All right, employee Bai Qingxia, time to get to work [third update]
Bang!
The shot landed, slamming heavily into the grass on the field.
The teacher in charge of measuring hurried over, only for his expression to turn odd. He straightened and called out, "18.03 meters!"
Wang Ping was stunned. "What? One centimeter farther than Jiao Jiao?!"
With Jiao Jiao's build, throwing eighteen meters was understandable. After all, even the world champion's record was only twenty-something meters.
But Lu Yuanqiu had actually beaten Jiao Jiao?!
Even winning by a centimeter was still winning!
Wang Ping gave Lu Yuanqiu another astonished look. He hadn't expected the boy to be so gifted at sports.
Being good at long-distance running was one thing, but he was no slouch at shot put either.
Hearing the result, Lu Yuanqiu pumped his right fist excitedly. "Yes!"
He quickly turned to look at Bai Qingxia in the distance, pointing at her and giving her a thumbs-up as though all the credit belonged to her.
The girl smiled shyly.
Lu Yuanqiu liked seeing her smile.
And Bai Qingxia only smiled at him.
Holding his school uniform, she turned and saw the others applauding, then hurried to join in with her little hands. Even clapping seemed unfamiliar to her. Her fair, delicate hands never caught up with everyone else's rhythm, her applause completely out of sync.
Liu Wei exclaimed in delight, "Well done, Lu Yuanqiu!"
Gao Qiang said, "Fucking awesome!"
Su Miaomiao said, "Amazing!"
Beside Su Miaomiao, Zhong Jincheng nodded with a look of utter defeat. "Fine, fine, fine. Fine, fine, fine... you're amazing. You're amazing."
The students nearby who weren't from Class 28 also began applauding. With that result, Lu Yuanqiu was certain to take first place in shot put.
In the next event, the long jump, Lu Yuanqiu once again secured first place under Liu Wei's threats and bribes.
School let out that evening.
There were no evening study sessions during the sports meet. Bai Qingxia needed to go home first, so Lu Yuanqiu headed to the Four Seasons Fresh Supermarket alone.
"Accidentally took first place in three events at the sports meet."
Walking into the supermarket, Lu Yuanqiu casually placed three gold medals on the checkout counter in front of Lu Tian, then headed toward the fridge.
Lu Tian snorted, watching his son's retreating figure. "What's so impressive about winning at a sports meet? Does it get you extra points on the college entrance exam? Don't forget the monthly exams the day after tomorrow, or what we agreed on."
Despite what Lu Tian said, he wasn't going to send Bai Qingxia away. From the moment he'd seen her kneeling between the shelves to clean up that mess on her first day, he'd never intended to get rid of the girl again.
He even wanted her as his future daughter-in-law.
When it came to a daughter-in-law, Lu Tian didn't care about her family background.
He didn't need her family's connections to pave the way for his son. Although he was just a lousy supermarket owner, Lu Yuanqiu's three uncles were powerful enough.
As the only boy in his generation, Lu Yuanqiu was doted on by all his uncles. Even the lucky money he received at New Year amounted to tens of thousands.
His eldest and second uncles were executives at a listed company, while his third uncle wore one of those government-official jackets. As the fourth brother, Lu Tian was just a useless supermarket owner whose sole contribution was having a son.
Perhaps that was why Lu Yuanqiu had always neglected his studies and behaved like a delinquent.
But Lu Tian knew his son. Though the boy was a troublemaker, he was kindhearted and had a strong sense of justice.
The task his three brothers had given him was to do everything he could to raise Lu Yuanqiu into someone with at least a bachelor's degree, earned honestly.
That would make paving the way for Lu Yuanqiu's future easier.
Who knew Lu Tian would be so useless! He couldn't even handle that little task.
The uncles had already lowered their expectations to a second-tier university, but looking at Lu Yuanqiu's current grades, they could only sigh and shake their heads. Even that hope would probably be hard to fulfill.
That was why Bai Qingxia looked so wonderful to Lu Tian now. She was his savior!
Because this girl could motivate his son to study!
Just look at that. Wonderful! Lu Tian no longer had to fear his three brothers pointing in his face and calling him useless at family gatherings.
He knew his son cared deeply about this girl.
When a boy started applying himself and studying hard during his school years,
eighty percent of the time, it was because there was a girl up ahead leading him onward.
Boys were just that simple and uncomplicated.
