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He pressed his lips together and said nothing more.

Lu Mingqian and Meng Jiu'an headed toward the shooting range. The others stood in a safe area to watch them compete.

Meng Xiu and Ji Qi had completely forgotten their earlier declarations about competing. Their eyes were fixed on the two spirited young men on the range.

Meng Jiu'an was bold and unrestrained; Lu Mingqian was gentle and refined. Both brimmed with energy and drive.

Meng Xiu sighed admiringly. "They're so handsome!"

"Both my younger cousins must be the most handsome boys at school."

Ji Qi said, "Of course they are."

"Our school has three boys everyone calls the most handsome..."

Meng Xiu caught on at once. "You're not about to say you're one of them, are you?"

Ji Qi straightened his back. "Of course I am."

Meng Xiu turned to Shen Baili. "Baili, he's making that up, right?"

Honestly, Ji Qi was handsome. He was the kind of guy who might not strike you as especially handsome at first glance, but looked better the longer you looked.

Unfortunately for him, Lu Mingqian and Meng Jiu'an were in a league of their own. They were handsome at first glance and only grew more so.

Ji Qi also liked hanging around the two of them, which made him easy to overlook at first.

Ji Qi, Meng Jiu'an, and Lu Mingqian were all well-known at school, but Shen Baili paid no attention to such things. She had no desire to discuss them, either.

So she shook her head. "I don't usually pay attention to that."

She had not answered Meng Xiu's question directly.

Ji Qi was not surprised by her answer. Instead, he supplied an explanation. "Suìsuì's always busy studying and taking part in competitions. When would she have time for that?"

He