Proactively Attracted chapter 5
Paper Balls and Books
Even though his daily two candies were now gone, Lu Xingjia felt happier than if he had eaten an entire bag.
By lunchtime, when Qiu Ruifeng dragged him to the cafeteria, he still couldn’t stop smiling—his grin nearly reaching his ears.
Qiu Ruifeng, exhausted from the morning’s physics competition class, glanced at Lu Xingjia, who was grinning like a fool, and found it completely incomprehensible. “What are you so happy about? Did the physics problems excite you that much?”
Lu Xingjia smirked like a cat that had just stolen a fish. “Yeah, physics makes me happy.”
“…”
Qiu Ruifeng muttered under his breath, “Did Teacher Lu knocking your head really fix something?”
Since only the competition class had started, the cafeteria wasn’t serving a full menu. Normally, all three floors were open, but now only one was operating, and the food options were limited.
With no other choice, Lu Xingjia had to settle for a classic rice set meal.
Qiu Ruifeng got the same and found a quiet spot to sit down with him, making small talk.
Though Qiu Ruifeng was a science whiz—he had scored over 90 on his physics final—the morning’s competition-level problems still left his brain aching. The more he thought about it, the more puzzled he became. Finally, he looked up and asked, “Hey, Jia Jia, be honest with me. Why did you suddenly decide to study physics competitions?”
“I just wanted to, that’s all.”
Lu Xingjia poked at the rice in his bowl, mumbling.
“But…” Qiu Ruifeng hesitated before speaking bluntly, “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you heard what Chu Ge said, right? The competition path isn’t easy. Your physics wasn’t great before either. If this is just a spur-of-the-moment decision, don’t push yourself too hard, or it’ll only mess up your studies in the long run.”
After saying that, Qiu Ruifeng anxiously watched Lu Xingjia, worried that he might get upset.
After all, no one likes to admit they aren’t good at something.
But Lu Xingjia understood that Qiu Ruifeng was looking out for him, so he smiled gratefully.
Taking a deep breath, he said seriously, “Thank you, but this isn’t just a whim. I really want to study physics competitions.”
In his past life, he had drifted aimlessly—going with the flow through school, exams, graduation, and work. Eventually, he became just another faceless office worker.
Ordinary and unremarkable, struggling with daily life, worrying about whether to take the bus or ride a bike to work, his spirit worn down by the grind of reality.
He had experienced all the flavors of life—sour, sweet, bitter, and salty—but he didn’t want that kind of existence anymore.
He knew the competition path wasn’t easy. He didn’t have the overpowered advantages of a time-travel novel protagonist. But just having the courage to dream was already something his past self had envied.
In his previous life, he had let fear hold him back from following his heart. Now that he had another chance, even if the road ahead was full of thorns, he would grit his teeth and choose the path he truly wanted.
He wanted to stand beside Qin Mudong—not just to change his fate, but to change his own as well.
Lu Xingjia chuckled to himself, revealing his sharp little tiger teeth. “Ever heard that saying? ‘Anyone with a dream is incredible.'”
Qiu Ruifeng studied him carefully.
Lu Xingjia was still the same—cheerful, easygoing—but something about him felt different.
Like he was glowing.
After a brief silence, Qiu Ruifeng sincerely apologized, “Sorry, I misjudged you.”
“It’s fine, really,” Lu Xingjia waved it off, completely unbothered. He knew Qiu Ruifeng meant well and had no intention of holding it against him. “After all, it’s pretty normal to be surprised when a slacker suddenly decides to turn over a new leaf. Just wait and see—I’ll prove myself!”
Qiu Ruifeng let go of his last bit of doubt and playfully teased, “Let’s see how physics ends up crushing you into the ground?”
Lu Xingjia sighed. “Can’t you think more positively? Maybe I’ll be the one crushing physics into the ground!”
“Hahaha!” Qiu Ruifeng burst into laughter, as if Lu Xingjia had hit his funny bone. It took him a while to calm down. Then, he looked at Lu Xingjia seriously and said, “But really, are you sure you want to keep sitting with Qin Mudong? If they let us switch seats, why don’t we sit together? That way, we can discuss problems. He doesn’t even talk to you.”
