Chapter 4: An Baili’s True Colors
School, synonymous with youth, innocence, and love. It was the whisper of the unseen sea brought by the wind, the beautiful bubble that entered one’s dreams. At school, Lu Li could temporarily transcend the gap between classes, sitting in a clean and bright classroom with his peers. Everyone wore the same uniform, and they talked not about connections and careers, but about pretty girls and unfinished homework.
When he was young, he despised school, finding his classmates childish and impulsive. He thought he was extraordinary, destined to achieve great things. But now, he missed school very much, yearning for this childishness, enjoying this simple and pure life.
It was the first day of class after the class change, and Lu Li arrived at school early. He didn’t like to be the last one to sit down under the watchful eyes of many people. He liked to curl up in a corner, expressing his protest to the world with silence.
As teenage girls in uniforms entered the classroom one after another, Lu Li’s dusty memories were gradually awakened. Their names and personalities were picked up from the dust.
This was Chuanhai No. 1 High School, one of the top key high schools in the entire country of Shenzhou. Compared to other high schools in small towns that focused on science, Chuanhai No. 1 High School was undoubtedly an anomaly. Its main subjects were liberal arts – literature, art, music, politics, ethics, law… The reason was simple: many of the students here were children of wealthy businessmen and descendants of powerful officials.
They didn’t need to worry about jobs or employment. It was that simple.
“Special recruits” like Lu Li, who entered the school through the government’s talent development program, were relatively rare. In the entire Sophomore Class 1, besides him, there was only An Baili. Yes, An Baili was also an “ordinary person” who entered the school through the talent development program. Her family shouldn’t be well-off, but he heard that her parents used to be respectable people. He didn’t know why their family had fallen on hard times.
Lu Li sat alone by the window, gazing at the blue sky and the cotton-like clouds. A few white birds flew across the sky, and a flicker of envy flashed in his eyes. He liked birds, or rather, he liked the feeling of freedom. In Shenzhou culture, the image of birds had always been given a transcendent meaning, either referring to beautiful love, freedom, or a lonely and vast state of mind. In short, it was a romantic symbol, the impractical ramblings of a scholar.
The empty seats in the classroom gradually welcomed their new owners. There were especially many girls in this liberal arts class, and very few boys. But Lu Li rarely had unrealistic fantasies, because he knew that being able to sit in the same classroom was just a superficial phenomenon. On the surface, they spoke the same language, but in reality, they were two completely different creatures.
He was poor, they were rich, that was all.
This pessimistic thought had haunted him all his life, and even after being reborn, it was not easy to change. Although poor, Lu Li was ambitious. He was a determined person who wouldn’t be swayed by external things. In Zou Yameng’s words, he was sometimes as stubborn as an alien bull.
The class monitor arrived late. The seats in front were all taken, so she could only walk dejectedly to the back row. Lu Li didn’t think she was a scheming person, because her displeasure was written all over her face. High school students of this age, more or less, had their own pride and reservations. The class monitor was obviously not one of them.
She passed by the window, the colorful sunlight falling on her delicate face, as beautiful as a classical oil painting. The frown on her face actually added a touch of Lin Daiyu-esque delicateness. The next second, her perpetually furrowed brows relaxed because she saw Lu Li, who seemed to be in a world of his own.
Please don’t misunderstand, the class monitor wasn’t close to him. The reason she was happy was simply that she had run into a rare acquaintance in this unfamiliar class, which gave her a sense of security. One of the biggest misconceptions in life was that when a gentle girl smiled at you, you thought, “She likes me.” Lu Li was certainly not that kind of person. He smiled back at the class monitor, but his mind was on other things.
“The seat next to you…”
“It’s empty, please have a seat.” Lu Li pulled out the chair for her. He wished someone would sit in this seat, male or female, as long as it wasn’t An Baili.
“Thank you.”
She thanked him politely, smoothing down her skirt before sitting down gracefully. She was wearing shiny leather shoes and thick, well-fitting stockings that covered her slender legs. However, Lu Li didn’t like girls who were too thin. He liked them to have some meat on their bones, and that included their legs. So his gaze only lingered on her fair and beautiful legs for a moment before landing on her side profile.
