Chapter Eighty-One: Reward Me

Chapter Eighty-One: Reward Me

After that night, Lu Nian gradually became more familiar with him.

Their houses and schools were close by; Lu Nian often encountered Qin Si on her way to school, and over time, they naturally greeted each other.

Qin Si was a senior at Seventh Middle School, a place known for subpar educational quality and particularly poor school environment, where student romances and fights were commonplace, and the rate of admission to prestigious universities was notably low.

Even though the two schools were neighboring, due to previous disputes, many from the First Middle School subtly disliked those from the Seventh, an animosity exacerbated by the schools' close proximity, leading to various frictions.

Of course, large-scale brawls were avoided, as past incidents had alerted the school authorities to maintain a careful watch over such matters.

Lu Nian had heard Du Ziwei mention this incident and inquired lightly about it.

Du Ziwei recounted, "It was a student brawl that involved Qin Si. Did you know he used to be one of us? But after being severely penalized by the school for fighting, he voluntarily dropped out. The Seventh Middle School was willing to admit him, aggravating the existing tension between the schools. It's certainly related to him."

"After all, he was a former top scorer in the middle school entrance exam," added Du Ziwei, "The Seventh Middle School probably needed a good student to bolster their reputation."

Lu Nian, "A top scorer in the middle school examination?"

"Yes," Du Ziwei said, "The incident was quite sensational at that time. He's an orphan, you know, and there were even plans for a television special on his story of self-reliance and determination. Unfortunately, he rejected all offers, including donations, which left the media with no option but to write an article. Later, when he was expelled from school, the station had to retract their previous report, embarrassing themselves."

Du Ziwei spoke at a rapid pace, recounting all of Qin Si's "previous misdeeds" to her.

"He comes from a very disadvantaged background," Du Ziwei remarked disdainfully, "He's been mingling in the social fringe since childhood. In any case, he belongs to a different world than us."

"However, some girls seem to find that appealing," Du Ziwei said, as she leaned over her English exam paper, her tone nonchalant. "Coupled with his good looks, he certainly isn't lacking in admirers."

Lu Nian remained silent.

No matter how Du Ziwei portrayed him, she couldn't reconcile the image of the quiet young man she knew with the ruthless and brutal character described.

Deep inside, she believed he wasn't that kind of person.

Like a clam.

A peculiar analogy suddenly occurred to her. As a child, she and her cousin had picked up clams, creatures encased in a hard exterior shell, shielding a soft interior that might never be exposed to the outside world in their lifetime.

After the last class of the day, Lu Nian packed her bag and fastened her scarf.

As winter deepened, the daily temperatures dropped further, and she was still adjusting to the local climate.

Upon reaching the school gate, she stopped in surprise, "Qin Si?"

The young man's eyes were deep and dark, he didn't speak. Unmelted snowflakes hung on his eyelashes, indicating he had been waiting there for quite a while.

"Your parents..." he hesitated before finally saying, "asked me to pick you up."

Indeed, Gan Shu had mentioned it before.

But he had ulterior motives.

He had intentionally waited for her at the bustling school gate, making no attempt to conceal his presence, opting instead for a method that was direct and conspicuous.

Lu Nian didn't think too much about it.

After learning about Qin Si's circumstances, her parents frequently invited him for meals, considering it inconsequential whether there was one more or one less person at the dinner table. In winter, darkness fell early, and Lu Nian's school hours extended, prompting her parents, Lu Yunhua and Gan Shu, to grow worried. They asked Qin Si if he could accompany her home on his way.

She found his company comfortable and unoppressive, so she readily agreed, "Let's go."

Naturally, this attracted many strange looks and sparked numerous conversations. The gossip started when someone saw him waiting at the gate and peaked when Lu Nian appeared.

Qin Si was initially accustomed to this.

Since childhood, he had been a person to bear grudges and never cared about others' opinions. Hence, his actions were dictated only by his principles and mood. Two years ago, he had no regrets about his reaction when someone provoked him, mocking him as an unwanted, lowly individual.

But now, he suddenly felt a bit nervous.

He didn't want to reveal his other side in front of Lu Nian.

The young man seemed somewhat lost.

In his dreams, he was not as fallen as he is now.

If he has already come to this point, would Lu Nian still say she likes him, just like in his dreams?

Lu Nian could sense that something was bothering him, yet, it didn't seem right to ask.

But in reality, Lu Nian didn't think that he, a person with such a guarded heart, would be willing to discuss these matters with her.

The two walked in silence along the road.

