naruto-story Chapter 42 Concern
Chapter 42 Concern
"Isn't this our 'corner overtaking guy'?"
……
"Hey Lu Yuan, I know you just want to treat your classmates to dinner after the college entrance exam? Even though we're in different classes, can I come over and mooch a meal too?"
……
"Lu Yuan, are you really planning to go head-to-head with Li Xian in terms of grades? You're simply... what's that saying again?"
"It's like throwing an egg against a rock, that's right, it's like throwing an egg against a rock."
……
As soon as the bell rang to signal the end of evening self-study, people along the way kept teasing Lu Yuan about it.
Gao Zhe, standing beside Lu Yuan, looked embarrassed as he listened. He waved his hand dismissively at those making jokes, saying, "Get lost, don't make fun of my brother Yuan."
But a few bolder boys, including Gao Zhe, started making a fuss: "Gao Zhe, did you participate in the betting? What score do you estimate you'll get on the college entrance exam?"
"You get out of my way too!"
Gao Zhe, with a stern face, forcefully drove away all the onlookers.
Within just a few hours, the news of Lu Yuan's bet with Li Xian, the top student in the grade, about comparing grades spread throughout the entire campus, and almost everyone knew about it.
Li Xian consistently ranks among the top 30 in his grade, and when he's in good form, he's even broken into the top 10. He's a true top student, and his name is always firmly etched at the top of the grade list in every major exam.
Almost everyone in the school knows him, and very few people dare to compete with him academically.
Lu Yuan was quite famous at school, but he never stood out because of his grades. Instead, he was known for being "devoted to love".
A womanizer whose mind isn't on studying openly challenges the top student who consistently ranks at the top of the grade?
To everyone else, this was clearly a suicide mission.
Many people feel that Lu Yuan has been acting increasingly strangely lately. He no longer pesters the bright and outstanding Xu Lingjing, but instead spends every day getting close to Ye Yixian. Now he's even bold enough to directly challenge Li Xian.
Despite the surrounding ridicule and mockery, Lu Yuan remained indifferent, as if these rumors had nothing to do with him.
Gao Zhe, who was standing to the side, was extremely anxious, but he still patiently comforted him: "Brother Yuan, don't pay attention to these people. After a few days, once the novelty wears off, they will naturally forget about it."
Ultimately, this was an internal matter of Class 5, and more importantly, a bet between Lu Yuan and Li Xian.
People are talking about it now, but they just find it strange and funny, and they're just joining in the fun. Once they're all focused on their exams in a few days, no one will care about it anymore.
Lu Yuan smiled faintly: "It's nothing. Don't you know how thick-skinned I am? I don't take these idle rumors to heart at all."
"well……"
Gao Zhe sighed deeply, but inwardly he thought to himself that Lu Yuan wasn't really indifferent; he was clearly frustrated and helpless, so he could only pretend to be nonchalant and calm.
But as a good friend, he didn't want to expose it, hoping that Lu Yuan could process these negative emotions on his own and not keep them inside, which would affect his condition.
On the other side, Ye Yixian and Wang Qingyu walked back to their dormitory together after class.
Seeing Lu Yuan being surrounded and mocked by a group of people from afar, Ye Yixian felt a pang of bitterness and heartache.
Wang Qingyu frowned, unable to help but sigh, "Sigh, Lu Yuan is just too concerned about saving face. He insists on comparing his grades with Li Xian's. This is really..."
She stopped mid-sentence, not wanting to say anything more because of Ye Yixian beside her.
Ye Yixian walked forward silently with his head down, his heart filled with guilt. His steps slowed down as he silently headed towards the dormitory building.
Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe bought grilled sausages and a bunch of snacks at the convenience store on their way back to the dormitory.
This is a twelve-person dormitory. Fortunately, the roommates are all close friends, and there are no people like Li Xian.
As soon as the two stepped into the dormitory, the previously noisy and laughing room instantly fell silent, and everyone cast complicated glances at them.
As classmates who spend every day together, they were unwilling to join outsiders in mocking Lu Yuan. After all, they had long disliked Li Xian's arrogant and self-serving attitude.
