C3 – Magic Cube
Her expression was a carbon copy of Qi Ning’s earlier demeanor.
Xiao Qing, beaming with joy, ran toward a young man standing beside a BMW 320. His attire was quite intriguing. Due to the summer heat, he sported a snug tank top and tight pants, complemented by a pair of athletic shoes. Qi Ning immediately pegged him as a troublemaker.
Upon seeing Xiao Qing, a lecherous glint appeared in the young man’s eyes. Clearly, he was smitten with her.
”Let’s grab some food first, then head to the movies,” the young man suggested to Xiao Qing, who nodded in agreement.
Had Qi Ning been close by, he would have recognized that the young man’s movie ticket matched his own.
Xiao Qing’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of the movie ticket. A delightful expression crossed her face as she said, “I absolutely adore animated films. I never guessed you’d enjoy them too. You’ve kept your sense of innocence.”
Qi Ning would have found the comment nauseating if he’d overheard it.
The young man glanced in Qi Ning’s direction as if something occurred to him and asked Xiao Qing, “Who was that guy bothering you earlier?”
With a coy laugh, Xiao Qing glanced toward Qi Ning and replied, “He’s a classmate of mine. I think he might have a crush on me.”
A mischievous twinkle appeared in the young man’s eyes.
Ultimately, Xiao Qing climbed into the young man’s BMW.
“She’s not right for you,” a soft voice came from behind Qi Ning, startling him.
Turning around, he found himself face to face with Pang Yuejuan, who was giving him a look filled with an unusual sparkle.
Qi Ning watched the BMW drive away and sighed, “She’s indeed not the one for me.” He then started walking home.
His house was not too far from the school. After about a half-hour’s walk, Qi Ning arrived at an old residential building that stood out starkly against the backdrop of newer apartments.
By the time he got home, his parents had already left for work. Qi Ning’s family was only marginally better off than Pang Yuejuan’s. His parents, both factory workers, earned just enough to scrape by.
Despite the lack of pressure from them, Qi Ning was well aware that he represented their hopes and dreams.
After Qi Ning returned to his room, he flopped down onto his bed with a sense of immediate relief.
“Ah, this is bliss,” Qi Ning sighed contentedly.
He was aware, however, that this blissful feeling would be fleeting, lasting only a few minutes at best. After all, he still had a mountain of papers waiting for him.
Not naturally gifted, Qi Ning had to work harder than most kids to keep up.
Despite his efforts, Qi Ning came to the disheartening realization that no matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t seem to catch up.
He finally understood that, when it came to innate talent, all his hard work seemed like a cruel joke.
“I really wish I could just lie here until tomorrow afternoon,” he mused.
But of course, that was nothing more than a wishful thought.
After a brief respite, Qi Ning rose from the bed, resigned to the fact that he needed to start his homework.
It was then that he noticed an unexpected addition on his desk—a Rubik’s cube.
“When did I buy this?” he wondered aloud.
The cube was utterly unremarkable.
“Well, I might as well take a short break before diving into homework,” Qi Ning decided, reaching for the Rubik’s cube.
But the instant his fingers closed around it, the cube inexplicably took flight.