Chapter 272: Chapter 269 [All Expenses Paid by Young Master Luo!] (Five-in-One Chapter!)
Chapter 269: Young Master Luo’s Treat for the Whole Venue!
In 2001, Huaxia was in the second year of implementing the May Day and National Day long holiday policies.
Coincidentally, last year when Chen Nuo had just been reborn, it was already the end of the year, so he hadn’t experienced the short holidays of the previous year.
This year, 2001, the holiday atmosphere had already begun to permeate the school before the long vacation even arrived.
It was clear that students’ interests had already started to shift toward the upcoming holiday. During breaks, some students were already enthusiastically discussing where to go for fun during these few days of the long holiday.
Even in the tough Senior Three.
No. 8 Middle School, after all, did not have a solid academic foundation. Although at the beginning of this semester, under Old Sun’s strict reform, with the focus on improving the academic atmosphere, advanced classes like Senior Three Class Six had already shown a semblance of intensive preparations.
But a short holiday meant that the students’ nerves, tense for over a month, inevitably relaxed a bit again.
It was, of course, impossible for Senior Three Class Six to just let students wander aimlessly during such a short break.
Old Sun had long made a series of preparations.
Three days.
Old Sun gave the students of Senior Three Class Six only three days of actual rest. The rest of the vacation was filled with "self-study" and "advanced classes" under the guise of cram sessions.
Such actions naturally made the students of Senior Three Class Six complain bitterly, but they couldn’t win against authority—after all, the parents mostly supported the school’s decision.
And so, the matter was settled.
Students would rest at home from October 1st to 3rd and return to school on the 4th.
The international department where Chen Nuo was situated was naturally a whole different story. With no college entrance exam pressure and no study burdens, the wealthy kids from the preparatory class had already begun planning their holiday activities before the long National Day vacation.
In that era, there weren’t as many entertainment options as there would be in later generations, especially for these young people.
For vacation, they would simply plan to go out and play video games or go for karaoke.
If they were slightly more daring, they might even plan to go out and hit the clubs at night.
And then... that was it.
Going on trips wasn’t out of the question either.
But the tourism industry was still in the early stages of prosperous and wild growth.
The trend of traveling independently hadn’t caught on yet. Most people went on trips with travel agencies’ tour groups.
It really wasn’t that interesting—especially for freedom-loving youth, it held little appeal.
Chen Nuo declined three invitations to go out and have fun.
One was Zhou Kai’s invitation to karaoke and clubbing.
One was a bar and nightclub outing organized by half the students from the preparatory class.
And another was Zhou Kai’s somewhat coy private invitation for Chen Nuo to come to his house for a meal and to play video games—hinting that it was his father who wanted to invite Chen Nuo for a casual meal.
Chen Nuo smiled, thanked them, and then refused all the invitations.
What a joke.
Although it felt pretty good to be the boss at school—spending all day with these kids was already enough. Did he really have to babysit them during the vacation, keeping an eye on them?
Moreover, Chen Nuo had more important things to do.
「October 2nd, in the morning.」
At the bus terminal near the south gate of the Yuhuatai Scenic Area in Jinling City.
Sun Keke and Du Xiaoyan hopped out of a beige taxi together.
Their relationship in class had been getting better and better, and it had begun to take on a hint of best-friend vibes.
Early in the morning, Du Xiaoyan went out of her way to Sun Keke’s house so they could set off together.
Today was an informal group activity for Senior Three Class Six — initiated by the students themselves.
The organizers were the still-unnamed class president, along with several class committee members and a few active participants.
The activity consisted of organizing a day trip to Suzhou for the whole class.
The rallying call for the activity was: "This may be our last class outing in our three years of high school."
In the first semester of Senior Three, Old Sun might still grant them a three-day holiday.
But come the second semester, even with the Labor Day mini-break, the school would never give these students time off again with the college entrance exam right around the corner.
In other words, before graduation, this might be the last chance for everyone to hang out together and maintain their friendships.
The last chance... This reasoning quickly garnered the support of the majority of the class.
Young people, after all, mostly enjoy getting together for some fun.
Although Sun Keke might not have wanted to go, she couldn’t stand up to Du Xiaoyan’s begging and badgering.
By the way, Du Xiaoyan had recently shown an unusual interest in Luo Qing — with Senior Three well underway, the young were growing up and gradually becoming more astute.
Luo Qing, the inconspicuous wealthy heir, had started to gradually attract attention.
Du Xiaoyan was one of them — she had previously joined the committee organized by the school to serve foreign teachers and school directors.
She had thereby indirectly gained the opportunity to interact with society while also broadening her horizons.
Du Xiaoyan was no longer the naive little girl she used to be and suddenly discovered such a treasure right beside her!
