The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 92

Professors of Xiao Muran’s caliber tended to have eccentric personalities.

Whenever she came to A University to teach in person, the school would go out of its way to accommodate her schedule.

Her Art History course was arranged for the first period in the morning, which pleased the freshmen. Large lecture classes like this rarely enforced discipline, so they could sleep or play on their phones as they pleased.

Public humanities courses were often dismissed as “easy classes.” Even though Xiao Muran’s name was preceded by a string of impressive titles, no one seemed to care.

Of course, Xiao Muran herself couldn’t be bothered whether others paid serious attention to her lectures.

She was here for Li Rong.

Upon learning that Cen Xiao and Li Rong had become friends and were working to clear Li Qingli’s name, Xiao Muran had been conflicted for a long time.

When Li Qingli’s incident occurred, she immediately retreated into the safe area she had built for herself, refusing to listen to any news. Those updates would only bring her pain without changing a thing.

But that didn’t mean she hadn’t hoped—hoped that someone would step forward to halt the tide of insults and slander; that someone would cut through the tangled web of interests and uncover the truth; that someone would pursue justice and cherish a scientist’s integrity.

She never imagined that someone would be her own son.

From the day Cen Xiao took the District Nine exam and chose not to return home, Xiao Muran knew she and Cen Xiao were growing farther apart—not just emotionally but also ideologically.

She remained imprisoned in place while Cen Xiao moved toward the goals she once yearned for.

Xiao Muran spent her days at home, feeding Wuwangwo with the best cat food, grooming it, playing with it lovingly, and setting up a small bedroom for the cat filled with toys and comforts said to delight felines.

But after all, Li Qingli had a son—a son burdened with infamy, grievances, debts, and pain.

No matter how well she treated the cat, it wouldn’t help Li Qingli; it was only self-comfort.

And so, she decided to meet Li Rong in person, to see how this child had survived a crumbled worldview.

Li Rong deliberately got up half an hour later to avoid Song He, who persistently asked to walk with him.

Song He, already dressed and with his backpack slung over his shoulder, knocked on Li Rong’s bedroom door. “Li Rong, class is about to start. Aren’t you getting up?”

Song He wasn’t particularly outgoing and didn’t like initiating friendships. But he had no choice—he had to make an effort to get close to Li Rong.

Li Rong leaned against his bed, holding a copy of Strategic Thinking. He’d read dozens of pages since waking up and was already feeling restless.

Clearing his throat, he feigned drowsiness. “You go on ahead. I’ll get up in a minute.”

A stickler for rules, Song He checked the time. There were only 30 minutes left until class, barely enough for breakfast in the cafeteria.

Unable to wait any longer, Song He relented. “Fine, I’m going ahead. Don’t be late.”

Li Rong glanced up, closed his book, and listened intently to the sounds outside his door.

The dormitory had poor soundproofing, so he could hear Song He’s footsteps and the sound of the door closing. Before long, silence filled the room.

Relieved, Li Rong threw off his blanket and got out of bed.

He didn’t understand why Song He was suddenly trying to get close to him, but he had no interest in exploring the reason. For now, he simply chose to do the opposite of what Song He wanted.

While brushing his teeth, Li Rong received a text from Cen Xiao:

[Cen Xiao: I’m heading to District Nine. Just attend class as usual. My mom is timid; you don’t need to worry.]

Li Rong paused mid-motion, stared at the text for a few seconds, and raised an eyebrow.

Timid?

[Li Rong: Alright. Let me know when you’re done.]

By the time Li Rong finished washing up and arrived at the lecture hall, the class bell had just rung.

He made it right on time—but he was the only one who did. The room was already packed, with no empty seats left, even in the corners.

Not only were the students early, but Xiao Muran was already at the podium, preparing to teach.

Li Rong couldn’t remember when A University had developed such diligent class attendance habits.

Standing awkwardly at the doorway, he felt strangely like a latecomer, despite not being late.

Xiao Muran noticed him and unexpectedly froze, at a loss for what to do.