“Of course not!”
Lu Xingjia puffed up in indignation, having been hit right where it hurt. “Mudong Ge is really nice! He even talked to me in class today!”
“…Mudong Ge?”
Now it was Qiu Ruifeng’s turn to be shocked. “You knew each other before?”
“Yeah,” Lu Xingjia nodded enthusiastically. “We met when we were kids! He’s always been amazing!”
Qiu Ruifeng was instantly intrigued. “For real? The study god as a kid? Tell me something fun about him!”
“Let me think…” Lu Xingjia carefully recalled. “Once, when it snowed, we used umbrellas to knock the snow off the trees. We got carried away and bent the umbrella, and my mom scolded me when I got home. We also caught sparrows together—Mudong Ge was super smart and made a simple trap, and we caught a bunch in no time. But then we felt bad for them and let them go. Oh, and he might look all cool and serious, but he actually loves White Rabbit milk candy! I started liking it because of him!”
“Wow! Really? Study god was that interesting as a kid?” Qiu Ruifeng looked like he had discovered a new continent. “So eating milk candy makes you good at physics competitions? Got it. I’m buying a whole bag later.”
Lu Xingjia: “…?”
How did he even come to that conclusion?
As the two chatted excitedly, a tall boy with sharp, indifferent features stood up from behind them, carrying his tray past them and bringing a gust of cool air with him.
Qiu Ruifeng nudged Lu Xingjia. “Look! It’s your Mudong Ge!”
“…”
Lu Xingjia wanted the ground to split up and swallow him.
Qiu Ruifeng clapped him on the shoulder. “Busted bragging in front of the study god himself. Good luck, my dude.”
He had spotted Qin Mudong sitting behind them earlier and assumed Lu Xingjia knew. He had even been admiring his boldness—only for the guy himself to overhear everything.
Lu Xingjia let out a long, weary sigh.
He hadn’t lied—every childhood memory was crystal clear in his mind. But those stories belonged to both of them, and he wasn’t sure if Qin Mudong wanted anyone else to hear them.
Now that Qin Mudong was gone, Lu Xingjia lost his appetite, hurriedly finishing his meal and getting up to return his tray.
“Wait for me, I’m coming too!”
Qiu Ruifeng finished eating as well and walked with him back to the classroom.
Since it was still summer schedule, the lunch break was long. Most students had either gone home or returned to the dorms, leaving the classroom almost empty.
Lu Xingjia had told He Xi in advance that he wouldn’t be going home at noon—he wanted to make the most of his time studying in the classroom. He Xi agreed, assuming it was just a passing whim.
Back in the classroom, Qin Mudong was sitting quietly at his desk, reading, his brows slightly furrowed.
Lu Xingjia instinctively softened his steps, carefully returning to his seat beside him.
Qin Mudong lifted his gaze slightly, gave him a brief glance, then looked away indifferently.
Lu Xingjia blinked and scribbled on a note before cautiously passing it to him.
[Are you mad?]Qin Mudong glanced at it but didn’t respond.
Lu Xingjia kept writing:
[Sorry, I didn’t mean to. I just really loved the time we played together! That’s all—I didn’t mean anything else!]After finishing, he nudged Qin Mudong again and passed the note over.
Ignored.
So he passed another one:
[Please don’t be mad at me, okay?]And another:
[If you’re not mad, say something!]He looked determined, as if he’d keep writing notes forever if he didn’t get a response.
Lu Xingjia’s handwriting was beautiful—round and neat, every stroke carefully placed. When he wrote English essays, the teacher always used his as an example, saying it was the kind of handwriting that grading teachers loved.
Qin Mudong had no choice. For the first time, he realized how stubborn Lu Xingjia could be.
He finally spoke, his voice cool and even. “I’m not mad.”
Lu Xingjia’s eyes lit up. “Really?”
“Mm.” Qin Mudong frowned slightly. “Just don’t bring up the past again.”
“Why?!”
Lu Xingjia blurted out before he could stop himself. Then, as if realizing he had pushed too far, he quickly lowered his gaze.
