Proactively Attracted chapter 15

 Ice Cream with Milk Flavor

On the way back to the classroom, the time was almost afternoon class time.

Students with backpacks hurried past them, but they weren’t worried about being late, walking slowly, one in front and one behind.

The summer sun was intense, and at two in the afternoon, it was at its hottest. The entire teaching building felt like a giant steamer, and you could even see the heatwaves rising in the air.

A student walked quickly by with an ice lolly, taking a bite. The clear bite marks were left on the milky-flavored ice cream.

Lu Xingjia’s thoughts stirred.

“You go back to the classroom first!” He turned to Qin Mudong, “I’ll go downstairs for a bit!”

Before Qin Mudong could answer, he grabbed the stair railing and quickly ran downstairs.

Qin Mudong frowned slightly, silently watching him until his figure completely disappeared around the corner of the stairs, until his footsteps faded away. Then, he turned and slowly went upstairs, back to the classroom.

Lu Xingjia returned quickly, entering the class just as the first afternoon bell rang.

“Here.”

He casually placed a block of milk-flavored ice cream on Qin Mudong’s desk, holding another in one hand. He tore the wrapper with his teeth and took a hearty bite, squinting with contentment on his face.

Qin Mudong was stunned. “You went to buy this?”

“Uh-huh, yeah.”

Lu Xingjia loved the coolness and bit off a big chunk, stuffing it into his mouth. It was so cold his teeth ached. While inhaling from the chill, he mumbled, “What else… hiss… what else would I have gone for?”

Qin Mudong picked up the ice cream bar on the desk. His fingers moved slightly as he tore open the wrapper, then, mimicking Lu Xingjia, took a bite.

The cold spread through his mouth, followed by a rich milky fragrance.

It had been a long time since he’d eaten any dairy products—aside from the milk candy Lu Xingjia had given him. The last time he remembered eating something like this was back in sixth grade.

After his grandfather passed away, he was forced to live with the woman who was, at least in name, his mother.

The woman lived in a small villa, with a garage, a lawn, and her own private swimming pool. He stayed in their home, completely out of place in that environment—less welcome than the dog named Bebe. That dog truly belonged to the family, while he was just an unwelcome clown, dirty and pathetic.

There was a younger brother around his age, the child of the woman and her new husband.

Like most spoiled rich kids, the younger brother was arrogant, domineering, and detested his so-called “older brother.”

He bullied him—pushed him into the pool in winter, broke a vase and blamed it on him. Qin Mudong didn’t care; he didn’t have the energy to argue with someone of such low character.

Until one day, the boy took the jar of milk candies Qin Mudong had carefully hidden in his room—not to eat them, but to smash them on the floor.

The sweet, milky scent mixed with the dust. The skinny teenager pressed the chubby boy’s head and slammed it into the wall.

The little boy screamed in pain, and the servants hurried to separate them. The woman looked at him with disappointment, and before long, they sent him off to a boarding school.

Everyone told him he was in the wrong—that the other kid was his younger brother, just a child who didn’t know better.

But no one cared that the jar of milk candies was the last memory his grandfather had left him.

When he was little, his grandfather would always pat his head with a smile and tell him, “Whenever you’re sad, just have a piece of milk candy. Then cheer up. If you’re good enough and strong enough, your mom and dad will come back to see you. Everything you want will come true.”

Later, he realized they would never come back. He would never get anything he wanted. Eating milk candy was just a cowardly way of lying to himself.

He vowed never to eat milk candy again.

“Don’t like it?” Lu Xingjia noticed that Qin Mudong had been staring at the bitten ice cream for a while.

Qin Mudong lowered his gaze slightly and bit into the creamy ice cream again. “…It’s good.”

Even now, he didn’t know why he had accepted that milk candy from Lu Xingjia—but after eating it, it felt like everything had started to change.

A crack appeared in the frozen silence within him—so small it was almost unnoticeable—but it kept growing.

Lu Xingjia ate quickly. With class about to start, he was afraid there wouldn’t be time, so he finished the ice cream in a few bites. Only a clean wooden stick remained, which he casually tossed, forming a perfect arc through the air before landing squarely in the trash can at the back of the classroom.

