Proactively Attracted chapter 40

A Touch of Jealousy

The next morning, Lu Xingjia arrived at school early, bringing a hot breakfast with him.

Returning to his seat after two weeks away, he found a thin layer of dust had gathered on the desks and chairs—no one had used them in the meantime.

Qin Mudong was unusually late that day. Lu Xingjia wiped down both their desks and chairs, then sat down and boredly flipped through his textbook.

Most of the students had already finished their short but intense competition journey and returned to the regular class. Only a few students who had won first place in the province stayed in the competition class, making their final push for the practical exam.

No matter the result, this experience would be a vivid chapter in their lives.

Some of them might go on to become top professionals in their fields; others might never touch those complicated formulas again after the exam. But years later, with gray hair and in their twilight years, they would surely look back with a smile at the extraordinary youth they once had.

The classroom was nearly empty. Lu Xingjia propped his chin on his hand and let his thoughts wander. Luckily, Qin Mudong didn’t keep him waiting long and soon appeared in the classroom.

Lu Xingjia smiled and waved at him, skillfully handing over the breakfast. He asked if Qin Mudong missed He Xi’s home-cooked food, while subtly watching his expression, trying to see if anything unpleasant had happened the previous night.

“Is there something on my face?”

Qin Mudong took the breakfast and gave Lu Xingjia a questioning glance.

“No, no!” Lu Xingjia quickly looked away, unable to spot anything unusual on Qin Mudong’s face.

This time, He Xi had made soup dumplings. When the bag was opened, hot steam wafted out.

The thin wrappers were translucent, and when lifted, the dumplings swayed slightly, showing the generous amount of soup inside, making them instantly mouthwatering.

Qin Mudong ate quickly but elegantly. He finished each dumpling in one bite, not spilling a drop of soup. Watching him, Lu Xingjia asked, “Is it good?”

Qin Mudong didn’t hold back praise. After swallowing, he nodded and said, “Delicious.”

After a moment’s pause, Lu Xingjia casually asked, “Compared to last night… what did you have? Was it good?”

Qin Mudong replied quickly, “Steak. It was okay—just a different kind of flavor.”

As he answered, Lu Xingjia once again subtly studied his expression.

But aside from thinking he looked even more handsome than before, he didn’t notice anything else—so much so that even he felt a little flushed from staring too long.

Qin Mudong put the last soup dumpling into his mouth, frowning slightly. “Is something wrong?”

He turned his head and looked seriously at Lu Xingjia. “You’ve been staring at me since just now.”

Qin Mudong had always been sharp. Lu Xingjia hesitated for a moment, knowing he couldn’t fool him, so he simply admitted it.

“Last night… did your mom and the others say anything?”

He probed cautiously, speaking each word slowly, afraid that Qin Mudong might feel uncomfortable. But to his surprise, Qin Mudong only gave him a strange look and replied, “They didn’t say anything.”

Lu Xingjia’s tone was hesitant and unsure. “But you and them…”

Given Qin Mudong’s relationship with that family, it was hard to believe that last night’s dinner went as peacefully and harmoniously as a normal family’s celebration.

“I don’t know what they’re thinking,” Qin Mudong said as he tidied up the trash on the table, balled the plastic bag, and threw it into the classroom’s trash can at the back. “And I don’t care.”

The bag of trash drew a perfect arc in the air and landed squarely in the bin with a clang. Lu Xingjia’s heart sank along with it.

Estrangement was the scariest thing. Qin Mudong’s relationship with his family was even colder than he had imagined.

Lu Xingjia thought of what He Xi said last night and hesitated over whether he should say something more, when Qiu Ruifeng burst in through the back door, throwing an arm around his neck.

“Jia Jia!” Qiu Ruifeng’s voice was absurdly loud, echoing in the quiet classroom. “Congrats! I didn’t get the chance to talk to you a few days ago before you left, but now I’ve caught you!”

“Not bad, not bad,” he said while roughly ruffling Lu Xingjia’s hair. “You’re doing great.”

