Chapter 11 You’ve Become One of the Idiots Now Too

Seeing Luo Yi’s expression that was both stunned and angry, Ye Xiaoyang couldn’t help laughing.

“Just kidding,” he said lightly, casually stuffing the book back onto the shelf.

Luo Yi gave a soft huff through her nose. Her fingers slid along the row of book spines, wanting to see if there was anything else suitable.

Suddenly, it seemed a thread of heat appeared at her side.

Ye Xiaoyang moved behind her without a sound and raised his hand to take a book from the shelf above her head.

Luo Yi’s fingers stiffened. Her body couldn’t move.

She could feel the open front of his school uniform faintly brushing against her back, and his light breathing falling on the crown of her head.

She quietly tilted her head up and saw his hand with slightly protruding knuckles searching across the bookshelf.

He was too close—close enough that he had already broken through Luo Yi’s safe distance.

In the past, she would definitely have bounced three feet away like a little rabbit with its alarm blaring and fled for her life.

But now, she unexpectedly didn’t feel any aversion to his actions.

She lowered her long eyelashes. Her nails lightly scraped at the characters on the book spines. The Buddhist prayer beads on her wrist knocked against the bookcase, producing a clear, crisp sound.

If someone looked at them from behind, they would definitely see the tall, upright boy completely shielding the petite, delicate girl— as if in the next second the boy would reach out and pull her into his arms.

The long and secretive moment finally passed. Ye Xiaoyang held a book out in front of her.

“This one is pretty good.” It was a short story collection by Ryunosuke Akutagawa.

Luo Yi took it, flipped to the table of contents. The first piece was the famous Rashomon , and the ones collected after it were also his well-known works.

She closed the book, hugged it to her chest, and decided to borrow this one.

The two of them arrived at the self-service borrowing machine. Luo Yi placed the book on the machine, then reached into her pocket for her student card.

With a “plop,” something fell to the ground.

Luo Yi had just turned her head when Ye Xiaoyang, quick-eyed and quick-handed, already picked it up for her.

He opened his palm. A small hard fruit candy lay there, the fluorescent candy wrapper flashing with multicolored light.

She reached out to take it, but he suddenly closed his hand and swiftly drew it back.

Luo Yi: “…”

What did that mean?

“Like eating candy?” His voice was pressed very low, like rich bitter coffee, yet the words carried a thread of sweetness.

Luo Yi didn’t deny it. She said, “I have low blood sugar.”

Ye Xiaoyang’s expression shifted slightly.

He looked into her pitch-black eyes, like stars reflected in a full, surging lake. Her eyes were very round, the corners slightly downturned—innocent and adorable.

He caught her left wrist and stuffed that candy into her palm.

Luo Yi stood there blankly, like half a wooden post. Only her big, rolling eyes proved she was a living creature.

“What’s wrong?” Ye Xiaoyang asked.

She hurriedly pulled her hand back behind her. The one who had done the bad thing was clearly him, yet she was the one feeling embarrassed.

“It’s not like we haven’t touched before,” he teased.

Luo Yi knew he was talking about the time he had tutored her in physics, but that matter and this matter were different in nature.

She gave him a lingering look, her eyes full of shyness mixed with a thread of resentment.

Luo Yi silently operated the borrowing machine.

After she finished, it was Ye Xiaoyang’s turn.

Even though she had just been teased by him, Luo Yi still very consciously stood beside the machine waiting for him.

While the scan was going on, Ye Xiaoyang’s gaze fell on the string of agate Buddhist prayer beads on her left wrist.

He had seen girls wear bracelets, but ones who wore Buddhist prayer beads were rare. In his impression, the enthusiasts of prayer beads were mostly middle-aged men.

“That string of prayer beads on your hand is pretty interesting,” he said.

Luo Yi raised her wrist. Her right hand brushed over those slightly cool beads.

There were eighteen in total, symbolizing the “eighteen realms” in Buddhism—the six roots, six dusts, and six consciousnesses.

Every agate prayer bead had been carefully polished, full and rounded, crystal-clear and translucent.

“When I was little my health wasn’t good. No matter how many doctors we saw, there was no improvement. Later my dad took me to Jinmen Temple and requested this string of prayer beads, saying it could drive away evil and protect peace.” Luo Yi said seriously, “After wearing this string of prayer beads, my health became much better than before, so I’ve kept wearing them.”

Ye Xiaoyang: “…”

He was a firm atheist, yet she spoke as if it had a nose and eyes, as if there really was protection from the Buddha.

Her prayer bead bracelet was of excellent quality. It must be quite valuable.

“Oh,” he responded, then asked, “Do you believe in Buddhism?”

Luo Yi thought for a moment and answered, “Not really. I occasionally read some Buddhist classics. Some of the things said inside are pretty reasonable. As for keeping a vegetarian diet, chanting, or copying scriptures—I’ve never done those.”

No wonder that day in the school clinic she had casually recited a Buddhist verse.

The Master does not speak of strange forces and chaotic spirits.

This world was strange. In the most technologically advanced Europe and America, many scientists believed in God.

Ye Xiaoyang didn’t believe in these things, but he also wouldn’t say anything.

A genius like Newton becoming obsessed with theology and God’s first impetus in his later years was, in his view, an extremely regrettable matter.

Ye Xiaoyang was frivolous and young.

Many people in their youth had fantasized about changing the world and believed that man could conquer nature.

Yet many things often exceeded the scope of human capability. At those times, some people would place their hopes on these ethereal things.

Although Luo Yi was not old, she had experienced quite a few things.

