Deep Within the Living

Chapter 48: First Place

When Luo Di returned to his seat, he was surprised to find someone there. His gaze met with that of a short girl, no taller than 1.6 meters, with neatly trimmed bangs.

The atmosphere turned slightly awkward, as if Luo Di couldn’t recall the name of this classmate.

Just as Xiaoying was about to introduce herself—

“Li Xiaoying,” Luo Di suddenly said.

"Um..."

"Yeah." Luo Di nodded, then began packing up the items on his chair.

As the final group finished their match, the day’s opening assessment officially came to an end.

Most of the students were limping, and over ten needed to be admitted to the hospital.

Even those who were uninjured didn’t feel relieved. They knew their performance tonight was far from satisfactory—completely dominated. If they didn’t improve within the next six months, their future prospects would be bleak.

Luo Di finished packing first and quickly walked out of the gymnasium."Luo Di, wait!"

Gao Yuxuan jogged to catch up, walking shoulder to shoulder with him as he peppered Luo Di with questions about zombification.

The class leader noticed and frowned slightly before running to join them. But halfway there, she suddenly remembered something. With a graceful turn, like a dance move, she looked back at the resting area where Xiaoying stood frozen, still processing what had happened.

"Xiaoying! After tonight’s fitness test, the cafeteria will have free late-night snacks. Want to come with us?"

"Okay!"

Grabbing her unzipped backpack, Xiaoying almost stumbled as she ran to catch up, following behind the three of them.

[Cafeteria]

In the past, everyone would leave school before six and go home for dinner. Eating at the cafeteria, let alone having a late-night snack, was unheard of.

Since Jupiter City was primarily a Chinese immigrant city, the cafeteria’s style heavily leaned toward Chinese cuisine. As soon as they stepped in, the familiar aroma of spicy chili oil filled the air.

The counters were lined with freshly cooked toppings like braised beef with bamboo shoots, red-braised pork ribs, minced meat with soy sauce, and stir-fried pork with green peppers.

The cafeteria ladies were busy cooking elastic noodles made from premium flour in large pots.

The toppings were unlimited—students could help themselves—and each serving came with a freshly fried egg.

Despite the delicious offerings, most students were conscious of their calorie intake since it was already late at night. They opted for small or medium bowls.

Luo Di was no exception. He believed eating too much at night would affect his sleep. Both he and Gao Yuxuan got small bowls of pork rib noodles.

Xiaoying, who hadn’t said a word during the meal selection, timidly picked a small bowl of dry mixed noodles with fried minced meat. She followed the class leader cautiously and sat with the group.

But then—bang!

A heavy, oversized bowl slammed onto the table, drawing everyone’s attention. Xiaoying looked over in shock to see that the class leader had ordered a massive bowl filled with beef, pork ribs, and a giant fried egg.

"Don’t just stare at me, Xiaoying. Hurry up and eat~"

"Oh…"

Sitting beside the class leader, Xiaoying didn’t dare to lift her head because Luo Di was sitting directly across from her.

The class leader ate heartily as she chatted, "By the way, Xiaoying will be joining us from now on. If I’m busy with class leader duties and can’t make it to meals, Luo Di, make sure to bring Xiaoying along."

Gao Yuxuan flashed an "OK" sign, while Luo Di remained silent, eating his noodles.

The late-night noodles were quickly devoured, and the class leader was clearly the most satisfied of them all.

Xiaoying was amazed by how much the class leader could eat. For a moment, she felt a pang of sadness.

In her mind, the class leader’s ability to maintain such a good figure despite eating so much meant she must spend countless hours on intense extracurricular training to burn off the calories.

Bang! The class leader put her empty bowl, even drained of soup, back on the table.

Wiping the oil from her lips, she asked, "So, are you guys planning to stay on campus? Living here saves commuting time, and you get free breakfast in the cafeteria."

Gao Yuxuan adjusted his glasses. "I have mild insomnia and prefer sleeping alone."

"What about you, Luo Di?"

"My house isn’t far. It’s only a twenty-minute bus ride. Plus, my mom prepares breakfast in advance, so I don’t need to stay on campus."

Hearing this, the class leader looked a bit exasperated. "Ah~ I’ve already decided to stay. My family and I agreed that I’d dedicate these last six months entirely to schoolwork and final exam prep.

