Chapter 123

Chapter 123

The indoor lights were on, making the room bright and clear. Senior Brother Zhang was half-kneeling on the ground, his glasses broken beside his head. Perhaps because he had fallen hard, he was still groaning in pain, one hand touching his eyes, the other supporting himself on the ground. He dared not move, because the mice had just been given their medicine, and even though the cage was opened, they were too weak to scurry around, scattering all over Senior Brother Zhang's body. Each of these mice cost dozens of yuan!

So Senior Brother Zhang dared not move. He maintained an awkward position half-lying on the ground, trying to keep his body elevated to avoid crushing the mice.

Old Zhang stood at the door, disappointed that his student wasn't living up to his potential. Feng Xia quickly handed the glasses to Senior Brother Zhang (one lens was already broken), helped him up, and then went to pick up the mice. About a dozen were scattered outside. Senior Brother Zhang hung his head as Old Zhang gave him a thorough scolding. Old Zhang was furious; he knew this senior disciple was a bit unreliable, but he was usually meticulous in his work and devoted to research—he never expected him to be so careless!

Fortunately, the mice had all been given medicine; otherwise, his student would have been bitten all over! Old Zhang's scolding did not relieve his anger. He rapped Senior Brother Zhang twice on the head, making him flinch and lower his head even further like a quail. By the time Feng Xia had cleaned up the mess, Old Zhang was still scolding, looking like he was about to die of anger.

Feng Xia said helplessly, "Teacher, come on. Senior Brother Zhang just had bad luck. His glasses are broken. Let him first check if he is injured, then get a new pair of glasses."

Old Zhang was furious: "How did I teach such a fool? Tell me, if the mice hadn't been given medicine, what would you have done? Just stay there and wait to be bitten? Are you dumb from studying? Are mice more precious than humans?"

What angered the old man was Senior Brother Zhang's inaction and disregard for himself. If the mice had been stressed and bitten him, there would be nowhere to turn. This batch was a new breed with too many uncontrollable factors. Even though they had all been vaccinated, who knows about diseases?

Senior Brother Zhang knew that the old man was worried about him, so he did not defend himself. He hung his head and listened to the scolding. His tall build of 1.8 meters cowered before the skinny old man of 1.6 meters, looking both pitiful and amusing.

It was Feng Xia who picked up the box of mice and pulled him away, saying she would accompany Senior Brother Zhang to get a new pair of glasses, thus escaping another wave of Old Zhang's tirade.

At the campus gate, Zhang Ying parked the large vehicle under a tree, waiting idly. When she saw her little girl's figure from afar, she patted the non-existent dust off herself and went to meet her.

The mice were placed in a wooden box, which seemed heavy. Senior Brother Zhang originally wanted to carry it, but Feng Xia refused. He only had one usable lens and was walking crookedly; if he carried the mice, he might fall again, and Feng Xia couldn't stand that. Seeing that Feng Xia was not struggling, Senior Brother Zhang did not insist, as he really couldn't see clearly.

The two chatted while walking, discussing some Fluid Mechanics problems they had encountered in their recent research. They were quite engaged. At this time, there were not many people on the road, as most were in class. A few cars were parked outside, but Feng Xia didn't pay attention.

Zhang Ying secured the mice. Feng Xia planned to first take Senior Brother Zhang to get a pair of glasses, then go to the hospital to check how serious his fall was. She had noticed that his thigh looked awkward when he walked, probably a sprain.

At that moment, a sedan screeched to a halt and parked aggressively in front of Feng Xia's car, raising a cloud of dust. Feng Xia frowned, glanced at the black car, and felt a bit angry.

Who would have guessed the car owner would step out with a pompous air? He was a sleazy-looking young man in a floral shirt, leather shoes, and long dress pants, dressed up decently but with a lecherous smile toward Feng Xia.

The resumption of the college entrance examination was accompanied by economic recovery. The authorities no longer cracked down on speculation and profiteering; instead, they began to encourage small businesses. Many private shops had opened, and there were more cars on the road, especially in the capital. Many young people considered themselves trendy, and some second-generation rich wore sunglasses everywhere, just like the dandy boys of old.

Feng Xia detested such men—sleazy, acting like a bully with borrowed authority, always flirting with girls, and utterly useless. She didn't even want to look at them; they were an eyesore.

The man had no self-awareness; on the contrary, he thought he was imposing. Then two more men got out of the car, dressed similarly, their gazes fixed on Feng Xia's fair face. The leader said directly, "Little girl, want to get in the car and go for a ride with big brother?"

Feng Xia didn't want to engage and turned to get into her own jeep. Her vehicle was low-key, a regular jeep with a regular license plate, but in those days, being able to afford a car was still uncommon. The three men hesitated for a moment but couldn't resist the temptation of beauty. Seeing that Feng Xia didn't respond, the man said, "Hey, don't be so ungrateful! We're inviting you to have some fun, and you're not willing?"

The truth was that Feng Xia was too beautiful, prettier than any girl they had seen: fair skin, big eyes, rosy lips, and a willowy waist. The men couldn't look away, longing to touch her face to see if it was as smooth as it looked.

This time Feng Xia understood clearly: these men were looking for trouble, deliberately blocking her way. She flexed her wrist slightly, ready to subdue them first and then send them to the station for a day-long 'visit,' when she heard a voice from behind: "Cai San, what do you mean by this?"

Zhao Guangming stood at the school gate with a cold expression, his gaze heavy and icy. Cai San and his companions shivered and stammered in explanation: "Second Brother Zhao, look, it's a case of mistaken identity. I thought this little sister looked friendly and wanted to take her out for fun. I didn't expect she was your relative. She didn't say earlier. Ah, I was blind not to recognize a true VIP. Second Brother, we three have urgent matters, so we'll take off now."

Cai San was extremely afraid of this Zhao the Second, who was the "other people's child." He had been useless in both literary and martial arts since childhood and was constantly compared unfavorably to Zhao the Second. He hated him deeply, especially since Zhao lived in the same area. If Zhao knew, that meant his own family's old man would know. If his grandfather found out that Cai San was harassing a girl on the street, he'd break his legs. So he fled in panic.

Zhao Guangming finally looked at Feng Xia, his gaze clear and gentle: "Comrade Feng Xia, are you alright? Did Cai San touch you? Tell me, I know his family. When I get back, I'll definitely tell his grandfather to give him a good lesson."

Feng Xia shook her head, indicating she was fine. Seeing Zhao Guangming coming out of the school gate, she asked another question: "Shouldn't you be in class? Where are you going?"

Zhao Guangming said, "Going to the hospital. My mother hasn't picked up her medicine."

Feng Xia nodded and then asked, "Need a ride?"

Zhao Guangming's eyes darkened briefly, then after a moment of thought, he said cheerfully, "Sure, will it be too much trouble for you?"

Feng Xia shook her head, indicating for him to get in, and she herself got into the passenger seat.

Zhao Guangming's speculation about Feng Xia increased another notch. Having a car and a driver was no small thing. Once he got in, he heard Feng Xia say in her clear voice: "Senior Brother Zhang, let's first take you and this classmate Zhao to the hospital. We'll go check things out."

Zhao Guangming also saw Senior Brother Zhang in the back seat looking miserable. He was silent for a moment. He had thought Feng Xia was touched by his righteous act (he wanted to say "hero saves beauty," but it seemed she didn't need it), but it turned out she was just going the same way.

Tsk, he was overthinking it.

His face stung a little.