The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 181

After a prolonged and intimate moment inside the car, dawn began to break. The sky shifted to a grayish blue, shrouded in mist, and the air carried a crisp freshness.

Li Rong climbed off Cen Xiao, leaning back against the seat with a dazed expression, his breaths uneven.

His thighs trembled faintly from the strain of their earlier positions. His disheveled clothes hung loosely on his body, covering the traces of their passion.

Sweat trickled down his back, only to cool in the morning breeze. It took him a while to recover enough to button his shirt properly.

“I should head back to the dorms. The sun’s already up,” Li Rong said, his voice hoarse.

Cen Xiao brushed a damp strand of hair from Li Rong’s temple, his tone tinged with frustration. “When will this end?”

Li Rong, surprised to hear such a rare complaint, chuckled despite his exhaustion. His shoulders shook slightly as he teased, “Aren’t I working hard enough already?”

Cen Xiao helped him straighten his clothes, then moved to the driver’s seat, driving toward A University’s dormitory area.

Although Li Rong had officially taken a leave of absence, he still lived on campus—not out of special treatment from the university, but because his dorm fees were already paid. The administrative hassle of issuing a refund had prompted the school to turn a blind eye and let him stay.

After all, with no other student eligible to move into his room, keeping Li Rong there also allowed the university to bask in the reflected glow of his rising fame.

Li Rong exited the car in an inconspicuous alley, quietly making his way back to his dorm.

When he pushed open the door, Song He was already awake.

Unlike Li Rong, Song He didn’t have the courage to take a leave of absence. Balancing coursework and his internship in Li Rong’s lab meant he barely had time to breathe, let alone sleep. But he was used to working hard and had adapted to the grueling routine.

Seeing Li Rong return, Song He was stunned. “You… you just got back from working overtime?”

Li Rong hesitated briefly before replying with a faint “Mm.”

He was so tired he didn’t even know if his clothes were in order, let alone whether he’d successfully concealed any incriminating marks.

Song He glanced at the clock, his concern evident. “You can’t keep burning yourself out like this. Why not take a day off?”

Rubbing his temples, Li Rong replied, “Not today. I have a lecture at A University. I’ll head to the lab in the afternoon.”

Fame, after all, could open many doors.

When Li Rong first enrolled, he was an unnoticed member of the bottom-tier class. Now, the administration at A University had formally invited him to give a lecture—a rare and prestigious honor for someone of his age, especially as a student on leave.

A university had its reasons. Li Rong’s skyrocketing popularity extended beyond academic circles. Every interview he gave trended online, with discussions ranging from his groundbreaking research on GT201 and Luyinxu to his looks, demeanor, and eloquence. Public fascination with him far exceeded anyone’s expectations.

“I still didn’t understand a word Professor Li said today, but that face? Worth it.”

“Why does Rong Baby’s wardrobe keep getting more formal? I miss the student look…”

“The lab coat vibes are immaculate. I want to date a scientist so bad, he’s so handsome!”

“Wake up, not everyone can pull off a lab coat!”

“Even Professor Li is pretty handsome, but let’s face it, he peaked too late—his son is more my type.”

“Luyinxu and GT201—such beautiful names, just like their creator.”

“Who would’ve thought I’d, as a fine arts major, be sitting in the library reading biochemistry textbooks now…”

Finally, as public interest remained high, some universities began to extend invitations to Li Rong, hoping he would give a lecture at their institution.

The students of the inviting school were ecstatic, while netizens joined the chorus of praise, exclaiming, “Other people’s schools!” The school’s official social media account basked in the attention, hitting its KPI targets effortlessly.

Meanwhile, A University watched in frustration as what they considered their “meal” was being poached. Refusing to accept this, they leveraged their proximity to Li Rong to secure an exclusive lecture with him.

Li Rong was more than happy to collaborate with A University for mutual benefit and readily agreed to their request.

In truth, he had long anticipated that public attention would eventually shift from Luyinxu to himself.

