WuxiaWorldEU

CH 38.2

Chapter 38.2

Translated by Minodayz, Maripaz

Edited by Miss Bookie

Proofread by Librismuse

This was a first for Peng Zige to see Rong Si utterly confounded. He erupted in guffaws. His laughter had not yet reached its crescendo when someone patted his shoulder.

He turned back in displeasure. “Who …”

His expression of displeasure had started out so grandly and haughtily, and then it somehow fizzled out so that the last syllable could barely be heard.

Ten minutes later, Peng Zige and Li Erqin were downstairs, taking the trash out.

Peng Zige’s ‘pretty boy face’ was all red and ruddy from being lambasted by the strong winds channelling between the two buildings. His nose wouldn’t stop running as well.

On the other hand, Li Erqin’s colouring had returned back to normal.

After Peng Zige had thrown the rubbish from the last wastepaper basket, he blew his nose. “I say, Erqin.”

“Yeah?“ She was trying hard to stuff her face into her collar.

“How come it’s still just the two of us?” Peng Zige expressed his injustice, “Clearly it was us four who were talking, then why would that Old Form teacher pick on just the two of us?”

“That’s because your voice was the loudest,” Li Erqin replied honestly.

“Then what about you?”

This time, Li Erqin had to think for a moment. “That’s because I had the most to say.”

Peng Zige almost laughed out loud, holding it in. Where they were, most of the students were having their afternoon self study on the quiet campus. He had no intention of being reprimanded a second time for laughing out loud. “You had the most to say?”

He was struggling to keep his body from trembling, working hard to prevent his laughter from erupting. “You said you had the most to say?”

Li Erqin looked at him with a serious expression.

Peng Zige was unable to accept her statement and replied, “Next time before you head out, just spend more time looking at the mirror. I’m sure you won’t even recognise yourself.”

Li Erqin had on an unusual smile. “Before we were caught by the Form teacher, you spoke a total of eight sentences, Su Zi spoke one sentence and Rong Si didn’t even utter a single word. And I,” she paused here, not sure what she was so proud about, “spoke five sentences.”

Peng Zige uttered, “Oh.”

tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. All translations on this blog are for non-commercial purposes. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material, except linking and excerpts with due credit to the translators and tranzgeekDOTwordpressDOTcom, is strictly prohibited.

Heading up the stairs, one in front and the other behind, Peng Zige had a sense of déjà vu. Smiling happily, he turned and asked Li Erqin, “Erqin, don’t you find this moment rather familiar?”

“Umm?”

“Before Su Zi joined our group, you and I often had to take the trash out.” Peng Zige’s smile was bright and innocent. “After Su Zi joined us, you were always keeping her company in class.”

Li Erqin had spent the whole afternoon in and out of the wind; having been blown so many times, it had felt like even her emotions had been blown numb. “If you wish for me to accompany you to dispose of the rubbish, you only have to ask.”

“……” Peng Zige said, “it’s not like I really want to issue an invitation for you to throw the trash out with me.”

Li Erqin didn’t continue the conversation. Just by opening her mouth, it felt as if her stomach was doused with cold air. Thus, she chose to keep her mouth shut.

“At that time, there were some girls who were bad mouthing you too!” Peng Zige walked backwards against the wind without any fear of tripping. “Do you remember that?”

Li Erqin nodded.

“Now we’re much closer than we were before. You can tell me the truth.” Peng Zige bent down a little. “You really weren’t angry at that time?”

Li Erqin shook her head.

Peng Zige laughed. “I didn’t think you would be either.”

Li Erqin raised her brows.

This time, Peng Zige didn’t elaborate further on the matter. Turning around, he leapt up the last few steps in big strides, taking with him the two waste paper baskets. At the top, he looked down at Li Erqin as she slowly made her way up.

“Li Erqin,” Peng Zige carried on.

Li Erqin lifted her head with questioning eyes.

“You’re really a turtle.”

Li Erqin was speechless.

Forget it …… She was too cold to get into it with him.

