20demayo Page 53
Page 53
On the road outside the villa, two or three middle-aged people who were jogging in the morning had already passed by, their breaths turning white as they passed by.
"Looks like I should start exercising too." Lu Mingfei took a deep breath.
Yesterday's experience made him realize that if he doesn't become stronger, he'll be doomed sooner or later.
Although I don't know the system's true purpose, I can genuinely feel myself becoming stronger, and that feeling is truly captivating.
He immediately took off his gray-silver jacket and threw it on the bed, intending to change into his school sports uniform and go for a run.
However, it was this action that reminded him of his coat.
Wait, a coat?
Lu Mingfei suddenly slapped his forehead.
He left the coat containing all his belongings at Century New Star!
"Damn it!" The boy scratched his head in frustration.
Yesterday, I was so frightened by Su Xiaoqiang's shocking remarks that I fled in panic. Then, I encountered a series of bizarre events last night, and I completely forgot about such an important matter.
It's so early in the morning, the gym probably isn't open yet.
Lu Mingfei, who had no money for lunch, paced anxiously back and forth in his room.
Although no one would steal a coat in a high-end place like Century Star, the cash inside... that's two months' income for my aunt's family!
"The only way is to go to the school to find Su Xiaoqiang," Lu Mingfei sighed.
The thought of facing Su Xiaoqiang, who had uttered such startling remarks, made his temples throb again.
Based on his understanding of Su Xiaoqiang, this girl who had been his nemesis for more than two years.
Once they noticed something was wrong with him, they certainly wouldn't let him off easily.
One trouble after another, it's so annoying!
Chapter 45 "The Impossible" Daily Quest
In order to see Su Xiaoqiang as soon as possible, Lu Mingfei decided to go to school early.
He carried a basin full of toiletries and tiptoed toward the public restroom at the end of the corridor—as a guest staying there, his room did not have a private bathroom.
The icy tap water sent a shiver down Lu Mingfei's spine.
He mechanically brushed his teeth, filled a basin with hot water, and applied a warm towel to his face, only then did he feel his drowsy head clear up a little.
"It seems that I really did use up too much mental energy last night..." he thought, rubbing his temples.
Just as he was carrying his toiletries back to his room, a figure suddenly appeared at the bathroom door, almost causing him to knock over his washbasin.
Liu Miaomiao, wearing a white rabbit pajama, stood there with red eyes and her long, smooth hair disheveled.
"Miaomiao? How come you..." Lu Mingfei swallowed the words back before he could finish.
He remembered that Liu Miaomiao's room clearly had a private bathroom, so it was really unusual for her to be here so early.
"Are you going to school?" Liu Miaomiao's voice was nasal.
“Okay, tutoring starts today.” Lu Mingfei nodded.
Although he completed the third main quest thanks to the physical changes brought about by the dragon blood, the second main quest was still ongoing, and he had to attend the school's make-up classes.
As a key high school, Shilan High School only has a three-day holiday during the National Day holiday, and the remaining four days are for make-up classes—of course, top students like Su Xiaoqiang can choose not to come.
The thought of finding Su Xiaoqiang to ask about the coat gave Lu Mingfei another headache.
"Wait for me! I'll go with you!" Liu Miaomiao suddenly turned around and ran back to her room, leaving Lu Mingfei looking bewildered.
Back in his room, Lu Mingfei quickly changed into the sky-blue school uniform of Shilan Middle School.
Just as he was adjusting his collar in front of the full-length mirror, a familiar mechanical voice suddenly rang in his mind:
[Daily Task: Run ten laps naked on the Shilan Middle School track]
[Task Successful: 1 point (can be redeemed for items in the system shop)]
[Mission Failure: Choose one of the five punishments (flooding/burning/wind cutting/burying/mental imprisonment)]
Lu Mingfei's hand froze in mid-air, and the boy in the mirror showed an incredulous expression.
Lu Mingfei: "???"
This is definitely not a task that a normal system would issue.
Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and suddenly wanted to drag out that so-called "system brother" and ask him—was this training a host or playing a shameful game?
This is simply an impossible task!
Lu Mingfei realized in despair that unless he could completely abandon his sense of shame as a human being, this mission would be a pipe dream.
Just imagining himself running naked in front of everyone made his face burn.
"So that's what the system was waiting for me to do when it told me to go to the gym..." Lu Mingfei smiled bitterly as he lay down on the bed, the painful memories of being burned at the stake flashing through his mind, and his body involuntarily shivered.
