Chapter 68 The Evolution of a Class Flower

Chapter 68 The Evolution of a Class Flower

The course on Moral and Ethical Cultivation was practically a freebie. A forty-minute exam, and Ning Song could finish in twenty minutes.

But he didn't. He planned to sit until the bell rang.

Immersed in this joy, during the exam, they heard another loud noise.

This time it was clearer, shaking the glass with a slight resonance. In the silent classroom, everyone stopped writing. Ning Song looked over at Pu Yu, seeing him with his head down, answering questions.

At that moment, there was another dull explosion.

He thought Pu Yu must be very nervous because even he was tense. The teacher said from the front: "Everyone, focus on the exam. There are still ten minutes left."

For the remaining few minutes, Ning Song couldn't concentrate. He handed in his paper early and immediately checked his phone after leaving the classroom. While checking, he saw Pu Yu come out as well. The teacher handed Pu Yu his phone, and Pu Yu went aside to make a call.

Ning Song saw that the explosion happened in the Underground City. The provincial government had launched a surprise attack on the no-man's-land area of the Underground City, and the explosion occurred during the confrontation. That was all the latest news said.

Pu Yu had finished his call, and the two of them took umbrellas from the corridor.

"Is everything okay at home?" he asked Pu Yu.

Pu Yu nodded and said, "I might not be able to stay at school tonight."

Ning Song nodded: "Take care."

Pu Yu called the driver, and soon a car arrived. Ning Song saw Pu Yu off, and then he became tense again. He called his mother, Liu Fen, who said she was already back at their home in Lower Harbor, but his father, Ning Wei, was still at the Pu residence.

Ning Song decided to go home. He went back to the dormitory to pack up and came out. Qiao Qiao and the others had also returned. The whole school was discussing the explosion, and the atmosphere was noticeably more serious than before.

With recent unrest in Shangdong Province, they didn't want to stay at school anymore. Ning Song and Qiao Qiao left the school together and met Sheng Yan and Li Qingyuan at the gate.

Due to the rain, there was some traffic at the school gate. Li Qingyuan called out to him, asking, "Where are you going? Do you need a ride?"

Ning Song replied, "I just called a car. I'm heading to Lower Harbor."

Li You heard this and said, "Can I hitch a ride with you? I'm going there too."

Ning Song nodded. Li You said something to Liu Fang and walked over. Liu Fang called Qiao Qiao aside and whispered something, which made Qiao Qiao's face change.

Li You pushed through the crowd and came under Ning Song's umbrella, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Let's go."

Ning Song waved at Sheng Yan and the others. Sheng Yan wore a baseball cap, his lips pressed tightly together, looking somewhat stern.

Ning Song thought it was because of Pu Yu that everyone seemed a bit unusual. But once they walked out of the crowd, he saw a familiar sports car.

A yellow Aston Martin.

It was parked not far away.

Li You put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Ignore him."

The car Ning Song called for arrived, and the driver called him. He and Li You got into the car and looked out the window, seeing Qin Yi's car move and follow them.

"Driver, can you stop the car?" Ning Song said.

The driver stopped the car, and Ning Song opened his umbrella and got out, walking directly toward Qin Yi.

The sports car stopped in front of him, and many people at the school gate watched. Ning Song stood in front of the yellow sports car, wearing a black coat and holding an umbrella, exuding a youthful charm.

Qiao Qiao and the others watched from afar, and Qiao Qiao even ran over.

Qin Yi got out of the car: "Long time no see."

He wore a suit, but because he was so thin, it didn't fit well, making him look even more sickly than when he first entered school. His gaze was filled with a greedy and lascivious intent.

Ning Song asked with a serious face, "What do you want?"

Qin Yi said, "Don't be afraid. I have no ill intentions. I just wanted to tell you that someone is targeting the Pu family. It's best to keep your distance from Pu Yu to avoid getting involved."

Ning Song asked, "Who is targeting the Pu family?"

"I can't tell you. I'm not entirely sure," Qin Yi said, gazing at him. "I can only say that the Pu family is doomed. If anyone finds out you're close to Pu Yu, neither Li You nor Sheng Yan can protect you."

Seeing Sheng Yan and the others approaching, Qin Yi got back into his car and sped away.

The car passed by Qiao Qiao and the others, and Qiao Qiao ran to Ning Song's side. "Why did he come back? What did he say?"

Ning Song shook his head, looking serious.

Ning Song wasn't sure how much of what Qin Yi said was true, but it sounded terrifying. Could a family like the Pu family really be destroyed so easily?

Was he intentionally scaring him, or was it real? Did the Pu family know about this?

Sheng Yan and the others approached, and Sheng Yan asked, "What did he say? Is he bothering you again?"

Ning Song shook his head and said, "He told me to stay away from Brother Yu. Someone is targeting the Pu family."

Sheng Yan and the others were stunned.

Connecting this statement with recent events was alarming.

Qiao Qiao said, "Maybe it's just a bluff?"

Ning Song nodded, pressing his lips together: "Maybe."

"Be careful these days. Don't go out alone, and if anything happens, come to us," Sheng Yan said.

