“Why would I bother remembering her name?”
On Friday, the midterm exam scores and rankings were officially released.
Chen Luobai remained the undisputed first in the grade, while Class 2 surpassed the second-ranked Class 1 by several points in average score, just as Zhu Ran had predicted.
Zhou Anran didn’t particularly excel in any subjects except English and Biology, but she didn’t lag either. Her overall score ranked 61st in the grade.
There was a full 60-rank gap between her and the first place.
That afternoon, it was Zhou Anran’s turn for cleaning duty again. After finishing, she linked arms with Yan Xingqian as usual and walked out the east gate.
Passing by the basketball courts, Zhou Anran’s gaze unconsciously drifted towards the third court in the first row.
The familiar figure wasn’t there.
As they got closer, she noticed that even Zhu Ran and Zong Kai were absent.
She wondered what he was up to today.
Zhou Anran retracted her gaze, feeling a bit disappointed.
Cleaning had taken some time, conveniently allowing them to avoid the after-school rush for the bus. When the two of them boarded, most of the back seats were empty.
After sitting down, Zhou Anran moved her backpack to the front and pulled out a vocabulary book, flipping to the bookmarked page.
Yan Xingqian had just settled her bag when she noticed this: “You’re studying vocabulary in this little time? Are you planning to surpass Chen Luobai?”
Zhou Anran’s fingertips curled slightly on the page, her voice soft: “I suppose so.”
In truth, it wasn’t quite that.
She just wanted to…
Try a little harder.
Narrow the gap between them, even if just a bit.
Maybe catch his attention, even if just a little.
Yan Xingqian patted her shoulder: “I should learn from you.”
“Huh?” Zhou Anran was taken aback, turning to look at her.
Yan Xingqian continued: “Not being swayed by male beauty, focusing solely on studies. While other girls want to pursue Chen Luobai himself, you only want to catch up to his grades.”
Zhou Anran opened her mouth.
She wanted to say that she was just like those other girls, liking him very, very much.
It’s just that she only dared to like him secretly in her heart.
But as the words reached her lips, somehow she couldn’t voice them again.
She had wanted to tell her friend several times before, but in the end, she never managed to say it.
She had always been the type who struggled to express her inner feelings.
But Yan Xingqian shared everything with her, which made Zhou Anran feel a bit guilty. She pressed her lips together: “I’ll go with you later to try persuading your mom again.”
Yan Xingqian’s performance in math, physics, and chemistry had been mediocre this time, causing her ranking to drop several places.
“Forget it, my mom seems dead set on it this time. There’s no persuading her,” Yan Xingqian’s eyes darted around. “But you should still come over. Help me secretly move some stuff to hide at your place. My mom doesn’t know exactly how many CDs and merchandise I’ve bought anyway.”
Zhou Anran nodded: “Alright.”
Upon reaching the neighborhood, Zhou Anran first went to Yan Xingqian’s home.
The two families lived in opposite buildings, and Zhou Anran was as familiar with her friend’s home as her own. But it was her first time doing something sneaky behind the parents’ backs. When greeting Yan Xingqian’s mother, she felt extremely nervous.
However, in Yan Xingqian’s mother’s eyes, Zhou Anran had always been the obedient and well-behaved type.
Yan Xingqian stuffed her backpack full, and her mother didn’t suspect a thing, only inviting Zhou Anran over for lunch the next day before they left.
Back home, Zhou Anran cleared out a large drawer and carefully stored Yan Xingqian’s CDs and merchandise.
After dinner that evening, Zhou Xianzhong turned on the TV to watch CBA as usual.
Unlike Yan Xingqian, Zhou Anran’s midterm ranking had improved by a few places this time. So He Jiayi didn’t set a TV-watching time limit as she usually did, seemingly allowing her to watch as long as she wanted tonight.
But after some thought, Zhou Anran still fetched her vocabulary book from her room before returning to sit beside her father to watch together.
Zhou Xianzhong didn’t understand her actions: “Are you here to watch the game with me, or to study?”
Zhou Anran replied: “Both. I can review some vocabulary during timeouts.”
Zhou Xianzhong said: “You’re only in your first year of high school. No need to be so tense. The midterms just finished, it’s okay to relax properly today.”
