Those Who Have Never Heard

Sunday, two in the afternoon.

“Why the long face?”

Lin Mo patted Fang Jun on the shoulder.

“Nothing, I’m not down. Just not in the best mood, that’s all.”

The two of them were at the convenience store eating ice cream, waiting for An Yuexin.

They had agreed to head out for some gaming later.

Also, to cheer up Fang Jun’s wounded heart a little.

Even though An Yuexin hadn’t shown up yet, Lin Mo didn’t bring up what had happened between Fang Jun and Cai Junhuang that night.

He just quietly kept him company.

Before long, An Yuexin arrived, and the three of them went off to link up in the game.

Fang Jun, nursing his broken heart, ended up playing out of his mind every round, as if the emotional jolt had unlocked some hidden potential, pushing his skills far beyond his usual Diamond rank.

Lin Mo couldn’t help teasing him: “No women on the mind, your blade’s divine.”

“You bet. I’m the god of gods now.”

True enough, winning did manage to dull the pain just a bit.

Just as they were about to start the next round, a voice came from behind them.

“Hey! Fang Jun! What are you doing here?”

Fang Jun had just taken a sip of cola, and he froze like someone had hit a pressure point, nearly spitting the drink out.

He swallowed—a difficult swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing twice—and then, painfully slowly, turned around inch by inch.

Lin Mo figured that turn alone took at least five seconds.

A tall, slender girl stood behind them, holding a bottle of water, hands on her hips, staring straight at Fang Jun.

Lin Mo and An Yuexin turned their heads too.

An Yuexin reacted fastest, not even lifting his butt off the seat as he chimed in: “Hey! Luo Ruiyu? What are you doing here?”

He stretched his foot under the table and gave Fang Jun a light but firm kick on the shin.

The kick jolted Fang Jun back to reality.

Watching all this unfold, Lin Mo quickly ran through his mind.

Luo Ruiyu.

That name rang no bells.

In his past life, from high school to graduation, Fang Jun’s circle had been pretty small, and he’d never once mentioned a girl named Luo Ruiyu, let alone run into her around Guangba.

So who was she? What was her deal, to make Fang Jun freeze just at the sound of her voice?

Interesting.

By now, Fang Jun had composed himself. His expression was back under control, and he looked at Luo Ruiyu as casually as he could.

“How come you’re back? I thought you graduated and went back to your hometown for school.”

His tone was flat, but Lin Mo noticed the way his fingers tightened around the cola bottle.

Luo Ruiyu wore a ponytail, her forehead bare—broad and bright.

Her skin was dark, but it was a nice, attractive shade of brown, giving her a sharp, sporty vibe. With her height and features, she looked like the kind of girl who’d lead the first leg of a school relay race.

“Don’t even ask,” Luo Ruiyu said, twisting open her water bottle and taking a drink. She pulled a chair over and plopped down uninvited.

“Something happened over there. Couldn’t stay, so I had to transfer back. My parents figured I should try to get into Guangba. I had an interview today, but it’s not time yet, so I came to the internet café to kill some time and watch a show.”

“Interview?” Fang Jun frowned. “You need an interview to transfer schools?”

“You know Guangba,” Luo Ruiyu shrugged.

“My grades are okay, but the curriculum’s different from where I was, and the exam focus isn’t the same. My mom said since I’m back, I shouldn’t settle. If I can get into Guangba, that’s the way to go.”

An Yuexin glanced at Lin Mo, realizing he hadn’t made introductions yet, and quickly added,

“This is Luo Ruiyu, Bro Fang’s and my middle school classmate. She’s—”

He stopped mid-sentence, eyes flickering. He shot a quick glance at Fang Jun, then looked away, letting out a dry laugh as he swallowed the rest of what he was going to say.

Lin Mo noticed but said nothing. He just gave Luo Ruiyu a nod by way of greeting.

Inwardly, he speculated that Luo Ruiyu probably hadn’t gotten into Guangba after all—after all, he’d never once seen her there in his entire past life.

Just then, Fang Jun spoke up again: “What time’s your interview?”

“Three-thirty.”

“We’re free this afternoon,” Fang Jun said, pausing. He didn’t look at Luo Ruiyu, his eyes fixed on the computer screen. “How about we take you there? You’re not familiar with the area.”

An Yuexin’s mouth twitched on the side, and he pretended to look at his phone.

Luo Ruiyu froze, her lips parting. Her first instinct was clearly to refuse.

But then she hesitated for a few seconds, tapping her fingers against the water bottle.

“Well… alright. Having you guys guide me would make things easier. I came alone today…”

At that, An Yuexin quickly jumped in, “Let’s all go together. If Master Mo’s around, you might have a real shot.”

“Master Mo?” Luo Ruiyu looked puzzled.

An Yuexin pointed at Lin Mo.

“Yeah, let me introduce you. Master Mo, Lin Mo—he’s our school’s top student, a prodigy. Taking you in won’t boost your interview score or anything, but if Master Mo’s there, as long as your written work clears the bar, the interview should be a lock.”

Lin Mo blinked, looking like none of this was his business.

An Yuexin nudged Fang Jun, silently urging him to explain.

Fang Jun sighed. “Well, here’s the thing. Luo Ruiyu had great grades—over six hundred points, enough to get into Guangba.”

At that, Luo Ruiyu picked up the thread. “But I used to have my household registration elsewhere, not in Yangcheng. To study here, I’d have had to pay sponsorship fees, so I went back to my hometown for school.”

“Oh, then why are you here now?” An Yuexin cut in.

“Because I transferred my registration out, and something happened back home. I didn’t want to stay and study there, so I came back.”

There’s a story there.

Lin Mo stayed silent, just nodding.

It was obvious Luo Ruiyu had little choice in the matter.

Judging by An Yuexin and Fang Jun’s expressions, this girl was decent enough.

Maybe helping her out wasn’t a bad idea.

Finally, Lin Mo asked directly, “So you’re sure you want to study at Guangba?”

Luo Ruiyu answered without hesitation. “Of course. Not to mention anything else, Guangba is close to home—I live just behind Fang Jun’s building.”

Fang Jun added, “Right. When you and your brother are playing downstairs, I can see everything clearly from my place.”

Luo Ruiyu immediately pointed a finger at him. “I knew it! You’ve been secretly watching me!”

“Secretly watching? You guys talk so loud. I was just doing homework on the balcony, bored out of my mind, and happened to see you.”

Such an eager excuse.

It felt way too suspicious.

The best cure for a broken heart was to quickly find a new love to cover the old wound.

Lin Mo pondered.

Junior high classmates. A transfer interview. Fang Jun overreacting. An Yuexin cutting himself off mid-sentence.

A person who hadn’t appeared in his previous life was now showing up in this one.

This was getting interesting.