The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 143

The tension on Cen Xiao’s face from the entire morning finally gave way to a hint of warmth.

A strand of Li Rong’s hair was lifted by the breeze, and Cen Xiao wanted to smooth it down, but with so many eyes on them, he resisted the urge.

Li Rong’s eyes gleamed mischievously as he observed Cen Xiao’s reaction to his words. He intentionally leaned some of his weight against Cen Xiao, pressing their shoulders closer together.

With Li Rong’s playful interference, Cen Xiao broke free from his melancholic mood.

Nothing could heal wounds better than the vibrant presence of Li Rong—alive, warm, tangible, and animated. Even the wind-tousled strand of his hair bore traces of real life.

“Mm, I was thinking about you. You answered for me, so it’s fair.” Cen Xiao sat upright, steadying himself to support Li Rong’s weight.

The two exchanged a glance before tacitly withdrawing their gazes. Li Rong innocently turned to the economics professor, while Cen Xiao flipped to the next two slides, appearing perfectly justified.

“What’s fair about this? What’s the relationship between you two that he gets to answer for you?” the professor teased, his tone light rather than stern, as if treating the students as adults. A momentary lapse in attention during class wasn’t a big deal, and the professor even saw it as an opportunity to liven up the atmosphere.

As expected, the classroom erupted into applause and laughter.

Feigning seriousness, the professor tapped the desk again. “What’s so funny? The auditing student got the answer right. Think about whether you could have done the same.”

Neither Li Rong nor Cen Xiao had ever been teased like this in front of so many people. Li Rong had previously been too aloof to invite attention, while Cen Xiao naturally repelled trouble.

But in this setting, they couldn’t avoid it. For better or worse, they had become the focal point of the class’s humor.

Still, both had seen their share of grand occasions and weren’t fazed by a group of laughing students.

Li Rong kept his expression calm, waiting patiently for everyone to finish laughing. With a good-natured tone, he said, “Whatever makes everyone happy is the truth.”

He clearly understood why they were laughing and what they were hoping for deep down. His response was clever—neither confirming anything nor closing the door to lighthearted jokes.

The professor, satisfied with Li Rong’s answer, decided not to waste more class time. “Had enough laughs? If so, focus on the lecture. If anyone fails to answer again, I really will deduct points.”

The foundational knowledge being taught wasn’t a problem for Cen Xiao. With just a quick review of the slides, he could recall everything. The earlier slip-up was simply because he hadn’t caught the question.

He marked notes on the slides and pushed his laptop slightly between himself and Li Rong so they could both view the screen.

Li Rong, however, wasn’t there to study economics. He didn’t intend to force himself into becoming a jack-of-all-trades. Excelling in one field was already an achievement, especially since this was his break time.

With idle fingers, Li Rong lightly tapped on Cen Xiao’s keyboard, typing a line above the slides:

[Why were you thinking about me?]

After typing, he withdrew his hands, propping his chin on one hand and gazing absently out the window.

Cen Xiao glanced at the words and tapped out his own response:

[Thinking why you didn’t like eating breakfast before.]

Why don’t you like eating breakfast” Because he skipped breakfast, they ended up arguing again that morning before heading out.

He pinned Li Rong against the doorway and pressed a piece of toast to his lips. Li Rong’s lips were dusted with breadcrumbs, but he still refused to take a bite.

He didn’t actually want to force him—it was just that he was deeply worried about Li Rong’s stomach.

At such a young age, his stomach had already suffered severe damage, which could lead to countless hidden issues in the future.

But back then, it was so hard for them to have a proper conversation. Even well-meaning words would somehow twist into something else by the time they reached the other’s ears.

That, unexpectedly, turned out to be their last meeting in their previous life.

***

Li Rong had a sharp sense for Cen Xiao’s emotions. The moment he stepped into the classroom and caught sight of Cen Xiao’s profile, he could tell Cen Xiao wasn’t in a good mood.

So, he helped answer questions and threw in some lighthearted banter, all in an effort to lift the mood.

At first, it seemed to work—Cen Xiao had gradually relaxed. But then, a certain question reignited his earlier thoughts, and his mood visibly sank once again.

After a moment of thought, Li Rong cast a glance at the teacher writing furiously on the blackboard, then extended his hand toward the keyboard and typed:

[It’s not that I dislike breakfast. Jiang Weide brings me breakfast every day, and I get too full.]

It wasn’t something he had ever told Cen Xiao.

He wasn’t unaware that breakfast was for the sake of his stomach, but communication with Cen Xiao had never been his strong suit. Back then, they were both too stubborn to even consider compromise. So, this issue had lingered between them, unaddressed, and eventually grew into something much worse.

The teacher coughed in a warning tone, and Cen Xiao couldn’t continue typing.

Finally, the class ended. After they packed up their things, Li Rong strolled leisurely with Cen Xiao in the direction of the cafeteria.

Sneaking a glance at Cen Xiao’s expression, Li Rong purposely nudged him with his elbow. “Well, well, I never thought our composed and dependable Team Leader Cen would daydream during class…”

Cen Xiao finally raised a hand to press down the rebellious strand of Li Rong’s hair and replied nonchalantly, “Daydreaming is normal. I’ve even skipped class before.”

He knew Li Rong was trying to lighten the mood, but he needed more time.

Li Rong nodded thoughtfully. “That’s right. I almost forgot you went through a rebellious phase against your parents. But back then, we weren’t together yet.”