It was somewhat cold outside, the wind howling sharply, almost like blades. Qin Si always wore light clothing in winter, contrasting starkly with Lu Nian's heavily bundled attire, as if they were from two different seasons.

"Wait for me a moment." Passing by a convenience store, she pushed the door and entered. Shortly after, she came out holding two bottles of soy milk. She really enjoyed this sweet and warm beverage during winter.

"It might be a bit too sweet," she said, scratching her nose shyly.

Boys probably wouldn't like something so sweet.

The soy milk can felt warm, freshly heated.

He had endured many cold spells as a child, accustomed to wearing thin clothes in winter. Despite his long and aesthetically pleasing hands, the tips of his fingers were tinged red, a sign of frostbite—Lu Nian noticed and placed the warm can in his palm.

It was still warm, she couldn't tell if the warmth was from her fingers or from the soy milk.

Walking side by side on the street, it was very quiet, only the sound of the wind rustling through the roadside trees could be heard.

"I've always envied those of you who excel academically," Lu Nian suddenly remarked, taking a sip of her soy milk. "I just can't seem to get the hang of it."

"My dad was the top student in both his middle school and college entrance exams," she added with a sudden smile. "You guys are so impressive."

It took him a while to realize what she was referring to.

Lu Nian was nearing her senior year, preparing for the art college entrance exams. Most of her time was spent practicing her drawing skills. After all, she had to participate in the provincial joint examinations at the end of the year, followed by school exams and then the college entrance exam. Her schedule was jam-packed.

She was confident in her drawing abilities, but worried about falling behind in her academic courses.

"You have a talent for drawing," Qin Si remarked.

The young man had deep, ink-black eyes, an enchanting quality emanating from them, adding to his captivating persona, which was largely attributed to those silent eyes.

Lu Nian averted her gaze, her lips curving into a faint smile. "How would you know? You've never seen my drawings."

To be honest, she had felt somewhat inferior since the beginning of middle school.

Lu Yunhua was an engineer and a graduate from one of the top five prestigious universities in the country, where he had excelled academically in mechanical engineering. Gan Shu wasn't as outstanding as him, but she wasn't far behind either, which allowed her to become his university classmate, albeit in different departments.

But Lu Nian seemed to have a mental block, especially as she approached high school and the subjects became more challenging. Lu Yunhua tried teaching her math, even to the point of bringing her to tears, but there was no helping it. If she couldn't do it, she couldn't do it. Sometimes, talent just couldn't be forced.

Lu Yunhua had long gotten used to excelling at everything, and it took him a while to finally accept the mediocrity of his daughter's academic talents, realizing that grades didn't matter as long as she was healthy and safe.

However, deep down, Lu Nian felt really distressed, especially after entering high school, where the pressure escalated to the point of insomnia and depression, and even the sight of books induced headaches. This frightened both Lu Yunhua and Gan Shu, and considering Lu Nian's longstanding prowess in drawing, a relative who was a teacher suggested that perhaps it would be better for her to pursue a path in art education.

Lu Yunhua hesitated for a considerable time but eventually, moved by compassion for his daughter, agreed.

Thus, everything went smoothly up until her second year of high school, and Lu Nian's life finally seemed to be back on track.

However, hearing from Qin Si that she had a talent for drawing,

From their time spent together recently, Lu Nian was certain that he wasn't the kind of guy who would casually use such words to win over girls. In fact, she felt that Qin Si was more reserved than most of the boys she had met before.

Her drawings...

In the dreams, he saw so much, and knew how she would find success on this path in the future.

He even saw her drawing him—the version of himself that existed in the dreams.

She seemed to really enjoy drawing him.

...Suddenly recalling those scenes that could be deemed ludicrous, his ears turned fiercely red.

For an eighteen-year-old boy with no prior experiences, even witnessing such scenes in dreams was enormously shocking.

Was that what she liked?

Lu Nian failed to notice his peculiar behaviour.

The young girl had loose black hair, rosy lips, big eyes, and cheeks pink beneath the white, as vibrant and full of life as a crisp peach, infinitely more vibrant than the version in the dreams.

He could feel his heartbeat raging, and with some embarrassment, averted his gaze, trying hard to return to his normal state.

The next day, when Lu Nian went to school, she could clearly sense a subtle change in the attitude of a few classmates.

Du Ziwei had been somewhat distant from her these days, obviously having heard the rumors about her and Qin Si walking home together. Lu Nian didn't care much about these things, she was an outsider initially, and she had her own judgment regarding Qin Si.

