Compared to the recent series of events, becoming deskmates with Zhao Shutang was undoubtedly the most troubling thing for Ruan Mian since transferring to No. 8 Middle School.

In the last monthly exam, she and Zhao Shutang’s rankings were only a few places apart. According to Zhou Hai’s usual seating pattern, the two of them shouldn’t be deskmates.

But unexpectedly, Zhou Hai had changed the seating order this time. Only the top ten and bottom ten students followed the mutual support model. As for the remaining students, they were arranged according to another kind of mutual support model based on a comprehensive assessment of students’ performance in various subjects.

Science Class One had fifty-six students in total. Ruan Mian had ranked exactly forty-sixth in the last monthly exam—eleventh from the bottom—not falling within the first model. And in the last monthly exam, Zhao Shutang’s Chinese and English both ranked in the top ten of the grade, but her mathematics was like Ruan Mian’s Chinese, barely hanging on the passing line.

In Zhou Hai’s view, Zhao Shutang and Ruan Mian were family in life and complementary in studies, so sitting together couldn’t be more appropriate.

But what he didn’t know was that while these two appeared harmonious on the surface, privately they were like needle point against wheat awn—an explosion waiting to happen in an instant.

Zhao Shutang only learned about the seating matter after dinner that evening. At that time, their whole family was sitting in the living room watching TV. After reading the message, her expression of disbelief looked exactly like Ruan Mian’s earlier expression.

Ruan Mian pretended not to see, sitting in place without moving, planning to wait until tomorrow when she got to school to go talk to Zhou Hai about this matter.

But by the next day, when Ruan Mian arrived at school and was about to go find Zhou Hai, Zhao Shutang told her: “You don’t need to go. I already talked to Teacher Zhou. Us being deskmates was suggested by your mother.”

She laughed mockingly: “How interesting.”

Fang Ruqing’s purpose was obvious.

For two children of similar ages to become a real family, they had to first have opportunities for close interaction and contact.

Ruan Mian felt a knot of anger in her chest: “No matter what opinions you have about me or my mother, she’s now Uncle Zhao’s legal wife. In legal terms, she’s your elder. You don’t need to be so sarcastic. Right now it’s your dad and my mom living together. In the future, it’s also them who will walk through life together, not you. Understand?”

Zhao Shutang rolled her eyes. “She’s just coveting our house. Is it necessary to say it so righteously?”

“…” Ruan Mian felt she couldn’t communicate with her. She threw out “Think whatever you want to think” and went downstairs to the sports field.

Chen Yi had a high jump competition in the morning.

When Ruan Mian arrived at the sports field, she realized just how popular he was at No. 8 Middle School. The entire high jump area was surrounded by three rings of girls inside and out.

She didn’t push her way in forcefully. She stood with Meng Xinglan on the stands not far away. Thanks to the height advantage, she could just see the small area of the field surrounded by the crowd.

Chen Yi wore black athletic wear today, standing tall and crane-like. When he ran and jumped, he was like a smooth parabolic arc.

Perfect and precise, effortlessly winning full applause.

Excited cheers from girls constantly came from the crowd. The sunlight was dazzling. Ruan Mian squinted slightly, her vision filled with the boy’s unrestrained and carefree appearance.

The sports field broadcast played that familiar song “Sunny Day” again. The lyrics sang “Once upon a time, someone loved you for a long time, but the wind gradually blew the distance so far away.”

Just like this moment—he was shining brilliantly in the crowd, while she was merely one of the inconspicuous masses in the audience below.

A distance of several hundred meters drew out the joys and sorrows of two different worlds.

After the two-day sports meet ended, the classroom seating arrangements were also finalized. Ruan Mian and Chen Yi’s brief deskmate life didn’t even have time to get on track before all possibilities were thoroughly extinguished.

On the day of changing seats, a light rain fell in Pingcheng. The air was damp, carrying the unique humidity and stickiness of southern cities. Ruan Mian got up late in the morning. By the time she arrived at the classroom, it was full of the sounds of moving stools and dragging desks. She put away her umbrella and left it by the door, finding her desk and chair in the corner.

