The bus quickly arrived at the city center, and Mu Qi led the two of them towards the bookstore ahead.
The streets were crowded as it was a sunny Sunday, with many parents taking their children out and couples going on dates.
Hu Ying was eager to go to the amusement park and had no interest in going to the library. However, she had to go to the library first before heading to the amusement park, so she reluctantly followed behind Mu Qi and Su Yanxi.
Su Yanxi was holding a sweet potato in her hand, eating it while smiling at Mu Qi. At this moment, she felt very happy, experiencing a feeling of being on a date with Mu Qi.
Hu Ying, completely ignored, went to buy candied haws.
The two soon arrived at the city center library.
The library was large, with five floors, and each floor was spacious. It was already filled with many people.
The three headed to the third floor, which was less crowded than the first floor.
Hu Ying found a seat and sat down, waiting for the two of them.
Mu Qi and Su Yanxi were busy searching for the materials they needed.
Su Yanxi needed some materials from a higher shelf, but she couldn’t reach them due to her height. Standing on tiptoes, she could only touch the corner of the book.
As soon as Mu Qi turned around, she saw this scene and walked over to help Su Yanxi retrieve the books.
Su Yanxi immediately smiled.
However, Mu Qi raised the books high and, with a slight bend, said, “Call me ‘sis,’ and I’ll give them to you.”
Su Yanxi pouted and looked at her, whispering, “You’re only one month older than me. I’m not calling you ‘sis.'”
“One day, one hour, one second—all count as calling me ‘sis,'” Mu Qi insisted.
Su Yanxi snorted, turned away from her, and sulkingly said, “Then I don’t want them.”
Mu Qi walked to her side, rubbed her face gently, and asked softly, “Really don’t want them?”
Su Yanxi snorted again.
The little one who was angry should not be provoked. Mu Qi immediately handed the materials to Su Yanxi, saying, “Fine, here you go. You don’t even want to call me ‘sis.'”
Su Yanxi took the materials, smiled at her, and ran off.
Mu Qi clicked her tongue, smiled, and as she turned around, she noticed someone staring at her. She looked back and, after confirming that the person wasn’t looking at someone else, walked over and asked, “Who are you?”
Fan Siyu smiled and said, “Hello, I’m Fan Siyu from the next class.”
“Fan Siyu?” The name sounded familiar to Mu Qi, and she soon remembered that Hu Ying had mentioned her before as the class flower from the next class. Thinking of this, Mu Qi glanced at Fan Siyu and thought she indeed looked pretty.
“Yeah,” Fan Siyu smiled, “I didn’t expect to run into you here.”
When Su Yanxi turned her head and didn’t see Mu Qi, she walked over and saw Mu Qi chatting with another girl.
She knew this girl; it was Fan Siyu from the next class. Su Yanxi had noticed her strange looks at Mu Qi many times, and now seeing her gaze fixed on Mu Qi again, along with the cheerful conversation, Su Yanxi felt like leaving.
But she didn’t want to let this girl have her way. So, she walked over with a smile, took Mu Qi’s wrist, blinked her big eyes, and asked innocently, “Mu Qi, who is she?”
Seeing Su Yanxi’s possessive gesture, Fan Siyu’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly lifted it again. She extended her hand and said, “Hello, I’m Fan Siyu from the next class. I just happened to see Mu Qi and chatted with her for a bit.”
Su Yanxi flashed a brilliant smile, extended her hand, and shook Fan Siyu’s hand. “Hello.”
Meanwhile, Hu Ying, who had been waiting anxiously, saw Mu Qi and Su Yanxi hadn’t come over yet, so she couldn’t help but come over to urge them. Unexpectedly, she saw Fan Siyu, and her eyes immediately lit up. She walked over, patted Fan Siyu’s shoulder, and said, “Fan Siyu, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Fan Siyu’s brow furrowed at this gesture, but then she thought of Mu Qi’s presence and forced herself to hide the disdain in her eyes, smiling at Hu Ying.
As for Hu Ying, she came from an ordinary family, and Fan Siyu didn’t want to waste time building a relationship with her.