A good family background, strong connections, modest, easygoing personality, and free of bad habits.
Most importantly, Luo Qing was tall and strong, not bad-looking, although a bit rough around the edges — but that just meant he fit the tough-guy image.
In the past month, Du Xiaoyan had tried to get close to Luo Qing many times, both openly and secretly, yet he seemed completely oblivious to the hints she was dropping.
Naturally, Du Xiaoyan turned to her best friend Sun Keke for help — she was well aware that because of her previous connection with Chen Nuo, Sun Keke was quite friendly with Luo Qing.
If Sun Keke could help her out, the chances of landing Luo Qing, who had not yet become the target of numerous vixens, would greatly increase.
Therefore, Du Xiaoyan was naturally committed to participating in an outing like this, initiated by the students themselves.
Sun Keke was well aware of Du Xiaoyan’s intentions, but...
Well, how to put it, Sun Keke didn’t think Luo Qing would be interested in Du Xiaoyan.
She had witnessed the previous campaign against the "green tea girl." The type of girl that Luo Qing liked was gentle, sweet, feminine, and endearing.
With Du Xiaoyan’s straightforward personality and rather heroic-looking appearance, it was unlikely that Luo Qing would be interested.
But... she still had to help a little.
After all, since Senior Three started, Du Xiaoyan had become her closest friend in class.
At half-past eight in the morning, the students of Senior Three Class Six gradually gathered at the south gate of the Yuhuatai Scenic Area.
The destination for the Suzhou trip was collectively decided upon by everyone: Suzhou Paradise.
In 2001, Disney had not yet entered Mainland Huaxia.
At that time, there was a very popular advertising slogan: "Disney is too far, come to Suzhou Paradise instead."
This showed the appeal of Suzhou Paradise at the time.
How should I put it... It was definitely far inferior to the real Disney.
But in terms of hardware and entertainment facilities, Suzhou Paradise was actually ahead of many large amusement parks in Huaxia at the time.
Since Jinling City is not far from Suzhou, it naturally became a popular destination for everyone to go have fun.
The activity was student-initiated, with no teachers participating.
The transportation costs were covered by the class fund—originally, everyone was going to take a train or a long-distance bus to Suzhou.
However, because one of the students’ parents happened to work at a city travel agency that chartered tour buses, they strongly supported the initiative after hearing about it, offering a tour bus at cost, responsible for transporting the students back and forth.
This saved quite a bit of money.
And once at Suzhou Paradise, the entrance fee to the park and the charges for entertainment activities within... were all paid for by the students themselves.
Of course, it wasn’t just the students.
Since it was a voluntary activity, it was agreed that participants could also bring some friends or relatives.
For example, some parents who weren’t comfortable with their children traveling to other places would accompany them personally, as long as they paid their own expenses.
A total of forty-six students from Senior Three Class Six participated in this activity.
But the number of people who gathered was fifty-eight.
The additional twelve were the students’ parents and relatives.
Six students brought their fathers or mothers.
Four students brought their siblings.
And two girls were even bolder! They actually brought the boyfriends they were secretly dating!
Clearly, even though No. 8 Middle School had been strictly enforcing academic discipline, it still couldn’t withstand the passionate fervor of youth.
Wang Xu was twenty-one this year, a third-year university student.
A native of Jinling.
He studied at Southeast University.
Southeast University, as a famous key university in Jinling City and also a well-known key national university, is part of both the 211 and 985 Project groups of universities.
In Jinling City, it was a big deal worthy of a family celebration if a child got into Southeast University.
It might be inferior to Nanjing University in Jinling, but it was still a prestigious institution nationwide.
Wang Xu’s ability to study at Southeast University naturally meant that his academic performance during his middle school years was quite good.
Moreover, studying at Southeast University had another advantage for Wang Xu: it was close to home.
Being a local of Jinling and attending a higher education institution in Jinling, the convenience it brought to daily life was immeasurable.
This morning, Wang Xu, who was on holiday resting at home, was forcibly dragged out of bed by his younger sister.
Today, his sister Wang Qin was going on a class trip to Suzhou—and parents and relatives were allowed to accompany them.
Wang Qin’s doting parents decided to let their grown-up eldest son, who was already in university, accompany their daughter on the trip.
After all, since she was a girl, and even though it was a group activity, her parents always felt uneasy hearing that it was organized by the students themselves without any family members accompanying them.
Wang Xu actually didn’t want to come at all!
He had wanted to lounge at home for a couple of days and then spend the remaining days cooped up with friends at an internet cafe. Today he just wanted to sleep in lazily; who would want to follow his sister out of town to play nanny?
But... his parents had made it clear the night before.
