Chapter 21 - Ride - Whimsical Reads

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Most of the students would make good use of the weekend to study, running against the clock but Zhou Sisi was fine. She kept an appropriate pace at this stage, and still had time to spare on Saturday and Sunday.

She originally planned to continue to give Lu Xi make-up lessons.

But, now her decision was wavering.

Yesterday, while delivering water to the military training instructor she saw Lu Xi at the track. After returning in the evening, she implicitly asked Aunt Xu about Lu Xi’s high school entrance examination results.

Aunt Xu didn’t hide anything from Zhou Sisi, and sent a screenshot of his grade and all the subject scores.

From the data’s point of view, Lu Xi’s high school entrance examination results were much better than those of the first and second model students, and he ranked in the top 70% of the entire school entrance examination.

Of course, as Zhou Sisi predicted earlier, Lu Xi did not just reach the admission threshold for Huali No. 3 Middle School.

…So Aunt Xu and Uncle Lu felt very good. They sent Lu Xi to No. 3 Middle School and put him in a good class.

A car drove past downstairs, the light and shadow sloshing through windows against the walls as it took a moment for them to go away.

Was it really for his own good to give Lu Xi extra lessons?

In fact, he had always been reluctant or unhappy.

Zhou Sisi closed the notepad in which she recorded her daily plans, suspecting that her earlier actions were self-serving, a self-righteous repayment.

… Maybe Lu Xi didn’t need it at all.

“I just boiled red dates and cinnamon soup.” Chen Cui arrived in the room with a bowl. “It’s still hot, let it cool for a few minutes before drinking.”

Zhou Sisi made room on the table. “Thank you.”

Chen Chui: “What are you thanking your mother for? After drinking, go to bed early.”

“Alright.” Zhou Sisi said softly.

On September 6, the results of the national essay contest in which Zhou Sisi participated were released.

Nearly 40 students from the No 3 Middle School participated, and only one was awarded the first prize while the rest two were awarded third prize

Zhou Sisi won the first prize.

Before the red banner of honor for the English speech contest was removed, a large wide red banner with “Zhou Sisi” on it was added to the wall.

Students from the News and Broadcasting Department caught Zhou Sisi and did a special interview.

After finishing the interview when Zhou Sisi walked out of the broadcasting office, she met Tang Yangzhang along with a pretty girl.

Tang Yangzhang looked at Zhou Sisi. “How long have you thought about the composition for the competition?”

“One day.” Zhou Sisi replied.

Tang Yangzhang: “How long did it take from writing to finalizing?”

He was typically a competitive student who attached great importance to his studies, and Zhou Sisi’s successive achievements had attracted his attention.

“Five days.” Zhou Sisi was not accurate enough. In fact, It took about an hour a day, and it took only three days in total.

Tang Yangzhang was silent for two seconds and then asked, “Can you help me with the make-up lessons on Saturday?”

“What?” Zhou Sisi’s apricot eyes were puzzled.

“Can you find time to help me with English every Saturday?” Tang Yangzhang continued. “I know you help Lu Xi with his tutoring.”

In addition to praising Zhou Sisi for her excellent grades his parents also started praising Lu Xi who had improved significantly, several times recently.

Even though Tang Yangzhang and Lu Xi were not in the same grade and there was no direct competition, he felt a sense of urgency.

Tang Yangzhang didn’t want Lu Xi, who had always had poor grades, to surpass him.

Lu Xi was able to find Zhou Sisi for his make-up lessons, so why couldn’t he?

Upon hearing what Tang Yangzhang had said, Gong Yao, the companion girl who was waiting for him in the hallway couldn’t help but look at Zhou Sisi again.

This woman who stole her position as campus ambassador, her nose was not as tall as hers, and she was just a little whiter and thinner. If she hadn’t been found for her vote swapping, if only she hadn’t been found out by the teacher, would she be in Zhou Sisi’s shoes?

Zhou Sisi did not look very good-looking, but she still had a relationship with Lu Xi, who was more handsome than the school boy?

“I’m sorry, you can find someone else.” Zhou Sisi refused.

Tang Yangzhang thought it was because the terms were not agreed upon. “I will pay you on time, not lower than the market price.”

“Please find someone else.” Zhou Sisi avoided him.

“Crap!” Yi Ting dropped her spoon, and stared at her phone screen. “There’s a hot post saying that there are lewd guys near the school!”

Qi Minhui who just took mouthful of rice in her mouth asked before swallowing it. “Our school?”

“Yes, a female student was touched by him on her thigh ……”

“Grandpa, hammer him!”

“The female classmate was frightened at the time, and when she reacted, the wretched guy slipped away.” Yi Ting recounted angrily, “There was also a female classmate who was almost attacked, but fortunately she hid quickly. In short, seven or eight classmates have encountered that bastard!”

Qi Minhui was filled with righteous indignation, “I really want to kick this pervert!”

“They said that the perverted guy appeared suddenly and slipped very quickly. They were only able to discern that he was a thin, black man. They couldn’t really see what he looked like–“

Yi Ting took a deep breath as she continued, “Damn, Sisi, how do you get home from school at night?”

Zhou Sisi: “I’m walking…”

“Is anyone accompanying you?” Qi Minhui was equally worried.

Zhou Sisi shook her head.

There were not many day students, and there was no one in the class who was close to her or on her way to be dropped by.

“Why don’t you live on campus for a few days?” Yi Ting put down her phone.