It was a little embarrassing to admit, but he still couldn’t remember the class monitor’s name.
The lines of her side profile were beautiful. The curve of her full forehead flowed smoothly to her brow bone, then dipped gracefully at the bridge of her nose, drawing one’s gaze to her delicate nose. Lu Li thought she would look good in classical makeup, with a touch of pink at the corners of her eyes, holding a round fan and singing, “Why does the autumn wind grieve for the painted fan?”
Lu Li remembered that she seemed to have organized a talent show for their class in their freshman year. She played the flute at the party, but Lu Li couldn’t remember it clearly. He wanted to recruit the class monitor to his production team and have her be in charge of the music. This would be a difficult task, and the first step was to figure out her name.
Of course, he couldn’t just ask directly, that would be too rude – they had been classmates for a year, and he didn’t even know the class monitor’s name, that was too impolite.
His gaze lingered a little too long, and the class monitor’s neck flushed slightly. Her blush wasn’t the bright red of the lotuses in the southern ponds, but a light, lovely pink that started from her neck, spread slowly to her ears, until she couldn’t take it anymore.
“What are you looking at? Don’t… Don’t look at me like that.” Her tone was an attempt at being tough, but her flushed cheeks made Lu Li want to laugh. This class monitor was so innocent and cute that she couldn’t even bear to be looked at. Perhaps this was the unique shyness of a young girl?
It was understandable. Chuanhai No. 1 High School had a seriously unbalanced gender ratio, with far more girls than boys. Most boys wouldn’t attend Chuanhai No. 1 High School. They would have gone to the affiliated high schools of universities early on. The boys who stayed here were mostly the second sons who didn’t have the right of inheritance in their families. He thought mischievously, the class monitor must have never been in close contact with a boy before. If he suddenly grabbed her hand, he could probably scare her.
Of course, he didn’t do that in the end.
“Class monitor, can you play the flute?” It didn’t have to be the flute, he added silently in his heart.
“Yes. You didn’t know?” The girl’s eyes were a little surprised. She had organized that party very successfully, and her flute solo was also perfect. Lu Li should have known. Unless, Lu Li had slipped away halfway through that day. Thinking of this, the class monitor’s eyes sharpened.
“Lu Li, the new semester starts today. As your class monitor, I won’t indulge you like I did last semester. I will strictly supervise you. You are not allowed to skip class, you are not allowed to go online, and you must hand in your homework on time…” The blush on her face faded, gradually replaced by a hint of authority.
“Or what? Call my parents?” Lu Li smiled cynically, his tone a mixture of self-deprecation, mockery, and something else.
The class monitor looked at Lu Li’s expression, and something seemed to be touched in her heart. She remembered when she first entered high school and was elected class monitor. She was determined not to disappoint the expectations of her teachers and parents and to be a competent class leader. All the students came from respectable families and treated her with superficial respect, except for Lu Li.
He blatantly skipped class and often went to the computer room to tinker with something. She heard that he even had shady connections with people outside of school. At first, of course, she was angry. She tried to persuade Lu Li, but was met with his disdain and contempt. Humiliated and angered, she decided to use her trump card as class monitor: call his parents.
Calling parents was something teachers didn’t like to do. Because the students of Chuanhai No. 1 High School all came from extraordinary backgrounds, teachers rarely interfered in matters outside of their studies. The school implemented a system of student autonomy, so the class monitor had the right to call parents. It was because of this that the class monitor learned about Lu Li’s tragic life and gradually gave up on forcing him. Her naturally soft heart made her turn a blind eye to Lu Li.
“The second year is almost over, and the third year will be all about preparing for the college entrance exam. This year’s study load is very heavy. You can’t slack off like you did last year.” The class monitor was very serious. “Your family is not well-off, so you should study hard and try to get into a good university.”