As he was dragged out the door, Wang Xu still wore an impatient look, his morning grumpiness far from having dissipated.
Following his sister, he took a taxi to the gathering spot. Watching a group of high school students laugh and bustle together, Wang Xu yawned on the sidelines.
He figured there was a two-hour drive from Jinling to Suzhou, and he could still get some sleep.
Wang Qin was happily chatting with the female classmates she knew well from her class.
Actually, this girl was part of a small group that included Sun Keke and Du Xiaoyan.
Sun Keke was the school belle and the vice principal’s daughter, and Du Xiaoyan had an outgoing and fiery personality, so the small group was implicitly led by the two of them, attracting three or four other girls.
Wang Qin was one of them.
Wang Qin had wanted to politely introduce the brother who came with her, but seeing that he was indifferent and tucked away in another corner of the crowd, leaning against the wall and scrolling through something on his phone, she decided against it.
The tour company’s bus soon arrived.
Everyone called out to each other as they boarded the bus and found their own seats.
Wang Xu dragged his feet, walking at the very end, all the while texting a college classmate about meeting up tomorrow to play games at the internet cafe...
Suddenly, as he stepped onto the bus, Wang Xu paused, his peripheral vision catching a glimpse of a figure sitting in the first-row seat by the window.
That figure shot into Wang Xu’s eyes and immediately got stuck there!
Forgetting to reply to his classmate’s text on his phone, Wang Xu subconsciously stared straight at the girl who was propping her cheek with one hand and gazing out the window in a daze...
Her hair, under the morning sunlight, seemed to shine with a golden luster.
Her already fair skin was as enticing as ivory.
Although he could only see her profile, the soft curves of her face, her straight nose, and the contours of her eyebrows and peach blossom eyes immediately sparked a feeling that her beauty was breathtaking!
Though she wore a plain white short-sleeve T-shirt and simple denim shorts, her legs were long and fair, and on her feet was a pair of energetic sneakers.
Wang Xu was dumbstruck!!
Instantly, he felt that the girl who had been worshiped as the flower of the department by the single guys in his dorm was simply crude in comparison!
As Sun Keke looked out the window, she suddenly felt a stir in her heart and subconsciously turned her head, only to see a fair-skinned young man standing in front of her.
He wore a light blue printed T-shirt which did look spirited. If he were walking on the street, he would certainly qualify as a handsome guy. His short hair was neat enough, but the way he stared directly at her made Sun Keke furrow her brows subconsciously.
"Hello there, is this seat taken?" Wang Xu tried to muster a smile as he greeted Sun Keke.
Before Sun Keke could reply, Wang Xu had already preemptively said with a smile, "I’m Wang Qin’s brother. I came along to help and provide service for the students, ensuring everyone’s safety."
Wang Qin’s brother?
Sun Keke’s brows relaxed slightly.
Wang Qin was a girl in her own circle, and they all got along well.
"Is it okay if I sit here?" Wang Xu asked, and without waiting for Sun Keke to respond, he had already sat down.
Sun Keke was a bit stunned.
This seat... I reserved it for Du Xiaoyan.
But Du Xiaoyan hadn’t boarded the bus yet; she had gone to talk to Luo Qing, who was carrying luggage and boxes of mineral water below the bus, leaving the seat temporarily vacant.
But...
He was Wang Qin’s brother, so it seemed a bit awkward to bluntly tell him to leave.
After thinking it over, Sun Keke softly "hmmed" in response.
"What’s your name?"
"...Sun Keke."
"Oh, I think I’ve heard my sister mention you," Wang Xu continued his self-introduction with a touch of reserve and pride. "I’m also from Jinling, and I study at Dongda."
The name Dongda still carried some weight; Sun Keke subconsciously took another glance at Wang Xu.
"I’m a junior now, graduating next year," Wang Xu deliberately kept his tone casual, sighed, and said, "I was quite excited when Wang Qin asked me to help out today. In the blink of an eye, I’m about to graduate from college. But looking at you students today, I can’t help but reminisce about my own senior year of high school... Ah, youth really flies by..."
Sun Keke was a gentle and kind person who didn’t compete or fight for attention.
After hearing Wang Xu’s words, she gently nodded. "Mm, actually, our class organized this event to create a lasting memory of our senior year of high school."
"High school is great, so wonderful. Once you’re in college, you suddenly feel so much older. In the blink of an eye, the college years are gone, transforming you from a teenager into an adult. Sometimes, when I look at myself in the mirror, I feel like I’ve aged a lot." Wang Xu was a very good conversationalist; he laughed as he added, "Sometimes when I think about it, I’m going to graduate from college and start working next year, but it feels like my high school days were just yesterday..."
He was very skilled at understanding people’s psychology!
