Proactively Attracted chapter 13

He’s Back

Lu Xingjia returned to his seat, the corners of his lips lifting involuntarily.

He knew Qin Mudong probably used him as an excuse to reject Xia Shu, but still—he couldn’t help it. His heart felt light and sweet.

Deskmate, huh? Just hearing the word sounded so nice.

After sitting down, Lu Xingjia casually opened his backpack, and a rich aroma wafted out—it was the smell of the egg pancake.

Even after being sealed in the bag for a while, the pancake was still warm. Its surface was golden and crispy, the sweet bean paste rich and fragrant, and the green vegetables made it look even more appetizing.

If Lu Xingjia weren’t already too full, it really would’ve been a toss-up who would get to eat it.

He took the egg pancake out and placed it on the desk, then carefully slid it toward Qin Mudong.

He Xi had been thoughtful, even buying special bags for pancakes. The outer layer was white paper, lined inside with a thin plastic oil barrier, and then put into another plastic bag. It was so neat and white you couldn’t even tell what was inside.

Qin Mudong frowned. “What is this?”

“Egg pancake,” Lu Xingjia beamed and took the outer plastic bag off for him. “My mom made it. It’s for you.”

The warm fragrance drifted in the air, curling upward like it could slow down time.

Qin Mudong’s fingertips twitched, his index finger lifting as if to touch the white bag—but then he suddenly withdrew, as if burned.

He didn’t want charity. He didn’t need pity.

This kind of kindness, with no explanation, felt like a castle in the sky—too unreal, too fragile. The moment you reached out, it would slip through your fingers and disappear. He didn’t dare to touch it.

“No, thanks.”

Qin Mudong’s eyes lowered slightly, his voice emotionless.

Lu Xingjia had already thought of a countermeasure on the way over. His eyes still curved cheerfully: “My mom always makes a few extras for breakfast. I can’t finish them. How about this: I bring you breakfast in the mornings, and you help tutor me in physics. Deal?”

He pushed the pancake a little closer to Qin Mudong and rubbed his nose sheepishly. “We’re deskmates now, after all. Our scores are counted together. I really don’t want to drag you down.”

Afraid that Qin Mudong might still refuse, he quickly added, “Just think of it as us being even. I don’t want to owe you anything either!”

Even?

That kind of relationship actually made Qin Mudong feel comfortable. After a moment of thought, he took the pancake. “…Thanks.”

The golden pancake skin radiated warmth. It was chewy when bitten into, and the aroma spread throughout his mouth. In the sweltering summer heat, two boys hid their swirling thoughts.

A little while later, Lu Xingjia went over to the water tank, took out the warmed milk, and handed it to Qin Mudong, repeating the same trick: “Here, I accidentally brought an extra bag of milk out. You can have it.”

A flash of emotion passed quickly through Qin Mudong’s eyes, but he didn’t expose the obvious lie.

After eating, Qin Mudong cleaned up the trash and threw it in the bin behind the classroom. A long-lost warmth settled in his stomach.

Just as he finished disposing of the trash, Qiu Ruifeng walked into the classroom. Like a dog sniffing out food, he immediately caught the scent and crouched down by his seat. “Who ate something? Smells amazing!”

Lu Xingjia blinked innocently. “Nope. You’re imagining things.”

“Impossible!” Qiu Ruifeng said confidently. “That’s definitely Aunt Xi’s cooking. Was it an egg-stuffed pancake?!”

…He really did have a dog’s nose.

Seeing that there was no hiding it, Lu Xingjia admitted openly, “Yeah, it was an egg-stuffed pancake.”

“Damn! Why didn’t you say so earlier! Is there any left? Let me have a bite!” Qiu Ruifeng dropped his bag and lunged at Lu Xingjia.

He had visited Lu Xingjia’s house once and was deeply impressed by He Xi’s cooking. He still clearly remembered what she made: crispy fried sole fish, a beef hotpot, and seafood congee—so good he almost swallowed his fingers.

Lu Xingjia quickly covered his backpack, afraid he’d turn it inside out. “There’s nothing left, seriously!”

Qiu Ruifeng gave him a side-eye. “So stingy! Didn’t even save me any!”

“Alright, alright,” Lu Xingjia gave in. “I’ll bring some for you next time, okay?”

“At least two… no, three!”

“…Fine, fine, fine.”

Finally satisfied, Qiu Ruifeng returned to his seat. “I’ll let you off this time. But if you forget again, you’d better watch out!”

Lu Xingjia ignored him and started pulling out his books to study.

While the two of them were joking around on one side, Qin Mudong quietly lowered his eyes, hiding the emotions in them.

……

After a morning of being tortured by the fog of physics, the whole class was worn out by lunchtime.

Walking on the way to the cafeteria, Qiu Ruifeng couldn’t help but knock on his own head. “Chu Ge is totally a smiling tiger—looks harmless, but those questions are vicious.”

“Totally,” Lu Xingjia agreed wholeheartedly.

