Chapter 17: 16. On the Art of Talking (Monthly tickets, follows, please)
There had been a period when Zhang Luo had been unwilling to go to the cafeteria.
How to put it? Looking back afterward, he felt it had been some kind of inferiority complex at work.
When he grew up and thought back on his mentality during that time, he found it utterly baffling. What was there to feel inferior about?
Just because his mother had contracted the cafeteria?
In any case, because of that, Zhang Luo had basically avoided going to the cafeteria whenever he could.
But now, with the soul of a thirty-year-old, Zhang Luo had no such feelings at all.
After playing football, he could go to the cafeteria for dinner, then stroll back and do his homework. Pretty nice.
His mother and father exchanged a glance.
“You’re willing to eat at the cafeteria?”
“Sure.” Zhang Luo knew what they were surprised about, but he pretended not to. “If I eat at home by myself, I still have to wash the dishes. What a hassle.”
Ms. Liang Fengying said, “You can’t even be bothered to wash a few bowls… Then tell me in advance what you want to eat.”
“Okay.” Zhang Luo nodded.
He shuffled back to his room in his slippers and continued doing his homework, struggling against the dead memories of knowledge, trying to summon their souls back.
His parents looked at each other.
“He’s been a little different these past two days.”
“Grown up? Matured?”
Both of them wore expressions of doubt that said, “Seriously?”
-
He slept without dreams and woke up easily and refreshed.
That kind of deeply satisfying sleep quality once again made Zhang Luo feel what youth and vitality meant.
Outside the window, birds were chirping.
Zhang Luo opened his eyes and stared blankly out the window for a while before finally getting up.
He checked the time. Hah! It was only 6:30.
Woke up naturally.
Terrifying.
So healthy.
Brush teeth, wash face.
His father came out of the kitchen, looked at him, and asked, “You didn’t finish your homework again yesterday?”
“I finished it,” Zhang Luo said.
“Then you… got up this early?” The expression on his father’s face turned puzzled.
Zhang Luo said with a perfectly serious face, “To get up and study.”
His father: “…What is it you want to buy? Just tell me directly.”
Zhang Luo: “Huh?”
“You’re pretending to be so hardworking because you’ve taken a fancy to something and want to buy it, right?”
“Dad, can you have a little faith in me? How can you use the word ‘pretending’ when it comes to studying?”
Zhang Luo was speechless. He wanted to study properly, and even his motives had to be questioned.
His father said, “Fine, you can keep being stubborn for a few more days. If you want something, as long as it isn’t too outrageous, you can tell me—if you’re worried your mom won’t buy it for you.”
“I…” Zhang Luo shook his head. “Forget it. Let’s leave it at that.”
-
Zhang Luo really wanted to know: had he been that unreliable in the past?
Even studying seriously earned him so little trust?
He remembered that he hadn’t been a bad student.
At any rate, if he performed normally, his grades were good enough to get into a first-tier university.
Why did his dad act like his grades were dead last?
Zhang Luo couldn’t figure it out no matter how he thought about it.
Even after being reborn, he still couldn’t get inside his father’s head and understand what he was thinking.
-
“If you suddenly worked a little harder at studying and became a little more diligent, would your parents question your motives?”
On the way to school, Zhang Luo asked Zhou Hengyu.
Zhou Hengyu looked puzzled.
“I’ve… always worked pretty hard and been pretty diligent,” he said.
Zhang Luo: “…”
Up ahead, Jiang Xiaoyu’s figure was already visible.
He sped up to catch up.
Only when he reached her side did he brake.
“Why did you leave so early today?”
Jiang Xiaoyu said, “I’m on duty at the broadcasting station today.”
“…”
Right.
He had forgotten about that.
Jiang Xiaoyu was also an announcer at the broadcasting station.
A backbone of the arts and literature side.
“Hop on. I’ll give you a ride,” Zhang Luo said.
After what had happened yesterday, Zhang Luo’s movements and tone were finally a little more natural this time.