As spring approached, the national college entrance examination was drawing nearer, and in a blink, only a month was left.

Lu Nian knocked on the door across the hallway, and it was Qin Si who opened it for her.

Recently, he had lost some weight, grown taller, his hair slightly longer than before, bearing signs of sleep deprivation under his eyes. Overall, he didn't seem to be in a great state.

During this period, he had settled down and formed plans in his mind.

"From now on, come to my place for meals," Lu Nian said with concern, "My parents insisted. With the college entrance exams nearing, you need to eat well and have proper rest, not to be distracted by other matters."

Qin Si was academically brilliant, never finding studies to be a challenging task, hence never taking it to heart.

Anyway, he felt listless, aimless, and irrespective of his academic outcomes, nobody would care. That's why, even when he faced suspension or transfer in the past, he didn't mind at all, indifferent to which school he attended.

Since then, their dining table has accommodated an extra person.

Lu Yunhua held Qin Si in high regard, appreciating him in every way possible. He found him handsome, intelligent, and with a stable and reliable personality. He often praised him in front of his wife and daughter, to the point where Gan Shu teased him saying that if he had a son of his own, he couldn't hope for better.

Not accustomed to receiving kindness from others since childhood, Qin Si wished to reciprocate in some way. However, the Lu couple insisted that he simply focus on his studies.

At eighteen, a time of considerable growth and energy expenditure, Qin Si, though slim, was quite tall. When he genuinely started eating without reservation, even his substantial appetite surprised them. Gan Shu took pleasure in concocting varied delicious meals for him and Lu Nian.

Occasionally, fearing he might study too late into the night, they would send Lu Nian to deliver some late-night snacks to him across the hall.

During this period, Qin Si dedicated considerably more time to studying and solving exercises than before.

He now had an aspiration, a goal to strive for - a university in the same city as the art institute Lu Nian dreamt of attending. Moreover, he desired to stand before her in the future with genuine merit and pride.

On the eve of the college entrance examination, the Lu family invited him for dinner. A slightly inebriated Lu Yunhua shared stories of his student days and even spilled intimate details of his college romance with Gan Shu, urging him to do well in the examination.

Gan Shu chided him, "Don't distract Qin with these stories now, it might affect his performance tomorrow."

She left to take care of Lu Yunhua, instructing Lu Nian to escort Qin Si home.

She had visited his home numerous times; it was sparsely furnished with only a bed, bearing a stark emptiness.

Over the past few months, however, it had acquired a more lived-in atmosphere.

The weather was somewhat stifling that day, the temperature soaring, especially during the night. Apart from the occasional breeze, the air remained oppressively hot and dry.

Lu Nian had changed into a skirt, feeling a growing nervousness on his behalf as the critical examination approached.

"Give your best shot tomorrow," she reiterated for the last time.

"You've worked hard for so long," she added with twinkling eyes and a playful tone, "Don't disappoint my dad; he's relying on you to fulfill his dream. It's all up to you now."

It seemed as though Lu Yunhua was bewitched, banking on Qin Si to compensate for the opportunity he narrowly missed in his youth to attend a prestigious university.

After a pause, she added, "Of course, I hope you get in too! I'll be heading there for university a year later; you can show me around since you'll be there first!"

Only the two of them stood on the balcony.

The young man's back was straight, his fine features slightly obscured in the night, unclear yet captivating.

The night breeze brought a hint of coolness. Clad in a grey and white linen skirt, she looked up at him, her cheeks radiant as fresh snow.

A faint premonition stirred within Lu Nian, accelerating her heartbeat.

The clouds dispersed slightly, revealing the moon.

In the moonlight, he appeared even more handsome. It seemed he had already taken a shower; his hair clean, emitting a faint citrus scent. He swallowed nervously, his long eyelashes casting shadows on his eyelids, seemingly struggling to voice something yet unable to.

He wasn't accustomed to such expressions, lacking the confidence entirely.

After all, it was just a dream. Could the occurrences within it manifest in reality? Would she be willing to harbor the same affection for him in the real world?

Lingering on the brink of expression.

Lu Nian gently tugged at his finger, a hint of soft reproach flickering in her almond eyes.

He hesitated for a moment before gripping her hand back hastily, his grip unexpectedly firm, almost hurting her.

To Lu Nian's surprise, before he could let go, he had pulled her close, holding her tightly against his chest.

"If I manage to get admitted... can I ask for a reward?" His nervous, inexperienced, yet scorching breath brushed against her ear as he spoke hesitantly, so close to her.