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Chapter 67: Is Your Period Here?

Lu Li sneaked over and gave Chu Zining a light karate-chop on the forehead.

“Silly girl, who are you looking for?”

The moment Chu Zining saw Lu Li, her peach-blossom eyes welled up; she grabbed his sleeve and said, “W-why are you only getting here now? The principal thought you were too slow and already left.”

“What did he say?” Lu Li asked.

Chu Zining shook her head. “He told me to get my wording ready because I’ll be giving a speech in a bit, then he looked really busy and left right away.”

“He didn’t mention criticizing me?”

“No.”

Lu Li rubbed his chin, utterly puzzled.

“A-are you alright?” Chu Zining asked tentatively.

Lu Li gave a soft laugh. “What could possibly be wrong with me?”

Chu Zining’s little face collapsed; she bit her lip and said, “They said the whole school is going to censure you, and if it’s serious you could even be expelled!”

Lu Li’s expression hardened. “The principal said that?”

“People said it… our classmates,” Chu Zining mumbled.

She had heard all sorts of rumors, especially from that Hao Xin, who had whispered a bunch of snide remarks that worried her sick.

Worried, Chu Zining said, “I also just saw the fierce officer from yesterday, the one who made you write the self-criticism. Are you really alright?”

“Relax, I’m fine. I didn’t do anything wrong, so why would they expel me?” Lu Li ruffled Chu Zining’s hair.

“A-as long as you’re fine.” Chu Zining let out a huge sigh of relief, then lifted her head, blinking her watery peach-blossom eyes; the gentle face now showed a hint of resolve.

Clenching her fists, Chu Zining seemed to have made up her mind. “I know you took the risk to save me, so it wasn’t your fault. I… I won’t let you be wronged.”

“What are you planning?” Lu Li frowned.

“You’ll find out soon.” Chu Zining lowered her head, refusing to let Lu Li see her eyes.

Lu Li’s face turned stern as he warned, “Don’t try anything crazy. This isn’t a joke. If you spout nonsense in front of the whole school and anger the higher-ups, they could turn their wrath on you and revoke your enrollment; you won’t even get into college.”

Chu Zining tilted her head and gave a tiny huff.

Pinching her cheeks, Lu Li said seriously, “Classmate Chu Zining! Calm down. That’s the university you’ve been dreaming of. Do you really want to miss out on college?”

“Then I just won’t go.” Chu Zining answered with sudden calm, then broke free of Lu Li’s hand and ran off.

Lu Li wanted to chase her, but after two steps he bumped straight into Shi Chen.

Shi Chen froze when he saw Lu Li, then glared at him fiercely, snorted, crossed his arms, tipped his chin high, and pulled a face that screamed disdain.

Lu Li stared at him for a moment, then asked doubtfully, “Why the ugly face? Did your period come?”

Shi Chen’s mouth twitched; seething, he barked, “You’ve got guts!”

Without another word, he stomped off.

Lu Li rolled his eyes; the old geezer stirred up trouble until the school was ready to censure him publicly, yet a few sarcastic words and he couldn’t take it.

Turning to look for Chu Zining, Lu Li saw the field packed with students and had no idea where she’d gone.

He waited a while on the rostrum but still didn’t see any school leader who had summoned him.

Meanwhile the grades had already lined up neatly on the field, every class in order, buzzing with chatter.

“Hey, classmate, make way, make way.”

The sudden voice beside him made Lu Li step back; he turned to see several tall boys hanging a red banner from the beam of the rostrum.

“Commendation Ceremony for the Courageous Act Bonus.” Lu Li read the bold characters softly and nodded to himself.

So Chu Zining would probably give a speech and receive her award in a bit.

There was even prize money involved; he just didn’t know how much.

“Classmate, you can’t stand on the stage; the awardee will need it for the speech in a minute.” One of the boys urged Lu Li down when he saw him standing there in a daze.

“Okay.” Lu Li said no more and followed them off the stage.

“Did you hear? Our school is amazing this time. A student earned a Courageous Act Bonus, defused a crisis, and saved a lot of people. The Vice Director of the police bureau personally ordered the SWAT team to come and present the award!”

The boys started chatting.

“Really? I heard one student was an accomplice, broke into the police cordon, and almost got several officers killed.”

“What nonsense! You misheard.”

“No, that’s what everyone is saying.”

“No, no, you both misheard. There were two students in yesterday’s case… one will get the Courageous Act Bonus, the other jeopardized public safety.”

“We’re holding this ceremony to praise the bonus winner and criticize the one who endangered public safety.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course. Isn’t it funny? They were both at the scene, yet one gets an award and the other gets punished; the punished one might even be disciplined or expelled.”

“Forget that stuff! Did you see what the award-winning girl looks like? She’s gorgeous! I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl! When she walked past me just now, I felt time stand still. Mom, I’m in love!”

“Seriously? Have some self-respect.”

“When she speaks on stage you’ll understand; that girl is stunning!”

“I don’t buy it. With your taste you’d fall for a mung bean.”

“Mung bean my foot… who are you calling a turtle? That girl really is beautiful; if she’s not, I’ll eat 5 kilos of poop.”

“If she is, I’ll eat 10 kilos!”

“Here she comes, here she comes; look!”

“What’s the big deal… Whoa, she’s gorgeous!”

“Eat it, man! Hurry up!”

“If God lets me date her, I’m willing to eat 10 kilos!”

“Hands off. I fell for her first!”

“Pah! You won’t even eat 10 kilos for her; what kind of love is that?”

“I’ll eat 20 kilos!”

“…”

Lu Li pressed a hand to his forehead in speechless despair; if eating poop measured love, then Old Eight’s affection must be deep and turbulent.

He looked up at Chu Zining walking onto the stage from the other side; her face was calm, yet her expression was stubborn and earnest.

He frowned inwardly. That silly girl isn’t really going to say something crazy, is she?

Lu Li hesitated, glanced around with nowhere to go, then returned to his own class and stood behind Tang Yang.

“Yo, back from your scolding already?” Zhang Heng was the first to notice Lu Li and sneered with a crooked grin.

Shen Tan, however, frowned in confusion. If Lu Li were really going to be publicly criticized, why would the principal let him go before the assembly even started?

Could there be more to it… the more Shen Tan thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

Just then a school leader whose name Lu Li didn’t know stepped onto the stage, picked up the microphone, and shouted, “Teachers, students, please quiet down, please quiet down.”

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