The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 7

The first time Ceng Xiao saw that blue golden chinchilla, he thought it looked a lot like Li Rong.

The cat, evidently aware of its noble lineage and striking appearance, often wore an expression of disdain for the world—proud and untouchable. When it walked, it liked to raise its head slightly, gazing around with its beautiful almond-shaped eyes as if surveying its kingdom. If nothing caught its interest, it would lazily flick its tail, glance out the window, and ponder life.

However, the moment it spotted a toy mouse it liked or some exceptionally tasty cat food, it would instantly put aside its pride. It would lift its soft little paw and nuzzle against someone’s skin, its watery eyes gazing up adorably, even tilting its head to feign innocence.

The cat fully understood its own advantages. When it was happy, it could play humans like puppets, but when upset, it would nonchalantly knock over every cabinet in the house.

Right now, Ceng Xiao wished he could grab the cat’s paw, lock it in a cage, and thoroughly “interrogate” it.

“I’m not skilled enough?” he asked, smiling faintly, though his gaze grew darker.

Li Rong turned his head to meet Ceng Xiao’s eyes, a flash of mischief in his expression before he returned to his usual cool and composed demeanor. He replied calmly, “I told you, it’s just a calculation. Believe it or don’t.”

Ceng Xiao fell silent for a moment before gesturing to Jian Fu. “Have the whole class step out for a bit. I need to handle something with the class monitor.”

Jian Fu was dumbfounded. “Bro, class is about to start! The Chinese teacher is almost here.”

Jian Fu knew Ceng Xiao had the clout to back up his arrogance, but in truth, Ceng Xiao rarely used his privileges in class. On the contrary, he could even be accommodating at times.

He occasionally volunteered to clean the blackboard erasers, and if someone accidentally bumped into his desk while messing around, he usually didn’t mind. Compared to Li Rong’s former aloofness, Ceng Xiao was practically approachable.

Yet, this friendliness always maintained a sense of distance.

If someone is overly indifferent to certain matters, they are bound to care excessively about others.

Few had seen Ceng Xiao’s true temper, but an inexplicable sense of fear lingered around him. Jian Fu was one of the few who could joke freely in his presence.

Ceng Xiao’s expression remained calm. “Hurry.”

Jian Fu frowned, sensing that this wasn’t quite appropriate, but since Ceng Xiao insisted, he reluctantly went to the podium and tapped the blackboard with the pointer.

“Hey, hey, hey! Everyone, step out and cool off for a bit. Our buddy Brother Xiao here needs to resolve something with the class monitor.”

The room fell silent.

Jian Fu smiled cheerfully. “Didn’t you all hear me? Hurry up! I’ll treat everyone to coffee this afternoon.”

For most of the class, coffee wasn’t a big deal, but no one wanted to provoke Ceng Xiao.

So, one by one, people began to leave. A few students with connections to the Hongsuo group couldn’t help grumbling under their breath.

“Ceng Xiao is so arrogant. The teacher is about to arrive, and he’s making everyone wait outside. Does he expect the teacher to wait too?”

“Ha! He’s the heir to the United Commerce Association. The school even gets sponsorships from them. What’s the big deal if the teacher waits a little?”

“Professor Li from Hongsuo has already fallen from grace. Let’s hope President Cen treads carefully.”

“Do you think Cen Xiao is going to give Li Rong a hard time? Should we help? After all, he’s one of us from Hongsuo.”

“Help? H*ll no. Li Rong’s been out of our circle for ages.”

Cui Mingyang, noticing Cen Xiao was targeting Li Rong, was not only unbothered by being forced out of the classroom but even felt a sense of camaraderie, thinking, The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

“Serves him right! Let the people from Blue Pivot teach Li Rong a lesson. We’ll just sit back and enjoy the drama.”

Li Rong had always regarded this class from the perspective of someone with a 23-year-old mindset and experience.

He treated this rebirth as an accidental vacation, adopting a relaxed attitude. However, the deeply ingrained principles of conduct in his bones often reasserted themselves, making it difficult for him to break free from the confines of propriety.

He thought Cen Xiao’s actions were over the top.

