The sports ground of Gongshui No. 1 Middle School was very lively at the moment.
After the run, the girls gathered on the badminton court, while the boys occupied the basketball court.
After Zhu Tong sent a message to Zhu Xin and received her aggrieved reply, he turned off his phone and started to do his mock exam questions – he already brought them from class.
There was no appropriate place here to write, so he finally used the chair that Shao Ming had prepared for him. He moved the chair to the front of the steps to the administrative building. Using the chair as a table, he put a few pieces of draft paper on the first step, and sat down.
“Ming-ge, pass the ball to me!”
On the basketball court, Luo Suo’s voice was unusually loud. Zhu Tong looked up.
Shao Ming was jumping high to intercept the ball, then he passed it to Luo Suo at a long distance. It was a steady and accurate pass. Luo Suo raised his hand and made a throw—
The ball made it into the opponent’s ring.
It was a tacit cooperation, and a good shot to boot.
Zhu Tong admired the youth playing basketball for a moment, then lowered his head and continued to work on the question.
At this time, the system said in his mind, ‘Host, is physical education fun?’
Zhu Tong: ‘It’s okay.’
The sun was just warm enough, and the air was fresh.
System: ‘Is it interesting to do the questions?’
Zhu Tong: ‘It’s okay.’
He could feel the progress he made everyday, giving him a palpable sense of accomplishment.
Seeing that he was enjoying it himself in this languid pace, the system couldn’t bear it anymore. ‘Do you still want to do the task?’
Zhu Tong: “…”
Task? He is doing it.
He easily retorted, ‘The favorability level has been increasing recently.’
System: ‘Is it actively increasing though?’
Zhu Tong: “…”
–Well, he didn’t actively try to increase it… but it did fill up incrementally.
‘It shows that I have charisma.’
‘Charisma? How much is this so-called charisma of yours doing the work?’ If the system had eyes, it would roll it dramatically. ‘Host, I think you are drifting away. You have no attachment to this world anymore. Remember: your time limit is one year. How can you complete the mission in this passive manner? You have to grab the initiative to do it, okay?’
Zhu Tong: “…”
He felt that this sentence said by the system was a bit familiar, somehow.
The tip of his pen paused for a while before he smoothly wrote a series of formulas on the draft paper. Another question done. By then, he asked in a playful manner, ‘Then what should I do?’
System: ‘Have you seen the white moonlight sweating like rain on the court?’
Shao Ming did sweat, but he didn’t sweat profusely. The system must be overly dramatic.
Regardless, the system continued prodding him. ‘Don’t you think there is something missing in him now?’
Zhu Tong decided to follow this line of questioning. ‘What is missing from him?’
‘Water!’ The system hinted frantically.
Zhu Tong looked at the girls guarding the side of the court. Even on the other side of the court, there were two freshman girls peeking their heads. They were all holding water, and probably, their fleeting hope of early romance with the resident Study God.
Zhu Tong sincerely pointed out his observation. ‘He has no shortage of those.’
System: “…”
Can the water that others give be the same as the water you give?
System 666 has never encountered such a laidback host in its career.
The disembodied voice actually sighed wearily. It deepened its voice, monologuing, ‘Oh, I’ve worked so hard to help you make up your lessons for so long… yet I don’t even have a bottle of water as a thank you. Oh, what a shame…’
Zhu Tong: “…”
He couldn’t finish the questions at this rate, so he gave up. He put down his pen and got up, and walked towards the basketball court with his newly healed foot.
Near the court, the people watching the game had been half paying attention, and they had already noticed it when Zhu Tong got up. He actually went somewhere, then sat back to his “temporary desk” with two bottles of water in tow.
Before sitting down, he even adjusted the draft paper that was crooked by him, carefully checking that he was not really sitting on the steps.
Shao Ming, who also watched Zhu Tong, bursted out in a laugh.
“Ming-ge, what are you looking at?” Luo Suo dribbled the ball and ran towards him.
Following his line of sight, he was a little surprised with what he saw. He gasped, “He’s still working on the questions?”
Now it’s physical education class!
Luo Suo sighed in admiration. “To be honest, Ming-ge, I think you should give up your position as the Study God. That title doesn’t belong to someone with the highest grade, right? You also need to study a lot and I think Zhu Tong beat you to it.”
This new transfer student even diligently did mock exam questions during P.E. What a great spirit of hard work is this?
Shocking both ghosts and gods!
Shao Ming gave Luo Suo a mysterious smile as a response. “Well, I can give it to him.”