She had arrived 30 minutes early today specifically to observe Li Rong in the less-crowded moments before class.

Although she had gathered as much information as she could about his recent experiences, the only photo she had of him was a formal headshot from the honors roll of A Middle School. Fearing the photo might be inaccurate, she had been straining to identify him among countless faces.

Yet, the moment she saw Li Rong, she realized she could recognize Li Qingli’s son at a glance.

Li Rong had a more refined and delicate appearance than Li Qingli, with longer hair. But his eyes—gentle and beautifully almond-shaped—were nearly identical. They blinked in a way that invited others to gaze into them.

However, Li Rong’s gaze was entirely different.

In her memory, Li Qingli’s eyes were warm, sincere, and filled with a sunny affection for the world and life itself.

She had never seen such healing and beautiful energy in anyone else’s eyes and had been captivated by it.

But Li Rong was different.

His eyes were calm, restrained, and shrouded by layers of defenses, concealing all authentic emotion.

He was not a clear, shallow stream; he was mist veiling distant mountains—endless and impenetrable.

This gaze, Xiao Muran had also seen in Cen Xiao’s eyes.

Perhaps it was the price of reconstructing a shattered worldview—the cost of enduring pain to survive.

But Xiao Muran didn’t understand what pain Cen Xiao had endured.

From the crowd, Song He waved to Li Rong. “Li Rong, over here!”

Li Rong hesitated. He had no choice but to sit beside Song He.

He thought Xiao Muran wouldn’t express hostility toward him in public, that she might at least say, “Find a seat and sit down.”

But she didn’t. Xiao Muran simply stared at him blankly, saying nothing at all.

Li Rong couldn’t quite discern the emotion behind that gaze.

Song He, who had clearly skipped breakfast, had arrived early to secure seats. 

He snagged a spot in the second row and purposely saved one for Li Rong.

Li Rong squeezed past a few classmates and settled into the seat next to Song He.

“Thanks.”

Song He’s pale lips twitched as he nervously clenched his fingers. “I thought you were going to be late.”

He glanced sideways at Li Rong, noting how composed he seemed, utterly unbothered by the curious stares that followed him into the classroom.

Tilting his head slightly toward Song He, Li Rong asked amidst the faint rustling noise of the room, “Why is everyone already here?”

Song He hesitated, as if he didn’t understand the question. “Everyone… showing up on time isn’t normal?”

Still holding onto a high school mindset, Song He thought students were supposed to arrive early for class, leaving no room for tardiness.

Li Rong smiled, explaining, “I figured college classes would be more relaxed. For an open lecture like this, I didn’t expect such a full house.”

Song He had an epiphany. “Ah… someone mentioned in the class group chat yesterday that Professor Xiao is a beauty. Maybe that got people curious. Everyone’s just looking for some excitement.”

Li Rong chuckled. “That makes sense.”

To be fair, Xiao Muran was indeed beautiful; otherwise, where would Cen Xiao have inherited his striking features?

However, as a teacher, Xiao Muran seemed to lack authority. She appeared far too gentle, the type of person easily taken advantage of by students. No wonder Cen Xiao had described his mother as timid.

Li Rong convinced himself that Xiao Muran wouldn’t pull the kind of stunt where someone’s mom throws money around.

Xiao Muran’s gaze lingered on Li Rong for quite a while before she reluctantly looked away. 

Lowering her eyes to the presentation on her screen, she began speaking in a soft, measured voice: “In today’s lecture, I’ll showcase a selection of my personal favorite art pieces, each deeply imbued with the distinctive features of their respective eras. Through these artifacts…”

The classroom gradually quieted.

Her voice was soft, likely too faint to be heard clearly by those in the back. But Xiao Muran made no attempt to project louder.

She wasn’t concerned about whether everyone could hear her; very few people truly mattered to her.

Li Rong noticed that her lecture covered very basic, generalized content. She didn’t boast about the Xiao family’s private collection, which rivaled a museum in scope.

His mind began to wander.

The open lecture spanned three hours, divided into two sessions with a ten-minute break in between.