That day’s lesson was about the conservation of momentum. The basic formulas were simple, but the simpler the formula, the harder it was to apply. It really tested your flexibility and understanding. When paired with kinetic energy theorems, the short questions became tough enough to make people cry.

Chu Ge had assigned several questions as classwork, and Lu Xingjia couldn’t solve them. He was considering asking Qin Mudong for help later.

It would be during Qin Mudong’s lunch break, and since they’d agreed to be even, it wouldn’t really count as bothering him.

Having made up his mind, he was still chatting and complaining with Qiu Ruifeng when a cheerful figure suddenly appeared beside them.

“Xingjia! Ruifeng!”

Qiu Ruifeng’s eyes lit up. “Hey, Yao Lingxuan? What a coincidence!”

Yao Lingxuan was the class vice-rep. Petite and delicate, her fair skin made her look like a porcelain doll. She was outgoing and got along well with everyone. Privately, many boys had praised her beauty.

“What a coincidence! You guys heading to lunch? Let’s go together!” Yao Lingxuan smiled brightly. Her high ponytail swung with every step, the black tips brushing her shoulders—full of youthful energy.

Since they were all classmates and headed in the same direction, the boys didn’t mind.

As the days passed, summer vacation gradually came to an end, and students from regular classes were also returning.

The cafeteria became livelier, with crowds at every window. A festive, bustling scene.

Xingjiang City was in the north, where people loved noodles. A new noodle window had opened on the third floor of the cafeteria. The three of them discussed it and each got a bowl.

These noodles were Sichuan-style. The broth looked light and harmless, but one bite delivered a spicy punch.

Lu Xingjia wasn’t great with spice—he started sucking in air the moment he took a bite.

“You’re weak,” Qiu Ruifeng teased while loudly slurping noodles in front of him. Lu Xingjia’s stubborn streak kicked in, and he pushed through the heat to keep up. Yao Lingxuan covered her mouth and giggled. After she’d had enough fun, she asked casually, “Xingjia, have you picked a desk mate yet?”

“Hmm?” Lu Xingjia still had noodles in his mouth and couldn’t speak clearly. He just blinked and looked up.

His cheeks were puffed up like a little hamster, and his eyes, clear as amber, sparkled under his lashes like a warm spring.

A slight blush spread across Yao Lingxuan’s face. “I—I want to sit next to you.”

Cough, cough!
A spoonful of spicy broth got caught in Lu Xingjia’s throat.

Yao Lingxuan quickly pulled out a pack of tissues from her pocket and handed him one. “Be careful.”

“Cough, cough, thanks.” Lu Xingjia coughed twice more before he finally caught his breath. Still unsure if he’d heard right, he couldn’t help but ask, “What did you just… say?”

Yao Lingxuan repeated herself, the blush still lingering on her cheeks. “I want to be desk mates with you. Can you consider it?”

“…Thank you,” Lu Xingjia replied, since her offer was well-meaning, and it felt wrong to reject her outright. “But my grades aren’t great. I’d probably drag you down. I’ve already found someone who’s willing to be my desk mate, so I won’t trouble you.”

Yao Lingxuan hesitated for a moment and insisted, “It’s fine. Actually, I went to the office the other day and accidentally saw your grades. I ranked in the top ten of the class this time—I can help you. We can improve together!”

“This…”
It was the first time Lu Xingjia had encountered something like this, and he didn’t quite know how to turn her down.

“It’s alright. There’s still a day before the seat change. You can think it over—I’m not in a rush.”

Yao Lingxuan smiled sweetly, blocking off anything else Lu Xingjia might’ve said.

After lunch, she headed back to the dorms. The three of them were going separate ways, so they naturally split up.

As she left, Qiu Ruifeng bumped Lu Xingjia’s shoulder and whistled. “Not bad. Already attracting admirers?”

“What nonsense are you spouting?” Lu Xingjia gave him a helpless glance. “Do you still want your egg-stuffed pancake tomorrow?”

“I do, I do!” Qiu Ruifeng quickly raised his hand in surrender, totally defeated.

After joking a bit more, Qiu Ruifeng asked, “But you’re not planning to sit with her, right?”

“Of course not,” Lu Xingjia replied without hesitation. “You already know I…”

“I know!” Qiu Ruifeng cut in. “Your heart only has Qin Mudong in it—you only want to be with him!”

“…”

Lu Xingjia shot him a fierce glare, but whenever it came to anything involving Qin Mudong, his usually sharp tongue failed him. After stammering for a bit, he mumbled under his breath, “…Something like that.”

Qiu Ruifeng: “…?”

Why do I smell dog food? Aren’t they both guys?

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked back to the classroom. Qin Mudong had already returned ahead of them.

Lu Xingjia’s eyes lit up. He strode quickly back to his seat and leaned in with a smile. “Do you have a moment? Can you help me with a question?”

Qin Mudong gave a small nod. “Which one?”