The matter of her and Zhao Shutang being deskmates had no room for negotiation. The new seat was in the third group, fourth row—very far from Chen Yi who was in the first group, first row.

But fortunately, he was in front and she was behind. As long as she looked up, she could see him.

Ruan Mian had just placed her chair on the desk when the PE representative Lin Chuan, passing by, lent a hand: “Where are you sitting? Let me help you.”

“Over there, third row.”

Lin Chuan effortlessly moved her desk over. Ruan Mian carried her chair and school bag, walked over and said thank you.

The boy laughed heartily and waved his hand saying it was no problem.

The noise in the classroom only lasted a while. After everyone had changed seats, Zhao Qi came to the classroom holding his tea cup. Seeing the changed seating in the class, he stood below the podium and asked the girl sitting in the middle of the first row: “Did your Teacher Zhou arrange the seats? Or did you choose them yourselves?”

“Teacher Zhou arranged them.”

He said “Oh,” looked around once, then walked over to Ruan Mian holding his tea cup: “I heard your Teacher Zhou registered you for the essay tutoring class for first-years?”

“I think so. He mentioned this before.” Ruan Mian unconsciously pinched the edge of the book pages.

“I see. That’s fine then. You go attend first. If there’s anything you don’t understand, come ask me.” After speaking, he lowered his head to glance at the textbook spread on Ruan Mian’s desk, tapping the desk lightly with bent fingers: “What are you reading physics for during morning reading? Read more Chinese and English.”

“…Got it.”

The classroom was full of reading voices. Outside the window was continuous misty rain. On the first day of being deskmates with Zhao Shutang, Ruan Mian truly experienced what it meant to have nothing to say. Between the two of them was like an invisible barrier blocking all possible communication. Fortunately, both had an understanding in their hearts that this situation was the best outcome.

A week passed peacefully. Ruan Mian attended classes as usual. When Sunday afternoon came, she had to go to school earlier than other classmates to attend two essay tutoring classes.

That afternoon, she sat in a classroom full of unfamiliar faces, listening to the teacher lecture on dull and boring content, finally understanding that some things could only be wishful thinking.

…

The two essay classes ended exactly at five o’clock. Ruan Mian packed up her things and exchanged contact information with a younger female classmate who had been sitting next to her in class.

Leaving the first-year teaching building, Ruan Mian went to the dumpling shop outside school to eat dinner. In these two months at No. 8 Middle School, this dumpling shop was the one she came to most often. Right now was the peak period for students returning to school. The narrow shop was full of students. Ruan Mian ordered pork and mushroom filling dumplings and shared a table with several girls she didn’t know.

Unintentionally, she heard them chatting about the school’s prominent figures. Ruan Mian lowered her eyes slightly and imperceptibly slowed her chewing.

Soon she heard that familiar name.

“Did you guys hear? This afternoon a girl confessed to Chen Yi at the basketball court and was rejected.” The girl in blue said.

Another girl sitting next to Ruan Mian asked: “Really? Is it true or false?”

“Of course it’s true. If you don’t believe it, go back and use the computer to check the school forum. Everyone’s going crazy talking about it.” The girl in blue took out her phone to check the school’s large group chat, where people were just discussing this matter. “Look, people are still talking about it now.”

The two girls whose information was more delayed leaned their heads over, occasionally making various exclamations: “This girl is really brave.”

“Do you know which class she’s from?”

“I think she’s an art student who just transferred to the second-year arts class this semester.” The girl in blue clearly had much faster information than them. “I heard she came from the capital and is called…”

The girl in blue couldn’t remember the name for a moment. “I forgot what she’s called. Anyway, she’s especially beautiful, and her figure is also very—”

She gestured with her hand in front of her chest, causing the other two girls to giggle.

The several people chatted enthusiastically. Ruan Mian finished the last dumpling, carried the soup bowl to the table at the entrance, and walked out of the shop.