Lu Li knew why he had always had a bad relationship with this class monitor. It was because she always managed to hurt his pride without holding back. She was clearly the same age as him, but she always managed to lecture him from a moral high ground, using the calmness of a superior to whip him and motivate him. It reminded Lu Li of an old ox in the field.
Of course, he wouldn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed by such words now. He just said lightly, “Then what about my college tuition? More than a hundred thousand yuan a year, I can’t earn that much working part-time during the summer vacation. I can’t afford college anyway, so why bother working so hard?”
The class monitor became anxious, “You can’t give up on yourself like this. You, you can apply for a student loan if you don’t have money, you can, you can participate in the targeted employment program.” Her voice became weaker and weaker because she knew that neither of these methods was realistic. Student loans were not something orphans without guardians like Lu Li could apply for. His actions had no legal effect, and as for the targeted employment program… Would Lu Li be willing?
So she had to change her approach.
“If you study hard in the next two years, I’ll ask my family to pay for your four years of college tuition. My mother listens to me, she definitely won’t refuse.”
Her eyes were shining, as if she really thought this was a brilliant idea, that saving a lost teenager was a great accomplishment for her.
Lu Li didn’t want to get too involved with her. Just because she was naive didn’t mean her parents were. He and the class monitor were not related. Why would her parents help a poor kid for their daughter? Maybe her parents were compassionate and understanding people, but Lu Li wasn’t.
“Actually, I have a plan to earn enough for tuition. I’ve been working on it since last year.” Lu Li finally revealed his fangs. “I’m making a game. If it sells well, I can easily earn enough for tuition. But I need someone who knows music, especially classical music.”
“…That’s what you were doing when you skipped class last year?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And what about your shady connections with people outside of school?”
“Those were fellow enthusiasts I contacted. Unfortunately, most of them were just half-baked amateurs. The few who were truly skilled wanted me to pay them.” Lu Li smiled bitterly. “Where would I get the money? I could only come to you, Class Monitor, hoping to exploit your musical talent for free.”
The class monitor’s chest puffed up slightly. She was a little proud of Lu Li’s compliment. Unfortunately, her chest wasn’t very impressive, so this action only made her look childish. Lu Li found it easy to deal with a girl like her – it was best to be honest when dealing with two types of people: the very innocent and the very intelligent. Being honest with the former would relieve a lot of pressure, while being honest with the latter would add a lot of pressure.
“Then I’ll agree to help you.” She agreed readily.
“Agree to what?” A voice Lu Li knew all too well rang out.
An Baili entered the classroom from the back door like a ghost. She wasn’t deliberately dressed up today. She was still the same old An Baili with her bangs, pigtails, and black-rimmed glasses. Her eyes, hidden behind the thick lenses, would occasionally dart towards Lu Li. An Baili once said that she wasn’t actually nearsighted. The glasses she wore were just plain glass that she had purposely thickened to avoid trouble.
As for what kind of trouble, Lu Li didn’t know. The student management at Chuanhai No. 1 High School was quite strict. There were rarely any conflicts between students on campus. An Baili couldn’t possibly be in any trouble.
“Hello, classmate.” The class monitor was obviously startled. “Are you also assigned to this class? My name is Chu Jingyi, nice to meet you.” The girl was so frightened that she was trembling. She was really timid.
She must have been terrified before the plane crash in her previous life, right? Thinking of that scene, Lu Li couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Although he didn’t like the class monitor, he didn’t want to see an innocent girl die in a disaster.
He silently repeated the name Chu Jingyi a few times in his heart, and a smile appeared on his face, “Hello, classmate, I’m Lu Li.” He pretended very well because he was a natural at putting on an act. Many times, the troubles encountered in life could be solved simply by pretending to understand or playing dumb.
But An Baili could always see through his disguise. And she always called him a heartless man.
Unfortunately, this time, An Baili didn’t expect Lu Li to retain the memories of his previous life. She said with feigned excitement, “My name is An Baili. Nice to meet you… both.” She hid it well, at least Chu Jingyi didn’t notice anything.
