The last day of 2008 was Ruan Mian’s birthday. It also happened to be No. 8 Middle School’s New Year’s Eve gala. The school had started preparing for the gala programs over half a month ago.
With over 100 classes in the whole school, each class except the seniors was required to submit a performance item. Over one-fifth were then cut after review by the school leaders.
The remaining ones would go on stage to perform that night. The two science classes of tenth grade, with the school’s support, collaborated on a skit that made it through five rounds of cuts to finally stand on the stage that day.
The joy and excitement then belonged only to tenth and eleventh grade. The auditorium was very far from the twelfth grade teaching building. They couldn’t see that battlefield without gunpowder1, and reveled in every beautiful moment.
On the night of the gala, after performing, Sheng Huan from the arts class didn’t exit the stage from the left side as planned.
She picked up a loudhailer thrown up by a friend below. In front of all the teachers and students, she publicly announced her intention to pursue Chen Yi from tenth grade science class (1).
In the hundred years since No. 8 Middle School was established, this was the first time such a thing had happened. Amidst the unexpected silence, the few thousand teachers and students in the audience suddenly erupted into screams so loud they could flip the roof.
The scene almost spiraled out of control. The students were screaming, shouting and cheering while the school leaders had various bizarre expressions. Teacher supervisor Wu Yan reacted first, rushing up the stairs in three steps and snatching away the loudhailer from the girl’s hand, pulling her off stage.
It was Ruan Mian’s first time seeing Sheng Huan. The makeup on the girl’s face was exquisite and uninhibited. The cheap, shoddy performance costume showed its best side on her.
Amidst the near hysterical screams from the audience, she turned to look at Chen Yi sitting not far away. The boy was wearing a baseball cap, head lowered looking at his phone, as if all this craziness had nothing to do with him.
For an instant, Ruan Mian felt some sympathy for Sheng Huan, but at the same time, she also envied her very much.
Because among all the girls in the school, no one could be as brave as her, as reckless, confessing their feelings without any reservations.
Ruan Mian looked away. Beside her ears were Meng Xinglan’s uncontrolled excited screams. “Oh my god! Sheng Huan is too cool! Even I as a girl am falling for her!”
Yes.
Who wouldn’t love such a pretty and unconstrained girl?
The image of the girl with the shockingly beautiful face floated up in Ruan Mian’s mind. She couldn’t help turning to look back again. Chen Yi’s seat was empty.
By then the gala had been forced back on track under Wu Yan’s suppression and the scene no longer had the earlier sensationalism. Ruan Mian craned her neck to look around.
Finally she saw the boy’s figure walking out at the auditorium exit. Behind him was Sheng Huan, who had just confessed to him on stage.
The two walked out one after the other.
Ruan Mian stared at the door that opened and closed again. Her mind was in turmoil, unable to hear the sounds around her or see anything else.
All she could think about were the backs of the two as they walked out.
Chen Yi didn’t return for the rest of the gala that night. After it ended, Ruan Mian followed the crowds walking out with Meng Xinglan. Everyone around was discussing Sheng Huan.
She rubbed her ears, feeling somewhat out of it.
After leaving the auditorium, Meng Xinglan pulled Ruan Mian to eat late night snacks outside school. The cold winter night wind was freezing and bone-chilling, making Ruan Mian’s eyes turn red.
Returning home that night, Ruan Mian developed a high fever. The next morning while getting an IV at the clinic near home, she heard from Meng Xinglan that Chen Yi had rejected Sheng Huan again yesterday.
Fang Ruqing was accompanying her at the clinic then. Seeing the look of joy on her face, Fang Ruqing helped tuck in her blanket and asked, “Some good news?”
“Nothing much.”
Ruan Mian put her phone away. “Just found a test paper I thought I’d lost at a classmate’s place.”
“So careless. You have to keep your test papers safe next time.”
“Got it. I’ll be careful from now on.”
After the IV finished, Fang Ruqing called the nurse to change the fluid bottle. Taking this chance, she asked Ruan Mian, “I called Teacher Zhou yesterday. He said you’ve had some conflict with Shutang in class recently?”
The seating in class hadn’t changed since the monthly exam shuffle that time, other than biweekly rotation.
Ruan Mian and Zhao Shutang had remained deskmates. They basically didn’t talk on a regular day, and had never gotten to the point of a blow up. At most there were just some minor friction.
It was just the week before when they had a big fight over a hygiene issue2.
The class duty roster rotated daily in groups. Ruan Mian and Zhao Shutang were deskmates, so naturally they were paired together. The other two in their group were Liu Jingyi and three other girls who sat in the front two rows, as well as two boys sitting behind Ruan Mian.
Liu Jingyi was the group leader, responsible for assigning tasks. Ruan Mian always got the dirty and tiring jobs like taking out the trash. That day, the class had just gotten a new trash can, much bigger than the old one, and it was more full than usual. Ruan Mian couldn’t carry it alone, so Qi Jiaya, who was in charge of erasing the blackboard and tidying up desks, offered to help.
Liu Jingyi was unhappy about this and said, “Qi Jiaya, you haven’t finished the blackboard yet. What if the hygiene inspectors come at 6 and our class gets docked points? You’ll be responsible!”
Qi Jiaya: “The hygiene team checks at 6pm. It’s only 5:30 now. I’ll have time to take out the trash and still finish.
Also, can’t you see this new trash can is much bigger than the old one? Even two girls would have trouble with it. Why are you making Ruan Mian do it alone?”
Liu Jingyi: “But taking out the trash has always been her job. We all have our own tasks.”
