What to Do If Beta Cannot Be Marked? - Chapter 24.1

Normal legs naturally walk faster than injured ones. Lu Zhi kept his gaze forward and soon overtook Nan Mengbai by several steps, with a little tail trailing behind him.

Chi Jinxian followed closely behind Lu Zhi, but for some reason, he suddenly seemed to have forgotten how to walk properly, his steps became light and floaty.

He beamed with joy, though his smile carried a hint of foolishness, his eyes fixated on the wind-breaking duck dangling from Lu Zhi’s backpack, swaying gently with each step Lu Zhi took.

Jiang Jin clicked his tongue inwardly, thinking, This silly kid Chi Jinxian is sinking deeper, but what’s up with Lu Zhi? Why does he seem so calculating?

The number of classmates around them dwindled, while the corridors outside each classroom gradually filled with more people. Without a doubt, rumors about Chi Jinxian wearing Lu Zhi’s school uniform last week and Lu Zhi publicly demanding it back this morning would spread like wildfire through the school. By now, the forum was probably buzzing with activity.

“Are you feeling alright?” Jiang Jin belatedly shifted his gaze away from the wind-breaking duck, snapping out of his thoughts, his tone laced with disbelief.

Hearing this, Lu Zhi gave him a strangely puzzled look and frowned. “You’re the one who’s sick.”

Jiang Jin, magnanimous as ever, didn’t take it to heart and smiled faintly. “Fine. Why are you so late today? You practically arrived at the last minute.”

Lu Zhi replied casually, “Overslept.”

As a long-time friend, Jiang Jin didn’t buy it at all, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what felt off.

Just then, they reached Class 10 of Grade 12. Lu Zhi and Chi Jinxian entered the classroom one after the other, the back door shutting out the outside world.

Jiang Jin shrugged and walked away.

“Lu-ge, your milk.” Chi Jinxian’s heart still pounded like a drum. Suppressing the urge to grab Lu Zhi’s collar, pull him close, and playfully kiss his cheek, he carefully placed the bottled milk on Lu Zhi’s desk and nudged it forward with his finger.

Lu Zhi didn’t even glance at it. “Not drinking.”

“Then I’ll just leave it here.” Chi Jinxian’s eyes sparkled. Without waiting for a response, he turned around to prepare his textbooks for the first class, a smile lingering at the corners of his mouth.

He flipped open a book randomly. Aside from the printed regular script, a phone suddenly appeared on the page.

Chi Jinxian nibbled on his fingertip for a few seconds, his other hand flying across the screen as he typed furiously.

Cash Pool: 【Xiao Lu, Xiao Lu, Xiao Lu Xiao Lu Xiao Lu, ahhhhhhhhhh】

Cash Pool: 【Xiao Lu!!】

Cash Pool: 【Xiao Lu! I want to tell you something huge!】

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Three consecutive phone vibrations sounded from behind. Chi Jinxian, who had only been pretending to study, grew even more excited upon hearing them.

Look, he was chatting with a friend, and Lu-ge’s friend was messaging him too. Both of them were on their phones, how telepathic!

As if unaware of the gaze from ahead, Lu Zhi expressionlessly took out his phone and switched it to silent mode.

The next second, Chi Jinxian’s phone vibrated.

Approach: 【What’s up, Xiao Chi】

Approach: 【[Emoji of hands cupping cheeks, listening attentively]】

Chi Jinxian immediately used both hands to type excitedly, pouring out everything about the school uniform and the wind-breaking duck to Xiao Lu. Soon, his face flushed slightly red.

No one knew what exactly he was so thrilled about.

Seeing Xiao Lu cheering for him, Chi Jinxian’s smile widened even more. The morning sun outside the window seemed no match for the beautiful blush on his face.

“Hey, that’s enough, stop smiling.” Jiang Baixiao patted Chi Jinxian’s shoulder, his eyes filled with concern like a doting father. “Cash, you’re really heading further and further down the path of no return in terms of popularity.”

“Huh? What?” Chi Jinxian, who had been chatting with Xiao Lu about classes, put away his phone and turned to look at Jiang Baixiao.

Jiang Baixiao cleared his throat and cautiously glanced back at Lu Zhi. Seeing that the class monitor had put on his earphones to study, he relaxed a little. Still, he didn’t dare to speak at a normal volume and whispered to Chi Jinxian, “Come take a look. It’s all about you here.”

Chi Jinxian leaned in and lowered his gaze to look at Jiang Baixiao’s phone.

The screen displayed the school forum page. Chi Jinxian’s eyes barely skimmed it before he immediately looked away, saying hurriedly, “No, no, I won’t look. Brother Lu is the school heartthrob. Even without looking, I know half the comments are mocking me. I’d rather spend this time solving another math problem!”

