The foggy winter morning blurred the girl’s striking and beautiful face. Her slender, slightly upturned eyes were full of smiles. Ruan Mian suppressed the discomfort in her throat and nodded at her, “Hello.”
“Hello.”
Sheng Huan cheerfully responded. Some classmates next to her urged her to hurry up.
She released her arm that was hanging on Qi Jia’s shoulder, “I have to go first, I’ll come find you at your home later.”
Qi Jia helplessly said, “Or I can just go to your home, so your mom won’t nag you again.”
“Okay.”
The girl ran off.
Ruan Mian couldn’t help but glance back.
In the dead of winter, the girl was dressed lightly. Under her short skirt that didn’t even reach her knees were two straight, slender legs, her figure curvaceous and enticing.
Qi Jia next to her paid no mind, and went back to the topic they were talking about before being interrupted.
Ruan Mian absentmindedly listened, her mind filled only with the girl’s words “Chen Yi added me on QQ this morning.”
Emotions are so unreasonable like this – some try every means to hide their feelings, while others boldly pursue.
She was the timid one who didn’t have the courage to take a step forward, but others weren’t like her.
Ruan Mian returned to the classroom, feeling the discomfort in her throat growing stronger. She coughed while getting up to take her water cup out for a refill.
The water room was separated from the restrooms by a wall.
Ruan Mian stood in front of the hot water dispenser coughing badly, and her hand holding the cup also shook. Hot water splashed out unexpectedly.
She quickly drew back her hand. The gushing hot water poured down, splattering loudly against the metal basin. Water flew everywhere, but luckily someone reached over and turned off the faucet in time.
Because of this action, the boy’s figure blocked her front. His faint scent was clearly discernible.
Ruan Mian couldn’t help coughing a few more times and her cheeks swiftly flushed red, not knowing if it was from the coughing or embarrassment.
Chen Yi took her cup, filled it halfway and handed it back. “Drink some water.”
“Thank you.”
Ruan Mian accepted it. She couldn’t feel any temperature from the insulated cup’s walls. She brought it to her lips and drank a small sip. The hot water soothed her throat discomfort somewhat as it flowed down.
The window beside them wasn’t shut tight. The howling cold wind squeezed in through the cracks, chilling their bodies.
“Let’s go, class is starting soon.”
Chen Yi put his hands back in his coat pockets and strode towards the classroom first. Unlike other boys who slouched when they walked, each of his steps was upright and crisp.
Ruan Mian followed two steps behind him.
At that time, the thin morning sunlight of winter streamed through the lingering mist into the hallway. The two people walking one in front of the other were like two strangers in a movie who would pass by countless times but never intersect.
The next day was Monday. The morning flag raising ceremony proceeded as usual. The school field was a stretch of blue and white. Over the PA system, Vice Principal Wu Yan was publicly disciplining students who violated school rules last week.
Among them was Sheng Huan who had acted inappropriately at the New Year’s Eve party.
Wearing the school uniform, the girl stood out clearly among the group of boys.
When her name was read out over the microphone, Ruan Mian heard teasing hoots arise around her, and some people shamelessly turned their gazes towards the back row of Class 1’s line.
Jiang Rang4 patted Chen Yi’s shoulder and joked, “Now that Sheng Huan has done this, you’re even more famous in our school.”
The boy’s gaze casually glanced over the stage, his tone nonchalant. “How boring.”
Standing among the crowd, Ruan Mian silently withdrew her gaze and looked towards the rising sun in the distance.
For a long time after that, Ruan Mian kept hearing things related to Sheng Huan from different people, good and bad, unconventional yet unrestrained and carefree.
And just as Sheng Huan said, she officially began pursuing Chen Yi.
With her personality, even her pursuit was methodical – delivering breakfast in the morning, milk tea in the afternoon, and “flower guarding” service at night.
The “flower” referred to was none other than Chen Yi.
Every day after evening self-study ended, she would come to Class 1 and report in. The arts classes were in the classrooms furthest west on the first floor of the teaching building. Sheng Huan had to sneak out ten minutes early each time in order to reach the science and technology Class (1) on the furthest east side of the third floor before class ended.