Watching the players running on the court, Zhou Anran’s mind flashed to the tall, slender figure of that boy.
“But my classmate is so outstanding. I kind of want to catch up to him—” Zhou Anran paused, afraid of revealing too much like last time, and deliberately added a word, “them.”
Zhou Xianzhong: “…”
In other families, parents pressured their children to study. How did it seem like their family was about to reverse this trend?
But Zhou Xianzhong was also afraid of dampening her enthusiasm for learning, so he didn’t say much more in the end. He just pushed the fruit platter towards her: “Have some fruit before you start.”
Zhou Anran nodded, peeled an orange, and ate it slowly.
On the screen, the game had just been halted due to a player’s foul.
Zhou Anran took the opportunity to lower her head and memorize two vocabulary words.
When she looked up again, she saw the referee making a hand gesture.
Having watched several games with Zhou Xianzhong this month, Zhou Anran roughly knew what this gesture meant: “Dad, why was the foul suddenly upgraded to a flagrant one?”
Zhou Xianzhong made a slightly disdainful expression: “The opposing team’s number 4 undercut.”
The screen was just showing a detailed replay of the offending player’s undercutting move.
It did look like a dangerous action.
Zhou Anran popped another grape into her mouth and continued watching the game.
Keeping track of time, she still followed her previous routine, watching for only 45 minutes before taking her English book back to her room.
He Jiayi was changing the bedding in her room and seemed surprised to see her: “Why did you stop watching so soon?”
Zhou Anran pulled out the chair: “I want to do a few more math problems.”
*
Learning is perhaps the endeavor that least betrays effort.
When you put in effort, you will see returns. Even if not entirely proportional, it never leaves you empty-handed.
Days passed, both ordinarily and extraordinarily.
By the time of the next monthly exam, Zhou Anran felt much more at ease solving problems. Questions she had gotten wrong in the previous midterm, having been collected in her error book for repeated analysis and practice, were now easily manageable when she encountered similar types.
While she might not be able to improve her scores and ranking drastically at once, she could already see the effects of her efforts.
Second Middle School’s grading speed remained as fast as ever.
On the afternoon of the second day after the monthly exam, Zhou Anran and Yan Xingqian had just returned from eating outside when Sheng Xiaowen suddenly ran up from behind and pounced on her.
The impact nearly knocked Zhou Anran sideways. Yan Xingqian tried to steady her but lost her balance, and the three girls began tipping over together.
Sheng Xiaowen and Yan Xingqian started shrieking in unison.
In the end, it was Dong Chen who steadied Yan Xingqian with an exasperated look, finally stabilizing the three of them.
Zhou Anran braced herself against the desk and sat up properly: “What’s the matter?”
Sheng Xiaowen, still catching her breath, seemed to remember something and squealed again, hugging Zhou Anran tightly.
Zhou Anran was utterly confused. Just as she was about to ask again, she heard Sheng Xiaowen say beside her: “Anran, you got 149 in English this time! Even that inhuman Chen Luobai only got 148, but you got 149!”
Zhou Anran was stunned.
She had wanted to work hard to catch up to his scores a bit, and she knew her English performance should be good this time, but she never expected to surpass him so quickly.
Sheng Xiaowen continued: “I don’t care, you have to treat me to something. Otherwise, I’ll lose face as the English class representative.”
Zhou Anran was still in a daze.
Sheng Xiaowen pinched her cheek: “Did you hear me?”
Zhou Anran was finally pulled back from her thoughts: “Huh?”
“I said you got 149 and need to treat me to something,” Sheng Xiaowen repeated.
Zhou Anran finally regained some composure, her lips curving unconsciously into a smile. She nodded: “Alright, I’ll bring you breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Yan Xingqian chimed in: “I want some too.”
Zhou Anran nodded again: “Okay, I’ll pay for your share tomorrow.”
Dong Chen also joined in: “Zhou Anran, does everyone who heard get a share?”
After speaking, he elbowed his deskmate He Mingyu.
He Mingyu adjusted his glasses: “I heard it too.”
Zhou Anran’s eyes crinkled with her smile: “Sure, I’ll bring some for all of you.”
Sheng Xiaowen finally released her: “I’m going to check with the teacher for more details.”
