After returning to reality, Fang Xingze remembered everything and thought: it turns out that her problem-solving mindset has been so different from others since her school days.
A dirty mop thoroughly changed the balance of power between the two sides. Although the hoodlums were carefree, their school uniforms were neatly adjusted, hair dyed stylishly, and sneakers were the most expensive within their economic means. At an age when appearance mattered most, encountering an opponent who intended to ruin your image with biochemical weapons made even the experienced leader of the gang momentarily lose his composure. With a classic villainous line of “Just you wait!”, he led his already demoralized henchmen to scatter.
Watching their figures, Fang Xingze tossed the mop wherever, pulled out disinfectant wipes to clean her hands frantically.
Rong Yi peered out from the alley, relieved: “You were too reckless! That redhead was right, look, even the police haven’t shown up now.”
“Regardless of when they come, this must be reported to the police, or else we’re just treating the symptoms.” Rong Yi wiped her hands, craning her neck to look at Mo Yuning’s phone. “Did you manage to capture their faces? Without evidence, it would just complicate things for the police officers.”
“We did, but it’s not very clear.” Mo Yuning showed her. At that time, having a phone with a camera was still a rarity, let alone pixels resembling mosaics. But having something was better than nothing; at least the distinct hair colors of those four individuals were clearly captured.
Struggling to stand, Fang Xingze’s legs were still trembling.
He used to have a new phone, but it was confiscated after an argument with his mother. Consequently, he missed the chance to call for help immediately. Even if he went to the police station later, due to the other party being a minor and lacking evidence, he was lightly dismissed. After three times, he lost confidence in reporting to the police.
However, listening to the girl’s firm tone, could it be true that because he always lacked evidence when reporting, the police were unable to assist?
“Who reported the incident?” Two policemen on patrol arrived on their police electric scooters, and the older one spotted Fang Xingze from afar.
Fang Xingze recognized him; he had been received by this old policeman several times when filing reports at the station.
“It’s you again, little student.” The old policeman, unfazed, parked the scooter and pulled out his record book. “Tell me, how much money did you get extorted by the vocational school students this time?”
Fang Xingze remained silent.
Five, ten, thirty. These amounts, perceived as trifling by adults, were insufficient to file a case.
“We reported it!” Rong Yi’s clear voice drew the police’s attention back. Holding Mo Yuning’s phone, she thrust the photo of the four hooligans beating up Fang Xingze in front of the police officer. “Robbery on the road, violent coercion, even without stealing money, the nature is still heinous. Look! Evidence!”
The young policeman who came out with the old one squinted, examining closely. “Master, it’s the vocational school uniform! Damn, I know these four non-noble brats, they’re young but already have several criminal records, and this redhead has even been in juvenile detention. It seems they can’t stay out of trouble and want to get back in!”
With eyewitness testimonies and photographic evidence, this case didn’t end hastily as before; it was officially registered, and Fang Xingze was called to the hospital for a medical examination to confirm the injuries.
Thanks to Rong Yi’s early intervention, Fang Xingze wasn’t hurt this time. However, two days ago, the redhead and his gang extorted him, leaving him bruised all over, and those bruises hadn’t fully healed yet. So, they also included the incident from two days ago for assessment alongside. With solid evidence, all the delinquents were detained. As for what followed, Fang Xingze wasn’t concerned and had no time to worry. His route home from school finally became peaceful, and his meager wallet was now saved for the third day’s meal.
And he had gained another person worth paying attention to.
Before this, he had never cared about his classmates. In his eyes, they were all carefree, naive, inexperienced individuals who made a fuss over trivial matters. But today, there was finally someone different – the one who wielded a dirty mop like a god descending to rescue him from his predicament.
Next-door classmate Rong Yi.
When he became interested, he realized that she was actually a prominent figure in her grade, good at studying, with a good personality and good looks, making friends wherever she went.
And him? He was just an unknown student in the next-door class, specializing heavily in one subject and having a reclusive personality like bean sprouts. He didn’t even have the courage to stand in front of her and talk to her.
The day the police came and chaos ensued, he never found the opportunity to thank her.
Luckily, she didn’t seem like the type to keep track of such things. When she left the police station, she chatted and laughed with her friends, as if casually returning a lost wallet.
He had thought they were from two different worlds. He buried his gratitude deep in his heart, promising to repay her when he had the chance. Fan Xingze never expected to meet her again, just two days later.
That noon, another meal with free white rice and soup. Although he had gathered enough lunch money from collecting bottles and no one tried to take his meager savings, he carefully planned his expenses to save up for a book he had always wanted to read. Fan Xingze treated himself to a good meal every few days, figuring it would provide him with enough nutrition.
As he hid in a corner of the cafeteria with five bowls as usual, he heard a familiar voice, “…You guys go ahead and eat, I’ll be there in a bit.”
Raising his head, her familiar and radiant face left him breathless.
It was Rong Yi.
It was Rong Yi who saw him only able to eat those things at lunch.
With her popularity, a star student like her would typically attract a crowd of friends when going to the restroom or having lunch at noon. Today, besides the girl called Mo Yuning who was with her that day, there were several other familiar boys and girls.
