ALL NOVEL Chapter 10 - I
After Xie Qi got home, he found medicinal wine and plaster in the cabinet and fumbled to apply the medicine to himself.
He located a mirror and examined himself, finding no bruise, just pain.
He applied the medicinal wine, massaged gently, and waited until the medicinal wine penetrated into the skin before applying the plaster.
Over the past few years, his physical fitness had deteriorated a lot since his school days, and he would get sprained even with significant movements.
After finishing the treatment, he put on his clothes. Unable to take a shower today, he just wiped himself casually.
After cleaning up, he checked the time and saw that it was only after eight o’clock, so he took out some paper and started writing.
Xie Qi’s grades were quite good, consistently ranking among the top ten in the school. Still, he couldn’t be considered outstanding. In two and a half years, he had topped the school only once.
While Xie Qi was intelligent, his trembling pupils made him answer questions much slower than others, dragging down his performance. The degree of his pupil tremor was not very deep, but it was likely to become more serious in the future, causing trouble and fatigue.
To write a paper, he had to use eye drops three times. Unlike regular eye drops, these were designed to alleviate the frequency of his eye tremors and were more expensive, costing over 600 yuan per month.
This expense couldn’t be omitted since skipping the eye drops meant enduring pain with closed eyes for extended periods.
This issue brought a lot of challenges to his life, impacting his ability to study and causing fluctuations in his grades.
However, Xie Qi didn’t have cancer, nor did he obsessed over being number one. He simply did his best in everything.
.
Before going to bed, his phone rang persistently. Initially wanting to ignore it, he hesitated and sat up. Upon opening the phone, he found a group message and a reminder, so he clicked in.
Pure-Love God of War: [My baby Qi~ are you there? Come with us to set up a stall after school in the evening?]
Xie Qi: [? What are you selling at the stall?]
Pure-Love God of War: [Selling your beauty]
Xie Qi: [How to sell?]
Pure-Love God of War: [You can just stand. It’s best to talk sweet when guests come.]
Xie Qi: [So what are you selling?]
Pure-Love the God of War: [Selling bracelets and earrings, with you there, the effect must be impressive; after all, you are so good-looking!]
Xie Qi was undeniably handsome and tall. He caused quite a stir when high school started, even though City No. 1 Middle School maintained strict decorum. Despite the school’s discipline, the students still privately vying for the title of school belle. Although Xie Qi had more votes, he ultimately lost by a few thousand to a sports student, not as striking as Xie Qi and with a height of only 176. Many students disapproved, continuing to regard Xie Qi as the school idol.
Xie Qi remained indifferent to these matters. Beauty faded over time, akin to a day lily, and he saw no value in flaunting it as an asset. Sometimes, he even disliked others calling him beautiful. Yet, when those close to him said it, well, that was a different story.
Li Siwen proposed the idea, and Xie Qi agreed, but not without some investigation: [Where did you get the supplies? What’s the cost? How much do you plan to sell them for?]
Li Siwen explained, [The bracelet’s using primarily beads and ropes, totaling around a hundred yuan. I acquired the earrings from my sister at a reasonable price. Both the bracelet and earrings are priced at 25 yuan.]
Satisfied with the explanation, Xie Qi refrained from further questions.
Having settled the matter, Xie Qi couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, succumbing to a peaceful sleep.
.
The mid-March weather, while not too cold, there was a gradual rise in temperature. Peach blossoms in front of Xie Qi’s house were budding with a faint pink hue, signaling the quiet arrival of spring.
Xie Qi wore a black and white school uniform without a sweater underneath, opting for a thin one. Completing his outfit, he sported a baseball cap as he headed out.
It was Friday, another day of classes. However, nearing the school, Xie Qi spotted someone familiar. To avoid trouble, he lowered his cap, covering half his face. Despite attempting to pass unnoticed, he was halted with a stern command, “Stop.”
Ignoring it, Xie Qi quickened his pace, but the man caught up, holding his shoulders. Frustrated, the man questioned, “I called you. Didn’t you hear me?”
Xie Qi turned to face Li Ziyi and politely inquired, “Is something wrong?” He noticed the cigarette in Li Ziyi’s hand, prompting a slight frown due to his dislike of smokers.
Li Ziyi arrogantly declared, “There’s definitely something. I don’t care about our previous clash. Trust me, and I’ll keep my word to you.”
Xie Qi pinched his nose, whispering, “You have bad breath, you know?”
Laughter erupted from Li Ziyi’s friends. Annoyed, Li Ziyi angrily retorted, “Stop your nonsense! Come here.” He attempted to drag Xie Qi into an alley.
However, Xie Qi swiftly broke free, he wasn’t an easy target for bullying with his slender but sturdy frame.
He had a particularly prominent face, so regardless of whether it was good or bad, people might approach him because of this face.
Xie Qi said calmly, “Are you 1.8 meters tall? Even if I like a boy, I prefer someone taller than me who excels in studies. Is that you?” He looked him up and down, and the corners of his lips curled up. Without saying anything, contemptuous eyes poured out from his blazing golden eyes.
Li Ziyi became angry: “Do you think you’re very good? Why are you pretending? You’re so poor that you have to sell yourself, but you’re pretending to me here. I’m kind enough to give you a way out, and you still don’t know what’s good for you!”
He was about to reach out to grab Xie Qi’s collar. Xie Qi had long arms and legs, and he was also agile. He dodged him in an instant and even turned around, taking a few steps to distance himself from him.
Xie Qi still wanted to taunt lightly: “We are all high school students, but your physical fitness isn’t good either.”
Li Ziyi: “!! I will tear you apart!”
His eyes turned red, and he wanted to pursue Xie Qi, but was stopped by Cao Zekai. He muttered in a low voice, “The security guard is watching us.”
Li Ziyi suppressed his anger and said, “Idiot!”
Cao Zekai asked him, “He’s so crazy, what should we do?”
Li Ziyi angrily said, “Earlier, when the school organized donations, you told me that Xie Qi was short of money, but now he isn’t short of money. He must be supported by others! He is just pretending to me, ha!”
Cao Zekai: “…there might be some truth to that. After all, he does have the look that rich women like.”
Li Ziyi said to Cao Zekai, “If we follow him, he’ll definitely be exposed if he’s caught. When the time comes, I’ll take a few photos, and I’ll ruin his reputation. Then I can do whatever I want.”