n

n

n

nMingxi was always diligent when it came to getting up early. The sky was still bright, and the world was silent.

nShe came down with her school bag, took the key from the lady in charge of the dormitories and squatted down to open the iron gate.

nAs soon as the iron gate was opened, she noticed the tall figure outside.

n“Hi, Xi ge. Why are you here so early in the morning? Did you not sleep last night?” Mingxi jumped down the steps three by three and ran down quickly. She arranged the bangs on her forehead. “Is there anything urgent?”

n“How could I have not slept?!” Fu Yangxi said with an expression of ‘do you think I am a man made out of steel?’. “I fell asleep the moment I got home from the train station yesterday. I woke up early in the morning and came out for a walk since I had nothing to do. I just happened to pass by your dormitory.”

nFu Yangxi asked, “Did you manage to pick up your friend yesterday?”

n“Yeah, I did.” When Mingxi thought of the Dong family, the corners of her lips couldn’t help but rise. Even if she hadn’t seen them for two years, she didn’t feel strange when she met them again. Both Aunt Dong and Uncle Dong have gained weight while Dong Shen has lost weight.

nShe said, “They will have to find a place to settle down first. I’ll be having a meal with them after school today, and Dong Shen will transfer to our school after a while.”

n“Who?”

n“Dong Shen.”

n

n

nFu Yangxi observed Zhao Mingxi’s excited expression and tried not to show the jealousy he felt. He pretended to ask casually, “Is he a boy or a girl?”

n“A boy. He’s a year younger than me and we used to be neighbors.”

nFu Yangxi asked abruptly, “Do you have a crush on him?”

n“What are you talking about? We were just neighbors.” Mingxi frowned and looked at Fu Yangxi. She wondered if Fu Yangxi, the school bully with only one brain cell, knew what ‘having a crush’ was. The girl in the music class handed him a thousand paper cranes last time, yet he fiercely asked if the girl wanted to fight him. Fu Yangxi probably isn’t even aware of topics like feelings and romance.

n“Then does he have a crush on you?”

n“No, he doesn’t.” Mingxi answered helplessly. “I want to study hard now. You also know the situation in my family. I am not Zhao Mingxi. I am Niu Colu* Mingxi. I must raise my grades to a higher level.”

n*Niu Colu is the name of a character from the Chinese drama ‘Empresses in the Palace’. This character was both cunning and smart, which is what Mingxi is referring to in this context.

nWhen Fu Yangxi got the answer he wanted, he tried his best not to appear too happy.

nHe thought triumphantly, she’s just using ‘studies’ as an excuse.

nShe obviously likes me.

nSince it’s like this…

n“Here.” Fu Yangxi stuffed one hand in his pocket, turned his head, and coldly handed a packet of breakfast to Mingxi.

nMingxi was shocked. She took a look at the kraft paper bag and saw that there were McDonald’s inside and several Chinese style breakfasts.

nShe raised her head to look at Fu Yangxi again and said in disbelief, “Is this for me?”

nDid the sun come up from the west today?

nMingxi looked at Fu Yangxi who was surrounded by the early morning cold air, with dew condensed on the ends of his hair. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat. “You- Did you purposely come here early in the morning just to give me breakfast?”

n“What do you mean ‘purposely’?! Little Mask, how can you be so narcissistic?” Fu Yangxi’s pale neck went red as he immediately answered irritably. It was as if he heard some impossible joke. “My driver bought a lot, and since I couldn’t finish it, I figured you could help me get rid of the rest. I’m too lazy to hold this. You take it to the classroom and give it to Ke Chengwen and the others.”

n“Okay.” Mingxi glanced at the obvious portion of a few people in her hands.

nShe also felt that she was a little too narcissistic just now.

nFor a young master like Fu Yangxi, he could casually call a helicopter for his followers, but he would have to be crazy to do such a thing as squatting downstairs in front of the girls’ dormitory just to deliver breakfast early in the morning.

n“Then why don’t you just take it to class?” Mingxi asked.

