Chapter 68 (Extra 8)
1l: [If I remember correctly, Brother Lu getting caught skipping class with a new student was two weeks ago, right? Why is the reflection being read only today?]
2l: [But there are exactly nine people reading their reflections on stage today.]
3l: [Maybe the school leaders think it’s more efficient to group them together to save time and resources?]
4l: [It’s probably because of the monthly exams. They want to sort things out after the exams so that these incidents don’t affect their exam mindset (just a guess).]
5l: [I’m laughing so hard. To be honest, I copied Brother Lu’s reflection back in middle school, hahaha.]
6l: [This is the first time I’m so looking forward to the reflection segment under the national flag! It’s so pleasing to see handsome guys reading reflections!]
7l: [So your values follow your eyes, huh?]
8l: [Two handsome guys, double the joy~]
9l: [Didn’t someone say that the trueness of the beef was lacking? I went ahead and took photos.]
10l: [ /image/image/image/ ]
11l: [What? How did you take these photos during the flag-raising ceremony?? Impressive! Teach me, master!]
12l: [Just looking at the photos, I would really think these two are up there hosting a campus cultural evening.]
13l: [In this chaotic world, it’s hard to describe everything with just words. They stand there, I look at them, carefully reading their emotions, but it ends in failure. I picked up a magnifying glass to search between the lines and finally found five words on their faces: So damn compatible!]
14l: [……]
15l: [Damn, you wasted another 10 seconds of my life.]
16l: [Really compatible, really compatible, sob sob. Family, I think it’s ship-worthy. Really, just now when they were waiting at the back, I saw Brother Lu pat Yu Le’s head, sob sob.]
17l: [Upstairs family! I thought I was the only one. I saw it too. Yu Le seemed to be experiencing such a big scene for the first time, a bit nervous, secretly holding Brother Lu’s sleeve and whispering something, and then Brother Lu patted his head!]
18l: [Brother Lu pat me! My head is big!]
19l: [Little fish, grab me! My head is also big!]
20l: [If it were me, Brother Lu would probably directly hit my head QAQ. It’s obvious, Brother Lu really dotes on the new desk partner, Muller.]
21l: [Right? Right?! I mentioned in class before that some straight men said I was overthinking. They’re all like this among their group. I just ask, when have your bro groups ever been this affectionate? Don’t even talk about patting heads; it’s always like they want to smash each other’s heads!]
22l: [Not just today, but since the start of the school year, it’s been like this. Have you guys not noticed? Wherever Yu Le is, there’s always a Lu Yao nearby, guarding him like he’s afraid someone will snatch his treasure away.]
23l: [And ever since Yu Le transferred, Brother Lu has been staying longer at school and in class. The only time he skipped class was when he still took Yu Le along. It’s like he’s worried all the time, even unwilling to loosen his belt!]
24l: [I’ve been wanting to say this for a while. What kind of guy always carries an umbrella when it’s raining!!!]
25l: [Yes, yes, yes. What kind of guy always lets his good buddy wear his jacket!]
26l: [I have the same thought! What kind of guy does such a spoiled and ambiguous action like pinching the back of someone’s neck!]
27l: [What kind of guy shows unconditional indulgence and enjoyment when his buddy is making a fuss!]
28l: [Okay, since the mood is set, I’ll reveal something too. I’m from Class 3. It’s well-known that the math and science teachers have tried to get Brother Lu to go on stage to help with problems, but he always refuses. Clearly, Brother Lu doesn’t have the patience for it.
But the previous few times! Brother Lu actually went up! Instead of just writing an answer and a few formulas, he meticulously wrote out the entire process, even including the simplification process!
Just as we were wondering when Brother Lu changed his attitude, he asked if we understood, and of course, we all said we did. Guess what Brother Lu said?
He said he wasn’t asking us, he was asking his desk partner.
I asked my desk partner.
My desk partner.
Damn! So it wasn’t a change of heart; he really does explain problems to his desk partner. We were just incidental!]
29l: [Damn, are you all Sherlock Holmes or what?]
30l: [Sob sob, I don’t want to ship them, but you’re directly flaunting it in my face /color/color]
31l: [I’m a plain dog, and I’m into this kind of obvious favoritism. Are there similar articles? I want to see hehe.]
32l: [Wow!]
33l: [Breaking news: Brother Lu demonstrated how high a paper airplane could rise using air currents, and ended up sending the reflection paper flying onto the head of the grade leader.
Congratulations to Brother Lu, just finished reading, and now has a 1000-word reflection reward. Next week’s speech under the national flag is already booked /lighting a cigarette]
34l: [Hahahahahahahaha]
35l: [But isn’t next week the week for sharing study tips again? Brother Lu is going to go on stage to share study experience, right?]
36l: [Reading the reflection first, then sharing? Or sharing first and then reading the reflection???]
37l: [……]
38l: [6.]
—
Yu Le’s new reflection topic was quite unusual: about why he folded the reflection he just read into a paper airplane and flew it around the school, hitting the principal with it.
