The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 58

Upon receiving the certificate, Yang Fenfang, the class teacher, handed it to Li Rong right away.

In the office, she sat on her chair, looking up at him. “Congratulations, Li Rong. Well-deserved, with a bit of a close call.”

Her words carried layers of meaning, which she left unsaid, though Li Rong understood them perfectly.

For someone like Li Rong, who had already graduated from university once, this admission certificate didn’t stir much emotion.

Nor did he intend to feign a teary-eyed performance before Yang Fenfang. He simply opened the certificate, paused briefly at Jiang Weide’s name, then closed it and held it casually in his hand.

“Thank you.”

Yang Fenfang smiled, adopting a lighthearted tone. “You’re free now! No more hustle. I hear you’ve been tutoring, too. Students these days are really something.”

Li Rong mirrored her smile, though his was faint, polite. “Got to earn a living.”

She knew Li Rong wasn’t entirely without family, but his relationship with them seemed distant enough that he had to support himself.

While A High School generally disapproved of students working part-time, Li Rong’s case was an exception. Yang Fenfang had even argued for him in faculty meetings, persuading the administration to give him some leeway.

The school leadership, sympathetic and pragmatic, agreed, considering Li Rong’s parents’ longstanding amicable relationship with the school. They didn’t have the heart to make things harder for him.

Since it hadn’t affected his grades, they saw no harm in accommodating this unusual case.

Yang Fenfang encouraged him further, “With such a long break ahead, any plans? Even though you’re guaranteed admission, the rules still require you to attend classes. But if something comes up, let me know—I’ll approve your leave.”

Li Rong replied lightly, “I plan to rest a bit.”

He bore no resentment toward Yang Fenfang. She was an ordinary person reacting in the most rational way, with a touch of pity and fondness for him.

But in the future, the people he’d face would neither hold such fondness nor hesitate to harbor preconceived biases against him.

And in that world of prejudice, he would have to clear his parents’ names.

The task of compelling those entrenched in the idea that “there’s safety in numbers” to admit their mistakes was daunting—too daunting to think about in detail sometimes.

He was afraid to think too deeply about it; the gap between reality and his ideals was too wide and could crush his confidence.

In truth, the minor commotions of high school were but a gentle prelude. When he entered A University and encountered them, amidst a pack of wolves, there would likely be no such comfort.

Yang Fenfang paused for a moment before speaking. “Resting is good too; you’ve been working very hard.”

She suddenly realized that Li Rong had grown so tall. She had to lean back in her chair to comfortably look him in the eye. Perhaps it was because his face still carried a hint of youthfulness, or maybe because she could never forget the spirited boy from the start of his first year.

When he left Yang Fenfang’s office, Li Rong stopped by the door. Tucking the acceptance letter under his arm, he bowed his head and sent Aunt Hui a message:

[Aunt Hui, the paper has been successfully published, and I’ve been accepted to A University.]

After sending the message, he rested his hand on the railing and looked up at the glass skylight at the top of the teaching building.

At this time of day, Aunt Hui was likely just opening her stall.

But winter was over, and people were already shedding their heavy coats for stylish windbreakers.

Though the fountain square at A University was bustling with people, few, if any, would buy gloves, scarves, or hats from her anymore. Yet, just like in his previous life, she still went to A University every day without fail, hoping to find the student she had once bumped into at the laboratory door—someone who could clear her name.

It had been ten years. A lifetime only holds so many decades, and that student had likely changed beyond recognition. Even if he stood before her, she might not recognize him.

This matter had long been buried in the dust of the past. No one but her still clung to it.

Xu Tanghui had read countless books in A University’s library over the years; surely, she understood this simple truth.

But people need something to hold on to, something to give life meaning.

Li Rong lowered his gaze from the skylight and looked at his palm.

If the Hongsuo Research Institute didn’t get turned upside down, he’d feel an emptiness gnawing at him.

In his past life, he hadn’t felt this way, but now the emotion surged stronger with each passing moment.

He wanted to make those people afraid, to fill them with dread, to force them to repent. He wanted to become their nightmare—so that every wicked thought they had would come with trembling hesitation. He wanted to control their fates, to see them humbled in the face of overwhelming condemnation, begging for mercy.

He wasn’t sure if he could still be called a good person. But the thought of such scenes filled him with immense satisfaction, and he had no intention of “healing” this satisfaction.

Taking a deep breath of the crisp air, Li Rong coughed twice as the chill hit his lungs.

After lingering in the corridor for a while, he received no reply from Aunt Hui. She was probably busy arranging her wares.

Li Rong sniffled and decided to show the certificate to Cen Xiao.

This was, after all, their first “medal of honor.”

***

March brought a perpetual wetness to A High.

The snow accumulated over winter was gradually melting, but the sunlight wasn’t strong enough to evaporate it quickly.

On either side of the streets, magnolia trees were budding, their petals just beginning to bloom. The damp air carried a faint floral fragrance.

Walking along the path from the dormitory to the school, Li Rong saw white petals everywhere.