Senior year of high school is precisely when you transition from adolescence to young adulthood, a sensitive time when you’re about to say goodbye to your middle school days and keenly feel the changes.
This topic was exactly what would resonate most with high school students about to graduate.
Indeed, Sun Keke really listened and nodded earnestly. "You’re right."
"Oh right, my name is Wang Xu. The ’Wang’ in my name is written with the ’water’ radical, and ’Xu’ is the character meaning ’rising sun’," Wang Xu deliberately clarified his name. He was already prepared—this was a little story connected to his name, a tale he often used to strike up conversations.
As expected, after Sun Keke heard this, she quickly responded, "Your surname is Wang? But Wang Qin’s..."
"My father’s surname is Wang—the one with the water radical. My mother’s surname is also Wang, the one that means ’king’—that’s Wang Qin’s surname," Wang Xu laughed. "We siblings each took a different parent’s surname; I took my father’s, and she took my mother’s. Hey! Speaking of which, there’s a story there too..."
He intentionally left the conversation hanging.
Naturally, whether out of genuine curiosity or politeness, at this point, the other party would normally ask politely: What’s the story?
Indeed, the innocent Sun Keke, once again unguarded, asked, "A story?"
"Yes... My father and mother, back in the day..."
Wang Xu began to recount the story of his parents. It was about a poor boy who fell in love with the only daughter of a wealthy family. Their union overcame the opposition of their elders and relatives, eventually leading to a happy marriage.
But to maintain a balance between the two families, the couple decided that if they had two children, one would take the father’s surname, and the other the mother’s.
It was a pleasant, fairly conventional love story.
Out of courtesy, Sun Keke listened attentively—this was a testament to her upbringing.
Old Sun had taught his children to be polite when outside the house, especially when speaking with others. Naturally, Sun Keke adhered to proper conversational etiquette.
At this moment, Luo Qing and Du Xiaoyan got on the bus.
After loading the mineral water, they both boarded the bus, one after the other.
As Luo Qing boarded the bus, he suddenly saw Sun Keke sitting in the front row next to an unfamiliar young man, apparently in conversation.
Luo Qing immediately frowned.
Walking over, Luo Qing gently tapped the back of the seat.
"Keke."
"Eh? Luo Qing, what’s up?" Sun Keke looked up and smiled at Luo Qing.
Luo Qing squinted and gave Wang Xu a cold look, but when he turned to Sun Keke, a smile spread across his face. "It’s too noisy up front. Do you want to move to the back? Don’t you get motion sickness easily?"
Sun Keke was momentarily puzzled.
When did I easily get motion sickness?
But she quickly understood Luo Qing’s intentions.
Hmm... It was very subtle, but Sun Keke indeed understood.
Sun Keke hesitated. It seemed a bit too deliberate to suddenly get up and move to the back, making her intention to avoid the young man too obvious.
After all, he’s a classmate’s brother, and he hasn’t said or done anything inappropriate... To get up so abruptly would be too obvious, a little impolite, wouldn’t it?
So she smiled and said, "It’s okay, I’ll just sit here. It’s only a little more than an hour anyway."
She paused, then added, "This is Wang Qin’s brother. I was just asking him about university matters."
Sun Keke’s words were carefully measured, for instance, when it came to Wang Xu.
Sun Keke had said "ask him for advice," not "consult with him."
Using "with" (as in "consult with him") would have implied an equal partnership between them.
Luo Qing looked at Wang Xu with a slightly unkind gaze.
At that moment, however, Wang Xu feigned indifference, staying silent as if Luo Qing’s words and gaze did not affect him at all—after all, with three years of college under his belt, his skin was thicker than that of a high school student.
Picking up girls, right! If your skin isn’t thick, how can you succeed? And for such an exceptional girl! Definitely worth being shameless this once.
Luo Qing couldn’t say much more.
I’m helping my bro watch his girlfriend; I can’t be too obvious.
After a moment of hesitation, Luo Qing frowned and said, "Um, well, call me if you need anything."
With that, Luo Qing walked towards the back of the coach bus.
Du Xiaoyan originally could have come over and asked Wang Xu to leave—but since Sun Keke had already spoken that way, Du Xiaoyan felt it wasn’t her place to speak up. She frowned, glanced at Wang Xu, and then also headed towards the back.
However, Du Xiaoyan didn’t go far; instead, she sat down right next to Wang Qin.
Wang Qin was a somewhat naive girl. At that moment, she hadn’t noticed her brother cozying up to School Belle Sun and was busy chatting with a girl in the back about some celebrity gossip.
"Wang Qin, what’s up with your brother?"
Du Xiaoyan plunked down next to her and yanked on Wang Qin’s arm.
Wang Qin was taken aback.
