Lin Luxi didn’t leave immediately. He waved to Chris and Qin Hao. “You two go ahead. I’ll wait here for him.”
As the two walked away, Lin Luxi went to the vending machine and got a few bottles of drinks. He carried them in a paper bag and stood by the cafeteria entrance, waiting.
The cafeteria was still crowded, with students coming and going. Many paused when they noticed Lin Luxi.
By now, Lin Luxi was arguably the most famous person on campus, rivaling even Yue Xinghe in popularity. Most of this attention stemmed from his questionable character and underhanded methods, but a small portion came from those who admired his looks.
They might look down on his character, but they had to admit his appearance was undeniably striking. Those lashes were so thick and long, was he the embodiment of a lash god?
But any flicker of attraction sparked by his looks quickly faded when they recalled his personality.
“What’s he doing here?”
“I saw Chris and Qin Hao leave earlier, and Yue Xinghe isn’t around. You don’t think he’s here to ambush Gao Keyun, do you?”
“He’s been pretty low-key the past couple of days. I thought he’d given up, but it looks like he’s still obsessed. But there’s no way Miss Gao would ever be interested in him.”
Whispers buzzed around him. Lin Luxi squinted, soaking up the sun, not paying attention to what they were saying. Even if he had heard, he wouldn’t have cared.
With that kind of time, he’d rather bask in the sun and take in the world.
Ordinariness was more precious than anything.
Lin Luxi tilted his head back to look at the sun, stretching his hand out into its warmth.
It was warm.
He thought of the male lead, who carried a warmth reminiscent of sunshine.
Lost in thought, he barely registered a girl coming down the stairs. She stumbled, missed a step, and lurched straight toward him.
His mind was blank, lost in thought, but his body had long since developed instincts from years of being in dangerous situations.
The moment he heard the commotion, he moved swiftly, dodging without much effort. Snapping back to reality, he realized it was a girl and that it had been an accident. With a sharp twist of his lean, powerful waist, he redirected the kick he had already launched, narrowly missing her head and shattering the cafeteria’s glass door instead.
“…”
The crowd fell silent. The students who witnessed it could hardly believe their eyes. One skeptical student tried to kick the same door and ended up hopping away in pain, clutching their foot.
Lin Luxi withdrew his leg with an unchanged expression. Looking at the girl, who was still sitting on the ground, whether from fear or because she had twisted her ankle, he asked, “Are you okay? Can you stand?”
The girl was stunned for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She tried to stand up, only to hiss in pain and sink back down. Her delicate face turned pale, and she smiled ruefully. “I think I twisted my ankle.”
Lin Luxi nodded and tapped on his light-brain. “Don’t worry. I’ve called the medical team. Someone will be here soon.”
The girl was dumbfounded. Here she was, a stunning, pitiable beauty who had just twisted her ankle right in front of him. She had even adjusted her short skirt to perfectly display her long, fair legs. And not only did he not spare her a glance, but he also called the medical team. Was he for real?!
Wasn’t this the perfect moment for a princess carry to the infirmary, followed by him personally tending to her injury and the beginning of a romantic campus love story?
Noticing her prolonged silence, Lin Luxi waved a hand in front of her face. “Does it hurt a lot?”
The girl started to shake her head but quickly stopped herself and nodded vigorously, afraid he’d misunderstand.
Lin Luxi crouched down. Just as her expectations began to rise, he smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll stay with you until they get here.”
Crash, the sound of something shattering.
Upstairs in the second-floor restroom, the door was locked. Behind it, faint sounds of retching could be heard, followed by the rush of water from the faucet, and then the hum of a hand dryer.
Moments later, the door opened, and Yue Xinghe stepped out. He appeared unchanged, save for slightly damp bangs, red-rimmed eyes, and a few droplets of water clinging to his lashes.
As he reached the cafeteria entrance, Yue Xinghe paused at the sight of a familiar figure. As if sensing his presence, the person turned around and greeted him with a smile brighter than flowers in full bloom. “They went ahead. I stayed behind to wait for you.”
Yue Xinghe stood still, watching Lin Luxi. For a moment, his expression was unreadable, stripped of all emotion.
Lin Luxi’s smile faded slightly. “What’s wrong?”
Yue Xinghe stepped closer, his gaze falling on the girl sitting on the steps. “And this is?”
The girl shivered for no apparent reason. She’d heard people say Yue Xinghe was gentle, but why did that look feel like a laser sword about to slice her in half?
Lin Luxi responded with an “Ah” and said, “This classmate fell. It’s fine, the people I called are already here.”
In the distance, a round, plump medical robot waddled over. Its cold mechanical arm scooped the girl up like a rabbit and placed her into the basket in front of its large belly, making it look like a kangaroo.
As she was carried off, Lin Luxi called out his final words: “Remember what I said. Girls should practice martial arts too. That way, you won’t trip on flat ground next time.”
The girl’s lips twitched. Once out of sight, she gave a little push and hopped down from the robot, landing safely on her feet.
After dismissing the medical robot, she pouted and pulled out her light-brain to report the failure of Mission A, Phase One, to her employer.
Meanwhile, after paying for the broken glass, Lin Luxi walked with Yue Xinghe to the competition venue.
