Chapter 23: Chapter 23: Why Should I Run?
Bought!
Sun Li really bought it!
Zhao Yi stared at the milky drink on the table, unsure of what facial expression to make.
Laugh? Or cry?
Lin Xiaoqing laughed.
She was laughing so hard that she was gasping for air, while at the same time gloating, "A girl bought you a drink and you're not happy?"
"What kind of face is that?"
"Oh right, I owe you two things, Sun Li has paid one back for me, only one left!"
Zhao Yi retorted threateningly, "One, is still too much!"
Lin Xiaoqing sat down unconcernedly, half leaning on Zhao Yi's desk and said, "Why not consider Sun Li? I can tell, she's into you."
"Seriously, when we were on the bus, her eyes kept drifting in your direction while talking to Teacher Wang."
"Impossible!" Zhao Yi's expression remained wooden.
"Why not? I'm pretty accurate with these things!" Lin Xiaoqing said assertively.
Zhao Yi interrupted, "I'm not saying it's impossible for her to like me; I'm filled with charm from head to toe, it's normal for women to like me."
He said, flicking his hair vigorously, "I'm saying, a relationship is impossible. We're in the final year of high school now, all we should do is study, study, study!"
"Psh! Shameless!"
Lin Xiaoqing rolled her eyes dramatically, "I just figured out, you're so thick-skinned!"
"You'll get used to it."
There's no self-study session in the evening during the weekends.
School ends in the afternoon.
Zhao Yi asked Sun Liang to go to the internet cafe with him, but was ruthlessly rejected.
"I told you, I need to study!" Sun Liang was adamant, "I won't go to the internet cafe unless I rank top five in the entire school."
"You just want the MP3, right?"
Zhao Yi smirked, left with no choice but to go alone.
Going to the cafe alone was lonely. After earning six Study Coins, he left the internet cafe. It was still early when he looked at the time.
The lights in the distance were dazzling.
Zhao Yi withdrew some money from an ATM, decided to buy two MP3s at the mall.
Sun Liang has always wanted an MP3. Since he has the money, he might as well gift him one and keep the other one for himself to earn 'Art Coins' every day.
Afterwards, he started wandering around.
Malls from decades ago were relatively monotonous, most of the shops sold clothes and shoes. It was hard to find an interesting shop.
Zhao Yi went straight to the fourth floor to check what movies were showing.
When he was in his last year of high school, he had to budget his money even for internet cafe visits. Money for movies was an extravagant expense, he would instead rent some CDs to watch at home.
But now, he had money!
At the entrance of the cinema, Zhao Yi spotted a familiar figure and uncertainly called out, "Lin Xiaoqing?"
It was indeed Lin Xiaoqing.
Seeing Zhao Yi took her by surprise. She noticed the bag he was carrying and quickly said something she thought they had in common, "You enrolled for the night tuition classes too? No wonder your grades have improved so fast."
"——??"
Zhao Yi didn't understand.
Lin Xiaoqing grabbed Zhao Yi's arm and was about to head to the fifth floor with him. There were two educational training institutes on the fifth floor, teaching directly on-site.
Only then did Zhao Yi realize, "I didn't enroll for any classes. I came to watch a movie."
"What?"
Lin Xiaoqing looked heartbroken, her eyes filled with jealousy.
Both of them were final-year high school students.
Both of them came here.
She was here for the grueling tutoring sessions, and Zhao Yi was here to watch a movie?
Zhao Yi, feeling a bit incredulous, tentatively asked, "How about... how about we watch it together? Skipping one session is no big deal, right?"
Lin Xiaoqing pondered for a while, twirling her fingers.
In the end, the lure of skipping class to watch a movie won over the risk of being scolded by her mother. She grabbed Zhao Yi's arm and raced towards the cinema, "Let's go, right now!"
"Lin Xiaoqing!"
A shout came from the left.
Zhao Linlin?
"You're here so early! Let's go together?" Zhao Linlin greeted, noticing Zhao Yi she asked in surprise, "Zhao Yi, are you going to class here too?"
"..."
"Linlin, perfect timing, Zhao Yi and I are going to the cinema. Can you cover for us after we're gone?"
"Huh?"
"Pretty please!" Lin Xiaoqing pleaded with a smile.
"So what you're saying is… you're skipping class!" Zhao Linlin exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
"What's the big deal?"
"Count me in! Include me too! I want to play hooky today!" Zhao Linlin seized Lin Xiaoqing's hand in excitement, dragging her into the cinema with a whirlwind-like momentum.
Zhao Yi followed them, unable to comprehend the whimsy of girls.
It's just a movie. Is it worth all this fuss?
In the cinema lobby, Lin Xiaoqing and Zhao Linlin made a pact to skip class together and keep it a secret. However, they quickly descended into disputes.
"Let's watch this one, 'Kung Fu Dynasty'!"
"How about 'Night of the Undead', it's starting in ten minutes!"
"..."
Zhao Yi tentatively suggested, "Why not 'Wolf Warrior'? It's a blockbuster with sensational scenes. 'Kung Fu Dynasty'? That one screams flop at first glance!"
"Furthermore, 'Night of the Undead'? Watching horror movies at night is a bad idea!
Lin Xiaoqing and Zhao Linlin simultaneously turned to glare at him, then returned to their discussion.
Zhao Yi's suggestion was promptly ignored.
In the end...
"Rock, paper, scissors!"
Zhao Linlin won!
As the trio entered the screening room, Lin Xiaoqing muttered, puckered in discontent, "I should have thrown rock. I was going to, but I thought Linlin would throw paper, so I played scissors instead…"
"..."
What's it like to watch a horror movie with two girls?
Zhao Yi found out firsthand.
The screening room was filled with screams, but Lin Xiaoqing and Zhao Linlin remained utterly unfazed, expressing their disappointment, "This is so lame!"
"The person who fell off the building, the special effects were poorly done. It was clear he landed feet first, but blood was coming from his head…"
"It's so phony!"
"It's just the music that's scary..."
Actually, not too bad.
The music sent a shiver down Zhao Yi's spine, but seeing the girls unfazed, he had to pretend he wasn't affected.
The movie finished just before ten o'clock.
Amid envious glances from other men, Zhao Yi walked out of the cinema side by side with the girls. As they approached the mall's entrance, he spotted a familiar figure.
The black framed glasses, the muscular physique, and the stern expression…
Niu Lianhua!
"Linlin, I heard from a teacher that you didn't attend the cram school today?" Niu Lianhua quickly approached them.
Zhao Linlin froze in place.
Lin Xiaoqing turned and sprinted off in another direction.
Zhao Yi reacted a moment too late, locking eyes with Niu Lianhua.
Awkward...
Run!
Zhao Yi raced off and finally caught up with Lin Xiaoqing at the corner of the building, all the while questioning, "Why are we running? I don't even attend cram school."
"What are you afraid of?"
As Zhao Yi posed this question and turned around, he realized his finger was approaching Lin Xiaoqing's chest.
Contact!
Time seemed to freeze!
Zhao Yi stared at the spot his hand touched, then unconsciously lifted his head to reveal a meek smile, "If I told you it was unintentional, would you believe me?"
Lin Xiaoqing gritted her teeth, seized Zhao Yi's wrist, and threw him over her shoulder.
Slam!
"Ah~~~"
Zhao Yi landed on his butt, gritting his teeth in pain, but a thought rang in his mind, "So... it's not just an A cup after all!"
[Complete the task: Flirt with Lin Xiaoqing, Reward: +3 Study Coins]
Well, at least there's a silver lining.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone