Hedgehog's Belly - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

“Practice is the basis of knowledge. Practice is the source of knowledge, practice is the driving force for the development of knowledge…” Qin Jiahui pressed the book against her face and leaned back, her voice raspy and laced with exhaustion. “Muzi, are you done memorizing?”

Luo Mu rubbed her temples, her gaze fixed on the questions marked in red ink. She glanced at the person beside her. “How could I be?”

“Tell me, how are the brains of those who choose the full science track wired?” Qin Jiahui muttered softly. “Why didn’t a brain like that grow in my head?”

Luo Mu chuckled and asked her with a faint smile, “What’s the highest score you’ve ever gotten in Physics?”

“56,” Qin Jiahui mocked herself. “The lowest was 34.”

“No wonder you’re here.” Luo Mu habitually pinched the other’s arm. “I’m about the same.”

“Tell me, for someone like Zhou Shulei, when would I have had to start studying to surpass him?” Qin Jiahui flipped her Politics book facedown and slumped onto the desk, sighing helplessly.

During adolescence, one thinks they are giving their all, yet it always feels like they don’t even reach a tenth of what others achieve. It’s like being blocked by a massive chasm, reaching out but falling short; that distant, painful gap is called talent.

“If you started studying from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, you might catch up,” Luo Mu rubbed Qin Jiahui’s head. “After all, contradictions have particularity.”

Though they knew the gap between people, the high spirits of youth would never compromise or settle for self-degradation.

There are countless small, stinging splinters in life, but as long as there is a shred of hope, one is willing to grow strong to fight all hardships.

Qin Jiahui twined her hair around her finger and sighed: “What kind of girl could possibly catch the eye of a boy like Zhou Shulei?”

Luo Mu’s hand holding the pen trembled. Although she was staring at the explanation for a wrong multiple-choice answer, the image of Zhou Shulei before he left surfaced in her mind.

Luo Mu felt a sudden surge of irritation. Her other hand clenched into a fist, her palm stinging from her fingernails, before she slowly let go.

She felt gathered by some force, acting involuntarily. She had to admit that the girl held up at the top of the pyramid was being watched by a so-called “favored child of heaven.” How much did he have to like her for him to say those three words—can’t let go?

Or perhaps, Yan Qingzhu wasn’t “held up” at the top of the pyramid; she stood there on her own merit.

Always independent, always confident.

That kind of steadfast power was an incomparable beauty in her.

“She must be very outstanding,” Luo Mu murmured softly.

“I heard my boyfriend mention before that he had a partner, but as for who it was, I have no idea.” Qin Jiahui picked up the Politics book again, searching for the line of knowledge she had just finished memorizing.

“Could it be…”

Luo Mu was confused: “Could it be what?”

Qin Jiahui narrowed her eyes, her expression turning strange: “Could it be that he’s gay?”

“If the news is so secretive that no one knows…” Qin Jiahui’s eyes darted around, feigning deep thought. Then, after a few seconds of shock, she leaned toward Luo Mu’s ear and whispered, “Could it be Ji Rongshu?”

“…Actually, if you don’t know, you don’t have to guess.”

Luo Mu looked at her helplessly, then spat out three words: “It’s really not.”

“Muzi, have you actually seen her?” Qin Jiahui jumped up in shock.

“No,” Luo Mu didn’t meet her gaze. “I heard it was a girl.”

“Ooh, is our Muzi curious about this too?” Qin Jiahui draped an arm over Luo Mu’s shoulder and asked mischievously.

Luo Mu didn’t say more; she simply shook her head.

She wasn’t curious about the preferences of someone who was completely irrelevant to her.

Except—Luo Mu paused.

Except that person was related to Yan Qingzhu.

Even she didn’t want it to be so, but the name Yan Qingzhu had inexplicably entered her life, inexplicably reshaped her thoughts, and inexplicably linked itself to her emotions.

Luo Mu truly couldn’t guess what purpose that person had for approaching her, yet she found herself passively accepting all these “gifts.”

