novelno Chapter 25 Broken Promise
Chapter 25 Broken Promise
Having done a lot of exercise today and worked up a light sweat, Lu Yuan went straight to take a shower after school.
When he came out of the shower, his mother had just finished preparing dinner. Before sitting down, Lu Yuan mentioned to his mother that the school was holding a 100-day countdown rally on Saturday and he wanted her and his father to attend.
This is the first time in Lu Yuan's life that he has taken the initiative to invite his parents to participate in a school activity.
He used to be unruly and rebellious, frequently causing trouble at school. Whenever his parents needed to intervene, it was always a scene of being called in by the teacher and scolded for his mistakes.
Over time, Lu Yuan developed a deep-seated fear of his parents going to school and was even more unwilling to embarrass them in front of others.
That's why, when she heard her son take the initiative to invite her, the mother was full of surprise, and her eyes couldn't hide her joy.
"So, do you want your dad to go, or should I go?" Mom asked with a smile.
"It would be best if the two of you were together, so the whole family could be together."
Lu Yuan answered without hesitation.
Having been given a second chance at life, he wanted to let his parents witness his determination and confidence to shed his despondency and defy fate before the college entrance examination.
"No problem." Mom smiled broadly, her eyes crinkling with excitement, like a young girl about to go on a date. After sitting down, she kept asking, "What should I wear on Saturday? Should I get my hair done? Maybe I should go to the hair salon after dinner?"
Seeing his mother's joyful expression, Lu Yuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart and smiled, "No need to make a fuss, just go as usual."
"Okay, okay, I'll talk to your dad tonight and ask him to make time to go there on time."
Lu Yuan understood that his mother never pressured him to study. She seemed indifferent and easygoing, but in reality, she always cared about his life on campus. Whenever she had the chance to get close to his life, she would do so without hesitation.
In his past life, Lu Yuan was young and naive, unable to understand the favoritism and concern his parents showed in the details. He was willful and capricious, repeatedly causing them sadness and pain. Looking back now, Lu Yuan feels very guilty.
After experiencing the ups and downs of life, he finally understood that as parents, we don't ask for much. We just hope that our children will be safe and well and won't drift away.
As dusk fell, Dad returned home.
Mom immediately told him about the pep rally, but Dad pretended to be tough, muttering with a pout, "This kid's grades are at the bottom. If I go to school, won't I be laughed at to death?"
He made all sorts of excuses with his mouth, but his actions were remarkably honest.
He adjusted his schedule overnight, determined to make time to attend the conference on time.
Lu Yuan increasingly understood his parents' seemingly contradictory tenderness and couldn't help but secretly imagine that when they were young, they were probably all so concerned with saving face and so stubborn. Even when they had a falling out, neither of them was willing to back down first.
As night deepened, Lu Yuan, exhausted from studying for so long, lay down on the bed to rest. Suddenly, he missed Ye Yixian.
What would she do at this time if she didn't have evening self-study?
Should I just call her and ask her?
That would be too abrupt, and would seem more like harassment.
If only she had QQ, even just a few casual words across the screen would allow me to subtly get close to her daily life and know about her recent situation.
After thinking it over, Lu Yuan decided to call her and ask if she had QQ.
Before the call could be made, a QQ message notification sounded first, from Gao Zhe.
Gao Zhe: Yuan-ge, did you tell your parents about the 100-day countdown rally on Saturday?
Lu Yuan: I told them, and they all agreed to go together.
Gao Zhe: Seriously? Aren't you afraid they'll see your bottom-ranked grades and you'll get a beating when you get home?
Lu Yuan: I'm not afraid, and I feel that my grades will make a qualitative leap in the next monthly exam.
Gao Zhe: Leap? How far can it fly? Will it be third to last or fourth to last? Anyway, I've already reserved last place.
For a long time, Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe have consistently occupied the bottom two positions in the class. If they are lucky, Lu Yuan can barely manage to be second to last, but if he makes a slight mistake, he will firmly be last.
Gao Zhe had long since given up on his studies.
With just over three months left until the college entrance examination, he never felt he had any chance of turning things around, so he simply gave up and drifted along, leaving everything to fate.
In his eyes, Lu Yuan used to be no different from himself, and now that he suddenly claims to have made progress, he just takes it as empty talk.
If Lu Yuan were to persuade him to study hard at this moment, it would be like the pot calling the kettle black, completely unconvincing.
