The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 36

Li Rong had almost forgotten after months of high school life: Cen Xiao was tough on others, but he was even tougher on himself.

Cen Xiao will probably never learn to rely on sweet talk or playing tricks to gain favor.

Li Rong rubbed his sore neck and lazily asked, “They said the new instant pork chop rice at the supermarket is really good. Do you want to try it?”

Cen Xiao’s expression relaxed as he tucked his left arm under the desk and picked up his phone with his right hand. “Let’s go.”

Just as he was about to get up, Li Rong’s gaze swept over his left arm and then quickly shifted upward. He called out, “Hey, let’s not go to the cafeteria. It smells like oil, and then we’d have to wash our jackets. Let’s just eat in the classroom.”

The school’s regulations for seniors were relatively lax. Acknowledging the pressure they faced, many strict rules were often overlooked.

Seniors were allowed to bring phones, skip wearing uniforms, grow out their hair, and even eat in class as long as they cleaned up after themselves. No homeroom teacher would bother them about it.

Cen Xiao shrugged. “Fine by me.”

“You stay here. I’ll go buy it. No need for both of us to go out in the cold.” Li Rong quickly put on his coat and wrapped his scarf tightly, leaving only his eyes exposed.

Li Rong could tell that just the act of standing caused Cen Xiao discomfort, suggesting he had more injuries elsewhere.

Cen Xiao gave him a meaningful look but didn’t insist, leaning back in his chair. “Okay.”

Usually, when there was no need for both of them to leave, Li Rong would rope in Jian Fu or make Cen Xiao go instead.

Li Rong shoved his hands into his pockets, feeling the coins inside. For some reason, he had the peculiar sensation of taking care of a sick girlfriend.

This dynamic between him and Cen Xiao was indeed… unique.

***

When Li Rong finally reached the supermarket entrance at a leisurely pace, it was already packed.

Many students, unwilling to waste time in the dining hall, opted for quick supermarket meals they could eat while working on assignments in the classroom.

Li Rong squeezed through the crowd, navigating to the middle aisle, and grabbed two boxes of pork chop rice.

The checkout line was chaotic. Instead of forming a proper queue, students jostled at the counter, talking over one another, leaving the cashier overwhelmed.

Li Rong’s gaze swept the crowd and landed on a short girl with round glasses, her ears red from the cold. She was teetering under the push and pull of the crowd, stubbornly saying, “Two grilled sausages, please,” though her soft voice was quickly drowned out.

She stretched on her tiptoes, holding up money, trying to hand it to the cashier. Her uneven bangs clung awkwardly to her forehead, revealing wide, round eyes filled with frustration.

Li Rong, waiting in line, quietly observed.

Behind him, someone muttered complaints:

“This is ridiculous. Can’t the supermarket open more counters? It’s chaos every evening.”

“They’re just saving costs. Anyway, it’s only this crowded at dinner. During class hours, it’s dead.”

“Look, some people don’t even queue. No manners whatsoever.”

“We can’t let them cut in. If we do, they’ll keep doing it.”

“Exactly. Be quick, or you’ll lose your turn. That poor girl’s been waiting forever, but no one’s paying her any attention.”

….

Finally, it was Li Rong’s turn. He placed the two pork chop rice boxes on the counter, but as he did, he noticed the girl stamping her feet in frustration, her eyes reddening.

Before he could speak, a male student approached the cashier with a pack of sugar-free gum, bypassing the line entirely. He tossed both the gum and exact change on the counter, saying, “I just have this. Ring me up quickly.”

The cashier, flustered, instinctively reached for his money.

Li Rong shoved his pork chop boxes forward with force, his voice cold: “If you’re not going to take my money, are you giving these to me for free?”

The cashier froze for a moment, noticing that the main line seemed to have reached Li Rong. She hesitated.

The boy, however, was clearly annoyed. “I’ve got the exact amount. Once she takes the money, I’ll leave. With the time you’re wasting yapping, they could’ve helped another customer by now.”

Li Rong ignored him and instead turned to the crooked line of people behind him. “He’s cutting in line—do you all agree with that?”

“Get to the back of the line!”

“Who’s cutting in? Have some shame; we’re all waiting!”

“No way, get in line!”

“Hurry up! Don’t waste time—just queue up already!”

“Who’s so rude? What class is he in?”