There was nothing to copy from online, so he had to write it himself.
Yu Le felt that the entire responsibility was on him. If it weren’t for his sudden idea, Lu Yao wouldn’t have done such an outstanding thing.
So, after dinner and a shower, he took his homework folder and knocked on Lu Yao’s door, intending to write the reflection together.
Cotton followed him in to join the fun.
“How many words are done?” he leaned over to look.
Lu Yao: “Two hundred.”
And eight hundred more to go.
Yu Le felt quite guilty, resting his chin on the table and drooping his eyes, like a pitiful puppy. “Sorry, Brother Lu.”
Lu Yao poked his cheek with the pen tip, lazily, “What does that have to do with you? Don’t overthink it.”
Yu Le sighed, feeling his invisible ears droop.
Lu Yao: “Or do you want to help me write it?”
Yu Le: “……”
Yu Le: “Can I support you mentally?”
“Sure.” Lu Yao smiled, ruffling the little dog’s head, “Alright, do your test papers. If you have any questions, just ask me.”
Yu Le: “You’re writing a reflection and helping me with my questions. Can you handle both?”
Lu Yao: “I’ve said it before, no matter what I’m doing, taking care of you is more than enough.”
At 10:30, Lu Yao finished the reflection. Yu Le had already fallen asleep with his head resting on the table.
Lu Yao looked at his test paper, filled in the remaining blank questions, then carefully tidied up and carried Yu Le to the next room.
When his body moved from the suspended state to being placed back on the bed, Yu Le groggily opened his eyes a crack and mumbled, “Are you done?”
Lu Yao pulled up the blanket for him and gently touched his face with the back of his hand: “Yes, I’m done. Sleep well.”
Yu Le’s eyes squinted again as he fell back asleep, still clutching Lu Yao’s sleeve.
When he opened his eyes, he was very obedient, but when he closed them again, he was even more obedient, like a beloved pet. Despite the cute appearance, it made Lu Yao’s heart soften, making him want to keep him hidden away.
Lu Yao held his hand and gently kissed the back of his fingers.
“Good night, Le Le.”
—
Yu Le’s biological clock was already very stable. He didn’t need an alarm and could wake up on time before 7:30.
The light was too bright for his eyes to open fully, so his first action was to reach out and feel around, “Brother Lu, what time is it?”
There was no response.
He didn’t find anything either.
Had he already gotten up?
Yu Le sat up in bed, stretched lazily, yawned, and looked at the empty bed, puzzled.
How did he end up back in his own room?
He was asleep in the next room last night, wasn’t he?
How did Lu Yao manage to bring him back?
Sitting on the bed with a blank mind, he felt dejected, confused, and down, his mood sinking.
But before he could sink further, he suddenly woke up with a start.
Something’s not right!
How could anyone feel disappointed early in the morning just because they didn’t sleep with their best buddy the night before?
“What the…”
He was shocked by his own inexplicable feelings, scratching his neck in confusion, and trying to piece together the possible logical chain.
But before he could find any clue, his phone buzzed under his pillow, interrupting him.
The results of the monthly exam were released. Mr. Liu sent the total scores, class rankings, and grade rankings to the group chat, tagging all members.
Yu Le, feeling nervous, clicked in and ignored the top-ranking student with the last name Lu. Scanning down from the top, out of 50 students in the class, he ranked thirty-first.
Not… bad?
He took another look at the total score—
“Brother Lu!!!”
As Lu Yao opened the door, a figure leaped towards him. Instinctively, he raised his hand to steady the person who had jumped onto him, holding them securely, “What’s with the excitement so early in the morning?”
Yu Le, with a bright expression, said, “I got 491 points! That’s 15 points higher than last time! I can continue sitting next to the top student in the grade. How cool is that? Hurry, congratulate me!”
He ran out without even changing his clothes. Lu Yao, feeling helpless, carried him back to his room, speaking lazily, “Yes, congratulations.”
Yu Le, beaming with joy, said, “Oh, congrats to you too. Your desk partner is pretty awesome as well.”
He was quite flattering when it came to himself. Lu Yao found it amusing. After putting him down in front of the wardrobe, Lu Yao folded his arms and said, “Since you’re in such a good mood, I have some good news for you. Want to hear it?”
Yu Le: “Sure! What’s the good news?”
Lu Yao: “This afternoon, there will be a physical fitness test for classes 3, 4, and 5. So, desk partner, are you ready to run the 1000 meters?”
Yu Le: “……!”
There are three moments when Yu Le feels like a complete failure: one is when he’s watching Ultraman save the world while he just sits in front of the TV; one is during math, physics, and chemistry; and the third is during physical fitness tests, especially pull-ups and the 1000 meters.
He’s really not good at sports, and the physical fitness test has always been the biggest hurdle of his student life.
“Wow, impressive Yu Le.” The class committee member recorded the data on the roster, “20 cm for the sit-and-reach test, and you still say you’re bad at physical tests??? Are you kidding me?”
