The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 25

By the next day, news of Cen Xiao and Li Rong eating together in the cafeteria—and even sharing a plate of noodles—had spread throughout the school. 

Gossip traveled fast, especially when it involved two of the most notable figures on campus.

The buzz surrounding Lin Zhen also began to change as a result of his association with Cen Xiao and Li Rong. Subtle but noticeable shifts occurred in his daily life.

For instance, no one used his belongings without asking anymore, no one dumped their cleaning duties on him during class cleanups, and no one shamelessly asked him to pick up their food deliveries or packages.

In truth, these people had never outright bullied him. A High had strict rules against campus bullying, and no major incidents had occurred over the years.

But it was precisely this subtle and dismissive attitude that was unbearable. He couldn’t just go around complaining like a broken record, nor could he detail every petty grievance to Yang Fenfang.

Now, when these people needed his help, they would even ask politely, “Would it be okay?”

If he mustered the courage to say no, they would only glare at him briefly before slinking back to their seats, not daring to press further.

This change had significantly improved Lin Zhen’s mood about coming to school every day.

Moreover, he realized that his previous impressions—that Cen Xiao was intimidating, Jian Fu was unreasonable, and Li Rong was aloof and unapproachable—were actually misconceptions.

Perhaps it was because Cen Xiao’s strong background and commanding aura made him seem untouchable, but in truth, over the past three years, Cen Xiao had never used his family’s influence to bully anyone. Not even subtle exclusion or cliquish behavior. 

He simply couldn’t be bothered.

Jian Fu, though occasionally tactless and careless with his words, harbored no ill intentions. In fact, talking with someone like him felt straightforward—there was no need to worry about backstabbing. Besides, after hearing enough of his tactless comments, Lin Zhen learned to tune them out. Everyone has their flaws, after all.

And then there was Li Rong. Lin Zhen didn’t even know how to express his gratitude to him. Everyone else said the Li Qingli and Gu Nong incident exposed the dark underbelly of the Li family’s seemingly glamorous exterior, but Lin Zhen saw the opposite. If he had gone through such a life-shattering ordeal, he doubted he’d have been able to handle it. He might’ve become bitter, angry, or vengeful. But Li Rong didn’t. Li Rong was stronger than anyone Lin Zhen had ever met.

Lin Zhen believed that one day, society would clear the Li family’s name. While delayed justice might not feel like justice, it was better than none.

And if he ever had the chance to help Li Rong in the future, he would do so without hesitation.

***

On Thursday, Li Rong received a court notice informing him that he needed to vacate the villa before the weekend. The property was being reclaimed for auction.

The court clerk in charge of the matter was quite sympathetic and even mentioned that his uncle, Gu Zhaonian, was supposed to come pick him up.

But Li Rong knew Gu Zhaonian wouldn’t come. If anything, after Jian Fu had taught Gu Tian a lesson, Gu Zhaonian likely held another grudge against him.

He didn’t mind, though. He simply smiled and thanked the clerk.

To be honest, moving out was a relief.

Although the villa had been his home for over a decade, it was also the place where his parents had died. Every time he returned, it was impossible not to feel a heavy weight pressing down on him.

That oppressive feeling was a constant reminder that he was still far from achieving his goals. Yet, rushing toward them would only lead to mistakes, and he couldn’t afford mistakes right now.

He planned to temporarily move into the school dorms, but moving itself was a physically demanding task.

So, Li Rong decided to enlist the help of Cen Xiao and Jian Fu.

***

On Friday, after the first class, Li Rong grabbed his thermos and went to the water dispenser to fill it.

On his way back, he stopped at Jian Fu’s desk.

Tilting his head slightly, he glanced at the pile of unfinished assignments on Jian Fu’s desk, and with a faint smile, he offered, “You’ve got so much overdue work. Want me to help you catch up?”

Jian Fu, absorbed in his game, would typically ignore anyone who spoke to him during gaming sessions. But this time was different. Hearing Li Rong’s words was like hearing a celestial melody. He immediately looked up, feeling as though Li Rong was glowing with a holy light.

“You’re serious?” Jian Fu asked, pulling off one side of his headphones.

Although Jian Fu was admitted to A University through a special talent recruitment program and didn’t have the pressure of college entrance exams, his parents, Father Jian and Mother Jian, cared about appearances. If his test scores were too abysmal, they’d lose face. As a result, Jian Fu was somewhat afraid of his teachers reporting him.