“I knew you’d like it,” he said with a bright smile, milk still clinging to the corners of his mouth. His pink tongue flicked out to clean the white smudge. “Because I like it too!”

Qin Mudong’s Adam’s apple moved slightly. He stared at the creamy ice cream and took another big bite.

Feeling that soft, sweet coolness again.

……..

A Week Later – Friday

A week passed in a blur, and before anyone knew it, it was Friday.

After five days of intense grind, every student looked exhausted. Paired with the unique swelter of summer, the entire class was listless, drowsy, and just holding out for the two-day weekend ahead to let loose.

Zhang Chuchu, understanding the students had no heart left for studying, decided to spice up the last self-study class of Friday night.

As soon as he hinted at something exciting, the class erupted in groans.

“No way, Chu Ge, a test at night?!”

“Who said that?! We’re having a test?!”

“Seriously? Can’t we have one peaceful weekend?!”

…

Zhang Chuchu couldn’t help but laugh at them from the podium, still seated upright and proper. “Do I really look that wicked?”

The class fell silent for two seconds before Qiu Ruifeng’s loud voice piped up, “Yes.”

A Friday test before the weekend was definitely something Zhang Chuchu would do.

“Hahahahahahaha!”

The class burst into laughter.

“Chu Ge! He’s the only one who said it! Let him take the test alone!”

“I agree!”

“Seconded!”

…

“Hey hey hey,” Qiu Ruifeng complained, “I was just voicing everyone’s thoughts!”

“Come on, how could someone as handsome and dashing as Chu Ge give us a test on a Friday?” someone chimed in, then shamelessly smiled at the teacher. “Right, Chu Ge?”

Zhang Chuchu was amused by their antics. “Alright, since you’re all being so honest, no test today.”

He didn’t tease them further and revealed the real surprise: “We’re switching seats today.”

Seat changes might not sound dramatic, but in the monotonous world of high school, they were a huge deal.

The significance of being desk mates in class isn’t just a matter of names. It also represents daily companionship, fighting side by side, or even subtle rivalries. When one looked back on their school days, the people who sat nearby often left the deepest impressions.

The class burst into noise, everyone lining up in a long row out in the corridor. Even though the pairings had already been decided, people were still excited and their hearts were racing.

Qin Mudong had top scores, while Lu Xingjia ranked lower. Combining the two, their position ended up roughly in the middle.

Watching the twenty-something students ahead of them, Lu Xingjia carefully glanced at the tall, lean boy standing beside him, feeling a little disheartened.

If it weren’t for being paired with him, Qin Mudong could’ve gotten a spot near the front. Lu Xingjia knew he liked quiet places, but now, by the time it was their turn, there probably weren’t many choices left.

The night was still, and the boy’s gaze seemed especially captivating.

Qin Mudong had one hand in his uniform pocket and his eyes slightly lowered. “It doesn’t matter where we sit.”

His deep, magnetic voice echoed in Lu Xingjia’s ears. Lu Xingjia froze for a second before realizing Qin Mudong was talking to him.

There was clearly no expression on his face, and his voice was cold as ever, but somehow, Lu Xingjia could sense a deeply hidden gentleness.

A warm feeling rose in his chest—he knew Qin Mudong was trying to comfort him.

He curved his lips into the brightest smile he could manage. “I’ll work hard.”

Whether Qin Mudong minded or not, he wanted to give him the best of himself.

The students ahead of them started entering the classroom in a stream, and soon it was their turn.

Standing at the doorway, they looked inside. Quite a few students were already scattered throughout the room, and not many seats were left. The two finally chose a spot near the back by the window—Qin Mudong took the inner seat, and Lu Xingjia sat on the outside.

After sitting down, the person in front turned around and tapped Lu Xingjia’s desk.

Qiu Ruifeng raised an eyebrow. “Well, well, what a coincidence.”

“Whoa, you guys are sitting right in front of us!” Lu Xingjia’s eyes lit up.

He had been so focused on finding a window seat earlier that he hadn’t noticed Qiu Ruifeng and Ji Angran were seated directly in front of them.