…

The boy, humiliated and furious, glared at Li Rong. “Who the h*ll are you? Stop making such a big deal out of it!”

“Hey, hey, hey—what’s this? You’re cutting in line, and you think you’re in the right? Get to the back!”

Someone grabbed the boy by the collar and yanked him away from Li Rong with a strong pull.

Li Rong’s gaze shifted past the boy and landed on Xu Song, a tall and imposing figure who had previously come to Li Rong for tutoring.

Xu Song’s stature was enough to intimidate, and the boy immediately lost some of his nerve.

In truth, Xu Song didn’t particularly care if someone cut in line—he was big enough that no one would dare mess with him anyway. 

But seeing someone cut in front of Li Rong rubbed him the wrong way. After all, he had improved his grades significantly with Li Rong’s help, and to him, Li Rong was “one of his own.” Naturally, he’d take sides.

Li Rong quietly relaxed his wrist. With someone else stepping in, he didn’t need to handle it himself.

The boy, now caught between fury and embarrassment, realized he couldn’t take on the crowd. While he might have been willing to argue with Li Rong alone, the overwhelming disapproval was too much. His face turned red and pale in turns before he angrily tossed the candy he was holding onto the counter and stormed off amidst a chorus of scolding voices.

The cashier stood frozen, clutching the boy’s money, her expression blank.

The supermarket was always chaotic in the evenings, but most people chose to tolerate it, avoiding conflict. This was the first time someone had led the charge in driving away a line-cutter.

With Li Rong taking the lead and the crowd of orderly queuers supporting him, those hoping to jump the line didn’t dare try their luck anymore and quietly moved to the back.

Xu Song rubbed his buzzed head and asked with concern, “You okay, Brother Rong?”

Li Rong smiled warmly. “I’m fine.” He pulled some cash out of his padded jacket pocket and said to the cashier, “Two pork chop bento boxes and two grilled sausages, please.”

This time, the cashier quickly rang him up and even bagged the two hot sausages in plastic for him.

Li Rong took the sausages and immediately handed one to Ji Xiaochuan.

Ji Xiaochuan froze, staring up at Li Rong with wide eyes.

Li Rong motioned with his mouth. “Take the sausage and give me the money.”

Ji Xiaochuan hesitantly took the sausage, opened her palm, and held out the four crumpled bills she’d been clutching for ages.

Li Rong calmly accepted the slightly damp money and tucked it into his pocket. “Next time, don’t just stand there like a fool. Ask someone you know to help you.”

Ji Xiaochuan, holding the sausage, pointed it at her own nose in confusion. “We’re… considered familiar?”

Li Rong shook his head with a sigh, hung the bag with the bento boxes on his wrist, and started pushing his way through the crowd. “I think so. Don’t you?”

Ji Xiaochuan pursed her lips tightly, her eyes sparkling as she tentatively said, “I think so?” She paused, then adjusted her heavy round glasses with her wrist and added with growing excitement and conviction, “I think so, yes!”

Li Rong waved his hand. “Alright, I’m heading back to class now.”

“Okay!” Ji Xiaochuan waved back enthusiastically.

Li Rong wasn’t intentionally trying to fool Ji Xiaochuan. When he reached the base of the teaching building, he stopped in his tracks and looked up at the brightly lit classrooms. The figures of students occasionally darted past the transparent glass of the experimental class, laughing and playing.

The figures moved about, but Cen Xiao was nowhere to be seen.

Staring at the windows, Li Rong frowned slightly and let out a soft sigh under the cover of night.

He quickly composed himself, turned on his heel, and walked toward the school infirmary.

The last time Gu Tian caused trouble, Cen Xiao had brought him medicinal patches. Li Rong wasn’t particularly sentimental about it; he just believed in reciprocating acts of kindness—it wasn’t that he cared too much.

The school hospital had already closed for the evening, leaving only one infirmary open.

Li Rong knocked on the window, waking the drowsy on-duty doctor. He placed his student card on the counter. “I need some bruise ointment for promoting blood circulation.”

The doctor gave him a once-over, frowning. “Where are you hurt?”

Since the infirmary’s medicine was subsidized by the government and cheaper than outside pharmacies, they were strict about purchases.

Li Rong remained unfazed. “Upper thigh.”

The doctor hesitated, swallowing the words “Let me see” before they could escape.