After all, the pharmaceutical and biochemical industries are highly specialized fields. While the grand conspiracy and injustices surrounding Luyinxu had initially sparked public outrage and interest, only patients and their families could sustain long-term concern.

Li Rong had no choice but to accept this reality. Human interest is most easily captured by basic desires—like the pursuit of beauty.

He sincerely thanked Ms. Gu Nong for giving him this appearance, which had brought him many unexpected advantages in life.

After exchanging a few words with Song He, Li Rong pushed open the bedroom door, collapsed onto the bed, and fell into a deep sleep within a minute.

He knew he hadn’t showered, but without Cen Xiao there to nag him, he was simply too exhausted to move.

Song He stared at the closed door and the first light of dawn, feeling a profound and indescribable force.

He once thought his life was difficult—his sister’s lifelong illness drained the family, and while others enjoyed carefree university days, he had to juggle work and study to make ends meet.

But compared to Li Rong, his struggles seemed trivial.

Li Rong had fallen from the clouds, lost his family, and yet never once complained about life’s unfairness. No matter how slim the chance, even if it was a one-in-a-million shot, Li Rong would seize it and fight with everything he had.

Such vibrant, fierce vitality even illuminated someone like Song He, who had always felt like an outsider.

What right did he have to complain about his own fate?

With newfound resolve, Song He packed his bag, quietly left the dorm, and headed to the classroom for early study, invigorated by the morning light.

Meanwhile, Li Rong, still worn out from certain physically demanding activities, remained unaware that he had inadvertently inspired a naïve young man.

After four hours of sleep, he forced himself out of bed, grabbed his toiletries, and went downstairs for a shower.

The warm water only made certain marks on his body more visible, so he opted for a plain, buttoned-up white shirt to cover them completely.

Gazing at his reflection in the mirror, he noted the faint dark circles under his eyes after a full day of sleeplessness, but fortunately, his youthful twenty-year-old body could still handle the strain.

At 9:40 a.m., Li Rong set off punctually for the Mingli Building.

Coincidentally, the building was just across the street from the Business School, making it inevitable to encounter business students along the way.

For instance, Gu Tian—who had been admitted through his uncle Gu Zhaonian’s financial influence—was there, as well as the ever-energetic Cen Xiao, despite his own sleepless nights.

Gu Tian still harbored jealousy and resentment toward Li Rong, but the growing disparity between them meant he no longer dared to publicly acknowledge their familial connection.

Spotting Li Rong from afar, Gu Tian scowled and let out a disgruntled “hmph” before turning on his heels to head in the opposite direction.

“Hey, Gu Tian, where are you going?”

“What’s up with him?”

Irritated, Gu Tian snapped, “Forgot my phone. You guys go ahead to the classroom.”

Li Rong noticed but couldn’t be bothered to care.

Instead, a few curious business students couldn’t resist approaching him cautiously.

“Excuse me, are you Li Rong?”

Li Rong, generally polite to University A students, stopped and nodded.

“Oh my gosh, it really is you! I saw the announcement about your lecture, so I came here on purpose.”

“I supported Professor Li back then, and I support you now. You’re amazing!”

“Don’t mind those negative comments from people who don’t believe in you. Some people just refuse to acknowledge young talent.”

“Keep going! I’m sure you’ll successfully recreate Luyinxu!”

Li Rong curved his eyes into a smile and said, “Thank you.”

A University, after all, was one of the top schools in the country. Most of its students were thoughtful, rational, and willing to challenge the status quo.

Although Li Rong no longer relied on external validation for motivation, who didn’t like encouragement and compliments?

Just as his smile was fading, Cen Xiao emerged from the teaching building.

It was the end of the first class period. Even after their indulgence in the car until nearly dawn, Cen Xiao had somehow made it to his 8 a.m. class.

Li Rong watched Cen Xiao from a distance, his smile slowly disappearing as his gaze grew cold. The wind brushed against his bangs, giving him a detached and aloof aura.

