Proactively Attracted chapter 39
Protect Him Well
The results of the second round spread quickly. By the next morning, everyone knew.
With the theory exam concluded, the training camp officially ended. The school gate was crowded with parents coming to pick up their children.
Some were beaming with joy, some calm and composed, others frowned and looked disheartened.
He Xi was also among the sea of parents, excitedly waving at Lu Xingjia.
Lu Xingjia spotted her immediately and ran over with big strides. “Mom!”
“My son is amazing!”
He Xi gave him a big bear hug and showered him with praise.
Lu Xingjia wasn’t used to such direct compliments. His ears turned red, and he quickly pulled Qin Mudong over to divert the attention. “Mom, it’s actually all thanks to Mudong Ge’s teaching!”
“He’s really good at physics! The methods and ideas he summarizes are super clear. Just listening to him explain one question, I can do all similar ones now!”
“He even predicted some of the exam questions — several matched exactly with what the teacher ended up testing!”
Lu Xingjia praised Qin Mudong endlessly in front of He Xi. She listened with a smile and thanked Qin Mudong several times.
She was genuinely happy for both kids. It wasn’t easy to find a like-minded, supportive, and caring friend.
But when she looked at the expressions on their faces, a strange feeling rose in her heart.
Lu Xingjia’s face still had a blush, his eyes sparkling, talking on and on about his “Mudong Ge,” waving his hands around animatedly.
Meanwhile, Qin Mudong stood with one hand in his pocket, seemingly expressionless. But hidden beneath his cold, sharp features was a tenderness, his gaze never leaving Lu Xingjia.
The atmosphere between them was all too familiar to He Xi — it was just like when she was with Xiang Yizhi.
But… they were both boys!
No, it was a little different.
They didn’t have the kind of sweet, tacit understanding lovers shared during a relationship.
Friendship and love do overlap in many ways. They were probably just really close friends. He Xi could only console herself with that thought.
Suppressing the strange emotions in her heart, He Xi jokingly interrupted Lu Xingjia’s non-stop chatter. “Alright, I get it. Your Mudong Ge is amazing. Now how about thinking about what you want for dinner?”
“Braised pork ribs!”
Lu Xingjia replied instantly, “They make the best braised ribs around here, but they never make enough! So many times we’ve gotten to the cafeteria only to find they were already gone.”
He Xi nodded in agreement, and Lu Xingjia suddenly remembered Qin Mudong’s family situation. He hurriedly said, “Mom, Mudong Ge has helped me a lot—why don’t we invite him to have dinner at our place tonight?”
He Xi sighed. Regardless of what kind of relationship the two of them had, it was only right—both emotionally and ethically—to treat Qin Mudong well.
She smiled and said, “Sure! Mudong, do you have any plans tonight? Why don’t you come to our place for dinner?”
Qin Mudong gave a small nod and was about to thank her when a richly dressed woman suddenly appeared in their line of sight.
“Mudong, over here!” The woman was wearing a vintage-style qipao that accentuated her graceful figure, a white mink fur draped around her neck, and a dangling ornament on her hairpin that swayed slightly.
Lu Xingjia didn’t recognize the woman, but He Xi furrowed her brows and asked hesitantly, “Is that Shulan?”
The woman turned at the sound of her name. When she saw He Xi clearly, she smiled gently. “Xiao Xi, it’s been a long time.”
Then she turned to Lu Xingjia, who stood beside He Xi, and said affectionately, “This must be Jia Jia? You’ve grown so tall! Back when we lived next door, you were only this big.”
She gestured to about waist height, her fingers pale and well-manicured—clearly well taken care of.
At that, Lu Xingjia immediately remembered: this was Qin Mudong’s biological mother, Pu Shulan.
“Hello, Aunt Pu,” he greeted obediently, not sure why she had suddenly shown up, but still polite.
Pu Shulan chatted with them briefly, then He Xi tentatively asked, “You came to pick up your son?”
“Yes,” Pu Shulan said, her gaze soft as she looked at Qin Mudong. “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at the school gate? You didn’t see my message?”
Qin Mudong furrowed his brows slightly and replied coldly, “What do you want?”
Pu Shulan wasn’t bothered by his aloofness and stepped a little closer.
She was about a head shorter than him, so she looked up gently and said, “I saw your results this time. I’m very proud of you. We’ve booked a table at the Showa Hotel—we want to celebrate with you.”
Qin Mudong kept his hands in his pockets and didn’t move. After a pause, he said, “No need.”
Pu Shulan was silent for a moment, then sighed softly and pulled him aside, her tone becoming softer. “Sweetheart, I only just found out from your teacher that your father refused to sign the paperwork. You must have felt wronged.”
Her hands were folded in front of her stomach, and she looked a bit uneasy. “You’ve always been such a good child. It’s me who hasn’t done well—if you resent me, I understand.”
Qin Mudong still said nothing.
She continued, “Are you still angry at your younger brother? You’re both my sons—my flesh and blood. He was immature back then. I’ve spoken with him, and I know now he was in the wrong. I’ve already disciplined him on your behalf.”
