My Underachieving Seatmate Doesn’t Need Any Comforting

Chapter 4

Chinese class was uneventful.

Qiao Shao had a hard time with classical Chinese, but fortunately, their lesson for now, was on modern Chinese. The lesson happened to be on Zhu Ziqing’s essay, Moonlight in the Lotus Pond. The language teacher was a gentle 40-year-old uncle and in order to better stimulate the atmosphere, he played Feng Huang Chuanqi’s Lotus Pond in Moonlight.

No one born after the turn of the century has ever really enjoyed this song, but everyone was heard it before. After all, who hasn’t accompanied Grandpa and Grandma to the square dances?

The music is very lively, and the volume was very loud. Qiao Shao suspected that the Chinese teacher wanted to wake up his fellow students who were already fast asleep, such as the one right next to him.

Alas, the teacher’s hard work bore little effect.

At first Qiao Shao saw his seatmate’s hand move. He thought, ‘Finally, the god of sleep is finally awake!’ He was finally going to see his seatmate’s face and settle his doubts once and for all.

Who knew that his seatmate, while keeping his back to him, merely covered a yawn and continued right on sleeping? The only difference was that his posture had changed. His head used to be lying on his arm, but now the head was directly to the table, and his long arm was hanging under the desk.

Qiao Shao pursed his lips and stared at that arm — it seemed to be a bit familiar… really familiar.

Maybe tall, strong boys with long arms and legs all looked alike?

Thinking of the words ‘long’, ‘tall’, and ‘strong’, Qiao Xiao Shao, whose development was a little bit slow, felt quite upset.

Let it be. It’s no big deal. He’s in class. He shouldn’t be thinking about these things.

After the second class, it was time for mid-morning exercises.

When He Shen didn’t have to hand in homework, Qiao Shao just despised him; but now that he doesn’t even need to go to mid-morning exercises, then Qiao Shao envied him to the point that he kind of admired and hated him at the same time!

It wasn’t that Qiao Shao wanted to get out of doing the exercises, but he simply couldn’t understand how such a lazy-ass who didn’t even exercise and slept like the dead could have grown so tall!

Ah…comparing your shortcomings against other’s strengths…just gets you angry!

At the table in front of him was a boy who had a pair of little tiger teeth when he laughed, called Song Yixu.

Song Yixu called out to Qiao Shao, “Let’s go, they deduct school points for being late to exercises.”

Qiao Shao glanced at his seatmate, “What about him?”. It was written in the school regulations that students whose school points fell beyond a certain level would have their parents called to school. If it was something serious, they’d write up a report on you and if it turned even more serious, they would advise you to leave school.

Song Yixu laughed and said, “He doesn’t care.” He Shen would easily win prizes with the slightest of effort, and every time he did the school would award him dozens of points. He now had so many points, it would take him years to squander it all away.

Of course, Qiao Shao didn’t know the truth, and he made a very logical assumption. The god of sleep had already been given up as beyond saving; why would he care about school points? His parents were probably completely vexed, and the school was just itching to deduct all his points so they could kick him out the door!

Qiao Shao got up and looked at Chen Su.

Chen Su was in the second row and had already left. Qiao Shao and Song Yixu left the classroom together.

Song Yixu was a chatterbox and had a lot more gossip to share than the scrupulous and methodical Chen Su. When they walked to the bell tower, he said mysteriously that it was the school’s sacred dating site. On dark, windy nights, flashlights shining in the dark, meant the meeting of illicit lovers. When they passed by the High School third year’s building, he said that was Ashura’s hell. If you walk out of there, you were considered an Immortal, but if you don’t then you’re as good as dead…

Qiao Shao happily listened to him and soon the both of them reached the school field.

The Eastern District’s First High School’s field was very huge and could easily fit in the fifty or so classes from all three levels.

Each grade level had one or two special classes. The regular classes wore blue and white school uniforms. Only students from the special classes wore casual clothes and they numbered only half of the students in the regular classes.

Qiao Shao knew that those must be the international classes or the special abilities classes.

He craned his neck and took a look around, but he couldn’t spot Lou Xiao.

When you think about it, why would the school tyrant even come to mid-morning exercises anyway?

Qiao Shao was at a loss as to what to do in mid-morning exercises. He had never learned how to do it.

Song Yixu next to him wondered, “Didn’t your previous school have mid-morning exercises? Isn’t this standardized across the country?”