Du Xiaoyan pointed to the front. "Look there!"
When Wang Qin looked over, she was stunned.
Her brother was sitting next to Sun Keke, full of energy, speaking animatedly...
"Your brother better not have any ideas about Keke!"
"I, I, I don’t know..." Wang Qin was nearly in tears.
She was well aware of the famous love entanglement between School Belle Sun and a boy at the school named Chen Nuo—the story was known by practically all the students and teachers!
Moreover, that boy Chen Nuo was said to be highly respected; even Luo Qing and his group looked up to Chen Nuo.
Last year, when the graduating class of boorish high school seniors repeatedly caused trouble for Chen Nuo, he resolved it effortlessly. It was said that even the graduate named Brother Haonan was thoroughly respectful towards Chen Nuo.
In her small circle of girls, it was common knowledge that Sun Keke had a boyfriend.
And her boyfriend Chen Nuo was originally one of their own, from Senior Three Class Six!
Not only was he handsome, but he was also generous, treating the girls in Sun Keke’s circle really well, and had earned unanimous praise from everyone.
If my brother went after Sun Keke and upset her... then I’d have a hard time in this circle!
"My brother, he must have just sat down somewhere random and just, just made small talk..."
Wang Qin looked dumbfounded.
But remembering her brother’s usual behavior, she didn’t even believe her own words.
Du Xiaoyan frowned. "I hope so!"
But afterward, to the surprise of both, it seemed like Sun Keke and Wang Xu were getting along quite well in conversation.
It started with Wang Xu’s one-sided endless chatter, but then Sun Keke also began to talk, even appearing to take an interest and asking Wang Xu some questions.
It looked like they were having a pretty good chat.
"Actually, life at university is completely different from what you imagine. For example, at Dongda... well, Dongda is really hard to get into, especially our department..."
Wang Xu, aiming to please, noticed that Sun Keke seemed quite interested in his university, so he started to share.
Sun Keke was indeed very interested in Dongda.
When it came to applying for universities, she actually preferred to be admitted to one in Jinling City.
After all, her family’s attitude was that they didn’t want their daughter going away to study in another city for four years.
They would miss her too much.
Of course, if it were Tsinghua or Peking University, then that would be a different story!
But, Sun Keke knew she couldn’t get into those either!
For local universities, Nanda is obviously the top choice. In 2001, Nanda was still ranked among the top five or even top three universities in the nation, just behind the TOP2, Tsinghua and Peking University. For locals, getting into Nanda is something to boast about; relatives, friends, and neighbors would all look on with envy. But the problem is, with my current grades... Nanda... well, I can only dream. Dongda, however, is a more achievable goal—a prestigious local institution with a long history, part of both the 985 and 211 excellence initiatives. And although my grades aren’t quite there yet, I still have one more year. My grades have improved by leaps and bounds recently; my teachers even said I’ve suddenly become enlightened. If I put in serious effort this next year, Dongda doesn’t seem like an impossible target.
So, School Belle Sun was actually very willing to chat with Wang Xu about Dongda’s campus life and their university entrance exam admissions.
After chatting for a while, Wang Xu seemed to deliberately act nonchalant as he smiled and said, "That call for you to go to the back just now... that was your boyfriend, right? He’s not angry, is he?"
Upon hearing this, Sun Keke’s brow immediately furrowed as she glanced at the young man named Wang Xu.
Sun Keke, though gentle in demeanor, was no fool! After all, she had spent more than half a year with that guy who was as shameless as a dog yet promised ’till the end of time’! She definitely had her guard up.
Hearing the young man trying to probe and get information from her, Sun Keke didn’t intend to explain.
Explain? That he’s not my boyfriend, just a classmate? Saying that would make it seem like I’m deliberately trying to clarify something. And besides... why should I explain these things to a stranger? Is it any of his business?
"He won’t get angry," Sun Keke casually replied and then continued, "What was the provincial admissions cut-off score for the first-tier universities at Dongda in your year...?"
「Two hours by car.」
By the time they arrived at Suzhou Paradise, it was already 10:30 in the morning.
When they got off the coach, Du Xiaoyan unyieldingly stood by Sun Keke’s side, taking on the role of a protective escort, deliberately placing herself between Sun Keke and Wang Xu.
Wang Xu was cunning enough not to force his way closer but instead seemed very enthusiastic as he went over to Wang Qin’s side, then even took the initiative to help the girls with their things and distribute bottled water.
"What were you talking about with him?" Du Xiaoyan asked.
"Nothing much, just asking about university stuff. Wang Qin’s brother is at Dongda, and I was asking him about some details from when he applied there," Sun Keke explained in detail.
"I think he seemed like..." Du Xiaoyan tried to say something.
Sun Keke smiled faintly. "People will think what they want; it has nothing to do with me."
"Keke!"
Luo Qing came over, eyed Sun Keke, and said in a low voice, "That guy, he didn’t harass you, did he?"
"No, not at all," Sun Keke chuckled. "It’s Wang Qin’s brother. We just casually chatted about university stuff on the road, nothing else."
"Hmm... just be careful then..." Luo Qing said, his tone full of meaning.
Sun Keke sighed and looked at her two close classmates and friends, whispering, "You two, don’t overthink it. Right now, I just want to focus on my studies; I don’t want to think about anything else."
The logo and mascot of Suzhou Paradise was a lion.
The park’s main entrance also featured a statue of a lion.
When the students entered the park, they naturally grouped together according to the small circles they were familiar with from regular days.
Wang Qin belonged to Sun Keke’s small circle, so she naturally gathered with them, and logically, Wang Xu joined as well.
Luo Qing, on the other hand, was part of the boys’ group and found it awkward to join them.
Watching that guy named Wang Xu getting close to Sun Keke and a few girls as they walked into the park, Luo Qing frowned and followed behind them.
On the way, Wang Xu even took the initiative to unscrew a bottle of water and hand it to Sun Keke.
But Sun Keke declined it.
Luo Qing suddenly felt somewhat irritated.
He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed Chen Nuo’s number.
Once the call connected, Luo Qing couldn’t wait to snap, "Chen Nuo! You damn..."
It seemed somewhat noisy on the other end of the phone.
Luo Qing quickly said, "You damn it, what exactly did you tell Sun Keke? I’m telling you! Our whole class is out playing! Your Keke is being targeted! They’re all fawning over her! If you don’t..."
SMACK!
A hand slapped onto Luo Qing’s shoulder from behind.
Luo Qing raised an eyebrow and turned around in a huff, only to be stunned.
Behind him, a boy in a white T-shirt sat in a wheelchair, smiling mischievously at him.
His handsome face bore a sneaky, doggish grin as he held a phone in his hand.
"So, if I don’t... what exactly?"
Luo Qing was stunned for a second, then swung a punch at Chen Nuo. "Damn! How come you’re here too! Hey, wait! How did you know we were coming here today?"
Chen Nuo sighed and patted Luo Qing’s shoulder. "Be nicer to our class president in the future. The class president is one of us."
"Huh?"
Luo Qing was taken aback, and then he realized. "The class president told you?"
"Of course. I knew it yesterday when you all were still collecting class fees and transport money," Chen Nuo sighed.
Luo Qing’s face immediately relaxed, but then he frowned again, pointing at Sun Keke’s group ahead. "There! Take a look quick!"
Chen Nuo looked over and saw a young man incessantly talking to Sun Keke, who was listening intently, but the man was deliberately slowing his steps.
As a result, Sun Keke subconsciously also slowed down a bit.
As they walked like this, no one around them noticed, until the two fell behind, looking as if they were walking side by side.
Chen Nuo smiled and turned his head to glance at Luo Qing.
Luo Qing had a fierce expression on his face. "Let’s beat him up!"
"Don’t talk nonsense. We are middle school students of the new era; we promote civility and set new trends!"
Chen Nuo said sternly, then burst out laughing. "Come on, you can help me with the wheelchair today."
"Fine... Eh? You still need the wheelchair? You can walk just fine," Luo Qing grumbled, but still walked over and began pushing Chen Nuo’s wheelchair as they hastened their pace.
Wang Xu was endlessly recounting his experiences of getting into Dongda University back in the day.
He inflated the hard work he put in from a ten to a full hundred when talking about it.
He was also tirelessly patient, starting from the details. A story that could take a mere ten minutes to tell would, by his pacing, likely not end even after a hundred or two hundred Chapters.
Sun Keke wasn’t an impatient person; she would listen quietly even if he spoke slowly and went into great detail.
As for Wang Xu’s subtle and not-so-subtle boasting about his past achievements, his role in the school’s departmental student union, and scholarships he had won, she simply listened and responded with a polite smile.
Not far after entering Suzhou Paradise, there was a square named "Dove Square."
As the name implies, a flock of artificially fed pigeons resided there.
Visitors could buy pigeon feed from nearby shops to feed them.
It was a charming little diversion.
The girls seemed quite interested. Before Sun Keke even showed any sign of excitement, Wang Xu had already run to a shop and bought three bags of pigeon feed.
He handed one bag to his sister and kept one for himself; then, as if it was nothing, he offered a bag to Sun Keke. "Ah, this one’s for you. There was a buy-two-get-one-free offer."
Sun Keke didn’t reach out to take it but seemed about to say something...
"You don’t like feeding pigeons?" Wang Xu asked with a smile.
"I..."
"Excuse me, she doesn’t like feeding pigeons. Since you have an extra bag, could you give it to me?"
Upon hearing this all-too-familiar voice, Sun Keke’s body visibly jolted! She turned to see Chen Nuo being pushed in a wheelchair by Luo Qing.
Chen Nuo seemed to be ignoring Sun Keke, only smiling merrily at Wang Xu. "Could you?"
Though he was asking, Chen Xiaoguo’s hand had already reached out.
I’m a disabled guy in a wheelchair; I’m just asking for it. How could you refuse? Shameless, huh? When it comes to this, are you more professional than me?
Wang Xu was stunned for a moment, looking at the person sitting in the wheelchair. Hesitating briefly, he eventually decided to save face, not wanting to leave an impression of heartlessness on the stunning girl beside him. He took a deep breath, mustered a smile, and handed over the bag of pigeon feed.
"Thank you, you’re such a nice person."
"No, no trouble at all," Wang Xu replied, only to see Sun Keke had already started to walk away. He quickly turned to follow her.
Suddenly, his clothes were pulled.
"You?"
"Are you trying to suck up to Sun Keke?" Chen Nuo asked with a smile.
"Huh? I..." Wang Xu was about to laugh it off.
Chen Nuo quickly said, "She doesn’t like to drink mineral water; she prefers iced Coke, the kind with big ice cubes."
"Hmm?" Wang Xu was startled.
Chen Nuo sighed on purpose and said with a smile, "I pursued her too, but...as you can see, this is how I am now..."
"And you’re still helping me?"
"Just doing a good deed." Chen Nuo shook his head. "Go buy her an iced Coke; she’ll definitely like it."
An iced Coke would only cost a little over ten yuan.
Wang Xu thought it over; even if he was being tricked, it wasn’t a big loss. Might as well try.
He went over to the nearby shop, bought one, and turned around, only to see that the classmate in the wheelchair was already being pushed along beside Sun Keke and the other girls.
Du Xiaoyan and his own sister, Wang Qin, seemed very enthusiastic towards the boy in the wheelchair.
As for Sun Keke, she stood coldly and quietly to the side.
As Wang Xu approached with a Coke in hand, Chen Nuo suddenly burst out laughing and said loudly, "Ah! Thank you! Thank you so much, Brother Wang!"
Wang Xu: "Huh?"
Before he could react, Chen Nuo had already swiftly taken the Coke from his hand, taken a sip from the straw, and let out a satisfied breath.
Wang Xu’s eyes widened. "You?"
"You’re too kind!" Chen Nuo said earnestly. "Brother Wang knows I have trouble with my legs and still ran to buy me a drink. Wang Qin, your brother is really nice."
As he spoke, he gave a big thumbs up to Wang Qin, who was caught between laughter and tears.
Wang Xu’s gaze darkened, but he forced a smile on his face. "No, no problem, it’s just a little thing."
Once the girls had walked a distance, Wang Xu came over and whispered angrily, "Kid! Are you playing me?"
Blinking, Chen Nuo suddenly called out loud, "Ah, Brother Wang? I didn’t bring any money with me... I thought you were treating me! Can I pay you back when I get home?"
Damn it!
The girls in front had all turned to look back at them with suspicious and odd expressions on their faces.
Wang Xu’s face flushed red. "When did I ever ask you for money?!"
Luckily, the girls only looked twice and then turned their gaze away, with Wang Qin being pulled along by Du Xiaoyan.
As for Sun Keke, she cast a cold glance his way before turning her head and striding forward.
Wang Xu clenched his teeth and whispered harshly, "You’re ruthless! I won’t let you trick me again today!"
Chen Nuo let out a sigh. "Young man, don’t speak so definitively."
Wang Xu mingled back into the girls’ circle again, but Chen Nuo wasn’t in a rush at all, leisurely sitting in his wheelchair while Luo Qing pushed him, holding the cup of Coke and gently sipping through the straw.
The girls weren’t interested in those thrilling and exciting attractions.
But when they got to a merry-go-round, they all stopped, eager to try it out.
So, they lined up.
It was the National Day holiday, and there were many visitors, so the line was quite long.
Wang Xu chatted and laughed, discreetly getting closer to Sun Keke again.
This time, however, he glanced back somewhat smugly at Chen Nuo. That bastard in the wheelchair! Humph, what can you do now? We’re riding the merry-go-round. You, a paralyzed guy in a wheelchair, what the hell can you ride? Just watch from the sidelines and gape!
Wang Xu had a good plan. Once we go in, I’ll deliberately follow Sun Keke. The carousel looks like a very gentle ride. But for girls, straddling to get on and off, the height can be a bit awkward. When the time comes, I’ll be right beside her, reach out, lend a hand. Wouldn’t that create an opportunity for physical contact? Subtly, it’ll bring us closer...