Lu Xingjia glared at him, but Qiu Ruifeng looked so genuinely happy that he couldn’t bring himself to get angry.

“What do you mean I left? Weren’t you too busy whispering sweet nothings to your Xiao Ran?”

In the end, Lu Xingjia could only helplessly smooth out the hair Qiu Ruifeng had messed up and try to get back at him with a few snide remarks.

Qiu Ruifeng froze for a moment and looked confused. “How did you know I gave him the nickname ‘Xiao Ran’?”

This guy really was like a big, loyal dog—kind of slow, but super protective. Mention Ji Angran and his IQ dropped straight to kindergarten level.

Wasn’t the key phrase “whispering sweet nothings”? Was that a direct admission?

Lu Xingjia scoffed. “Who doesn’t know you two are close? You don’t even eat in the cafeteria with me anymore.”

Qiu Ruifeng scratched his head, a little embarrassed. “Well, you have your top student with you. I didn’t want to disturb.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lu Xingjia replied, not wanting to bicker. He stood up and pushed Qiu Ruifeng toward his seat, asking casually, “Where’s your Xiao Ran?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

Qiu Ruifeng sat down sloppily, legs spread out, even shaking them comfortably. “We went out to celebrate last night and got back kind of late. He didn’t wake up on time.”

Lu Xingjia: “…”

He didn’t expect to be fed dog food this early in life.

As soon as Ji Angran was mentioned, Qiu Ruifeng got excited and went on to share all sorts of stories about the night before.

He said they secretly had a few drinks behind their parents’ backs, and Ji Angran even got tipsy—so obedient and soft, you could pinch his cheeks at will.

Lu Xingjia scolded him for bullying Ji Angran, but secretly glanced at Qin Mudong. In truth, he was a little envious.

Qiu Ruifeng and Ji Angran had gotten so close so effortlessly, while he and Qin Mudong still had this ambiguous relationship—something hard to define, not quite there but almost. Sometimes he’d boldly wonder if Qin Mudong liked him too, and other times he’d feel it was just wishful thinking on his part.

After exchanging a few more playful jabs with Qiu Ruifeng, Lu Xingjia sighed and returned to his seat.

After all, you couldn’t force love. It wasn’t like in romance novels where he could just pin Qin Mudong against the wall and kiss him.

He imagined the scene for a second and couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

Beside him, Qin Mudong glanced over, eyebrows furrowed. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing!” Lu Xingjia quickly shook his head. There was no way he could say what he’d just been thinking.

Watching the corners of the boy’s lips curve up uncontrollably, Qin Mudong’s gaze darkened slightly.

It seemed that every time Lu Xingjia chatted with Qiu Ruifeng, he laughed like that.

…….

Before long, Ji Angran finally arrived, a little late. When he saw Qiu Ruifeng smiling in his seat, his face turned red, but he still obediently sat next to him.

Zhang Chuchu followed him in and headed straight to the front of the class.

“Alright, everyone quiet down.”

There were only seven students in the classroom. Aside from the four of them, there were two boys and one girl—top students in the class, but not particularly close to Lu Xingjia.

Zhang Chuchu gave the customary congratulations and even singled out Lu Xingjia for praise, saying he had made great progress.

After all, Lu Xingjia hadn’t been a standout in class before. This time, he was a true dark horse.

Lu Xingjia touched the tip of his nose awkwardly and said modestly, “Honestly, I didn’t expect to do so well. Everyone else is way more capable than I am!”

“You can’t say that,” Zhang Chuchu responded with a smile. “Achieving these results shows real ability.”

Once the compliments were done, he quickly got back to the main topic. “All of you achieving these results proves your strength. The experimental exam is also an important part of the second round. Since you’ve made it this far, you must not let your guard down.”

The school provided them with maximum convenience for the week-long intensive experimental training.

Three physics laboratories were open to them 24 hours a day, free of charge. The lab instructors were also on standby to answer questions and provide guidance. Even the dorm supervisors and the security guards at the gates had been informed in advance—no matter how late they returned, they wouldn’t be marked as late.