Luo Suo: “?”
Luo Suo didn’t expect Shao Ming to answer him. Just as he turned his head, Shao Ming had already walked to the sidelines.
“Ming-ge, are you going to stop playing?”
Shao Ming went to the outside of the boundary and waved to the caller, saying, “You guys play, I’m tired.”
Luo Suo: “…”
This man who can compete with a bull in physical strength can get tired after playing one measly round of basketball??
Seeing Shao Ming went straight to the sink, Luo Suo just thought he didn’t want to hit him anymore, so he didn’t care.
Under the administration building, Zhu Tong was focused on his exam papers and hadn’t noticed Shao Ming walking closer. He put the water bottles on the corner of the chair, and picked up the pen that he had put down.
The system saw that he started to “play favoritism” again. It waited for a long time, before reminding him, ‘Aren’t you going to deliver the water?’
Zhu Tong looked up at the court, and the sound of the basketball being dribbled to the ground continued.
He unhurriedly said, ‘I haven’t finished my own fight yet. Tell me when they finish.’
System: “…”
Zhu Tong was so absorbed in his work, that all sounds became mute to him.
The system noticed Shao Ming first. It called, ‘Host.’
Zhu Tong’s train of thought was broken again, and this time he was on the verge of having an epiphany on how to solve this particular question. He was a bit miffed about it. He said out loud, “I’m waiting for Shao Ming to finish hi–’
System: ‘Look up.’
“…”
Zhu Tong raised his head subconsciously, and only halfway through, there was already a figure blocking the light in front of him.
The chair Shao Ming prepared for him had a backrest.
He turned the chair, and put his folded arms against the backrest. Shao Ming craned his neck, so he could get a better look at his deskmate. “Oh, are you waiting for me?”
Zhu Tong: “…”
Zhu Tong looked at the basketball court, and then at the youth standing in front of him. “You… When did you come here?”
Shao Ming casually replied, “Just now.”
Zhu Tong felt embarrassed. He also felt a bit tricked, because he peeked just now, and Shao Ming wasn’t anywhere near!
The system said helplessly, ‘He came from the sink’s direction.’
“…”
‘He hasn’t played for a while.’
Zhu Tong continued to be mute. It seemed that he had missed approximately a million details.
He blinked and looked at Shao Ming’s bangs, which were obviously soaked in sweat. He asked, “Why are you here?”
Shao Ming replied, “I’m thirsty. So I came here to beg for water from my deskmate.” After saying that, his eyes turned to the two bottles of water on the corner of the chair.
Shao Ming added, “Well, can I get one?”
Zhu Tong didn’t know he could get one—
Although, one of them was bought for Shao Ming. But this development wasn’t as he imagined. He wasn’t prepared.
He thought he would give this “loving” gift after Shao Ming finished playing basketball, on his own initiative. Now it was Shao Ming who asked him for it.
The system actually had the gall to gloat. ‘Who told you to procrastinate? And now he came to ask for it. You can kiss that favorability goodbye.’
Zhu Tong: “…”
How can he predict what Shao Ming would do?
Still, he took a bottle of water and handed it over.
Shao Ming took it and unscrewed the bottle cap, raised his head and took a sip.
His movement was neat. As he tilted his head up, his perfect jawline was accentuated. His Adam’s apple rolled up and down when he swallowed. A drop of sweat slipped from his bangs, along his ears, into his neck… then it dripped down the dip of his collarbone, pooling on the clavicle area. He was wearing an open neckline, so Zhu Tong could see this all in high definition.
–It was just a drop of sweat… but it was extraordinarily sexy.
Zhu Tong was stunned for a while, his pupils obviously staring at Shao Ming’s collarbone area. He then quickly lowered his head and picked up the pen again.
Shao Ming lowered his head after drinking the water, and shook the half-empty water bottle with his fingertips.
Zhu Tong lowered his eyebrows and blinked occasionally, his thick eyelashes fluttering like a small fan. Seeing this, Shao Ming smiled. His eyes fell on his test paper, then he smoothly asked, “What questions can’t you do?”
Zhu Tong raised his head blankly. “Huh?”
Shao Ming added, “Well, didn’t you say you were waiting for me to finish just now?”
Zhu Tong: “……”
When did he say…
Oh, yes.
Now that he’s being cornered, he has absolutely no shame in changing his words. “I have a question I want to ask you.”
System: “…”
This is a worthless host. The water thing is just… gone like that.
Zhu Tong showed the questions to Shao Ming. The taller youth leaned forward and lowered his head to help him see.