After waiting in line for a while, the previous group of visitors finished and came out of the exit.
The staff began to let people through the gates.
Just as Sun Keke and the group of girls in the line were about to enter, Wang Xu deliberately moved forward two steps, calmly following right behind Sun Keke.
At that moment...
"Chen Nuo? What’s wrong with you?"
Luo Qing cried out in shock from behind.
Suddenly, Sun Keke’s face changed. Turning around, she saw Chen Nuo lying in the wheelchair, clutching his throat tightly, his face contorted in a struggle.
Sun Keke’s heart skipped a beat. Without hesitation, having just entered the gate, she turned and dashed out through a nearby exit.
Wang Xu was startled, but the visitors behind him grew impatient. "Hey! Are you moving or not? Stop spacing out!"
As if pushed forcefully, Wang Xu was shoved through the gates.
"What’s wrong..." Sun Keke asked with a concerned face as she ran up to Chen Nuo.
But then she saw Chen Xiaoguo suddenly let out a long breath. "PHEW..."
Looking up at Sun Keke, Chen Nuo appeared puzzled. "You... why are you here?"
Sun Keke bit her lip. "What just happened to you?"
"I... drank too much soda, and the gas came up. Just a burp," Chen Nuo blinked.
Sun Keke glared at Chen Nuo fiercely. "..."
"What? Were you worried I would choke to death?"
"I..." Sun Keke was at a loss for words and then, with a stern face, turned to leave, shooting a glare at Luo Qing on her way out.
Luo Qing chuckled, spreading his hands.
Sun Keke ended up not going on the carousel.
In contrast, when Wang Xu left with the flow of people, he saw from afar where Sun Keke and the others were waiting and headed over first.
He had only taken a few steps when he heard Chen Nuo call out, "Brother Wang!"
’Brother,’ my ass!
Wang Xu cursed inwardly, intending to ignore him, but Chen Nuo wheeled himself over.
Wang Xu decided to ignore him and tried to bypass Chen Nuo.
"OUCH!"
Chen Nuo cried out, but his half-full cup of soda went flying straight into Wang Xu’s chest!
"FUCK!"
Wang Xu yelled in surprise, jumping up!
Not a drop of the half cup of soda was wasted—it all splashed onto his pants!!
Enraged, Wang Xu spun around to yell back, only to suddenly see Chen Nuo already sitting on the ground, the wheelchair tipped over beside him. HUH? While Wang Xu was still stunned,
"Hey! What’s the matter with you? You even bump into a disabled person in a wheelchair?!" Luo Qing, who was hiding behind, suddenly raised his voice.
Instantly, a crowd of visitors turned to look and began pointing and murmuring.
"No, it wasn’t me!" Wang Xu protested angrily.
"Right, it wasn’t him," Chen Nuo said with a wry smile as he got up from the ground. "My brother Wang was just annoyed because I was in his way. He didn’t do it on purpose."
I... I f*cking want to deliberately run you over right now!!
Wang Xu’s anger flared up.
"Fuck! Bullying a disabled person with your big size and tall stature!" a bystander shouted.
A few young men among the crowd glared disapprovingly.
"I didn’t bump into him!"
"Right, right, right, it wasn’t him, really wasn’t him."
"You son of a bitch, hurry up and help him up!" a man with a northern accent shouted angrily. "Are you asking to be smacked?!"
Wang Xu clenched his teeth, holding back his anger as he set the wheelchair upright, then watched coldly as Chen Nuo struggled to seat himself back in it.
"Kid! No matter what, you shouldn’t bully a disabled person!"
The crowd of visitors pointed and commented while a few indignant young men were pulled back by their companions.
Wang Xu dared not speak, but he glowered at Chen Nuo before turning away.
"Bro..." Wang Qin wanted to run over and say something, but Wang Xu pulled her away. "I’m fine, don’t talk to me."
Saying that, he quickly ran off to the public restroom in front.
His pants were drenched in soda!
At that moment, the class monitor suddenly came running over, panting.
"Hey! You’re all here! Why are you walking so slow? Everyone else went ahead to play."
A group of girls looked at each other, thinking: Weren’t we all secretly enjoying the show together?
Unaware of what happened, the class monitor spoke loudly, "There’s a horse-riding place up front, and I haggled with the owner to give us a discount for group purchases — twenty percent off for students riding horses! But we must have at least thirty people to get the discount, so the more, the better! Are you guys interested?"
Upon hearing about horse-riding, the youngsters were intrigued.
Especially Du Xiaoyan, whose eyes lit up immediately