Chapter 257: Chapter 257

Until the afternoon, Iro had not returned, but Lu Anna came back at eight o’clock, obviously carrying big and small packages from home.

Since Anna and Qin Zhen got engaged, their relationship had improved, but they didn’t go out of their way to get close to each other.

After all, the dormitory still had Iro. Anna had been friends with Iro since they were little, especially since Iro’s father worked under Anna’s father, so she deliberately avoided suspicion and rarely went out with Anna alone, usually in a group of three, or else she acted independently. This way, the relationships among the three remained good and didn’t suffer from subtle changes.

Li Xianglu watched the ever-consistent Anna and asked with a smile, "How come you two split up? Don’t you usually stick together like glue?"

Anna put down the things in her hands and sat on Iro’s bed, replying helplessly, "This guy insisted on leaving early, said there was something going on. I had stuff to do at home and couldn’t leave early, so I came alone in the afternoon."

Li Xianglu was peeling fruit, liking to peel the skin off the melons first, then cut them in half and share them, making them easier to eat. Hearing Anna’s words, she asked nonchalantly, "Then do you know what she’s been up to lately?"

Anna shook her head, stood up, and took a bite of melon with a fork before saying, "I don’t know, she just said there was something. Why? Is something wrong?"

Li Xianglu shook her head and said, "Today Wang Ke said that Iro has been coming early for three or four weeks in a row, and this week she even brought a lunchbox and never came back. Just look at the skirt hanging on her wall, that white one. Since when did she fall for white skirts?"

Hearing Li Xianglu’s analysis, Anna also began to feel that something was off, and suddenly widened her eyes with surprise, "She couldn’t be in a love relationship, could she?"

Li Xianglu frowned, she had thought of that possibility, but they were supposed to tell each other everything. Even if she was in a relationship, there was no need to hide it, right?

Lu Anna didn’t find anything amiss—it’s normal for girls to not want their friends to know about their relationships for a while, just like she and Qin Zhen had kept theirs secret for half a year before going public.

Li Xianglu knew Anna’s thoughts, but the reason Anna and Qin Zhen didn’t tell others was due to family reasons; the Lu Family was too special, and the Qin Family was just too far behind in status, so subconsciously they avoided going public. But what about Iro? Was it for the same reason?

Li Xianglu hadn’t gotten around to asking Iro about this when the school announced that leaders were coming to inspect the school and would hold a live dialogue with students.

The visitor was none other than Mr. Deng.

This was the first time in ten years that a national leader had come to visit the school, an important symbol of the value placed on education and talent development. Almost as soon as the news broke out, every class and department started discussing it in meetings.

And what the school was most concerned about was security. The auditorium to be used by the leader was sealed off early for inspection and repairs.

Li Xianglu, as the student representative of the finance department, was chosen to ask questions, so tutors gave her a huge stack of materials early on.

Mr. Deng had studied in France in his early years and had some views on the economy; he was also quite good at French and English. Hence, the school planned to have students from different departments ask questions, and Li Xianglu’s English was quite fluent.

Her French speaking skills were passable for communication too, and as the student representative of the finance department, she was specially chosen by the school. The principal even met with her separately, hoping she would perform well and bring honor to the alma mater.

Li Xianglu felt great pressure, although there were not many questions, she had to memorize a lot because Mr. Deng would inspect the school and might also ask questions in return, so she had to prepare comprehensively.

However, she didn’t have much time to pay attention to the dormitory, and Iro came back later and later day by day.

By the end of June, with only four days left before the inspection, Li Xianglu hadn’t been home in two weeks, holding a stack of manuscripts and reciting under a tree. The school was taking this inspection very seriously, sending a heap of sorted manuscripts every two or three days, some of which were beyond the comprehension of a junior student, requiring her to memorize forcibly.

Anna, however, had rushed over from the dormitory in a hurry. Upon seeing Li Xianglu, she breathed a sigh of relief, "I finally found you, I was about to die of anxiety."

Li Xianglu stared at Anna silently, then glanced at her heaving chest and stared at her belly with mischief, "No way, you’re not pregnant, are you?"

Lu Anna was speechless at Li Xianglu’s rogue behavior. Back in mid-May, Qin Zhen had come back for a visit, and they had spent a night out at the Great Wall, doing nothing, yet Li Xianglu, the troublemaker, had set her sights on her.

Lu Anna grabbed a stack of materials and sat down with a huff, then gasped, "Not me!"

Li Xianglu’s eyes widened. Someone was really pregnant? No way?

Lu Anna caught her breath before saying, "I think something’s off with Iro."

Iro? Li Xianglu thought of a previous guess—that Iro might be in love and that this love was secretive and not public. Could it be that she was pregnant?

Lu Anna exhaled deeply, "I don’t know if she’s pregnant or not, but she’s been off, starting a few days ago."

Li Xianglu reached for her water bottle and handed it over, asking, "What exactly is off? You’ve been talking for a while, and I still don’t know who you’re talking about."

Anna glared, "It’s what you started talking about. Iro seems to be in a relationship, right? I didn’t pay attention at first, after all, it’s her personal matter, and if she doesn’t want to talk, I can’t force her to. But recently she’s been acting strangely. We’re bunkmates, and she’s tossing and turning in bed, unable to sleep until two or three in the morning, and she feels particularly exhausted during the day. When I ask her, she just says it’s insomnia."

Li Xianglu frowned slightly, pondering, then said, "Just trouble sleeping at night?"

Anna thought for a moment before adding, "There’s also morning sickness; I’ve seen it."

Li Xianglu rolled her eyes, closed the materials she was holding, and said, "Morning sickness doesn’t necessarily mean pregnancy. You’re overthinking it. But you’re right about one thing; she’s not normal, hiding something big from us, something that’s troubling her."

Lu Anna, annoyed, smacked Li Xianglu’s back, making a snapping sound. Seeing Li Xianglu lean forward from the impact, Anna somewhat sheepishly steadied her and said, "Quit acting, just tell me, what’s the big deal?"

Li Xianglu coughed a few times and said, "It’s just a guess; how would I know what the big deal is? If you really want to know, you might as well ask Iro directly. What’s the point of guessing blindly?"