Chapter 134: I Am Quite Strong
On the first day of summer camp at Jiangcheng No. 1 Teachers’ College Affiliated School, Mei Fang briefly got acquainted with his classmates.
After the head teacher’s speech, which acknowledged their past achievements but also highlighted that Jiangcheng No. 1 was a place for elites, urging them to step out of their comfort zones and view problems from a broader perspective, the teacher encouraged everyone to introduce themselves on stage. Those willing to serve as temporary class monitors could mention it during their introduction.
Most of these outstanding students had been class presidents in middle school and were equally capable in new environments. Out of ten students who spoke, four expressed their desire to serve as class monitors.
Mei Fang, however, had no such intention. He casually mentioned his hobbies—video games, guitar, and roller skating—and then left the stage.
As he descended, he noticed some girls whispering and looking interestedly at him while he spoke.
A hallucination?
Yes, definitely a hallucination.
Mei Fang sat down and Bingbing looked at him with admiration, “You can play the guitar?”
“Yeah… I can play a bit.”
“I’m so envious of people who understand music. It would be great if I could hear you play sometime!”
“Yeah… I didn’t bring my guitar this time, but next time for sure.”
“Okay!”
Mei Fang gave her a vague response, feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
After the introductions and class monitor election, the head teacher led the students around the campus. On the way, Mei Fang encountered Xia Yuan from Class 6.
Xia Yuan waved energetically at Mei Fang, not caring about being embarrassed. The boy ahead, Yu Wentao, asked curiously, “Is she someone you know? She’s really pretty.”
“Yeah…” Mei Fang nodded, “She’s my childhood friend.”
“Wow, can you introduce us?”
“Maybe another time, ha ha.”
Mei Fang dodged the question, but he felt a bit uneasy despite avoiding trouble.
Although they lived together now, he felt a bit uneasy knowing they weren’t in the same class…
Our Yuan Yuan is so cute. Though I don’t worry about her changing her mind, someone will surely notice her!
While greeting Mei Fang, Xia Yuan quickly scanned his classmates, especially the girls.
“This girl is kind of cute… That girl… Wow, she’s so tall! This girl… Is she too close to Fang when talking? And those other girls—”
Those girls had been whispering about Fang’s back, clearly up to something.
Damn it, our Fang is indeed noticed!
Fang’s energy is rapidly depleting!
Xia Yuan, with a pout, thought about how to boost Fang’s energy under Lin You Xi and Aunt Liang’s watchful eyes.
After touring the school, they went to the auditorium for the opening ceremony of the summer camp, where they listened to seniors from Grade 12 and teachers giving guidance.
When Mei Fang sat down, he found Lin You Xi right behind him. He was confused why Class 2 and Class 9 were seated together.
But he didn’t dwell on it and continued listening after a brief greeting.
Director Pan mentioned:
“There are three swords that harm high school students’ health: early romance, the internet, and mobile phones. Don’t try it, don’t take chances. Like XD, stay away from it; whoever gets involved gets hurt.”
“In Jiangcheng No. 1, you’ll soon realize you’re not the all-powerful person you were in junior high.”
“We should learn to appreciate others’ achievements with a level gaze, seek support with an open mind, and cooperate humbly…”
During Director Pan’s speech, students whispered:
“Isn’t Jiangcheng No. 1 supposed to be the best place for dating? Why can’t we date?”
“Ah, no school allows that. This is something that shouldn’t be openly discussed…”
“Oh, I get it, just formalities.”
“Speaking of which, did you work hard to get into this school just for a relaxed dating environment?”
“Haha, that’s not it. I was just curious…”
“Don’t dodge! I seriously doubt your motivation for studying.”
Mei Fang was dozing off when someone kicked his chair from behind.
“What’s wrong?”
Mei Fang turned his head, puzzled. Lin You Xi mouthed “Listen carefully” to him.
“Listen carefully.”
“Okay, okay.”
You Xi must have gotten addicted to being a class monitor. Even though we graduated in different classes, she still tries to manage me.
After listening for a while, Mei Fang started to nod off again. Lin You Xi kicked him again, but this time, due to the gap between the chairs, she accidentally hit his butt, startling him.
Rubbing his butt and glaring at Lin You Xi, Mei Fang noticed her pretending to listen intently, though her ears were red.