Hu Ying didn’t see the flash of disdain in Fan Siyu’s eyes, but Mu Qi did. Mu Qi, who had just shown a gentle expression, now turned cold. Without even looking at Fan Siyu, she said to Hu Ying and Su Yanxi, “Let’s go.”
“Mu Qi, where are you going? Can I join you?” Fan Siyu didn’t want to miss this chance since she finally saw Mu Qi.
Before Hu Ying could respond, Mu Qi took the lead, and with a cold tone, she said, “Sorry, we’re not familiar with you.” The underlying meaning was that they weren’t close enough to take her shopping.
After they walked away, Mu Qi noticed Fan Siyu’s disdainful look and kept a chilly expression. Despite the encounter, Fan Siyu couldn’t join them.
Once outside the library, Hu Ying didn’t quite understand what happened with Seven Brother and why Mu Qi was so indifferent to Fan Siyu.
Mu Qi didn’t explain, simply putting her arm around Hu Ying’s shoulder and saying, “Don’t we want to go to the amusement park? Are we still going?”
“Of course, let’s go!” Excited about the amusement park, Hu Ying put the Fan Siyu incident behind her.
Su Yanxi also smiled, agreeing, “Let’s go now.”
Understanding Mu Qi’s change of attitude earlier, Su Yanxi chose not to dwell on it since Mu Qi didn’t mention it to Hu Ying.
Watching the joyful figures of the two friends ahead, Mu Qi smiled and caught up. As for the encounter with Fan Siyu, a trace of coldness flashed in Mu Qi’s eyes.
In junior high school, there were students who always compared her to Hu Ying. Some even whispered behind Hu Ying’s back, saying that Hu Ying didn’t deserve to be friends with her. This caused Hu Ying to ignore her for a long time. Eventually, she confronted the person spreading rumors and even bribed Hu Ying with delicious treats to make amends, leading to forgiveness.
Since then, whenever similar situations arose, she would discreetly handle those people before Hu Ying noticed.
She had never heard that being friends required such considerations. For her, friendship naturally formed through shared interests, without the need for external factors.
The three friends quickly arrived at the amusement park.
The park was crowded, and it took them half an hour just to buy tickets. After entering, they had to wait in line for another considerable amount of time.
While Su Yanxi and Hu Ying enjoyed the rides, Mu Qi chose not to participate. Instead, she let them wait in line while she bought snacks or held their belongings.
Whether it was the giant swing or roller coaster, Mu Qi found the thrilling rides a bit bewildering as she watched from below. She couldn’t understand why Su Yanxi and Hu Ying weren’t afraid.
Su Yanxi and Hu Ying, on the other hand, were fearless. When they came down, their faces were filled with excitement, and they seemed somewhat reluctant to leave. However, due to the long queues, they had to give up and explore other attractions.
Seeing Mu Qi standing on the side and not participating, Su Yanxi quietly pulled Hu Ying aside. After a brief conversation, Hu Ying went to queue for tickets, while Su Yanxi took Mu Qi around the park. After a while, they arrived at the bumper car area.
“Mu Qi, let’s play bumper cars together,” Su Yanxi said, gently shaking Mu Qi’s hand and smiling.
Although Mu Qi was hesitant to join, as she had a fear of heights, she agreed to the bumper cars, considering it a manageable ride. She smiled, patted Su Yanxi on the head, and noticed that Su Yanxi and Hu Ying, who had just bought three tickets, seemed to have planned something behind her back. She jokingly said, “You’ve planned this all along, and now you’re asking me. Aren’t you afraid I won’t play?”
Hu Ying and Su Yanxi exchanged glances and said in unison, “If you don’t play, we’ll tie you up and make you go.” With that, they pulled her towards the entrance.
Mu Qi shook her head with a helpless expression.
Each bumper car could accommodate two people. Su Yanxi and Mu Qi shared one car, while Hu Ying took another. After selecting their cars, they waited for the ride to start.
The bumper car area was filled with people, including parents with children and couples. Along with Mu Qi and her friends, there were twenty cars in total.
The spacious venue had enough cars for everyone.
As the cars started moving, Hu Ying shouted to Mu Qi and Su Yanxi, “I’ll crash into you so hard that you won’t know which way is up!”
Mu Qi, caught up in their joyful atmosphere, raised her voice and replied, “Who crashes into whom remains to be seen!”