On the basketball court, Luo Suo inadvertently turned his head and saw the scene below the administrative building, and suddenly he groaned in his heart.
‘What is Ming-ge doing that he so cruelly abandons…’
‘Ah, he’s studying?’
‘…he’s studying with that weird and suggestive posture?’
The shocked classmate Luo Suo unkindly took out his mobile phone from his pocket and recorded the scene.
At the same time, several girls who failed to deliver water also did the same. However, they chose a more elegant angle for the recording.
From the side, the angle is godly.
There was a chair separating them, and the taller youth, leaning on the chair’s backrest, was bowing his head down. He met halfway with the shorter youth, who was on his tiptoe. The test paper in the middle was simply a beam connecting love.
“Did you see Zhu Tong handing water to Shao Ming just now? Shao Ming picked it up!”
“They kiss! I saw it, I was that wall!!”
“Learning is useless, studying is useless!”
This group of teenage girls continue their excited clamor.
Meanwhile, Zhu Tong, who was obsessed with studying, was ignorant of the surrounding cameras.
After some explanations, Zhu Tong felt that he could answer the questions without any confusion. Shao Ming looked down, not knowing whether he was looking at his deskmate or the question he was doing.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. Zhu Tong completed more than half of a test paper. Zhu Tong exhaled, then attempted to stand up.
The keyword being “attempted”.
His knees gave up, but Shao Ming managed to catch him halfway through falling down. “Are you okay?”
Zhu Tong shook his head and replied, “It’s okay.”
His legs were just numb after sitting for too long.
Shao Ming laughed at him. “Even sitting down can make your legs numb? Has the paper played tricks on you?”
If he hadn’t been here just now, wouldn’t the young master have just fallen to the ground?
He was a person who had to use disinfectant to sterilize even a little dust on his hands. If he sat on the ground with his buttocks, wouldn’t he be unable to properly concentrate?
Zhu Tong stretched his numb legs, and argued in a low voice, “I didn’t feel… eh when I was sitting?”
He stopped mid-way, his waist felt it was hugged.
Shao Ming suddenly hugged him and hurriedly took a step aside, something almost brushed past his ear. Zhu Tong subconsciously raised his head to look at Shao Ming, but the taller youth was actually glaring at the commotion from the school gate’s direction.
Zhu Tong followed his gaze–
And met a twisted face; looking like an angry, venomous snake.
“Yuan Shaozhou! What are you doing!”
“Yuan Shaozhou, are you crazy?!”
“Isn’t he in the hospital? Why did he come to school?”
Surprised exclamations sounded throughout. The students quickly surrounded them.
Zhu Tong met his crazed eyes and froze for a moment. He hadn’t seen him for a few days… and Yuan Shaozhou looked like a different person.
The usual ostentatious hairstyle was gone. His long hair, which has not been washed for a few days, looked greasy, and it was sticking all over his face. The bruise on his face has not disappeared either. He looked very sloppy and livid.
His eyes were bloodshot. He looked straight at Shao Ming.
“Did you get the materials from the Education Bureau?”
Those reports recorded in detail all the suspected illegal things he did from junior high school to high school. Some of them were the things he forgot!
In just two days, his uncle was dismissed, he was expelled from school, and questioned by the police. Even his father’s business was affected and he was on the verge of bankruptcy!
All his pride was almost destroyed!
Yuan Shaozhou was about to burst into tears.
Zhu Tong frowned and looked at him. Just as he was about to speak, Luo Suo ran over and suddenly shouted, “You’re bringing weapons here? Are you here to hurt people? Yuan Shaozhou, aren’t you just a low-life scoundrel now?”
As soon as Luo Suo opened his mouth, the onlookers finally saw the thing he was holding –
It was a sharp, 20 cm long, industrial compass1one of these:
. It was made from steel, and it’s clear that it could inflict grievous wounds if someone was stabbed by its sharp end.
Just now, Yuan Shaozhou smashed them in the face of two people!
Everyone looked at Yuan Shaozhou in horror.
Yuan Shaozhou only stared at Shao Ming, “How dare you fuck me over behind your back!”
“Fuck you over?” Shao Ming scoffed, “Don’t you know that you will reap what you sow?”
Shao Ming made it clear that Yuan Shaozhou only got what he deserved for his unscrupulous actions. Yuan Shaozhou’s pupils shrank suddenly, and then his expression changed.
‘Impossible! Shao Ming is just a high school student, how could he have the ability to obtain such complete evidence!’