Li Erqin didn’t pursue the subject, merely carrying on as she was, quietly making her way up. However, the atmosphere between them wasn’t the least bit awkward. Peng Zige was even attempting to spin the waste paper baskets while waiting for her to catch up.

When she reached the top step, Li Erqin walked with Peng Zige along the long corridor, back to their class. The form teacher was at the back door of the classroom, waiting for them to return so that he could give them another lecture.

While the form teacher was giving them an impressive lecture, Su Zi was in the warm and comfortable classroom making faces at them. Rong Si was working on his assignments with his head down and only looked up once. His line of sight went to Li Erqin’s frozen expression and frozen face, and he gave a faint smile, then returned to his work.

Time dragged on so endlessly that it felt like the winter season would go on forever. Classes would never finish, assignments would never be completed, there’d be a stream of formulas and vocabulary words to memorize with no end in sight.

＊＊＊

In the first monthly exams of the second half of their freshman year, Li Erqin did not pass Physics, and Peng Zige had dropped ten places in the rankings.

On the morning of the exam results, the atmosphere of the group was unusually solemn.

Su Zi’s total score was higher than Peng Zige’s by a total of 30 points, yet she did not feel happy.

(Minodayz : oh dear….you guys!!! What happened?)

Number one in the school, Rong Si, had looked over Li Erqin’s test papers and couldn’t muster up any joy either.

There was nothing worth being happy about. At lunch, they couldn’t even snag a single serving of the delicious braised chicken thighs.

However, what made the group even more frustrated was the fact that the form teacher thought that the reason behind their less than satisfactory results was that they were not attending the evening self-study classes regularly. As a result, their privilege of studying in the broadcasting room was cancelled.

When Li Erqin finished the afternoon broadcast, she headed back to class, still holding her physics exam tightly in her hands. She was very unhappy and felt like she didn’t dare look Rong Si in the eyes anymore. He had worked so hard to tutor her, and she still bungled up her exam.

Even more sad was the fact that she was already working very hard, and yet still, the results were so bad …

Ever since this second semester started, there were people who were already deciding whether to eventually go into the humanities or the sciences stream. Rong Si, Peng Zige and Su Zi would no doubt choose the sciences.

And she …

“Li Erqin.” A voice interrupted her train of thought.

Li Erqin came back to her senses.

Ruan Mingxian was standing at the entrance to the building, looking at her. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Li Erqin looked ahead. It was the wall.

(Minodayz : LEQ – watch out for that wall! )

She turned and continued walking dispiritedly.

Ruan Mingxian was the first to laugh. “What’s the matter with you?”

Every inch of Li Erqin’s face broadcasted her unhappiness. “Don’t ask.”

“You bombed an exam?”

Li Erqin looked at him in surprise. “How did you know?”

“Everyone’s getting their test results back these few days. If anyone’s unhappy at this time … it can only be because of their grades, right?”

Li Erqin put on a face that read like she wanted to cry but the tears wouldn’t come.

Ruan Mingxian couldn’t help but smile. He finally saw a different expression on her other than her “facial paralysis” face. “Which subject did you fail?”

“Physics.”

“Oh …” Ruan Mingxian looked a bit embarrassed. “If it’s Physics, then I might not be able to be of much help.”

“Are you really terrible at Physics too?”

Ruan Mingxian gave a lazy smile. “Of course not. I’m in the science stream, how could I be bad at Physics?”

Li Erqin curled her lips.

Ruan Mingxian explained, “Ruan Nuonuo’s just so-so in Physics, you know that, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I can help her with all her other subjects but not Physics.”

“Why?”

MInodayz : oh myyyy the gang is so down!!! They didn’t get their braised Chicken and lost their opportunity to hang out at the Broadcasting room! OH dear!!!! What a heavy heart!!! I feel for the group – I do get their sense of despondency. Well, I did bomb papers before and that horrible sense of disappointment!!! RMX is back and hopefully he can help lift LEQ up, although I had wish RS would be there. Then again, that’s the role for RMX and I do give him credit.

Have a great week ahead. I am so buried in work that the team is seriously having to hold fort. Kudos to the MG team indeed. See you all Friday.