On a rational level, they all felt that Lu Yuan was too impulsive, and that betting his grades against top students on a whim was not a wise move.
Everyone watched Lu Yuan silently, their eyes filled with regret and sympathy. Almost everyone secretly believed that Lu Yuan was destined to lose this bet miserably.
Noticing the strange looks from everyone, Lu Yuan calmly curled the corners of his lips and joked, "Why are you all staring at me? Am I that handsome?"
"Hehe, Yuan-ge, you have to be handsome!" One of the boys quickly tried to smooth things over, and the others also calmed down and chimed in, "It's okay, Yuan-ge, we all support you! If Li Xian dares to use this to mock you in the future, we'll definitely help you find a chance to teach him a lesson."
"That's right, we absolutely won't spoil him!"
A group of people were instantly filled with righteous indignation and expressed their support for Lu Yuan.
Even though he couldn't tell whether everyone was genuinely supporting him or just making empty promises, Lu Yuan still smiled and thanked them. He then turned to Gao Zhe and instructed, "Take out the snacks you have and share them with the brothers."
"Okay!"
Gao Zhe immediately responded and handed out snacks such as spicy strips and braised eggs to everyone.
Although they are all inexpensive snacks, they are rare treats for boarding students.
Students living on campus know all too well that the food in the cafeteria is always bland and tasteless, mostly just enough to fill their stomachs, and there's no question of enjoying it. That's why the school store is always so popular.
"Thank you, Brother Yuan! Thank you, Brother Zhe!"
The roommates who received the snacks were all smiles and thanked them repeatedly. They secretly admired Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe for their generosity, saying that they would never be at a disadvantage if they shared a dormitory with them.
Lu Yuan had his own plans; he certainly wouldn't spend money on snacks to win people over for no reason.
The prices at the school store were already much higher than those at supermarkets outside the school, so his generosity was actually a deliberate attempt to win people's hearts.
Students who are inexperienced in the ways of the world are the easiest to get along with. They are pure and simple-minded, and even the smallest favor will be remembered.
He didn't intend to use his roommates for anything; rather, he planned to establish himself and solidify his position within the dormitory community.
Every circle needs a leader. In the next three months of preparing for the college entrance examination, he needs to firmly maintain his aura so that no one dares to disturb his study and life rhythm.
These snacks are just a small taste to let everyone know that there are benefits to befriending him.
Of course, if someone is not satisfied or harbors disloyal thoughts, he also has his own ways of dealing with them.
Fortunately, no one in the dormitory has shown any xenophobia or aloofness, which makes Lu Yuan very satisfied.
Just as Lu Yuan finished making his bed and was about to rest, his phone suddenly vibrated. When he picked it up, he saw that the caller was Ye Yixian.
He paused for a moment, then got up and walked to the dormitory corridor to answer the phone: "Hello, what's up?"
Ye Yixian's voice came through the phone, tinged with trepidation but with a resolute determination: "I'm downstairs in your dorm building. I shouldn't be in the wrong building."
Lu Yuan was genuinely surprised; he hadn't expected Ye Yixian to make a special trip to the boys' dormitory to find him.
He walked quickly to the railing in the corridor, leaned down and looked down, searching for figures below in the darkness.
Soon, a tall, thin figure could be seen standing by the flower bed not far away. The faint light from his phone illuminated his face, and he was wearing a large school uniform jacket. It was Ye Yixian with short hair.
"Why did you suddenly come to find me?" Lu Yuan asked with a gentle smile.
Ye Yixian was still looking around nervously. She didn't know which floor Lu Yuan lived on. In addition, it was the peak time for students to leave get out of class, and there were many students coming and going. She was afraid of being seen and causing gossip. She looked a little guilty and flustered, like someone who was doing something bad in secret.
"Could you come downstairs for a moment? I have something I want to tell you."
Ye Yixian lowered his voice and asked cautiously.
A gentle smile appeared in Lu Yuan's eyes, and he thought to himself:
Could it be that Ye Yixian was worried about him and concerned that he would be affected by the rumors, which is why he came to the boys' dormitory in the middle of the night?