Chapter 4: The Way of Survival, Reencounter

  The new moon is high in the sky, with dozens of yuan hidden in his pocket, a teenager over ten years old walks to class with a faint smile on his face, heading to the self-study lesson unique to third-year high school students.

  The economy of a small town is not developed, and the pace of life is not as fast and efficient as that of a big city.

  Just like someone is used to a brand of things, the people here have a terrible inertia, accustomed to the status quo, and accustomed to using the kind of long workers that seem loyal.

  Therefore, no one is willing to take on a summer job with such a short working period, and it's even harder for underage students to find a part-time job.

  Busy as a headless fly for a long time, all that appeared in my mind were the various expressions of shaking heads when looking for a job.

  But after all, inertia is dead, while humans are not only alive but also possess enormous and terrifying potential.

  Since I couldn't find a job, then forget it.

  No big deal, I'll just go solo then!

  What's going on?

  Three hundred and sixty lines, every line will produce a champion.

  But they were all students and couldn't have that much free time. So, something that no one could think of, something that young people would never be willing to do even if you killed them, was done by them.

  Yes, they are picking up trash, a way of making money that no one is willing to do. That's it, and in just a short while, they've earned dozens of yuan.

  Although tired, it also feels fulfilling and happy.

  Are you afraid of losing face? Are you afraid of being recognized by others?

  No, they are just learning to live alone slowly, and learning the most difficult way of survival.

  They are not alone, they have an extremely understanding and similar yet forever uncomplaining each other.

  "It's still great to have the feeling of earning one's own money!" Ren Sheng lightly sighed, tucking a green Mao bill into his pocket.

  "You're finally here!" Shao Qi smiled at him, her eyes sparkling like crystal.

  "Ah! Master Extinction's self-study session... I don't want to die!"

  In the dark and mysterious night, a young boy rushed to school like a shooting star in the vast sky.

  But when things become urgent, they must be brought under control.

  "Ahh!" A sharp cry pierced through the quiet night sky, and unexpectedly, it happened.

  "Sorry, I'm in a hurry, trouble you to take a look, Sha Qi, I'll be off......" In a flurry, he scrambled up from the ground and was gone before he could finish speaking.

  Shao Qi let out a snort, and this Ren Sheng, last time he was late for Mr. Mai's class, all he had to do was 50 function problems, yet it scared him so much that he became like this.

  Actually changed "mai" to homophone "mie" like other classmates?

  However, he was unwilling to compare himself with Rensheng, whose academic performance was not in the same league as his own. His attitude towards math problems was naturally different, and the teacher's rewards and punishments were even more different.

  No matter what, he can't just ignore it, can he?

  "Are you okay?" He almost mechanically walked over and stretched out his hand to help up the girl on the ground.

  Yes, mechanically, he didn't even look at the girl's face, his piercing eyes stared straight at the figure still on the ground, yet seemed to see right through her as if looking at something else.

  The girl stared blankly at the white and slender palm in front of her, with a fleeting sparkle in her eyes.

  But it was just an ordinary moment after all.

  "It's okay!" she said calmly, refusing his help. The girl got up by herself and then subconsciously patted the mud off her body.

  Without minding the awkwardness of the people around her, the girl bowed her head and picked up the books that had fallen to the ground, saying lightly: "Please tell your friend to be more careful when walking in the future. If he doesn't do anything wrong, there will never be a ghost following him."

  The young man's empty eyes seemed to have a hint of pattern suddenly, and the thin corners of his mouth had a light and beautiful arc.

  "Is that you!" As if he had finally seen the girl's face, Shao Qi almost didn't dare to believe it. This was the girl who had returned his key in class.

  "Is it you?" The girl looked him up and down carefully for the first time.

  Because he had always been carrying the light, the boy's face was forever a deep black. Under the faint starlight, his figure was slender and tall, bathed in the gloom and chill of the dark night, which would have crushed him, but instead became the foil to the radiance on his body.

  Tall and slender figure under the dark night, exceptionally upright and clear.

  "Are you Shao Qi?" The girl blinked her eyes, and for some reason, her voice was completely different from the last time, with a strange sense of coldness.

  "Are you a third-year high school student?" The boy's voice was soft and had a pleasant magnetism in the night.

  "No, I'm a high school sophomore." The shyness and caution from last time were gone, replaced by calm detachment and indifference.

  "Oh." Shao Qi didn't say another word and turned around to walk towards the school gate.

  Because it's a key class, teachers mostly trust students' autonomous learning ability and are unwilling to stay in the classroom restricting students' freedom.

  They always think that the college entrance examination is imminent, and truly good students who want to take the university exam will not talk nonsense in class, so in the later stage of preparation, it is almost completely laissez-faire, which is completely different from Ren Sheng's devilish management style.

  It's also because of this that Shao Qi never has to worry about being late.

  Does he count as a special class in school?

  But he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

  The sound of the silk thread wrapped around his ears in circles, like a spider web binding him. He felt as if his feet were nailed to the ground, and any movement would make him bleed profusely.

  I love you!

  The girl's voice didn't tremble or show any sign of excitement, her tone was as flat as if she were asking "Have you eaten?"

  "I understand."

  It was somewhat unexpected, but Shao Qi just smiled slightly and turned around, the girl in front of him still expressionless.

  "I like you, but I don't want to be with you right now and won't pursue you, however, I think I should let you know that I like you."

  In the cool night breeze, the girl's hair was gently lifted by the wind, and the pure white full moon also happened to be hanging just above her head, making her whole person have an angel-like rationality and halo.

  "I think I actually know."

  If you really want to pursue love, you wouldn't be so indifferent...

  Deep down, Shao Qi's heart rose with a sense of comfort. He admired this girl, not for anything else, but because she dared to confess boldly, yet was rational enough not to make love the entirety of her life.

  Love is never the whole of life, love is fair and unfair, it's not that you like someone, they must accept you. Of course, if you fall in love with someone and don't express your feelings, Shao Qi won't comment on that approach, but feels that falling in love with someone without expressing your true feelings to them is a pity.

  It's really not easy to find someone who moves your heart in this world.