At five-fifty in the afternoon, it was time for the evening break, and the classroom instantly erupted into lively chatter.
The disciplined routine of school life was truly so much more comfortable than the fast-paced society outside, and one's physical condition was at its absolute peak.
"Gu Xirou, are you going out to eat, or coming to the cafeteria with us?"
As soon as class ended, Kang Xiaoqiang sidled up to Li Chen's desk with a grin.
Gu Xirou paused while organizing her books, thought for a moment, and said, "I'll go to the cafeteria with you."
The three of them walked out of the classroom chatting and laughing.
This time, Shen Qinglan and Fang Qi still went to the cafeteria for dinner, accompanied by Chen Zhigang and his bootlickers.
The dinner break was only forty minutes long, so everyone in the cafeteria ate at lightning speed.
Li Chen ate so fast purely out of a habit formed in his past life, where most of his time had to be spent typing to make a living.
It was just that the food in the cafeteria didn't taste very good—a common flaw of all school cafeterias; it was already quite something that they didn't use substandard ingredients.
Gu Xirou ate much slower. Not only were her movements delicate and refined, but her appetite was also genuinely small.
Li Chen and Kang Xiaoqiang sat beside her, chatting about this and that while conveniently ignoring the resentful, icy gaze not far away.
"Li Chen, I'm done. Let's go back to the classroom."
After most people had left the cafeteria, Gu Xirou finished her meal. Her face turned slightly red, and she looked a little embarrassed.
"Are you full?" Li Chen couldn't help but chuckle. This girl was too cute, blushing at the drop of a hat.
"Full..." Gu Xirou nodded obediently and cutely, stood up, and walked out of the cafeteria by Li Chen's side.
Kang Xiaoqiang suddenly felt like he was somewhat redundant—his bald head shining brighter than a 250-watt light bulb.
With his eyes rolling craftily, he very consciously slowed his pace, giving a new starting point to someone who had just suffered a failed confession.
They say good people get rewarded; right after losing love, the heavens arranged a new one for him.
My goodness, my Brother Chen is just awesome!
Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure hurriedly jogging towards the direction of the restrooms.
"Brother Chen, Brother Chen..." Kang Xiaoqiang quietly tugged at Li Chen's sleeve and gave him a meaningful look.
Following Kang Xiaoqiang's gaze, Li Chen happened to see Chen Zhigang rush into the restroom like a gust of wind.
Damn it! Talk about sleepiness striking and someone handing you a pillow.
Wasn't this opportunity delivering itself right to their doorstep?
Had it been the Li Chen of his past life, after suffering all those experiences, he certainly wouldn't have had any impulsive thoughts and would have simply endured it in silence.
But now? He couldn't bear it. To continue playing the role of the patient turtle would be an insult to his rebirth.
"Gu Xirou, go on back to the classroom first. Qiangzi and I need to hit the restroom."
"Okay, then I'll head back first. You guys hurry back too." Gu Xirou didn't ask any further questions, nor had she noticed Chen Zhigang.
Watching Gu Xirou's retreating figure, Li Chen and Kang Xiaoqiang exchanged a glance and smiled.
The two quickly ran towards the restroom.
At this hour, the vast majority of students had already returned to their classrooms, so aside from Chen Zhigang, there probably wasn't a soul inside the restroom.
If not now, when?
As soon as the two reached the entrance of the restroom, they saw a garden hose with the water running, leaving pools of water all over the floor.
It was probably left by the janitor who had been preparing to wash the restroom before getting called away somewhere.
Li Chen gave Kang Xiaoqiang a look, signaling him to keep watch at the door while he went in to check first.
Just a few seconds later, Li Chen came back out and whispered, "Only Chen Zhigang is inside. No one else."
"Hehe, perfect opportunity! Let's give this bastard a taste of his own medicine." Kang Xiaoqiang grinned, glanced outside the restroom, and saw that no one was approaching.
Li Chen smiled as well, picking up the hose from the ground.
The two quietly slipped inside the restroom, already hatching a brilliant plan in their minds.
Kang Xiaoqiang found a piece of wire in a corner and carefully tied the doorknob of the stall where Chen Zhigang was squatting, taking care not to make the slightest sound.
His face turned beet red—it stank horribly!
Once that was done, he retreated to the side and flashed an OK sign at Li Chen.
"Whoosh—"
Li Chen raised the hose high, and a powerful stream of water instantly sprayed into Chen Zhigang's occupied stall.
"Ah! Damn it! Which son of a bitch is messing with me?!"
"Are you looking to die?!"
Chen Zhigang's frantic roar echoed from inside the restroom as he rattled the stall door violently, but it wouldn't budge.
He probably hadn't even had time to wipe his backside yet.
"Damn it! I'll teach you to curse!"
With a fierce look in his eyes, Li Chen tossed the hose directly over the top into the stall, treating him to a complimentary shower.
"Let's go!"
With a wave of Li Chen's hand, the two bolted away at top speed.
Chen Zhigang's voice was too loud; it could attract the attention of people outside at any moment, so clearing out early was the wisest move.
Back in the classroom, the two casually took their seats.
Gu Xirou was reviewing her studies, preparing to re-do all the difficult problems Old Wang had listed, and Li Chen naturally wouldn't go disturb her.
As expected, Chen Zhigang didn't show up for evening self-study; he had asked for leave.
This matched Li Chen's guess. After pulling a stunt like that, it would be a miracle if he had the face to come to evening study.
Near the end of the school day, Gu Xirou held a slip of paper between her delicate, white fingers and quietly slipped it onto Li Chen's desk.
"Do you still need me to walk you home after school later?"
Li Chen thought for a moment and quickly wrote back: "I'm catching the bus. If you walk me, it'll be too late, and it's not safe for you to go back alone."
As for their homes being in the same direction, the girl had probably just made that up on purpose.
"Alright, then I'll walk you at noon from now on."
Gu Xirou bit her lower lip gently, instantly feeling as though her little scheme had been seen through.
Li Chen smiled, nodded slightly, and tucked the note away inside his Chinese textbook.
The school dismissal bell rang right on time, and the students filed out of the classroom in a rush, their sprinting speed hardly slower than when they ran to the cafeteria.
"Gu Xirou, I'll take my jacket back to wash and give it back to you in a couple of days." Li Chen glanced down at the clothes he was wearing; returning it unwashed didn't seem quite right.
"Okay, sure." Gu Xirou shouldered her backpack, stood up, and waved to Li Chen before leaving, "Then I'll head off first. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Just as Li Chen took a few steps, he caught sight of an attractive figure heading straight toward him. His expression shifted, and he immediately quickened his pace.
"Li Chen!"
Shen Qinglan called out to him directly, with Fang Qi following close behind.
"Do you... need something?" Li Chen turned around helplessly and looked at the two of them.
"We're heading in the same direction. Hop on my bike and we'll go back together. It's too late, and I'm scared to walk home in the dark alone."
Shen Qinglan walked up to Li Chen, a hint of triumph in her pretty eyes, as if she were saying: Now that Gu Xirou is gone, you have to ride my bicycle, don't you?
"Yeah, Li Chen, just go back with Lanlan. At least you'll keep each other company on the way," Fang Qi chimed in to persuade him, thinking that even if they couldn't be lovers, they shouldn't be enemies either.