Qiao Shao didn’t know if this was standardized across the country but in any case, there wasn’t anything like this in his previous school. They instead had a series of compulsory sports such as fencing, equestrian, shooting, golf, and so on. They didn’t waste time doing calisthenics&#k2026;

Of course, he couldn’t say that. If he did, Song Yixu would laugh his head off.

Qiao Shao said vaguely, “My health was pretty bad before so I didn’t join in the mid-morning exercises.”

Looking at his small body, Song Yixu said sympathetically, “Is it okay for you to join in now? Maybe you should ask the teacher for permission to skip.”

“No need,” Qiao Shao said with a guilty conscience, “I’m a lot better now.”

Song Yixu enthusiastically said, “It’s okay, you can just follow along, the movements are very simple.”

It’s really wasn’t difficult, especially because Qiao Shao was still at the very back row because he was a transfer student. He could just, more or less, follow the “teacher's” movements in front.

He never would have thought that when they got back to class, the god of sleep would still asleep! Qiao Shao honestly wondered, ‘Doesn’t this guy even need to pee? How can his bladder be that good?”

He’s certainly no ordinary person!

The third class was physics, which was Qiao Shao’s weakest subject. The subject matter for first year high school was not difficult, but Qiao Xiao Shao, despite listening attentively, could not make out anything at all — it was all Greek to him!

Halfway through there was a question that Qiao Shao read over and over but still couldn’t make head or tails of. The physics teacher suddenly braced himself against his desk and said, “Let’s have someone come up and solve this.”

Qiao Shao immediately tensed up, solve … what solve? You haven’t even discussed this topic yet! Who the hell could answer this! What made Qiao Shao even more nervous was that the physics teacher’s small eyes drifted over to his side.

No way……

Qiao Shao listened to the three lessons carefully but he was still a far cry from being a good student. He really wasn’t up to such a difficult task.

“He Shen.” The physics teacher called his name.

It as a while before it dawned on Qiao Shao that he’d called his seatmate.

The sleeping god was dead asleep. Even the teacher calling his name couldn’t stir him.

Qiao Shao hesitated, but still decided to give him a little push. Although he had promised to stay far away from school scum, he wasn’t just going to stand by and let him die.

But after trying to wake him up, he felt a little regretful. What would happen if he did wake up? How could slacker who slept through three classes ever be able to answer this problem they haven’t even discussed yet? The physics teacher probably called him to make a fool of him and to get him to wake up.

“He Shen?” The physics teacher called again.

Qiao Shao has already gone above and beyond his duty. He was not going to push him again.

He thought the teacher would go down to the podium and wake up his seatmate up with a slap. Who would have thought that the teacher pushed down his glasses and called someone else instead, “Chen Su, come and solve the problem.”

Qiao Shao: “???”

That’s it?

You called him twice and he ignored you and you’re just going to leave it?

Teacher, where’s your dignity! Take your pointer and slap this guy awake!

Qiao Shao pondered for a long time but still couldn’t be sure what to make of it. He felt that his three views had been refreshed.

Sure enough, any skill taken to its utmost pinnacle produces amazing results. To be able to take being a slacker to this extent, Qiao Shao was a little impressed.

The last class was ideology and politics. Lunchtime came just as the entire class was getting sleepy.

Qiao Shao had already turned a blind eye on the large lump beside him. Anyway, if all he did was sleep, then it would be like Qiao Shao didn’t even have a seatmate.

After the bell rang, Qiao Shao glanced He Shen.

Song Yixu said, “Don’t wake him up. He gets upset.”

Qiao Shao, “…”. The entire point is for him to be awake!

“I wasn’t going to wake him up. Sleeping doesn’t need calories, so he doesn’t need to eat.”

Song Yixu, “Hey, that’s the first law of thermodynamics!”

During their conversation, Qiao Shao saw Chen Su’s look his way. Just as Qiao Shao looked up, Chen Su had already looked away and made towards the door.

Qiao Shao said, “Chen Su, wait for me.”

Chen Su paused.

Qiao Shao turned to Song Yixu and said, “Let’s eat together?”

Song Yixu was smiling but then he was suddenly dumbfounded and asked, “You want to go with Chen Su?”

Qiao Shao said, “Yeah, we’re roommates. He was the one who took me to the School office this morning.”

Song Yixu quickly waved his hand and said, “You go on ahead. I already promised someone else that I’d have lunch with them.”

Qiao Shao didn’t think too much, and said, “Alright, I’ll be going now.”

Chen Su watched Qiao Shao catch up to him, but said nothing.