Yang Fenfang, his teacher, had a tendency to magnify minor issues, endlessly rambling about them, and often complained to his parents about his poor study habits. She also brought up his “terrible influence” of encouraging the entire exam hall to cheat once. His parents had scolded him plenty for it. After enduring it repeatedly, even Jian Fu found the whole ordeal exhausting.

Li Rong glanced at the pile of assignments and said with casual indifference, “It would take me less than 30 minutes to finish a sheet. I’m free anyway.”

Jian Fu was overjoyed, instantly abandoning his game to shove his stack of humanities assignments into Li Rong’s hands. “Go, go, go! Thanks, bro! You’re saving me! Lunch is on me today at the cafeteria!”

He thought to himself that his brother had at least some smarts about him.

Recruiting Li Rong wasn’t a bad idea. At the very least, it would save him a lot of effort in completing assignments.

Li Rong smiled faintly, took the stack of papers, and returned to his seat.

Jian Fu was as happy as a squid flailing its arms, smugly patting his deskmate’s shoulder. “You’re on your own for assignments now! Dad’s not here to help you anymore!”

Back at his desk, Li Rong placed the assignments and his water bottle on the table. Crossing his left leg over his right knee, he casually twirled his pen between two fingers before starting to work on Jian Fu’s assignments.

Cen Xiao glanced at the blank sheets briefly before shifting his gaze back to the blackboard, commenting in a faint tone, “You’re just taking advantage of Jian Fu.”

Li Rong turned his head to look at Cen Xiao for a few seconds, the corners of his lips curling up mischievously. “What’s wrong? I didn’t take advantage of you. Are you jealous?”

He studied Cen Xiao with interest, as though genuinely trying to discern any sign of jealousy on his perpetually unreadable face.

These days, Li Rong found it increasingly easy to detect changes in Cen Xiao’s emotions. Perhaps it was because, in this lifetime, Cen Xiao had yet to build as many walls, or maybe because Li Rong simply understood him better now.

Cen Xiao scoffed lightly, his lips pressing into a thin line. He neither admitted to being jealous nor denied it. His expression carried a hint of disdain, but there was a subtle sense of stubbornness beneath it.

Li Rong slowly let his smile fade, his gaze on Cen Xiao turning more serious than before.

“Anyway, I couldn’t take advantage of you even if I tried. Besides, you’d definitely help me, wouldn’t you?” His voice was so soft and sincere that it made it almost impossible to refuse his trust.

For a brief moment, Cen Xiao felt a lump in his throat. The faint irritation he’d felt vanished in an instant. Without saying a word, he pulled over the assignment Li Rong had already started, studying the few lines written carefully. Feigning nonchalance, he asked, “What are you up to this time?”

Li Rong tapped the pen lightly against the desk, his tone flat. “The court informed me I have to move out. I need someone to help pack my things. There are a lot of my parents’ belongings—I don’t feel comfortable letting strangers handle them.”

Cen Xiao set the paper down. “Have you found a place yet?”

Li Rong shrugged. “I’ll stay in the dorms for now. It’s closer to school anyway, and since hardly anyone is in our school dorms, there should be plenty of empty rooms.”

Cen Xiao stayed silent for a while before replying softly, “Alright.”

That response was as good as agreeing to help Li Rong with the move.

Suppressing a smirk, Li Rong tugged the test papers back from under Cen Xiao’s arm and got to work writing diligently.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t manipulate Cen Xiao; he just knew exactly what worked on him.

Li Rong finished two humanities test papers within one class period. Once the class ended, he returned the completed papers to Jian Fu.

Jian Fu examined them with mock seriousness. “Neat handwriting, sure, but why are your strokes so light? Weak wrists or what?”

Even the last time he’d explained a question to Lin Zhen, he’d written with the same faint pressure, as if he were trying to save ink.

Li Rong knew Jian Fu was thrilled, but if he didn’t nitpick something, he wouldn’t feel satisfied.

Li Rong smiled casually. “Don’t like leaving marks—they’re ugly.”

He’d used two sheets for Jian Fu’s assignments. Writing too heavily would have imprinted the answers onto the underlying paper. It wasn’t obvious unless you looked closely, but he just found it unpleasant.

Li Qingli had the same habit. It matched his meticulous personality. His strokes were always heavy, pressing through to the next sheet.

Li Qingli used to say that Li Rong’s habit was a strange kind of perfectionism. Great men shouldn’t sweat the small stuff.

But just when Li Rong was about to get upset, Li Qingli would soothe him with a grin. “Actually, everyone’s a little obsessive. My habit’s one too. I like your clean, neat style better.”

