Proactively Attracted chapter 16

Wishing You Happiness

Ji Angran looked at him suspiciously. Lu Xingjia quickly explained, “No, no, I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m not trying to pry into his privacy, or use it to threaten or mock him. I just…”

Lu Xingjia hesitated for a moment and lowered his eyes slightly. “I just feel like he’s been through too much. I… I feel sorry for him.”

Sorry that someone who should have had a carefree youth had to bear so much pain.

Before they knew it, they had reached the last step of the staircase. The school was dark and quiet, with only a few lonely streetlights illuminating the path back.

Ji Angran quietly studied Lu Xingjia for a long while, then sighed lightly.

“I know,” he said, hesitating slightly before patting Lu Xingjia’s shoulder to comfort him. “You’ve always treated him well—everyone can see that. And he’s doing a lot better now than he was in middle school.”

“Actually, what happened in middle school wasn’t exactly a secret. Pretty much the whole school knew,” Ji Angran said, returning his hands to his backpack straps and fiddling with them. “It was because he got into a fight.”

“A fight?” Lu Xingjia was shocked. He had thought he had already stopped the mistakes from his past life from happening. He didn’t expect that even before that, Qin Mudong had already gotten into a fight?

“Yes,” Ji Angran said, absentmindedly picking at the strap. “It happened in class. He punched a classmate in the jaw, and then they started fighting. Our school had really strict rules. I heard Qin Mudong’s father donated a large sum of money to the school so he could stay enrolled.”

Lu Xingjia drew in a sharp breath. He couldn’t imagine what that scene must have been like.

He opened his mouth, his voice trembling slightly. “Then… do you know why it happened?”

“I don’t know,” Ji Angran shook his head. “I wasn’t close to him. I just know the two of them were really good friends before. Later, people said they had a falling out. Some even said Qin Mudong had some kind of problem.”

Ji Angran raised a hand and pointed to his head.

Lu Xingjia hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “He… he’s not that kind of person. He wouldn’t hurt someone on purpose.”

Words felt too weak. Lu Xingjia wanted to defend Qin Mudong, but he didn’t even know where to start. He believed in him, but without proof, his words meant nothing.

“I don’t think he’s a bad person either,” Ji Angran said softly, lowering his head. “He helped me with questions before. He was really serious and detailed—not cold at all like he seems on the outside. But at the time, so many people saw him fight. They said he was trying to beat the guy to death. After that, no one at school wanted to be friends with him anymore.”

In a flash, Lu Xingjia suddenly remembered a similar rumor from his past life, one that spread after that incident with Miao Haonan.

It was said that Qin Mudong had “lost it” back in middle school—beating up his best friend out of nowhere. That rumor solidified his reputation as violent and made his life in school unbearable. As soon as the physics competition ended, he had taken a break from school and stayed home.

Lu Xingjia suddenly realized—it might not have been just one incident that turned Qin Mudong into who he was in the last life. It was a series of small things, piling up, one on top of another, until it all became the final straw.

“Thank you for telling me this. And thank you for choosing to believe in him,” Lu Xingjia said, lips pressed into a thin line, fists clenched tightly under his uniform sleeves. “I’ll find out what really happened back then. I’ll show you proof, so you’ll know you didn’t trust the wrong person.”

What’s done is done. The past can’t be changed. But some truths shouldn’t be buried with time.

It had been so long ago that Ji Angran’s memories of it had already faded. But Lu Xingjia’s voice, firm and full of determination, brought him back. He looked up at the boy in front of him—his eyes filled with starlight.

After a moment, Ji Angran smiled. “Jia Jia, you really are a little sun.”

“…Thank you.” Lu Xingjia wasn’t sure if it was meant as comfort or from the heart. He looked away, his mood growing heavy.

Qin Mudong was the real sun—the one who had lit up so many of his darkest nights.

What he was doing now was merely striving to become a star that could reflect that person’s dazzling light.

But after hearing what Ji Angran said, he suddenly hesitated.

He had only returned to the high school days—he hadn’t been a part of all of Qin Mudong’s past.

Was it really still in time to change anything?

Could he really… do it?

……..

Ji Angran was a boarding student, so the two didn’t take the same route. After chatting for a bit more, they noticed it was nearly time for the school gates and dorm doors to be locked. They quickly said goodbye and ran off in different directions.

Lu Xingjia pedaled his bike at full speed on the road, the hot wind rushing into his clothes. His mind was filled with the scenes Ji Angran had described.

One frame after another stabbed at his heart, lungs, liver, and spleen—every organ hurt.

He furiously pedaled, legs moving so fast they were almost flying, venting his frustration. By the time he got home, sweat was pouring down his body.

Lu Xingjia panted for breath and knocked on the door. He startled He Xi with his appearance.

“Is it that hot outside? How did you sweat so much?” He Xi looked at Lu Xingjia, whose clothes were nearly soaked through, and worriedly turned on the electric water heater. “Go take a shower first.”

