Chapter 042: The Thoughts of Liang Hongyu The single bed that had been crushed under the weight of Lu Yun and Tie Xinlan was only slightly damaged—just one leg bent. Lu Yun fetched several wedges, secured them firmly beneath the frame, and in no time at all, the bed stood as solid as ever. “Lan sister,” Lu Yun said with a smile, “the bed is now restored. With this, even if we add more people, it won’t collapse again.” Tie Xinlan snapped back sharply: “What exactly do you mean? How do you think I feel about that? This bed—besides you, not one man or woman has ever sat on it!” Lu Yun had originally intended to show off his handy skills, only to end up making Tie Xinlan furious. With his hammer in one hand and several nails in the other, he stood there awkwardly, stammering, “Lan sister, I didn’t mean anything that disrespectful. I simply wanted to say that this bed is strong enough.” Tie Xinlan stared at him a moment longer, then took her seat on the bed to test it herself. When she confirmed that indeed the bed was as sturdy as Lu Yun claimed, her anger faded, and she smiled gently: “Don’t blame me for getting so angry—some things can’t be said casually. You know the saying: ‘Misfortune comes from speaking too much; illness comes from talking too much.’” Lu Yun nodded seriously and promised he would never make such a mistake again. “Alright,” Tie Xinlan said, as she glanced at her watch, “what’s it you wanted to talk about now? Our class is almost starting.” After thinking for a moment, Lu Yun replied: “Lan sister, I sense that the homeroom teacher has some prejudice against me. Every time he teaches, he deliberately finds faults with me—today morning, he even asked me to step outside and stand in the hall as punishment. If it hadn’t been for the new art teacher who interceded on my behalf, I would have been kept there all day. Now, his class is coming up, and he’s going to ask me to recite the lesson first. With my mind already scattered, how could I possibly focus?” Tie Xinlan nodded in understanding, then paused with a slight smile. “That’s exactly what I thought—though you haven’t said it out loud.” He didn’t finish her sentence, but Lu Yun instantly sensed what she meant. Ah, the thirsty widow! People say: when drought lasts long and finally comes rain—it becomes clear how precious that water is. Tie Xinlan, like a desert parched for years, has been enriched by Lu Yun’s care. Now, with every conversation, she feels more graceful, more radiant—yet ever so hungry for more. “Are you telling the truth?” Tie Xinlan asked, her eyes narrowing. “Even though we’ve grown close, in academics—if you want to be lazy or mischievous, don’t expect me to let you off easy. Don’t think I’ll stand by silently just because of our personal relationship. Take Wang Zhiyang—the old romantic—for instance.” Lu Yun felt his cheeks grow warm under her gaze. To earn her approval, he made a solemn vow: “Lan sister, if I ever lie even once about anything—just one little falsehood—I shall never again enter your room.” Stubborn as always. Whenever she speaks, everything seems awkward and full of subtle innuendo. Tie Xinlan blushed slightly, then turned around to pick up her textbook, heading off to class. “Lan sister,” Lu Yun said, “what about the homeroom teacher?” “I’ll go see him right now,” Tie Xinlan replied. “But if I catch you being anything but diligent in class—I won’t just help you out. I’ll make sure he gives you extra punishment, do you understand?” Lu Yun nodded eagerly. He thought: even if she goes to the classroom and asks around—she’ll surely find a reliable, honest class monitor named Liang Hongyu. But even if she’s not very skilled at bluffing, that doesn’t mean she won’t eventually catch him out. And besides—that very stubborn man, Wang Zhiyang, has been deliberately making life difficult for me. So just wait—I’ll soon climb onto your bed again. After leaving the office together, Lu Yun returned to the classroom and found Liang Hongyu absent. He felt a bit disappointed. He had nearly convinced Liang Hongyu to help him get ready to perform—only to end up having a battle with both Tie Xinlan and Mrs. Liu instead. In fact, he’d ended up falling asleep on his desk, missing what might have been one of the most delightful moments of his life—a real case of awkwardly rolling like a cockroach. Lu Yun sighed, glancing at several girls diligently reciting their lessons. He picked up his textbook, flipped through it randomly, then dropped it back onto the desk with a loud thud. “Where’s Zhou Quan now? I can’t believe he’s disappeared.” Ugh—after two fights today, and still feeling a fiery ache in his arms. With a little stretch, he remembered what Zhou Quan had said before leaving—and couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Lu Yun and Zhou Quan were such close friends—they’d come to know each other only after days of overlapping encounters during their first week at school—like a young ox wandering around unfamiliar terrain, always curious, ever restless. It was no surprise they ended up as lifelong partners in struggle. When Lu Yun had just arrived at the campus, he wandered across the grounds aimlessly. One day, while passing by, his foot accidentally kicked a stone that flew out and struck Zhou Quan squarely on the head. Zhou Quan, known for his fiery temper, was naturally annoyed and rushed to confront Lu Yun. Lu Yun wasn’t one to back down either—so they argued, then started punching each other. Eventually, both of them were so exhausted that they looked like two worn-out dogs, gasping for breath. Watching Lu Yun’s eyes darkened with fatigue and his chest heaving, Zhou Quan chuckled: “Hey! What’s your name again? You’ve got such a strong will—how long has it taken me to get through you?” Lu Yun imitated the hero of a wuxia film, drawing himself up with a cool expression: “By all means—name’s Lu Yun. I never change. No more, no less.” Zhou Quan admired his composure and smiled: “I’m Zhou Quan—a new student. Honestly, we’ve been fighting for so long—we might as well stop now. Let’s just smile at each other and settle the score. Friends from then on?” Lu Yun, touched by his sincerity, nodded without hesitation. Now that they were both in the same class, two former rivals who had once believed they’d end up dead against one another—had become inseparable friends, sharing meals, sneaking into girls’ restrooms to watch the bathroom walls with their eyes wide open. What a perfect match! Though they shared an unbreakable bond, Zhou Quan never revealed where he was from or what his family did. Lu Yun had asked repeatedly—but always came away empty-handed. Thinking of what Zhou Quan had said before parting, Lu Yun immediately sensed that Zhou Quan must not be a rural student—after all, how could his cousin have grown up in the city? Yet still—he couldn’t understand: if he had family connections, why would he choose to come to this quiet, remote town? Lu Yun felt particularly frustrated when the loud classroom bell rang, and students began pouring into the room. Liang Hongyu returned to her seat and glanced at Lu Yun. “Lu Yun,” she asked, “have you memorized your lesson?” Lu Yun shook his head, looking miserable: “Class monitor, you know me well—how could I possibly be good at reciting lessons? Either it’s a blessing or a curse—now I’m just hoping the homeroom teacher will show some mercy and not make things worse.” Liang Hongyu looked genuinely concerned. She picked up her textbook to review, yet couldn’t seem to focus. Her mind felt restless, as if something was stirring within. Glancing at Lu Yun again, she thought: *Why am I so worried about him? Isn’t it possible…? Can it be that…?* After all—this guy is both unrefined and cheeky, often teasing me. How could I possibly…? She couldn’t bear to think further, and just kept flipping through her pages with a distracted air. …… To the Readers: Please leave your bricks, votes, and favorites! And kindly support our dear contributor—please give him a tip or two! Chapter 042: Liang Hongyu’s Inner Thoughts — Updated!