The sports day march-Bai Qingxia carrying the placard? [Please keep reading!]]
After saying that, Lu Yuanqiu lowered his head to look at the beautiful girl, meeting her gaze with smiling eyes.
Bai Qingxia looked away, seemingly lost in quiet thought. Her fingers tightened instinctively, but she could not bear to crumple the red banknote in her hand.
Seeing her still agonizing over it,
Lu Yuanqiu felt not exasperation, but heartache.
It was only fifty yuan, yet she seemed to be making a life-or-death decision.
He suggested, "How about this? Buy it first, and once sports day is over, sell the one you wore to me for twenty percent off."
Bai Qingxia gave him a puzzled look.
Lu Yuanqiu added with a serious expression, "Don't wash it. I want the original scent."
When Lu Yuanqiu returned home that evening, he found his parents sitting in the living room, looking at him with peculiar expressions.
Clearly, Lu Tian had already told his wife what had happened that day.
"Kid, if you don't make the top thirty-five in your class, I really will keep my word. That crush of yours will have to leave whether she wants to or not. You've seen how ruthless your dad can be."
Lu Yuanqiu gave a soft snort, not bothering to respond.
Su Xiaoya, however, seemed entirely unconcerned about that. She was curious about something else. "Lu, you said that girl was really pretty. Is that true?"
Lu Tian frowned. "Why would I lie to you? She looks like an angel. Who knew this brat's high school had such a gorgeous girl? It's damn strange. I never saw her at any of the parent-teacher meetings before."
"Let me go to our son's next parent-teacher meeting. I want to see her." Su Xiaoya was inexplicably excited.
She worked the night shift, which happened to keep her from seeing Bai Qingxia working at the supermarket in the evenings.
Lu Tian then asked his son curiously, "What does that girl's family do? With those looks and that bearing, she doesn't seem to come from an ordinary family. Why's she so short on money?"
Lu Yuanqiu shrugged and went to the water dispenser to get a cup of water, indicating that he did not know either.
Judging by Bai Qingxia's looks and bearing alone, no one would imagine she could not even afford a bread roll that cost one yuan.
Lu Yuanqiu really was rather curious about her family situation.
But that concerned the girl's privacy. Curious though he was, he would not pry too much. That would only backfire.
While drinking his water, he suddenly noticed that his little sister's bedroom door had opened a crack. The short-haired little girl was beckoning to him from inside.
"Big brother~"
Lu Yuanqiu entered Lu Yidong's room, and she immediately pulled him over to sit on the edge of her bed.
"What's up?"
Lu Yidong wore a coy expression, rubbing her two pale bare feet together by the bed. She hugged Lu Yuanqiu's arm and rested her little head on his shoulder.
"Big brother~ Big brother~"
"You're the best to Dongdong, aren't you~?"
In his previous life, Lu Yuanqiu might have broken out in goosebumps.
But after being reborn, all he could think was how much cuter little Lu Yidong was compared with the increasingly annoying sister she became as she grew older.
So her coaxing worked quite well on Lu Yuanqiu this time.
"What is it? Spit it out."
"Come to No. 65 Middle School tomorrow afternoon and attend my parent-teacher meeting for me, please~"
Lu Yidong bit her lip and asked shyly.
Lu Yuanqiu's expression changed. He pinched her cheeks and lifted her face. "What exactly is going on?"
Only then did Lu Yidong put on an aggrieved look. "I lied to Mom and Dad. I didn't make the top twenty in last semester's finals. Boo-hoo! Mom's going to spank my butt raw!"
In this household, Lu Tian disciplined only Lu Yuanqiu, while Su Xiaoya disciplined only Lu Yidong. The couple had a very clear division of labor.
"I have class."
"Just skip this once. It's not like you've never skipped before. Can you really bear to see your little sister's butt get beaten black and blue?"
Lu Yidong pouted, fluttering her big eyes as she pretended to look pitiful.
"All right, but just this once. Your brother really does intend to study hard. I have a target to meet too."
"Yay! You're the best!"