He turned his crazed gaze, “It’s you! It’s you who are helping him!”
The pointing finger accused Zhu Tong, causing Shao Ming to frown. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the shorter youth.
Yuan Shaozhou saw it, and his eyes were even more bloodshot.
“Zhu Tong!” Yuan Shaozhou shouted, “You sent me to the hospital and installed a signal jammer in my ward! You help Shao Ming collect evidence and send me to jail! Hahahaha!! Shao Ming, you really fell down this low? You need help from this sickly, half-dying fucker to help you!”
His words caused an uproar around him, and everyone looked at Zhu Tong.
Yuan Shaozhou entered the hospital because Zhu Tong ordered someone to beat him?
What does this mean?
Yuan Shaozhou was still yelling hysterically. “You want me to go to jail? Since I have fallen this low, I will drag you along with me!”
He rushed near, running like an insane person.
Someone rushed over from the school gate and shouted from a long distance, “Yuan Shaozhou! Stop!”
Yuan Shaozhou had already rushed to the steps, the compass held up high, like he was going to stab it towards Shao Ming.
Zhu Tong’s eyes widened in horror. Without thinking, he stretched out his hand to cover Shao Ming with his body.
Unexpectedly, Shao Ming lowered his head and glanced at Yuan Shaozhou. Before he had time to think about where this person had the courage and confidence to stand in front of him, he raised his foot and kicked him out first. At the same time, he grabbed Zhu Tong by the shoulder, jerking him back into his arms.
At the same time, two men in police uniforms rushed over to the school gate and restrained Yuan Shaozhou.
Yuan Shaozhou was pressed to the ground, face-down directly to the dirt. He struggled vigorously, trying to get free. Amidst his futile struggle, he snarled, “You are just a bastard whose father abandons you! Just like your mother, you whore out your body and face to everyone!”
“And Zhu Tong! You are a fucking shameless cunt! You are destined to be short-lived, but you still dare to squirm like a maggot! Aren’t you fucking afraid of dying on the bed? Disgusting thing!”
Vicious and unsavory words kept spitting out from Yuan Shaozhou’s mouth.
Zhu Tong frowned, but before he could open his mouth to explain, there was a miserable scream on the playground. One foot directly trampled Yuan Shaozhou’s hand that held the compass. It was deformed, probably at least fractured in several places.
Everyone stared with bated breath.
Shao Ming bent down slowly, took the compasses from his hand, and got up. He looked at the two policemen and said, “I am just disarming his weapon, I am not breaking any law. Right, Police Uncles?”
The two policemen who restrained Yuan Shaozhou: “…”
They looked at Yuan Shaozhou’s trembling hand, and wondered if all high school students nowadays were so ruthless…
But what happened now was that they let Yuan Shaozhou run out first due to their negligence, so Shao Ming couldn’t be blamed for this justified self-defense.
Taking the compass from Shao Ming, the policeman looked at Zhu Tong apologetically. They dragged Yuan Shaozhou from the ground out of the school gate.
It wasn’t until the three of them disappeared at the school gate that the students around the administration building recovered from their shock. The teacher, who got the news, and the school security also came. After another round of greetings, they calmed everyone down.
But still, the onlookers had the same exact thought–
Yuan Shaozhou’s crazy appearance was really terrifying!
No one even cared about the bunch of crazy things Yuan Shaozhou said.
Only Zhu Tong remembered.
‘What does it mean that I am short-lived and destined to die soon? Who the fuck do I need to “help”?’
‘Shao Ming??’
‘Arghh!!’
‘How could Yuan Shaozhou misunderstand me like this! He even said it in front of Shao Ming!’
On the way back to the classroom from the playground, Shao Ming didn’t say a word to him. Zhu Tong, on the other hand, was very worried.
Returning to his seat, Zhu Tong secretly glanced at his deskmate. Shao Ming lowered his head slightly, not knowing what he was thinking.
‘Congratulations! You gained +5% of the white moonlight’s favorability. Your current favorability is 25%.’
Zhu Tong: “…”
Zhu Tong’s hand that was stretched out to explain silently withdrew. ‘Hey, system.’
System: “…”
Zhu Tong continued, ‘I think being passive is more reliable than active.’
The system retaliated, ‘You’re not taking the initiative because you’re too unreliable to do so.’
Why was he unreliable?
He was about to retort the system, but he was stopped mid-way because he saw a glimpse of someone out of the corner of his eye.
Shao Ming propped his head up and looked at him. With complicated eyes, he said, “Just now… why did you stand in front of me?”