Ning Song nodded.

Qiao Qiao and the others got into their cars to head home. Sheng Yan took two steps and then turned back, calling out, "Xiao Ning."

Ning Song turned around.

Sheng Yan said, "I'm serious. If you need anything, just come to us."

Ning Song smiled slightly and said, "I know."

Sheng Yan didn't say anything more and walked away with his umbrella.

Leaving the school, the atmosphere felt even heavier. The tension was most evident when crossing the sea bridge, where security checks were extremely strict on both sides of the bridge. Roadblocks were everywhere, and Lower Harbor was under full lockdown, with military police guarding almost every intersection.

Ning Song's heart was once again on edge, feeling like he was riding a roller coaster.

The environment brought a sense of reality and pressure that was immense, far beyond what he had seen in news updates on his phone. Li You dropped him off at home and reminded him, "I'll be at the Mahjong Hall. Call if you need anything; I can be here in minutes. We'll go to school together tomorrow. You haven't ridden my motorcycle yet."

At home, Liu Fen told him about the Pu family. She mentioned that the Pu residence now had armed guards outside, and Mrs. Pu and the others were almost in seclusion. The Pu family had been receiving threatening letters almost daily, and someone even suspected placing a bomb at their doorstep the other day, but fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.

In their friend group chat, Qiao Qiao and the others were also following this situation closely. Li You, who knew the Underground City best, shared many updates about the latest developments there.

The root cause was still the change of leadership in the Underground City. The new official came from a poor background in Lower Harbor and received strong support from Pu Mingke. The Underground City has always been a mix of various elements, being the only area in Shangdong Province with chaotic law and order. The government intended to take advantage of this opportunity to clean up, but unexpectedly, this touched the interests of many powerful figures.

On the surface, it seemed like some gangs and organizations in the Underground City were resisting, but each of them had backing from influential figures. Industries such as gambling and drugs were highly profitable, and many bigwigs wanted a piece of the pie. Currently, the ones exposed included Qin Yi's family's Heilong Construction. Qin's father was recently invited for questioning but was released after a few days.

This made Qin Yi's words seem more credible. He called Pu Yu to discuss the matter.

Pu Yu wasn't clear about the specifics, but Pu Guanting and the others only told him to be cautious, without discussing details further. But according to his own observations, the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed. Both the old man and Pu Guanting had keen political instincts and wouldn't fight unprepared battles. If there were real dangers, they would have sent Pu Ying away first. So far, they showed no intention of doing so, maintaining a strong stance. The Qin family might be known as a financial tycoon, but to the Pu family, they were just small fry. What Qin Yi knew, the battle-hardened old man certainly knew too.

But he was genuinely worried about involving Ning Song.

What if something happened?

Born into the Pu family, he should share the family's honor and disgrace, but if Ning Song were targeted because of their closeness, his situation would be much more dangerous than his own.

The atmosphere became heavy. Ning Song said, "I thought we could sleep together in the dorm tonight."

Pu Yu was taken aback and finally said, "We'll have plenty of chances later."

Ning Song said, "I miss you a lot right now."

Pu Yu didn't say anything.

Ning Song said, "Let's sleep connected through our microphones."

Pu Yu said, "Okay."

Ning Song placed his phone on the pillow.

Pu Yu said, "Ning Ning."

"Mm-hmm."

"Can you always be this clingy?"

Ning Song felt a bit embarrassed, "I'm not clingy."

He was just worried about him.

Pu Yu responded with an "Mm," saying, "Ning Ning just loves me. I know."

Ning Song realized that despite Pu Yu's reserved nature, he was naturally affectionate and good at sweet talk.

Pu Yu said, "I love you very much too."

Ning Song mumbled, "Sleep!"

If they continued talking, he would start reacting again.

He was easily affected by Pu Yu these days, especially when worried about him. His feelings for Pu Yu had grown rapidly over the past few days, leaving him somewhat at a loss. In the past, he couldn't understand why movie characters would kiss before facing life-threatening situations.

Now he understood.

Fear could intensify love.

Occasional sirens could still be heard outside, and Lower Harbor wasn't peaceful either. On such a night, they worried about each other, connected through their microphones, listening to each other's breathing, feeling closer than any physical touch.

No more words were needed. They felt the taste of love in this silence.

The next morning, Li You came early to pick up Ning Song.

Ning Song had previously suspected that Li You might like him because of something Qiao Qiao said, but Li You had kept a certain distance from him ever since, neither close nor distant, which didn't seem like the behavior of someone who liked him. Even Qiao Qiao thought he might have overthought it.

They rarely interacted except for occasional meetings at school, but they remained close. He felt that he and Li You had a mutual understanding, ready to help each other even if they didn't hang out often.

Li You rode his motorcycle, holding a helmet. When Ning Song ran down, he tossed the helmet over, "Put it on. Security checks are particularly strict lately."

He put on his own helmet, both helmets a bit worn and chipped.

Ning Song put on the helmet and said, "It's a bit big."

"You just have a small head," Li You said.