nFu Yangxi said, “Can’t I stop by and get the clothes I stuffed in your school bag yesterday?”

nThe jackets that they wore yesterday were all soiled with muddy water, so they bought a few clothes from the shops in the town.

nThe others had to carry their dirty clothes by themselves, but Fu Yangxi was too lazy to carry them.

nHis dirty jacket was wrapped in a plastic bag and stuffed in Mingxi’s school bag.

nMingxi recalled this and muttered, “I thought you would just throw that jacket away.”

nIt’s just a dirty jacket. Did he have to deliberately come here to get it? It also made her feel like she was being narcissistic, thinking that he specially came here to send her breakfast.

n“It’s very expensive, okay?!” Fu Yangxi yelled angrily. “Go back and take a closer look at the words on the label. It’s more than 30,000 yuan per piece! Why else would I be here if I didn’t want to get my clothes—”

n“Okay, okay. I know it’s very expensive. Keep it down.” Fu Yangxi’s yell was so loud that her ears were about to go numb. She glanced at the people around them, turned and ran upstairs. “Fine, I’ll go up and get it now.”

nFu Yangxi watched her run up. When he saw how the school bag on her back bumped up and down, his lips curled into a smile.

nMingxi took the clothes down and carried them in a bag. Only then was Young Master Fu satisfied.

nThe two walked to their class in the morning mist.

nAfter Mingxi entered the classroom, she hurriedly opened a textbook and ate while reading.

nAfter taking just two bites, she put the rest of the breakfast on Ke Chengwen’s table and left it to Ke Chengwen.

nIt wasn’t easy to obtain that spot in the Hundred School Tournament. She must prepare well and not waste this opportunity. Regardless of whether she could get the prize in the end, she must make it to the finals.

nWhen Fu Yangxi saw that she only took two bites, he felt that it was such a waste. But seeing as how she was seizing the time to study, he knew it was better not to bother her.

nHe sat aside, looked at her for a while and couldn’t help but ask, “When will you participate in the training camp of the Hundred School Tournament?”

nMingxi turned on her phone and checked the date. She replied, “I have to go to the training camp on October 23rd. It will last for 10 days.”

n“Then your birthday will be spent at the training camp?”

nMingxi was stunned for a moment. She looked at Fu Yangxi in surprise. She only said a date perfunctorily last time but he remembered it.

nWho would’ve known that with his lack of sleep and poor performance in his studies, his memory is actually so good.

n“We’ll talk about it when the time comes. It doesn’t matter if I don’t celebrate it.” Mingxi said indifferently. “You accompanied me back to my grandma’s place. It’s already the best birthday present.”

nFu Yangxi said, “We’ll think of a solution when the time comes then.”

nHe thought, it should be okay for me to run to the training camp that day.

nBut this was a surprise, and Fu Yangxi didn’t plan to tell her just yet.

nFu Yangxi paused. He flipped through the pages of the book and continued to stare at Zhao Mingxi.

n“…”

nZhao Mingxi was very uncomfortable with his stare. She turned her head and looked at him. “What’s the matter? Why are you not sleeping this morning?”

nIn the past, the first thing Fu Yangxi did when he came to school every morning would be to lie on the table to make up for his lack of sleep the night before, and his energy would be quite low.

nWhat’s up with him today? Why is he talking so much?

nAnd the way he looked at her was as if he was waiting for her to say something.

nFu Yangxi thought that Zhao Mingxi would add, ‘Your birthday is coming soon, I can celebrate it with you as well’.

nHowever, even after waiting for a long time, Zhao Mingxi did not say such a sentence.

nHe stared at Zhao Mingxi, wondering if Little Mask had forgotten his birthday.

nThat’s impossible.

nHow could you not remember the birthday of the person you like?

nAlso, he specifically hinted for Ke Chengwen to emphasize it twice that day.

nZhao Mingxi probably wants to surprise me, that’s why she’s deliberately pretending that she can’t remember my birthday.

n“Nothing.” When Fu Yangxi thought this way, the corner of his lips curled up, his heart full of expectation. “I told you I had enough sleep last night.”