Qiao Shao said, “The previous physics problem was so difficult but you actually managed to solve it.”

There was finally a bit of warmth on Chen Su’s constantly indifferent face, “My solution wasn’t that good, and the process was cumbersome.”

Qiao Shao said, “That’s not true. I read the problem so many times but I couldn’t understand it at all.”

As soon as they talked about their studies, Chen Su became quite talkative: “It’s not difficult. I just used what we studies before…” The two talked about physics problems all the way, and Qiao Shao benefited a lot. He had an even better impression of his roommate.

As Chen Su said, their cafeteria really offered value for money. Two dishes, one soup and rice cost just 4 yuan.

Four yuan.

Usually, when he eats, even four hundred yuan wasn’t enough.

Chen Su spent even less. He only spent three yuan!

This really shocked Qiao Shao, and he couldn’t hide his surprise.

Chen Su’s expression turned even more kindly, he said, “It’s great, isn’t it? You can definitely eat your fill, so eat as much as you like.”

Qiao Shao nodded again and again, “It really is great.”

*******************

At the cafeteria’s second floor

He Shen sipped his glass of iced americano, forcing himself to wake up.

Lou Xiao couldn’t smoke, so he had a lollipop in his mouth. He asked, “How many days and nights have you holding up?”

He Shen turned to look at the first floor, “There’s an order that’s going to be due soon.”

Lou Xiao bit through the lollipop with a ‘crunch’, “Don’t overdo it. You’re still young, all you do is earn money.”

He Shen didn’t answer, his eyes narrowed, and he saw a familiar little dwarf among the bustling crowd on the first floor.

Lou Xiao said again, “Let’s eat first, you can go to my room to catch up on sleep in the afternoon.”

He never goes back to his room anyway, and He Shen didn’t live in school so he didn’t have a bed to sleep in.

He Shen agreed absentmindedly. He looked carefully but he could no longer see the little kid.

Lou Xiao noticed him looking intently, “What’s wrong?”

He Shen said, “Is the high school cafeteria still open to middle school students?”

Lou Xiao said, “The junior middle school is more than a mile away. When would they even find time to come over here to eat?”

“You’re right,” He Shen retracted his gaze and said, “It seems I really need to catch up on sleep.” This lack of sleep was causing him to see things.

***********************

Eastern District’s First High School, had a mandatory noon break.

Day students were only allowed to enter the school gate at two o’clock. Students who lived on campus were not allowed to leave their rooms after one o’clock.

Qiao Shao parted ways with Chen Su after lunch. Chen Su had to conduct room checks. Qiao Shao could only go back by himself.

When he opened the door, he thought, there was probably no one in the room. Blue-hair probably wasn’t the type of obedient student who’d take an afternoon nap; the school tyrant even less so. Chen Su went to do room checks. It seemed that he was going to be staying in the room by himself…

He hadn’t even finished this thought, when he was blasted in the face by the freezing cold air from the air-conditioner.

F*ck!

Who set the air conditioner so cold that it could freeze people to death!

It was only May. Although they were already wearing short sleeves, it was still too early to turn on the air conditioner!

Qiao Shao braved the cold wind and entered the room. He quickly found the remote control, and turned off the air conditioner.

“Lunatic,” murmured Qiao Shao, “Who the hell is that afraid of a little heat!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw a person lying on the third bed.

The boy slept very deeply, his short hair lay scattered on the pillow. Because he had his eyes closed, he no longer had that lazy and indifferent appearance. Instead he looked weary and exhausted.

His facial features were very good. Because he was lying on his side, the bridge of his nose looked even more distinct, and the lines of his jaw and neck are close to perfect.

The two-meter single bed didn’t seem to be long enough for him. He curled up his long legs and had nowhere to rest.

Qiao Shao was a little jealous. He thought, ‘what’s the use of growing tall? You’re just taking up space!’

The air conditioner was turned on so cold, but “Lou Xiao” only had around his waist, a blanket so thin it couldn’t be made any thinner. He really wasn’t afraid of the cold at all.

Qiao Shao stared at him for a while, calculating the possibility of dressing him in women’s clothes while he slept.

Oh, but he doesn’t have any plus size women’s clothing he could wear. Wait, that’s not right! He doesn’t have any women’s clothing! Of any size, okay!

Forget it, he’ll just have a bit of petty revenge for now.

Qiao Shao grabbed his own quilt and wrapped the other up tightly.

You’re that afraid of heat, huh? Then I’ll heat you up even more!

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Lotus Pond in Moonlight : Link