When she was six, her mother Yao Lan passed away. This matter had a huge impact on her.

At the time, Luo Hengzhou had taken Yao Lan to the People’s Hospital of Province X, and later transferred her to the best hospital in Beijing. But the doctors told him that even if they spent a large sum of money on surgery, the survival rate was still extremely low.

Doing the surgery gave a one-percent hope. Not doing the surgery was zero percent. After all kinds of choices, Luo Hengzhou agreed to the surgery.

Yet heaven did not favor Yao Lan. Not long after the surgery she developed rejection. In the end, even with the doctors’ full efforts to save her, they still couldn’t bring her back.

During that period, Luo Hengzhou often sat in front of Yao Lan’s memorial tablet for entire days. Holding little Luo Yi, a grown man cried until he couldn’t make a sound.

She knew her dad must have been blaming himself, thinking that if they hadn’t done the surgery back then, maybe Mom could have lived another year or half a year longer.

But life had no road back. Even if other choices had been made at the time, the result might not necessarily have been better.

Sometimes heaven only gave a dead end and left you with nowhere to go.

In her memory, from then on Luo Hengzhou often went to temples to pay respects to the Buddha.

It wasn’t superstition—just finding a spiritual support and comfort for himself.

These words Luo Yi would not tell Ye Xiaoyang. His life had been too smooth. He probably found it hard to understand these things.

Hearing her words, Ye Xiaoyang lazily propped himself against the bookcase and said, “So, you’re a Buddhist-style girl?”

This “Buddhist-style” was not that “Buddhist-style,” yet if one really put it that way, it seemed to work too.

Luo Yi’s temperament was mild and gentle. She was calm by nature and didn’t have an especially strong competitive spirit. Wasn’t that exactly what people on the internet often called “Buddhist-style”?

She said slowly, “If you want to think of it that way, you can.”

The corners of Ye Xiaoyang’s lips curved lightly, his expression playful and hard to fathom.

After the parent-teacher meeting ended, most classmates followed their parents home. The three-day May Day holiday officially began.

Luo Yi followed Luo Xueqing back to the municipal party committee compound. For the next few days she would have to sleep together with You Nianyao.

At this moment You Nianyao was still outside at a tutoring class and would only return in the evening.

Luo Xueqing kept a tight grip on You Nianyao’s grades. With the high school entrance exam approaching soon, she didn’t dare slacken in the slightest.

With nothing to do, Luo Yi went online in the bedroom.

As soon as she logged onto QQ, she received a verification message. Seeing it was Tang Kunyu, she immediately clicked accept.

Tang Kunyu invited her to join Class 6’s group chat “Everything Goes Smoothly.”

【Tang Kunyu: Everyone come out and welcome the new classmate.】

【Romantic: Hello everyone.】

Just as the holiday began, the class group was extremely lively and noisy.

Right after the two finished speaking, classmates bubbled up one after another and lined up to clap in welcome.

【Tang Kunyu: Luo Yi, remember to change your remark name.】

【Luo Yi: Already changed.】

【Tang Kunyu: Everyone look at the group announcement. Remember to gather at the school gate at nine tomorrow morning.】

The classmates in the group chattered away discussing tomorrow’s spring outing arrangements.

Liusha Bay had outdoor barbecue grills. Some classmates volunteered to skewer meat at home and planned to bring it tomorrow.

【Sun Yiman: Class monitor, how many people in total? My mom and I are at the supermarket. We need to see how much stuff is appropriate to buy.】

【Tang Kunyu: Including Luo Yi, twenty-seven people in total. Just calculate for thirty portions. There are always people who eat enough for two.】

【Li Lingqiu: @Wang Changze, the class monitor is talking about you.】

【Wang Changze: What’s wrong with eating a lot? I’m creating GDP for the country. What are you doing for the country? Saving fabric?】

【Li Lingqiu: Damn, Wang Changze, you’re dead tomorrow.】

Class 6’s atmosphere was very good—united and friendly, mutually helpful, and also loved teasing each other until the whole place was in an uproar.

Luo Yi watched these people chatting and blowing water in the group and felt quite happy.

【One Leaf Book: .】

【Zhou Jiahang: Holy shit, you actually came back to life in the group?】

【One Leaf Book: If you can’t speak properly, say less. No one is treating you like a mute.】

【Tang Kunyu: Ye Xiaoyang, where’s the remark name I changed for you?】

【One Leaf Book: Don’t you think this nickname sounds nice?】

【Tang Kunyu: …】

There was no language that could express Tang Kunyu’s feelings except this row of periods.

【Luo Yi: Class monitor, I wanted to ask—how do I get back afterward?】

【Tang Kunyu: Where do you live?】

【Luo Yi: The municipal party committee compound side.】

【Tang Kunyu: I’ll check the bus route for you.】

【One Leaf Book: We’re going the same way. We can go together.】

【Tang Kunyu: ???】

【Tang Kunyu: Weren’t you not going?】

【One Leaf Book: I changed my mind.】

Fine, fine, fine. Academic God Ye came and went as he pleased.

Even though that day when they asked him, his face clearly said: “Spring outing? Only elementary school students go on spring outings! The weather is so hot—is the game not fun or is sleep not good? Or are you planning to group up and farm WeChat Sports steps as performance art to occupy the rankings and look down on everyone?”

He had also gifted a sarcastic and contemptuous smile, as if everyone going on the spring outing was a complete idiot.

Look! The karma feedback had arrived! The present retribution had come!

He had also become one of the idiots.