He wasn’t sure how Li Rong managed to injure such a place, but it didn’t seem appropriate to check.

Two minutes later, Li Rong stuffed the ointment into his pocket, grabbed the pork chop meals, and left the infirmary.

When he entered the classroom, he found Cen Xiao sitting with his head down, fiddling with his phone.

Cen Xiao didn’t notice Li Rong’s return; he was replying to messages from Jian Fu.

[Jian Fu: Bro, I have a secret to tell you—someone’s birthday is coming up in two days!]

[Cen Xiao: Li Rong.]

[Jian Fu: D*mn, you knew?]

[Cen Xiao: How do you know?]

[Jian Fu: …I didn’t know until Lin Zhen told me. We were going to pick out a birthday gift for him together. Do you know what he’d like?]

[Cen Xiao: Anything’s fine.]

[Jian Fu: Don’t be like that. Lin Zhen is really putting thought into it. If it’s something he doesn’t like, it’ll be so disappointing.]

[Cen Xiao: Don’t worry—what he really wants, you wouldn’t be able to afford.]

[Jian Fu: …]

At that moment, Lin Zhen and Jian Fu were already on the pedestrian street, locked in a heated debate over birthday gifts.

Lin Zhen wanted to give Li Rong an elegant landscape painting, believing that a top student like him must have a refined artistic taste and noble character.

Jian Fu, however, thought a snowboard was a better choice for a guy since he personally loved snowboarding.

Unwilling to argue further, Lin Zhen headed toward the art studio, but Jian Fu grabbed his arm and steered him toward a sports store instead.

The two bickered, drawing plenty of amused stares from passersby.

Lin Zhen, unable to outmatch Jian Fu, reluctantly followed him into the sports store. Jian Fu enthusiastically browsed, giving Lin Zhen an impromptu lecture on snowboarding.

Lin Zhen, feeling utterly defeated, couldn’t help but regret agreeing to shop with Jian Fu.

Meanwhile, Li Rong removed his scarf, shaking off the damp mist clinging to it, and placed the two pork chop meals on the desk.

Cen Xiao immediately put down his phone, covering the chat interface. “What took so long?”

Li Rong sniffled and handed him a meal, replying casually, “Crowded. The line was really long.”

Cen Xiao unwrapped the packaging with one hand and was about to get up for hot water when Li Rong muttered softly, “I’ll go. You… don’t burn yourself.”

Cen Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Since when did I become so delicate in your eyes?”

Li Rong paused, turning to look at him, a confident smile tugging at his lips. “When I’m in a good mood.”

He took Cen Xiao’s meal box, ran back and forth twice, and returned with both meals filled with steaming water.

Though the ready-to-eat pork chop meals couldn’t compare to a proper restaurant, the flavor was decent. The pork cutlet was surprisingly crispy, with a fine texture.

Li Rong took a small bite of pork, followed by a spoonful of curry-soaked rice. As he chewed, he casually said, “Wanna check out my dorm?”

Cen Xiao’s chopsticks paused mid-air, his gaze deepening. “You’re inviting me to your dorm?”

The atmosphere subtly shifted, the air growing thick with a heady intensity. A sweet, alluring warmth seemed to swirl between them, leaving one’s head slightly dizzy.

Li Rong ran his tongue lightly over his slightly greasy lips, one hand in his pocket, idly rubbing the tube of ointment.

Though he had a perfectly legitimate reason, he couldn’t help but have his thoughts stray the moment he spoke.

Admittedly, his words did sound a bit like an invitation.

He and Cen Xiao had been involved for two years, but they’d never tried anything as frugal and spartan as “dormitory play.”

Cen Xiao’s overly privileged upbringing had limited the scope of his adventurous spirit.

Li Rong unscrewed the cap of his thermos, drank a few serious sips of water, and kept his expression perfectly composed. “Go if you want. I don’t care.”

But inwardly, his emotions weren’t so calm. After all, he was an experienced adult, and the person with whom he had shared those experiences was right here.

For adults, it was perfectly normal to have unspoken, indescribable thoughts. But interacting with Cen Xiao as a high schooler sometimes truly tested his acting skills.

Cen Xiao withdrew his gaze without a word, casually picking up a large piece of pork cutlet and chewing.

Li Rong knew his answer was clear: Go.

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