His thick lashes cast soft shadows on his cheeks. He sighed helplessly. “Fine… if you don’t like it, I won’t mention it anymore.”
Why didn’t he want to talk about the past?
Qin Mudong asked himself the same question.
Maybe because those memories were too good—so good they felt unreal.
He had built himself a world sealed in darkness, a place where no light could enter. But those memories… no matter how hard he tried to block them out, they still leaked through, shining too brightly.
That made him uneasy.
Qin Mudong lowered his gaze, his voice cool and distant. “I don’t like it.”
It sounded like he was speaking to himself more than to Lu Xingjia.
“Alright, alright.” Lu Xingjia nodded, looking dejected for just a few seconds before bouncing back to his usual sunny self.
He forced a big grin and playfully winked at Qin Mudong. “So we have a deal—you’re not mad at me!”
That smile—so bright, so warm, like… he was glowing.
A sudden wave of irritation surged in Qin Mudong’s chest, impossible to ignore or swallow down.
Too bright.
His world was supposed to be black. There wasn’t supposed to be room for colors like this.
In the end, all the bright and warm things are bound to be lost, and he would rather have never had them at all.
Qin Mudong furrowed his brows. After such a long time, he called Lu Xingjia’s name for the first time again: “Lu Xingjia.”
Lu Xingjia instinctively looked up and met his dark eyes. The intense gaze was like a deep well, cold enough to take one’s breath away.
“I don’t know what intentions you have towards me, but I can clearly tell you, there’s no need. People change. I’m not the Mudong Ge you remember. Those pasts have already become history, you…”
Qin Mudong lowered his eyelids, hiding his emotions. “You’ve probably forgotten, right?”
Accepting his milk candy had already gotten things out of control. Now, he wanted to get their relationship back to where it should be.
“I’ve never forgotten.”
The soft and tender voice of a young boy immediately followed, contrary to Qin Mudong’s expectations. Lu Xingjia’s face didn’t show any signs of disappointment. His eyes were bright, full of seriousness, as he said, “If you don’t want me to talk about it, I won’t tell anyone, but to me, those memories are the most precious. I won’t forget them.”
Lu Xingjia’s beautiful eyes curved into crescent moons. “No matter how much you change, you will always be my Mudong Ge.”
In his past life, he had let go because of Qin Mudong’s indifference, but now that he was given another chance, how could he let something so small defeat him?
Qin Mudong opened his mouth but fell silent.
It wasn’t like no one had pursued him before. Many girls had liked him, and countless people had wanted to be friends with him. Each one had been determined, but in the end, they all left easily.
But Lu Xingjia was like an unshakable tail, soft and warm, brushing against his heart.
Qin Mudong slightly lowered his gaze and murmured, “Do whatever you want.”
Lu Xingjia secretly breathed a sigh of relief, giving himself a little victory gesture in his heart.
….
Lunch break quickly ended, and the new teacher entered the class as the bell rang.
“Class, tidy up your desks and take out your Chinese textbooks, turn to page 10…”
The sound of pages flipping filled the classroom, and Qin Mudong also put away his quantum mechanics book into his drawer.
With the desk cleared, a few small pieces of paper still remained quietly on the surface.
The characters on them were neat and cute, just like their owner.
Qin Mudong crumpled the papers tightly, intending to throw them into the trash can behind him. Just as he was about to throw them, Lu Xingjia’s bright smiling face appeared in his mind, refusing to leave.
In the end, his hand shoved the papers back into the drawer, and he randomly pulled out his Chinese textbook.
“From Xiaoqiu, westward for 120 steps, passing by bamboo groves, the sound of water can be heard, like the tinkling of bells, bringing joy to the heart…”
The Chinese teacher called for the entire class to read the text together, and the classroom was filled with the buzzing sound of students reading aloud.
Under the bright summer sun, in the slightly dark drawer, a few crumpled paper balls and the quantum mechanics book were pressed together.
Harmonious and quiet.
Author’s Note:
Listening to everyone’s opinions, I won’t change the title of the novel for now~ Today, I’m still working hard to break the ice~