"I'll help out first, Li Bin. You can grab the meals for me."
He walked over, collected six lunch boxes, and stared at her intently. She quickly lowered her head.
"Th... thanks."
"What's going on?" Xu Lin ignored her thanks and continued with a cold face.
"Just lending a hand."
"If it's for a classmate, fine. But why this many meals? Did they make you buy them alone?"
Xu Lin was certain this was high school bullying. Justice might be delayed or absent, but he couldn't ignore it.
Slacking off is acceptable at the right time, but when it's time to act, one should. He might even call the police for help if needed.
"I'll go check it out with you."
"No, really, no one is bullying me. They just..."
"I won't listen. I want to see it with my own eyes."
"Fine..." The dark-skinned senior glanced at him a few times and ultimately chose to compromise.
Not far away, Li Bin and his friends, seeing Xu Lin and the girl walking and talking, became curious.
"Xu Lin... Ji Yun didn't accept his confession, so he found a country girl?"
"Hey, don't say that. She's just a bit dark-skinned, but her profile is good."
"But she can't compare to Ji Yun."
"There aren't many who can compare to Class Monitor Ji."
"Maybe he doesn't know her. Didn't Xu Lin say just now that he was only going to help her carry those things?"
"He doesn't know her, and he still helps her? But yeah, maybe they know each other. Xu Lin is a kind guy; I saw him help an old lady cross the street last time."
Their school's cafeteria had those metal tables for four people, sometimes connected in pairs or threes. About 6 or 7 sets lined up.
Following Bai Xiaoxiao from the food window, they walked from one end of the cafeteria to the other. Then, they saw 5 or 6 girls waving towards them, or more accurately, towards Bai Xiaoxiao.
Xu Lin couldn't help but smirk. Dealing with girls, going in as a lone guy—speaking too lightly might be ineffective, but being too confrontational or arguing with girls wasn't right either.
"Oh, by the way, do you have a younger brother?"
"No..."
"Any younger cousins?"
"Yes, but..."
"That's good enough."
So, Xu Lin took a deep breath and walked alongside Bai Xiaoxiao, getting closer to the group of girls.
"Xiaoxiao, over here, I saved you a seat."
But before they reached them, a girl shouted something, leaving Xu Lin momentarily puzzled.
Wasn't it supposed to be a "hurry up, we're starving, why did you make us wait so long" kind of line? It was different from what he imagined.
"Hey, who's this handsome guy? Your boyfriend?"
"No, no!" Bai Xiaoxiao immediately waved her hand, nearly sending a lunch box flying.
"Don't let the box fall to the ground!"
A girl with a single ponytail hurriedly caught the box and distributed the others to everyone.
"Hello. I'm her cousin, second year, Xu Lin."
"Oh, have you eaten? If not, then sit down and join us!" A girl immediately shifted a bit to make room for him.
"No, no, my classmates are waiting for me. I just came to help her carry the food."
"Oh, I said I'd go with you, but you insisted on going alone."
A girl with long hair said, then pulled Bai Xiaoxiao to sit next to her.
"You treat me to a meal. How can I let you do the work?"
"But don't you help us by bringing us food? We live on campus and can't bring outside food into the dorms. It's all thanks to you that we can eat outside foods. Plus, you've been helping us with our assignments too."
Meanwhile, Xu Lin stood there, feeling increasingly awkward. He had gathered the courage and some pent-up frustration, but before he could unleash it, he decided to abort.
"Well then, enjoy your meal. I'll head out."
"Sure." Bai Xiaoxiao nodded, and the others waved him off.
As he took a few steps outside, he overheard some girls saying, "If you have trouble at home, you can ask your cousin for help."
"Your father couldn't come to this city because of work, but your cousin seems to already live in Linshui. You might as well live in his house."
"Isn't it a bit intrusive? Xiaoxiao is so kind; she wouldn't"
As the voices faded, Xu Lin turned around, lowering his gaze. Dozens of pairs of shoes came into view, representing various brands with prices ranging from a couple hundred to around a thousand. There were also some ordinary sneakers from lesser-known brands, but one pair stood out.
Though worn and seemingly old, a pair of white shoes remained surprisingly clean. It struck him that in different worlds and places, life takes on various forms.
Turning away, Xu Lin found himself contemplating some thoughts, but his top priority now was exams!
Due to the compressed exam schedule, he had to face English, history, and geography exams that morning. Once again, he purchased several intelligence-boosting cards to instantly sharpen his mind. The study materials flooded back into his thoughts.
"Phew. Old man, don't be too surprised."
Exams stretched from 7:30 a.m. to noon, with a one-hour break for lunch. In the afternoon, the exams resumed with mathematics and political science. Tomorrow morning, Chinese will be followed by a comprehensive paper covering physics, chemistry, and biology. Although divided into arts and sciences, there was still an integrated exam.
It seemed that in a few years, according to Xu Lin's memory, they would eliminate the distinction between arts and sciences. However, he had already graduated by then and had no idea how things had evolved.
At 6:00 PM, amid the hustle and bustle, students poured out of the exam rooms, wearing expressions of fatigue. Exams were, in fact, considered relatively easy compared to regular classes. Yet, for those aiming for good grades, the pressure was significant, not to mention those who were nervous about a particular exam.
However, Xu Lin had always found exams easier than regular classes, and with thorough preparation this time, he felt even more at ease.
"How do you think you did today?"
With a crew cut, Hei Yuanliang draped an arm over Xu Lin's shoulder, carrying a backpack and wearing a somewhat disapproving expression.
"How did it go?"
"It's alright."
"Usually, 'alright' means good grades. I felt math was a bit tough."
"By the way, do you know that black girl?"
"Black girl. You mean the one in senior year."
"I saw her when I went to my grandma's house last time. She seems to be renting a place near Zhuxiang. Her family conditions don't seem too good."
"Yeah, and what else?"
"Are you interested? You're not really thinking of pursuing that black girl, right? So thin, not too fair, not that good-looking."
"Hey, hey, why are you all thinking in the wrong direction? You truly are teenagers in puberty. I just thought she always carried so much stuff, sometimes even in the morning. So I suspected that she was being bullied."
"You're too kind. Helping Ji Yun was one thing, but as a senior, you barely know, and you still want to help."
It seemed like Hei Yuanliang was getting to know this classmate of his for the first time, finding him overly kind. Typically, he would think of such people as nosy.
But, to be honest, he did have some respect for this kind of person. In the current world, who helps whom? Everyone struggles to look after themselves.
"I don't know much either. I just know she seems to be from Sichuan. Her mother is a local, but for some reason, the whole family moved back to Linshui."
"Her mother isn't in good health, and her father works on construction sites to make a living. The three of them rented a small house; life is indeed quite difficult for them."
"Oh."
"Isn't it her?"
Suddenly, Hei Yuanliang stopped, and Xu Lin tiptoed to glance over. She had a heavily faded denim backpack on her back and was walking towards the bicycle shed.
"I'll go talk to her."
"But do it within your means."
"I know."