After motivating them, Zhang Chuchu pulled three keys out of his pocket. When he looked at the seven students in the classroom, he hesitated.

Three labs, seven students—there was no even way to split them.

“Well…” Zhang Chuchu hesitated for a while, unsure of who might want to team up with whom. So he simply left the problem to them. “Here are three keys. The physics labs are all on the eighth floor of the science building. You guys can divide yourselves as you see fit.”

“The lab instructors are already waiting for you. Once you’re grouped, head over quickly.”

He placed the keys on the podium and left in a hurry without looking back.

With the crisp sound of the door closing, only the seven students and three keys were left in the room.

A boy named Shi Hongzhe was the first to step forward. He grabbed one of the keys and said, “I’ll team up with Qu Xinjue. We’re in the same dorm, so it’ll be easier to coordinate.”

Qiu Ruifeng hesitated for a moment, then also walked up and took a key, testing the waters: “Then… I’ll team up with Ji Angran?”

That left only Lu Xingjia, Qin Mudong, and a girl named Miao Qian.

Miao Qian was slender and petite, with a ponytail and black-rimmed glasses.

She was usually a quiet and reserved person in class, and now she looked even more awkward.

She bit her lip hesitantly and looked at Lu Xingjia, testing the waters: “Um… would that be okay?”

Qiu Ruifeng realized this didn’t seem very fair and asked her, “Miao Qian, who would you like to team up with?”

Miao Qian’s voice was barely audible: “I… I’m okay with anyone…”

“How about this,” Qiu Ruifeng thought for a moment and said, “Go to whichever group you want. If you can’t decide, just spend two days with each group.”

“No way!”

Shi Hongzhe immediately objected, “We have our own plans. What if bringing along a slow and indecisive girl drags down our progress?”

Qiu Ruifeng snapped, “That’s a selfish thing to say. The labs are shared resources, not your private property. And what makes you say Miao Qian is slow? Just because she’s a girl?”

Shi Hongzhe shot back, “If you’re so concerned about her, why don’t you let her join your group?”

The two began arguing, their voices rising. Miao Qian, caught in the middle, looked like she was about to cry. “P-please… don’t argue…”

But her voice was too soft, and neither of them heard her. The argument escalated, almost to the point of a fight.

“Enough!” Lu Xingjia couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped in to separate them.

He turned to Miao Qian and asked directly, “Would you like to join our group?”

“Running back and forth like that won’t be effective anyway,” Lu Xingjia sighed softly, unable to bear seeing her being pushed around and rejected. “If you’re okay with it, just join us.”

Miao Qian’s face turned red, then pale, and finally she nodded gently.

“Mm,” she said softly. “Thank you.”

As they walked to the science building, Miao Qian instinctively kept her distance from the others. Lu Xingjia felt a bit bad and also glanced at Qin Mudong beside him.

He poked Qin Mudong lightly in the waist and asked in a low voice, “I asked Miao Qian to join our group—are you mad?”

Before Qin Mudong could answer, Lu Xingjia added, “I just felt bad for her—being pushed around like that and getting rejected. She must’ve felt really hurt.”

Qin Mudong gave a low “Mm” in reply but said nothing more.

Lu Xingjia grinned: “I knew you were the best!”

He waved to Miao Qian to come walk with them and started chatting with her.

Miao Qian wasn’t good at talking, but Lu Xingjia was chatty and engaging. Before long, they were really chatting, and Miao Qian was no longer stiff and nervous—she even smiled.

Qin Mudong walked beside them with one hand in his pocket. Every now and then, when Lu Xingjia brought him up, he’d respond with a low “Mm.”

The rest of the time, he simply watched Lu Xingjia’s side profile, his gaze deep and faraway.

Rationally, he wasn’t angry or upset. He knew Lu Xingjia was just soft-hearted and could understand the feeling of being abandoned by the whole world.

But he couldn’t help feeling jealous. Lu Xingjia had so many friends and was kind to everyone.

Author’s Note:

A no-prize quiz (lol): who will confess first? The answer will be revealed in the next chapter!