C3 Good Drink!!

Abiding by the "return to where you came from" principle, Zhao Zhe found himself back at his classroom desk, but now the room was shrouded in darkness, evening study had long since ended. Had it not been for the end of early semester protections, his sudden appearance with an electric guitar in hand, a large speaker on his back, and a bottle filled with snow hanging from his waist would have surely earned him the label of a monster.

Slipping out of the classroom and off campus in the dead of night with all his gear was no small feat. Luckily, this wasn't Zhao Zhe's first rodeo; he knew the drill and soon made it home.

It was nearing 11 PM, and his grandmother was deep into a card game with her friends in the living room. Zhao Zhe's parents were divorced, leaving behind a three-story villa. His grandmother owned two more old houses in the urban village, which she rented out for extra income. Financially, Zhao Zhe's family was well off, but his allowance was another story—meager at best. Houses weren't liquid assets, and selling them wasn't up to Zhao Zhe.

After seeing his grandmother's card-playing friends out, who couldn't afford to burn the midnight oil, he urged his grandmother to turn in early. He didn't want her interrogating him about the assortment of items he'd brought home.

Back in his third-floor room, Zhao Zhe checked his phone. Amidst the mundane messages, he noticed red packets from Chen Xiaomeng in the group chat. He was the last to claim one. Chen Xiaomeng had sent out 188 yuan divided into three packets. According to the chat log, Sun Xiaoya snagged 96 yuan, and Lu Hai got a mere 12 yuan, leaving the remainder for Zhao Zhe.

With a chuckle, Zhao Zhe tossed his phone aside, ready to charge up the electric guitar and speaker to test them out. Judging by the red packet distribution, Lu Hai was bound to be fuming tomorrow, having received so little. He was sure to feel the sting of injustice.

*Beep! Beep!* His phone interrupted his plans. Picking it up, he saw a message from Sun Xiaoya: "Why are you just getting online? You missed class again. With your grades, do you really think you have a shot at college?"

Sun Xiaoya likely realized Zhao Zhe was online after she checked when the red packet was claimed. Normally, she wouldn't dare bring her phone to class, as getting caught would mean it would be confiscated.

Zhao Zhe responded, "I'm not planning on going to college."

Sun Xiaoya replied quickly, "Not going to college? What do you plan to do then? You're too young to just go out and work. It would be wiser to attend college to gain some knowledge and experience."

Zhao Zhe's response was curt, "You're not my mom. Why are you so concerned?" Everyone else admired the brilliant Sun Xiaoya for her intelligence, beauty, good figure, and multitude of talents. But Zhao Zhe saw her as an unattainable swan, while he was just a toad on the sidelines. No matter how much he tried to win her over, it was futile. His help that morning was purely out of a sense of duty, with no romantic intentions.

Sun Xiaoya seemed taken aback by Zhao Zhe's blunt reply. It took her a while to respond, "Thanks for this morning."

Zhao Zhe didn't reply. Just as he was about to turn off the screen and toss his phone aside, a message from Chen Xiaomeng popped up, "Zhe, I noticed you got a red packet. You've been quite lucky lately. But Lu Hai is fuming again. I had to send him a private red packet to appease him. From now on, we should split the group red packets evenly instead of sending them randomly."

Zhao Zhe sent a voice message, too lazy to text, "Cutie, don't worry about Lu Hai. He wouldn't dare cross us. If he steps out of line, I'll sort him out myself!"

Chen Xiaomeng's voice message came quickly, "Zhe, it's not that I'm scared of him. I just don't want to disrupt our group's harmony. Hai is actually just scared. He thinks you're trying to pursue Xiaoya. But tell me, Zhe, do you really have feelings for Xiaoya? Today, you took the fall for her, and she didn't even cheat off your paper."

Zhao Zhe responded, "Cutie, please don't get the wrong idea. This morning, I impulsively took the blame for her because I figured since I hadn't finished my own test, I might as well take the hit alone. I didn't want to tarnish Xiaoya's reputation in our teacher's eyes."

Chen Xiaomeng said, "But Zhe, Xiaoya is truly great. She's kind-hearted, beautiful, has a great figure, and she's exceptionally talented in singing and dancing. By the way, she posted an update on Slow Hand today. You should check it out."

Before Zhao Zhe could visit Slow Hand to see Sun Xiaoya's latest post, Chen Xiaomeng's voice came through again, "I actually like Xiaoya too. Of course, if you decide to pursue her, I won't interfere... but as for Lu Hai..."

Zhao Zhe replied with a hint of irritation, "Cutie, just wash up and get some sleep. Neither you nor I stand a chance. Besides, I've never entertained that thought. Honestly, I'm on a mission to save the world right now. Once I've completed this mission, I'll have everything I could possibly want."