His expression was guarded, his entire body tense, as if Jiang Baixiao might shove the phone into his eyes.

Jiang Baixiao: “…”

He had to admit, Chi was quite rational, and what he said wasn’t wrong.

But today’s forum posts actually had very few mocking comments. Over the past two years, those who had been waiting to see Chi Jinxian fail in pursuing Lu Zhi were now beginning to question their own perceptions. Some even remarked sharply, “What does Lu Zhi really feel about Chi Jinxian now? Could he actually have fallen for him?”

Without the parties involved stepping forward, no one could answer.

Jiang Baixiao was genuinely curious about how things had developed, but Chi Jinxian ignored him, telling him to focus on his studies. Unable to pry any information out of him, Jiang Baixiao was left to enjoy the gossip alone. For a while, he sighed in frustration, feeling as though he had been abandoned by his deskmate.

If something like Lu Zhi actually liking him had truly happened, given Chi Jinxian’s personality, he would have spread the news far and wide himself. But since such things were purely fictional, Chi Jinxian only entertained them in his own mind and never spoke a word about them.

How did he know they were fictional?

“Brother Lu.” With about ten minutes left before the first class, Chi Jinxian turned around and called out to him, his eyes still shining brightly.

Lu Zhi looked up, a hint of confusion in his expression.

Seemingly a little embarrassed, Chi Jinxian cleared his throat, leaned forward until his chest was against the edge of Lu Zhi’s desk, and rested his hands on it.

In a voice so soft only the two of them could hear, he asked, “Do you like me a little bit now?”

His tone was as light as a whisper, almost like… the sweet nothings shared between lovers.

Lu Zhi lowered his eyelashes, flipped a page in his book flipped one too many, then flipped back.

“No,” he said, his tone as calm as still water. “Turn back around.”

Ah, as expected, Chi Jinxian sighed inwardly and obediently turned back around. Even if the entire school believed Lu Zhi liked Chi Jinxian, unless Lu Zhi admitted it himself, Chi Jinxian would never believe it.

He trusted Lu Zhi completely. Whatever Lu Zhi said was the truth.

Though rejected, this did nothing to diminish Chi Jinxian’s still-pounding heart. Lu Zhi hadn’t liked him before, and not being liked now was just a repeat of the past no need to feel upset. Besides, Lu Zhi never used to accept anything from him before, and while he still mostly refused, he occasionally did accept things now! Just look at how adorable the windbreaker duck was that alone was worth getting excited and happy about.

Chi Jinxian propped his textbook upright, covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of eyes brimming with excessive laughter. Who knows what kind of blossoming smile was hidden beneath, on his lips and lower face.

Jiang Baixiao couldn’t bear to watch, sighing with exasperation.

During the long break, Lu Zhi was called out by Jiang Jin to play basketball. Chi Jinxian planned to use the restroom first before heading to the playground. In the hallway, he encountered Nan Mengbai, who was shuffling along step by step.

Though not fractured, a severe sprain wasn’t easy to recover from either. At a glance, Nan Mengbai’s ankle was visibly swollen and badly inflamed. Chi Jinxian couldn’t help but inwardly admire his determination despite the disability.

Noticing Chi Jinxian’s scrutinizing gaze, Nan Mengbai chuckled lightly and said, “Thinking about me in your head? Probably something like ‘he really loves studying, what perseverance despite injury.'”

“!!” Startled by having his thoughts exposed so abruptly, Chi Jinxian jolted and quickly waved his hands. “No, no, no, not at all.”

“But not injuring you is what puts my mind most at ease,” Nan Mengbai said, looking at him.

Chi Jinxian felt that Nan Mengbai must have a particularly gentle personality, quite comfortable to be around.

Seeing him bring up the incident again with an apologetic tone, Chi Jinxian felt embarrassed for the second time about the matter. “Even if you didn’t take leave, you should still rest and recover properly. If you need any errands run, you can ask your classmates for help.”

“I know,” Nan Mengbai nodded, then coughed lightly. “But going to the bathroom isn’t something others can do for me.”

Chi Jinxian: “…”

Already standing off to the side of the hallway, hearing this, Chi Jinxian quickly shifted closer to the wall to let the injured person pass.

“You go ahead!”

“Let’s go together. If I accidentally fall, you can help me right away,” Nan Mengbai joked.

He lowered his head to adjust his crutches, as if finding a more comfortable position. When Chi Jinxian actually agreed to walk alongside him, Nan Mengbai let out a soft sigh and said, “Jinxian, I still feel I need to apologize to you again. Last week, I’m really sorry. I only wanted to get to know you and be friends, but I not only nearly got you hurt, but also got some of my pheromones on you. Both were very impolite.”

He didn’t dare look at Chi Jinxian while speaking, as if deeply remorseful for his unintentional mistakes.