Lu Xingjia presented the question like a treasured gift, eagerly waiting for Qin Mudong’s explanation.

The seat next to Qiu Ruifeng suddenly felt empty. Watching the two of them so close, he could only return to his own seat with a sigh.

Behind him, hushed voices of gossip started up. Qiu Ruifeng grew a little annoyed and thought, Why does my deskmate Ji Angran have to go home every lunch break? Now I have to eat lunch alone every day—and watch those two feed each other dog food.

Qin Mudong explained things very thoroughly. Knowing Lu Xingjia’s foundation wasn’t solid, he paused from time to time to ask if he understood.

His voice was cool and calm, his tone gentle but even. Yet in Lu Xingjia’s ears, it sounded almost electric.

Lu Xingjia pinched his fingertips to stay focused.

He wasn’t dumb—just a bit behind. Once someone clarified the basic concepts, he could catch on fast.

“So that’s how it works!” Lu Xingjia’s eyes sparkled after the explanation. Suddenly reminded of something, he flipped through his homework and pointed at a different question. “Can I solve this one the same way? Plug in the formula, then…”

“Mhm,” Qin Mudong’s lips curled into a faint, hard-to-detect smile. “Smart.”

The bright midday sunlight of summer streamed down, casting shadows across their desks.

Lu Xingjia stared for a moment, his heart skipping a beat. “Are you… complimenting me?”

“Think what you want.” Qin Mudong lowered his gaze, his tone still calm.

Lu Xingjia grinned widely, his whole face lighting up. “Thank you!”

He didn’t even know whether he was thanking him for explaining the problem—or for the compliment.

Maybe both.

Lu Xingjia took his notebook back and carefully retraced Qin Mudong’s steps from the scratch paper, rewriting the solution in his own way. If he couldn’t remember a step, he peeked at Qin Mudong’s handwriting, then had an “aha” moment.

Qin Mudong’s gaze unconsciously softened. He opened his textbook and immersed himself in his own work.

Time flies when you’re focused. In the blink of an eye, the lunch break was almost over.

Looking at his full and completed homework, Lu Xingjia let out a satisfied sigh and decided to relax a bit.

Just then, Yao Lingxuan pushed the door open and walked over to him.

“Xingjia,” she said, still a little flushed, “Chu Ge wants us both to come over.”

“Us both?” Lu Xingjia pointed to himself, confused.

Yao Lingxuan nodded without hesitation. “Mm.”

“Alright.” Lu Xingjia sighed and followed her out of the classroom.

Qin Mudong remained seated, reading his book, but his gaze couldn’t help but follow them as they left the classroom. He only withdrew his gaze when their figures completely disappeared from sight at the end of the hallway.

“Qin Mudong,” at some point, Xia Shu had arrived, sitting in Lu Xingjia’s seat and propping her head on her hand as she looked at him. “Do you want to sit with me?”

Qin Mudong, irritated, spoke in a low voice. “No.”

“But Lu Xingjia already went to find someone else!” Xia Shu pouted. “Didn’t you see? Lu Xingjia just left with Yao Lingxuan. Yao Lingxuan went to talk to Chu Ge about wanting to sit with him, and Chu Ge called them in for a chat.”

Qin Mudong’s hand suddenly clenched.

Xia Shu continued, “Yao Lingxuan is the class vice monitor, she’s pretty, and has a great personality. Any guy would agree to sit with her, right? But now you’re left alone. Why don’t you consider sitting with me instead? My grades are better than Lu Xingjia’s, and I…”

“No need,” Qin Mudong suddenly cut her off, interrupting her words. “Who I sit with is none of your business.”

“…Alright then.” Xia Shu was deflated.

After all, she was a girl, and her pride was thinner. Qin Mudong’s blunt words left her with nothing more to say. She mumbled a few words under her breath, lowered her head, and returned to her seat.

Left behind, Qin Mudong sat there, his fist tightly clenched, knuckles white.

In his dark eyes, thick ink swirled, a storm of emotions brewing inside.

Mocking, pushing, cursing—those unpleasant voices and sensations surged like a tide. Even when he covered his ears and closed his eyes, it was all useless.

Why had he always assumed that Lu Xingjia would only ever care about him?

Lu Xingjia had so many friends and got along well with everyone. He’d seen him joke around with his friends more than once, laughing with them, flashing that bright, captivating smile that could melt anyone’s heart.

Why had Lu Xingjia come to him?

Perhaps it was just a passing whim, something to entertain himself with. Maybe he was like that with everyone, and it wasn’t anything special for him.

Maybe it was just an empty promise, and he was the only one who took it seriously.

Everyone was the same. Once they got tired of him or had enough, they’d leave without a second thought, never considering how much it hurt him or how reluctant he was to let go.

The hard shell snapped back into place, and darkness once again covered the barren land in his heart. Just as those painful memories seemed ready to consume all his thoughts, a bright figure appeared in his vision.

Lu Xingjia was back.