After the two left, the students in the cafeteria who had been speculating whether Lin Luxi was still hung up on Gao Keyun felt their faces sting. They exchanged glances, a wave of awkwardness settling among them.
As they walked, Yue Xinghe suddenly spoke up. “That girl earlier wasn’t injured.”
Her legs were perfectly fine.
Lin Luxi smiled, his eyes crinkling. “I know.”
Walking backward, he added, “She’s a girl, after all. I had to spare her some dignity.”
Yue Xinghe glanced at him. “You’re quite considerate.”
“Naturally.”
Lin Luxi pulled a carton of milk from his bag. “Here, I got this for you. Last time you treated me to milk, so now it’s my turn.”
Yue Xinghe paused for a moment, then took the milk.
Having just thrown up, his throat was indeed a bit uncomfortable, and his stomach wasn’t feeling great either.
The warmth in his hand suddenly felt strangely hot.
He fixed his gaze on Lin Luxi’s silver head, thinking of his radiant smile, and lazily narrowed his eyes.
So far, this little spy hadn’t done anything to harm him. Perhaps it was better to wait until he actually made a move before taking him down?
They went to the restroom first to watch the others’ matches.
In the afternoon, Chris took the stage. Shortly after her match ended, it was Lin Luxi’s turn.
The last time he competed, the audience had dismissed his victory as pure luck, refusing to believe he had any real skill.
If he were truly capable, why wouldn’t the school have accepted him?
If he could make it on his own merit, relying on his own talent, he wouldn’t have needed Yue Xinghe’s help.
This time, the atmosphere was even more intense than in the previous match.
The audience’s negative feelings toward Lin Luxi had reached a boiling point. They couldn’t wait to see him beaten to a pulp, his ribs broken, writhing in pain and tears.
Only that would release the pent-up frustration inside them.
And if the result didn’t go as they hoped, their fury would turn on Lin Luxi’s opponent, tearing them down until they were crushed. It was said that Lin Luxi’s last opponent was still feeling disheartened, struggling to recover their mentality after being so heavily criticized.
This time, Lin Luxi approached the stage the same way he had before, slowly, unhurriedly. He placed his hands on the edge and climbed up.
But unlike last time, his opponent this round was a girl.
The moment the audience saw who he was facing, not only did Lin Luxi freeze for a second, but the entire spectator stands erupted.
“Damn, what kind of luck does Lin Luxi have? Last time he got lucky and won, and now his opponent is a goddess? I’m so jealous.”
“On the lemon tree sit lemons, under the lemon tree sit you and me. Today, we’re all lemons.”
“I heard Lin Luxi has been deeply in love with Miss Gao for a long time. Is he really the son of Lady Luck herself? Because he likes her, she’s personally setting them up?”
“There’s no way Lin Luxi is winning this one. Who can bring themselves to strike the person they love? Damn, I bet a few thousand on him winning this morning. Oh no!”
That’s right, in this advancement match, Lin Luxi’s opponent was none other than Gao Keyun, the person the original owner had been in love with.
As one of the male lead’s love interests, Gao Keyun was not only beautiful and exceptionally well-proportioned but also came from a powerful background. She was the daughter of an Alliance high official, a family with real influence and privilege. A true aristocratic lady.
Someone like her would never have looked twice at the original owner. When he had mustered the courage to confess, she had rejected him cleanly and decisively.
Shortly after, the original owner noticed that Gao Keyun seemed to treat Yue Xinghe differently. Not long after that, when Zheng Jun reached out to him, he agreed to the deal.
Who knew the original owner was such a romantic?
Lin Luxi looked Gao Keyun up and down and nodded to himself. She did indeed have the charm to make someone fall for her.
But the way he was earnestly observing her, in Yue Xinghe’s eyes, was interpreted as lingering affection.
However, this Lin Luxi was not the original Lin Luxi. Or did they share the same taste? Had the little spy also fallen for her at first sight?
Yue Xinghe’s eyes cooled slightly.
A smile curved on his lips, but his gaze toward Lin Luxi on the stage narrowed.
Had Qin Tian been slacking off these past few days? Why hadn’t the plan been carried out yet?
Pay cut! Extra training!
On the stage, even Gao Keyun herself assumed Lin Luxi still had feelings for her. She lifted her chin, her expression one of disdain and contempt, as if even looking at him would sully her.
Then she noticed Yue Xinghe watching. Mistaking his gaze for attention toward her, her cheeks flushed with spring-like warmth, her eyes shimmered, and she began sending him flirtatious glances.
Sensing the commotion, Lin Luxi turned around and immediately spotted Yue Xinghe. He waved enthusiastically at him, flashing a wide, bright grin.
In the contestants’ seating area, Yue Xinghe paused for a moment. He turned off his light-brain, which he had only just activated moments ago, and rested his right hand over his forehead, lowering his gaze.
Yes, the sunlight today was a little too bright.
Author’s Note:
Receiving the milk:
Yue Xinghe: Never mind. Tell Qin Tian to postpone the plan.
Thinking Lin Luxi likes Gao Keyun:
Yue Xinghe: Why hasn’t the plan been carried out yet? Pay cut!
Yue·Indecisive·Xinghe, this is how he wavers back and forth!