The sunset was just right at that moment. Ruan Mian walked into campus with the flow of people, passing by the lively and boiling basketball court along the way. She turned her head to glance, her vision filled with running figures—unfamiliar yet vivid.

Back in the classroom, classmates were all talking about this matter.

Actually, someone confessing to Chen Yi at No. 8 Middle School wasn’t anything unusual. It was just that this time, the girl who confessed had behavior and mannerisms that were too shocking and unconventional at school, so much so that everyone hadn’t expected she would get involved with Chen Yi.

Meng Xinglan had gotten first-hand information from Jiang Rang. Seeing Ruan Mian return, she pulled her over to gossip: “Actually this time it doesn’t really count as a confession. I heard from Jiang Rang that the girl’s meaning was just wanting to make friends with Chen Yi. As for other things, they could take their time getting to know each other later. But Chen Yi is the kind of person who especially hates trouble and rejects all kinds of fanciness. He just directly ignored her. Later the boys spread it around randomly and it became what it is now.”

“So that’s how it was.” Ruan Mian smiled and said without much concern: “But that girl is quite brave.”

“Of course. After all, she has the capital to dare.” As Meng Xinglan spoke, she gestured with her hands in front of her chest, wishing she could also have such a proud figure.

Watching Meng Xinglan’s gesture, Ruan Mian thought of the girl at the dumpling shop earlier who had made the same gesture, as well as the name she couldn’t remember. She flipped through book pages and asked as if casually: “So… what’s that girl’s name?”

“Her name is—” Meng Xinglan’s words weren’t finished when her peripheral vision caught sight of someone walking this way. She immediately pressed her lips together and fell silent.

“Hm?” Ruan Mian looked at her in confusion.

The words had just fallen when Chen Yi had already walked up to the two of them, his tall figure casting a shadow on the desk. Ruan Mian instinctively looked up, seeing the boy’s expressionless face. Her gaze flickered, inexplicably feeling guilty as if “talking about someone behind their back but being caught on the spot.”

She swallowed, silently lowering her head. Beside her, an A4 paper was suddenly handed over. The boy’s voice sounded in her ear: “This is a book list. Go back and buy them according to this. After you finish reading one book, write a reading reflection and give it to me.”

“Huh?” Ruan Mian didn’t react, looking up at him again.

Chen Yi dropped the paper in his hand on the desk. His eyes were pitch black, his tone flat: “Didn’t Teacher Zhao say before that I should teach you more about essays? This is the first lesson. As for that essay class Teacher Zhou made you attend, find an excuse to quit it. It’s not useful for you.”

“…”

Chen Yi didn’t say much more. After giving the necessary instructions, he left, leaving Ruan Mian and Meng Xinglan looking at each other, at a loss.

“You’re in for it in the future. Chen Yi is very strict.” Meng Xinglan picked up the book list and glanced at it. “Before, when Jiang Rang asked him to tutor English, he directly taught Jiang Rang to the point of almost giving up on that subject.”

Ruan Mian suppressed the joy in her heart, not letting even a bit leak out. Her face remained calm: “Really? That strict.”

“You’ll know once you experience it.” The listening preparatory bell rang. Meng Xinglan put down the book list in her hand. As she stood up, she remembered something: “Oh right, I hadn’t finished speaking just now. That girl is called Sheng Huan, from the arts class. She’s especially beautiful. If there’s a chance, I’ll take you to see the arts class.”

Ruan Mian smiled: “Okay.”

Not long after Meng Xinglan returned to her seat, Song, the English teacher, entered the classroom with materials. Ruan Mian put away the book list Chen Yi had given her and opened the listening materials.

…

That day was the first time Ruan Mian heard the name Sheng Huan.

At the time, thinking nothing of it, she never imagined that in many long, desolate, difficult nights to come, this name would become her thousand times over source of obsession and countless instances of tossing and turning.

—

Author’s Note: Zhao Shutang isn’t really bad, right? Mostly just immature.