Proactively Attracted chapter 4
A Piece of Milk Candy
The physics competition class started early, compressing the long summer vacation into just a few days. After being reborn for this long, Lu Xingjia finally began to feel a bit of reality.
It really didn’t seem like a dream. Otherwise, why would physics still give him such a headache?
He seriously read through the textbook at home and also helped He Xi find a new side job.
It was now 2010. Online shopping had been around for several years, but it hadn’t reached the flourishing level it would in the future. Although people had started to use platforms like X-bao and X-dong to shop online, they were still in the very basic stages, with a limited variety of products available.
Lu Xingjia, having been reborn, knew that the internet era would arrive soon, and the online world would provide great business opportunities.
After thinking it over and doing some research, he finally set his sights on dried flower bouquets.
Traditional flower shops mainly sold fresh flowers, but with the development of time, preserved dried flowers, which last longer without wilting or fading, gradually took up a large portion of the market and became a rising trend. He Xi, in her free time, enjoyed arranging flowers and had some knowledge in this area. Since she was interested, it would be easier for her to get started than others.
At first, Lu Xingjia enthusiastically discussed the idea with He Xi, but He Xi didn’t take it seriously and thought it was just a passing whim. However, Lu Xingjia didn’t give up—he persistently pestered her and even wrote a feasibility report. Gradually, He Xi started paying attention to this market.
He Xi also researched a lot of information and found that, as Lu Xingjia had said, dried flower bouquets had already become popular abroad, but the domestic market was still untapped. With the development of logistics and express delivery, it indeed seemed like a great business opportunity.
In the end, He Xi agreed to invest a small portion of their family funds to give it a try.
Time always flies when you’re busy, and before they knew it, the school year was about to begin.
The night before school started, He Xi was still in contact with suppliers, while Lu Xingjia was alone in his room, carefully organizing his books and packing them into his backpack like a treasured possession.
Tomorrow, he would finally see the person he had been thinking about for two lifetimes.
Usually a sound sleeper, Lu Xingjia couldn’t fall asleep that night. He tossed and turned until the early hours of the morning before finally dozing off and dreaming a series of strange and chaotic dreams.
In the dream, Qin Mudong had turned into a galloping horse on the prairie, with Lu Xingjia riding on his back, playfully running wild together.
The faster they ran, the faster they went, and just as they seemed about to take off into the sky, the alarm went off at the most inconvenient time.
“Mm… just two more minutes…”
Lu Xingjia groggily turned off the alarm, flipped over, and drifted back into a sweet dream.
When he opened his eyes again, forty minutes had passed.
Lu Xingjia: “..”
He closed his eyes, opened them, and forty minutes had already gone by.
Close his eyes again, open them again, and would this lifetime be gone?
He was almost late, but he didn’t have time to worry about anything else. He changed into his clothes, grabbed his bag, and ran out the door, only for He Xi to stop him and hand him two hot buns to eat on the way.
“Thanks, Mom!” Lu Xingjia stuffed the buns into his bag in a hurry and dashed downstairs.
Of course, when someone is in a rush, everything seems to go wrong. That day, for some reason, he had to wait a long time for the elevator, but it didn’t come.
Almost late, Lu Xingjia ran downstairs, jumped on his bike, and rushed toward the school. He finally made it through the school gates just one minute before the bell rang.
He took a deep breath, parked his bike in the bike shed, and jogged up the stairs.
To ensure a quiet study environment, the competition class was located on the fourth floor of the teaching building, and Lu Xingjia was out of breath by the time he reached the classroom.
The class was mostly full when he arrived, but the teacher hadn’t come yet.
Some students were whispering to one another, while others were writing intensely.
Lu Xingjia’s round eyes quickly scanned the room, and soon he spotted the figure he had been eagerly awaiting.
Qin Mudong was sitting alone in the back corner of the classroom, his eyes cold and his head bent as he read.
Thick materials were spread across the desk, covered with formulas and theorems that Lu Xingjia couldn’t even understand.
Lu Xingjia finally relaxed, slung his backpack over his shoulder, walked into the classroom, and headed straight for Qin Mudong’s side. He beamed a bright smile and said, “Qin Mudong, can I sit next to you?”
As soon as he spoke, the students around them gasped and turned their heads toward him.
