Cheng Xing stared at the exquisite face before him, so close he couldn't tear his eyes away, utterly baffled.
"Why would you say that?" he asked.
"I don't want any association with you. I just want to focus on my studies," Jiang Luxi replied.
She straightened her posture, brushing invisible dust off her sleeve as she continued, "How much do those band-aids cost? I'll pay you back later. Also, you helped me just now. By the school's norms, I suppose it's customary to buy someone a drink when they help. I'll get you a bottle of mineral water later. But please, don't bother me anymore."
Her voice was calm, but her tone carried a sense of urgency, as though she was warding off disaster.
Even Chen Qing had almost been beaten up when she provoked him. And just now, she had almost faced the same fate. Jiang Luxi didn't want to end up hurt one day, making her grandmother worry unnecessarily.
"Mineral water?" Cheng Xing chuckled, an amused smirk tugging at his lips. "Isn't it customary to buy at least a bottle of cola if someone helps?"
To be fair, even cola wouldn't suffice for Cheng Xing. Back in the day, anyone seeking his help had to offer at least a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes.
"Then… I'll treat you to a cola," Jiang Luxi said reluctantly.
Her hesitation was palpable. A bottle of cola cost three yuan, and with three yuan, she could buy several more practical things.
"I can buy it for you this afternoon, if it's not urgent," she added quickly, as if trying to negotiate terms.
She had calculated that cola was cheaper at the supermarket outside the school. If she bought it there, it would cost only two and a half yuan—saving her fifty cents compared to the school store.
Cheng Xing softened his expression and said earnestly, "I don't mean anything else by this. I just want to be friends with you."
This was the most honest thing Cheng Xing had said in a long time. He simply wanted to repay her kindness from his past life, to be a friend who could help her as much as possible.
As for whether he could prevent her from becoming a nun later… he wasn't confident. But for now, he could only take things one step at a time.
Although he hadn't spent much time with Jiang Luxi yet, he could tell that this girl was inherently stubborn.
Jiang Luxi shook her head, her face unreadable. "Why don't you find someone else? I don't want to get involved in your gangster life."
Cheng Xing stared at her, dumbfounded.
"And since you helped me just now, let me give you some advice," she said, lowering her voice. "In the future, people's living standards will improve, and security in Ancheng will get better. When that happens, you'll get caught."
She spoke in a near whisper, clearly afraid of angering him, but her words were sincere. It was her genuine belief.
Ancheng couldn't remain the chaotic city it was forever. When society improved, small-time gangsters like Cheng Xing wouldn't escape punishment.
Cheng Xing sighed, exasperated. "Think whatever you want. I really just want to be friends with you. Besides, I'm not even in a gang anymore."
Without waiting for her response, he picked up a trash can and headed out to empty it. Continuing this conversation would only drive him mad.
Since his regression, he had been living a proper life—attending school punctually, never skipping classes, and avoiding fights. Apart from Gao Hai, he hadn't even interacted with the students who used to hang out with him. What kind of gangster could he be?
Watching him walk away, Jiang Luxi sighed.
What was meant to come had come.
"I just want to be friends with you"—what a cliché. Even she, who rarely indulged in cheesy romance dramas, knew this was a classic routine.
No wonder he couldn't win over Chen Qing. But failing to woo didn't mean he could come and bother her!
Jiang Luxi truly felt like crying. All she wanted was a quiet, uneventful life.
After dumping the trash at the school garbage station, Cheng Xing returned with the emptied can. By then, the small cafeteria's cleaning work was finished. He headed to a nearby faucet to wash his hands, picked up Jiang Luxi's large broom, and followed the group back to the classroom.
"Why didn't the teacher let me supervise them cleaning? Just standing there made my legs ache!" Zhou Yuan grumbled as they walked back.
"Next time Zhao Long asks for leave, you can talk to the class teacher about it," Cheng Xing said, not bothering to look at him. "I'm not going down there again."
