"Brother Cheng, where did you vanish to? I couldn't find you anywhere. I thought maybe you went to the internet café, but you weren't there either," Zhou Yuan asked, puzzled.
"I went to the bookstore to buy a few books," Cheng Xing replied casually.
"What kind of books? Is there a new good novel out? Let me see. I just finished Coiled Dragon, and I haven't found anything worth reading lately," Zhou Yuan said eagerly.
"Are you sure you want to read this?" Cheng Xing asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, yes! The books Brother Cheng buys are always top quality," Zhou Yuan nodded enthusiastically.
"Well, this one is better than anything you've read so far," Cheng Xing said as he handed him two math textbooks, the kind you'd expect from a fifth or sixth grader.
Zhou Yuan stared at the books in disbelief.
"Elementary school math?" Zhou Yuan asked incredulously.
"Yep," Cheng Xing nodded.
Zhou Yuan sighed. "Never mind. I'll just read Extreme Noble Son-in-Law again."
He pulled out his well-worn copy, which he had read countless times before.
Cheng Xing smiled and continued flipping through the textbooks. Though they were just fifth and sixth-grade math, he found himself baffled. He'd expected to breeze through them, but even with the examples and practice problems, the concepts eluded him.
Cheng Xing sighed in frustration. He could have asked a teacher, but with the looming pressure of the college entrance exam, his math teacher was far too busy to help him out with basic elementary school problems.
A tutoring class over the holidays seemed like the best option—maybe that would help him make sense of these confusing equations.
"Give me something else to read," Cheng Xing said.
Zhou Yuan handed him a book titled Otherworldly Martial Arts Rogue. Cheng Xing skimmed through a few pages before tossing it back.
"Do you have anything else?" he asked.
Although the book followed the popular fantasy genre, it was filled with explicit scenes that made Cheng Xing uncomfortable, especially in the heat of summer.
"How about some ghost stories?" Zhou Yuan suggested, pulling out a small book of eerie tales from his drawer.
Cheng Xing's eyes lit up. Now that was more interesting than the usual fare in Zhou Yuan's collection. The book was small, but the stories inside were gripping and full of terror.
Cheng Xing spent the rest of his time absorbed in the ghost stories, losing himself in their haunting details.
"What do you want to eat later?" Zhou Yuan asked as they walked out of the classroom.
"Anything's fine," Cheng Xing replied lazily.
"Let's get dumplings. I'll treat you," Zhou Yuan said with a grin.
"Alright, it's rare for you to treat someone," Cheng Xing chuckled.
"Well, thanks to you, I got a free meal from Gao Hai and a pack of cigarettes," Zhou Yuan said with a wink.
"No, you earned it. You were the one who handled the situation, so it's only fair he treats you," Cheng Xing said, smirking. "I'm just along for the ride with the free pack of cigarettes."
Zhou Yuan smiled and said nothing more, knowing full well that his face was the real reason Gao Hai had been so easily swayed. After asking around, he understood why Gao Hai had come to Cheng Xing for help. The conflict with the other party was serious, and if it hadn't been for Cheng Xing's involvement, things wouldn't have been resolved so smoothly.
As they were about to leave, someone called out, "Cheng Xing."
Cheng Xing turned to see Chen Qing standing there.
"What's up?" Cheng Xing asked.
"Can you help me bring five buns and three bottles of cola?" Chen Qing asked sweetly.
Cheng Xing frowned. "Sorry, I'm already helping someone else. I might not be able to carry anything extra."
Chen Qing's face fell. "Didn't you used to say you'd always help me with things?"
"I guess I've changed my mind," Cheng Xing said with a playful smile.
Chen Qing felt a pang of disappointment. She had always felt special, knowing Cheng Xing would always be there for her. But now, she was just another person asking for help.
"Then who are you helping?" Chen Qing asked, her curiosity piqued.
Cheng Xing felt a headache coming on. He hadn't expected her to press him for an answer, but here they were. He had just lied, saying he was helping someone else, and now it seemed he had to come up with a better explanation.
"Never mind. Since you're already busy, I'll just ask someone else," Chen Qing said suddenly.
She didn't understand why, but hearing that Cheng Xing was already helping someone else left her feeling uneasy. It was as if something that was once hers had been taken away.
With a sharp look, Li Dan, who had been sitting next to Chen Qing, chimed in.
"Oh, I knew it! You weren't helping anyone after all! If you didn't want to, just say so. Why lie about it?" Li Dan sneered. "Are you mad because Chen Qing turned you down?"
Cheng Xing smiled slyly and walked over to Jiang Luxi, who was sitting nearby.
"I did help someone," he said, with a wink. "Jiang Luxi asked me to bring her a bottle of cola and two buns. I was going to eat in the classroom today, so I don't have any extra hands to help you."
"If you don't believe me, you can ask her," Cheng Xing added, a confident grin spreading across his face.
Jiang Luxi glanced up at the mention of her name.
Cheng Xing looked right back at her, locking eyes.
"Play along, and I'll forget about this morning's incident. If not... well, you know me, I, Cheng Xing, am a notorious troublemaker" Cheng Xing said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Jiang Luxi hesitated before shaking her head.
"Are you not afraid of getting beaten up? It hurts, you know," Cheng Xing teased.
"I am scared," Jiang Luxi admitted, wry smile tugging at her lips.
"Then why did you shake your head just now?" Cheng Xing asked, his eyebrows raised in confusion.
"Because... a bottle of soda and two buns only cost four yuan," Jiang Luxi explained softly, her voice barely above a whisper.