Volume One: High School Days Chapter Sixty-One: This Is Just the Kind of Atmosphere I Like

On the first evening of self-study, Liu Sheng looked around the nearly empty classroom and asked Ren Xiaodong, “Where are our classmates?”

Ren Xiaodong, munching on snacks, replied, “There aren’t many people in this class who actually study. If I didn’t wait for you every day to leave together, I wouldn’t bother coming to evening study!”

Liu Sheng gazed at Ren Xiaodong, thinking to himself, “You really endured a lot during our second year. So you’ve been guarding this almost empty classroom every day just to wait for me after school!”

With that thought, Liu Sheng flashed a mischievous smile and said, “So what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

“You’re not going to study?” Ren Xiaodong asked, clearing away the snacks on the desk.

Liu Sheng stood up and walked out, saying, “Have you ever seen me study? I want to check out the new house today, see if our CEO Ren has good taste!”

Having landed that morning, Liu Sheng hadn’t bothered with a school uniform or a backpack, and now he was eager to see his new home. On the way, Ren Xiaodong explained that the house was a duplex—three bedrooms and a living room downstairs for himself, two bedrooms and a living room upstairs for Liu Sheng.

Liu Sheng made no objections; he found the arrangement peaceful, much preferable to Ren Xiaodong’s previous habit of bringing different women home every day without considering his feelings.

When they arrived, the downstairs was decorated like a palace, even the aquarium in the living room was vibrant and colorful. Before Liu Sheng could comment on the extravagance, Lele appeared, saying, “You’re back, Boss Liu. Come join us for dinner, we’ve been waiting for ages.”

Liu Sheng glanced at Lele, then at Ren Xiaodong. As Ren Xiaodong was about to speak, Liu Sheng quickly interrupted, “I understand, no need to explain.” He tapped the wall and added, “I wonder how soundproof this new place is.”

Ren Xiaodong pushed Liu Sheng toward the dining table. “Try Lele’s cooking.”

Liu Sheng took a bite, and both Ren Xiaodong and Lele watched him, waiting for his verdict.

Liu Sheng looked up at Ren Xiaodong and asked, “Are we brothers?”

“Of course we are. Why?” Ren Xiaodong replied, puzzled.

Lele assumed the food was not to Liu Sheng’s liking and said, “If you have any comments, just say them. I know my cooking isn’t anything special.”

Liu Sheng reassured Lele, “Just call me Liu Sheng at home. We’re all family now, no need for such formality!”

Then he turned to Ren Xiaodong, “Since we’re brothers, shouldn’t we share good things? Tonight, you sleep upstairs, I’ll sleep downstairs, how about it?”

At this, Ren Xiaodong understood Liu Sheng’s implication—he was eyeing Lele and said, “Just enjoy your single life!”

But Lele chimed in, “I think that’s a good idea!” She laughed heartily.

“Oh, don’t underestimate me. I’m confident I can outshine Ren Xiaodong,” Liu Sheng said.

Both Ren Xiaodong and Lele understood exactly what Liu Sheng meant.

They realized that Liu Sheng was no longer the person he used to be; he joked freely now, let others tease him, and seemed more approachable—a true jester, easy to talk to without worrying about boundaries. In truth, Liu Sheng liked making others laugh because he enjoyed seeing their joy; laughter was infectious, and he wanted to catch it himself.

After dinner, Ren Xiaodong went upstairs. The walls were painted sky blue with clouds, and Liu Sheng’s smile faded as he looked. The mural calmed him, bringing back memories of Xiaoya and Liu Meng.

Ren Xiaodong came up and explained, “It was Lele’s idea, specially arranged for you so you can find peace in this simple space. Don’t dwell so much on things. We can see through your cheerful mask to the sadness underneath.”

Liu Sheng quickly put on a smile and turned to Ren Xiaodong. Before he could speak, Ren Xiaodong said, “You can borrow my money, my car, but forget about my woman!”

Liu Sheng laughed, “With your physique, you won’t satisfy Lele. If she comes knocking on my door late at night because of you, don’t blame me for not honoring brotherhood. I have needs too, you know!”

“Get lost!” Ren Xiaodong snapped, heading downstairs without looking back.

Liu Sheng went to his own room, where the wallpaper depicted a night sky with a moon and stars, twinkling under the lights. Lying on the bed, it felt as though he was under the stars themselves.

As he lay down, Liu Sheng muttered to himself, “Ren Xiaodong, treasure what you have now. Lele isn’t your final choice; you’ll meet someone better later, marry her and have children.”