Despite her overt advances, Chen Yi remained entirely unmoved.
The breakfasts and milk teas brought to him were either thrown away or given to someone else. Later, to avoid her, Chen Yi even began skipping evening self-study.
This situation continued until the end of the semester.
The week before final exams, the school started strictly monitoring each class’s evening self-study attendance. Absentees would deduct points from the class total, so Chen Yi had no choice but to start attending again.
Sheng Huan somehow got wind of this and immediately blocked the doorway of Class 1 after the first self-study period ended. “Chen Yi, come out.”
The chemistry teacher who supervised self-study that day hadn’t left yet, but there were already hoots from inside the classroom. There were also many onlookers gathered outside the door.
Teacher Fang was young and open-minded. He tossed aside the chalk in his hand and clapped, laughing, “Chen Yi, a girl has come looking for you. Don’t be so ungracious as a boy. Go outside and talk, settle things properly.”
The hoots inside blended with the cheers from outside.
Ruan Mian watched as the boy stood up and walked out. The lively discussion outside in the hallway didn’t die down for a long time.
She lowered her head to look at the workbook, no longer able to concentrate on another question.
Her new deskmate Fu Guangsi, who had changed seats a month ago, poked her arm and said, “Teacher Zhou wants you to go to his office.”
“Oh, okay.”
Ruan Mian came back to her senses. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome, go quickly.”
Ruan Mian walked out of the classroom. Chen Yi and Sheng Huan’s figures were no longer visible in the hallway. Only the gossip spreading swiftly between classes remained.
The last self-study period was usually overseen by the head teacher. Teacher Zhou took a stack of test papers and gave them to Ruan Mian, “These are the test papers Teacher Wang from the class next door made. Count out our class’s and take them back to hand out. We’ll do this test paper for the last self-study period.”
“Okay.”
Ruan Mian accepted them and started counting at an empty spot.
Teacher Zhou stood up to pour some water and asked, “How have the lessons with Chen Yi been recently?”
Back then, Ruan Mian had mentioned to Teacher Zhou about not going to writing class after hearing what Chen Yi said. Teacher Zhou also knew about the situation from Teacher Zhao, so he hadn’t asked much more about it.
Ruan Mian’s actions didn’t stop as she kept her head lowered and said, “Alright.”
“The finals are almost here. Do well this time and see if you can make it into the top 50 of the grade.”
Teacher Zhou sat back down. “Next semester, the school is starting a math, physics, and chemistry competition class. Teacher Yan, who’s in charge of the math group, asked me to see if you’re interested. If you join, you’ll be on the path of recommended admission through competitions. Think about whether you want to do it or not.”
Ruan Mian didn’t immediately know what to decide either. “I want to go back and think about it first.”
“That’s fine, there’s no rush right now.”
Teacher Zhou smiled. “Discuss it with your mother when you get back too.”
“Okay, I understand.”
Ruan Mian hesitated for a few seconds before asking, “Has any other classmate said they want to sign up for it?”
“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t notified the other students about this yet. After all, you can’t just get an award because you join a competition. The school also needs to comprehensively evaluate students’ grades for this.”
Ruan Mian nodded without asking anything more. After counting the test papers, she returned to the classroom.
Chen Yi was already back in the classroom at the time. Jiang Rang and Shen Yu from the class next door were gathered around his desk discussing where to spend winter break this year.
Ruan Mian passed by, putting two test papers on Chen Yi’s deskmate’s seat. Jiang Rang suddenly turned back and saw her holding a stack of test papers. He stood up from his seat, “Let me help hand them out too.”
Ruan Mian didn’t decline and split half the stack with him. “Thanks.”
The two walked down the same aisle towards the back.
Jiang Rang asked, “What did Teacher Zhou want with you?”
Ruan Mian: “To get test papers and talk about some things related to the exams. He wants me to do well on the finals.”
Jiang Rang: “He’s worried about your Chinese and English grades right.”
“Probably.”
“I heard you’re taking writing lessons from Chen Yi. Do you want me to tutor you in English in exchange?”
Jiang Rang looked at her as if afraid she would decline, and added, “In exchange, you can tutor me in math over winter break, how about it?”
