The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 42

Eating cake in the theater was inconvenient, so Jian Fu led the way, Cen Xiao carried the cake, and they went directly to a Singaporean restaurant they had reserved in advance.

As they waited for the food, Lin Zhen carefully unwrapped the cake and handed the knife to Li Rong. “Class monitor, you cut the cake.”

Jian Fu tapped a pair of chopsticks on a ceramic plate with no rhythm at all. “Hurry, hurry, hurry—I’m starving! I was already hungry during the movie.”

Taking the plastic knife, Li Rong glanced at Jian Fu, who was noisily creating a racket. Unconsciously, Li Rong turned the knife slightly, instinctively keeping the blade pointed away from himself.

It was a subtle habit. Like a student accustomed to twirling a pen out of muscle memory, Li Rong’s reflexive reaction when holding a knife was born from the combat training of his past life.

Jian Fu, who had been watching Li Rong’s hands intently, tilted his head in confusion. He frowned slightly.

Li Rong didn’t look like someone who’d handle a knife often, yet his movements seemed more adept than Jian Fu’s own.

Noticing Jian Fu’s curiosity, Li Rong paused slightly but soon smiled. Looking up, he asked Lin Zhen, “You’re watching your figure, right? I’ll give you more fruit, and the sugary macarons can go to Jian Fu.”

Lin Zhen rubbed his neck awkwardly. “Uh… Class monitor, you don’t need to go out of your way for me. I’ll eat whatever.”

Jian Fu wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. Upon hearing Li Rong openly playing favorites, his earlier doubts vanished. “What the heck, so unfair! I ordered this cake, and you’re giving me the leftovers?”

“You’re the unfair one!” Li Rong smirked, retorting with a teasing jab even as he diligently cut a beautiful piece of cake filled with lychee fruit for Jian Fu.

Lin Zhen needed to maintain his figure, Li Rong’s stomach wasn’t great, and Cen Xiao didn’t like sweets. So even though Jian Fu did his best to eat a lot, half of the cake was still left over.

Since Li Rong stayed in the dorms, where keeping the cake wasn’t practical, he entrusted Jian Fu to take it home.

After finishing black pepper crab and cereal shrimp, it was already 10 p.m.

The school dormitory gates closed at 11. If they returned later, they’d disturb the dorm supervisor’s rest.

Under the thick, damp chill of the night, the car’s heater made the interior warm and cozy. In such a dim, soothing, and gently rocking environment, it was easy for exhaustion to overtake someone and lower their guard.

The one most drained of energy, Lin Zhen, quickly dozed off after getting into the car.

His lips slightly parted as his head swayed with the car’s movement, until—thud—he accidentally slammed his head into Jian Fu’s shoulder.

Startled, Jian Fu stiffened and glanced at Lin Zhen, unsure of what to say.

Before he could react, Lin Zhen roused himself from the bump. Still dazed, he caught Jian Fu’s gaze and murmured a soft apology before shifting his head toward the car window.

Jian Fu scratched his shoulder where he’d been bumped. Though it didn’t hurt, he couldn’t shake the odd feeling.

It wasn’t like he minded, exactly—he just wasn’t used to people leaning on him like that.

Li Rong, oblivious to their exchange, leaned on the back of the seat in front of him and asked Cen Xiao, “What’s your plan for the weekend?”

Since being nominated for the Talented Students Program, Li Rong’s senior year had grown much easier. With occasional free time, he wanted to experience bits of life he had overlooked before.

Cen Xiao turned his head, his gaze briefly passing the rigidly seated Jian Fu before settling on Li Rong.”I have training over the weekend.”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow. “Physical training?”

Cen Xiao nodded. “Yeah.”

Li Rong’s tone grew thoughtful. “Are your injuries mostly healed?”

“They don’t bother me anymore. The marks will take some time to fade.”

Pondering this, Li Rong suddenly said, “I want to see it—see what kind of training is required to qualify.”

Cen Xiao appeared surprised. “You want to come along?”

“Yeah, to broaden my horizons.” Li Rong smiled meaningfully. “And to see how big the gap is between us—how long it’ll take for me to surpass you.”

Cen Xiao chuckled softly. “Striving to be first in everything isn’t always a good thing.”

Li Rong’s response was curious. “You sound confident that surpassing you would mean being first. What if there are hidden talents out there waiting to surprise us?”