Although the competition class was newly created, all the students were from the same grade, and most had been taking competition courses since the first year of high school. It was impossible that they hadn’t heard of Qin Mudong’s name. He was the top student in every physics class, and every teacher seemed to adore him.
It was said that he had completed all the university-level physics courses by the end of his first year. If it weren’t for the rule that first-year students couldn’t join the national training team, he would probably already have won a gold medal.
A girl quietly nudged her friend’s arm. “So that’s Qin Mudong. He’s so handsome!”
Her friend agreed, “Yeah, I regret not sitting next to him.”
The girl rolled her eyes at her. “Seriously, would you dare?”
The friend thought for a moment and shook her head seriously. “…On second thought, forget it. A study god like him and a mere mortal like me have an insurmountable gap. I’d probably freeze to death before I even had a chance to speak.”
High school was full of gossip, and the rumors about the “study god” were always a hot topic.
Qin Mudong was not only handsome but also had top grades. However, he was famously cold. In his previous class, he always sat alone at a single desk and did everything by himself.
At an age when young hearts were easily swayed, many girls secretly had a crush on him, while many boys thought he was just putting on an act and tried to compete with him.
Qin Mudong kept his head down, showing no intention of responding. Lu Xingjia stood beside him, feeling slightly awkward.
A boy sitting in the front row turned around and nudged Lu Xingjia’s elbow. “Jia Jia, I think there’s an open seat at the very front. Why don’t you go sit there first?”
Lu Xingjia looked up and realized that Qiu Ruifeng had also signed up for the physics competition.
He smiled gratefully at Qiu Ruifeng but still didn’t want to give up so easily.
Just then, the door creaked open, and a handsome male teacher with glasses walked into the classroom. He scanned the room, and his gaze naturally fell on Lu Xingjia.
“The student standing at the back, find a seat and sit down first.”
Lu Xingjia let out a breath of relief and turned back to Qin Mudong. “Can I sit here for now?”
Qin Mudong remained silent, not saying a word.
After two seconds, Lu Xingjia tentatively pulled out the chair. “I’ll take that as a yes?”
Qin Mudong’s dark eyes lowered slightly as he continued reading his textbook.
Lu Xingjia let out a small breath of relief, sat down obediently, and took out his books.
The male teacher nodded in satisfaction, walked up to the podium, and wrote his name on the blackboard. “Hello, everyone. I’m your homeroom teacher, Zhang Chuchu. You can call me Teacher Zhang, or, like previous students, you can call me Chu Ge.”
Zhang Chuchu was a renowned competition coach at the school. He had entered F University through the physics competition, and after graduating, he returned to his high school alma mater to continue teaching physics competitions.
Although official competitions began in the second year, the school offered introductory courses in the first year so students could join voluntarily based on their interests. Zhang Chuchu was one of the instructors for these courses.
He was young, easily connected with students, and had a lively, engaging teaching style. Many students fell in love with physics because of him.
As soon as he finished speaking, some students who had attended his classes before immediately cheered.
“Chu Ge, hello!”
“Welcome, Chu Ge!”
“Chu Ge looks so handsome today!”
…
Zhang Chuchu chuckled, glancing at them playfully. He knew they meant no harm and was used to joking around with students.
“Alright, alright,” he raised his hand, signaling for quiet. “Most of you already have a decent understanding of competitions, but just in case, let me explain again.”
“The registration for the preliminary round of the physics competition takes place between April and May each year, which means next semester. You still have an entire semester to decide whether physics competitions are right for you.”
“Everyone has different reasons for joining this class. Some of you find physics interesting, while others want extra points for college entrance exams. But let me tell you, competitions are not an easy shortcut—they are just another path you can take. Along the way, you’ll face challenges and hardships, but you can also experience joy and glory. I hope you all make a rational and careful choice…”
Though Zhang Chuchu was easy going outside of class, he had a way of delivering serious lectures when needed.
Qiu Ruifeng leaned back in his chair, which was now touching the edge of Lu Xingjia’s desk. He tilted his head slightly and whispered, “Jia Jia, are you really planning to do physics competitions?”
“Yeah,” Lu Xingjia nodded enthusiastically, like a pecking chick. “I’m already here—no point leaving now.”