Like fucking paramecia.
Lu Tian might have been useless, but he understood that truth deeply.
If his wife, Su Xiaoya, hadn't encouraged him back then, he wouldn't even have scored thirty-seven out of a hundred. At best, he would have managed twenty, just like Lu Yuanqiu.
Picking up the three gold medals from the checkout counter, Lu Tian put them into his leather bag and casually asked, "Where's Xiaoxia? Why didn't you come back together?"
Lu Yuanqiu took a drink from the fridge and leaned against the door as he drank. "She went home first. She'll come over later."
Lu Tian nodded and asked curiously, "Do you know what her family's situation is like? Does she have any siblings?"
Nothing else worried Lu Tian. He was only afraid Bai Qingxia might be the sort who sacrificed everything for her younger brother.
Lu Yuanqiu shook his head. "I don't know."
"You little punk. You care so much about her, so why don't you ask?"
Lu Yuanqiu screwed the cap back on, gazed steadily at the road outside the supermarket, and said, "Old man, when you're a student, everyone has an invisible protective shell around them. Some have one, some don't. Some are thick, some are thin. They protect the vulnerabilities each person cares about. Get too close, and once the shell breaks, the person breaks with it."
Seeing his father's completely baffled face, Lu Yuanqiu chuckled and shrugged. "Of course, a rich kid like you never had that kind of shell. You could sail through your school years without a care in the world. Whichever part you look back on, it's all happy memories."
Lu Tian froze.
He couldn't help asking, "Which book did you copy that from?"
Lu Yuanqiu pointed his thumb at himself with a perfectly straight face. "Straight from the authentic collected sayings of Lu Yuanqiu!"
Seeing Lu Tian slowly reach toward a clothes hanger, Lu Yuanqiu hurriedly gave an awkward laugh. "Heh-heh, I'm off to work."
After dinner, Bai Qingxia came to the supermarket.
After greeting Lu Tian, she walked straight over to Lu Yuanqiu, who stood beside the shelves, and gently tugged his clothes from behind with her little hand.
He turned around and smiled. "You're here?"
"There's something I want to ask you," Bai Qingxia said.
"What is it?"
The two returned to the corner they'd used before.
Beside the checkout counter, Lu Tian abruptly sat up in his rocking chair, brought over some sunflower seeds, and watched the security feed curiously.
Bai Qingxia stared at the boy and asked earnestly, "What are you planning to do?"
Lu Yuanqiu replied:
"Oh, have a late-night snack in a bit. Maybe take a dump. I usually hit the toilet after a late-night snack, then find a rebirth novel to read. If I get reborn someday, it might serve as a guide..."
Bai Qingxia frowned, her voice urgent. "I mean, what are you planning to do to those girls?"
Hearing that, Lu Yuanqiu paused, then smiled. "Nothing. I just threatened them a little so they wouldn't cause trouble again. Anyone who hangs with the rough crowd at No. 7 Middle School has definitely heard my name. They know not to mess with me."
As if he would do nothing. Lu Yuanqiu would make sure those girls knew exactly who they'd messed with.
Of course, that would have to wait until after the monthly exams. Lu Yuanqiu's new identity was that of a good student now.
"Really?"
Bai Qingxia lifted her head, her beautiful eyes scrutinizing the boy.
Lu Yuanqiu said, "Really."
Seeing her expression ease a little, Lu Yuanqiu smiled and asked, "It'll be almost National Day by the time the exams are over. What are you planning to do?"
Bai Qingxia lowered her head. "Work."
Lu Yuanqiu looked up at the security camera. His father at the checkout counter ducked his head and rubbed his eyes like someone caught doing something guilty.
Lu Yuanqiu casually recited a line from King of Comedy to the girl. "Could you not work?"
He wondered if she'd seen the movie.
Almost instantly, Bai Qingxia supplied the next line in her mind:
If I don't work, will you support me?
But she knew she would never be able to say that line aloud.
The girl lowered her head in disappointment. "No."
Maybe she hasn't seen the movie. Of course, even if she has, she wouldn't say the next line... Lu Yuanqiu murmured inwardly, then turned around. "We'll see when the time comes. Maybe I can take you out somewhere."
"All right, employee Bai Qingxia, time to get to work."
.sp
Huh? Did none of you ever have a youth? (doge)
Three updates, you old geezers. Cough up some monthly votes!