Chen Xiaomeng responded with a thumbs up and then went quiet. He was all too familiar with Zhao Zhe's grandiose claims, having even fronted Zhao Zhe a few thousand yuan for online purchases.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Zhao Zhe decided to clean up and charge the speakers. As he was dusting them off, he discovered a memory card in the storage compartment. Curious, Zhao Zhe removed it, intending to see if the data could be accessed using the software on his computer.

The next day was Friday, and with the weekend approaching, everyone was buzzing with energy at school.

Teacher Zhou Haoyang stood at the classroom door with his arms folded across his chest, greeting the students as they entered. When Zhou Haoyang spotted Zhao Zhe, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he was relieved to see that Zhao Zhe hadn't embarrassed himself and was dressed appropriately.

"Zhao Zhe," Zhou Haoyang called out.

Zhao Zhe quickly and respectfully greeted him, "Good morning, Teacher."

Zhou Haoyang's face broke into a rare smile as he asked, "I heard you skipped class again yesterday?"

Zhao Zhe didn't even have the decency to blush. He was still within his grace period yesterday, so his absence shouldn't have caused any stir. He figured the homeroom teacher was just going through the motions by asking. "Teacher, wasn't I dealing with an upset stomach yesterday? You know I only ended up with Sun Xiaoya's test paper because of my stomach issues. Well, it didn't feel any better yesterday, so I had to use the restroom..."

Zhou Haoyang gave a sarcastic laugh. "You spent the whole day in the bathroom?"

"No, that's not it," Zhao Zhe replied. "I was there for maybe half an hour. I felt so weak afterward... I just went home to rest. I guess I was so out of it that I forgot to ask for leave."

Zhou Haoyang thought to himself that a student like Zhao Zhe, who wasn't causing trouble in the classroom, was actually doing his classmates a favor. He decided not to delve into the matter further. It would be even better if Zhao Zhe was still feeling under the weather today; otherwise, he could be a real handful for the entire class.

In truth, Zhou Haoyang was merely speculating. Zhao Zhe's grades weren't great, but he and Chen Xiaomeng never disrupted anyone else's learning. At worst, they only distracted each other, and occasionally, the two students sitting in front of them.

Zhao Zhe pulled out a large drink bottle from his backpack, the snow inside having melted. Although the snow from Earth took much longer to melt, it had turned into pure water overnight.

Chen Xiaomeng accepted the bottle, saying, "Zhe, you've managed to get your hands on another one of these cool drinks? Alright, this big bottle must be worth 300, right? I'll send you the money when I get home."

"Don't worry about it, Cutie," Zhao Zhe responded. "I wanted you to sell it, not keep it for yourself. And forget about the money; I still owe you, remember?"

Sun Xiaoya chimed in from her seat, "Cutie, did you score more of that drink? Save a few bottles for me. I'll pay you in cash."

Lu Hai watched in surprise as Sun Xiaoya casually tossed a hundred yuan onto the table behind her. He became a bit flustered, "Xiaoya, what are you doing? What kind of drink costs so much?"

Lu Hai was unaware of the special beverage Zhao Zhe had brought back from the world of ice and snow—a lucrative discovery made just three days prior. When consumed, the melted snow water invigorated people for the entire day, keeping them cool, preventing sweat, and proving to be an essential item for both home and travel.

Zhao Zhe had previously brought back two bottles of this beverage and, with Chen Xiaomeng's assistance, sold them for 10 yuan per 500-milliliter bottle, helping to offset the debt he owed to Chen Xiaomeng.

Sun Xiaoya began to explain to Lu Hai, "Lu Hai, you're out of the loop. Oh, there's no point in explaining too much. Let me show you before morning study starts. Besides, I forgot to bring water in my bottle today. Cutie, fill it up for me, will you?"

Upon realizing Sun Xiaoya intended to fill her water bottle for Lu Hai to sample, Chen Xiaomeng hurriedly retrieved a bottle of mineral water from his desk and carefully poured most of it for Lu Hai.

"Hai, try this. I'll top off Xiaoya's bottle for her. Have a drink, and if it's not enough, I'll pour you some more," Chen Xiaomeng offered warmly. He was always generous and never fretted over money—often giving away half of his own water supply.

Lu Hai glanced back at the classroom door to ensure their teacher, Zhou Haoyang, was still in the hallway and that the bell for study period hadn't rung yet. Feeling reassured, he took a sip. The water was cool but pleasantly so, not uncomfortably icy.

The coolness traveled from his mouth down his throat to his stomach, spreading like a soothing balm. It radiated from his core, bringing a refreshing chill that started at his heels. The previously overwhelming heat from the crowded classroom dissipated, leaving him as content as if he were sitting by the seaside in spring, enjoying the gentle breeze and the view of beautiful passersby.

"Delicious beverage!"