Sun Ying tugged gently on Jiang Luxi's sleeve, lowering her voice to a whisper.
"Stop arguing with him. Be careful not to provoke him."
Her eyes flickered with concern as she glanced at Cheng Xing. She couldn't quite understand why he was asking around about Jiang Luxi. Was he really interested in her? But hadn't he been eyeing Chen Qing? Maybe he was trying to two-time them both?
It reminded her of those gang leaders in TV dramas, the ones surrounded by multiple women. Yet, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. Her priority was to keep Jiang Luxi from pushing Cheng Xing any further.
Even Chen Qing couldn't stand up to Cheng Xing. If Jiang Luxi provoked him, who knew what kind of retaliation might follow?
Jiang Luxi turned to Sun Ying, her eyes dark with resolve. She had no desire to antagonize Cheng Xing, but she wasn't about to let him corrupt the kids from their village either—especially not one of them, a boy with good grades whose grandparents had always been kind to her family. They had often helped her grandmother fetch water when her legs grew too weak. Jiang Luxi owed them a debt of gratitude.
She wouldn't stand by and watch their grandson be led astray.
Rumors swirled about Zhou Yuan, a bright student whose grades had plummeted after falling into Cheng Xing's circle. He'd gone from excelling in his first year to sinking to the bottom of the class. Jiang Luxi wasn't about to let history repeat itself with anyone else.
Eventually, the commotion died down, and everyone resumed lining up for the food stall. Despite the earlier disruption, the line remained as long as ever.
"There are so many people! How long is this going to take?" Sun Ying craned her neck, counting heads. At least a dozen remained. The line hadn't moved because the previous batch of pan-fried buns had sold out. A fresh batch was in progress.
Had the buns been ready, they'd have served twenty people in under ten minutes. But a new batch would take longer.
Cheng Xing cast a glance at the stall, noting how the owners rushed to prepare more food. It would be at least another ten minutes before anything was ready. Fortunately, he wasn't in a hurry.
His gaze drifted back to Jiang Luxi, who was standing quietly, her head dipping lower and lower. She was dozing off.
How tired must someone be to fall asleep standing up?
Jiang Luxi was painfully aware of her drowsiness but couldn't fight it. She had pinched her thigh several times, each sting briefly sharpening her focus, only for exhaustion to overwhelm her moments later.
Skipping dinner wasn't unusual for her, but missing breakfast was harder. Her family ate dinner early, around six in the evening. Now, it had been nearly ten hours without food, and her stomach growled in protest. If she didn't eat, she'd be dizzy during class.
She knew that feeling too well.
Determined, Jiang Luxi pinched her thigh again, harder this time. The sharp pain jolted her awake—if only for a few moments. Inevitably, the fog of sleep returned.
Suddenly, her knees buckled. She tilted uncontrollably to the right, bracing herself for a painful impact with the ground.
Yet, surprisingly, fear didn't register.
Her only thought was, Maybe this fall will wake me up.
But she didn't hit the ground.
At the last second, a firm hand caught her.
"Money," Cheng Xing said, his voice low and stern.
"What?" Jiang Luxi blinked, disoriented. Her heart was still racing from the near fall. She had fully expected to crash onto the pavement.
"How much are you spending on buns?" Cheng Xing asked, his tone clipped.
"Fifty cents," Jiang Luxi answered instinctively.
"Give it to me," he ordered.
"Oh… okay." Hesitant but slightly intimidated by his dark expression, Jiang Luxi handed over the fifty-cent coin she had clutched tightly in her sweaty palm.
Cheng Xing took the coin, then strode toward the front of the line. He approached a classmate standing near the front.
"Mind if I cut in?" Cheng Xing asked, his voice calm but assertive.
"Go ahead, Brother Cheng. Cut in!" The boy stepped aside without hesitation, a nervous smile on his face.
As luck would have it, the new batch of buns was just coming off the stove. Cheng Xing handed over two yuan and fifty cents, buying two portions—one for Zhou Yuan and one for himself.
"What's your name? What class are you in?" Cheng Xing asked the boy who had let him cut in.
"Li Fan, Class 7, Grade 11," the boy replied.
"I'll have someone bring you a bottle of water later," Cheng Xing said curtly.
"No need, Brother Cheng! It's nothing, really," Li Fan stammered, waving his hands in refusal.
Cheng Xing said nothing more. He grabbed the buns and walked back to Jiang Luxi, extending one of the portions toward her.
"There's still time before class starts. Eat these and rest for a bit," he said, his tone softer but still firm.
Jiang Luxi stared at the buns, reluctant to take them.
"If you eat and rest now, you'll have the energy to focus in class," Cheng Xing continued. "Do you really want to keep dozing off, getting called out by the teacher, and wasting your entire morning? You're not like me. I can afford to waste time, but you need to study. You want that top score in next year's college entrance exam. You're aiming for those government and school scholarships. Your goal isn't just a good university, right?"
He paused, then added, "I'm not forcing you. But if you don't want them, I'll take them back. You can keep standing in line."
Jiang Luxi hesitated for a moment longer before finally reaching out.
Her fingers closed around the warm buns. She knew he was right. Despite her pride, she couldn't afford to collapse from exhaustion. Monday mornings were critical for tackling the toughest material. If she missed it, she'd fall behind.
Watching her accept the food, Cheng Xing exhaled quietly. He had succeeded in helping her, even if it had taken more effort than expected. The hardest part was over. Now, it wouldn't be as difficult next time.
Without another word, Cheng Xing walked away with his own buns, leaving Jiang Luxi to rest.
Meanwhile, the onlookers remained frozen, watching in stunned silence. The school's food stall hadn't seen such drama in years.