After careful consideration, Lu Yuan temporarily abandoned the idea of encouraging others to study. Only when there are tangible results to show for it can he have the confidence to persuade people to move forward.
Lu Yuan: You called me in the middle of the night just to ask this?
Gao Zhe: First, my parents are away on a business trip and won't be home for the pep rally. Can my sister go in my place?
The school does not have a strict requirement that parents must be present; as long as one parent is present to report, it is fine. If Gao Zhe can make proper arrangements, it would be harmless for his elegant and sophisticated older sister, Gao Ya, to attend on his behalf.
Gao Zhe: Second, Jiang Yiqing just sent me a message.
Gao Zhe sent a screenshot of a chat, which was Jiang Yiqing's message.
Jiang Yiqing: Brother Zhe, can we take a picture together after the pep rally on Saturday?
Before Gao Zhe could reply, he sent a question: What's going on with her suddenly asking me to take a picture?
Gao Zhe and Jiang Yiqing had very little interaction to begin with. Even though they were in the same class, they rarely communicated. Logically speaking, Jiang Yiqing would never take the initiative to ask him for a photo.
Lu Yuan: It's highly likely that Xu Lingjing asked her to ask.
Gao Zhe: Maybe. I'll test her.
Five minutes later, Gao Zhe sent another screenshot.
Gao Zhe: I only take photos with my brothers, not with girls.
Jiang Yiqing: (Embarrassed) We're all classmates, and graduation is just around the corner, so it's normal to take a group photo. Oh, and let's invite Lu Yuan too, so we can all take some pictures together.
Lu Yuan saw through their little scheme at a glance.
Xu Lingjing was too embarrassed to take the initiative to contact him, so she instructed her best friend Jiang Yiqing to take a roundabout approach and deliberately create opportunities for him and Xu Lingjing to meet and spend time together under the pretext of taking a graduation photo.
This clumsy little trick couldn't fool Lu Yuan at all.
He was puzzled. Xu Lingjing had always been proud and aloof, with no regard for worldly affairs. He had deliberately distanced himself from her and remained indifferent for some time, yet she was taking the initiative step by step.
Indeed, what you can't have is always the best.
Lu Yuan had no interest in getting entangled in these romantic matters, so he let Gao Zhe make up an excuse and then put aside his distracting thoughts to prepare for sleep.
The next day, Lu Yuan ate breakfast as usual and took a breakfast that his mother had prepared in advance to school.
Worried that Ye Yixian's diet was too thin and he was not getting enough nutrition, he specially asked his mother to add an extra egg. He was overjoyed and just waited for the girl to arrive as promised.
But this day was unusually unusual. After morning reading ended, Ye Yixian did not appear until the school bell rang.
Lu Yuan's heart sank. He broke his promise without reason on the second day. Did he have no morals? Did he have no sense of law?
He wanted to call and question them, but the homeroom teacher had made a last-minute arrangement for him to familiarize himself with the oath to be recited at the pep rally on Saturday, so he could only suppress his doubts for the time being.
Unfortunately, the teachers unexpectedly went overtime for two consecutive Chinese classes, and a barrage of tedious homework followed. It wasn't until the last class that Lu Yuan finally had a moment to take out his phone and call Ye Yixian.
He was ready to criticize Ye Yixian for breaking his promise, but the call was disconnected.
At this moment, Lu Yuan was completely enraged. Without saying a word, he called Gao Zhe and rushed to Class 22 to find someone.
It was nearing the end of the school day, and the corridors were noisy and bustling. Classroom 22 was especially lively and filled with chatter.
Just as Lu Yuan and Gao Zhe reached the classroom door, a petite girl unexpectedly bumped into Lu Yuan's arms.
The girl's name was Wang Qingyu. She was petite with chubby cheeks and round-framed glasses. She had a gentle and obedient appearance.
She looked up and saw who it was, paused slightly in surprise, and asked, "Lu Yuan? What are you doing in our class?"
"Where is Ye Yixian?" Lu Yuan asked menacingly.
"Ye Yixian, she..."
Mentioning this name, Wang Qingyu frowned slightly, a deep sorrow settling over her face. She hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
Lu Yuan's heart tightened suddenly, and he became alert. His tone grew increasingly serious as he pressed on, "Where is Ye Yixian?"