Pretending, huh? I’ll deal with you later…
The morning was mostly spent in meetings. At lunch, everyone used meal cards at the largest cafeteria. Since Bingbing couldn’t use her arm well, Mei Fang helped her carry the tray.
“Wow, this school’s cafeteria has such a variety of food, I’m overwhelmed!”
Bingbing happily ate her wontons, “Mei Fang, I’m so glad I chose this school!”
“Huh… Really?”
Mei Fang wasn’t keen on getting too close to Bingbing. If Xia Yuan came along, he might end up kneeling on a washboard.
But since Bingbing was injured, he couldn’t refuse her request.
She wouldn’t suddenly ask for something absurd like feeding her…
“Mei Fang, can you help me one more time?”
Bingbing suddenly called out, startling him.
“How?”
Bingbing handed Mei Fang her meal card, “Can you buy another bowl of wontons for me? I’ll treat you to snacks later.”
“You don’t need snacks, how can you eat so much?”
Bingbing wiped her mouth and smiled, “In my hometown, eating a lot is a sign of good fortune!”
“Well… Okay.”
Mei Fang took Bingbing’s card and bought another bowl of wontons. As he walked back, he saw a scene that shocked him—
Xia Yuan was sitting beside Bingbing, and Lin You Xi was opposite her. They seemed to be having a very harmonious conversation with Bingbing smiling back.
Lin You Xi, who grew up in Shennongjia, was very straightforward and couldn’t sense the intense hostility and animosity between the two.
Seeing Mei Fang holding the wontons, Bingbing waved excitedly, “Mei Fang, Mei Fang, over here! Oh, it hurts…”
Bingbing looked pitiful due to her injured arm, but when Mei Fang brought the wontons, she looked delighted and started eating.
“Ha… What a coincidence, what are you doing here? Didn’t we say we’d eat separately?”
As Mei Fang spoke, Lin You Xi put her hand on his waist, and Xia Yuan rested her chin on her hands, gazing at Mei Fang with a smile.
“Of course, we missed Fang, so we came to find you.”
“Wow, you guys have such a good relationship, no wonder you’re childhood friends—cough, cough—”
Bingbing, with her mouth full, tried to speak, nearly choking. Xia Yuan and Lin You Xi, who were ready to interrogate Mei Fang, quickly offered water to help her swallow.
“Phew… I’m alive.”
Bingbing wiped her mouth and rubbed her stomach, satisfied, “I’m so full.”
“This school is amazing, the environment is great, the food is delicious, and everyone is so nice. It’s fantastic!”
Bingbing happily said, “I was worried about being looked down upon or isolated coming from the countryside, but I guess that was naive. Hahaha!”
“You… came alone?”
Bingbing nodded, “Our town only has one middle school, and there are only about a hundred of us in our year. I’m the only one who came to Jiangcheng to study.”
“Your arm isn’t healed yet. Didn’t your family come to take care of you?”
“No way. My parents are forest rangers. It was already difficult enough for them to take time off to send me here. They can’t afford to miss work.”
Xia Yuan, who had noticed the good relationship between Mei Fang and her new desk mate earlier, came to probe Lin You Xi about the situation.
But hearing how Bingbing struggled yet remained cheerful, she lost interest in intimidating her.
Xia Yuan shook her head, “That’s tough.”
“It’s okay, it’s just my arm that’s inconvenient. Now I have to rely on Mei Fang for help a lot.”
“He’s your desk mate, it’s natural!”
Mei Fang looked at Xia Yuan with a puzzled expression. Yuan Yuan, you’re clearly not here to make friends!
Bingbing smiled, “Haha, you can’t say that. But don’t worry, people from Shennongjia are very loyal!”
“After I remove my cast, if anyone needs help, I can do any dirty or tiring job! Don’t let my gender fool you; I’m super strong. I’m unbeatable at arm wrestling.”
Bingbing showed her unbroken arm, which didn’t look particularly muscular.
Seeing everyone’s disbelief, Bingbing raised her arm towards Mei Fang, “If you don’t believe me, Mei Fang, let’s test it right now. I can beat you with one arm!”
“No, no… We can see that!”
To prevent her from breaking both arms, everyone quickly affirmed Bingbing’s strength.
Damn, almost everyone at my company hasn’t caught the flu, why can’t I?
(End of Chapter)
