Lu Mingfei, why are you slaying dragons if you're not involved!

Chapter 44 Who says you can't study while running?
"A crush? How did I know?"

Liu Miaomiao looked at Lu Mingfei with some disbelief.

"You're practically ready to jump up and loudly proclaim 'I like Chen Wenwen' while wearing a sign around your neck during the first-grade morning assembly on Monday!"

"It can't be that exaggerated..."

Lu Mingfei felt a little embarrassed and swallowed hard. "To be honest, I always thought that apart from Chen Wenwen possibly having a vague feeling that I had kept it a secret very well..."

"That's true."

Liu Miaomiao almost laughed out of anger, "From the perspective of the whole city, your concealment was quite successful. Only people in such a 'small' place as Shilan Middle School know about it!"

Lu Mingfei was struck dumb, his pupils dilated, and his voice trembled slightly.

"Liu Miaomiao, don't scare me, I'm easily frightened! Doesn't our school explicitly forbid early dating? If it's gotten to that point, why hasn't the dean of students come to find us yet..."

Halfway through his sentence, Lu Mingfei realized that while the school forbids early romantic relationships, it doesn't forbid secret crushes. To go to that extent, he would probably have to ask Dr. Yuri in Red Alert for some technical assistance.

Therefore, there's no need to concern yourself with unrequited love that's practically impossible; it's better to avoid trouble.

"Have you figured it out?" Liu Miaomiao asked.

“I understand…” Lu Mingfei scratched his head.

He felt inexplicably irritable, a little... angry?
But why are you angry?

Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case. He's been looked down upon for a long time, and there have been very few people around him who have ever given him a second glance. He's come this far, so why should he be any different this time?
Faced with this situation, his most normal reaction would be to become extremely depressed, then find an internet cafe and immerse himself in playing StarCraft, finding some psychological comfort in dominating his opponents... thereby escaping reality.

But this time, when the old, intractable despondency struck again, it was dispelled by the nameless fire in his heart.

A weak match is naturally no match for cold water, but Lu Mingfei is no longer the ordinary match he once was.

He is striving to become stronger, to gain a power that he can truly experience and that is entirely his own.

Lu Mingfei himself was unaware of this, but "possessing a sharp weapon naturally arouses the killing intent," and after becoming stronger, confidence naturally followed!

If being looked down upon is like cold water, then self-confidence is like a blazing fire. How can a rising fire be extinguished by a little cold water? It will only burn even more fiercely after its hissing sound!

Lu Mingfei spoke in a low voice, and coupled with his habitual hair-grabbing gesture, Liu Miaomiao thought he was upset and somewhat dejected. This was very much in line with her impression of Lu Mingfei's personality.

After thinking about it for a moment, she still reached out and poked Lu Mingfei.

"Don't be upset. The past is the past, the present is the present. With your hard work and talent for the piano, as long as you persevere and don't give up, it won't even take half a year! In a month, you'll surprise them all and make Chen Wenwen regret it!"

Lu Mingfei lowered his hand from his hair and stared blankly at Liu Miaomiao.

The only ray of light in the darkness was a lifeline.

Chen Wenwen had played this role in Lu Mingfei's life before—

That afternoon, the setting sun shone obliquely on the newly replaced desks, and the ivy outside the window hung down. The evening between spring and summer was exceptionally quiet.

There were only the two of them in the classroom. Lu Mingfei was wiping the blackboard, and Chen Wenwen was sitting on the podium humming a song. Suddenly, she turned to him and asked, "Do you want to join our literary society?"
Lu Mingfei once wished that time could stand still at that moment, so that the eye contact between him and Chen Wenwen would be eternal.

He once thought that no scene could compare to that moment, leaving an indelible mark on his memory.

But now Lu Mingfei knows he was wrong, terribly wrong—

A cold wind, swirling with snowflakes, swept through the corridor, whipping Liu Miaomiao's scarf into a fluttering motion. The pale yellow down brushed against his ear, and in that instant, all the howling and clamor subsided, leaving only that warmth to dispel the chill. What Chen Wenwen's feelings were when she invited him to join the literary society two years ago—Lu Mingfei had no idea, nor did he want to delve into it.

But at this moment, when Liu Miaomiao said these words to him, the trust and comfort in her words, under the influence of [emotional perception], were absolutely genuine!

[Warning, electric shock countdown...]

Lu Mingfei shuddered. The time had dragged on for far too long, and the push button on the schedule was itching to go off!
But to not respond to Liu Miaomiao's trust would be going too far.

On a whim, he raised his hand and patted Liu Miaomiao's head.

"Okay! Don't worry, it doesn't matter whether Chen Wenwen regrets it or not... I at least need to make others think that you have good taste!"

After saying that, he turned around and ran away before Liu Miaomiao could react.

Liu Miaomiao stood there stunned for at least three or four seconds. She subconsciously touched the spot on her head where Lu Mingfei had touched her earlier, and the burning sensation she felt then still lingered, making her instinctively pull her hand back.

"What...what do you mean by making others think my taste is fine? What does my taste have to do with you?!"

Her face turned bright red as she finally realized what had happened.

But Lu Mingfei had already run into the classroom under the threat of electric shock. If he started playing around in the classroom, he would probably be "confirmed" to be even more severely punished, and it would even seem a bit "unrestrained"...

"If you're so capable, then don't go home tonight!" Liu Miaomiao stomped her foot and headed towards the classroom.

……

For Lu Mingfei, studying is no longer the torturous thing it used to be.

When any dawdling or procrastination can be eliminated, and when it is easy to enter a state of complete focus and high efficiency in any subject, the only thing Lu Mingfei needs to struggle with is "which subject to study".

After reviewing the data panel, Lu Mingfei decided to dedicate all his self-study time to Physics, except for the period during class when he couldn't change his subjects and could only follow the course schedule.

Before he even started studying this morning, Lu Mingfei's physics proficiency panel showed—

[Physics LV0 - Proficiency 66/100]

Compared to other subjects, physics proficiency is actually the one furthest from being upgraded.

But Lu Mingfei still chose physical attack, and he did so for a reason—after upgrading physical attack, the resulting affixes would most likely directly help improve his "combat power"!

Although it might seem strange for a student to focus on "combat power," Lu Mingfei had no choice but to do so, as he had truly witnessed the face of the "real world" last night.

Back then, Senior Brother Chu, who was highly flammable and explosive, was in front of us. But what if you were alone when you encountered this situation? What if something happened?
Using [Burst Sprint] to escape immediately will only last for ten seconds at most. Adding [Ming Jin - Level 1] only provides a temporary burst of power, and both have significant side effects. What if you lose the fight? Wouldn't that be the end for you?

Having not even gathered all three essential skills, Lu Mingfei naturally felt insecure.

But by 3 p.m., the message "[Warning: It's time for the [Basketball Practice] session. Please proceed to the destination, Qingning Basketball Hall, immediately..." appeared before his eyes, and Lu Mingfei's [Physics] proficiency had only increased by thirty points.

96/100, just four points short!
Lu Mingfei was so frustrated he almost vomited blood, but he still obediently started packing his things.

As he picked up a palm-sized "Complete Handbook of Physics Formulas and Laws," he paused, a sudden inspiration striking him—

"When I run, I memorize formulas and laws, look at some exercises and think about solutions. Shouldn't that count as learning and increasing my proficiency?"

"Never mind, let's give it a try!"

I'm working hard on writing! Please follow along and vote with your monthly tickets!


(End of this chapter)