Fan Xingze had a good memory, he recognized them all from the neighboring class.
Fortunately, after greeting them, she went separate ways from them and sat alone with her tray of freshly served food in front of him.
“What a coincidence.” She smiled as if she never knew what worries were.
Fan Xingze lowered his head, his heavy glasses hiding his eyes.
“How come you’re only eating this? Are there other people still taking your money?” she asked tilting her head, her high ponytail brushing past her shoulder. In a daze, Fan Xingze thought he could smell the fragrance of her hair ends.
Not knowing what came over him, his face suddenly flushed, he picked up his tray and muttered, “Thank you before.” Then, he turned to leave.
“Hey, wait!” Rong Yi hurriedly grabbed his sleeve, pulled him back to his seat, and with a teasing grin she held his arm like those hooligans who block the way and rob others, saying, “Seeing your benefactor and just saying thank you before leaving?”
Fan Xingze felt a chill in his heart, pushed his glasses up, and asked softly, “…What do you need me to do?”
Rong Yi, seeing his appearance of obediently accepting his fate, chuckled, placed a plate of braised beef and a dish of celery and lily onto his tray, along with a bowl of rice and soup.
“My mother has mandated that I must eat a full fifteen-yuan lunch every day at noon, no waste, no concealment. If I fail to meet the target, my allowance for next month will be halved. But, I’m on a diet, so you have to help me,” she said as she pushed the tray towards him, then got up and said, “After you finish, wasting food is shameful.”
Fan Xingze stared blankly at the meat and vegetables in front of him.
Even though the cafeteria was bustling, he could still spot her spirited high ponytail from afar as she had already walked far and sat in the seat her friends had saved for her.
The braised beef still emitted steam, but she was so far away from him, so far away.
Every day after that, Rong Yi could always find Fan Xingze in the corner of the cafeteria. Sometimes, in order not to burden her with expenses, Fan Xingze would reluctantly buy some dishes, pretending to enjoy the meal. But Rong Yi saw through his act and would set up the perfect meat and vegetable combinations for him and place them in front of him, reminding him that she was repaying a kindness and he must eat it honestly.
Sometimes, Fan Xingze couldn’t help but wonder if he held a special place in her heart. After all, even if you fed a cat for a semester, there should be some bond formed.
Yes, her actions continued like this for a semester, until the end of the first year. Fan Xingze found a part-time job tutoring middle school students and had a stable income, so he firmly declined her kindness.
Perhaps it was pride, perhaps—he didn’t want too much distance between himself and her.
However, no matter what, the eight-centimeter height that rose during this semester, at least six centimeters of it were all thanks to Rong Yi.
After that, he kept waiting, waiting for Rong Yi to initiate contact with him. He was always passive in nature, plus, wasn’t he that slightly special cat?
But he guessed wrong. After knowing he could feed himself, Rong Yi never appeared in his life again. They were just like normal classmates, occasionally bumping into each other in the hallway, nodding in acknowledgment, that was all.
For her, Fan Xingze tried asking classmates for gossip for the first time.
Gossip about Rong Yi.
That’s when he found out that Rong Yi actually had many friends and had helped many people. Perhaps it was standing up for others inadvertently, or handling difficult teachers in class on behalf of others, or helping classmates with their assignments – all in all, more or less, even some people in his class had received her kindness.
This girl, placed in ancient times, would probably be the kind of chivalrous person who is naive, wealthy, and idle, going around righting wrongs.
At this moment, he also realized that Rong Yi, from beginning to end, didn’t even know his name.
She just saw that he needed help, so she helped; saw that his situation improved, so she left. Even if we talk about the qualifications of being helped, he probably didn’t compare to the stray cat Rong Yi had been feeding in the garden since the beginning of school.
Moreover, that stray cat could act cute, had a sweet appearance. And he, aside from a dry “thank you,” didn’t even say another word.
If he were Rong Yi, he would choose the stray cat.
Fan Xingze panicked. He wasn’t special in Rong Yi’s heart at all – even that inexplicable bit of “pride in helping” had vanished.
Her life was so fulfilling that she didn’t care about a person as insignificant as Fan Xingze.
What to do? He had already fallen for her!
Fortunately, having experienced setbacks since childhood, Fan Xingze was not one to easily give up. With a goal in mind, he would take action.
“Here.” Mo Yuning placed a plastic bag containing milk bread on Rong Yi’s desk. Rong Yi frowned, “… Miss Mo, how have I offended you again, please make it clear, don’t attack me with sugar-coated bullets.”
Mo Yuning gestured with her thumb towards the next class, “I just couldn’t bear spending money to buy you breakfast! This was given to me by a boy from the next class to pass on to you. Hey, what era is this, such old-fashioned ways of pursuing someone.”
Rong Yi had quite a few suitors, she was accustomed to dealing with these situations, neither dismissive nor surprised, just calmly ate the breakfast, “It’s all someone’s heartfelt gesture, can’t waste it. If you meet that boy again, convey my thanks, but for now, we should focus on our studies.”
“Yes yes.” Mo Yuning easily handled these failed advances for her, “Men only affect your problem-solving speed.”