Li Rong grabbed Cen Xiao’s wrist, frowning and whispering, “Stop this. The teacher will be here soon.”

In his past life, Li Rong had assumed that Cen Xiao only went unhinged after something happened in high school. Now he realized that Cen Xiao’s madness had always been a constant. It was just that in their previous life, he hadn’t provoked Cen Xiao—or perhaps Cen Xiao hadn’t been ready to provoke him yet.

Cen Xiao glanced down at the cool, slightly damp hand gripping his wrist and chuckled indifferently. “The Chinese class can wait. There’s an unfinished lesson here that needs teaching first.”

Li Rong froze slightly, then felt as if the younger Cen Xiao before him had merged with the one he had known in his past life.

Despite being six years younger, with less experience, cunning, and sophistication, Cen Xiao was still just as difficult to deal with.

Li Rong withdrew his hand, lightly pressing his pale lips together, and softened his tone. “Cen Xiao.”

When Li Rong spoke his name, his lips trembled slightly, revealing neat, white teeth and, occasionally, the faint glimpse of a rosy tongue tip as his jaws opened and closed.

“What’s with the tone? Aren’t I just helping the class monitor steer clear of superstition and embrace science?”

Cen Xiao’s lips quirked into a half-smile as his fingers reached toward Li Rong’s chin, brushing against his soft skin. At the moment of contact, Cen Xiao felt a slight tremor.

But Li Rong didn’t flinch, meeting him with a noble, unyielding gaze—bright and clear, like the blue-golden Chinchilla, lifting its chin with innate grace.

Cen Xiao’s fingers slid down, tracing along Li Rong’s smooth, slender neck. He could feel the steady, vibrant pulse beneath his palm, a rhythm that was both calm and alive.

Despite Li Rong’s obvious frailty—his thin frame, pallid complexion, and soft, neatly combed hair brushing over his rounded earlobes—he exuded an air of inherent dignity.

Cen Xiao’s breathing grew heavier.

Even his own mother suspected he might harm the cat, never believing that all he wanted was to touch something beautiful and exquisite up close.

So, he merely lingered for a moment before instinctively easing his grip.

Li Rong suddenly laughed.

His eyes curved, radiating a delicate charm.

In moments of physical contact, even the slightest movements revealed one’s true intentions.

Cen Xiao was bluffing.

Li Rong grabbed the zipper of his school uniform jacket and yanked it all the way down. The jacket, freed from constraint, instantly loosened and fell open, revealing the slightly oversized, lightweight undershirt beneath.

The undershirt, tucked snugly against his skin, rose and fell with Li Rong’s breathing. The neckline shifted slightly, exposing the faint outline of a collarbone.

“I don’t care. The Li family is already in ruins. If I don’t act crazy and unhinged, people would find that strange. If President Cen’s son doesn’t mind either, we can push the desks together, barely making a bed, and scientifically settle the earlier dispute. As researchers, hands-on experiments are what we live for.”

Earlier, he had been flustered and momentarily intimidated by Cen Xiao, but now, he realized he had the upper hand.

When someone has concerns, they hesitate. When they have none, they act freely.

After all, this wasn’t his first time sharing a bed with Cen Xiao.

Cen Xiao squinted, scrutinizing Li Rong. True to form, Li Rong was utterly reckless, exuding a “I’ll strip and let anyone do anything” attitude.

This time, it was Cen Xiao who was momentarily held back.

“One day,” Cen Xiao said, his gaze openly sweeping across Li Rong’s collar before he slowly withdrew his hand.

There wasn’t the slightest mark on Li Rong’s neck.

Li Rong understood.

The moment Cen Xiao loosened his grip, Li Rong knew he didn’t actually intend to harm him.

Early autumn. The classroom windows were wide open, and the cool wind blew in waves, making Li Rong’s collar flutter.

Others might find the breeze refreshing, but his frail body couldn’t handle it.

“Cough, cough, cough!” Li Rong shuddered, awkwardly wrapping himself tightly in his school jacket as he began to cough, clutching his mouth.

