Li Qingqing's steps noticeably paused.
She certainly hadn't expected Lu Jingxiu to attend class.
This person had never set foot in a classroom before, his social life far richer than campus life. His sudden appearance here today could only mean he was looking to cause trouble for her and Chen Xinghai; she couldn't think of another possibility.
After all, knowing her ex-boyfriend, he couldn't possibly swallow this kind of insult.
She pursed her lips, turned her head slightly, and whispered to Chen Xinghai, "You know his temperament. Whatever he says later, don't get into a conflict with him."
She was worried Chen Xinghai would suffer.
Chen Xinghai glanced at the back row, his expression unchanged, even quite relaxed, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. We aren't really dating anyway. Once this is over, I'll explain everything to him."
Li Qingqing couldn't help but roll her eyes.
She thought, how could someone be so naive?
Of all people to explain to, you choose Lu Jingxiu?
Even if you told him the whole truth, would he listen to a single word?
Moreover, in his mind, the fact that you 'stole' his ex-girlfriend is right there. He won't care about the truth or any other reasons.
Never mind explaining, she could already imagine Lu Jingxiu slamming the desk and standing up the next second, announcing at a volume that could wake half the building, "Li Qingqing is mine."
Then he'd storm over to grab her wrist, the two of them would start a public scene, the whole class would watch, someone would record a video and upload it, and it would become the next episode of a campus drama.
She was already getting a headache in advance.
The two of them walked to the other side of the classroom, choosing a seat diagonally opposite Lu Jingxiu.
Chen Xinghai sat down and started flipping through a book, looking as relaxed as if nothing would happen. Li Qingqing felt this partner was utterly unreliable.
Then, something unexpected happened.
Lu Jingxiu just glanced at them, then withdrew his gaze, returning to the book in front of him.
Was that it?
Li Qingqing blinked, a bit taken aback.
Others in the classroom were also stunned.
A few girls in the front row, who were waiting for a show, exchanged glances, their faces full of "this isn't how the script was supposed to go."
Someone whispered, "What's going on? Why didn't he react?"
"That's not like him."
"He saw, he clearly looked at Li Qingqing."
Discussions rose and fell in various corners of the classroom, but Lu Jingxiu never looked up, continuing to quietly read as if the others' presence had nothing to do with him.
A few girls were unwilling to give up.
They had been expecting a big scene, hoping for a fight that would last three days and nights on WeChat Moments and confession walls.
And it just passed so peacefully? How could they stand it?
One girl with a ponytail pursed her lips, lowering her voice to speak up for Lu Jingxiu:
"Li Qingqing is too much, isn't she? She broke up with someone less than half a month ago and turned around to be with Chen Xinghai. Isn't that just fickle? Lu Jingxiu must be heartbroken, pretending like nothing's wrong."
The girl next to her immediately chimed in, "Right, I always said Li Qingqing wasn't that simple. Look at her acting all aloof, pretending. Lu Jingxiu treated her so well, and she just dumped him for the next guy. Women like that... huh."
Her tone carried a standard hint of jealousy.
If they could become the girlfriend of someone as wealthy, powerful, and handsome as Lu Jingxiu, they wouldn't have to try so hard anymore.
Lu Jingxiu silently turned a page, his heart unmoved.
As for the boys in the back row, their topic was even simpler.
They weren't interested in the details of the romantic entanglements, but they had the same opinion about Lu Jingxiu and Chen Xinghai.
They didn't like either of them.
Chen Xinghai came from a wealthy family, looked spirited, had a cheerful and generous personality, and was ridiculously popular among the girls.
And Lu Jingxiu, needless to say, had an even better family background than Chen Xinghai, was handsome, and although his reputation wasn't great, just sitting there, he overshadowed many others.
Yet these two, one was the ex-boyfriend of the Campus Belle, the other her current boyfriend, clearly dividing Li Qingqing, leaving everyone else as mere background.
So the boys in the back row shared a similar mindset: it would be best if the two of them fought, best if they both lost. No matter who got unlucky, they would enjoy watching.
Unfortunately, their expectations were also dashed.
Lu Jingxiu turned page after page, seemingly quite engrossed.
The class bell rang.
The professor walked in, and upon seeing Lu Jingxiu sitting in the back row, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes behind his glasses.
But the seasoned professor quickly regained composure, cleared his throat, and began the lecture.
This made the few people who occasionally glanced back at him even more incredulous. The Lu Jingxiu who never attended class not only showed up but also took notes seriously?
Was the sun planning to rise from the west and then crash to the ground today?
Li Qingqing also listened intently.
However, her attention involuntarily drifted several times to the quiet corner on the other side of the classroom.
There was no commotion, no expected anger, no cold, restrained face, and no sudden outburst.
Just one person, head down, pen scratching on paper.
She suddenly felt that this ex-boyfriend seemed somewhat unfamiliar.
The bell signaling the end of class rang, and Lu Jingxiu closed his book, stood up, and prepared to leave the classroom.
Seeing this, the students remaining in the classroom exchanged glances, their eyes filled with undisguised disappointment.
They had anticipated a whole class of drama, but nothing happened.
No desk slamming, no face-to-face confrontation, none of those adrenaline-pumping conflict scenes.
Lu Jingxiu just quietly attended a class, then packed his bag and left.
Left.
A few girls in the front row sighed and began packing their things.
This drama, in the end, was a bust.
Chen Xinghai, however, was in a good mood, shrugging at Li Qingqing with a smile, "See, I told you Brother Lu wouldn't do anything to us. Don't you know him? He looks fierce, but he's actually considerate of his friends."
Li Qingqing didn't say anything, just gave him a look that said, "Your understanding of the world might be a bit off."
But she was too lazy to explain to this naive guy.
Someone like Chen Xinghai, probably protected well all his life, had never truly been targeted, so he saw everyone through a lens of optimism.
"Let's go," Chen Xinghai stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, "As agreed, let's head to the girls' dormitory now."
Just as he finished speaking, a girl suddenly appeared at the classroom door.
She stood there, slightly out of breath, as if she had hurried over.
She reached out to stop the first boy walking out of the classroom, asking urgently, "Excuse me, is Lu Jingxiu a student in your class?"