked. But then she thought, did the general even like her in the last life? He rescued her from the bandits’ den, brought her back to the general’s mansion, and gave her a new identity and life. But until his death, she never heard him utter a single word of affection. She gave him her whole heart, yet she didn’t know if she received his pity or love in return. Would her current one-sided approach only bring him trouble?”
Qi Ying began to feel lost.
The morning passed in a daze, and she didn’t even take many notes in class. Yue Li noticed that something was wrong with her, but didn’t know why. The only solution she could think of was to take Qi Ying out for a nice meal. The math teacher went overtime for the last period, so sweet and sour pork ribs were out of the question. The two thus decided to eat at a restaurant outside the school.
Yue Li generously offered to treat: “Order whatever you want! Eat whatever you like!”
Qi Ying listlessly pointed to a noodle shop.
The shop’s decor was average, but there were quite a few people coming and going, so the food must be good. Yue Li led Qi Ying in happily. After ordering, they stood for a few minutes before finally getting two empty seats.
Two servings of appetizers were served first. Yue Li had just taken a couple of bites when someone sat down at the empty seat opposite her.
Yue Li almost bit her tongue.
Shen Yue greeted them with a smile: “Hello, you two students.”
“Hello…Teacher Shen.” She stammered, feeling her cheeks burning again, and quickly lowered her head.
Shen Yue asked: “Why don’t you eat in the cafeteria?”
“Too…too crowded…”
She felt that Shen Yue must have seen her embarrassing state, and she felt both nervous and shy, frantically picking at her food with her head down to cover it up.
Shen Yue suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Yue Li trembled in fright, her face turning bright red to her ears. She then heard Shen Yue say, “Little classmate, don’t eat this.”
Yue Li didn’t dare look up: “No, teacher, I just like eating this!”
Shen Yue looked bewildered, hesitatingly saying, “This…this is leftovers from someone else. What if the other person has some infectious disease? You’re still growing, you’re easily infected. It’s best to change this habit…”
What was that all about?
Yue Li looked up.
She realized she had picked up the bottom of someone else’s leftover bowl that hadn’t been cleared away yet.
Yue Li: ………………
When they left the school gate, only one of them looked dejected; but when they returned, both of them looked dejected. Yue Li felt increasingly like crying as she walked, feeling that she hadn’t felt this embarrassed since she had wet her pants in front of her crush in kindergarten.
The more she thought about it, the sadder she became, and she pulled Qi Ying to the small flower bed behind the library and started crying.
Qi Ying, who had been lost in her own little world, hadn’t noticed what was happening. Seeing Yue Li suddenly cry, she quickly snapped out of her daze and frantically tried to comfort her.
But Yue Li cried even harder, her face a mess of tears and snot. Qi Ying didn’t have any tissues, so she gestured and ran towards the convenience store.
Luckily, she had leftover change from eating noodles. She bought two packs of tissues and was hurrying back when she saw two familiar figures at the fork in the road.
Xue Manqing and Ji Rang.
She couldn’t hear them or understand what they were saying, but she could clearly see the tears on Xue Manqing’s face.
Would the general make a girl cry?
Qi Ying hesitated, wondering if she should take another route, when Ji Rang, looking impatient, looked up and saw her.
His expression changed.
Without thinking, Qi Ying turned and ran.
Ji Rang shoved Xue Manqing aside, took a few steps, and roared, “Qi Ying!”
But she ran faster and faster, quickly disappearing from sight.
Behind her, Xue Manqing finally couldn’t take it anymore: “You really like her? You like that disabled person?!”
Ji Rang turned around abruptly, his eyes like ice blades, scraping away at anyone who looked at him: “Don’t you dare let me hear those three words again.”
He turned and walked away.
Xue Manqing cried out in despair behind him: “Even if you like her, Uncle Ji won’t accept her! The Ji family will never accept her!”
Ji Rang seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world, not even bothering to vent his anger, only giving her a mocking look: “What is Ji Weiyan?” He smiled, a smirk playing on his lips, “And what is the Ji family anyway?”
Xue Manqing was terrified by the sinister glint in the boy’s eyes and gritted her teeth.
She suddenly regretted provoking Ji Rang.
This person, beneath his superficial facade, was a predator. He was utterly hopelessly depraved, and he would drag everyone around him down with him.
Liking him would only end badly.
Being liked by him won’t bring any good either.
….
In the last class of the afternoon, Ji Rang, who had been sleeping in his seat, kicked Qu Dazhuang’s chair and asked coldly, “Which class is Yu Zhuo in?”
Qu Dazhuang looked blank: “Who’s Yu Zhuo?”
Ji Rang’s face darkened to the point of murder.
Liu Haiyang quickly said, “He’s the special student’s cousin, in Class 7 of the first year of high school.” He cautiously asked, “Brother Rang, has that kid caused trouble again? Should we deal with him after school?”
Ji Rang coldly said, “After school, find a reason to stop him for half an hour, don’t let him leave the classroom.”
The group was completely bewildered, but their leader was in a bad mood and they didn’t dare ask any more questions, so they agreed repeatedly.
Before class even ended, several underachievers in the back row strolled out carelessly. The teacher was used to this kind of situation; getting angry was useless, it only made him angry, so he simply ignored it.
Qu Dazhuang led his men in two groups, blocking the front and back doors of Class 7, Grade 11.
As soon as the bell rang and the teacher left the classroom, Qu Dazhuang and his men went straight in.
Yu Zhuo was still packing his bag, chatting casually with his deskmate.
The class representative at the front shouted, “Which class are you from? What are you doing?”
Yu Zhuo looked up at the sound and immediately recognized the familiar faces. These people were up to no good!
He tensed his muscles, threw his schoolbag on the ground, stood up, and said in a deep voice to the surrounding classmates, “You all get out.”
Qu Dazhuang chuckled, “Kid, we’re not here to fight you.”
Yu Zhuo was already being lenient by not causing trouble, so why would he be afraid? So he arrogantly picked up a chair, “Then what are you doing here looking for your dad? To have a chat over tea?”
Qu Dazhuang instantly flared up, “Don’t you dare be so arrogant, kid. Do you really think we wouldn’t dare beat you up?”
“Come on, who’s afraid of who?” Yu Zhuo shouted, “I’m insured!”
Qu Dazhuang: “?”
What kind of idiot is this?
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