Zhou Sisi: “There is no bed for me in the dormitory.”

“Squeeze a bed with me, if you don’t mind.” Yi Ting immediately said.

“It’s fine with me, too.” Qi Minhui followed.

Zhou Sisi didn’t want to bother others. “No need.”

Yi Ting asked, “Can you ask your family to come and pick you up?”

“Well…” Zhou Sisi went over vaguely, not wanting to worry the two friends.

Chen Cui would be on night shift in the hospital for today and tomorrow,  and will not be available to pick her up.

The time flickered, and it was time for the third quarter of evening self-study.

Solving the last exercise problem, Zhou Sisi put away her pen and exercise book, and organized her backpack.

And looked up at the window.

The night was like a splash of black ink, deep and thick, with no moon shadow or starlight.

The class bell rang.

Zhou Sisi drank the still warm red jujube wolfberry tea and rinsed the thermos and placed it in the bag.

“See you tomorrow.” Guo Qin looked up from the guide case. Like most of his classmates, he did not rush back to the dormitory, instead he raced against time to write homework in the classroom until the last moment when the teaching building was locked.

Zhou Sisi returned with. “Bye.”

There was no bus at this point. As walking out of the class Zhou Sisi thought about taking a taxi home later.

“Cough–“

Zhou Sisi’s line of sight shifted, and it fell on the tall boy at the stairway, who was standing half leaning against the wall, it was Lu Xi.

“You didn’t go home?” High school freshmen didn’t have to attend evening study so Zhou Sisi was not clear how he appeared here at this time.

Lu Xi pushed his elbows back and stood up straight as he said, “…Ah, let’s go together.”

“Huh?” Zhou Sisi eyelashes fluttered, vaguely with some guesses.

The lights on the stairs were a bit dim, and students who ended their evening study passed by.

“Let’s go.” Lu Xi said, turning around and going down the stairs.

Zhou Sisi stood quietly for a while before walking down, a few meters behind him.

Walking past the playground, past the second and third teaching buildings.

Lu Xi turned back. “Wait for me at the school gate.”

Without waiting for her to respond, he took a big step towards the west.

A few minutes later, Zhou Sisi, who was standing quietly on the left outside the school gate, waited for Lu Xi to come.

He rode his sleek, simple-looking bicycle, slicing through the evening wind and night, stopped beside her and stomped one foot on the ground, “Come up.”

“Well.” Zhou Sisi sat on the back seat of the bicycle, the canvas bag pressed against the hem of her skirt that exposed her knees as she replied meekly, “Okay.”

“Hold it up.” Before the end of the voice fell, Lu Xi’s feet exerted force, drove forward with the bicycle carrying the two of them.

Zhou Sisi’s right hand buckled on the lower part of his saddle, and brought her two thin white legs together.

Most of the key middle schools in X province were located in remote suburbs, far from the urban area, with the exception of Huali No. 3 Middle School.

More than 120 years ago, the magistrate of the time built a piece of land along the banks of the Nujiang River, and built the Hualifu Middle School in a blaze of glory. After many trials and hardships, the name was changed, and until now, No. 3 Middle School has stood firm and insisted not to change the school site.

Over the years, there had been a sense of prosperity in the neighborhood not far from the school.

You had to cross an old alley first.

There were some small flying insects and moths hanging around the old wall lamps, the light was not very bright, and a short distance away, occasionally one or two lights were extinguished.

The trees bucked up without seeing many pedestrians.

If one let Zhou Sisi walk this dark alley alone, she would surely be frightened.

This part of the way back from school to their neighborhood was probably where Yi Ting said, the place where perverts would appear.

Zhou Sisi didn’t know whether there was a pervert in her last life.

She only knew that this was the first time in her two lives to ride on Lu Xi’s bike.

The hem of his loose T-shirt was caught with the wind, his back was slightly arched forward, and his shoulders had the thinness of a young man. The short brown and chestnut hair was always a bit curly, exposing most of the auricles on both sides.

One or two strands of disobedient hair shook in the wind. It made people feel a little dazed and a little energetic for no reason.

Zhou Sisi’s pink lips curved slightly, and a warm feeling lingered in her heart.

She remembered that many years ago, on summer nights, a group of children learned to ride bikes in the open space of the hospital’s family quarters.

Lu Xi was the youngest but the fastest to learn.

Zhou Sisi and the other friends were still staggering and didn’t dare to lift their feet off the ground, but Lu Xi was able to proudly circle around them with his small chest straightened out.

The four-year-old cute little boy was very outrageous and laughed at her to set out and ride.

The attempt to ride a bicycle failed, Zhou Sisi fell down with a “pop”, and the tears swirled in pain.

To her surprise, he dropped the bike with a thud and ran over to ask her if it hurt and to help her ……

“Be careful.”

Along with the teenager’s urgent words, the speeding car ran over some obstacle and shook.

Zhou Sisi’s upper body bent forward, forehead lightly hit on the back of Lu Xi, and her hand reflexively touched his waist.

Through a thin layer of cloth, the palm of her hand could feel the warm, thin, and powerful texture of muscle.

Zhou Sisi’s breath stalled slightly and she hastily retracted her hand.

“You can hold me, cough…” Lu Xi hastily changed his words, “You can also hold on to the corner of my clothes.”

The deep night obscured his blushing earlobes.

Perhaps only the silent stone pavement knew about it, and the young handsome boy had clearly seen the abrupt thick wooden block.

Still unavoidably he rushed up.