Time Has Grown Dim, And Evening Has Already Fallen - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It had been about a week since the start of the second year of high school. Cheng Xun had already settled into his new routine, waking up early and staying up late, unusually dedicated to his studies.

The school was being quite ruthless. Cheng Xun initially thought it was just the “Senior Year pressure” starting early, but according to the grapevine, the previous graduating class’s results had been an absolute disaster. Consequently, the school leadership had undergone a painful soul-searching process and decided to tighten management across all grades.

After all, if they didn’t work harder, they were at risk of dropping from third-to-last straight down to the very bottom of the rankings.

Being the “tail of the crane” would be far too embarrassing.

The date for the first monthly exam was set, and those who actually wanted to succeed were feeling the pressure. Of course, there were still those just idling through life, completely indifferent.

In student life, there are always those “syndicates” of teenagers who think they are incredibly cool, tough, and great at fighting. Some can be saved; others are rotten to the core at a young age.

Perhaps everyone encounters a few “trashy” people during specific periods of their lives. It’s best to keep them at a distance—some people simply lack a sense of self-worth and the more you acknowledge them, the more hyperactive they become.

For instance, the innermost section of the No. 9 Middle School basketball courts was essentially monopolized by the same group of people during the gap between afternoon classes and evening self-study.

The leader of that group used to find Xie Qiubai eyesore and tried to cause trouble, gathering a bunch of lowlifes to corner him in an alley. They ended up being soundly thrashed by Cheng Xun and Xie Qiubai, and since then, that guy hadn’t caused much trouble.

Furthermore, the only reason he disliked Xie Qiubai was that the girl he liked happened to like Xie Qiubai. It was nothing more than incompetent rage.

Cheng Xun’s evaluation of him: a grandstanding dumb[BEEP].

He just hadn’t expected that fate sometimes functions like a repetitive cycle.

The girl Wang Ke liked had long since changed, but the object of his crush’s secret affection had also quietly shifted starting this semester.

Lu Xingchu’s striking appearance was undeniable. So, when love letters, bento boxes, and “heart-filled” breakfasts began appearing on his desk, Cheng Xun wasn’t surprised at all.

Lu Xingchu’s approach was to throw it all away. Cheng Xun thought it was a waste—purely out of a desire not to waste food—but Lu Xingchu didn’t take his advice. Everything, including the cute bento boxes, was heartlessly tossed into the trash.

A truly cold person, Cheng Xun evaluated him silently again.

However, this method was effective. A young girl’s heart is a fragile, breakable thing; over time, his reputation for being cold and ruthless spread. Though he was handsome, those brave enough to swim against the current and approach him became a small minority.

The girl Wang Ke had a crush on was one of the persistent ones.

Only, her persistence was directed at Lu Xingchu.

Cheng Xun and Lu Xingchu had actually seen her before—she was the one who always ordered a dozen cups of tea at the shop where they worked. Mo Qingqing was quite famous at school; after all, she was beautiful.

So, Wang Ke’s crush was just that—a crush. Yet, he couldn’t stand seeing any other “peach blossoms” suitors around his goddess. He was petty and bitter.

As a result, the person he hated most was no longer Xie Qiubai, but Lu Xingchu.

Occasionally, when they met on the road, Wang Ke would shoot daggers with his eyes. Cheng Xun lost count of how many eye-rolls he directed back, but unfortunately, the main target—Lu Xingchu—gave zero reaction.

Lu Xingchu didn’t even care if he was hated, let alone how many people liked him.

Sometimes, Cheng Xun felt this guy was a robot or an AI. He never got angry and never laughed; he was like a feelingless problem-solving machine.

Even when doing homework, he gave off that mechanical vibe. Methodical, organized, and steady. It was certainly different from Cheng Xun’s initial impression… at least he used to think Lu was a normal top student.

By chance today, while heading to eat, Cheng Xun ran into Xie Qiubai, who was holding a basketball and looking excited on his way to the courts, followed by two other guys.

“Old Xie,” Cheng Xun called out. “Going to play ball?”

Xie Qiubai rushed over as if he hadn’t seen Cheng Xun in years, despite having run into him during breakfast several times. “Xun-ge! Are you guys in?”

He was asking both of them.

“Aren’t you guys eating?” Cheng Xun asked instead of answering.

“We can eat after. There’s plenty of food at the shop.” Xie Qiubai started spinning the ball like a show-off and asked again, “Coming?”

“Sure.” Cheng Xun hadn’t touched a ball since school started outside of PE; his hands were itching to play. He instinctively looked at Lu Xingchu. “You playing?”

Lu Xingchu fell silent. He was actually hungry and wanted to eat. But Cheng Xun’s eyes practically screamed ‘I want to play,’ and he didn’t have the heart to ruin it.

“But Lu Xingchu,” seeing his silence, Cheng Xun looked at him suspiciously, “You’re not… incapable, are you?”

Lu Xingchu: “…”

No man could take that lying down.

“Let’s go,” Lu Xingchu replied decisively.

