Chapter 2: Underground Romance

  Zhang Li gazed blankly at Xia Meng beside him, Xia Meng looked up and met Zhang Li's scorching gaze, then bashfully lowered her head.

  "Let's go back, or the cafeteria will be closed." Xia Meng urged Zhang Li in a low voice.

  "Haha, okay." The two of them packed up their bags and headed in the direction of school.

  "This is our secret base. After school, I'll come over first and you go back to the dormitory to change your clothes and then come over." Zhang Li instructed Xia Meng.

  "By the way, I have something else to tell you, about Huang Yiqi," Zhang Li said, pulling Xia Meng's hand and continuing: "Little Qian is the principal's granddaughter, our families are old friends, we grew up together since childhood. Little Qian is willful and domineering, but she doesn't have a bad heart, I've always treated her like my own little sister, and she would always follow me around calling 'ge ge' (older brother)."

  "Hmm, you don't need to explain this to me." Xia Meng smiled faintly.

  "Haha, I think it's still necessary to explain, or you'll misunderstand. Xia Qi and my sister are both girls, but when she comes to our house, she never looks for my sister, only me. Maybe I'm easy to bully, haha! She always bullies me." Zhang Li said with a smile to Xia Meng, "As a single person, I like girls like you, independent, optimistic and confident."

  Xia Meng turned her head and smiled at Zhang Li, "Mm, I understand!"

  The two parted ways at the back door of the school, and Xia Meng entered the school first. If teachers and classmates found out that they were in love, it would definitely become explosive news for the school.

  Xia Meng went straight to the school cafeteria and met Zhao Yi Nuo there. "Yi Nuo, why are you eating so late too?"

  "Meng Meng!" Zhao Yino exclaimed excitedly upon seeing Xia Meng, "Why are you so late too?"

  "Hmm, right, you don't live in the school dormitory anymore?" Xia Meng said to Zhao Yining. After not seeing each other for a holiday, Yining felt even more charming and elegant.

  "Yes, I don't live in the school dormitory anymore. I'm preparing for the art college entrance exam and need to practice more. I rented a house outside of school." Zhao Yino smiled coyly.

  "So that's how it is," Xia Meng said, "I saw you and Li Han together that day. How was your first class?"

  "Haha, Chen Yumeng told you, right? Not bad, I really like Li Han. I'm doing great in class." Zhao Yino said with a smile.

  "Are you and Li Han dating?" Xia Meng asked in a low voice.

  "What do you mean by being in a relationship? You think it's just me saying I like him and he says 'uh-huh' and that's it?" Zhao Yino opened her enchanting eyes wide, asking Xia Meng. Xia Meng was speechless. She felt sorry for Chen Yu Meng, if he were Li Han, he would probably be enchanted by Zhao Yino too.

  "Xia Meng, you're worried about Chen Yu Meng, aren't you? You'd better be more careful for yourself, Huang Yi Qi is well-prepared!" Zhao Yi Nuo seemed to see through Xia Meng's heart and hit her weak spot with just one sentence.

  "You - you - what did you say?" Xia Meng hastily looked around to see if any of her classmates were paying attention to their conversation.

  "How far have you and Zhang Li developed?" Zhao Yino asked, leaning close to Xia Meng's ear.

  Xia Meng's face turned bright red, she shook her head in a fluster, and the spoon clattered to the floor under the dinner table.

  Zhao Yino smiled and pinched Xia Meng's face, "What's bothering you, ask me. These things you discussed with Chen Yu Meng and the others didn't work."

  Xia Meng lowered her head in embarrassment and whispered: "There's nothing between me and Zhang Li, Yining, please don't tell anyone."

  "Hmm, of course I won't say it out loud. But Huang Yiqi is so clever, she must have sensed it already. Don't be afraid of her, just come to me if you need anything."

  Xia Meng nodded gratefully at Zhao Yino.

  As soon as the bell rang for the first self-study session, the classroom immediately became noisy like a boiling pot. Xia Meng glanced at Zhang Li's seat, her heart racing with excitement, and saw that Zhang Li was diligently doing his homework with his head down. Li Han's seat was still empty. What happened to Li Han? He had been absent for several days in a row.

  Xia Meng picked up her phone, thinking of sending a text message to Li Han. Huang Yi Qi glanced at Xia Meng's phone and said, "Not many high school students have mobile phones, right? You having a mobile phone proves two things: one, your family is rich; two, you're in love."

  Xia Meng quickly put her mobile phone back into her school bag, "The mobile phone was discarded by my father and given to me."

  "You must have also heard about me and Zhang Li, right?" Huang Yi Qi looked at Xia Meng and said: "Zhang Li Gege and I grew up together, our two families had arranged for us to be betrothed since we were young."

  "Have you two arranged a marriage?" Xia Meng called out in a low voice.

  "I've decided that Zhang Li Gege is going to be my future husband since I was little, and no one can take him away from me." Huang Yi Qi waved the martial arts novel in her hand, "You, stay away from Zhang Li Gege."

  Xia Meng looked at Huang Yiqi, turned her head to glance at Zhang Li, and said to Huang Yiqi: "You should say this to Zhang Li, or go find Director Lai to talk about it."

  Huang Yi Qi slammed her fist on the desk, "Even Zhang Li Gege wouldn't fall for you!"

  Xia Meng took out a math exercise book and started doing the problems, ignoring Huang Yi Qi. She thought to herself, Zhang Li might not even notice you anyway.

  After the evening self-study, Huang Yiqi called out from behind Zhang Li: "Zhang Li brother, I'm going home tonight and won't be staying in the dormitory. You have to send me back." In the crowd, Huang Yiqi's voice was not loud, but Xia Meng, who had been silent until now, heard every word clearly.

  Zhang Li turned his head and glanced at Xia Meng, Xia Meng smiled at him, nodded, and pulled Wang Jia and Deng Ying back to the dormitory.

  "I feel like Huang Yi Qi might have a crush on Zhang Li?" Wang Jia said as soon as she got back to the dorm.

  "I think so too, it seems like their relationship is not normal!" Deng Ying continued to say, "If the top student in our grade also starts dating early, I wonder what Director Lai will react!"

  "As long as it doesn't affect our studies, Director Lai probably won't interfere." Xia Meng continued, "Besides, how did you guys know that Zhang Li also likes Huang Yiqi?"

  "Huang Yiqi is so beautiful, can't Zhang Li be as good-looking as Liu Xiaohui?" Wang Jia said while applying a face mask, "Huang Yiqi uses this face mask, but I've used it several times and didn't see any effect. How does she have such great skin?"

  Xia Meng quietly walked towards the bathroom, it was too hot, her whole body was sweating, an irritable night, perhaps taking a cold shower could make herself feel better.

  Xiǎ Mèng is actually very afraid of the cold and has never taken a cold shower before. When she opened the showerhead, the icy water poured down on her body, making Xiǎ Mèng shiver with fear. She gritted her teeth and persisted. Xiǎ Mèng quickly washed her hair with cold water and came out wrapped in a towel.

  "Deng Ying, I saw you taking a cold shower with such relish. I took one today and it didn't feel that great, it was too cold!" Xia Meng said, then let out a sneeze.

  "Have you seen me taking a cold shower in the middle of the night? I always take a cold shower after school at 5 pm! Hurry up and dry your hair, don't catch a cold!" Deng Ying said while handing Xia Meng a towel. "And you haven't even dried off your sweat, but you're going to take a cold shower, that's just asking for trouble."