Translator: 549690339
Xu Chaomu felt pretty uncomfortable inside, but no matter how bad he felt, face mattered. He wouldnât go, and she couldnât force him.
Then again, being the eighth from the bottom really was embarrassing.
But what of it? Even if he were the top student in his class, Shen Chi wouldnât necessarily go.
She lifted her little face, glared at Shen Chi puffing with anger, grabbed her backpack strap and walked out the door without looking back.
What a self-inflicted snub!
Old Cheng had been waiting at the door for a while. Seeing Xu Chaomu arrive, he opened the passenger door for her.
Only after Xu Chaomu left the Shen Family did Shen Chi start the car and head off to the Li Group.
By the time Xu Chaomu got to school, the sports field was already set up. Today was the parent-teacher conference for the entire sophomore year combined with an awards ceremony, and it was bustling with activity.
There were plenty of banners along the way, saying âWarm Welcomeâ and the like, as well as colorful balloons flying high in the air.
The weather today was exceptionally nice, with clear skies and wispy clouds. Blue skies were dotted with swallows and doves, adding vibrant life to the scenery.
Xu Chaomu thought it would be great if it rained later.
How beautiful! Hmphâ¦
The sports field was big and beautifully decorated. One could tell that a lot of effort had been put into it. The surroundings of the field were decorated with picked flowers in potsâorchids, irises, red clusters⦠Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple colors adorned the field, making it look like a splendid garden.
There were many students in the entire sophomore class; the auditorium couldnât fit everyone, so the parent-teacher conference and award ceremony were held on this vast sports field.
The stage was set up early, complete with microphones, tables, awardsâ¦
everything was lavish and comprehensive.
Chairs were also prepared on the sports field, row upon row, with no end in sight. If one was lost in the crowd, it was like being engulfed by the ocean, utterly untraceable.
Xu Chaomu felt this ceremony had nothing to do with her.
She was thinking that if it rained later and everyone got drenched like drowned rats, she would calmly take out her raincoat and put it onâ¦
Gracefully blossoming in the rain.
Hmphâ¦
Thinking this way, she was much happier and hummed a tune as she walked toward the classroom.
No sooner had she stepped into the classroom than Yu Weiwei blocked her way, âChaomu, check the time; you almost arrived late again.
âBeing late is to show respect for the bed!â Xu Chaomu declared with a raised chin, blustering nonsensically with a straight face.
ââ¦â Yu Weiweiâs mouth twitched.
Xu Chaomu leisurely walked into the classroom, put her backpack down, and took out her homework and textbooks.
âChaomu, who from your family is coming for todayâs parent meeting?â Yu Weiwei heard that Xu Chaomu and her brother lived on their own, with no one else to depend on, and that her brother seemed to be a construction worker.
However, she couldnât figure out how Xu Chaomu knew Li Beiting.
Perhaps Xu Chaomuâs brother was working on a construction site for the Li Group.
Sometimes when Xu Chaomu accidentally annoyed some little tyrants, people would say she was an orphan with no parents, living with a brother who couldnât find a wife. Or even worse, theyâd suggest Xu Chaomu might be an illegitimate child found on the street and taken in by her brother.
Every time she heard these things, Yu Weiwei would defend Xu Chaomu.
In the beginning, Xu Chaomu would argue back with a flushed face, but later she couldnât be bothered to respond.
âNo oneâs coming.â Xu Chaomu said while packing her backpack.
âYour brother is that busy? The class monitor just tallied up the numbers, and
it seems like most studentsâ parents are coming!â Yu Weiwei rested her chin on her hands as she looked at Xu Chaomu.
Yu Weiwei had never met Xu Chaomuâs brother, but he seemed to be really busy.
It made sense; he had Chaomu to support, after all. How could he not work hard to earn money?
âMost? Doesnât that mean there are students whose parents arenât coming? Weiwei, look at usâweâre not getting any awards or recognitions. Having parents over would just be embarrassing.â Xu Chaomu added, pulling a silly face.
She and Yu Weiwei were neck and neck: one was ranked eighth from the bottom and the other, seventh from the bottom.
âYouâve got a point there,â Yu Weiwei said, scratching her head sheepishly. âSo, how are you going to handle the parent meeting later?â
âHandle it as I usually would, sneak out and watch a movie.â
âI canât do that. My dad is coming! If I sneak out, heâll break my legs.â Saying this, Yu Weiwei stuck out her tongue in all seriousness.
âDidnât we agree to share our blessings and face our troubles together? How can you leave me alone in the movie theater? Think about it, if I go alone, what if I run into human traffickers? Look at me, Iâm quite the cutie, huh? If the traffickers take me deep into the mountains and force me to marry some old and ugly man, what if..
Xu Chaomu trailed off, she lowered her head and deliberately sniffed, looking troubled.
Usually, after she said something like this, Yu Weiwei would pretend to wipe away tears with her sleeve and say with a sniffle, âThatâs so sad. A heartbreaking story. Chaomu, Iâll accompany you to the movie theater. Iâll definitely go with you. If theyâre going to kidnap anyone, itâll be us together.â
But today, Yu Weiwei shrugged, âI canât. My dad really will kill me; ranked seventh from the bottom, he almost blew the roof off in anger. If I run away, Iâm done for. Chaomu⦠so I guess youâll just have to take a trip with the traffickers. Youâre so clever, youâll definitely escape. Go for it, I believe in you, I have faith in you, I value you, 1ââ
âShut up, Iâm not talking to you anymore!â Xu Chaomu puffed up with frustration and turned her head, picking up her book to work on the problems.
Just then, the class monitor came over and knocked on Xu Chaomuâs desk, âXu
Chaomu, itâs time to sign up.â
âSign up for what? Are we registering for a marriage? Iâm not interested in you, thatâs for sure.â Xu Chaomu retorted.
As soon as she spoke up, Yu Weiwei covered her mouth and chuckled.
âItâs about todayâs parent meeting,â the class monitor said, irritated, his mouth twitching as he pushed up his glasses, âWho from your family is coming?â
The class monitor wasnât well-versed in Xu Chaomuâs family affairs, only knowing she seemed to rely on her brother, and they were quite poor, which was why she usually only wore her school uniform. Her brother had never come by. and of course. Xu Chaomu was always ranked at the bottom.
Her brother must have felt disheartened.
âNo one.â Xu Chaomu didnât even look up.
The class monitor wasnât surprised by this response; it was exactly what he expected. So many times when registering, Xu Chaomuâs answer was always
the same: âNo one.â
So, the class monitor nonchalantly scribbled on the paper while asking,
âWhatâs the excuse this time? Is your brother sick from moving bricks? Or is he hiding because heâs too handsome and being chased by women?â
These were all excuses Xu Chaomu had come up with before, and the class monitor remembered them.
But so what if they were made up? As long as they didnât look too absurd⦠well, he admitted, actually they were quite outrageous.
âOh, my brother went on a blind date. You see, his date this time is quite outstanding, can farm dozens of acres, planting all sorts of crops, corn, purple sweet potatoes, sorghum. She can also raise animalsâbut raising chicks and ducklings is too basic; I heard she keeps penguins! Penguins! Impressed or what? Jealous? Envious? So my brother values this match a lot, he set out early in the morning..â