Cheng Xing watched silently for a while, his mind racing with ideas on how to help Jiang Luxi's tutoring business skyrocket. He could easily spread the word about her being the top student in middle school or her current ranking at the prestigious Ancheng No. 1 High School. Forget the measly twenty yuan an hour—even if she charged a hundred, parents would be lining up to pay.
Xuezi Street was flooded with tutors, but only one student ranked at the top of the High school Class every year. Jiang Luxi's current position as the top student at Ancheng No. 1 High School made her even more desirable.
Given her qualifications, it was baffling that she had been standing there for so long without a single customer.
Jiang Luxi stood on the street, her head lowered, shy and innocent—a stark contrast to the ambitious businesswoman she would eventually become. She looked out of place compared to her peers, who spent their free time in internet cafés playing games, dyeing their hair, and getting into trouble. She, on the other hand, had been cycling for nearly two hours just to set up a tutoring stall and earn a little extra money.
Cheng Xing walked into a nearby convenience store, bought a bottle of ice-cold mineral water, and approached her.
"Here," he said, handing it to her.
Jiang Luxi, sensing someone approaching, quickly straightened up, thinking it was a potential customer. But when she saw it was Cheng Xing, she froze. She hadn't expected to run into him here.
"I don't want it," she said coldly.
"If you don't want it, I'll just throw it away," Cheng Xing teased, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Fine, throw it away," she replied indifferently.
"You're quite stubborn," Cheng Xing chuckled.
"It's none of your business," Jiang Luxi retorted.
"Are you really going to stand here like this? Even if you stand here for another month, no one will come," Cheng Xing observed.
"It's none of your business," she snapped.
"It seems like you really dislike me," Cheng Xing said, sensing the coldness radiating from her.
Jiang Luxi was silent for a moment before she responded, "I just don't want anything to do with you."
Cheng Xing remained silent as well, before replying, "Perhaps in the past, but I can't do that now."
Hearing this, Jiang Luxi's frown deepened. "If you're trying to get close to me or show interest after your confession to Chen Qing was rejected, then I suggest you give up. I won't be involved in any romantic relationships, especially not with you."
Although she and Cheng Xing had very little interaction in the past, their paths had crossed more frequently lately, especially after Cheng Xing had been rejected by Chen Qing on the basketball court. Jiang Luxi was afraid that Cheng Xing might now shift his attention to her.
But she wasn't interested in romance. Not now, and certainly not with him.
For Jiang Luxi, her priorities were clear—making money during the holidays and getting into a good university to earn more scholarships to support her family. Romance was a distraction she couldn't afford.
"I don't want to owe you anything, not even for not lending you my books. If you're really that upset, then just hit me. I won't move; you can hit me as hard as you want. But after that, please just leave me alone," Jiang Luxi said, her brow furrowing in frustration.
Cheng Xing said nothing.
Jiang Luxi's words hung in the air, harsh and unforgiving. Cheng Xing's back, as he turned to walk away, seemed distant and a little lonely. The autumn chill seemed to add to the desolation of the moment.
He couldn't understand when he had given her the impression that he would resort to violence at the slightest provocation. He had gotten into a few fights in high school, but they were with people from other schools, not classmates. He had never bullied anyone, especially those who focused on their studies.
But what Cheng Xing didn't know was that once, during a fight outside school, Jiang Luxi had been passing by on her bike and witnessed the scene. Their interactions had already been minimal, and that particular moment had cemented her negative impression of him. To her, Cheng Xing was just another spoiled rich kid who liked to fight and chase after early romances.
So, during the entire second year of high school, Jiang Luxi had kept her distance from him.
Seeing Cheng Xing's lonely back, Jiang Luxi couldn't help but sigh. She hadn't wanted to say those harsh words, but she truly didn't want anything to do with him. If Cheng Xing were to pursue her, it would undoubtedly become a troublesome situation.
She wasn't interested in dating anyone, not now, and not in the future. She had her grandmother to care for, and that was enough responsibility for her.
Jiang Luxi glanced at the other stalls across the street, where crowds had gathered, and then looked at her own empty stall. She couldn't help but feel that making money was far harder than she'd anticipated.
She had been standing here for three days, yet no one had shown interest in her tutoring services. The summer vacation had been decent for business when she worked at tutoring institutions and managed to teach a few elementary and middle school students each day. But now, with the vacation over, demand for tutoring had dropped, and she hadn't earned a single penny.
Hungry, Jiang Luxi took a scorched bun out of her bicycle basket. She tore it into pieces and ate it slowly, sipping the boiled water she had brought from home.
Two bites later, she finished the bun and took another sip of water. She was starving—she had only eaten half a bowl of porridge that morning before riding her bike for over two hours.
"I'll try setting up the stall again tomorrow," Jiang Luxi thought to herself. "If it doesn't work, I won't come back until next week. It's better to stay at home and do some practice questions."
She took the paint-splattered sign from her basket and set it up in front of her bike.
It was then that she noticed the bottle of mineral water Cheng Xing had given her earlier, still resting on the back seat of her bicycle. She placed it in her basket, planning to return it to him at school on Monday.
Though her family had been poor, Jiang Luxi was not the type to take what didn't belong to her. It was a lesson her parents had instilled in her from a young age.
She hadn't seen them much during her childhood, as they could only return home once a year for Chinese New Year. But their words, their teachings, had stayed with her, etched into her memory.
If she didn't hold on to their voices, she feared she might forget them.
And Jiang Luxi never wanted to forget. She would never forget.