The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and Luo Zheng packed his books into his backpack and stood up to leave the classroom.
These days, he had been living in Luo Family Village. Since his eldest sister gave him some pocket money, he didn’t need to walk back like before.
Second Sister now had a job and had become much more cheerful. Their father had been treating them quite well lately, especially Second Sister, which eased Luo Zheng’s mind considerably. That’s why he decided, starting from today, to move back in with his eldest sister.
"Luo Zheng, wait for me!" A pretty girl, wearing a red cotton jacket and with two braids, rushed up to him.
Luo Zheng stopped and looked at the girl indifferently. "What is it?" She was his classmate, He Xiao, whose grades were always among the best. Coupled with her beauty and urban household registration, many male students in the class were quite fond of her.
"This Saturday, our class is organizing a trip to the Light Cinema to watch a movie, do you want to join?" He Xiao asked, batting her dark eyes at Luo Zheng with a smile.
The Luo Zheng of the past was unnoticeable in his class because of poor nutrition and his always raggedy clothes. Many students looked down on him, and for class activities, they would never consider inviting Luo Zheng.
However, Luo Zheng had changed a lot these days. Not only were his clothes no longer tattered, but he had also grown taller, put on weight, and his skin had become fairer. He was naturally good-looking, and now he seemed even more refined, which inadvertently drew He Xiao’s attention to him.
"I don’t want to participate," Luo Zheng said, rejecting the offer. Perhaps accustomed to being on his own, he wasn’t very keen on talking more with his classmates.
"He Xiao, don’t bother with him. He’s just ungrateful."
"Exactly, just because he’s dressed a bit better than before doesn’t mean he’s anything special. He’s still just a poor nobody." Two identical looking boys approached. They were He Xiao’s admirers.
"Guo Dong, Guo Liang, don’t you dare speak of Luo Zheng like that. He’s our classmate too," He Xiao stepped forward, glaring at the two angrily.
"He Xiao, you’re protecting this guy so much, could it be that you’ve fallen for him?" Guo Liang squinted at He Xiao. He couldn’t let the girl he liked fall for someone else.
He Xiao’s face flushed, "What... What nonsense are you talking about?" She shyly glanced at Luo Zheng, who remained expressionless. She felt a twinge of disappointment and anger.
"I’m leaving," Luo Zheng said, intending to leave without further conversation. He knew the change in his classmates’ attitudes toward him was due to his recent transformation. Since moving out with his eldest sister, his living conditions had improved significantly. He ate meat with every meal, and his clothes no longer had patches everywhere like before.
"Stop right there! Don’t you move!" Guo Liang caught up and blocked Luo Zheng’s way.
"Guo Liang, what do you think you’re doing? If you keep this up, I’m going to tell the teacher," He Xiao ran up, furious at Guo Liang.
"Luo Zheng, do you have the guts or not? You even let a girl stand up for you," Guo Liang taunted, filled with jealousy and rage.
Luo Zheng frowned at Guo Liang. "Move aside!"
"No, unless you crawl under my legs." Guo Liang intended to humiliate Luo Zheng. He wanted He Xiao to see that Luo Zheng was a wimp.
"You’re going too far!" Luo Zheng and He Xiao exclaimed at the same time.
Guo Liang laughed scornfully. "Too far? I’ve got something even worse up my sleeve! Brother!"
Guo Dong stepped forward, blocking Luo Zheng’s retreat, and Guo Liang, with a smug smile, threw a punch at Luo Zheng’s face. He was determined to disfigure the boy today and see how he’d then tempt He Xiao.
Luo Zheng knew that the situation couldn’t end amicably today. He threw his backpack at Guo Liang and the two started scuffling, but how could he handle both of them alone? He quickly began to lose.
"Stop fighting! Stop it!" Seeing the three of them ignoring her pleas, He Xiao turned and ran toward the teachers’ office.