After about an hour, Song He leaned over and asked softly, “Li Rong, are you hungry? I can grab us a couple of sandwiches during the break.”

Li Rong glanced at Song He and noticed his pale lips and overall unwell appearance.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

Song He admitted, “I have a bit of low blood sugar. I didn’t have time for breakfast, but it’s no big deal.”

Song He’s confession made Li Rong realize his own hunger; his stomach felt empty too. Rubbing his abdomen, he said, “The break probably won’t be long enough.”

The nearest convenience store was quite far, requiring a bike ride. Even if they rushed, eating would likely cut into class time.

Song He checked his watch. “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

The moment the break bell rang, Song He pushed through the crowd and dashed out.

Li Rong propped his chin on his hand, keeping his head low to draw less attention to himself. 

After all, it was just four sessions of an open lecture—he could endure it. Besides, Xiao Muran didn’t know he was dating Cen Xiao.

As he sat there, he became aware of the stares around him, especially from the students in the front row. Their gazes were open and unreserved.

Frowning, Li Rong looked up and was startled to find Xiao Muran standing in the aisle, looking at him.

He froze, parting his lips slightly, but found himself unsure of how to address her.

Xiao Muran’s hands were clasped tightly together, her fingers pale from the pressure. She asked softly, “Li… Rong, did you oversleep and skip breakfast?”

“I…” Li Rong hadn’t expected her first words to him to be about this.

Realizing her question might have been abrupt, Xiao Muran explained, “I noticed you rubbing your stomach during class. I heard your stomach isn’t in great shape. If you’re hungry, feel free to step out and grab something.”

Li Rong was slightly taken aback.

Had he rubbed his stomach? He barely remembered doing it. When had Xiao Muran noticed?

Smiling faintly, he replied, “Thank you, Teacher, but it’s not necessary.”

He felt the need to keep his distance from Cen Xiao’s parents. If they ever found out he was dating their son, it would cause an uproar.

Xiao Muran could sense Li Rong’s wariness and reluctance.

It made sense. After everything he’d been through, it was only natural for him to be guarded. Surviving such a soul-crushing ordeal was no small feat.

Her heart ached at the thought.

Suddenly remembering something, she hurried back to the podium, rummaged through her bag, and retrieved a chocolate peanut energy bar.

It was small, meant as a personal snack to sustain her through the lecture. But she handed it to Li Rong, her expression tinged with guilt.

“This is all I have. Please eat it—don’t hurt your stomach any further.”

Li Rong held the energy bar, his emotions a mix of complexity and gratitude.

The plastic wrapper carried a faint fragrance of jasmine perfume, light and not overpowering.

For a moment, he felt as though no one else in the classroom mattered to Xiao Muran.

It was as if her sole concern was whether Li Rong could fill his stomach.

When Song He returned, drenched in sweat, he was surprised to find Li Rong casually unwrapping a chocolate bar and eating it.

Holding two bags of sandwiches, Song He stared, dumbfounded. “You… brought snacks with you?”

Li Rong shook his head and said nonchalantly, “Teacher Xiao gave it to me.”

Song He sluggishly sat down. “Oh… the teacher is really nice.”

Li Rong curved his eyes in a perfunctory smile to brush him off, but his mind was occupied with other thoughts: Did Cen Xiao tell Xiao Muran something?

Why would Xiao Muran be kind to him?

After devouring the chocolate bar, Li Rong sent a message to Cen Xiao:

[Li Rong: Are you back? Come find me in the lecture hall.]

[Cen Xiao: I’m back. Want me to bring you something to eat?]

[Li Rong: No need. Did you say something to your mom?]

[Cen Xiao: Why?]

[Li Rong: Not only did she not trouble me, but she also asked if I’d eaten breakfast. That doesn’t make sense, does it?]

[Cen Xiao: Why not? You’re adorable.]

[Li Rong: … Cut it out.]

He knew this was Cen Xiao deflecting the truth.

Although he and Cen Xiao had been through a lot together, there were still moments when his face burned with heat.