Qi Jiaya was about to argue further when Ruan Mian stopped her and stepped forward herself, saying, “Fine, why don’t you try picking up this trash can yourself and see if you can do it alone.”
Just then, Zhao Shutang, who had been standing to the side, suddenly chimed in mockingly, “Some people think they’re princesses and don’t want to work. Why not just say so directly?”
“Do you have a problem, Zhao Shutang?”
Ruan Mian laughed drily, no longer wanting to endure it. She figured she might as well go all out since the cat was out of the bag already. “Is this about my mom marrying your dad? Do you have to take it out on me like this?”
Zhao Shutang’s expression changed instantly upon hearing this. The other students around them were also shocked into silence.
The two boys didn’t want things to escalate further and tried to smooth it over, saying: “Here’s an idea – Ruan Mian and Qi Jiaya can take out the trash, and we’ll erase the blackboards. However you two may feel, you’re family now, so let’s not fight, alright?”
Zhao Shutang yelled back angrily, “Who’s family with her?!”
Having said that, she stormed off. Liu Jingyi glared at Ruan Mian, then ran after Zhao Shutang.
Ruan Mian lowered her eyes and said softly, “I didn’t want to argue with her. She’s the one who’s always making snide remarks. I just couldn’t help responding this time.”
After hearing the full story, Fang Ruqing was silent for a long while before taking Ruan Mian’s hand and saying, “I know your personality – you wouldn’t start trouble.
I didn’t realize Shutang was like this either. I only thought that since you’re now one family, I suggested to Teacher Zhou that you two sit together. If I had known…”
“Mom.”
Ruan Mian interrupted her words, “It’s not your fault. I should have explained things more clearly to you earlier.”
“Alright, let me call Teacher Zhou later and ask to have you two moved apart.”
Fang Ruqing sighed, “I can’t have you coming to live with me and being bullied like this all the time. How could I face your dad then?”
Ruan Mian pressed her lips together and said nothing.
That day after hanging up the laundry when she got home, Ruan Mian was resting upstairs in her room while Meng Xinglan was still chatting to her on QQ about Sheng Huan and Chen Yi.
Most of the chat centered around Sheng Huan.
Later, Meng Xinglan asked if she wanted to go out and play that afternoon. Ruan Mian replied that she was sick and couldn’t go out. Meng Xinglan immediately called her.
When she picked up, it was Meng Xinglan’s loud voice: “What, Ruan Mian?! You’re sick again?
I remember you were also sick during the National Day holiday. Do you have some conflict with holidays or something?”
Ruan Mian laughed, “I have a weak constitution. It’s easy for me to get sick in winter.”
“Oh I see. And I wanted to ask you to come out and play.”
Meng Xinglan sounded a little disappointed. “Whenever I go out with the guys, I’m the only girl. I’m so lonely!”
“Sorry, I really can’t go out when I’m sick like this. And I don’t want to risk passing the virus on to you all.”
“Aiyah, why are you apologizing! I’m just complaining to you. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future. You just focus on resting up at home.”
Ruan Mian said, “Ok, got it.”
The New Year break was only 3 days. Before they even had time to settle into it, it was already over. Ruan Mian’s cold hadn’t completely cleared up, so she dressed extra warmly for school that day.
On the way, she ran into some classmates who didn’t recognize her all bundled up like that. Only Qi Jiaya ran up from behind and patted her shoulder, laughing at how many layers she had on.
After Ruan Mian had revealed her connection to Zhao Shutang in class that day, Teacher Zhou soon heard about it from other students. He took time during a class meeting to repeatedly emphasize that they should not gossip about others’ private matters – it’s one thing for others to talk, but we shouldn’t join in.
After that, there was less gossip in class. Ruan Mian also grew a bit closer to Qi Jiaya. Usually when Meng Xinglan and Liang Yiran went to eat, she would go with Qi Jiaya, and sometimes they’d be a trio.
“I’m afraid of the cold.”
Ruan Mian’s voice was still a little nasal. White mist puffed out with every word.
“It hasn’t even snowed yet.”
Qi Jiaya walked with her coat open over a down jacket and just a sweater underneath. “When it does snow, are you going to show up bundled in a quilt?”
“…Not that exaggerated.”
Qi Jiaya guffawed loudly with her mouth wide open. Just then, Wu Yan, standing by the school gate, suddenly called out, “All this laughter, and it’s already this late! Hurry up, young ladies!”
The two girls quickened their pace into the campus. Qi Jiaya turned back and made a face at Wu Yan’s retreating figure, complaining: “So annoying, blindy yelling at us like that.”
Wú Yán, homophonous with Wú Y?n (meaning blind/without eyes), was a nickname invented by the No. 8 Middle School students for safe venting.
Ruan Mian walked with her hands tucked into her coat pockets, head lowered. “The supervisor at my old No. 6 Middle was even fiercer and more terrifying than Wu Yan.”
“You poor thing, out of the frying pan and into the fire.”
The two chatted as they walked. When they got to the bottom of the classroom building, a girl suddenly came running over from the side and hooked her arm around Qi Jiaya’s shoulder. She sounded especially excited: “Jiaya! Chen Yi accepted my QQ friend request this morning!”
“Oh did he? Congrats, missy, you’re one step closer in your quest.”
Qi Jiaya straightened up and smiled, introducing to Ruan Mian: “Ruan Mian, this is my friend Sheng Huan.”
- This requires context as it’s kind of literally translated: it’s a metaphorical reference to the typical highly intense pressure faced by the students?during the third year (??) in prep for the gaokao university exams. ↩︎
- In Chinese high schools, students typically take on the task of maintaining general hygiene through rostered activities such as cleaning classrooms, hallways, and common areas. ↩︎
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