The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 96

That afternoon, they napped until nightfall. When they opened the curtains, it was already dark outside.

The rest had indeed improved Li Rong’s mood significantly.

Sitting up, he ran a hand through his messy hair, stared blankly for a few seconds, then nudged Cen Xiao. “Do you have class tonight?”

Cen Xiao replied lazily, “Haven’t checked yet.”

Li Rong shuffled closer to him, squinting. “You do remember that university classes have attendance tracking, right? You’re in the elite class.”

Cen Xiao sat up as well, leaning against the bed. The blanket slid off his shoulders. “Since when are you so rule-abiding?”

Li Rong raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Haven’t I always been more rule-abiding than you?”

Cen Xiao tousled Li Rong’s messy hair, leaned in, and kissed the crease on his left cheek. “Then learn from me.”

Li Rong could only shake his head with a resigned smile. 

He had a class that evening, but since Cen Xiao wasn’t planning to return to campus, neither would he.

Li Rong: “It’s almost 8. What should we eat tonight?”

Cen Xiao: “Should we order something?”

Li Rong rolled out of bed and rubbed his warm face with his palm. “Then you order. I’ll go make some juice.”

He grabbed a set of pajamas from Cen Xiao’s wardrobe, draped them over himself, and walked off to the kitchen, his long, slender legs drawing Cen Xiao’s gaze as he passed. 

Only after Li Rong left did Cen Xiao smirk slightly and pick up his phone to browse for takeout options nearby.

Cen Xiao’s apartment always had a fresh delivery of fruits from an attendant. If any weren’t consumed in time and lost freshness, they would be taken away. 

Li Rong rummaged in the fridge and pulled out a banana and two kiwis, washing them and placing them on the counter. He grabbed a fruit knife, preparing to make juice.

The banana were to be blended with milk, while the kiwis were for pure kiwi juice. 

Li Rong held the knife, skillfully spinning it in his hand a couple of times before plunging the blade into the kiwi.

His body had mostly recovered by now, and it was time to resume training.

He thought about waiting until the Meijiang Pharmaceuticals matter was resolved, then finding Tang He to design a comprehensive training program. Even if he couldn’t catch up to Cen Xiao for now, he absolutely couldn’t lag behind.

After cutting the kiwi into pieces, his hands were slick with juice. He was just about to toss it into the blender when a flurry of messages from Jian Fu popped up.

[Jian Fu: Did you and my brother mute the group chat?]

[Jian Fu: No conscience, muting a five-person chat!]

[Jian Fu: I looked into your roommate, Song He. Come check it out.]

[Jian Fu: Tsk, I skipped half a class to dig this up for you. Touched yet?]

[Jian Fu: Are you there? Are you there? Still in class?]

[Jian Fu: Not eating with us tonight? I’m inspecting the cafeteria at the Film Academy.]

Li Rong’s attention was pulled away by Jian Fu’s messages. He casually tossed the kiwi, banana, and milk into the blender, secured the lid, and turned it on before opening the file Jian Fu sent him.

As expected, Song He’s family situation wasn’t great.

The reason? His younger sister had bacterial progeria syndrome. Supposedly, she was infected at five years old by a classmate in her kindergarten. She had been on medication ever since.

His sister had been using the medication for nearly four years now, and the family was in financial ruin. Even Song He’s university tuition was borrowed.

Song He had applied for financial aid at school, but because his parents were healthy and capable of working, they weren’t from a poverty-stricken area, nor had they suffered any natural disasters, his application was denied.

He had been working part-time to earn money ever since he graduated high school.

Li Rong had initially assumed Song He’s early departures and long hours outside the dorm were because he was studying for placement exams. But according to Jian Fu’s investigation, Song He was working two private tutoring jobs.

The tutoring gigs were arranged through a work-study website, paying 200 yuan per session. His detailed explanations about study schedules at the library and self-study rooms were just a front to keep his wealthy roommate He Changfeng, and the inscrutable Li Rong, from guessing the truth about his family’s situation.

But when someone desperately in need of money suddenly has extra time to stay in the dorms, it means the financial issue has been temporarily resolved.

Li Rong could guess why Song He had started approaching him.

Did Song He know he was Li Qingli’s son? Every family with a bacterial progeria syndrome patient must have held hopes for Luyinxu at some point.

Li Rong set down his phone and pressed his fingers to his temple.

Before his death, the GT201 project had been in its first trial phase. Due to his lack of fame and the project’s limited visibility, there were only twenty participants.

The day he died, Jiang Weide had sent him the Phase 1 results. Unfortunately, he never got the chance to see them.

The entire development process for GT201 was deeply ingrained in his mind. If given sufficient resources, he could recreate it even now.

But even if he succeeded, no one would dare use it.

Li Rong put down his phone, turned on the blender, and after a brief buzz, poured the juice into two glasses.

He prepared a glass for himself and one for Cen Xiao.

Carrying one to the bedroom, Li Rong handed it to Cen Xiao.

Cen Xiao took it and said, “I ordered pizza. It should arrive soon.”

Li Rong replied, “I saw what Jian Fu dug up. Song He’s definitely in it for the money, but we still don’t know who’s pulling the strings behind him.”

Cen Xiao nodded. “Your roommate doesn’t seem like someone with much cunning. Find a chance to turn the conversation around and figure out what he’s hoping to get from you.”

Taking a sip of the juice Li Rong had made, Cen Xiao paused for a moment, giving the thick green liquid a second glance. Without any change in his expression, he took a few more sips.

Li Rong let out a wry laugh. “Our dorm is really something, huh?”

He wanted to trick He Changfeng into talking, while Song He wanted to do the same to him. They could wage psychological warfare daily without even leaving their room.

As he spoke, Li Rong picked up his glass and took a sip of the vibrant green juice.

“Hey!” Cen Xiao called out, trying to stop him.

But it was too late. Li Rong had already tasted it, and the next second, he grimaced and stuck out his tongue. “What is this? It’s so bitter!”

Examining the juice more closely, he realized he’d mixed everything together while distracted earlier.

Looking over at Cen Xiao’s glass, which was already half-finished, Li Rong frowned and reached out to grab it. “Stop drinking this! Don’t you know kiwi and milk don’t mix well? Are you an idiot?”

Cen Xiao held onto the glass, unwilling to let it go. “You rarely make anything. Even if it were poison, how could I not drink it?”

Li Rong pressed his lips together, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He teased, “Fine, I’ll go make another batch of poison for you.”

He took both glasses back to the kitchen and returned a while later with two glasses of mango juice.

Sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, Li Rong held his glass up in front of Cen Xiao and swirled it teasingly. His eyes glinted mischievously. “This one’s poisoned too. Want to drink it?”

The rich scent of mango reached Cen Xiao’s nose.

Without hesitation, Cen Xiao took the glass, his eyes steady. “Of course.”

Taking a sip, he licked the foam from his lips. His hand slipped under Li Rong’s loosely buttoned pajama shirt, tracing along his toned waist. “It’s so sweet,” he murmured, a meaningful tone in his voice.

Can’t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Come to my Patreon where you can get up to 5 more chapters of The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] right away ! Or go donate at Paypal or Ko-fi to show your appreciation! :)