As he spoke, the image of Du Mingli, the next leader of the Ghost-Eye Group, surfaced in his mind.

Cen Xiao hadn’t replied yet when Jian Fu interjected indignantly. “Are you doubting my brother’s skills? My brother’s test scores are the best in recent years!”

“Alright, alright, you’re absolutely right.” Li Rong withdrew his gaze from Cen Xiao and casually humored Jian Fu. Then he gestured for him to quiet down so as not to wake Lin Zhen.

***

Meanwhile, the lights in Cen Qing’s office in the Blue Pivot District remained lit late into the night.

His trusted aide of over a decade, Zhou Min, handed him a few blurry photos and said in a low voice, “President, the investigation team did uncover someone trying to make a deal. It’s this man—Li Baishou. He used to work with Li Qingli, but I looked into it; they had no personal ties. They just joined the Hongsup Research Institute in the same year.”

Zhou Min added, “Li Baishou harbored jealousy toward Li Qingli because his own projects never succeeded, and he received less funding.”

Frowning, Cen Qing flipped through the photos before tossing them onto the desk in disdain.
“To be this brazen at a time like this—hard to say whether he’s truly stupid or just reckless.”

When Cen Xiao asked him to look into the matter, Cen Qing had been skeptical. He didn’t think anyone would dare to take risks over Li Qingli’s belongings. Yet, it turned out someone was indeed foolish enough to take the bait.

Zhou Min murmured thoughtfully, “It seems Li Qingli was exceptional after all. Even in death, people are still fixated on him.”

Cen Qing let out a cold snort, rolled up his sleeves, and pressed his fingers forcefully against his temples. “There’s no doubting Li Qingli’s research abilities. I even think that the Luyinxu drug might have been…” He paused mid-sentence, stopping himself just in time. Even in front of his trusted aide, he wasn’t one to leave anything incriminating behind. “Forget it. Just make sure you clean things up thoroughly. Recently, Cen Xiao has been getting too close to Li Qingli’s son. Whether or not he listens to me, the outside world sees us as a unit, so District Three must completely distance itself from the investigation team.”

Zhou Min responded promptly, “Rest assured, this time I arranged the pressure to come from District Four’s name. The research division there has always been at odds with the Hongsuo Research Institute, so focusing on Li Qingli is entirely justifiable.”

Cen Qing, visibly fatigued, yawned, his eyes bloodshot. Waving a hand, he dismissed Zhou Min. “Alright, you can head home for now.”

Zhou Min hesitated for a moment, his expression torn as though there was more to say.

Cen Qing caught on and frowned. “What is it? Speak up.”

Zhou Min hesitated before voicing his thoughts. “This might be out of line, so take it as casual advice. Cen Xiao getting too close to Li Qingli’s son feels like a potential hazard. Although this whole matter has stirred a lot of buzz, judging by how the other Districts in the United Commerce Association are handling it, it seems like they want to suppress it. District Nine’s Han Jiang likely received word too, but there’s been no movement. I think the situation runs deep, and we should tread lightly.”

Cen Qing sneered. “You think I don’t know that? Right now, my wife suspects I manipulated the situation, and rumors about my son entangling with Li Rong are rampant throughout Blue Pivot. Do you think I want to get involved?”

Zhou Min offered an awkward smile. “Cen Xiao is still just a high schooler. Some rebelliousness is normal. Perhaps if you spoke with him—”

Before Zhou Min could finish, Cen Qing recalled the shocking results of a certain physical report. His eyes sharpened, and he cut Zhou Min off. “Really? Do you honestly think he’s still the kind of kid who’ll follow directions just because he’s told to?”

Zhou Min froze, at a loss for words. “Uh…”

Cen Qing withdrew his gaze and looked out at the ethereal black night outside. “You’d better hope he’s not just a kid. A child wouldn’t survive in District Nine.”

***

That weekend, the weather was overcast, and to everyone’s surprise, a cold rain began to fall.

The ground turned wet and muddy, and the air carried a sharp, clean scent of rain.

Li Rong woke up early, had a bowl of shredded tofu soup at the cafeteria, and then took a cab to the training gym Cen Xiao had mentioned.

This gym charged exorbitant membership fees, and hiring a personal trainer for one-on-one practice cost even more. But the gym’s reputation was stellar; its owner was said to be a former coach for District Nine’s physical assessments, boasting ten years of training experience. Almost every aspiring candidate for District Nine came here for testing. The confidentiality of the candidates’ fitness data was rigorously maintained—even the gym staff didn’t have access to it.

