Chapter 36

On Monday, Shen Lihuan’s class had a physical education lesson.

After finishing their warm-up exercises, the PE teacher allowed them to engage in free activities. Previously, Shen Lihuan and You Changqing had always chosen to play badminton, but today, they decided to change things up and headed to the tennis court to play tennis.

After changing into her tennis attire, Shen Lihuan walked out of the fitting room and tidied up her slightly messy hair in front of the mirror. Not long after, You Changqing also stepped out in her new outfit, and Shen Lihuan’s eyes instantly lit up.

She was wearing a pink top paired with a white skirt, exuding a youthful and vibrant aura. Her graceful figure could not be concealed, especially those long, bare legs.

They were long and fair—adding a little more would be too plump, and taking a little away would be too thin. While most people’s knees tend to be darker, hers were evenly fair. Other girls might struggle with bow legs or knock-knees, but You Changqing definitely didn’t—her legs were flawlessly straight.

Shen Lihuan’s gaze locked onto her legs, unwilling to look away.

Changqing’s legs were simply a masterpiece—too perfect.

While Shen Lihuan was admiring You Changqing, You Changqing was also observing her. Shen Lihuan was dressed in a blue top and a white skirt. Though her outfit was simple, on her, it looked like high fashion. You Changqing’s gaze lingered on both her upper and lower body for a while, thinking to herself—Lihuan has such a great figure, hugging her must feel amazing. She silently wished, If only I had another chance to hold Lihuan like I did in the haunted house last time…

Little did anyone know, You Changqing’s wish was about to come true.

There weren’t many people in the tennis court, but as soon as Shen Lihuan and You Changqing stepped inside, many of the male students froze, their eyes glued to the two girls. You Changqing noticed the way those guys kept staring at Lihuan and had the sudden urge to dig their eyeballs out.

What are you looking at, you creeps? No matter how much you stare at Lihuan, she won’t spare you a glance, hmph!

Some guys who didn’t recognize them asked their friends who the two beautiful girls were, only to be met with an exasperated eye roll.

“You don’t know? One is Shen Lihuan, the eldest daughter of the Shen family, and the other is You Changqing, the eldest daughter of the You family. Who in our school doesn’t know them?”

The boy flushed with embarrassment. “I was too focused on studying before! I wasn’t like you, always paying attention to which girl looks good.”

His friend rubbed his nose and added, “Well… if you’ve fallen for one of them at first sight, I have to tell you something brutal.”

“What is it?” The boy was puzzled.

Lowering his voice, his friend whispered in his ear, “According to reliable sources, those two are actually a couple.”

“WHAT?!” The boy was devastated. His budding love had withered before it even had the chance to bloom.

“You think I’d lie to you? This came from Class 2 of Grade 10—they’re in the same class as the Shen-You duo. The information is absolutely reliable.”

“Wuwuwu, why am I so unlucky? I finally found a girl I like, and the next second, I find out she’s into girls. How is life this unfair? Two stunning girls and they end up with each other instead!”

“Ahem, don’t put it that way. Don’t you think two beautiful girls together is visually pleasing and enjoyable to watch?”

Persuaded by his friend, the boy redirected his gaze toward Shen Lihuan and You Changqing. Even while playing tennis, they exchanged smiles, looking like a perfectly affectionate couple. He remained silent for a moment before resigning himself to fate.

“Well… I guess them being together is better than them dating some random guys. Just imagining some other guy interfering between them feels wrong.”

“See, that’s the right way to think! Come on, let’s get back to our game—I won’t go easy on you this time.”

…

Shen Lihuan wasn’t as skilled at tennis as You Changqing, but she had excellent stamina, strength, and speed, allowing her to keep up. By the time they were evenly matched, sweat had already formed on You Changqing’s forehead, yet Shen Lihuan still looked fresh and energetic.

As You Changqing hit a drop shot near the baseline, she quickly ran to the backcourt to retrieve the ball. However, she lost focus for a moment and tripped, falling to the ground.

“Changqing, are you okay?!”

Shen Lihuan panicked and immediately leaped over the net to rush to her side. You Changqing propped herself up on one hand, inhaling sharply from the pain—it seemed like she had scraped her hand and twisted her ankle.

“Let me see!”

Shen Lihuan gently took her hand and inspected it, noticing a scrape on her right elbow with fresh blood seeping out. She quickly pulled a tissue from her pocket and pressed it against the wound with a soft touch.

“Besides your hand, did you hurt anywhere else? Did you twist your ankle?”