As he spoke, he took out his Chinese textbook and started memorizing it.
Time was tight, with little left to prepare for the upcoming recitation. Moments later, the bell rang, and Zheng Hua walked into the classroom, holding his signature small wooden stick.
"Class is starting," he announced.
"Good morning, Teacher," the class chorused.
"Good morning, students," Zheng Hua replied.
The morning passed quickly. Apart from Chinese class, Cheng Xing spent the entire time memorizing. While he paid attention in Chinese to review key points, he tuned out the other subjects.
High school math, in particular, was incomprehensible to him. Middle school concepts like X in equations were vaguely familiar, but high school? The symbols looked like an alien language.
Soon, the fourth period ended.
Cheng Xing and Zhou Yuan headed out for lunch. When they returned, Cheng Xing noticed a bottle of cola and a one-yuan coin neatly placed on his desk.
There was no need to guess who had left them there.
Cheng Xing shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. Fortunately, he had already sorted out her tutoring arrangements. Otherwise, with her insistence on repaying every favor immediately, he wouldn't have been able to help her much at all.
If she repaid him every time, it was as though he hadn't helped her in the first place.
He picked up the one-yuan coin, flicking it lightly with his finger before closing it in his palm.
It seemed there was still a long way to go with Jiang Luxi.
After everyone had finished eating, Cheng Xing stood up and began organizing the students to clean the classroom.
"Zhou Yuan, bring me all the large brooms," he instructed.
Once Zhou Yuan handed him the brooms, Cheng Xing distributed them one by one to the students. But when he reached Jiang Luxi, he took the last large broom himself and headed downstairs without a word.
Jiang Luxi stared after him, momentarily stunned. By taking the last large broom, Cheng Xing had left her without one.
But her resourcefulness quickly kicked in. Thankfully, there were still small brooms available. Grabbing one, she followed the others downstairs.
When Cheng Xing noticed the small broom in her hands, he felt an instant wave of exasperation. Seriously?
His original plan had been simple: distribute all the large brooms and keep the last one for himself, leaving Jiang Luxi empty-handed so she wouldn't have to sweep. But in his haste, he had forgotten the classroom still had plenty of smaller brooms lying around.
Once again, just like in the morning, Cheng Xing assigned her to clean the bike shed.
This time, however, he took the large broom he had chosen and quickly swept away all the trash in the shed himself.
Jiang Luxi stood to the side, small broom in hand, watching him silently.
By evening, after school, the wind had turned chilly. Cheng Xing grabbed the jacket draped over his desk and shrugged it on. But instead of leaving immediately, he lingered, loitering casually in the classroom.
Jiang Luxi, still working on her homework, glanced up when a few students from another class sauntered in. She quickly lowered her head, pretending not to notice.
These boys were notorious troublemakers—well-known throughout the school. Apart from her, only Cheng Xing and Zhou Yuan remained in the classroom, which made it obvious who the boys were there to see.
As the group gathered near Cheng Xing and Zhou Yuan, Jiang Luxi sighed inwardly.
They're probably plotting something again. Bullying? Fighting? Who knows?
She shook her head slightly. And he claims he's not a gangster anymore.
Not that it had anything to do with her. She had no interest in whatever nonsense they were up to. All she wanted was for this to end quickly and for there to be no further interactions in the future.
Cheng Xing chatted with the group for a while before finally standing up. He exchanged a few hushed words with Zhou Yuan, then strode out of the classroom.
He had promised Zhang Yi he would look out for him, and he intended to keep that promise. A few people had already made their way to the gates of No. 1 High School, and Cheng Xing needed to intervene.
But this wasn't the reckless Cheng Xing of the past. Long past the age of youthful impulsiveness, he understood that some issues didn't need fists to be resolved.
"The wise lead with influence, the shrewd with strategy, and the foolish with force," he thought to himself as he walked.
This principle applied universally, no matter the circle or situation.