I Really Can Ride a Bike!

I Really Can Ride a Bike!

September 12th, 5:00 p.m.

Xue Yuantong found it strange that Jiang Ning had not gone out all day.

She had clearly heard Jiang Ning come back last night before going to sleep, yet there had been no movement next door today, nor had there been the smell of cooking.

That meant Jiang Ning had not eaten all day.

Did he sleep in? she could not help wondering.

That did not seem right. Jiang Ning was a very disciplined man. Although he came home late every night, he always got up on time at dawn.

After not seeing Jiang Ning for an entire day, Xue Yuantong felt as though something was missing. Yet it also felt as though he was everywhere, because she was connected to Jiang Ning's Wi-Fi.

We have Evening Self-Study today. Did Jiang Ning forget? Should I call him?

Xue Yuantong suddenly remembered that she did not have Jiang Ning's phone number.

That was a little awkward. She had ridden in his vehicle for days and used his Wi-Fi, yet she had neither his number nor added him on QQ.

I'll ask him for it tonight.

Just as Xue Yuantong was making plans, Jiang Ning pushed open the door.

"Jiang Ning, did you sleep in?" Xue Yuantong asked.

Jiang Ning nodded. After refining the Qi Gathering Pill last night, dawn had not been far off. Then, while absorbing the pill's medicinal power to improve his cultivation, he had accidentally stayed up all night.

So he had simply slept until now.

"Have you eaten? I made dumplings. Want to try my cooking?" Xue Yuantong asked.

"Sure, sure."

"I haven't eaten either. Come with me."

Xue Yuantong was alone at home, and Aunt Gu was not around. Based on Jiang Ning's observations over the past two days, Aunt Gu seemed to have found work as a cashier at a restaurant in the city and did not return until after nine every evening.

Xue Yuantong cooked three servings of dumplings. She ate half a serving, while Jiang Ning ate two and a half.

Jiang Ning carried a folding table to the doorway and brought over two small stools.

Xue Yuantong mixed up a bowl of dipping sauce for the dumplings. The two sat around the little table, facing the sunset as they ate and talked.

"Jiang Ning, what's your QQ number?" Xue Yuantong asked first. She had never been one to beat around the bush.

Jiang Ning gave her his QQ number. After searching for it, Xue Yuantong saw that his QQ level had two moons.

Her own level was one sun and two moons, and she immediately felt as if she had won. In order to level up, she even used up her mobile data to keep QQ running in the background every day.

After Jiang Ning accepted her friend request, she saw his prestigious iPhone online status. The joy of her victory vanished at once, and even the dumplings in her mouth no longer tasted good.

Jiang Ning had no idea Xue Yuantong would compare such things. In the future, everyone would use WeChat, and QQ levels would not matter at all.

Only after Jiang Ning accepted her on QQ did he notice several messages in his list.

One of them had been sent by Shen Qing'e the day before yesterday: "Jiang Ning, are you going home during the holiday?"

Jiang Ning casually replied, "No."

She replied instantly, "Did you borrow someone else's phone?"

Shen Qing'e happened to be online. When she saw Jiang Ning's iPhone online status, she found it a little unbelievable. She knew Jiang Ning's family circumstances well. His parents were migrant workers who barely made any money in a year.

His parents could not possibly have bought him an iPhone. He must have borrowed someone else's phone just to log in and show off.

Jiang Ning glanced at it without replying, then logged out. After years of working in the future, he especially hated meaningless socializing. With that time, he might as well eat a couple more of Xue Yuantong's dumplings while they were hot.

After they finished the dumplings, Xue Yuantong ran off to wash the dishes.

Jiang Ning, meanwhile, popped a pill and sat on a small stool to cultivate.

On the way to school, faced with Jiang Ning's enthusiastic invitation, Xue Yuantong could not bring herself to refuse and "reluctantly" sat on the back of the Mountain Bike.

Jiang Ning thought the Mountain Bike his cousin Jiang Junlong had given him was quite good. It had a mudguard mounted at the back, along with an extra padded seat, making it especially suitable for carrying someone.

Xue Yuantong sat sideways, her slender calves swaying in the wind.

Jiang Ning was an excellent rider. No matter how she shifted around, the bike remained smooth and steady. Looking at Jiang Ning's back, she felt inexplicably at ease, as if no matter what danger appeared ahead, Jiang Ning would stand before her and keep her from harm.

The next moment, Xue Yuantong felt ashamed of that thought. She was Xue Yuantong, after all.