Sensing Li Rong’s change in demeanor, the enthusiastic economics students fell silent, following his gaze.

Cen Xiao had just descended the last step, slinging his bag over his shoulder. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Li Rong and curved his lips into a faint, ambiguous smile.

To the economics students, Cen Xiao was quite unfamiliar.

As the leader of the “Ghost Eye” team, many of his peers regarded him with a mix of respect and fear. Cen Xiao, for his part, didn’t go out of his way to befriend anyone, so he came across as someone with a mysterious background and an unapproachable air.

When their gazes met, Li Rong’s eyelids trembled slightly in reaction.

Unperturbed, Cen Xiao walked toward Li Rong.

He was taller than Li Rong, and using his height to his advantage, he glanced down, his gaze lingering on Li Rong’s tightly buttoned collar.

Cen Xiao smirked. “What a coincidence.”

Li Rong forced a faint smile, his eyes devoid of warmth. “Yes, quite the coincidence.”

Cen Xiao raised a hand and placed it on Li Rong’s shoulder. “You’ve been in the spotlight a lot lately.”

Li Rong glanced at the hand on his shoulder out of the corner of his eye. “You’re too kind.”

Cen Xiao sighed dramatically. “With so many people crowding around you at A University, anyone who didn’t know better would think a celebrity had arrived.”

Finally, Li Rong’s patience snapped. He shrugged his shoulder sharply, shaking off Cen Xiao’s hand. “If Team Leader Cen doesn’t need anything, I’ll be on my way.”

But Cen Xiao grabbed Li Rong’s wrist, forcibly stopping him, and remarked blandly, “What’s the rush? Since you’ve defected to the Hongsuo Institute, are a few words with me too much to ask?”

Li Rong gently bit his lower lip, narrowing his eyes with a hint of anger in their depths.

The group of business management students swallowed hard and awkwardly said, “We have class soon, so we’ll get going.”

Pushing and shoving, they quickly left the tense scene.

Not far away, faint whispers of discussion could still be heard:

“What’s going on between them? The tension was palpable.”

“Shh, don’t meddle. I heard that Blue Pivot wanted Li Rong to work on the Luyinxu project in District Four, but Li Rong chose Hongsuo Research Institute because his parents were affiliated with it. Blue Pivot’s probably upset about it.”

“I thought they got along well, but I guess they fell out over interests.”

“Get along? Look at their identities. Their positions clearly outweigh any personal friendship.”

“Seems like Cen Xiao is deliberately provoking him. Li Rong didn’t even do anything wrong. Choosing Hongsuo makes perfect sense; his parents’ assistants were from there too.”

“I don’t get it either, but it looks like they’re at odds now.”

….

Finally, no one was watching, and Li Rong let out a sigh of relief.

He was running on too little sleep and had no energy left to keep up appearances.

With a cold and frosty expression, he whispered, “You had a class this morning, and yet…”

Though, truthfully, Cen Xiao didn’t look all that tired.

Cen Xiao gradually loosened his grip on Li Rong’s wrist and replied softly, “You took a shower? Smells nice.”

“Just now,” Li Rong muttered. “This heat made it hard to find suitable clothes.”

With this weather, short sleeves and T-shirts would suffice, but none of his T-shirts could fully cover his collarbones.

Understanding dawned on Cen Xiao, and though he wanted to laugh, he held back, remembering they were still on campus with countless curious eyes around them. “If you lived at my place, I’d wash them for you. Plenty of clothes there too.”

“Tsk, if you didn’t make a mess, I wouldn’t need a shower in the first place,” Li Rong shot back with a stiff face, teasing him.

Cen Xiao raised a brow, unable to resist retorting, “And who was the one last night asking me to finish inside?”

Li Rong immediately turned his face away, taking a deep breath, and said solemnly, “I have a lecture. I’m leaving.”

From the outside, all anyone could see was Li Rong shaking off Cen Xiao’s hand forcefully, his face flushed with anger and frustration.

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