“Come on!” Hu Ying taunted.
“We’re here!” Su Yanxi also shouted with a smile.
The two bumper cars chased each other, but the teasing from before quickly dissipated as another car collided with them.
Hu Ying yelled, “Hit them, hit them!”
“Alright,” Su Yanxi agreed.
Mu Qi, with a playful smile, joined Hu Ying in ramming into the couple who had just collided with them.
The couple, seeing the two cars approaching, had the girl on the side screaming, prompting her boyfriend to run away.
The boyfriend calmly avoided Mu Qi and Su Yanxi’s car, took a turn, and then directed his car toward theirs.
Mu Qi, now in the spirit of the game, engaged in a guerrilla-style battle with the couple. As the time approached, they successfully cornered the couple in a corner.
The girl pounded her boyfriend’s chest with her fists and then turned to make a funny face at Mu Qi and her friends, saying, “Let’s do it again.”
“Sure,” Hu Ying, not yet satisfied, hurried to buy more tickets.
The girl also followed to purchase more tickets.
The boyfriend, unfazed, smiled as he watched his girlfriend leave, then turned to Mu Qi and Su Yanxi, saying, “You guys are good.”
Su Yanxi laughed, “Of course.”
The boy looked at both of them, grinned, and asked, “A couple?”
Su Yanxi blushed instantly, and Mu Qi smiled, “No.” She didn’t notice Su Yanxi’s pouting expression beside her.
The boy didn’t say much, just smiled and waited for his girlfriend.
The three of them played until around four in the afternoon, having had lunch in the park.
After a day of fun, Su Yanxi and Hu Ying were tired. On the way back, they couldn’t help but close their eyes and doze off in the car.
Su Yanxi sat next to Mu Qi, and her head nearly bumped into the glass a few times. Mu Qi helped block it a few times, but in the end, she could only reluctantly let Su Yanxi rest her head on her shoulder.
The couple behind them shared a smile at the sight.
By the time they reached home, it was already dark.
Su Yanxi was questioned by her parents when she returned, but she didn’t say much and was advised to rest early as school awaited the next day.
The next morning, Hu Ying, full of energy, came to knock on Mu Qi’s door again.
Because she went to bed early last night, she was full of energy now.
When Mu Qi came to knock on the door, she immediately smiled and said, “Morning, Qi-ge.”
“So early?” Mu Qi had just gotten up and hadn’t freshened up yet. She stepped aside to let Hu Ying in.
“I went to bed as soon as I got home last night,” Hu Ying explained as she walked in.
Looking at the time, Mu Qi said, “Wait for me a moment.”
“Sure.”
When the two of them went out, Su Yanxi was already waiting at the entrance of the residential area.
In such cold weather, Mu Qi glanced at her nose, which had turned red from the cold, and helplessly pinched it, saying, “Starting from tomorrow, don’t come so early. We’ll wait for you.”
“Okay,” Su Yanxi smiled.
The three of them walked to school together. The final exams were just a week away, and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming break. Of course, there was also a mix of nervousness, as not performing well in the final exams would make the end of the year less enjoyable.
Hu Ying’s parents somehow found out that their daughter was taking extra classes with Mu Qi. They were delighted, and at the dinner table, there was always lavish food. They spoke gently to Hu Ying, making her feel strange every time.
Mu Qi stopped and ruffled Hu Ying’s hair, saying, “This time, you must get good grades. During the Chinese New Year, let your parents give you a big red envelope.”
As soon as she heard “red envelope,” Hu Ying’s eyes lit up. Then, thinking about her past academic performance, she felt a bit insecure and asked, “Qi-ge, do you think these extra classes are helpful?”
“Very helpful,” Su Yanxi smiled. “Your error rate in homework is now half of what it used to be.”
“Listen to that, half less. If you used to score 30 points, now you can get 60 points, which is passing,” Mu Qi added.
Hu Ying: “…Qi-ge, you know, passing score for language and math is 90.”
Mu Qi: “…”
Su Yanxi covered her mouth, laughing.
“I was just giving you an example, afraid you wouldn’t understand,” Mu Qi said to Hu Ying, glancing at Su Yanxi, who was laughing with bent eyebrows.