Jiang Xiaoyu got on and said thank you.
Zhou Hengyu clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk.”
Zhang Luo turned to look at him.
His gaze meant: Got a problem?
Zhou Hengyu lifted his head and looked at the sky.
Jiang Xiaoyu tilted her head to one side and smiled faintly.
-
In the past, Zhang Luo had always treated the ten minutes of broadcasting before morning classes as background white noise and never listened at all.
But today, he listened very seriously.
Jiang Xiaoyu was the kind of girl who stood in the sunlight with a bright, clear smile.
She wore her hair in a high ponytail, revealing a smooth forehead. Her eyes were bright, and when she smiled, it was as if ripples of light were shimmering on water.
Her voice, too, was filled with bright youthful energy.
This was the Jiang Xiaoyu most familiar to him.
Not the Jiang Xiaoyu who later became a female celebrity.
As Zhang Luo listened, his thoughts suddenly drifted away.
“Zhang Luo!” Li Miaomiao walked over and interrupted his wandering mind.
Zhang Luo came back to himself.
“Teacher Chu wants you to go to her office.”
On Li Miaomiao’s face, Zhang Luo saw a trace of smugness she couldn’t quite hide.
Once he went to Teacher Chu’s office, he understood what was going on.
Chu Xing smiled and said, “Zhang Luo, Li Miaomiao from our class sent me a text message last night, recommending herself as class representative. She has very rich experience in oral expression, so I thought, perfect, the two class representatives can be you and her.”
Zhang Luo had already guessed as much.
After all, when Li Miaomiao had called him, she hadn’t quite managed to conceal the smug look on her face.
“Sure,” he said. “If her English is good, she can help lead everyone in studying too.”
Chu Xing said happily, “During English class in a bit, I’ll tell the class about this.”
“Okay.” Zhang Luo nodded.
-
After Zhang Luo left Chu Xing’s office, he saw Li Miaomiao standing off to the side.
“Teacher Chu told you, right?” Li Miaomiao lifted her chin proudly and asked.
“Mm.” Zhang Luo nodded.
Every corner of Li Miaomiao’s face was filled with the smugness of having won back a point.
Seeing her like that, Zhang Luo smiled and teased, “Impressive. Recommending yourself by text to be class representative—Li Miaomiao, who absolutely never takes the initiative.”
The smile on Li Miaomiao’s face instantly twitched.
She gave a cold snort.
“I was merely objectively stating my circumstances.”
Zhang Luo nodded.
“Respect!”
He meant it sincerely.
However, Li Miaomiao clearly didn’t think so.
“You’re mocking me?!”
Zhang Luo said, “Classmate, can we not be so sensitive? Why would I mock you?”
Li Miaomiao was rendered speechless for two seconds before muttering angrily, “Just now you said something about absolutely never taking the initiative.”
“Absolutely never takes what initiative? Why don’t I remember?” Zhang Luo asked back. “Do you want me to go recall it in front of the other classmates?”
“Zhang Luo!”
“Just kidding. I’ll keep it secret for you.” Zhang Luo grinned. “Relax!”
When it came to verbal skill, how could Li Miaomiao possibly be a match for this old man with a thirty-year-old soul?
Li Miaomiao stomped her foot.
Zhang Luo smiled, turned around, and walked toward the classroom.
Xu Shuiyun was already at the classroom door.
This time, she was standing by the corridor wall beside the classroom, looking down at the floor below.
Curious, Zhang Luo also glanced down.
A few people from the class were carrying their schoolbags, saying something to each other as they slowly dawdled toward the teaching building.
Xu Shuiyun suddenly shouted in an extremely loud and dignified voice, “What are you dawdling for? Class is about to start!”
The few of them froze at the same time. They looked up, saw Xu Shuiyun’s face, and their smiles all vanished. Greatly alarmed, they transformed into ostriches and ran into the building with rapid footsteps.
-
Monthly tickets, follows, please.
Completed old book
Sincerely recommended
A must-read