Their conversation continued quietly. Lu Xingjia and He Xi couldn’t hear the exact words, but they could sense the pressure in Qin Mudong’s expression and the gentleness in Pu Shulan’s tone.
Lu Xingjia was a little surprised. Compared to what Pu Shulan had done in the past, she seemed like a completely different person now.
Had she suddenly realized her past mistakes and wanted to make amends? Or was there something else behind this change?
While the two of them kept talking, Lu Xingjia tugged at He Xi’s sleeve, hinting whether she should say something. After a brief hesitation, He Xi walked over to them, smiling. “Mudong, did you already have plans with your mom? Let’s reschedule our dinner, then.”
Lu Xingjia was stunned and tugged on her sleeve again. Her response was completely different from what he expected—he thought she would try to stop them from going.
He Xi glanced at Lu Xingjia, then looked away, and continued speaking to Qin Mudong, “Mudong, your mom specially came to celebrate with you and even made a reservation. You should go.”
Pu Shulan gave He Xi a grateful look and added, “Mudong, I spoke with your homeroom teacher, Mr. Zhang. We talked a lot—about your academics, your life, and everything else. It was only then that I realized how much I’ve failed you. Even though your father and I are divorced, you are still my son—that will never change.”
Qin Mudong pressed his lips together, glancing coldly at the people in front of him. He Xi smiled and said, “It’s okay. If you ever want to come over, you’re always welcome at our place.”
After a long silence, Qin Mudong slowly closed and opened his eyes, suppressing the emotions within, and asked, “How are we getting there?”
“I drove,” Pu Shulan said joyfully. “Let’s go this way!”
She happily led Qin Mudong away. Even after their car disappeared from sight, Lu Xingjia still looked worried.
“Mom,” he asked, puzzled, “why did you speak up for that Aunt Pu? She used to treat Mudong Ge so badly. She kept her other son at home and didn’t hesitate to send Mudong Ge to a boarding school.”
“I understand your concern,” He Xi sighed, gently patting Lu Xingjia’s head. “But a parent’s love is crucial for a child’s development. Mudong has such a cold temperament—maybe that’s because he lacked care from his parents. If she’s really willing to take responsibility now, it’s a good thing.”
“But what if she has some kind of motive?” Lu Xingjia asked, unable to hold back. “Don’t you think she only changed her attitude because she realized how outstanding Mudong Ge is?”
He Xi was silent for a moment, then chuckled softly. “You all act like little adults, but you’re still minors. There are many things you still need to rely on your guardians for. Even if she only changed her attitude toward Mudong because of his good grades, as long as she treats him sincerely from now on, it’s still a good thing for him.”
Lu Xingjia fell silent.
After a while, he recalled the ending of Qin Mudong in his past life.
If Pu Shulan really started to care about him because of his excellence, would someone who received such care still choose to end their life in despair?
Lu Xingjia asked, “What if… she hurts him later?”
He Xi laughed and rubbed his head. “Jia Jia, she’s his biological mother, just like how I am to you. A mother’s love for her child is instinctual. Very few mothers would deliberately hurt their own children.”
Lu Xingjia hesitated. What He Xi said made sense, but he still couldn’t figure out what had really happened in the previous life.
Maybe something else occurred—something Pu Shulan alone couldn’t reverse?
Or perhaps there was another hidden reason?
His head started to ache from overthinking, and he still couldn’t come to a definite conclusion.
Lu Xingjia let out a light sigh and temporarily put the matter aside.
Take it one step at a time—if Pu Shulan truly had Mudong’s best interests at heart, he wouldn’t interfere. But if she tried to use him, he would definitely protect him and not let him walk the same path as before.
…..
After returning home, Lu Xingjia finally enjoyed a comfortable bath and put on his thick, fleece-lined pajamas.
He Xi had bought a big pot of pork ribs and cooked not just braised ribs, but also oil-braised and savory versions, letting Lu Xingjia enjoy a feast.
During the meal, He Xi’s phone kept ringing—mostly calls and messages from friends and family offering congratulations. Even Zhang Chuchu called specifically to say congrats, while also reminding Lu Xingjia not to slack off and to prepare for the next phase.
After all, winning first place in the province wasn’t the end—next week, they still had the practical exams.
Unlike the written exams, the practical test had a limited set of questions and focused more on hands-on skills and proficiency, making it perfect for crash training.
As a major competition school and a prestigious institution in the province, No. 1 High had excellent hardware resources. It had a dedicated laboratory building capable of supporting nearly all basic physics, chemistry, and biology experiments. Every year, it offered free access to classrooms and equipment for students preparing for the practical competition phase.
There were only ten spots on the provincial team. Lu Xingjia’s written test scores weren’t particularly outstanding, so it would be hard for him to get in based on the practical test alone.
But to him, this was a gift of time—another chance to walk alongside Qin Mudong. Regardless of the result, he cherished it dearly.