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Chapter 25.2 Rival
Translated by minodayz
Edited by yecats, Miss Bookie, Maripaz
Proofread by Librismuse
In a year 2 classroom, Ruan Mingxian is leaning on the back of a chair, sitting in the middle of a group of tall, ruffian-looking (gangster-like) boys and facing the girl standing in front of him.
The girl has long straight black hair, fine brows and big eyes. She asked bluntly*, “WHY?”
*(TN : 直截了当- Zhíjiéliǎodāng an idiom that  means a direct, plain spoken and straightforward manner)
Ruan Mingxian rebutted, “What do you mean why ?”
“It was agreed that I would be recommended for the position. Why the sudden change?”
“Who agreed to it?”
The girl stared blankly.
Who was it…” Ruan Mingxian raised his eyes in question. His left eyebrow slightly lifted as he called her by name, “…Ju Xiaoyu?”
Ju Xiaoyu had nothing to say. After all, her information had been only hearsay. “No one has ever let a freshman be an emcee.”
“Well, I am.”
Once again, Ju Xiaoyu was left with no words.
Ruan Mingxian waved his hands. “I’ve already spoken to the teacher-in- charge. If you have any objections, take it up with the teacher.”
A boy standing by his side laughed at him and said, “Ah Xian, how can you use that tone of voice with a beautiful girl?”
Ruan Mingxian gave him a sideway glance and lazily drawled*, “Shut up.”
*(TN : used translator’s discretion to say drawled – the word 懒洋洋 lan yangyang –  means lazily)
The boy curled his lips.
Ju Xiaoyu glared at him (RMX), her eyes blazing as she ran off.
Ruan Mingxian continued to chat when someone elbowed him in the waist. He turned his head. “What was that for?”
“Is it ok for you to do that?”
“What about it?”
“(She) chased (you) for a year and finally got an opportunity to be with you, andyou gave that opportunity to someone else.”
Ruan Mingxian hooked his hands behind his head and leaned his substantial body backwards. He had all the appearance of someone with a cheerful disposition.“You’re wrong. I’m actually gifting myself with an opportunity.”
The person who asked could not comprehend (his words).
Ruan Mingxian laughed and turned his head back to speak with the others.
The other person recovered and reacted, slapping on his thigh, “What the …! Ah Xian!”
Ruan Mingxian looked back.
“You’ve taken a liking for someone (a girl)*?”
*(TN: the author used 匚子 mei zi, to mean little sister but in dialect/colloquial term to mean young girl and not sister)
Ruan Mingxian’s look screamed ‘obviously’, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of any concealment as he replied, “Yup, I sure have.”
Everyone was curious. “Who is she?”
“Li Erqin”
“WHO?”
“Li Erqin, from year 1.”
The few of them racked their muddled brains to vaguely recalled the noticeboard that had a posting of someone with half a swollen face.
“… Oh.”
They were baffled because Ruan Mingxian had been so choosy, nitpicking this and that, only to pick one that was ‘unique’.
(Minodayz : hah – LEQ is beyond unique – she is one of a kind, rare and funny! lol I can’t believe they brought up that photo of her again! My word!!! Not sure if I’m to laugh or cry on her behalf!)
“*All the best .…..”
(*TN : 加油 jiayou was used here , synonymous with FIGHTING~Korean! or Gambate ~ Japanese!!)
After dinner, Ruan Mingxian swung by Li Erqin’s classroom. He stood by the window side to look across the room.  Students were scattered around the classroom, some were working on their workbooks, while others were chatting with their heads huddled together. Their  hushed whispers were barely discernible from a distance, making the whole classroom quiet and vacant. At a quick glance across the desk were a pile of books, thick and stacked high.
Ruan Mingxian gave a cursory glance round the class but didn’t catch even a glimpse of Li Erqin’s shadow.  After a short wait, digging his ear, he headed towards the Testing floor.
When he had taken about two steps, he stopped and with a rascally laugh, he watched the person approaching him.
It was Rong Si. There was no one beside him. Even the perpetual shadow of Peng Zige was nowhere to be seen.
Rong Si had his usual unreadable expression, and when he was passing Ruan Mingxian, who had purposely stopped in hope of ‘idle chatter’, he (RS) remotely nodded as a greeting. Then, with a brush of their shoulders, he turned and entered the classroom.
Ruan Mingxian crooked his head, “HEY!”
He had been so obvious that he had wanted to strike up a conversation, yet Rong Si was able to act as if nothing was the matter and, without any change to his expression, merely walked on by.
Such gumption* indeed!
(*T/N : literal translation 骨气 gu qi = backbone as in having strength & unyielding in character, courageous spirit)
He continued towards the Testing floor, gradually withdrawing the smile from his face.  Just as his left foot was about to take a step down the stairs, he retracted his action, turned and headed back towards Li Erqin’s classroom.
This only took a few minutes, however, there were already three female students queued by the side of Rong Si’s desk, holding their textbooks, waiting to ask for his help with some questions.
Ruan Mingxian raised his brows and knocked on the door frame.
A few students looked over.
“HEY!” he confronted Rong Si with a tilt of his chin, “Come out for a sec.”
