I Get Stronger When Called Up - Chapter 13

“Wait, where is your house? I forgot to ask earlier, I just instinctively rode towards my house as soon as I got on the bike.”

“Zhongting Street.”

“Wow, Zhongting Street is the other way!”

“Huh? Is that so… I wasn’t paying much attention just now…”

“Ah… annoying girl, you really got me into trouble…”

…

With that, Fang Qimai took Xiao Bixue back along the original route.

“Old Guo, are you still awake?”

As they passed the school gate, Fang Qimai shouted again.

Guo Hu rushed out with an angry face, “Damn it! Fang Qimai, I’m not finished with you tomorrow!”

“Confusion Value of Guo Hu: +4”

“Confusion rating of Guo Hu: +6”

…

…

Fang Qimai stopped in front of Jianbing Guozi’s stall.

“Are you hungry?”

Xiao Bixue swallowed her saliva and shook her head, “I’m not hungry…”

Fang Qimai got off the bike and said to the stall owner, “Boss, I’ll have a Jianbing Guozi.”

“Alright!”

Because she came from a single-parent family and her mother didn’t earn much, Xiao Bixue’s household was quite tight financially.

Xiao Bixue was very understanding and knew how hard it was for her mother.

Whenever she received pocket money, she would secretly save it and try not to spend it unnecessarily.

Although she couldn’t earn money to ease her mother’s pressure, she knew that her task was to study hard and get into a good school in the future, which would allow her and her mother to live a better life.

Right now, she wanted to save the money to buy a Jianbing Guozi.

At that moment, as the owner finished wrapping the Jianbing Guozi and cut it in half with a spatula, Fang Qimai said, “Wrap them separately.

“Sure! No problem!”

…

Fang Qimai received the Jianbing Guozi and handed a portion to Xiao Bixue, “Here.”

“This…”

“Eat before we leave.”

Xiao Bixue nodded gently, and the two of them ate quietly.

After a while, Xiao Bixue asked, “Fang Qimai, I think you’re quite smart. Why didn’t you like studying before?”

Fang Qimai swallowed a bite of Jianbing Guozi and replied, “What are you talking about? I don’t like studying now either!”

Xiao Bixue: …

“But you’re so smart, wouldn’t it be a waste not to study properly?”

“Being smart is innate; I don’t have a choice, but I can choose not to study.

Xiao Bixue: …

“Confusion Value of Xiao Bixue: +5”

“Can we please have a proper conversation? You’re making it hard for those of us who aren’t naturally smart but still work hard at studying.”

“Let’s go, if we don’t go home soon, your mother will be waiting anxiously.”

“Mm…”

Just then, Xiao Bixue’s phone rang.

She suddenly felt nervous.

She quickly turned to Fang Qimai and said, “My mum is calling, don’t make a sound.”

Fang Qimai raised a hand, a ‘go ahead’ gesture.

“Hello, Mum, I’m on my way home…”

“Ruan Meng is driving me…”

“Okay, I’ll be careful…”

…

On the other side, Li Hongzhe had just arrived home.

He picked up his phone, opened WeChat and thought for a long time.

“Should I send it or not?”

“This is a good opportunity to take down Fang Qimai, but it will sacrifice Bixue.”

After thinking for a moment, his expression suddenly turned sinister.

“It doesn’t matter, a temporary sacrifice is for a better future for me and Bixue!”

As he spoke, he opened a contact on WeChat and sent a few photos.

“Hehe, Bixue is mine! No one can take her away from me!”

…

Meanwhile, Fang Qimai rode Xiao Bixue through the park and the square.

They rode through streets, alleys and zebra crossings.

Xiao Bixue held on to the bottom of the bike with one hand, while tugging gently on Fang Qimai’s shirt with the other.

Twenty minutes later, the long screech of the 28-inch bicycle’s brakes sounded. Fang Qimai stopped at the entrance to an urban village.

“That’s enough, we don’t want my mum to see us.”

“Sure.”

“I said I’d buy you lunch tomorrow. What would you like to eat?”

“Anything is fine, as long as you’re the one doing the treating.”

“How about Huang Men Ji?”

“The school canteen is good enough.”

Although Fang Qimai didn’t know Xiao Bixue very well, he knew that her family circumstances were pretty average. The meals in the cafeteria were cheaper than those outside, so he didn’t want her to spend too much money. Fang Qimai turned the 28-inch bicycle around.

“Let’s go.”

“Hey… Fang Qimai… you…”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you for explaining so many problems to me today, and for bringing me back. Please… be careful…”

“Stop fussing.” With a nudge, Fang Qimai rode off. Today, Xiao Bixue’s impression of Fang Qimai had changed greatly.

…

It was already half past eleven when Fang Qimai arrived home. He lived in this ten square metre room. He threw his backpack aside, took a shower and simply lay down on the bed. His parents had died in a car accident when he was young and he lived with his grandfather.

Unfortunately, his grandfather also died just as Fang Qimai was starting his first year of high school. Before he died, he said there was something he wanted to tell Fang Qimai, but he didn’t get the chance. Other relatives were unreliable, so Fang Qimai could only rely on himself. The money his grandfather left wasn’t much, but it was just enough to cover Fang Qimai’s tuition and living expenses for three years of high school. As for college, Fang Qimai hadn’t planned to go.

If it hadn’t been for his grandfather’s wish that he study hard, Fang Qimai might not have even wanted to finish high school. It’s not that Fang Qimai wasn’t smart; on the contrary, he loved to read and had already achieved small successes in some areas. For example, his articles had been published several times in various literary magazines, earning him some money. Tall, handsome and mature-looking, he also worked during the winter and summer holidays to support himself.

He had worked as a waiter in KTVs and bars, as a cashier in grocery stores, and even as a promoter in supermarkets. His extensive experience made him more knowledgeable than his peers and gave him a richer perspective on life. All in all, he just felt that studying wasn’t the only way out. Now, with the arrival of the System, Fang Qimai’s life was about to change. Whenever someone called his name, he would receive rewards. It seemed that Fang Qimai was destined for an extraordinary life!

“By the way, System, what was your goal again?”

[The goal of this system is to make your name resound over rivers and mountains, inside and outside the Great Wall, throughout the heavens and the earth].

Fang Qimai couldn’t help but smile, “This amazing system has chosen me, it seems I won’t be able to avoid being famous in the future.

…

The next day

As soon as Fang Qimai arrived at school, he returned the bike on time. On the way, he met his best friend, Niu Jichao. Niu Jichao, who is 1.65 metres tall and slightly chubby, was always in the top ten of his class.

Niu Jichao said cheerfully, “I’m not going home for lunch today, we can eat together.

Fang Qimai replied, “What a coincidence, someone is inviting me to lunch, so I’ll have to pass.

“Who is it? A boy or a girl? If it’s a girl, you can do as you like; if it’s a guy, I’ll get jealous.

…

It was rare for Fang Qimai to enter the classroom without the bell ringing, but as soon as he entered the classroom, the teacher, Xue Baogai, unexpectedly pushed him down with a sullen face. He angrily slammed his desk and shouted, “Fang Qimai! Stop right there!”