“I think I twisted my left ankle. It hurts a lot.” Hearing Shen Lihuan’s gentle voice, You Changqing couldn’t help but act a little spoiled.

Shen Lihuan frowned and carefully touched her ankle. The moment she did, You Changqing’s ears turned red.

Upon confirming that her foot wasn’t seriously injured, Shen Lihuan let out a sigh of relief. “Luckily, your ankle isn’t sprained. But for the next two days, you need to take it easy—only walk, no running.”

Then, without hesitation, she scooped You Changqing up into a princess carry.

“Ah!” You Changqing instinctively wrapped her arms around Shen Lihuan’s swan-like neck. “Lihuan, why are you carrying me? Put me down! Be careful, your arms might get sore.”

“Your foot isn’t in the best condition to walk. I’ll carry you to the infirmary to get some medicine. You’re so light, I could carry you with one hand.”

Shen Lihuan had no intention of putting her down and quickly strode toward the infirmary. Hearing her confident and strong words, You Changqing happily rested her head on her shoulder.

The infirmary wasn’t far from the tennis court, and within three minutes, they arrived at their destination.

There were three school doctors who took turns on duty. Today, the one on duty was a female doctor, not yet thirty, known for her excellent medical skills and warm, friendly nature. Many students at Ming High liked her.

Seeing Shen Lihuan walk in while carrying a girl princess-style, the school doctor immediately stepped forward, asking, “Is this student sick or injured?”

“When playing tennis, she fell and scraped her elbow, and she also twisted her ankle.”

As Shen Lihuan gently placed You Changqing onto the bed, she answered the school nurse’s question.

“It’s not too serious, luckily,” the school nurse said, relieved after examining You Changqing’s elbow and ankle and finding no major injuries. She opened the first-aid kit, took out a bottle of iodine, and began cleaning the wound. When the alcohol touched her skin, You Changqing hissed in pain, and Shen Lihuan immediately held her hand.

The school nurse glanced at them and assumed they were a couple. She couldn’t help but sigh—beautiful girls always seemed to be with other beautiful girls.

“Alright, for the next few days, avoid spicy and irritating foods. Your wound should heal in no time.”

After bandaging You Changqing’s elbow, the school nurse smiled.

“Thank you, Nurse,” Shen Lihuan politely expressed her gratitude.

“No need to thank me. Having two such beautiful girls visit the infirmary is already my gain,” the nurse replied with a hearty laugh.

“We’ll be heading out now. Goodbye.”

“Goodbye.”

After leaving the infirmary, You Changqing’s ankle no longer hurt, but it meant they wouldn’t be able to play tennis anymore. She sighed in disappointment before suggesting, “Lihuan, there are still ten minutes left before class ends. Let’s go change, and at noon, instead of going home, let’s eat out.”

Shen Lihuan naturally followed her lead. “Whatever you say, I’ll listen to you. After class, I’ll call my parents and let them know I won’t be home for lunch.”

“Great! A new restaurant just opened on Changhong Road. I heard the food is good—let’s go try it.”

Heh heh heh, after eating, they would still have time to go shopping. Perfect.

Shen Lihuan informed her mother, Gu Qinglan, who immediately agreed and reminded her to have fun with Changqing. Shen Lihuan readily agreed—she would have had fun regardless.

After school, You Changqing and Shen Lihuan took the bus. She called it “experiencing life,” and Shen Lihuan went along with her. The bus was crowded, and soon elderly passengers and children boarded. The two girls gave up their seats and received heartfelt thanks.

As the bus got even more crowded, Shen Lihuan, worried that someone might bump into You Changqing, protectively pulled her into her arms while holding onto the handrail herself. You Changqing wrapped her arms around her waist and smiled sweetly.

A short while later, at the next stop, a group of people got off while another group boarded. A middle-aged man dressed like a farmer took the seat next to Shen Lihuan, carrying a baby only a few months old in his arms.

Not interested in looking out the window, Shen Lihuan idly turned her gaze toward the man and the baby.

The infant was fast asleep, tiny lips slightly pursed, with a bit of drool trailing down. He looked absolutely adorable.

The middle-aged man silently stared out the window, occasionally lowering his head to send messages. What caught Shen Lihuan’s attention was that, despite his modest appearance, he was using the latest model of Shen Corporation’s phone. If she remembered correctly, that particular model cost over seven thousand yuan.

It wasn’t that Shen Lihuan looked down on his background, but generally, farmers were very frugal and wouldn’t splurge on a phone that expensive. That was why she found it puzzling.