Once his body lost its warmth to the wind, it wasn’t easy to get it back. He hunched over like a frost-struck plant, drooping miserably, glaring at Cen Xiao with a mix of resentment and anger.

Cen Xiao: “…”

Cen Xiao: “You’re the one who pulled your collar open.”

He coldly stated the facts, devoid of sympathy.

Li Rong, who had been an active participant in university clubs, had once been the president of the debate team, earning the title of Asia-Pacific Best Debater for A University. Modestly speaking, he had never lost in verbal sparring or constructing arguments.

Face flushed from coughing, his eyes rimmed with heat, Li Rong still managed to justify himself indignantly: “You started with the suggestive comments! If you hadn’t, I wouldn’t have played along.”

Cen Xiao licked his molars, barely suppressing the urge to physically shut down Li Rong’s arrogance.

“You gave that little fanboy a fortune-telling session and spread false rumors about me.”

Li Rong emphasized, “It was your childhood friend, that bigmouth Jian Fu, who kept asking!”

Cen Xiao: “And you’re saying you didn’t add your own twist to the story?”

Li Rong, playing the victim, still argued: “What about the hints you gave Song Yuanyuan? Are you seriously into her? Stop joking.”

Cen Xiao scoffed, “The class monitor feels protective of his girlfriend? Too bad she’d rather distance herself from you.”

Li Rong retorted, “What does Song Yuanyuan distancing herself from me have to do with you?”

In his past life, Li Rong had still harbored feelings for Song Yuanyuan. Seeing her tailing Cen Xiao had indeed bothered him for a while.

No man could easily accept their girlfriend being taken by someone else—though losing himself to someone was even more mind-blowing.

In any case, Cen Xiao was just a mad dog.

Cen Xiao: “If Song Yuanyuan has already cut ties with you, why are you so upset about what I do?”

Li Rong thought of the last life, when Cen Xiao and Song Yuanyuan had danced arm-in-arm at a banquet. Unable to stop himself, he spat out, “Scoundrel.”

Cen Xiao assumed he was still referring to the earlier incident with the collar and jaw and didn’t bother arguing further. “Shameless.”

After delivering their verdicts on each other, the two fell silent, inwardly regretting their words.

Li Rong: “So childish. How could I say something so childish?”

Cen Xiao: “Childish indeed. What a black mark in history.”

Today, the language teacher was late, delayed by traffic.

When she finally rushed to the experimental class, sweating profusely, she was puzzled to find nearly the entire class gathered outside the door with complex expressions on their faces.

“I was only ten minutes late,” she said nervously. “You don’t need to wait for me like this.”

Lin Zhen, looking concerned, pushed to the front and said urgently, “Teacher, Cen Xiao and the class monitor are inside, and it seems like they’re arguing.”

Hearing their names, the teacher hesitated. 

Li Rong was currently the most sensitive figure in the school, for reasons that couldn’t be openly discussed due to the Hongsuo Research Institute’s ongoing investigation into Li Qingli and Gu Nong.

“Ridiculous. Let’s go in and start the lesson.”

She led the way, pushing the door open and entering the classroom.

By the time they entered, the confrontation between Li Rong and Cen Xiao was already over.

Cen Xiao was expressionless, scrolling through his phone. Li Rong, on the other hand, was huddled awkwardly in his jacket, looking utterly battered, as if he had barely managed to suppress his coughing fit.

Lin Zhen glanced worriedly at Li Rong, noticing the unopened bottle of sweet milk on his desk, likely cold by now.

Jian Fu, meanwhile, was utterly confused. While Li Rong did look pitiful, it didn’t necessarily have anything to do with Cen Xiao. After all, Li Rong had been sickly and pathetic these past few days, sometimes faking it for attention.

The happiest person was undoubtedly Cui Mingyang.

In his eyes, Cen Xiao and Li Rong must have fought and fallen out completely. Not only were they now on opposing sides of Blue Pivot and Hongsuo factions, but there was also personal animosity.

Cen Xiao would never support Li Rong again and might even ally with him.

Cui Mingyang decided to temporarily set aside his conflicts with Blue Pivot and focus on expelling Li Rong from the class first.

