Chapter 29: The Sports Meet
During the class meeting, the homeroom teacher, wearing a polo shirt and a jangling keychain at his waist, announced that the Chuanhai No. 1 High School spring sports meet would be held in mid-April, and each class was required to participate in at least seven events. Chu Jingyi was in charge of the arrangements.
Lu Li listened with disinterest. He hated two things: large, noisy crowds, and the sweaty smell of the sports field – except for Sister Yameng’s competitions, of course. Asking him to participate in the sports meet was like asking him to walk into an execution ground. Perhaps sensing Lu Li’s reluctance, the lovely Class Monitor called out the names of several boys, but spared Lu Li. There were already few boys in the liberal arts classes, and now they practically had to participate in every event. They weren’t athletes, they were beasts of burden.
Just as the boys were groaning, an unexpected figure appeared at the classroom door.
The blonde girl wasn’t wearing her usual white dress today. Instead, she was dressed like an ordinary student, in a dark green blazer and a dark blue plaid pleated skirt. Her usually flowing platinum blonde hair was neatly tied up. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but her skin was radiant.
“My goddess…” a boy murmured.
Why was Wen Hupo here?
Chu Jingyi asked, “Miss Hupo, is there something I can help you with? We’re in the middle of a class meeting.”
“I’m here for class,” Wen Hupo replied.
For, for class?
Silly Goose’s brain short-circuited for a moment. She suddenly remembered that Wen Hupo was, indeed, a student in their class. She had even won the Best Actress award for their class at the New Year’s Eve party.
“Uh… please come in then.”
Wen Hupo glanced at the class indifferently, her gaze lingering on Lu Li for a moment, then asked, “Where do I sit?”
Attending school for a whole semester and not even knowing where your seat is, only you could pull that off. Lu Li thought teasingly.
Chu Jingyi was also stumped. It seemed they had never assigned a seat to Wen Hupo or requested a new chair from the logistics department. So where should she sit?
The atmosphere became awkward. An eager boy stood up and offered his seat with a bow. “If you don’t mind, you can take my seat. My back is a bit sore, standing for a while would be good.”
“I mind.” Wen Hupo said flatly.
Lu Li couldn’t help but chuckle. These people didn’t know Wen Hupo’s personality. She was the typical aloof and arrogant girl, with a rich inner world but an impassive expression, always critical of everything. Most ordinary girls were emotional creatures. As long as you treated them well, they would reciprocate. Wen Hupo was different. She was rational and never appreciated others’ pity, not even for herself. She was like a flower growing on a cliff, beautiful from afar, but untouchable. But if you could reach the cliff, this exquisite flower would bloom only for you.
“Outstanding Representative.” She raised her voice.
Who? Who was Wen Hupo calling?
The students looked around, confused, not knowing who the new school beauty was calling.
“Outstanding Representative.” She called again.
Lu Li forced himself to respond. “Is there something I can help you with?” He didn’t like being the center of attention. An Baili raised her eyebrows and looked at Wen Hupo thoughtfully. Even the usually serious Chu Jingyi couldn’t help but look at Lu Li nervously. She didn’t know why she was nervous, but she felt a pang of jealousy.
This feeling was strange. A girl who was prettier, smarter, and more talented than her, suddenly calling out to her crush with a nickname in public… The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt.
She said quickly, “Hupo, you can take my seat. I’ll have someone bring a new chair after the meeting.”
“It’s fine, let the Outstanding Representative bring a chair. I’ll take his seat.” Wen Hupo said seriously, without a hint of jest.
“Is that okay?” The blonde girl looked at Lu Li, her delicate features dreamlike.
Are you crazy? Like Zhu Xi? Lu Li nodded helplessly. If they were alone, he would definitely tease Wen Hupo, but he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of so many people. He watched as Wen Hupo walked gracefully to his seat. Their eyes met briefly, and the girl’s gaze was complex, something Lu Li couldn’t quite decipher.
Zhu Xi was one thing. She had abandoned her persona as the Poison Princess and had been chatting with him online lately, talking about everything, even her personal life, making Lu Li want to turn himself in. He didn’t want to know when Zhu Xi had her period, what kind of fruit she liked, or the name of her first pet!
Wen Hupo was also acting strangely. Today, she was wearing the school uniform she used to despise and even barged into the classroom during the class meeting and declared that she wanted to attend class. What was she up to? Had she suddenly decided to become a good student, study hard, and contribute to the development of China after graduating from a Chinese university? Don’t be ridiculous, she wasn’t even Chinese.
Lu Li excused himself to the Class Monitor. “I’m going to the logistics department to get a new chair. Someone come with me.”
The boy who had offered his seat to Wen Hupo earlier volunteered and followed Lu Li out of the classroom.
As they walked to the logistics office, the boy spoke up. “Lu-dog—I mean, Brother Lu.” He was sweating profusely, having accidentally spoken his mind. He hoped Lu Li wouldn’t tell Chu Jingyi. A close friend of his had badmouthed Lu Li once, calling him a womanizer, and when Chu Jingyi heard about it, she gave him detention. He was still writing self-criticism essays every day.
“Hmm? What’s up?” Lu Li had heard him clearly, but he just smiled and pretended not to.
The boy breathed a sigh of relief. “Brother Lu, you already have two beautiful girls, An Baili and the Class Monitor. Can you spare some for the rest of us? At least let Wen Hupo escape your web? To be honest, I’ve liked her for a long time…”
Lu Li didn’t say anything. The boy, emboldened, continued, “Brother Lu, can you give me a chance?”
“If you like someone, then pursue her.” Lu Li said with a straight face. “Why are you asking me for permission? Are you a beggar? A man should do what he wants, why would he need to ask others? And Wen Hupo isn’t an object, I can’t just give her away.”
“But… but…” The boy was getting anxious.
“Indecisive and timid.” Lu Li looked at him. “Not just Wen Hupo, I doubt any girl in our class would be interested in you.”
“H-how did you know?” The boy blushed. “I’m not a scumbag like you, playing with girls’ feelings. I’m sincere!”
It was like talking to a brick wall. Lu Li curled his lip and didn’t bother saying anything more. It was a waste of time arguing with a teenager who still had acne. He would rather try to figure out what was going on with Wen Hupo.
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