This high level of security, combined with the quality of training, had earned the owner immense respect.

Li Rong began to understand why District Nine remained so mysterious to the general public—so much so that many believed the United Commerce Association had only eight Districts. The sheer cost of preparation made it unattainable for ordinary families. Naturally, only families with resources, connections, and wealth could even know of District Nine’s existence.

As he entered, the receptionist caught sight of his face and was momentarily mesmerized.

Li Rong was indeed strikingly handsome—his looks possessed an unexpected charm that left a strong impression. Especially on this gloomy, windy, and rainy day, when the receptionist’s mood had been sour from having to start work early, seeing such a beautiful young man instantly lifted her spirits.

Li Rong appeared pale and slim, with damp hair sticking together from the rain. His refined features included a high nose bridge and a faint beauty mark near the corner of his eye that made his face unforgettable.

The receptionist, eager to make a good impression, poured him a cup of warm water and asked gently, “You look new here. Is this your first visit?”

Li Rong, still observing the decor of the lobby, smiled politely and nodded, his demeanor harmless. “It is. Thank you.”

Hoping for a chance to see him again in the future, the receptionist quickly pulled out a project brochure. “What sort of training are you interested in? We offer shooting, jujitsu, grappling, and combat courses, all taught by internationally awarded coaches.”

Li Rong unexpectedly asked, “A friend told me this gym’s owner can also conduct fitness tests for District Nine. Do you know how long someone would typically need to train to pass?”

The receptionist was taken aback.

Judging by Li Rong’s appearance and build, he didn’t seem like someone who would aim for District Nine. Moreover, unless he became a VIP member, she wasn’t allowed to disclose any details related to District Nine’s assessments.

But when her eyes met his clear, alluring gaze, her resolve softened. She couldn’t help but reply, “District Nine isn’t something just anyone can aim for. Our boss isn’t easy to book, either. Even for someone with great physical fitness, it would take at least six months to a year of training to have a decent chance.”

Li Rong nodded thoughtfully, his smile deepening. “My friend is training here. I’m actually here to find him. His name is Cen Xiao. Could you let him know?”

As he spoke, he raised the warm cup of water to his lips and took a slow sip.

The heat flowed into his stomach, dispelling the cold from the rain. His eyelids drooped slightly in satisfaction.

The receptionist was stunned for a moment before responding, “Ah… Please wait a moment. Mr. Cen is one of our premium clients. I’ll have to check with the boss first.”

She then picked up the internal phone to make a call.

At that moment, Cen Xiao hadn’t yet started his training. He sat in the gym owner Tang He’s lounge, adding a small splash of milk to his espresso. Stirring it idly, he watched as the deep brown coffee lightened a few shades.

Tang He, sitting across from him, studied him carefully, his gaze filled with scrutiny. Yet after a while, Tang He gave up, shaking his head and muttering, “The material you wanted the president to see has been passed on through my assistant. He shouldn’t suspect anything.”

“Thank you.” Cen Xiao’s expression remained impassive as he lifted the coffee cup, taking a sip and swallowing the bitter liquid.

Tang He scratched his stubbly chin, frowning. “I’m just curious. Since you want him to see the results and they’re real, why make it seem like he had to infiltrate my place and steal them?”

Cen Xiao finished the steaming coffee, set the cup down, and said nonchalantly, “Not telling you.”

Tang He was left speechless, and before he could devise a way to force the truth out of Cen Xiao, the office phone rang.

Grabbing it with a touch of irritation, Tang He answered, “What now?”

After a brief exchange, Tang He raised an eyebrow and hung up. 

He turned to Cen Xiao, his earlier annoyance giving way to playful mockery. “The receptionist says there’s a little beauty here looking for you. As expected of the son of the Commerce Association’s president—finding time for romance even while preparing for the Ninth District exam.”

Not satisfied with his jab, Tang He leaned closer to the younger man, whose demeanor was far too composed for his age, and teased, “The receptionist says they’re especially good-looking. How attractive does someone have to be to make you lose focus and spill all the Ninth District secrets?”

Cen Xiao stood up, tugging at the corners of his mouth in a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Attractive? More than that. If he wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t even know how you died.”

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