Zhang Chuchu continued, “Of course, since this is a competition class, it also serves as a selection process. If you really can’t keep up with the class, we might have to ‘invite’ you to leave.”
Lu Xingjia: “…”
Remembering his miserable 34-point physics score, he shuddered violently.
No matter what, he had to stay in the class first.
When Zhang Chuchu finished speaking, the morning study session ended. He waved his hand to dismiss the class and strode out of the room.
As soon as the homeroom teacher left, the classroom immediately became lively.
Some students took the chance to get to know each other, while others dove straight into their studies.
Lu Xingjia reached into his bag to grab a pen and continue reading his unfinished physics book—only to feel the two lukewarm buns still inside.
Right on cue, his stomach let out a loud growl.
Many students were eating breakfast, so Lu Xingjia took out the buns and started munching while flipping through his book.
After finishing one in a few bites, he suddenly remembered the person sitting next to him.
Blinking, Lu Xingjia held out the remaining bun. “Want one? My mom steamed them—they’re super tasty!”
His mouth was still full of food, his cheeks puffed up like a hamster’s—so adorable that anyone would have a hard time refusing.
“No.”
Qin Mudong lowered his eyes and declined.
“Alright then…”
Used to Qin Mudong’s cold demeanor, Lu Xingjia didn’t mind much and stuffed the last bun into his mouth.
Before long, the class bell rang, and the classroom quieted down again.
The competition class had a heavy workload. Students had to balance competition studies with regular subjects, so their schedules were packed—competition classes in the morning and other subjects in the afternoon.
That day’s morning session was all taught by Zhang Chuchu.
With five intense lessons in a row, he preferred to teach in long sessions, combining two classes together with only a short five-minute break in between—barely enough time to fetch water. The flood of knowledge felt like a towering mountain pressing down on them.
Lu Xingjia, already struggling with physics, put all his energy into listening and taking notes. He burned through his stamina quickly, and by eleven o’clock, his stomach was quietly rumbling again.
At that moment, Zhang Chuchu was having the students work on practice problems, so the classroom was silent.
After glancing around, Lu Xingjia carefully pulled out a milk candy from his pocket.
Ever since Qin Mudong gave him one when they were kids, he had fallen in love with the sweet taste and carried a few with him every day.
But He Xi limited him to only two a day, saying too much candy was bad for his teeth.
Peeling off the wrapper, Lu Xingjia quietly popped the candy into his mouth. A rich, creamy sweetness spread across his tongue, and he squinted in delight.
So good!
Recharged, he was ready to dive back into the endless sea of physics problems—until he turned his head and noticed Qin Mudong furrowing his brows slightly, looking a little pale.
“You okay? Do you feel sick?”
Lu Xingjia tensed up immediately.
Qin Mudong pressed his thin lips together, clearly unwilling to speak.
Lu Xingjia wasn’t discouraged and continued observing him. Soon, he noticed that Qin Mudong was unconsciously holding his stomach.
“Is your stomach hurting?”
Lu Xingjia boldly guessed. “Did you skip breakfast?”
“…”
Qin Mudong still didn’t say anything.
He never had the habit of eating breakfast, and stomachaches had long been a common occurrence—something he was used to.
But Lu Xingjia’s eyes were filled with worry. He rummaged through all his pockets as if searching for treasure and finally found another milk candy. Carefully, he held it out to Qin Mudong. “I have one more. Do you want it?”
Qin Mudong lifted his eyes, about to refuse, when he met the boy’s wet, expectant gaze.
There was a hint of shyness in them—clearly, he was the one offering something, yet he seemed afraid of being rejected.
…The refusal suddenly became difficult to say.
Lu Xingjia’s eyes curved into crescents as he handed over the candy. “Here, take it.”
Before Qin Mudong could react, a milk candy was placed in his palm.
It still carried the warmth of the boy’s hand.
“…Thanks.”
After a moment of silence, Qin Mudong lowered his gaze and put the candy into his mouth.
The slightly softened milk candy stuck to his teeth, and the rich sweetness spread through his mouth.
Author’s Note:
Today’s sweet Jia Jia √
The indecisive author is considering renaming the story to “The Star Wants to Shine on You.” Which title do you guys prefer?