What a joke. Did she need anyone to protect her? "Jiang Ning, I'll ride you to school tomorrow." Xue Yuantong patted her chest and made the bold declaration.

"Better not. Aunt Gu said you can't ride."

Xue Yuantong froze, thinking absurdly, It's over. My mom betrayed me?

With Jiang Ning exposing her weakness, Xue Yuantong was terribly embarrassed. Had her image in Jiang Ning's eyes just dropped several levels?

No, when she got back tonight, she had to make things clear with her mother. She absolutely could not let her tell Jiang Ning everything! "She got it wrong. I just can't ride an Electric Bike, but I can ride a bicycle. If you don't believe me, get off. I'll ride one for you right now," Xue Yuantong argued.

"Really? This is the first time I've heard of someone who can ride a bicycle but not an Electric Bike," Jiang Ning said exaggeratedly.

Seeing Jiang Ning's shock, Xue Yuantong said with satisfaction, "Of course. I'm a little special."

"I'm super fast on a bicycle."

"I can do a 180-degree drift."

"I can do No-Hands Riding too."

"You know what no-hands means, right? No holding the handlebars, hands totally free."

"I can even do No-Hands Turning."

Xue Yuantong spoke with utter seriousness. Gradually, she even convinced herself.

Jiang Ning's head hurt just listening to her. "Oh? Then give it a try."

Xue Yuantong: ...Jiang Ning was so annoying.

In the end, Xue Yuantong found an excuse, saying that today was not a good day for riding, and muddled through it.

Yuzhou No.4 Middle School, a bench in the Small Garden.

Lin Zida handed the boy beside him a can of Red Bull and asked, "Wang Yong, you told me the day before yesterday that someone in your class got into a fight during Evening Self-Study in military training, right?"

"Yeah, Lin Ge. The one who fought was called Song Sheng. He got kicked flying. It was seriously intense." Even now, Wang Yong was still full of excitement when talking about it.

Lin Zida smiled. He had not seen it himself, so he did not feel it as deeply as Wang Yong did.

The reason he was asking about it today was that his cousin Ding Shuyan had asked him to help look into it.

Interestingly, after Song Sheng was sent to Third People's Hospital yesterday, Ding Shuyan asked Uncle Han at Third Hospital this morning. Uncle Han found an experienced orthopedic doctor to look into it, and the doctor told them that judging from the injury, Song Sheng's fracture had been caused by a blow from an object.

Lin Zida and the others found it unbelievable, because they had not seen anyone attack Song Sheng. After their surprise, Ding Shuyan asked Lin Zida to look into Song Sheng.

"You remember who fought Song Sheng, right?" he asked.

Wang Yong nodded. When he had previously told Lin Zida about it, Lin Zida had not cared who it was. Now that he suddenly asked, Wang Yong did not hide it.

"Jiang Ning from our class. He's pretty interesting. His military stance during training was especially standard—even Instructor Li praised him. Back then, we thought he was only good at standing in formation. Who knew he was so fierce in a fight?"

Wang Yong had a good impression of Jiang Ning. That day, Jiang Ning had stood up for a classmate, and Wang Yong had seen it all. He sincerely approved of that kind of righteous behavior.

Pretending to be interested, Lin Zida asked, "Did he have some conflict with Song Sheng? Why did they fight?"

"No conflict. That day, Song Sheng and Shan Kaixuan were fighting at the back of the classroom. Song Sheng knocked over several desks. That guy was seriously tough. I don't think an ordinary person could beat him. Later, they were pulled apart, and the matter should have been settled."

"But then Jiang Ning stepped up and told Song Sheng to apologize to the classmates whose desks he had knocked over. Then they started fighting—or rather, Song Sheng got beaten one-sidedly. After Song Sheng was kicked down, Jiang Ning did this."

Wang Yong grabbed a handful of grass from the ground and lifted it lightly.

"Jiang Ning just yanked him straight up. It looked painful."

Lin Zida imagined the scene and felt uncomfortable all over.

"Help me ask tonight whether Jiang Ning and Song Sheng had any other conflict," he instructed.

Wang Yong had no objections. His family lived in the Compound, but they were only among the lowest-ranking group.

Lin Zida, on the other hand, was absolutely at the top. Wang Yong had always wanted to join their circle, but he could never get in. Now that Lin Zida needed his help, Wang Yong could not have been happier. Although first-year high school students were only fifteen or sixteen, they were not stupid. Those with more experience could be just as mature as adults. Having grown up in the Compound and absorbed its ways from an early age, Wang Yong had long understood how the world worked.