nHe took out the recharged noise-cancelling headphones and put them on. Then, he pulled out his Pikachu pillow and lied on the table.

nAs soon as his bored gaze fell out of the window, he saw the group of people from the School Representative Team walking past.

nFu Yangxi didn’t know if it was his misperception, but why did he feel that the School Representative Team has been coming up from the stairs on the right of the International Class recently?

nObviously, the most convenient path for students in the Gold Medal Class is to take the stairs on the left.

nAnd they used to use the stairs on the left—

nThis has caused this group of people to appear more frequently outside the corridors of the International Class.

nEven people like Fu Yangxi who never cared and were indifferent to others noticed this.

nAs well as the person in the lead called Shen something Yao.

nEvery time he passed by, he would look in Fu Yangxi’s direction.

nFu Yangxi raised his head slightly. He frowned unhappily, his eyes dark as he looked back at Shen Liyao with a cold gaze.

n“What happened to your hand?” Zhao Mingxi’s voice suddenly appeared from beside him.

nMingxi held the gel pen and looked suspiciously at Fu Yangxi’s hand which was placed on the table. Because he was lying on the table, his sleeve was slightly lifted up, so the small bruise on his wrist was exposed.

nMingxi may not have noticed it if it was on someone else.

nBut Fu Yangxi’s skin was pale, so the bruises were particularly obvious on him.

n“…”

nFu Yangxi came back to his senses. He instantly pulled his sleeve down to cover the bruise.

nSeeing that Zhao Mingxi was still looking at him, he raised his eyebrows and said, “I got it when we fell down at that mountain after being chased by the dog.”

nMingxi asked, “This was from the day before yesterday? But I don’t remember seeing this injury on you when we returned on the train yesterday.”

nFu Yangxi rebutted, “You were so dizzy on the train, how could you have remembered it clearly?”

n“Alright then.” Mingxi didn’t pry any further. She took out the medicinal bottle that hadn’t been used up last time from her table. “Give me your hand.”

nFu Yangxi thought that he should be fine since this was not the first time she’s done this for him. She had applied medicine once for him in front of the library, and now that this was the second time, he would no longer be stiff all over.

nBut he didn’t expect his heart to beat so fast at this moment.

nMingxi poured some medicine on the bruise on his wrist before rubbing it with the palm of her hand.

nFu Yangxi lowered his eyes to look at her. His gaze fell on her slightly pursed lips. He felt as if a light was shining on a dark corner in his heart, illuminating it a little and warming it up. All his limbs were about to melt under such warmth.

nFu Yangxi smiled.

nMingxi thought he was going to say something like ‘scars are a man’s medal of honor’, so she immediately cut him off before he could even speak, “Shut up and stay still.”

nFu Yangxi: “…”

nFu Yangxi couldn’t help but laugh.

n…

nMingxi felt that there may be more bruises than the one on his wrist. While he was distracted, she pulled on his sleeve, wanting to push it up.

nHowever, Fu Yangxi was very alert and withdrew his hand in time.

nMingxi took advantage of the absence of people in the classroom and went to pull his jacket.

nFu Yangxi almost jumped on the table. He quickly stepped back and leaned his back against the wall. He covered his chest with both hands as if guarding his innocence, his face completely flushed. “What are you trying to do so early in the morning?”

n

n

nAs expected of Little Mask. She advances so abruptly.

n“…”

n“Forget it. If you have more, do it on your own.” Mingxi was angry.

nWhy is this young master always acting as if I want to take advantage of him?

nI’ve never even had such thoughts!

nBut there shouldn’t be much in other places anyway.

nMingxi was sure that the small slope where they fell was very soft. After all, she didn’t suffer a lot of injuries from the fall.

n“Take it.” Mingxi pushed the medicine onto Fu Yangxi’s table.

nFu Yangxi didn’t seem to mind her fierceness. He even seemed to be used to this concept of indulging this follower of his to occasionally ‘disrespect a superior’.

nFu Yangxi picked up the medicine and went to the bathroom leisurely.

n