Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation-Chapter 100 - Wait for Me

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Wait for Me

Sunday evening self-study.

Xue Yuantong returned to class eight, receiving a variety of glances.

The classmates were unaware of what Xue Yuantong had been up to, absent for more than a week on leave. If it hadn’t been for Shan Qingrong insisting that Xue Yuantong was just on leave, they might have thought that she was poached by Second Middle School.

Upon learning that Xue Yuantong had returned, Shan Qingrong visited the class before the self-study session started. He left only after ensuring that she was okay.

Jiang Ning greeted Geng Lu.

After two days apart, Geng Lu chattered incessantly about everything that had occurred, about buying new clothes, enjoying delicious food, and seeing funny jokes.

After chatting for a bit, Geng Lu turned her attention towards Ma Shicheng, who was gaming, her tone shifting:

“Yo, isn’t this our Mr. Ma? Weren’t you determined to work hard? How come you only managed one evening of studying?”

“Where did your perseverance go?”

“Surely it’s not focused on gaming, is it?”

Ma Shicheng felt embarrassed as he detected Geng Lu’s mocking tone. Under normal circumstances, he would have shot back a retort, supported by Dan Kaiquan, Guo Kunnan, and Wang Longlong for a triumphant win.

But this time, knowing he lacked a strong argument and his words would only invite more ridicule, he opted to stay silent and concentrate on his phone.

Geng Lu, seeing Ma Shicheng shrink away, let the matter drop.

In reality, Ma Shicheng hadn’t truly backed down but was confident in his ability to improve his grades. He merely believed the right moment hadn’t come yet.

Ma Shicheng took out his phone and opened an online forum.

Jiang Ning, with his keen senses, noticed that Ma Shicheng was scrolling through a post titled:

“Documenting my journey of acing the 985 universities starting from zero in the second year of high school!”

The post was from two years ago, and Ma Shicheng selected the ‘View Original Poster Only’ option to continue scrolling down.

The poster had daily check-ins for study progress, notated the difficulties in various subjects, how to study scientifically, and how to strive hard.

As Ma Shicheng scrolled, it was as if time leapt forward with him; the poster had eventually fulfilled their ambition earlier this year, getting into a 985 university and even shared their acceptance letter.

Countless online well-wishers sent their congratulations.

Ma Shicheng had discovered this post a few days ago and was stirred by the poster’s gradual effort and rise in performance, finding himself vicariously thrilled and unable to extricate himself from their story.

He bookmarked the post as a tonic for his soul, a comfort during the late nights of confusion.

Observing the poster’s journey, he was convinced that he could achieve the same.

His academic foundation was better than the poster’s, his aptitude for learning higher. He believed that if he persevered as the poster had, he too could gain entry to a 985 university. Then, everyone else would only be able to prostrate themselves at his feet as he ascended the summit of that prestigious institution.

At the thought of such a vision, Ma Shicheng was so stirred that he could scarcely contain himself. The urging of his parents, the scoffing of his classmates would all transform into admiration for him in the end!

The poster had begun their efforts in the second year of high school. Ma Shicheng decided that he would wait until then to truly start studying. For now, during the first year, he could have his fun.

Only in the second year would be the time to change himself!

So Ma Shicheng played his game, feeling completely justified—no worries, he was only in the first year after all.

‘Doesn’t matter, when the second year comes, I’ll make my comeback!’

Content with this mindset, Ma Shicheng closed the forum and dived back into his game with renewed vigor.

Jiang Ning kept quiet for a while. He had seen all of Ma Shicheng’s behavior and found it amusing.

During the last period of the evening self-study, the students of class 8 were studying. The class president, Huang Zhongfei, sat in front of the podium, scanning the classroom.

Wu Xiaoqi was missing again—without a doubt, he’d run off to play basketball.

He had asked Shan Qingrong for permission the day before yesterday. Shan Qingrong had said that as long as Wu Xiaoqi didn’t disturb the self-study of the others, especially not distracting Xue Yuantong, then they should let him be.

At the back of the classroom, Dan Kaiquan looked at the empty seat beside him and lamented,

“Brother Nan, I want to play basketball too.”

Guo Kunnan responded, “Nothing you can do about it. His parents are capable. Who made your parents less driven?”

