Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
Chapter 14 — Skirts (2)
When Sun Hai realized that Lin Mu had been going to the washroom on the first floor between every period, he looked at him with a deeply suspicious and probing gaze.
“Is there a pretty first-year girl you’re interested in?” Sun Hai finally could not resist asking at lunch.
Kunqian had two large canteens along with a small one. Due to their intensive study schedule, most third-year students would not choose to eat in the canteens. The ones who had time to stay there to eat and chat were mostly the first and second-year students.
Lin Mu was one of the most popular students of the second year; he had always been surrounded by friends. Whether disabled or not, they all enjoyed hanging out with him. Usually, whenever he occupied a long table, he could chat with anyone from the top of the table until the end.
Cao Zhan sat next to him, carefully picking the mushrooms out from his bowl.
Lin Mu glanced over and reproached him, “You have to eat everything, you can’t be picky about food.”
Cao Zhan pursed his lips reluctantly, then slowly put the mushrooms back into his bowl.
Since Xu Yilu was using his own bowl and utensils, there was no need to worry about him.
“All you can think about is pretty girls.” Lin Mu fiddled with his chopsticks, smiling lazily. “Can’t I just be giving a helping hand?”
Sun Hai was baffled. “Who are you helping?”
Lin Mu did not respond. He looked up and saw a new group of people coming into the canteen. Due to the way she walked, Mo Xiaoxiao was immediately noticeable.
“Hello, xuezhang!” The pretty girl they were talking about was now here. She really was very nice and sweet, and as Lin Mu shot her a smile, his eyes also shifted towards Lu Rong who was behind her.
Lu Rong was holding Chen Meihua’s hand. His eyes still held the same expression, like pebbles deep in water. He looked at Lin Mu, aloof, and only gave a small nod,
A good-looking junior was so hard to deal with, Lin Mu thought in resignation.
Sun Hai and Cao Zhan had some impressions of these new students, especially Lu Rong. With just a few photos taken from far away, he was able to push ahead of Lin Mu and An Jincheng, becoming the best-looking boy in school. Seeing him at a close distance now, Sun Hai felt as though jealousy was running through his veins.
While Mo Xiaoxiao and Lu Rong went to get food, Lin Mu made space, arranging for Chen Meihua to sit down next to him. Cao Zhan seemed a little curious about Alzheimer’s patients with Alzheimer’s, and he kept sneaking looks at Meimei.
“You don’t like mushrooms?” Pointing at Cao Zhan’s bowl, Chen Meihua asked suddenly.
Cao Zhan nodded, speaking softly, “Mushrooms smell bad.”
Chen Meihua identified with him. “Meimei doesn’t like them either.”
Cao Zhan was delighted. Just as he was about to pick the mushrooms out again, he saw Lin Mu watching him.
Cao Zhan paused.
Unclear if his words were directed at Lin Mu or Meimei, he said seriously, as if he were taking a pledge, with a stern expression written all over his face, “I’m a good child, I can’t be picky about my food.”
Chen Meihua looked at him. Copying him, she repeated, “Meimei is a good child too, Meimei also isn’t picky about food.”
Done, the two of them exchanged a nod, clenching their fists in encouragement.
While Lin Mu watched their entire exchange, extremely amused, Sun Hai felt that this pairing of a grandmother and a grandson had very good tacit understanding between each other, as they were the same. No wonder they could get along.
By the time Mo Xiaoxiao and Lu Rong returned with food, Cao Zhan and Meimei had already become good friends. Lu Rong seemed a little surprised, but he did not say anything. Holding the bowl, he prepared to feed his grandmother.
However, this time, Chen Meihua was not very cooperative. She wanted to eat by herself.
“Meimei doesn’t need your help.” Chen Meihua turned her head away, pointing at Cao Zhan. “Meimei wants to be like him.”
Cao Zhan deliberately tried to maintain as perfect an eating posture as he could.
Lu Rong had no choice but to hand over the bowl to Chen Meihua, reminding her, “Don’t spill the food.”
Chen Meihua agreed, and began imitating Cao Zhan’s motions as she started eating. However, it was not long before a clump of rice fell onto the table. As such, Lu Rong could only stop eating and help her clean up. When he was halfway through, he suddenly saw Lin Mu’s hand.
The boy’s fingers were long, slender, and fair, and his fingernails were smooth and clean, shiny and round. Lin Min picked up the rest of the rice, smiling at Lu Rong.
“You should go ahead and eat,” he said, “I’ll take care of Meimei.”