Yu Le, with a long face, said, “I really am not good.”
“Enough, don’t be modest.” The class committee member was sure he was pretending, “Come on, I’ll be watching your performance in a bit.”
Then Yu Le vividly demonstrated what it meant to struggle with lung capacity.
Class Committee Member: “……”
A bit weak, not sure, let’s see some more.
Long jump, barely acceptable; 50 meters, barely acceptable; but when it came to pull-ups, Yu Le completely exposed his true nature, hanging on the bar but unable to pull himself up, like a dreamless salted fish.
Most boys struggled with this, but at least they can manage five or six. With a little help from the class committee member, passing is not a problem.
But Yu Le’s biggest problem is that he can’t do even one.
“Yu Le, come on, pull yourself up!”
“Use your arms, pull yourself up, give it your all!”
“Help, I’m about to cry, I can already see myself doing sit-ups soon…”
“Don’t let go, keep it up!”
Yu Le was struggling, four pull-ups, his limit, his arms aching, almost losing his grip on the bar.
Just as he was about to fall, a pair of hands grabbed his waist, helping him finish the fifth one.
“Let go.” It was Lu Yao’s voice.
Yu Le let go, his body falling, and was securely caught and set aside by Lu Yao.
Yu Le shook his aching hands and saw Lu Yao jump up and grab the bar effortlessly, doing pull-ups with ease, scoring a perfect 14.
The contrast was like a public execution.
Yu Le, feeling a bit embarrassed but also thinking his desk partner was so cool, said, “Brother Lu, you’re amazing!”
“14 pull-ups, perfect score!”
“Still doing it, Brother Lu, are you trying to make us all look bad?”
“Brother Lu, this thing doesn’t have extra points, that’s enough!”
Lu Yao stopped at 21, landing without breaking a sweat, clearly still far from his limit.
“Record 14, plus 7 more.” Lu Yao rubbed his wrist and tilted his chin at Yu Le, “Mark him down.”
Yu Le managed 5, plus 7 more, making 12 in total, which was good, exceeding at least 60% of the boys in the class.
“Wow, this is new to me!”
“It’s just a physical test, nothing special, we’re not at a sports meet.”
“It helps for a good classmate to help me with pull-ups! I don’t need excellence or even good, just pass!”
“It’s not impressive, I’m not supposed to be envied at all.”
Yu Le’s face was still hot, and his mouth kept curling up in a smile.
For the 1000 meters, Yu Le was dragged from the outer circle to the inner circle by Lu Yao. Throughout, Lu Yao either pulled or pushed him, dragging him to his best 1000-meter result ever: 4 minutes 17 seconds.
He passed, a significant achievement for the Yu family.
“Don’t stop.” After crossing the finish line, Lu Yao put his arm around Yu Le’s shoulders and urged him forward, “Keep walking.”
Yu Le, his legs feeling weak, said, “I can’t… Brother, let me lie down here… I can’t walk…”
Lu Yao: “You still have to walk.”
So ruthless.
Yu Le was forced to walk out of the field in agony, recovering his breath as they reached the small shop.
Lu Yao bought two ice creams, both milk-flavored. Yu Le immediately pressed one to his face to cool down.
“What does mom want for dinner?” Lu Yao tore open the wrapper and took a bite, looking down at his messages.
Yu Le, feeling cooled down, also opened his wrapper. “Multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank?”
Lu Yao: “It could be multiple choice. Options include grilled fish, sweet and sour fish, scented fish, chopped pepper fish, or green pepper fish…”
“Hmm!” Yu Le, the weak one, was in a bad situation!
When Lu Yao looked up, he saw Yu Le with his mouth open, trying to eat the ice cream but unable to bite or let go, his nose scrunched up, looking helplessly at him.
“……”
Lu Yao paused, “Tongue or lips?”
Yu Le, almost in tears, managed to utter two mumbled words, “Lips.”
Lu Yao reached out: “Let me see.”
“Brother Lu! Yu Le!”
Shen Yu rushed over, accompanied by a few friends, “Mr. Liu asked us to move two sets of new books to the library. Are you guys going or not?”
His loud call attracted the attention of nearby pedestrians who had not noticed them before.
Yu Le’s hair stood on end, and he instantly recalled a spectacular video he watched last winter:
A brave soul licked an iron gate, getting stuck and surrounded by the whole school.
No way!
He didn’t want to be the first brave soul!
Determined, he made a decision and pushed—
“Huh? What’s wrong with Yu Le?”
Shen Yu ran up to them, looking at Yu Le crouched on the ground, covering his mouth, “Wasn’t he fine just a moment ago?”
“Burnt his lips on the ice cream.” Lu Yao pulled him up from the ground. “We have something to do, so we’re not going to the library. You guys keep at it. Call me if you need more help.”
After saying that, he quickly led Yu Le away from the shop.
Shen Yu nodded, and once the people were out of sight, he slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing, “Wait, what kind of ice cream can burn your lips?”