His mother would chime in: “Exactly, our son is way better than you.”

Li Rong had never been able to stay mad at his parents. He hadn’t seen how others parented, but he was certain Li Qingli and Gu Nong were the most respectful and loving parents in the world.

Jian Fu tucked away the papers with a feigned coolness. “Thanks.”

Li Rong nodded cheerfully. “Great. Don’t forget to come help me move tomorrow.”

Jian Fu’s eyes went wide. “What?”

Li Rong: “Oh, I’m moving. Can’t pack everything on my own.”

Jian Fu was stunned. “What the h*ll? I never agreed to that!”

Li Rong: “I did your homework. You’re too chivalrous to refuse, aren’t you?”

Jian Fu was at a loss, unable to find a counterargument.

This was outright coercion, and yet he had no way to fight it.

Before Jian Fu could come up with a morally righteous excuse to refuse, Li Rong had already walked off, satisfied.

Jian Fu’s deskmate patted his shoulder, gloating. “I’m glad I write my own homework.”

Li Rong hadn’t asked Lin Zhen for help—not because he didn’t trust him, but because Lin Zhen was preparing for his art exam. Between school and his specialized classes, Li Rong didn’t want to take up his time.

With Cen Xiao and Jian Fu’s combined strength, they’d be more than enough.

On Saturday, Li Rong woke up early.

He hadn’t slept well, preoccupied with the move.

Sitting up, he wrapped himself in his blanket and created a group chat with Cen Xiao and Jian Fu:

Friendship Squad: Helping the Class Rep Move

[Li Rong: Good morning, everyone! It’s a beautiful day 😊 @CenXiao @JianFu]

[Cen Xiao: …]

[Jian Fu: ….What kind of ghost group is this?]

[Li Rong: Look at the name.]

[Jian Fu: It’s the weekend! I’m sleeping in. Afternoon works.] 

[Cen Xiao: Let him sleep. A little later is fine.] 

[Li Rong: Alright, then I’ll save on lunch.] 

[Jian Fu: You’re so stingy!]

Li Rong didn’t want to leave his warm bed either. Turning off the chat notifications, he flopped back onto the mattress.

He stared at the wardrobe, dazed.

This was his last day in the house. Sometimes, it felt like this life was the dream, and he’d wake up as a scientist in Hongsuo, tirelessly working on the GT201 project.

The sun rose higher outside the window, its rays creeping onto his bed. When the sunlight reached his pillow, Li Rong nestled into it.

Cen Xiao and Jian Fu did show up in the afternoon.

Knowing he’d be working, Cen Xiao wore a stretchy long-sleeved sweatshirt and loose athletic pants.

The weather wasn’t too cold, so he casually rolled up his sleeves, revealing a portion of his toned forearms. 

His unassuming outfit seemed almost luxurious on him, thanks to his well-trained physique.

Li Rong’s gaze lingered briefly on the faint outline of Cen Xiao’s chest muscles before trailing down to the taut veins on his forearms. He then calmly averted his eyes.

It had been a while since he’d touched those chest muscles.

Jian Fu, on the other hand, came in with a grumpy look. “Next time, I don’t care how much you beg—I’m never giving you my homework. It’s bad enough you tricked me, but you dragged my brother into this too. Hey, how’d he con you?” Jian Fu turned to Cen Xiao.

Cen Xiao and Li Rong exchanged a glance. Calmly, Cen Xiao said, “Homework.”

Jian Fu smacked his thigh. “D*mn! So calculating! I knew there’s no such thing as a free lunch!”

As he spoke, Jian Fu casually glanced around at the décor of Li Rong’s home.

This was his first time visiting Li Rong’s house, so naturally, he was a bit curious. However, the more he looked, the deeper his brows furrowed. “Is this the so-called luxurious mansion everyone’s been gossiping about online?”

Li Rong’s house was nowhere near the luxury people imagined.

The villa was in an old district that had undergone a redevelopment project. After the transformation, original residents were offered a discount to purchase the villas. Those who could afford them stayed, while those who couldn’t used the compensation to buy elsewhere.

Li Rong’s family had sufficient resources to purchase the villa and move in directly.

Yet, the villa was far from extravagant. It was just a standard two-story home with a small yard, a garage, and four bedrooms. Considering the income of the Li family’s medical company, this house was remarkably modest.

Professors at Hongsuo Research Institute typically owned at least two such homes, but after the Li family’s assets were liquidated following the incident, this was all they had.