So, did they count as gifts?

Would the “benefactor” the fortune-teller mentioned be her?

It couldn’t be, Luo Mu took a deep breath, trying to comfort herself.

Whether it was or wasn’t, it didn’t matter at all to her.

During the review week and the days of the midterm exams, Luo Mu realized that Yan Qingzhu hadn’t passed by her classroom door, nor was there any sign of her on the way to and from Japanese class.

A rare peace.

Luo Mu let out a sigh.

After the final Biology exam ended, her head felt dizzy as she walked out of the exam room, but she finally felt a moment of relief.

“Everyone, put the seats back in their original positions. Collect all the books from outside the classroom so they don’t get taken.” Song Chenxi stood on the podium; her voice sounded insignificant amidst the chaotic noise.

The sound of desks being moved reached Luo Mu’s ears from time to time, mixed with the frantic sounds of joy and lamentation after checking answers.

“Holy crap, can this genetics stuff please just get off the face of the Earth!”

“Both husband and wife are sick, find the probability of the child not being sick. Seriously, can’t these two just not have kids?!”

“Study Rep, what was the answer to the sixth Biology question?” Qin Jiahui tugged at Song Chenxi’s school uniform jacket, pointing her pen at the question on the paper.

“It’s C. The site of protein synthesis for all organisms must be the ribosome.” Song Chenxi used her pen to cross out the word “not” in the “not necessarily” option, her voice delicate.

Qin Jiahui shoved her pen cap into her own chest, her face contorted in agony as she wailed, “My god, three points!”

Luo Mu, who was tidying her desk bookshelf, saw the girl return with a long face. She snatched the exam paper from her hand and stuffed it back into her drawer. “Stop checking answers. The more you get wrong, the more it hurts.”

“It’s so frustrating.” Qin Jiahui organized the papers, clipped them together, and put them back in her backpack.

Back then, during every major or minor exam, someone would always take the lead in checking answers, while others would remain completely deaf to the outside world.

Luo Mu intended to take her bag and leave, but she was pulled back by a force. She turned to see Song Chenxi. Luo Mu was indifferent, showing no extra expression. “Study Rep, what is it?”

Speaking of which, she knew very well that the kid Ji Rongshu adored the girl in front of her. But regarding classmates, Luo Mu didn’t want to have any relationship with irrelevant people; she didn’t want too many entanglements.

Song Chenxi was as lovely as a delicate flower in a greenhouse. In Yan Qingzhu’s words, a cold, inhumane stone like Luo Mu would naturally disdain going head-to-head with such a person.

“Luo Mu, do you want to go out for a meal together after the exams?” Song Chenxi’s smile was as gentle as green bamboo, clean and clear. The small canine teeth she revealed made her look innocent.

Luo Mu turned to look at her, her gaze flickering.

So there really are girls who make people feel such tenderness.

Luo Mu’s tone was flat: “No, thanks.”

Song Chenxi appeared a bit flustered, one hand hovering over her chest: “Um… Ji Rongshu is going too.”

Luo Mu’s brow furrowed. She didn’t understand why Ji Rongshu had to be mentioned.

She had already clearly refused, yet the other was trying to use someone else to emotionally hijack her.

It was nonsensical.

“He and I are just siblings; you know that, right?” Luo Mu faced her, her expression darkening.

But the girl didn’t give up; instead, she said firmly once more: “Yan Qingzhu is going too.”

Yan Qingzhu…

Hearing this name again from someone else’s mouth actually made Luo Mu feel a bit repulsed. An unspeakable jealousy, like a poisoned vine, once again spread crazily through her body, eroding her last shred of reason.

D*mn it.

“Isn’t she your friend? What does telling me have to do with anything?” Luo Mu brushed Song Chenxi’s hand aside, her tone cold.

The air suddenly froze. After a few seconds of silence, Luo Mu spoke again: “You were the one who brought her to me in the first place, but she is your friend.”

But she is your friend.