“We’re really fated,” Ji Angran also turned around to greet him. He was a quieter type and didn’t know many people in class well, so he felt much more comfortable knowing he’d still be sitting close to Lu Xingjia.

Qiu Ruifeng leaned back on his chair, hands behind his head, watching other students file in to choose seats. “What does this count as, huh? We just changed seats for nothing?”

Lu Xingjia laughed at his joke, letting out a chuckle and playfully shoved him. Sitting beside him, Qin Mudong turned his head slightly, not wanting to look at them.

…….

Once everyone had settled into their seats, Zhang Chuchu gave a few more instructions, and then it was finally time to go home.

Qin Mudong, as always, disappeared like a ghost without a trace. Qiu Ruifeng had to leave early for something at home. Lu Xingjia slowly packed up his desk, just as Ji Angran also slung on his backpack.

The two exchanged a knowing smile.

Lu Xingjia offered, “Wanna walk home together?”

“Sure,” Ji Angran nodded, and they left the classroom one after the other.

Because moving seats had taken some time, the class was dismissed a bit later than usual. The teaching building was already mostly empty, and their footsteps echoed clearly.

Ji Angran looked like a model student, and he really was one through and through. His uniform was always immaculately ironed, the zipper pulled all the way up to the base of his neck, and when he walked, he held the straps of his backpack like a proper elementary school kid.

Maybe the quietness around them felt a little too heavy, so Ji Angran broke the silence: “Xingjia, why did you want to study physics competitions?”

“Me?” Lu Xingjia thought for a moment, then vaguely answered, “I just… woke up one day and decided I wanted to try a different kind of life.”

It’s not like he was deliberately lying, but saying “for someone” sounded too vague and unrealistic. There was no need to explain it too clearly.

Ji Angran chuckled at that. “Like suddenly unlocking your inner potential?”

“Mm, something like that.” Lu Xingjia nodded.

Being reborn really was a magical thing—more surreal than anything in a wuxia novel.

Even now, he sometimes doubted whether all of this was real. Had he really gone back to the past?

But there was no point in doubting. All he could do was try his best to live this life well.

“That’s great,” Ji Angran said with a touch of admiration. “Having a goal is a really good thing.”

They reached the staircase corner, where a large window let in a stream of gentle moonlight.

Ji Angran looked up at the moon and sighed softly. “I just don’t know what I like.”

Lu Xingjia asked, “Didn’t you start studying physics competitions because you liked it?”

Ji Angran shook his head. “I’m not sure. My mom wanted me to study it, so I did.”

Every seemingly perfect, happy person may be hiding unknown pain or confusion beneath their calm smile.

Lu Xingjia tried to comfort him. “But you’re really good at it—that’s impressive in itself.”

“Really?” Ji Angran scratched his head. “Actually, I haven’t worked that hard. I just think physics is kind of easy. Everyone should be able to do well at it, right?”

Lu Xingjia: “…”

The power of a true genius.

Ji Angran seemed to realize something too and quickly waved his hands. “That’s not what I meant, I— I…”

“It’s okay,” Lu Xingjia knew he didn’t mean it, so he deliberately made a fist. “I’ll work hard!”

Ji Angran smiled sheepishly. “Actually, thinking about it, I’ve been studying physics for a long time. I started taking competition classes back in middle school.”

Mentioning middle school reminded Lu Xingjia of something he’d been meaning to ask.

“By the way,” he asked, “I heard from Qiu Ruifeng that you and Qin Mudong were classmates in middle school?”

“Yeah,” Ji Angran nodded. “We were in the same school, even the same class.”

Lu Xingjia’s heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and tried to sound casual. “So… what kind of person was Qin Mudong in middle school?”

“……”

Ji Angran was silent for a moment, as if debating whether or not to say something. After a while, he slowly answered, “He changed a lot in middle school. At first, he got along well with everyone, but later, because of something, he took a six-month break from school. When he came back, he didn’t talk to anyone anymore.”

Lu Xingjia was stunned and blurted out instinctively, “What happened?!”

He held his breath. For the first time, it felt like he was getting close to the truth.