It seems I can't escape punishment today.
He stared blankly at the ceiling, utterly dejected, until there was a gentle knock on the door.
"Lu Mingfei, are you ready?" Liu Miaomiao's voice came through the door, carrying the softness unique to the morning.
Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and forced himself to cheer up.
He rubbed his face, forced a smile, and sprang up from the bed with a somersault.
"Coming, coming!" He grabbed his schoolbag, slung it over his shoulder, and opened the door with a gentle expression.
No one knew that at that moment, he was trembling with fear at the impending punishment.
……
The streets were deserted in the early morning, and the Liu family's black BMW drove smoothly.
Because it was too early, Mr. Liu did not personally drive them, but arranged for a driver instead.
Lu Mingfei leaned against the car window, looking as if all his energy had been drained away.
He stared at the street scene rushing past outside the window, his heart filled with despair—if all the daily tasks in the future were these bizarre tasks, wouldn't he be subjected to torture every day?
Thinking of this, Lu Mingfei felt utterly hopeless.
Liu Miaomiao glanced furtively at the boy beside her, hesitating to speak.
Everything that happened last night was still vivid in her mind, keeping her tossing and turning all night.
Upon hearing Lu Mingfei's noise this morning, she immediately jumped out of bed, wanting to see Lu Mingfei's face.
As a result, Lu Mingfei surprisingly decided to go to school.
You should know that Lu Mingfei didn't attend the summer tutoring classes last semester.
Lu Mingfei's change made Liu Miaomiao both happy and worried.
But she couldn't ask Lu Mingfei to stay the same as before, so she could only secretly pray that Chen Wenwen wouldn't come to school these next few days.
The carriage was silent, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning running.
Both were preoccupied with their own thoughts, and neither noticed the driver's probing gaze through the rearview mirror.
……
A black BMW slowly came to a stop in front of Shilan Middle School in the early morning.
The car door opened, and Lu Mingfei and Liu Miaomiao got out of the car one after the other.
As the roar of the engine faded into the distance, the black car quickly disappeared into the morning mist.
Outside the security booth next to the school gate, Old Li, who was on night duty, was practicing Tai Chi.
He was dressed in a dark blue uniform, and every move he made exuded experience.
In the morning light, he slowly finished his movements, let out a long sigh, glanced at the digital watch on his wrist, and a relieved smile appeared on his wrinkled face—there was only a quarter of an hour left before he could hand over his shift.
"Another peaceful night," Old Li muttered to himself as he turned around and saw two students walking into the school gate.
He squinted and recognized the Liu family's daughter and Lu Mingfei.
As a veteran who has worked as a security guard at Shilan Middle School for twenty years, he is always particularly sensitive to personnel changes at the school.
He remembered Lu Mingfei, that scoundrel, very clearly. After all, this guy was a habitual latecomer, so it was hard not to remember him.
But what's the situation now?
Old Li wondered if he was dreaming when a beautiful, high-achieving girl got together with Lu Mingfei.
The two men passed by in disbelief under Old Li's gaze, and it wasn't until they were far away that Old Li tugged at his arm.
It hurts!
This isn't a dream! It's a ghost.
……
As dawn broke, the two walked side by side toward the cafeteria of Shilan Middle School.
At this time, the cafeteria windows were already wafting with delicious aromas, and groups of two or three boarding students were carrying their trays and looking for seats.
Lu Mingfei glanced at Liu Miaomiao beside him; the girl's fair profile looked exceptionally soft in the morning light.
He patted his empty pockets, and a bold idea popped into his mind—how about... finding a way to mooch a breakfast from Liu Miaomiao?
“Um… Miaomiao…” Lu Mingfei hesitated before speaking.
For a grown man to ask a girl for food, if word got out, Lu Mingfei would truly be "famous throughout history" at Shilan Middle School.
Lu Mingfei suddenly gave a self-deprecating twitch at the corner of his mouth.
On second thought, my reputation at Shilan High School has already plummeted to rock bottom.
In everyone's eyes, he was nothing more than a pathetic "simp," a pitiful wretch who chased after Chen Wenwen, wagging his tail and begging for her affection.
"It's already like this anyway..." he thought to himself with a bitter smile.
It's like someone who has already fallen into a cesspool; would they care if they got a little more mud on them?
This "what's the use of trying" attitude actually made him feel a little more relaxed.