Chapter 12: The Sour Taste of Envy

Luo Hao seemed oblivious to the encouragement, and the faint trace of pity, in Bai YuYang’s eyes.

He flashed a brilliant smile, even digging his own grave a little further.

“Hahaha! I’m sure that in a few years—no, maybe even just a few months—I, Luo Hao, will definitely find a girlfriend!”

‘Haozi… you…’

Bai YuYang couldn’t bear to say more, just about to change the subject.

Yet, Luo Hao continued to shower him with praise.

“Besides, I’m not in a hurry at all! With Brother Yang among us ‘fellow sufferers,’ you’re truly a ‘paragon of virtue,’ Brother Yang. You were chosen as the campus heartthrob, yet you haven’t found a girlfriend to this day. Aren’t the love letters you receive daily enough to fill a cabinet?”

As Luo Hao spoke, a certain possibility dawned on him, and he suddenly became quite self-indulgent.

“No way… Brother Yang, are you perhaps accommodating our feelings, our brothers’ sentiments, so we don’t ‘turn green with envy’? Is that why… Ah, Brother Yang! You’ll always be our great elder brother!”

‘How do you come up with these ideas out of nowhere?!’

“Haozi, you’re overthinking it,” Bai YuYang stated honestly. “I’m merely afraid of affecting my studies. Besides, we’re only in high school, aren’t we? Why think about girlfriends? Don’t you think it’s too early?”

“Wuwuwu, as expected of Brother Yang! To avoid worrying your brothers, you’d even use such an excuse…”

“……”

Well, it seems this time, there was no way to explain it clearly.

So, he wouldn’t bother. After all, it wasn’t anything important.

Bai YuYang looked up, noticing that the sophomore class hadn’t finished filing out yet.

Luo Hao followed his gaze, then turned back to inquire.

“Speaking of which, Brother Yang, your tardiness is quite outrageous. How late were you that you didn’t even get a chance to sit down in class after the assembly? Were you standing at the back the whole time?”

“What else?”

Bai YuYang, preoccupied with estimating how long until the freshmen arrived, spoke without thinking.

“It wasn’t just because I was late. Just now, outside the auditorium, Tang Qihuang stopped me and asked a few questions, which delayed me quite a bit. Otherwise…”

“What?!”

Bai YuYang’s words were abruptly cut short by Luo Hao’s startled exclamation.

He first froze, then, realizing what had happened, immediately clapped Luo Hao hard on the shoulder.

“Good heavens, Haozi, can you stop being so jumpy?! You scared the life out of me!”

“I should be the one who’s scared, Brother Yang! Who did you say stopped you just now?!”

“Tang Qihuang, why?”

Bai YuYang didn’t understand. Was this something worth such surprise?

Luo Hao, meanwhile, stood with his mouth agape, looking as if his jaw might drop.

“No… Brother Yang, you must be talking about someone with the same name, not *that* student council president…”

“That’s right, I’m talking about the student council president, Tang Qihuang. The one who just spoke on stage.”

“Brother Yang!! I’m so jealous!!”

Luo Hao looked up and let out a long sigh, and indeed, the sour scent of lemons seemed to permeate the air!

“That’s the eldest young lady of the Tang family, the school’s student council president, Qifeng First High School’s two-time reigning campus belle, and…”

“Stop!”

Bai YuYang tapped the back of his head this time, finally quieting him.

“I know, so what does that have to do with me?”

“Brother Yang, she stopped you! You must have talked to her!”

“If I was stopped, wouldn’t I naturally be asked questions…?”

“So I’m really, really envious!”

“……”

Alright, just talking was enough to make him this envious.

Bai YuYang now understood why Luo Hao hadn’t found a girlfriend all these years.

It turned out his horizons were too narrow; in short, he was too unpromising.

Though unpromising, he wasn’t entirely so.

He even tried to comfort himself.

“No… no, I can’t be this pessimistic, but Brother Yang, you really have incredible luck…”

Bai YuYang sighed, intending to leave.

Since he couldn’t glean any useful information about his rebirth, there was no need to linger. He decided to head back.

But just as he turned around, he saw the Class 1-3 team walking toward them.

Bai YuYang quickly dashed to a corner to call Bai YuXi, telling her to join her class and return to their classroom.

He even gave her specific instructions.

“Then I won’t walk you. After school at noon, Xiao Xi, wait for me downstairs in the freshman building. I’ll pick you up; don’t run off.”

“Got it… Brother, I’m really not a child, I won’t run off. And, see you at noon, Brother…”

“Mm, see you at noon. I’ll make you something delicious when we get home.”

Bai YuXi then waved her arm at Bai YuYang as she joined the Class 1-3 team.

Bai YuYang waved back in response.

It wasn’t until Bai YuXi had exited the auditorium that Bai YuYang felt a cold gaze on his back.

He spun around abruptly, only to find Luo Hao, whose eyes resembled two giant lemons.

Luo Hao’s finger trembled as he pointed toward the auditorium exit.

“Bro-Brother Yang… do you actually have a girlfriend? And a silver-haired beauty no less stunning than the president? You…”

“Don’t overthink it. That’s my sister.”

“Oh! So it’s your sister, Brother Yang! As expected of a big brother, to have such a beautiful sister! Wuwuwu, but even so, that’s still too enviable!”

‘Your envy hasn’t stopped since you started.’

But at least for now, no real damage had been done, and Luo Hao could still hold on.

However, only a few seconds passed before Lin QingYu walked up to Bai YuYang with small, hurried steps.

She looked rather impatient.

“Honestly! YuXi’s already gone, YuYang, and you’re still not coming back to the classroom with me? I’m not waiting for you; I’m leaving first!”

“Ah… then walk slowly, QingYu. Be careful not to fall on the way.”

“I won’t fall! I’m not some rare and exotic beast! How could I fall on flat ground?!”

Having said this, she huffed and walked out the door by herself.

But after a few steps, she paused, as if remembering something, and slowly turned back to say,

“Oh, right, YuYang, let’s have lunch together. I made enough for you and YuXi… Hmph! Of course, I just accidentally put in too many ingredients! Don’t get the wrong idea! I’m leaving!”

“Alright, alright, I won’t get the wrong idea.”

Bai YuYang smiled wryly as he watched her also leave the auditorium.

Yet again, he caught a whiff of lemons.

“Brother Yang…”

It felt as though there was no longer much inflection in Luo Hao’s voice.

Bai YuYang turned his head speechlessly, seeing that this time, the single dog Luo Hao, repeatedly struck by the sour stench of romance, had finally broken down.

‘The joys and sorrows of humanity are not interconnected; I only find them noisy.’

Luo Hao slowly shook his head, patting Bai YuYang’s shoulder with a bitter smile. “Brother Yang… indeed, we are not on the same path. Lemons, forever by my side. I understand now, people truly cannot be compared.”

“Haozi… you…”

“No need to say anything, Brother Yang.” Luo Hao’s smile suddenly became dashing. “Don’t worry, your brothers won’t be envious; they’ll only fully support you!”

Honestly, if he had some background music, he might have looked truly dashing.

But since ancient times, ‘coolness’ never lasts more than three seconds.

And indeed, after only three seconds, Luo Hao practically ran, embarking on his journey back to the classroom.

“Waahhh! I’m so mad! Explode, you hateful normie!”

Watching Haozi’s receding figure,

Bai YuYang felt no concern.

Bai YuYang knew that even though he was feeling down now, he would actively come to make up later.

As for why?

It wasn’t for any other reason than that he would soon need to copy Bai YuYang’s math homework.