Unhurried, he strolled into the cafeteria and spotted Ji Xiaochuan ordering a spicy chicken drumstick at the counter.

Chicken drumsticks for breakfast?

Raising an eyebrow, Li Rong picked up his light soup and vegetables and sat across from Ji Xiaochuan. “I thought you only liked sausages.”

After all, in his past life at the Hongsuo Research Institute, every time he saw Ji Xiaochuan, she had a sausage in hand.

Ji Xiaochuan took a bite of her drumstick, licked the breadcrumbs from her lips, and grinned. “Not true! I just… couldn’t afford much when I was younger. I ate instant noodles and cheap snacks that lasted long.”

She wasn’t poor anymore. Working as Li Rong’s assistant, she earned hundreds of yuan a day—more than enough to treat herself to good food.

Li Rong shook his head with a smile. “You know how to enjoy the little things.”

Pushing her glasses up, Ji Xiaochuan blinked her round eyes and said, “Let me… buy you one.”

Li Rong frowned and leaned back slightly. “No thanks. Too greasy.”

“Greasy? No way. Look at your fine hair—it’s clear you lack nutrition.” Ji Xiaochuan immediately wore a regretful expression.

Li Rong chuckled. “My mom’s a nutritionist. She plans all my meals. It’s just genetics.”

Indeed, his hair was soft and fine, with a slight golden sheen in the sunlight—not brittle but lustrous.

Looking at Ji Xiaochuan, Li Rong felt a sense of relief.

Though she still stuttered, her timid and insecure demeanor had significantly faded.

Perhaps it was because the tutoring class was filled with playful boys who struggled with academics.

At first, she had tried to speak softly and explain patiently, often blushing as she repeated herself.

But soon, she realized her voice couldn’t compete with a single sneeze from them. A group of rowdy boys could laugh for a full minute over the simplest things.

Seeing the chaos, with Li Rong only observing from the sidelines, Ji Xiaochuan finally let go of her shyness. She raised her voice and began to assert herself, speaking rapidly and with determination.

Her stutter became less noticeable, just a small quirk.

The boys, amused by her transformation, occasionally teased her into anger, delighting in her puffed-up cheeks and fiery eyes. Then, they’d quickly beg for mercy, laughing and calling her “Sister Chuan.”

Sometimes, in the hallways, she’d try to walk past quietly, only for those boys to stop and wave her over.

“Hey, Sister Chuan, your collar is crooked,” someone teased.

Ji Xiaochuan hurriedly glanced down to check her collar, only to hear laughter erupt, “Haha, just messing with you!”

She could only sigh and mutter in frustration, “Boring!”

Of course, she knew they were joking, and she didn’t actually get upset. After spending so much time bantering with these boys daily, she had toughened up and become a bit more feisty herself.

She understood that these jokes were filled with kindness.

Even someone as oblivious as Song Yuanyuan could notice the changes in Ji Xiaochuan.

The reason for Ji Xiaochuan’s transformation didn’t matter; what mattered was that she now had a group of “brothers” and “buddies” from other classes.

Some of these boys were entirely ordinary, while others were well-known in the school.

Whenever they saw Ji Xiaochuan, they’d make it a point to stop and tease her, their tone full of familiarity and affection.

It was obvious that their teasing carried no malice; rather, it was a sign of their fondness and closeness.

Song Yuanyuan and her group might not have known where Ji Xiaochuan had found such a circle of friends, but they were clever enough to stop picking on her.

They knew that if Ji Xiaochuan ever got hurt or upset, these boys would gladly step in to defend her.

After finishing her chicken drumstick in just a few bites, Ji Xiaochuan wiped her now-shiny lips.

Meanwhile, Li Rong had only taken a couple of bites of his tofu threads, and his red bean bun was still untouched.

Ji Xiaochuan glanced at her watch and gently urged him, “Aren’t you going to finish your food?”

Li Rong smirked lightly, “Go to class already. I’m guaranteed admission, so I’m savoring life by eating slowly.”

“Bye, then!”

With Li Rong’s permission to leave, Ji Xiaochuan beamed, grabbed her bag, and dashed off.

Li Rong watched her retreating figure, feeling that even the morning sunlight spreading across the table seemed warmer.

Lin Zhen, Ji Xiaochuan, Xu Tanghui, and Jian Fu.

Looking at them sometimes made Li Rong feel he was still walking on the right path.

Lin Zhen and Ji Xiaochuan were both full of gratitude toward him. Jian Fu, with his youthful idealism and sense of collective honor, carried a strong hatred for injustice. And Xu Tanghui, holding onto Li Qingli’s kindness, gave her full support and genuine care.

Li Rong didn’t think he was particularly deserving of their admiration. To him, they were his source of energy, allowing him to feel and appreciate the virtues of ordinary people.

As for Cen Xiao…

The thought of Cen Xiao made Li Rong’s lips curl into a subtle smile.

Cen Xiao wanted to join him in wreaking havoc and become the scourge of Hongsuo and Blue Pivot, a nightmare for them both.

Neither of them was a saint, which made them a perfect match.