He believed that day wasn’t far off. From the moment Li Qingli and Gu Nong committed suicide, they had lost all value and were bound to be abandoned by the Hongsuo leadership.

No matter what Li Qingli and Gu Nong had done—or hadn’t done—they would undoubtedly be condemned for embezzling research funds and endangering public safety.

As their son, Li Rong wouldn’t have a place in A High or A University.

“Cold,” Li Rong murmured weakly, glancing at the wide-open window with a faint whimper.

He wasn’t asking the whole class to shut the window and sweat for his sake. The comment was meant for someone specific.

Cen Xiao lowered his head, focused on his phone, and gave no response.

Li Rong sighed softly, his eyelids lifting just enough to glance at Cen Xiao’s profile. “It’s really cold.”

The Chinese teacher was passionately analyzing the main idea of the text at the front of the class, and Cen Xiao still seemed oblivious to Li Rong’s words.

Lowering his gaze again, Li Rong’s fingers fidgeted with the bottle of milk sitting at the corner of his desk. He spun it slowly, muttering to himself, “The sweet milk someone gave me has already gone cold…”

Cen Xiao’s fingers paused mid-scroll.

Ten minutes later, he closed his eyes briefly, his expression darkening. He stood up abruptly and started walking out of the classroom.

Passing by the fervent language teacher, Cen Xiao said in a calm, clipped tone, “I need to step out for a moment.”

He didn’t even bother to explain why.

The teacher hesitated briefly, and then Cui Mingyang quickly raised his hand. “Teacher, I need to use the restroom.”

He chased after Cen Xiao in a hurry.

Just as Cen Xiao was heading downstairs, Cui Mingyang caught up with him, jogging to keep pace.

“Cen Xiao, I want to discuss something with you.”

Cen Xiao frowned slightly, his gaze lingering for a moment on Cui Mingyang’s still-swollen lips.

Li Rong’s combat skills needed serious improvement—it was far too light.

Cui Mingyang: “Look, I know your Blue Pivot United Commerce Association and our Hongsuo enterprises have always been at odds, and even in class, we’ve stayed in our own groups. But honestly, that’s pretty dull. We’re still just students—none of that grown-up scheming applies to us yet. Didn’t the teachers say they want us to avoid forming cliques and to help each other out?”

Cen Xiao’s patience wore thin, his eyes turning icy. “Did you come here to waste my time?”

Cui Mingyang raised his hands defensively to show goodwill. “What I mean is, let’s set aside the past. You hate Li Rong, and I hate Li Rong. We could work together to push him out of A High, make sure he doesn’t even qualify for A University. Don’t worry, no one from Hongsuo will help him. On this, we can collaborate.”

Cui Mingyang looked self-assured, feeling his proposal was entirely reasonable. Even if Cen Xiao was notoriously difficult, he should at least consider the idea. After all, Cen Xiao had just clashed with Li Rong.

However, Cen Xiao’s expression only grew darker, his eyes sharp like blades as they bore into Cui Mingyang.

Cui Mingyang suddenly felt an inexplicable pressure, his throat tightening involuntarily. He swallowed hard.

“Who told you I hate Li Rong?” Cen Xiao said coldly.

Cui Mingyang froze. “But… just now, weren’t you—?”

Cen Xiao casually glanced downward, brushing his calloused knuckles. “The matter of your plagiarized paper was handled quietly by your parents, wasn’t it? Do you know how much dirt Blue Pivot has on the Hongsuo Research Institute? If I find out you’re up to anything else, I won’t hesitate to make sure your parents are kicked out of Hongsuo.”

Cui Mingyang’s confidence crumbled, his face going pale. “So you’re… siding with Li Rong?”

Cen Xiao felt he’d already made himself clear, so he didn’t bother responding further. Hands in his pockets, he strode downstairs.

Five Minutes Later

Li Rong, half-asleep at his desk, felt a bottle of milk tossed lightly into the crook of his arm.

It was a premium brand of milk—free of preservatives, double the nutrients, and warm.

Drowsy and groggy, Li Rong pressed the bottle against his cheek, his lips curving into a faint, almost imperceptible smile.