Ning Song had a small head and face. With the slightly chipped helmet on, he looked even more delicate and refined. Li You reached out to fasten it, his fingers touching Ning Song's neck. Ning Song tilted his head and smiled.

His neck was sensitive.

Li You felt this might be one of the few opportunities to be this close to Ning Song, so he said, "I'll drive fast, so you'd better hold on tight."

Ning Song grabbed his waist. "This is my first time on a motorcycle. Drive slowly so I can get used to it."

"I don't know how to write the word 'slow,'" Li You said casually.

Despite his words, he drove very slowly.

So slowly that Ning Song said, "Brother Yan's little electric scooter is faster than this."

Li You replied, "Wait until we cross the sea bridge before you say that."

The weather had finally cleared up today, with golden sunlight and a sky full of morning clouds. The traffic jam at the sea bridge was particularly severe. Ning Song received a call from Pu Yu, who said, "We're stuck in traffic on the bridge."

He had already "reported" to Pu Yu yesterday about going to school with Li You.

Pu Yu agreed, feeling more secure now and less jealous.

After hanging up the phone, Li You asked him, "Was it Pu Yu calling?"

"Mm."

He had received three calls this morning. The first one was to wake him up, the second to ask if he had left yet, and this third one to check where he was.

Without looking back, Li You could feel the smile on Ning Song's face.

The morning clouds over the sea were reflected on the helmet, a fiery red. He felt a strong sense of bitterness mixed with jealousy. In front of them was a shiny black car, reflecting their shadows. He wore a leather jacket, revealing his tattoos, looking like a street thug, while Ning Song wore a simple summer uniform of Upper East School, his pale arm hugging his waist. He saw a small boxing doll hanging from Ning Song's backpack, a gift from him.

After crossing the sea bridge, he told Ning Song, "Hold tight."

He thought he wouldn't have many chances to carry Ning Song, because Ning Song was destined to ride in luxury cars.

Although they both came from Lower Harbor, Ning Song was a golden phoenix that had flown out of there, while he was destined to live there for life.

He drove fast. Ning Song probably hadn't ridden a motorcycle before, at least not such a dangerous one, but he was thin and wild by nature, screaming excitedly all the way.

"Afraid?"

He shouted loudly.

The helmet and wind almost swallowed his voice, but Ning Song shook his head vigorously, "It's awesome!"

Not a hint of fear!

This made Li You feel a bit greedy. He thought Ning Song and he were the same kind of people. If it weren't for Pu Yu, he and Ning Song might have been a well-matched couple from the slums, wreaking havoc in an elite boys' school.

But this was just a fleeting dream. The car slowed down on Saint Jinmi Avenue, with more luxury cars appearing on the road.

Three black Rolls-Royces appeared in the adjacent lane, the middle one almost driving alongside them. The window went down, revealing Pu Yu's noble and fair face, the young master in the luxury car looking at the slum boy on the old motorcycle.

Morning light poured in, and Ning Song pushed up his visor. "Good morning!"

Pu Yu didn't take the main entrance; they parted ways at the gate. Ning Song got off the motorcycle and said to Li You, "Brother You, I'll go ahead!"

Li You took his helmet and watched Ning Song quickly cross through the crowd. The youth's silhouette under the morning light was vibrant and bright, the charm on his backpack swinging, just like his heart.

Ning Song ran swiftly through the lush campus. The trees were still damp with dew, and golden light filtered through the gaps in the white poplar trees. Li Qingyuan also saw him and was about to greet him when he turned towards the east gate.

Ning Song called Pu Yu as he walked. "Come to the lab building."

Pu Yu said, "I'm going to be late for the exam."

"Stop fussing, hurry up."

He hung up the phone and ran into the corridor of the lab building.

Pu Yu came to find him and saw Ning Song smiling at him.

Actually, Qin Yi's words yesterday had given him some caution. Pu Yu originally planned to restrain himself at school. But seeing Ning Song look at him like this stirred his heart.

"Take off your shirt."

Pu Yu: "..."

Ning Song was already unbuttoning his shirt, taking off his school uniform jacket.

Pu Yu was stunned by this sudden action.

Ning Song took off his t-shirt, revealing a body like white jade. "Let's switch shirts, quickly."

Pu Yu hurriedly took off his own t-shirt and exchanged it with Ning Song.

Ning Song put on Pu Yu's t-shirt and smiled at him. "Let's go."

Pu Yu was still dazed by the sudden excitement.

Ning Song said, "I know what you're thinking. Do you want to keep a distance? Let my shirt accompany you for these two days. I also want to see you wearing my clothes. I picked the biggest one."

He smiled mischievously, with a hint of seduction. Pu Yu couldn't believe he could be so bold. "I'll go ahead."

Ning Song ran away, looking back at Pu Yu, who stood there with his backpack on the ground, disheveled, as if bewitched.

He felt quite pleased, believing he had never lost in teasing Pu Yu, from "mackerel" to boyfriend, and would never lose in the future.

Pu Yu stood alone in the corridor, putting on the clothes piece by piece. The wind was still cool, but he didn't feel cold. When he buttoned up Ning Song's t-shirt, he paused, lifted it to his nose, and felt himself burning up.