Vol 3 Chapter 3: The Foot-Picking Elf
Mulan City was one of the core cities in central Shenzhou. It had jurisdiction over nine districts, covering a total area of 5,600 square kilometers, with a permanent population exceeding 10 million. It was a megacity second only to Chuanhai City. Lu Li was no stranger to Mulan City, as he had spent his four years of university there in his previous life. As soon as he got out of the airport, there were staff members from the school to pick him up. The wealth of Chuanhai No. 1 High School was evident. As far as he knew, many students from other high schools who came to participate in the competition could only take the slow train and stay in youth hostels.
Besides the teachers, there were also a dozen or so boisterous students from Chuanhai No. 1 High School. They were well-spoken, well-dressed, and even the texture of their hairstyles seemed to hold some unknown meaning. They were typical children of privilege. Lu Li felt a strong sense of disconnect when interacting with them. He couldn’t even join their conversations. Although no one mocked him, the feeling of powerlessness, like a pebble dropped into a lake without making a ripple, was deeply ingrained in his bones.
At times like this, Lu Li missed Chu Jingyi. That girl was much more likable than these spoiled brats.
After checking into the hotel, several students discussed which bar to book for the night, and the teachers turned a blind eye. The parents of these students were either high-ranking officials or bank presidents, and they addressed each other as “Young Master” and “Miss.” How could the teachers control them? Then he heard someone say that their family had a property in Mulan City, with an underground garage filled with countless cars, and they invited everyone to go for a joyride that night.
Lu Li couldn’t stand it anymore and went back to his room alone.
Some people struggled to make a living in the low-rent district, while others indulged in luxury at the top of the world. The greatest sorrow between people was the inability to connect emotionally. You couldn’t empathize with me, and I couldn’t understand you. Even family members had their differences, let alone strangers?
He took out his textbook and reviewed the key points for the Academic Competition. When he saw the phrase “warm, fragrant jade,” he started missing the girls’ fragrance. He wondered what An Baili was doing at this moment. Was she dozing off in class again? Had she decided to let Lu Li support her for the rest of her life? What about Silly Goose? Was she taking attendance? Her ranking had dropped more than ten places in the last monthly exam. Although she didn’t say anything, Lu Li felt somewhat responsible.
His mind was distracted, and he couldn’t focus on the textbook at all. He simply got up and walked out of the hotel.
“Sir, do you need anything?” As soon as he went downstairs, he met the lobby manager, who was extremely enthusiastic. He looked at Lu Li’s Chuanhai No. 1 High School uniform as if it were the golden robe of a deity.
“I’m going to Mulan University.”
“Do you need us to drive you there?”
“No, thank you.”
“Have a pleasant day.”
Mulan University was where Chen Jianing studied. If he remembered correctly, she should have just started university and was having a falling out with her roommates, thinking about renting an apartment and living alone. This girl never seemed to get along with anyone, and she never thought it was her own problem.
It wasn’t difficult to find Chen Jianing. After years of knowing her in his past life, Lu Li knew her habits like the back of his hand. For example, when Chen Jianing was angry, she liked to find secluded and open spaces to be alone, often by the river. And she was angry twenty-five days out of the month, spending the remaining five days figuring out what excuse to use to get angry next time.
Truly the worst, worst girl.
While thinking about these disrespectful things, Lu Li boarded the bus to Mulan University. He didn’t need to enter the grand university campus. Just turn a corner and go to the canal next to the university, and he would definitely find a petite figure there.
His gaze scanned the sparse crowd, and Lu Li locked onto a barefoot girl by the river.
This girl, whom Lu Li considered the worst, was petite and delicate, only reaching his chest. She was tiny, not like a college student, but more like an underdeveloped middle school student. Her eyebrows were raised, her long hair messy and tangled, relying solely on her cute face to maintain whatever little charm she had. If Sister Yameng was an eagle and Chu Jingyi a swan, then Chen Jianing must be a tiger, not the majestic kind, but a clumsy little tiger that stumbled even when walking.
Chen Jianing sat barefoot on the grass by the river, her eyes distant. The gentle breeze blew fallen leaves around her, making her look like an elf in the wind.
Beautiful. Even Zhao Feiyan couldn’t compare.
If only she were mute. Lu Li thought to himself.
He hadn’t yet figured out how to start the conversation when he saw “Zhao Feiyan” rubbing her white and tender little feet with her hands, completely shattering the dreamy, elf-like aura. Could you imagine a girl squatting by the river and rubbing her feet? Even an old man doing that would be considered unhygienic.
Lu Li stood stiffly behind Chen Jianing, still able to hear the little tiger’s muttering:
“Where did this thorn come from? So inconsiderate, ugh…” Oh, so she was removing a thorn from her foot.
After examining her foot, Chen Jianing sniffed her hand. Not satisfied with one sniff, she sniffed again. Lu Li couldn’t help but cough lightly, interrupting the girl before she could do anything even more embarrassing. She was always someone who did whatever she wanted. Taking advantage of the fact that no one could see her here, she completely disregarded her image.
“?” Chen Jianing turned her head suspiciously and saw Lu Li. She instantly became nervous and reached for her shoes. “Who are you?”
She still had some sense of shame, becoming timid upon seeing a stranger. Lu Li actually felt a bit relieved. At least she wasn’t a hopeless idiot.
“You’re Chen Jianing?” Lu Li deliberately put on a stern face, his hands clasped behind his back.
Chen Jianing hurriedly put on her shoes. “I’m not Chen Jianing, you’ve mistaken me for someone else.” She was quite cunning, not stupid at all.
“Why did you take off your shoes here?”
“…”
“Do your own feet smell good?”
Chen Jianing’s face instantly flushed red. She was socially awkward and not good at interacting with people. No, it wasn’t entirely accurate to say she was socially awkward. She was afraid of communicating with people, but when offended, she would lash out like a tiger, often hurting others because she couldn’t distinguish between jokes and malice. Over time, Chen Jianing became increasingly reluctant to interact with people and preferred chatting online. She wasn’t always socially awkward, but she chose to become so.
Lu Li, who had touched upon her sore spot, was now the one poking the tiger’s whiskers, albeit a little tiger’s whiskers.
“What do you want? Do I know you? If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
Despite being scared to death, she still managed to say those words with a straight face and attempted to walk past Lu Li, determined never to come here again.
But Lu Li shifted his body, blocking Chen Jianing’s path. “Did I say you could leave?”
“Are, are you crazy…?” Her voice trembled. “If you keep this up, I’ll call for help!”
Who would have thought that the tough guy who boasted online about being 1.89 meters tall, weighing 200 kilograms, and loving to lift weights would be such a timid little girl in reality?
“You got my game flagged for violation, and I’m here to settle the score. Orochimaru, remember me?” Lu Li revealed a malicious smile. This smile scared Chen Jianing so much that her face turned pale, and her eyes welled up with tears. “You, you really came?”
Leave a Reply to Akirei Cancel reply