As soon as Sheng Xiaowen left, their area finally quieted down.
But in Zhou Anran’s heart, it felt like fireworks were still crackling and bursting in all directions, impossible to calm down.
The exercises before her eyes became unreadable, not a single character registering.
Zhou Anran reached for her thermos on the desk, then turned to ask Yan Xingqian: “Qianqian, I’m going to get some water. Do you want some?”
Yan Xingqian handed her cup over: “Sure, fill mine up too, please.”
The water dispenser was at the end of the corridor on this floor. Zhou Anran walked over slowly, filled the cups, and secured the lids tightly.
Yan Xingqian, considering herself still young, refused to use a thermos and instead used a plastic cup. Once filled with hot water, the cup body became quite hot. Zhou Anran carefully held the string on her cup lid and turned to head back.
As she was about to pass the middle staircase, Zhou Anran suddenly heard what sounded like Zong Kai’s voice.
“The English scores seem to be out. I heard a girl outscored you this time.”
Zhou Anran instantly realized who he was talking to, her heart skipping a beat.
If she continued forward, she would likely run into them face-to-face.
With her mind still in chaos from the metaphorical fireworks, unable to think clearly, her body seemed to decide for her amid her confused thoughts.
She turned and stepped onto the stairs leading to the third floor.
Avoiding the impending encounter.
Zong Kai’s voice still carried clear: “I think it’s that girl who ranked second in English in your class last time. What was her name again?”
Zhou Anran had just reached the landing when she heard this. Her steps faltered, and her breath seemed to lighten.
The silence probably lasted only a brief moment, but it felt as if invisible, fine threads had suddenly lifted her heart high.
Then Chen Luobai’s voice sounded: “I think her name was something like Ran.”
The threads snapped.
Her heart plummeted heavily.
Zong Kai seemed to laugh: “We’ve been classmates for almost a semester, and you still don’t remember her name?”
The familiar voice responded lowly, in a nonchalant tone: “Why would I bother remembering her name?”
Zhou Anran’s fingertips tightened on the cup’s string. In her distraction, the plastic cup full of hot water swayed and touched her other hand. Perhaps it was the burning temperature that caused the pain, but her nose suddenly stung.
Rapid footsteps sounded from downstairs.
Sheng Xiaowen’s voice followed: “Chen Luobai, there you are. The English teacher is looking for you.”
Zhou Anran stood still for a moment.
Only when no more familiar voices came from downstairs did she turn and slowly descend the stairs.
Back in the classroom, she placed Yan Xingqian’s water on her desk. Feeling her emotions somewhat out of control, she buried her head on her desk.
Perhaps the drastic change in her demeanor was too noticeable, as even the usually oblivious Yan Xingqian noticed.
“Anran, what’s wrong?”
The stinging sensation in her nose gradually spread to her eyes.
Zhou Anran tried hard to suppress it, but her voice still sounded muffled: “It’s nothing. I just didn’t sleep well last night, feeling a bit tired.”
Knowing how hard she had been working this past month, Yan Xingqian didn’t doubt her: “Then take a nap.”
Zhou Anran pressed her forehead against her arm, her eyes starting to sting again.
But she shouldn’t have been surprised.
He ranked first in almost all subjects in their grade.
Her lucky outscoring of him in a single subject once was hardly worth his notice.
But knowing it was one thing.
Hearing those words directly from his mouth was another matter entirely.
In the dim space encircled by her arms, Zhou Anran struggled to adjust her emotions.
The ache subsided, then welled up again.
Footsteps passed by her side, quickly fading away.
Zhou Anran didn’t want her classmates to see her somewhat disheveled state, even if no one knew why she was upset at that moment.
She lay on the desk, trying to push down the rising ache once more.
More footsteps gradually approached.
Zhou Anran waited for whoever it was to pass by quickly.
But this time, the footsteps seemed to stop right beside her desk.
Then came two very light tapping sounds.
As if someone had gently knocked on her desk.
Zhou Anran wasn’t sure if her eyes were red, so she didn’t dare lift her head immediately. She just slightly moved her head from the small space encircled by her arms.
Light re-entered her vision.
She saw a slender, pale hand lightly resting on her desk, with a familiar small brown mole on the wrist bone.