“Exactly.” Rong Yi solemnly pulled out a newly bought math exercise book, opened it, and started working on problems, “This relates to my pocket money for next month. It’s a big deal, can’t be careless.”
However, this suitor was more tenacious than any Mo Yuning had encountered before.
Although Rong Yi had already conveyed her gratitude and rejection, on the third day, he still had her bring breakfast for Rong Yi. When Rong Yi wasn’t in the classroom, Mo Yuning casually placed the breakfast on her desk.
Little did they know, the entire exchange of breakfast between the two was witnessed by Class Monitor Lao Wang. He confiscated the breakfast in front of Mo Yuning, speaking earnestly, “I understand friendship, but let’s not make it hard for you, in the future if there’s anything to pass on, give it to me.”
Mo Yuning succumbed to Lao Wang’s coercion, not daring to say anything; on the other hand, she didn’t want to be in the middle of Rong Yi and someone else, happy to have someone solve her troubles for her; Fan Xingze had no idea that the breakfast he bought early every day ended up in Lao Wang’s stomach, he still believed his persistence would pay off; Lao Wang could have a free breakfast every day, even thinking about when to have a private talk with that boy, with such determination, if applied to studying, he would have made it to Tsinghua University long ago; and Rong Yi, still living carefree and happy days.
Everyone was happy.
As days went by, Mo Yuning sometimes couldn’t help but want to speak with Rong Yi, but would be warned by Lao Wang’s timely gaze to back off. And Rong Yi had completely forgotten about that boy from the next class, the bean sprout she had helped.
Fan Xingze’s heart sank day by day.
There’s no hope, no hope… He knew that his crush and unrequited love were doomed to go nowhere. But every time he thought of her, saw her, ripples would still stir in his heart.
Lao Wang talked to him, saying Rong Yi’s grades were excellent. If he didn’t focus all his energy on studying, he wouldn’t be able to enter the same university as her in the future.
And as everyone knows, universities are the breeding grounds for love.
Fan Xingze understood. He never slacked off in his studies, always closely following her name on the grade list, a kind of subtle sweetness.
But even without a response, he wanted to continue this love.
It was the only colorful memory in his bleak teenage years to look back on.
As he, without hesitation, delivered breakfast for Rong Yi for who knows how many days, Mo Yuning continued to meet him at the class backdoor. They didn’t exchange words, like qualified underground members, their eyes meeting, knowing today’s task.
As Mo Yuning turned with the breakfast, she saw Rong Yi standing behind her with her arms crossed, ready to hear her explanation.
Mo Yuning froze, but fortunately Lao Wang arrived on time and defused the situation, “Well, what a coincidence, you’re all here today.”
“Since you’re all here, let’s talk. Young love is very pure, and the teacher doesn’t blame you. On the contrary, the teacher appreciates this kind of pure affection. But for now, focus on studying, the teacher doesn’t want to dampen your emotions too much, so we’ll handle it in a moderate way, hoping you can all handle this matter more calmly and soberly. As for love, university is truly the paradise of love.”
He then took out two hundred yuan, smiling as he handed it to Fan Xingze, “This student has been diligently buying breakfast for me for so long, not much pocket money left, right? Take it.”
To be fair, Lao Wang was a good teacher, and what he did was reasonable, taking care of the students’ self-esteem at that age.
Recalling the time with Lao Wang at school, Rong Yi not only sighed, “Teacher Wang, thank you.”
At the moment when she saw Fan Xingze bring breakfast to Mo Yuning, she had a moment of daze, realizing this was not reality but a virtual scene.
This was something she had long forgotten but that Fan Xingze couldn’t let go of.
Taking the breakfast from Mo Yuning, she ate it seriously in front of Fan Xingze, a sip of milk, a bite of bread.
The virtual characters in the scene were ultimately crude, unable to react to such sudden situations like real people. Mo Yuning obediently reached out her hand to Lao Wang, who smilingly took the ‘breakfast’ from her hands and left.
Only Rong Yi and Fan Xingze faced each other.
She raised a corner of her mouth, “Thank you, I accept.”
Fan Xingze: “…What?”
Rong Yi: “Aren’t you pursuing me? I said, I accept it.” She took a step forward, patting Fan Xingze’s stunned face, “Hey, haven’t woken up yet?”
She leaned closer to Fan Xingze. Their lips were just a breath away.
Fan Xingze’s cheeks suddenly flushed, just as he was about to say “you,” the two were abruptly pulled away from the scene by an irresistible force!
It was the scheduled time set by Fan Xingze.
They returned to the previous level, on the giant cruise ship in the sea. Fan Xingze had turned into a tiny octopus in Rong Yi’s palm.
Rong Yi lowered her head to kiss the little octopus.
The tiny octopus gradually turned from orange to pink.
She whispered softly, “Thank you for liking me so persistently back then. I regret not realizing it at the time.”
“This is my belated response: I like you too, Fan Xingze.”
The author has something to say: The ins and outs of their relationship have been sorted out, and tomorrow there will be the last chapter. The transition phase of this longest segment almost comes to an end, time to face the final boss!