Even someone as thick-headed as Xie Qiubai noticed that the dynamic between Cheng Xun and Lu Xingchu had changed significantly, though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly how.

The school was stingy. The indoor gym was only open for PE classes; otherwise, it was locked tight. The outdoor courts were their only option, and they managed to snag an empty spot. Xie Qiubai grabbed a random classmate nearby to start a 3v3 game.

Lu Xingchu and Cheng Xun stood on opposing sides. Xie Qiubai could faintly sense an aura of confrontation between them.

In their first year, Cheng Xun had led their class to the school finals, falling just one step short of the championship. He was agile, had quick reflexes, and possessed top-tier ball-handling skills. Even Xie Qiubai was no match for him.

But today, he was marked by Lu Xingchu the entire time. He was shut down so tightly he didn’t even have a chance to show off.

Lu Xingchu was clearly doing it on purpose—likely because of Cheng Xun’s “incapable” comment. The scariest part was that while he was busy locking down Cheng Xun, he still found the timing to sink several perfect three-pointers.

Even without an official scorekeeper, everyone knew: Cheng Xun’s side lost. Badly.

By the end, Cheng Xun was exhausted, sweat dripping down his face. Though they lost, the game felt exhilarating; winning or losing didn’t really matter. He was hot and thirsty, tugging at his collar to let some air in.

Lu Xingchu seemed to be the type who didn’t sweat easily. After a full game, he was still steady—not red-faced or panting. He walked slowly over to Cheng Xun and suddenly whispered:

“Who’s ‘incapable’?”

The provocation was palpable.

Cheng Xun:

This guy really holds a grudge.

Cheng Xun reached out and bumped his fist against Lu’s shoulder, a thin smile playing on his lips. A smile to settle the score.

“Let’s go, let’s go, food time!” Xie Qiubai came over shouting while clutching the ball. “Playing on an empty stomach makes me even hungrier.”

Unfortunately, another group had also just finished playing nearby—Xie Qiubai’s old rivals. Only now, Wang Ke’s glaring and cold sneers were directed at Lu Xingchu instead of Xie Qiubai.

Xie Qiubai rolled his eyes. “What is this guy acting all cynical for now?”

Cheng Xun shook his head, pretending to know nothing.

But as the saying goes: I don’t provoke people, but people provoke me.

As Lu Xingchu was walking out of the playground, someone from behind slammed hard into his shoulder. The person did it intentionally, and as if that wasn’t enough, they tried to follow up with an elbow to his back.

Lu Xingchu rarely showed emotion, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have a temper.

With one hand, he caught the person’s wrist and twisted it backward. It was painful—a brief dislocation. The boy’s howl of agony startled everyone in the vicinity.

Then Wang Ke jumped out, spewing a barrage of twisted accusations at Lu Xingchu.

“Have you said enough?” Cheng Xun’s face went cold, his eyes filled with ice. “Do you think we’re blind? Your lackey started it. I suggest you stop while you’re ahead.”

“Who the hell are you talking to?” Wang Ke already had a grudge against Cheng Xun. Seeing him step up, he decided to settle old and new scores at once, his words becoming increasingly foul. “Cheng Xun, you little fatherless, motherless bastard—”

Before he could finish, an elbow slammed into his cheek.

Cheng Xun had lunged forward with a swift elbow strike. He wasn’t done; he grabbed the guy’s collar, yanked him down with force, and drove his knee upward into his gut.

“Ugh…” Wang Ke almost vomited from the blow, looking pathetic.

Lu Xingchu had intended to help, but he hadn’t expected Cheng Xun’s combat power to be so high. He had easily dispatched the thug and his cronies. However, watching that familiar knee-strike, Lu Xingchu’s own abdominal muscles began to ache reflexively.

Xie Qiubai also slammed the basketball hard onto Wang Ke’s head—a perfect “slam dunk” of sorts.

“Surname Wang, take your little brothers and get lost. Stop looking for trouble.”

The commotion was drawing attention, and with teachers approaching, Wang Ke had no choice but to give up. He shot a venomous glare at Cheng Xun and Lu Xingchu before scurrying away.

“So annoying. Encountering that prick really ruins the mood,” Xie Qiubai grumbled as he ran to retrieve his ball. “Come on, I’ll buy you guys some grilled sausages.”

Along the way, even food couldn’t stop Xie Qiubai’s non-stop talking.

“Xun-ge, your combat skills haven’t declined! I thought you’d turned into a ‘Three-Good Student’ and traded the sword for the pen.”

Cheng Xun: “…”

“Who told you I was a Three-Good Student?” Cheng Xun felt like kicking him. “Stop spreading rumors. I just don’t want my monthly exam grades to look too ugly.”

“I get it,” Xie Qiubai said with a grin, then jerked his chin toward Lu Xingchu. “You’ve got such a big-time top student next to you now—love me, love my dog, right? But I didn’t expect Student Lu to have moves too. I thought you were just a bookworm.”