Ruan Mian felt his suggestion was rather sudden and didn’t immediately agree or refuse. She only said, “I’m not sure if I’ll be in Pingcheng over break yet.”
“You won’t be in Pingcheng? Then where are you going?”
“I might go to my grandma’s. She lives in the countryside. If I go back, I probably won’t be back until right before school starts again.”
Mentioning family, Jiang Rang inevitably thought about the gossip that had spread in class about her and Zhao Shutang. Afraid to bring up something hurtful, he didn’t ask further and only said, “We can discuss it again later. If you don’t go back, let’s exchange contacts?”
Ruan Mian nodded. “Alright.”
After handing out the test papers, the second self-study period started.
Teacher Fang didn’t go over test papers this period. He let everyone do their homework themselves. He sat in the classroom for a bit, walked around twice, then had Ruan Mian’s deskmate and class monitor Fu Guangsi go up to the podium to watch the self-study period. Teacher Fang returned to the office to grade papers.
Meng Xinglan said hi to Fu Guangsi and sat in Ruan Mian’s spot to whisper, “Can you let me see the physics test paper from this morning? There’s a problem I didn’t copy down.”
Ruan Mian took out the test paper from her physics book and gave it to her. “I only remembered the thought process, not the full solution steps.”
“That’s fine, don’t worry. Let me take a look first.”
After glancing at it a few times, Meng Xinglan slumped over the desk and used her pen to poke Qi Jia, who was sitting in front of her. “Hey!”
Qi Jia turned back, a look of shock on her face. “When did you change seats over here?”
“That’s not important.”
Meng Xinglan motioned for her to come closer. “Is your friend Sheng Huan still planning to pursue Chen Yi?
How many times has she been rejected already?”
Qi Jia leaned back against the desk, tilting her head sideways so she could see Ruan Mian. She used her book to cover her face and said, “She’s definitely still trying right? She’s the persistent type who won’t rest until she gets him.”
As she spoke, Ruan Mian’s pen slid across the test paper leaving a black streak.
“I feel like it’s hopeless. Chen Yi isn’t the easiest person to pursue.”
Meng Xinglan looked at Ruan Mian again, “Xiaomian, what do you think? Does Sheng Huan have a chance with Chen Yi?”
Ruan Mian impassively covered the streak she had made with her hand. Her lips moved but no sound came out.
Does she have a chance?
Ruan Mian didn’t know, but she hoped not.
People all have selfish sides, and Ruan Mian was no exception.
She pressed her lips together. “I…don’t know.”
Meng Xinglan shook her head and sighed, “But I really admire Sheng Huan. She did something none of us dare do.”
Qi Jia was slow on the uptake. She didn’t get the hint and said, “Do you like Chen Yi too?”
“…What nonsense are you saying.”
Meng Xinglan didn’t control her volume. Her shocked tone was especially loud in the quiet classroom.
Fu Guangsi threw her a look. She made a zipping motion at her mouth and whispered, “I meant confessing publicly, nothing to do with the person. Mainly that action.”
Qi Jia laughed. “I get it, I get it.”
After chatting a bit more, a teacher doing rounds walked by outside. The two girls quickly sat properly and got to work.
After the teacher checking up had left, Meng Xinglan nudged Ruan Mian’s arm. Tilting her head, she said, “I heard from Jiang Rang that to prevent Sheng Huan from looking for him in our class again, Chen Yi agreed to go with her this weekend to a new haunted house that opened downtown.”
Ruan Mian’s eyelid twitched. Her voice was a little hoarse. “Really?”
“Yup, Chen Yi already agreed. But Jiang Rang, Shen Yu, Liang Yiran and the others will be going too that day. Jiang Rang just asked if I wanted to join.”
Meng Xinglan tsked, her tone a little troubled. “I do want to go, but I’d be the only girl. Sheng Huan will definitely bring friends too. We’re not close.”
As she was speaking, she suddenly thought of something. She leaned in close to Ruan Mian, “How about you go with me then?”
Ruan Mian’s temples were pounding rapidly. Her heart was in turmoil. It took a long time before she managed a “Sure.”
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