Dan Kaiquan said, “He ranked last in the whole class in the monthly test. I really don’t know how he got into Fourth Middle School.”

“Everyone who knows, knows.” Guo Kun Nan was playing a video game.

…

The basketball court of Fourth Middle School at night was a place of moving shadows and streetlights casting dizzy yellow glows.

“Brother Qi, you’re in good form today, nailed five three-pointers already,” Deng Xiang praised, raising his thumb.

“Next time you play against the second-year class, you’ll definitely crush them,” he said.

Wu Xiaoqi, slapping the basketball with a defiant expression, shook his head and boasted,

“All thanks to this precious basketball~”

Deng Xiang looked at Wu Xiaoqi’s basketball with envy. Although he usually hung out with the right crowd, could bully whoever he wanted, and even barge into other classes to beat people up, when it came to spare change, he was still very strapped for cash. An eight-hundred-plus priced basketball was out of the question for him; he could only mooch off Wu Xiaoqi’s basketball for a bit of fun.

“This basketball is pretty good.”

“I like it quite a bit too,” said Deng Xiang.

Despite having heard countless praises for his basketball in recent days, Wu Xiaoqi never tired of them, proudly stating,

“Especially the grip and the stripes, they feel amazing.”

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For someone as obsessed with playing basketball as him, the allure of a name-brand basketball was simply too great.

Now, Wu Xiaoqi came home every night and wouldn’t even eat dinner before wiping down the basketball with a wet cloth, spraying it with alcohol, and then drying it with a clean cloth.

Before sleeping, he placed the basketball by his bed. Without touching the ball, he felt restless and couldn’t sleep.

Wu Xiaoqi was especially on point today, scoring repeatedly until it was almost time to leave school. He and Deng Xiang left the basketball court together.

Wu Xiaoqi was a weird guy, but he and Deng Xiang hit it off; Wu Xiaoqi had money, Deng Xiang was flashy and loyal, and they quickly became fast friends.

When they were about to pass by class eight, Wu Xiaoqi invited,

“Let’s go, hang out in our class for a bit.”

At that moment, Deng Xiang immediately remembered his last visit to class eight, when he went to stand up for his sister Gong Xuan and ended up getting a beating. The memory still haunted him.

“I’ll pass, I feel dizzy just thinking about class eight,” Deng Xiang waved his hands in decline.

Wu Xiaoqi snorted. He knew about Deng Xiang’s encounter and disdainfully said,

“It’s just Jiang Ning, right? He’s not as scary as you make him out to be.”

“I play basketball in class, and he doesn’t dare to say a word.”

“If it weren’t for the last basketball being so crappy that it almost blew up on me, I would definitely still be playing in class.”

Deng Xiang still shook his head. After all, Wu Xiaoqi came from a better family background than his, and when Wu Xiaoqi got into fights, the other person usually had the worst of it. He couldn’t compare.

Deng Xiang was about to say something when he suddenly received a phone call, and his expression changed dramatically.

Wu Xiaoqi, sensing something was wrong, asked, “What’s up?”

“My brother’s out drinking, and there’s an argument brewing. I need to go take a look; it might turn into a fight.” He sounded anxious. In high school, the bonds between boys were pure, and hearing a friend was in trouble meant they were genuinely ready to step up.

It wasn’t like in adulthood when entering society, where you’d have too many concerns.

Upon hearing this, Wu Xiaoqi, clutching the ball, said, “Let’s go, together!”

He wasn’t popular and had few friends, so it was hard for him to gather enough people to play basketball. If he could make a couple of friends, he’d be more than happy.

Deng Xiang glanced at the basketball in his arms, “It might get chaotic over there.”

Wu Xiaoqi thought, right, what if his basketball got damaged during a fight?

That was his beloved treasure.

“Wait for me a sec.”

Wu Xiaoqi entered through the back door, clutching his basketball. The student stools in Fourth Middle School were square-shaped, and about ten centimeters above the legs of the stool, there was a square post where the basketball would fit snugly, preventing it from rolling away.

He touched the basketball lovingly,

‘My precious, you’ll have to endure this for a bit, I’ll come to pick you up after I’m done!’

He placed the basketball down carefully and immediately left the classroom to back up Deng Xiang.