Only now did Jian Fu realize how exaggerated the rumors online were. Many people hadn’t even seen photos of this house yet still imagined Li Qingli living in a luxurious mountainside villa in Los Angeles.

Jian Fu had once believed those rumors about Li Qingli living lavishly and driving luxury cars. But seeing the supposed evidence of extravagance with his own eyes left him feeling conflicted.

If even this was false, what else could be trusted?

Li Rong was adept at reading people. Tossing a few cardboard boxes onto the living room floor, he looked up at Jian Fu with a meaningful gaze. “What’s wrong? Not what you imagined? Having a bit of a worldview crisis?”

Jian Fu swallowed hard, huffed, and looked at the ceiling with feigned indifference. “A worldview crisis? Me? I’ve seen plenty of storms; nothing fazes me.”

Li Rong smiled knowingly but said nothing.

After that, Jian Fu stopped grumbling and threw himself into tidying up with surprising diligence, soon working up a sweat.

Meanwhile, Li Rong moved his parents’ books and manuscripts out of the study. Carefully wrapping them in foam paper, he placed them gently into boxes.

Squatting on the floor, he held a roll of tape in one hand and began sealing the boxes.

Cen Xiao, on the other hand, brought over another packed box.

Compared to Li Rong, Cen Xiao had far more stamina.

Just sorting through the books had left Li Rong panting for breath, his cheeks flushed red.

Li Rong, naturally prone to sweating, had already soaked through his white T-shirt. The damp fabric clung to his skin, while beads of sweat rolled persistently down his neck.

His neck was smooth and delicate, almost poreless, and the glistening sweat moving in sync with his swallows had an inexplicable allure.

Unaware of Cen Xiao’s increasingly intense gaze, Li Rong took a deep breath, lowered his head, and bit the tape to sever it. He spat out the leftover pieces with a slight grimace of distaste.

His pale face looked pitifully wan, though the tip of his tongue remained vibrantly red.

Cen Xiao suddenly felt a bit parched.

“Got water?” Cen Xiao asked.

Li Rong exhaled deeply, licking his dry lips. Bracing himself against the box with one hand, he tossed his damp hair back and said, “There’s bottled water and some snacks in the kitchen. Don’t eat too much, though. I’ve ordered dinner. Also, could you grab the laundry off the balcony? You’re taller.”

Last night, Li Rong had washed all the bed linens, blankets, and his frequently worn clothes, only to find out afterward that the dryer was broken.

With no other option, he had hung them out to dry on the first and second-floor balconies. Luckily, Saturday’s weather was sunny and breezy, and the laundry had dried nicely by noon.

Suppressing the slight restlessness in his chest, Cen Xiao replied in a low voice, “Okay.”

After Cen Xiao left, Li Rong began inspecting the box he had packed earlier. Taking a pen, he labeled the items inside the box one by one: desk lamp, humidifier, alarm clock…

While labeling, a sudden thought struck him, and his pen paused.

On the balcony, besides the bed linens and outerwear, there were also seven or eight pairs of his underwear.

The thought of Cen Xiao possibly handling his underwear made Li Rong feel lightheaded.

He jumped to his feet, ignoring the dizziness that came with the rush of blood. In a few hurried strides, he bolted up to the second floor. “I’ll grab the laundry myself, you—”

Halfway through his shout, Li Rong abruptly stopped himself.

Swallowing hard, his gaze landed on Cen Xiao’s arm.

Cen Xiao’s left arm was already laden with various items—bed covers, pants, shirts—and sitting on top were his underwear.

As if nothing was out of the ordinary, Cen Xiao casually grabbed another pair and draped it over his arm.

Li Rong’s lips twitched involuntarily. Forcing himself to act composed, he walked over and said, “Just hand them to me.”

The first thing he reached for was his underwear.

Cen Xiao glanced down and nonchalantly remarked, “You’re a boxer briefs guy.”

Li Rong froze completely.

Of course, he wore boxer briefs. Before meeting Cen Xiao, he was a restrained and aloof person with a measured and reserved lifestyle.

Boxer briefs were perfect—discreet, comfortable, and suitable under any outfit.

But Cen Xiao clearly preferred less fabric on him. After graduating college…

Li Rong’s blood pressure started to climb.

The awkwardness stemmed from the fact that the person responsible for altering his preferences was standing right here, vividly bringing back certain memories.

And deep down, Li Rong knew exactly what Cen Xiao’s words implied.

In broad daylight, a luxury car inexplicably sped through his mind.

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