Chapter 142 : Purple Clash
Early in the morning, Ling Ning had just arrived at school when she noticed two groups standing in the hallway, seemingly on the verge of a fight.
This made Ling Ning quite excited. Every day had been monotonously dull—coming to school, attending classes, and finally going home—she was almost dying of boredom. But today, it looked like something interesting was about to happen. Ling Ning was thrilled.
Without a second thought, she approached, only to realize that the two groups were boys from her own class and the neighboring class. What had happened between them? It looked like a confrontation, but somehow it seemed it wouldn't escalate.
Ling Ning scanned her surroundings and spotted Li Si standing in the corner, looking rather bored. She walked over and gently patted her shoulder, smiling as she asked, "Xiao Si Si, do you know what's going on here?"
Seeing Ling Ning, Li Si was genuinely happy. But the moment Ling Ning called her "Xiao Si Si," she nearly got goosebumps all over. She instinctively glanced around to make sure no one else had heard before letting out a sigh of relief. Honestly, in school, she should be called Li Si.
Li Si gave an unimpressed laugh. "I don't know who started it, but I heard it's about some game called... something like 'Overwatch.' They're arguing about who's better. It may look intense, but most people are just here for the show."
"Oh~" Ling Ning nodded, seemingly understanding.
"By the way, how's your brother's condition? Is he getting any better?"
Thinking of her brother, Li Si smiled gently. "The surgery is done, and it went really well. Now he just needs some time to rest."
"Send him my wishes for a speedy recovery."
At that moment, Mo Fashi, one of the so-called pervy trio of their class, stepped out of the crowd. He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and shot a disdainful look at the neighboring class. With a provocative tone, he said, "Talking is useless; let's prove it with our skills. After school, meet at 'Best Net Cafe.' The losing side wears girls' clothing to school tomorrow. How's that sound?"
Hearing Mo Fashi's challenge, the leader of the neighboring class hesitated for a moment. But right now, backing down would mean a loss of face—something he couldn't afford. Besides, he knew Mo Fashi's skills; they were about evenly matched. And if it was about Overwatch, he felt they had the upper hand. After a moment's consideration, the boy agreed to Mo Fashi's proposal.
Ling Ning, meanwhile, had already taken out her phone to record this amusing scene.
When the crowd finally dispersed, Bai Xuejia turned to Mo Fashi and said, "Why are you so confident we'll beat them? Just so you know, if we lose, neither Shen Shi nor I are going to wear a dress to school."
Shen Shi nodded fervently. There was no way he'd dress up like that in front of everyone—no way.
"Don't worry. With our skills, there's no way we'll lose."
Bai Xuejia gave Mo Fashi a curious look. He wondered where Mo Fashi got his confidence from. He also remembered Mo Fashi's reputation for jinxing things, and a sense of unease began to creep over him.
"Have you considered another important issue?" Shen Shi, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
"We only have five people in our class who are decent at Overwatch, including us three. The others barely know how to play. How are we even going to form a team?"
"Uh..."
Mo Fashi was speechless. In his rush of excitement, he hadn't considered this problem. Now it was getting awkward.
"How about adding me to your team?"
The speaker was none other than Ling Ning. After listening to their conversation, Ling Ning had decided to step up for her class, not wanting her classmates to be bullied. It was also part of her duty as the class representative (totally justified). More truthfully, her hands were itching to play.
"You... know how to play?"
Bai Xuejia eyed Ling Ning with suspicion. She was, after all, the one who had made Shen Shi so downcast—his rival. If not for her, Shen Shi would've surely chosen his side.
"Of course, I do. Trust me," Ling Ning said confidently.
"Well, it's not like we have any other options. Let's give Ling Ning a shot~ Worst case, we wear the dresses. Not a big deal," Shen Shi said, staring unblinkingly at Ling Ning, his expression almost like that of an infatuated fool.
Mo Fashi thought for a moment and nodded. They would bring some more classmates along after school, just in case Ling Ning didn't perform well and needed to be replaced.
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"New Year's Day is coming up soon. It feels like time flies by, doesn't it? Another year has passed in the blink of an eye. Honestly, I'd love to stay seventeen forever—like that Lady Purple," Xu Qing said, but as she mentioned "Lady Purple," an inexplicable shiver ran down her spine, as though she'd be pinned down to the keyboard and rolled over any second.
"New Year's Day!?"
Ling Ning touched her smooth chin thoughtfully. If Xu Qing hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have even realized that New Year's Day was just around the corner. Time really was slipping by quickly; it seemed like they had only just finished celebrating Christmas.
"Do we get a break for New Year's?" Ling Ning asked curiously.
"Yes, but only one day. I really envy the first and second-year high schoolers; they get three whole days off. I wish I could go back to my first year of high school," Xu Qing said, slumping over her desk.
Ling Ning rolled her eyes. "It's still daylight—please don't dream during the day, alright?"
"Everyone needs dreams, Ling Ning. Who knows, they might just come true! And studying is exhausting. I really just want to be a salted fish."
Ling Ning looked at Xu Qing and shook her head helplessly. "When you start working, you'll miss school days, trust me." Ling Ning said, drawing from her own experiences. Whatever Xu Qing had been through, she had too.
Xu Qing seemed like she wanted to argue, but the bell rang, and the teacher had already entered the classroom. With a sigh, she swallowed back her words.
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Author's Note:
Gonna play some mahjong tonight~