Chapter 77: Paying Respects to the Empress Dowager

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Li Sicheng had no idea what the Liu family said after he left. Nor did he care to know. After leaving the hotel, he didn’t go anywhere else, but rode his electric bike back to Nanshan High School. He planned to spend his afternoon there.

However, as he stepped into the classroom of Grade One, Class Three, he was surprised to find it filled with more than a dozen people. That morning, the classroom had been empty, but now it was mostly occupied by girls. Among them, the inseparable friends Lin Siyu and Tan Xiaoxiao stood out.

Lin Siyu noticed Li Sicheng at that moment. She paused, then asked, “Why are you here?”

When she woke up, Li Sicheng had already left, and she felt too embarrassed to ask her sister where he’d gone. So finding him in the classroom was a shock.

Li Sicheng smiled and gave a vague answer. “I like the classroom. I was here this morning too.” Then, curious, he asked, “What about you all? Why are you here? It’s Saturday—surely you’re not here voluntarily to study?”

Before Lin Siyu could reply, Tan Xiaoxiao jumped in, “Hey, Little Li, I don’t like that! So you think none of us care about studying?”

Although Tan Xiaoxiao had played pranks on Li Sicheng when he first came to school, it was only to help him vent his frustrations. She actually had no grudge against him and even felt a bit of fondness. As Lin Siyu’s attitude toward Li Sicheng softened over the past few days, Tan Xiaoxiao no longer targeted him as she once did.

Li Sicheng knew Tan Xiaoxiao was joking, so he wasn’t offended. He said, “Sister Xiaoxiao, hand on your heart: are you really someone who loves studying? And can you stop calling me ‘Little Li’? It sounds way too much like you’re calling for a eunuch.”

Tan Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Haha, now that you mention it, I’m reminded! Alright, from now on, ‘Little Li’ it is. That way, I, Tan Xiaoxiao, can feel a bit like the Empress Dowager!”

Li Sicheng was immediately embarrassed.

He truly hadn’t expected that his careless words would cement the nickname ‘Little Li’ for him…

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Still, he was broad-minded and didn’t let it bother him. He laughed and followed Tan Xiaoxiao’s lead, saying, “Alright, I salute Empress Tan. I wonder what brings Empress Tan and Empress Lin to the classroom on a Saturday?”

“Good boy,” Tan Xiaoxiao grinned from ear to ear at Li Sicheng’s address.

Lin Siyu shot them both a glare. “Are you two done? This really has turned into a palace drama, hasn’t it?” She hesitated, but then answered Li Sicheng’s question, “We’re here for the volleyball match.”

“Volleyball match?” Li Sicheng was taken aback.

Now he noticed that most of the people in the classroom were members of the Grade One, Class Three girls’ volleyball team. As for the boys, they were either the players’ boyfriends or admirers.

Lin Siyu nodded. “Yes, volleyball. Don’t tell me you didn’t know about this?”

Li Sicheng spread his hands, a bit embarrassed. “Uh… I really didn’t. Who are you playing against?”

Tan Xiaoxiao was annoyed. She snorted, “Really, Little Li, are you even one of us in Grade One, Class Three? Why don’t you care about our class activities? This is a match tied to the honor of our class!”

Unlike Tan Xiaoxiao, Lin Siyu thought it was normal for Li Sicheng not to know about the volleyball match.

After these past few days, she’d gained a new understanding of him. She knew that, though he always arrived at school early or on time, he never listened attentively in class. He was either deep in thought or flipping through ancient books that baffled everyone.

How could someone who didn’t pay attention in class be expected to care about class activities?

Of course, Lin Siyu would never admit she’d been secretly watching Li Sicheng. But Tan Xiaoxiao had already seen right through her.

Since Li Sicheng didn’t understand, Lin Siyu explained, “Nanshan High is different from other schools. Besides the usual subjects for the college entrance exam, we value sports highly. All-round development isn’t just an empty slogan, but is put into practice. The volleyball match is just one event. Later there’ll be football, basketball, even badminton and table tennis tournaments. Today is the quarterfinals of the school volleyball tournament. Our class is facing the girls’ volleyball team from Grade Three, Class Six…”

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After Lin Siyu’s explanation, Li Sicheng finally understood what was going on.

As it happened, the girls’ volleyball team of Grade One, Class Three, led by Lin Siyu and Tan Xiaoxiao, was quite formidable. In the Grade One division, they were undefeated and had smoothly advanced to the top eight.

But after the group stage, their opponents weren’t just from Grade One anymore. In last week’s draw, Tan Xiaoxiao had bad luck and drew Grade Three, Class Six.

On paper, Grade One and Grade Three are only separated by a single grade, but in reality, Grade Three students are more mature and physically stronger in every way than Grade One students.

This match would be a tough battle for Grade One, Class Three!

On the day of the draw, the Grade Three, Class Six team was overjoyed, convinced they’d drawn an easy target. They even boasted that they’d crush Grade One, Class Three by a wide margin, leaving the newbies with a lasting lesson.

Everyone was young and proud—how could they stand such provocation?

So, without needing Lin Siyu or Tan Xiaoxiao to inspire them, the players of Grade One, Class Three’s girls’ volleyball team were all fired up, determined to show their senior opponents what it means for the waves of the Yangtze River to push ahead, leaving the old waves to die on the shore.

Unfortunately, though their spirits were high, the team was off to a rough start—during PE class a few days ago, Lin Siyu sprained her ankle, and it still hadn’t fully healed. Though she could walk, playing a vigorous match would be tough!

Before Li Sicheng entered the classroom, Lin Siyu, Tan Xiaoxiao, and the others had been worrying about this very problem.