Rong Si returned him a look that was just as expressionless as before, turning towards the female student who had asked him a question, “Please wait a moment.”
Then, he stood up and walked out.
With a sweep of his arm, the door closed behind him, shutting out the questioning eyes of those inside the classroom.
Ruan Mingxian lowered his head smiling, an intense feeling of disdain.
Rong Si quietly looked on and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Ruan MingXian was leaning on the corridor railings with a flippant crook of his head, “Where’s Li Erqin?”
At this, Rong Si actually broke into a smile, yet it was unlike Ruan Mingxian’s ruffian-like smile. Rong Si’s smile was like the person himself, remote and almost devoid of emotions.
Ruan Mingxian looked at him.
“You don’t know?” he asked again.
“I don’t know.”
“Cool!” Ruan Mingxian straighten up, patting Rong Si on the shoulder. “Then I’ll go else where to look.”
Rong Si took no notice of him, pushed open the classroom door and walked back in.
As Ruan Mingxian backtracked the route he had taken, his mood got increasingly more vexed compared to earlier.  Since the beginning of the school year, someone had brought to his notice about a certain person called ‘Rong Si”.  For a whole week, Rong Si’s name kept *buzzing around his ears. It felt as if that person has appeared out of thin air, and that others would use him as a benchmark  for comparison .
(*T/N : 绕来绕去 – it’s an idiom use to describe meandering round, circuitous, going round in circles without end.
Better looking that you. Taller than you. Has better results than you.
Physical ability not as good as you. Not as easy to get along compared to you. Not as well received as you.
Ruan Mingxuan was so annoyed with those comments that he wanted to stuff them into the ground.
He really couldn’t have cared less what type of person Rong Si was.
It wasn’t until he noticed the look on Li Erqin’s eyes when she laid eyes on Rong Si, and observed their compatibility when they are together (that his perspective change).  From then on, there was another person in his heart, and another imaginary enemy.
Or perhaps, it can be best defined as “rival in love”.
Ruan Mingxian arrived at the Testing floor and lifted his head to look around.  There, on the third floor corridor was a familiar silhouette standing by the railings. However, he was too far off to make out her expression.
Her head was hidden under the hood of her cotton jacket, revealing a short ponytail.  The wind was gusting, and Ruan Mingxian thought she appeared to be shivering.
He had his head lifted up for quite some time and couldn’t prevent himself from sneezing, before continuing forward.
Lowering his head, step by step he ascended the stairs, and once again, couldn’t prevent a smile from appearing.
A young lad will always be a young lad, thinking that with his indifferent expression, he would be able to shroud his feelings.
*This is war.
(*T/N : the word 敌意 was used here – the literal meaning is hostility or enmity.  I’m assuming it to be more a declaration of war.)
These hostile feelings coming from Rong Si although seemingly *dead calm, was slowly unraveling.  However, he (RMX) could see through it **clearly.)
(*T?N : 风平浪静 fengpinglangjing is a chinese idiom the breeze is calm and the waves are still – used to describe tranquility or dead calm.  **一清二楚 yiqingerchu – another idiom to mean clarity or to be very clear about something.)
“Ruan Mingxian.”
A voice intruded and broke his musings.
Ju Xiaoyu was sitting on the the last step of the stairs, blatantly waiting there for him to arrive. It was obvious that she had taken great pains to doll up; bright shining pink lips that had lip gloss applied on.
He stopped in his tracks, looked at her, “What’s the matter?”
“I’ve spoken with the teacher-in-charge.” Ju Xiaoyu stood up. “She is currently speaking with the girl you’ve sought out to be emcee.”
“WHAT?”
Ju Xiaoyu pursed her lips, not speaking.
“Why did you have the teacher look her up?”
“And seeking you out would help?”
Ruan Mingxian’s whole disposition turned cold, recalling the scene earlier where he had looked up at Li Erqin’s silhouette, he asked, “They are discussing it right now?”
Ju Xiaoyu nodded.
Ruan Mingxian refused to waste anymore time talking to her, and with a few steps he was by her side, sending her a glare.
Ju Xiaoyu couldn’t understand the glare that he had given her, but she felt angry and put out. “For someone who hasn’t had any experience as an emcee to suddenly emceeing, is that even acceptable?  Moreover, there is only slightly over a week left, are you even certain she can rise to the occasion?”
Ruan Ming Xian didn’t spare her another glance, as he carried on walking along the corridor to where Li Erqin was.  Her back was towards him, so he could only see the teacher-in-charge’s mouth jabbering.
When the teacher-in-charge saw Ruan Mingxian approaching, she patted Li Erqin’s shoulder, ending their conversation.
Minodayz: Wow – wonder who won round 1. RS was just such a cool cucumber – almost unruffled!!!  I mean his nonchalant disposition is just unbelievable.  I hate to say this, but I’m liking RMX character because he voices what we think and also how he sees the 2 leads. Yet he just revs RS up while reaching out to LEQ in a manner totally different from RS – I couldn’t find a better rival!  I mean I would love to see those cracks in RS facade too – bring it on RS plssssssss!! Oh dear …wonder too if LEQ will get to be emcee or will JXY get the role.  Til Friday….and don’t forget to drop by Discord when you can. See you around there then.