Hu Ying responded with an “Oh,” then complained, “Qi-ge, do you think I don’t know how to do math?”
This time, Su Yanxi burst into uncontrollable laughter, shaking her entire body and leaning on Mu Qi.
Mu Qi, influenced by the laughter, couldn’t help but laugh as well. She stared at Hu Ying, scolding with a smile, “If you don’t speak, no one will think you’re foolish.”
Hu Ying, feeling wronged, withdrew her gaze, wearing an expression of ‘you’ve found someone new and forgotten the old,’ making Mu Qi almost unable to resist the urge to hit her.
When Fan Siyu passed by the door and witnessed this scene, jealousy made her bite her lip. She glared at Su Yanxi, then turned and walked away.
Mu Qi, sensing something, glanced outside the window but didn’t see anything. She casually withdrew her gaze.
In the following week, everyone entered the review mode. After class, nobody played around, not even the last row, who usually slept and skipped class—they were all nervous.
After all, parents worldwide were the same. If the exams didn’t go well, not only would there be no red envelopes for Chinese New Year, but there might also be a scolding.
Some students even wanted to shamelessly ask Su Yanxi to tutor them, but Su Yanxi was already busy enough helping Mu Qi and Hu Ying. She didn’t have spare time for additional tutoring.
Mu Qi wouldn’t let Su Yanxi tutor them either. She suggested they find the class monitor.
The class monitor, who looked like a little old man, pushed up his black-framed glasses, looked at the exercise book handed to him, and raised his head to look at the person.
The person smiled and said, “Class monitor, can you help me with extra classes?”
Xiao Nan, the class monitor, looked at the blank page in front of him, then raised his head to look at the person’s bright smile and said, “Finish your work first.”
The person was a bit stunned until someone beside him pulled his sleeve, informing him that the class monitor agreed to help him with extra classes. He happily looked at the class monitor and said, “Thank you, class monitor,” before running off.
“Hmm,” Xiao Nan replied almost inaudibly.
Looking at the intense studying atmosphere in the class recently, Xiao Nan nodded slightly, feeling very satisfied.
When the head teacher heard the report from the class monitor, he was still a bit incredulous. Lifting his head from the newspaper, he looked at Xiao Nan’s serious expression and asked, “Really?”
Xiao Nan nodded.
The head teacher, Li Wei, immediately stood up with a smile, hands behind his back, and said, “Let’s go, I’ll take a look.”
The head teacher and the class monitor quietly appeared at the back door of the classroom. Usually, by this time, someone would have noticed the head teacher’s arrival, but today the class was unusually quiet, with everyone focused on their studies.
Even the students in the last row, although scratching their heads and flipping through books anxiously, were clearly engaged in studying. The head teacher was pleased, and his usually stern face now showed a smile. He patted the class monitor’s shoulder and said, “You go in first.”
“Yes, teacher.”
Li Wei, with a dignified posture, returned to his office. Along the way, he greeted students who said hello to him, nodding in response. However, once he returned to the office, he couldn’t help but feel proud.
“How could you not have expected it? Our class of little rascals is actually studying seriously.”
“Old Li, you’re here to show off again, aren’t you?” said the teacher at the neighboring desk.
Li Wei laughed and said, “Of course. I always hear you guys bragging in front of me. Now that I finally have a chance, how could I miss it?”
“Don’t be too pleased later on.” Another teacher said a bit sourly.
Li Wei shrugged off the comment, “Whether I’m pleased or not, seeing them work so hard, I’m satisfied.” He felt genuinely happy for the effort these kids put in, regardless of the final outcome.
Soon, a week passed.
Those who joined the extra classes felt overwhelmed, and when they entered the exam room, they were uncertain.
However, during the exam, when they saw some questions they could answer, these students felt a sense of accomplishment.
In the past, when they looked at the test papers, it seemed like the test papers recognized them. But now, even if they didn’t recognize all the test papers, they could still answer some questions. Naturally, they felt a sense of achievement for the extra classes they took in the past few days.
Hu Ying was also happy that she could solve the questions on the exam paper, and her speed in answering the questions increased.
On the other hand, Mu Qi sat upright, working on her exam paper so seriously that the invigilating teachers looked at her several times.