“Okay.” Lu Xingjia nodded absentmindedly, pulled off his shirt, and slipped into the bathroom.

Seventeen or eighteen years old—he was still a teenager, but already had the build and frame of an adult.

Lu Xingjia had been growing rapidly lately. Every day, he seemed to be just a bit taller than the last.

But it still wasn’t enough. He wanted to grow up faster, to be strong enough to protect the person he loved.

Cold water poured down from the showerhead, splashing onto his sweat-drenched head. The chill was wrapped in rising steam.

After rinsing off, Lu Xingjia threw his clothes into the washing machine and changed into a T-shirt and shorts for pajamas.

He opened the bathroom door to find He Xi sitting on the sofa. On the low coffee table was a bowl of millet congee and a plate of cold dishes.

“Jia Jia, come here,” He Xi called him gently, “You’ve studied all evening—you must be tired. Eat something first.”

Lu Xingjia nodded, slipped on his slippers, and sat beside He Xi, accepting the chopsticks from the table.

He Xi leaned forward slightly, arms resting on her legs, and looked at him with a bent posture. “What’s wrong? Did you run into any trouble at school?”

“No, no,” Lu Xingjia quickly shook his head, “It’s just…”

He Xi didn’t interrupt, just looked quietly at her son.

Their eyes were very similar—both were a warm amber color, gentle and calm, enough to soothe a restless heart.

Lu Xingjia lowered his head slightly, his long lashes casting shadows, still damp from his shower. “I feel like I’m still not good enough… like I can’t protect the person I love.”

He Xi smiled gently. “But I think our Jia Jia is already amazing.”

“…Really?” Lu Xingjia asked softly.

“Of course,” He Xi nodded seriously. “You know how to work hard, you’re motivated, thoughtful toward your mom, and you even helped me find such a good side hustle.”

“The first batch of stock I got has already sold out, and everyone’s giving great reviews. I’m planning to order a larger batch this time and really grow the shop.”

“Really?”

Hearing that, Lu Xingjia finally couldn’t help but put down his chopsticks.

When he had first encouraged He Xi to sell dried flowers, it was just to give her something to do. He hadn’t expected her to take it this far. He would’ve been content just seeing her happy every day.

He Xi nodded firmly and made a little cheer-up gesture. “Really! I already arranged to meet with the supplier uncle tomorrow to discuss a long-term partnership.”

“Mom, you’re amazing,” Lu Xingjia said sincerely.

“I wouldn’t have thought to do this without your suggestion,” He Xi stood up and sat beside Lu Xingjia. The sofa dipped slightly under their combined weight.

She gently ruffled his bangs and smiled elegantly. “I may not be able to help you with school, but I want you to know—you’ve always been a really outstanding person.”

“See?” He Xi said warmly. “Didn’t you help me already?”

“I didn’t really do much…”

Lu Xingjia scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. But without realizing it, the gloom in his mood had lifted quite a bit.

At least it meant that what he was doing wasn’t in vain.

He Xi looked into his eyes. “Never doubt your abilities or the effort you’ve put in.”

Lu Xingjia gave a quiet “mm” in response, his nose slightly sore.

“I got it, Mom.”

Maybe he still wasn’t strong enough yet. Maybe there were still many hardships ahead. He didn’t have a cheat code like characters in a novel—but he was doing his best to change both his fate and the fate of those around him.

He was not repeating the mistakes of his past life.

“So…” He Xi’s tone suddenly changed, “I actually have something to tell you. You’ll have to eat at school tomorrow.”

“Huh?” The shift in topic was so fast that Lu Xingjia was caught off guard.

“I’ve got a lunch meeting with that supplier uncle tomorrow, so I won’t be home around noon.” He Xi winked with a smile, a light blush rising on her cheeks. She seemed to be deliberately trying to lighten the mood. Joy crept out of her expression—like a young girl in her twenties, sweet and a little shy.

Lu Xingjia didn’t know exactly what she was so happy about, but seeing her smile made him feel warm inside too. He nodded, a little helplessly. “…Alright, alright, I’ll eat at the cafeteria.”

…..

10 PM, under a faint and starry moonlight, Lu Xingjia’s room was still lit.

Tired from studying, he absentmindedly doodled with a water-based pen on scratch paper, unconsciously sketching the oversized head of a little character.

The little character had sharp and defined features—a high nose bridge, thin lips, and long, narrow eyes filled with a cold intensity.

Lu Xingjia had never formally learned how to draw, relying only on his amateur skills. After staring at it for a while, he felt something was off. So he added a couple more strokes at the corners of the mouth, exaggerating an upturned smile, and only then felt satisfied, slipping the drawing casually into his physics textbook.

Next to the little character, a neat line of delicate handwriting read:

[Hope you’ll be happy.]

Each character was written with care and strength.