Suddenly, Liu Sheng remembered that Ren Xiaodong’s future wife would also attend Chongshi University, the same as Tang Xin, and would be in the same year as himself and Ren Xiaodong. With that in mind, Liu Sheng murmured, “Looks like I’ll give up my original plan for Yandu University. Yes, that’s settled. I’ll take Ren Xiaodong to Chongshi University for four years. Since Lele showed up early, why not let Tian Yun appear ahead of schedule too?”

Having spent half the night on a plane and not rested well, Liu Sheng soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, dragging his tired body into the classroom, Liu Sheng, used to sleeping in during the holidays, climbed onto his desk and fell asleep.

Midway through the first period, hunger woke him. He nudged Ren Xiaodong, “Got anything to eat?”

Ren Xiaodong rummaged through his desk and produced a cup of instant noodles. Liu Sheng glanced at the noodles, then at the water dispenser behind him, which was set to ‘keep warm’. Taking the noodles, he asked, “Any sausage?”

Ren Xiaodong shook his head. Liu Sheng opened the noodles and, trying not to be noticed, poured hot water into the cup from the dispenser.

Soon, the scent of instant noodles wafted through the classroom. A student exclaimed, “It’s spicy!”

The teacher at the podium smelled it too and shouted, “Ren Xiaodong! Is it you again? How many times have I told you, this is a classroom! If you treat it like a bedroom, I won’t say anything, but you always act like it’s a cafeteria! Now you’re making noodles—unbelievable!”

Ren Xiaodong, wrongly accused, stood up and pointed to Liu Sheng, “It’s him, not me this time!”

The teacher saw Liu Sheng eating noodles and said, “Liu Sheng must be so focused on his studies, he’s overusing his brain and needs to replenish his energy. Hurry up and finish, try not to disturb the others.”

Ren Xiaodong couldn’t believe it; when he ate, the teacher never spoke so kindly. He asked Liu Sheng, “Why is that?”

Liu Sheng finished quickly and replied, “Because I’m good at studying!”

That excuse was a bit far-fetched. Just because he excelled academically didn’t mean he should get away with everything. Watching Liu Sheng drink a beverage, the stubborn Ren Xiaodong stood up again and said, “Teacher! Liu Sheng is drinking during class—he’s blatantly disrespecting you!”

The teacher glanced at Liu Sheng, “If you’re thirsty, just drink.”

Ren Xiaodong was stunned. “If you won’t stop him, then I’ll eat too!” He opened a bag of crunchy noodles, broke off a piece, and put it in his mouth. Liu Sheng stood up and shouted, “Teacher! Ren Xiaodong is eating crunchy noodles during class—he’s blatantly disrespecting you!”

The teacher shouted, “Ren Xiaodong! Stand up!”

Ren Xiaodong quickly stood, smiling at the teacher and glaring at Liu Sheng, who said, “I told you, I’m good at studying. You didn’t believe me—now you do!”

With his mouth full, Ren Xiaodong dared not chew, so he couldn’t speak. Liu Sheng continued to tease him, “You have to remember, comparing people only leads to frustration. You’re not cut out for this, but you insist on doing it!”

After eating, Liu Sheng commanded, “Don’t disturb my nap!” He lay on his desk for the whole period.

By the fourth period, Liu Sheng woke up bored and saw half the class playing on their phones. An idea struck him, so he asked Ren Xiaodong, “You have everyone’s contact info, right?”

Ren Xiaodong nodded, “What’s up?”

Liu Sheng snatched Ren Xiaodong’s phone, “Life needs a bit of excitement!”

He proceeded to call every classmate. Some phones were on silent or vibrate, but a few were loud. This period, the teacher confiscated twelve phones.

Approaching the end of class, the teacher said, “I won’t say anything if you don’t study, and I’ll tolerate you playing on your phones, but do you really think you can push me around? Answering calls during class?”

The teacher randomly opened one phone—the missed call was from Ren Xiaodong. Checking more phones, all showed Ren Xiaodong’s number.

“Ren Xiaodong! Bring your phone here!”

Ren Xiaodong protested loudly, “It wasn’t me! It was Liu Sheng! He used my phone to make the calls!”

The teacher, tired of excuses, replied, “Now you’re lying! The calls are from your number and name. Liu Sheng is the top student in the grade, a model student sitting right beside you, and you don’t even try to learn from him. Now you’re trying to blame him!”

Liu Sheng could barely contain his laughter, his face turning red. Ren Xiaodong watched Liu Sheng struggling to hold back and mentally slapped him a hundred and eight times. With no way out, he handed over his rarely used second phone.

After class, many students stared at Ren Xiaodong with hostility; he had no idea how to explain.

Finally, Liu Sheng burst out laughing, “I really love the vibe of this class. No pressure like Class One, and you can do whatever you want.”

Even in Class One, Liu Sheng didn’t study, but everyone else was busy with their books, leaving him alone. Here, every student could join in the fun, adding even more joy to his days.