Lu Yidong happily rubbed her head against Lu Yuanqiu's arm like a clingy kitten.
Lu Yuanqiu smiled helplessly.
In this family, lying about grades was no less serious than falsifying military intelligence on the battlefield, so Lu Yuanqiu had always been honest. Last place was last place.
The next day.
During the long break between classes, Lu Yuanqiu saw Bai Qingxia walk over to the class monitor, Wang Haoran, with a hundred yuan. After giving him her size, she returned with fifty yuan.
Hu Caiwei glanced back, looking utterly surprised.
Bai Qingxia was joining the sports day march this time??
Did that mean the girl carrying the placard at the front would be replaced too?
Hu Caiwei turned back around, her brows furrowing uneasily.
At the sports day in their second year, she had carried the placard for Class 28. Walking at the front, Hu Caiwei had been utterly dazzling, and her personality made her particularly fond of being the center of everyone's attention.
But once Bai Qingxia joined the march...
Whether in looks or grades, she could not compare with her at all. The only thing she could probably compete on was her figure.
Hu Caiwei automatically assumed that Bai Qingxia kept herself so thoroughly covered every day because she had a poor figure.
After returning to her seat, Bai Qingxia suddenly said in a low voice to Lu Yuanqiu, who was reading, "Not selling."
Then she turned her head away, her earlobes red, and hid her delicate profile behind her upright book.
Lu Yuanqiu chuckled softly and continued reading.
During the second class that afternoon, Bai Qingxia noticed that the boy who shared her desk had not shown up.
Clearly, he had skipped class.
Lu Yuanqiu took off his school uniform and changed into a sweatshirt, then strolled toward the gates of No. 65 Middle School with both hands in his pockets.
It had been a long time since he had visited the school gates, and he could not help thinking of Overalls Uncle from back then.
After crossing the road, he really did spot that familiar figure beside the planted verge.
He was still sitting as straight as he had all those years ago.
Looking wistful, Lu Yuanqiu bought two lollipops from the little shop and headed over.
Lu Yidong had told him to wait outside the school gates first. She would come out to fetch him when it was time.
Perfect. Lu Yuanqiu planned to catch up with Overalls Uncle.
He sat down beside the planted verge, casually handed over one lollipop, and put the other in his own mouth.
"A lollipop!"
Overalls Uncle happily accepted it and thanked him. "Thank you!"
After turning toward him, he seemed to freeze for a moment before smiling in delighted surprise. "Little monk! Little monk!"
Lu Yuanqiu grinned. Sure enough, it was the same familiar nickname from back then.
He had worn a buzz cut since middle school, so Overalls Uncle had always called him Little Monk. It had been over two years since they had last met, yet he still recognized him.
"It's me."
Lu Yuanqiu answered.
But Overalls Uncle stopped paying attention to him and focused on unwrapping his lollipop. He seemed to be struggling, so Lu Yuanqiu took it and tore the wrapper open for him.
Seeing that, the man clapped happily. "So amazing! So amazing!"
Lu Yuanqiu could not help asking, "Uncle, you've been sitting here for years. What exactly are you waiting for?"
"For Xiaxia to get out of school."
He spoke in a childlike tone.
"School's getting out soon? There's still ages to go," Lu Yuanqiu replied casually.
Just then, an elderly voice came from behind him. "He's waiting for his daughter to get out of school, but he always forgets she's already in high school."
Lu Yuanqiu turned and saw an elderly sanitation worker. He stood up, about to offer him a cigarette, then felt his pocket. Right-he had been reborn.
He did not have a smoking habit yet.
"Sir, you know him?"
Lu Yuanqiu sat there and began chatting with him.
The elderly sanitation worker seemed to have some time to spare and sat down beside them too. "Of course I know him. His family's had such a hard time. Don't be fooled by how simple and muddled he is now. Back in the nineties, he was a successful businessman in his prime. He was loaded."
At that, Lu Yuanqiu glanced at the handsome Overalls Uncle, feeling rather surprised.
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