Cen Xiao wasn’t just rebellious toward his parents—he also had a love-hate relationship with Li Rong. Of course, he couldn’t let Li Rong see his true self.

It was hard to understand at the time. After every exam, when the rankings were posted, he would deliberately avoid looking at them. Even though he was always first, his indifference was a spectacle to the other students in the class—a way to bolster his cool, untouchable image for the rest of the school.

Looking back now, it seemed both childish and amusing. Those were their truly youthful days, untainted by the lessons life would later force upon them.

Li Rong walked along the edge of the sidewalk, carefully balancing himself as if he were a cat on a stroll.

Cen Xiao pulled him down and guided him onto a shortcut. “And since when did you start studying economics? Are you even leaving space for us regular folks?”

Li Rong didn’t mind being pulled off his preferred sidewalk edge. He simply found another seam between bricks to walk along. Glancing at the ground, he chuckled lightly, “I just happened to hear a bit outside the classroom and pieced it together. Who has the time to study economics? It’s your own fault for not paying attention in class.”

“You’re not afraid of people finding out about us anymore?” Cen Xiao glanced at the line Li Rong was meticulously walking along. He even avoided stepping on weeds growing in the cracks or accidentally squashing passing bugs.

Li Rong smiled softly. “Sometimes, hiding the truth only makes people believe it more. The more open and natural you are, the less likely they are to think anything of it.”

Then he suddenly turned, fixing his sharp gaze on Cen Xiao. “What happened in District Nine this morning? Why were you in such a bad mood?”

When Cen Xiao left home in the morning, he seemed perfectly fine. He even ate two eggs for breakfast. Yet, when they met again, there was an unmistakable hint of forced composure about him.

It couldn’t have been about school—so it had to be something related to District Nine.

They currently had the upper hand in the Han Jiang matter, especially with control over the Jiang Zheng lead. It was unlikely that Han Jiang could affect Cen Xiao’s mood.

That left only Du Mingli.

If Du Mingli could impact Cen Xiao, it had to be something related to him.

Could it be that Du Mingli mentioned him to Cen Xiao?

Although Li Rong had guessed the reason, he didn’t press aggressively. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and waited casually for Cen Xiao’s response.

Cen Xiao, meeting Li Rong’s sharp gaze, deflected the question. He reached out and gently pinched Li Rong’s chin. “It’s already spoiled my mood. Do I have to ruin yours too? It’s nothing major—if it were, I’d have told you.”

Li Rong narrowed his eyes slightly and muttered, “Hiding things from me and still acting so righteous.”

He didn’t like being kept in the dark but decided to let it slide for now. After all, Du Mingli had clearly touched on one of Cen Xiao’s sore spots, and Du Mingli likely didn’t know anything truly significant.

Though he let it go in his heart, his mouth refused to do the same.

Li Rong tugged at Cen Xiao’s collar. “So whatever you decide is important, counts as important? Keep hiding things from me, and…” He paused, leaning in close. Suddenly, he raised his knee and pressed firmly against a sensitive spot. “Keep hiding things, and you can go sleep in the study!”

After delivering his grand ultimatum, Li Rong turned and walked off. At first, his pace was brisk, but when he heard Cen Xiao sharply inhale and grit his teeth to chase after him, Li Rong broke into a full run.

Both were in their physical prime, and running at top speed wasn’t easy to catch up with.

Li Rong, having trained with Tang He for a few months, was finally seeing results. He hadn’t run this fast in ages. The spring breeze whistled past his ears, carrying the scent of damp dew and freshly turned earth.

It took running nearly three kilometers before Cen Xiao managed to grab the fabric of Li Rong’s fleece and pull him into an embrace.

Li Rong stumbled slightly but had to stop. Both were too winded to speak, gasping for air in silence.

Li Rong coughed twice from the exertion, his fleece stretched wide at the neckline from Cen Xiao’s tug. His face was flushed, and a thin sheen of sweat covered him. His rapid breathing made his chest rise and fall visibly, and his damp hair stuck in soft curls to his temple.

Cen Xiao fared slightly better but was still exhausted from running three kilometers at such speed. His calves were loudly protesting.

Worried that Li Rong might have energy left to keep running, Cen Xiao held onto his waist tightly. Luckily, they had ended up near the old, abandoned science building—a secluded spot on campus, with overgrown weeds, faded structures, and only the occasional sanitation worker passing by.

Li Rong glanced at the grassy field sprouting tender green shoots and just wanted to lie down and rest.

His heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest. Cen Xiao had chased him this far, and he had actually teased Cen Xiao and then ran like his life depended on it.

“No more running… no more. My clothes are falling off,” Li Rong said between breaths, his words broken and uneven.

Noticing that Li Rong’s jacket was indeed slipping off his shoulder, Cen Xiao finally loosened his grip and leaned on his knees to recover.

Freed, Li Rong crouched down, adjusting his clothes with one hand. Seizing the moment when Cen Xiao wasn’t paying attention, he grabbed a handful of grass and flung it at him.

Cen Xiao tilted his head and closed his eyes just in time, then immediately pressed Li Rong down onto the grass. “Not done yet?”

Li Rong curled up his legs protectively, shielding his ticklish spots. His eyes, glistening and damp from breathlessness, sparkled as he laughed. “I’m done, I’m done. No more messing around.”

Such childish antics were rare for the two of them, but in this moment, they looked most like typical university students.

This was how their lives should have been.