Chi Jinxian waved it off. “Hey, it’s really fine it was just an accident.”

“Then, can we become friends from now on?” Nan Mengbai asked softly. “Can I message you to chat?”

Hearing this, Chi Jinxian immediately recalled the two times Nan Mengbai had asked for his contact information he never gave it, and in the end, Nan Mengbai had to go through Qi Suiyi. Chi Jinxian had even scolded Qi Suiyi about it, because Qi Suiyi only shared the contact details to get back at him for calling his grandfather to tattle that Friday night!

So petty.

Chi Jinxian scratched his nose sheepishly and said, “Sure.” Then he added quietly but seriously, “But please don’t develop feelings for me.”

“…” There was a moment of silence beside him before Nan Mengbai asked, “Why?”

“Because I like Lu Zhi,” Chi Jinxian stated without reservation. “I’ll like him for my whole life. So it’s no good to like me definitely don’t.”

This was truly the first time Nan Mengbai had encountered such a straightforward rejection, yet he felt an indescribable tenderness lingering in his heart. He couldn’t help but chuckle softly and said, “You’re really too blunt.”

“Hey, you’re pretty blunt too,” Chi Jinxian waved a hand, interpreting it with the earnest tone of an adult. “Your intention in asking for my contact info was way too obvious.”

Nan Mengbai completely lost it, laughing so hard his chest shook. Covering his lips as he coughed, his voice uneven, he said, “Was it really that obvious?”

Chi Jinxian laughed along and said, “Anyway, whatever the reason might be, it didn’t seem like the usual way to make friends.” After laughing, he added, “I’ve been chasing after Lu Zhi for two years it’s not like I don’t get it.”

Chest slightly puffed, back straight, he looked utterly proud, as if liking Lu Zhi was some incredible achievement.

As if recalling something, Nan Mengbai’s smile faded, and he fell silent for a while.

After a moment, he said, “Will Lu Zhi like you back?”

His words carried a hint of “I’m reminding you that Lu Zhi doesn’t like you, and I’m doing this for your own good,” as if determined to wake the other person up.

But Chi Jinxian replied, “That’s up to Lu Zhi. My feelings are mine, I’m chasing him to make him like me, but if he doesn’t, it’s fine. I definitely won’t, and can’t, be sad or upset over it. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be emotional blackmail?” He turned to look at Nan Mengbai, a smile in his eyes. “That wouldn’t be right.”

Nan Mengbai was slightly stunned, almost rooted to the spot, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

By the time he came back to his senses, Chi Jinxian had already come out of the restroom, washed his hands, and said he wouldn’t walk him back to class he was going to the field to see Lu Zhi and told him to be careful on his way back. Then he left.

Nan Mengbai moved to the corridor railing and looked down. Chi Jinxian’s figure, running straight toward the field with cheerful energy, came into view, as if his presence alone filled the entire campus.

A while later, once the figure was out of sight, Nan Mengbai belatedly took out his phone, unconsciously spinning it in his hand.

Then he turned on the screen, opened the messaging app, and tapped into the pinned chat.

There was a question sent from the other side two minutes ago.

Resolute: [Alliance First High School Forum Link]. Your school forum was buzzing like crazy at noon today. Did Lu Zhi really give his uniform to Chi Jinxian? And he had a windbreaker duck on his backpack?

Nan Mengbai had already seen the forum and didn’t need to look again.

He first replied with an “Mm,” then thought for a moment and typed a follow-up question.

Daylight: Resolute, are you sure Lu Zhi doesn’t like Chi Jinxian?

Resolute: If he liked him, would he let him chase for two years? Why do you ask?

Daylight: It’s nothing. It’s just that sometimes Lu Zhi’s behavior seems pretty odd.

Similar to many students’ reactions, after this morning, Nan Mengbai felt that Lu Zhi was acting strangely, but since they weren’t close, he couldn’t pinpoint what exactly was off. So when the other person asked, “What’s odd?” he couldn’t come up with an answer.

But thinking about it, it made sense, if someone really liked you, would they let you chase after them for so long? The chances were slim.

“Go Lu Zhi!” The two subjects of discussion were both on the sports field at that moment, with one of them sitting on the grass cheering for someone on the court.

As if they weren’t just playing around, but competing in a real match.

Jiang Jin was nearly driven mad with frustration. He noticed that every time Chi Jinxian cheered, it genuinely seemed to boost Lu Zhi’s performance.

What used to be a close game with only a few points difference had now widened to a gap of over ten points!

After another goal was scored against him, Jiang Jin rested his hands on his knees for a couple of seconds before straightening up to ask Lu Zhi, “Why isn’t he looking at enlarged nude photos today? He’s been cheering nonstop.”