There was an empty seat in front of Chu Jingyi, but An Baili didn’t take it. Instead, she stared at Chu Jingyi and pretended to be troubled, “Sister Jingyi, I, my lungs aren’t very good, can I sit somewhere with better ventilation?” These words made Lu Li’s mouth twitch. An Baili, An Baili, you’re actually a year older than Chu Jingyi, right? How could you bring yourself to call her “sister”?
Chu Jingyi gasped and immediately wanted to get up and give up her seat, but Lu Li stood up first, “In that case, An Baili, why don’t you take my seat? I’m closer to the window, the air is better here.”
An Baili became a little anxious, “But it’s too cold over there.” It was such a lame excuse, only a fool wouldn’t see through it.
Chu Jingyi looked at Lu Li accusingly, “You want her to sit so close to the window and catch a cold? If she gets sick from the cold, every time… It’ll be very painful, don’t you have any empathy?”
Lu Li looked at her with pity, but he could only go along with Chu Jingyi’s words, “Oh, is that so? I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight. Then why don’t you take my seat, Jingyi, and let An Baili take your seat? That way, you can block the wind a little, and it’s easier for girls to look after each other.”
He deliberately called the class monitor “Jingyi” to discourage An Baili and make her give up. They had all been given a second chance, couldn’t they just live their own lives? Why did she have to stick to him like glue? His goal was indeed achieved, but it caused different reactions from the two girls.
Chu Jingyi’s ears turned pink again. She felt that Lu Li’s address was too frivolous, but she was too embarrassed to correct him in front of a third person. She was thinner-skinned than he had imagined. She was so assertive and confident when she was the class monitor, but now she was so easily embarrassed. It was really baffling.
An Baili, on the other hand, was much more interesting. She wanted to be angry but didn’t dare to show it. Her eyes darted between the two of them, her lips moving constantly, but she held back her words. Her acting was terrible, but only she and Chu Jingyi didn’t know it.
Lu Li took his bag and sat down in the empty seat in front of Chu Jingyi. He nodded and smiled at the unfamiliar girl beside him as a greeting, not expecting a response. He sat down straight and looked at the blackboard without squinting. An Baili didn’t get her wish in the end. She sat down angrily in Chu Jingyi’s original seat, making the class monitor wonder if she had said something wrong.
Although Lu Li sat upright, his mind was still on the two girls behind him. An Baili was indeed more scheming. She quickly adjusted her emotions and asked Chu Jingyi what she had agreed to with Lu Li.
When she heard that Lu Li had invited Chu Jingyi to be in charge of the game’s music production, the smile on An Baili’s face could no longer be maintained. That was supposed to be her place, one of the memories she shared with Lu Li. Where did this woman, who had already disappeared from his memory, come from?
Perhaps it was because of their unfortunate backgrounds, but Lu Li felt a natural closeness to An Baili. When she was ostracized and oppressed, it was Lu Li who stood up for her, took her for walks, taught her how to play the leaf flute, and told her that she was actually very beautiful. In their senior year, Lu Li braved the heavy rain and took her out of school just to show her the source of the rainbow after the rain.
For An Baili, the first sixteen years of her life were filled with dark clouds. The world was gray and dilapidated, and she couldn’t find any joy in life. She even had suicidal thoughts. But ever since she met Lu Li, he had become a ray of light that pierced through the dark clouds, making An Baili irresistibly drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
She knew that Lu Li didn’t love her that much, and she knew the real reason – the deeper reason that even Lu Li himself didn’t know. But she still couldn’t help but taste the poison called Lu Li as if she were sacrificing herself. Lu Li was hers, and hers alone. And she could only be Lu Li’s. No one, no matter who it was, was allowed to come between them.
No matter who it was, Zou Yameng, Chen Jianing, Wen Hupo, or any other random woman, they were all her enemies.
In a corner where Chu Jingyi couldn’t see, An Baili’s eyes turned cold and sharp. She had never shown this side of herself to Lu Li, not until the last minute of her previous life.
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