Lu Rong did not move. Very naturally, Lin Mu reached out and held Lu Rong’s palm, picking the bits of rice from it and placing them on his own. He urged the younger boy, “Hurry up and eat.”
Lu Rong opened his mouth, speaking quietly, “There’s no need… It’s too much trouble for you.”
“It’s no trouble at all.” Lin Mu’s answer came very quickly. He nudged Lu Rong’s shoulder, his tone a little stubborn, “Eat first.”
Xu Yilu was the slowest to finish his food among them, but no one would speak a word of it, and waited patiently for him while chatting away. When Xu Yilu was done, Lin Mu helped him to clear his tray.
Xu Yilu extended his white cane, holding onto Lin Mu’s shoulder from the back. Carrying Chen Meihua’s bowl, Lu Rong turned back to look at the two people.
Mo Xiaoxiao was a little envious. “Lin Mu-xuezhang is really nice.”
Lu Rong did not respond. He heard Mo Xiaoxiao sigh, “I remember his sister is a deaf-mute too… No wonder he’s so good at taking care of people.”
Few moments had passed before Lu Rong broke his silence, shaking his head. “No.”
“What?”
“That’s who he is,” he replied placidly, “it has nothing to do with Lin Zhao.”
Jiang Tianhe had received the message about meeting at the basketball court in the evening for a challenge. When Lin Mu left his classroom, he saw Jiang Tianhe trying his best to present a cool front, leaning against the wall of the corridor. His uniform was swung over his shoulder, his legs crossed, looking as though he was running for the best-looking rogue in the school.
These few days, there seemed to be something wrong with An Jincheng — he had persisted with going to the special education class every day. Following behind Lin Mu, a frown immediately appeared on his face as soon as he saw Jiang Tianhe.
Although there was no way he could beat these two people in terms of academic, in the ranking of the most famous students on Kunqian’s forum, Jiang Tianhe held steady at position three.
Girls had always paid more attention to good looking boys. With his rebellious bad boy character, Jiang Tianhe too had fans and followers.
“With your stature, are you sure you can play basketball?” Jiang Tianhe made a pre-emptive strike, eyeing Lin Mu. He laughed, “I’m afraid you’d be crying to that little deaf girl in a bit.”
Lin Mu raised a brow. Crossing his arms, he said, “Not only can I play basketball, I can also beat the crap out of you. However, I don’t know who you’ll be crying to later.”
Jiang Tianhe had no response to that.
He truly hated this sharp tongue of Lin Mu. However, he knew it was unwise to make his move in the corridor now, with An Jincheng standing there and watching them. The three people’s relationship was actually very well established, a triangle where none of them saw eye to eye with each other. As such, no one was willing to start a fight in front of the other, afraid that a situation where someone else would gain the benefit, while they themselves would be at a disadvantage would occur.
However, this time, An Jincheng did not seem willing to keep out of trouble and remain as the pretty wallflower Young Master An.
“Basketball?” An Jincheng expressionless, as though he was just asking a casual question. “How many are playing?”
Lin Mu had a strong urge to tell him that they were playing one-on-one, and to not involve himself in this. However, Young Master An was not the obedient sort that would listen. The three people stood in the corridor, pitted against each other, and the news had long spread through the school forum. Everyone was interested in this piece of gossip.
“Wow, the two of them have always been at loggerheads. Why do they suddenly seem to be in agreement?!”
“Forget about these two, what is Jiang Tianhe doing?”
“I’m shocked! Jiang Tianhe could probably take the two of them in a fight, right?”
“No one believes in the wallflower?”
“Who’s the wallflower?”
“It’s exactly what it is. The standard of nicknames coming out from this forum has gone into the toilet. The Prince of the Night Forest? I can’t believe you fangirls even came up with something like that.”
“As if you boys are any better. If Lin Zhao were to find out that her fanboys have been calling her ‘Fairy Zhaozhao’ in the forum, do you believe she would change her name the next day?”
“…”
Cao Zhan watched as the “Fairy Zhaozhao” next to him closed the forum page and ran her fingers through her hair coolly, her face expressionless.
Cao Zhan decided to try making up for it. He wrote on the scrap paper, “I think Fairy Zhaozhao sounds very nice.”
Lin Zhao shot him a winsome smile, picking up the pen and adding a sentence below, “The Prince of the Night Forest isn’t too bad as well.”
Cao Zhan did not know what to say.
Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter
- Preview of Salad Days - December 4, 2021
- SH Chapter 26 - October 2, 2021
- SH Chapter 25 - September 11, 2021