The moment Luo Mu said those words, she realized it was true. Yes, you were the one who brought her to me. How could I keep someone whose motives I can’t even guess around me?

I have to pay for my own selfishness, self-pity, and conceit.

“I don’t understand your circle. Why do you like introducing your friends to others so much?” Luo Mu shot her a glance. Looking at the girl’s shimmering eyes, her tone didn’t soften in the slightest.

Sharp and biting.

At this moment, her insinuation wasn’t just toward her, but toward that entire group of people.

“Hey, hey, Study Rep, you know Luo Mu is the most stubborn. If you push her too far, she’ll even bite a dog.” Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Qin Jiahui pulled Song Chenxi’s left arm back and patted her shoulder. She mimicked a biting posture, which was quite comical.

Song Chenxi understood the subtext in Qin Jiahui’s words, knowing that Luo Mu was indeed hard to move. She responded with a faint smile: “Luo Mu, if you want to come, you can send me a message.”

After Song Chenxi walked away, Qin Jiahui probed cautiously.

The thoughts of girls in their youth are perhaps harder to solve than math problems.

“How did the Study Rep offend you?”

“I’ve gone mad.” A sense of powerlessness suddenly surged within Luo Mu, and she instinctively stepped back a few paces. Bloodshot veins spread in her eyes, and her heart throbbed.

I’m degrading myself.

“So she said that—” After hearing Song Chenxi explain the whole story, Yan Qingzhu simply looked up at the light, a faint shadow falling across her face. One hand was draped over her forehead, making her look dazzling.

“Don’t blame her. Luo Mu is actually a really good person…” Song Chenxi hurriedly explained, worried the person in front of her would overthink things.

What Song Chenxi didn’t expect was for her to let out a chuckle, her tone laced with a hint of laziness: “That sounds like something she would say.”

Indeed, it was exactly like her.

She always trapped herself in miserable days and pasted eternal labels on herself. She liked to act according to her own rhythm and didn’t care about others’ opinions of her.

Yan Qingzhu lowered her eyes, recalling various things from the past. Indeed, she didn’t fully understand everything about that person, but those beautiful, fragmented memories had built up many unrealistic yet fascinating moments for her.

Song Chenxi looked up at her face, which was the same as always: “Are you drunk?”

Yan Qingzhu closed her eyes and then slowly opened them. “I haven’t had a drink.”

“If you’re drunk, I’ll have Ye Nanqiao carry you back.” Song Chenxi muttered softly, picking at the champagne-colored tablecloth with one hand. “If you’re interested in Luo Mu, just say so. If you’re not, don’t mess with her.”

She paused for a moment and added: “I actually feel quite bad for her.”

Song Chenxi’s lashes fluttered.

No matter what, she believed from the bottom of her heart that Luo Mu wasn’t bad by nature. Furthermore, if they actually ended up together—

Song Chenxi quickly glanced at the familiar boy across from them, a hint of red appearing on her cheeks.

A future sister-in-law who is also not one to be trifled with.

“How could I dare to ask President Ye to carry me?” Yan Qingzhu stood up and downed the drink in her glass.

She had no intention of responding to the second half of Song Chenxi’s words.

“Looking at the world through drunken eyes.” Song Chenxi propped up her chin, her tone nonchalant and relaxed, yet her words weren’t soft: “You should go love a real person.”

Yan Qingzhu, your feelings are thorough and absolute.

Do you like her, or do you like an idealized dream that doesn’t exist?

“I haven’t been drinking,” Yan Qingzhu mocked herself again, filling her cup with Coke. “Have you been learning bad habits from President Ye lately? You’re always insulting me.”

Hearing Yan Qingzhu’s flippant answer, Song Chenxi couldn’t help but frown.

“Yan Qingzhu, you have to realize something. You were the one who asked me to introduce you to Luo Mu in the first place.” Song Chenxi sat up straight, her expression grave. There was none of the usual playful banter; she was exceptionally serious now.

It was you who wanted me to bring her to you back then.