"What about you, Xiaoying?"

"I-I haven’t decided yet. I’ll talk to my family tonight…"

The class leader immediately pulled Xiaoying into a hug. "Stay, please! If you stay, I’ll talk to Mr. Ruan right away and have him assign us to the same dorm. Then we can eat breakfast together and head to class as a pair. Life on campus is much more fun with a companion!"

"Okay." Just hearing that she might share a dorm with the class leader made Xiaoying agree before even discussing it with her family.

[The Next Day]

The first class of the morning was PE.

Surprisingly, it was held in the classroom instead of the field. The focus was on announcing scores from the previous day and outlining the new nighttime training schedules.

Mr. Ruan, still in his military uniform, couldn’t hide the subtle joy on his face despite his stoic demeanor.

"First, congratulations. Our class has improved its average score once again, climbing to second place in the grade.

"In last night’s assessment, two students deserve special recognition.

"Wu Wen broke both the sprint and long-distance running records, finishing fourth in the grade. Find the newest release on N0v3l.Fiɾe.net

"And Luo Di, whose overall performance has earned him first place in the grade."

Thunderous applause erupted.

The class leader smiled and gave Luo Di a thumbs-up from across the room.

"In addition to these two, Gao Yuxuan, Xu Dianjun, and Li Xiaoying also made it into the top 50 of the grade.

"Your nighttime training will be part of the elite group, receiving specialized instruction."

Sitting in the front row, Xiaoying could hardly believe her ears. Her usual ranking hovered around the top 100, and this improvement felt surreal. She couldn’t help but feel it was thanks to the class leader’s encouragement.

When she turned to look at the class leader, the latter had already formed a heart shape with her hands.

"For those who didn’t make the elite group, don’t be discouraged. I’ll tailor the best training plan for you… Oh, right! Luo Di, Wu Wen, head to the principal’s office now. Good news awaits you."

The class leader shot up from her seat and dashed to the classroom door, beckoning to Luo Di.

"You’re so slow! The principal’s already impatient!"

Luo Di didn’t respond, quietly walking down the school corridor.

The teaching building and the administrative offices were connected by a circular skybridge, making it easy to reach the principal’s office.

As they passed through the classroom zone, ensuring they wouldn’t disturb other classes, Luo Di, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.

"Class leader, is something on your mind?"

"Huh? Why do you ask?"

"It just feels a bit strange that you and Li Xiaoying suddenly became close. After all, you two barely interacted before."

"Well, six months ago, did we have much interaction? I only realized last night that Xiaoying is quite talented—and very cute, don’t you think? Her face is so round and adorable. Plus, now that she’s staying on campus, we’ll even be sleeping in the same dorm tonight.

"By the way, Xiaoying seems to like you. What’s your take on that?"

Luo Di paused for a moment, glanced at the class leader beside him, and then shifted his gaze forward, continuing to walk without a word.

Unexpectedly, the class leader quickened her steps, overtaking him. She walked ahead with her hands clasped behind her back, just as she had during winter break in the stairwell, giving off an unmistakable, unspoken suggestion.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

The silence was like throwing a stone into a bottomless well.

But this time, the well seemed to have filled with water, and the stone's splash rippled back with a response.

A rough yet warm hand lightly brushed against hers.

Without a word, the two walked together across the skybridge, entering the administrative building. Step by step, they ascended the nearly deserted staircase toward the principal’s office on the top floor.

When they were just one flight away from their destination—

Thud!

As Luo Di stepped onto the landing, his vision distorted and spun. He staggered, nearly losing his balance.

If not for the class leader grabbing him firmly, he might have hit his head on the railing.

"Luo Di, are you okay? Did you skip breakfast and end up with low blood sugar?"

"I had noodles at home... I’m not sure what happened. I just felt a sudden dizziness. What about you? Are you feeling fine?"

"Of course I’m fine~ Otherwise, how could I have caught you? How about this—once we’re done with the principal, let’s go to the school infirmary for a checkup?"

"Alright." Luo Di was genuinely concerned about his condition. He couldn’t afford any health issues so close to the graduation exams.

At the top floor—

When the two reached the principal’s office, muffled voices could be heard from inside. Though the soundproofing made the conversation unintelligible, it was clear that it was heated, possibly even an argument.