The last day of 2008 was Ruan Mian’s birthday. That day also happened to be No. 8 High School’s New Year’s Eve gala. The school had started preparing the gala program more than half a month earlier.
Out of over a hundred classes in the entire school, except for the third-years, every remaining class was required to submit one performance. After that, the school leadership would review them and cut out nearly half. The ones that remained would all perform on stage the day of the gala. The two science experimental classes of the second year were supported by the school. The skit produced by the two classes working together passed all the challenges and successfully made it to the stage that day.
The happiness and excitement of that time belonged only to the first and second-years. The auditorium was far from the third-year teaching building—they couldn’t see that battlefield without gunpowder smoke and fully enjoyed all the beauty of this moment.
On the night of the gala, after Sheng Huan from the second-year arts class finished her performance, she didn’t exit from the left side of the stage according to the original plan. She picked up the megaphone that a friend had tossed up from below the stage and, in front of all the teachers and students, publicly declared she wanted to pursue Chen Yi, a student from Class 1 of second-year science.
In No. 8 High School’s hundred-year history, this was the first time such a thing had happened. After a moment of caught-off-guard silence, the thousands of teachers and students below suddenly erupted in screams loud enough to blow the roof off.
The scene was nearly out of control. Students screamed, shouted, and jeered, while the school leadership’s faces showed various expressions difficult to read. Director of Education Wu Yan was the first to react. He rushed onto the stage in a few quick strides, seized the megaphone from the girl’s hands, and pushed her off the stage.
That was the first time Ruan Mian had seen Sheng Huan. The girl’s makeup was exquisite, her manner unrestrained and carefree. The cheap, inferior performance costume displayed its best appearance on her.
Amid the nearly out-of-control screaming from the audience, she turned to look at Chen Yi sitting not far away. The boy was wearing a baseball cap, head lowered as he looked at his phone, as if all this madness had nothing to do with him.
For a moment, Ruan Mian felt somewhat sympathetic toward Sheng Huan, but at the same time, she also envied her.
Because among all those female students in the entire school, no one could be as brave as her, so reckless, declaring her feelings without any reservations.
Ruan Mian withdrew her gaze. In her ear was Meng Xinglan’s uncontainable excited screaming: “Oh my god! Sheng Huan is so cool!! Even I, a girl, am falling in love with her!!!”
Yes. Who could not love such a beautiful and unconventional girl?
In Ruan Mian’s mind appeared the girl’s excessively beautiful face. She couldn’t help turning her head to look back again—Chen Yi’s seat was empty.
By then, the gala had barely returned to normal under Wu Yan’s suppression. The scene no longer had its previous sensation. Ruan Mian craned her neck looking all around.
Finally, at the auditorium exit, she saw the boy’s figure walking out. Behind him was Sheng Huan, who had just confessed to him on stage.
The two people walked out one after the other.
Ruan Mian stared at that door that opened and closed again, her mind completely in disarray. She couldn’t hear the sounds around her or see anything else.
In her mind were only the two figures’ backs as they walked out.
That day, Chen Yi never came back until the gala ended. After the event dispersed, Ruan Mian and Meng Xinglan walked out with the crowd. Everyone around them was talking about Sheng Huan.
She rubbed her ears, somewhat out of sorts.
After leaving the auditorium, Meng Xinglan dragged Ruan Mian to eat late-night snacks outside school. The winter night’s cold wind was bitter and piercing, blowing until Ruan Mian’s eyes turned red.
That night when she returned home, Ruan Mian developed a high fever in the night. The next morning while getting an IV drip at a clinic near home, she learned from Meng Xinglan that Chen Yi had rejected Sheng Huan again yesterday.
At that time, it was Fang Ruqing accompanying her at the clinic. Seeing her show a joyful expression, Fang Ruqing reached out to tuck in her blanket and asked: “What good thing happened?”
“Nothing much.” Ruan Mian put away her phone. “Just an exam paper I thought I’d lost—I found it again with a classmate.”
“So careless. Next time you must keep your exam papers safe.”
“I know, I’ll pay attention in the future.”
After finishing one bottle of IV fluid, Fang Ruqing went to find a nurse to change the medicine bottle. During this interval, she asked Ruan Mian: “I called your Teacher Zhou yesterday. He said you had some conflict with Shutang in class recently, is that right?”
The classroom seating arrangements had been changed after that monthly exam, and aside from the shifts every two weeks, nothing else had changed. Ruan Mian and Zhao Shutang had always been deskmates. Usually they barely spoke to each other and had never openly fallen out—at most there were just minor frictions.
It was just last week that the two of them had openly quarreled over a cleaning duty matter.
The class’s cleaning duty rotated daily by group. Ruan Mian and Zhao Shutang were deskmates, so naturally they were grouped together. Also in the group were Liu Jingyi and three other girls from the front two rows of their section, as well as two boys sitting behind Ruan Mian.
Liu Jingyi was the group leader responsible for assigning tasks. Each time she assigned Ruan Mian the dirty and heavy work like taking out the trash. That day, the class happened to have gotten a new trash bin that was much larger than before, and there was much more garbage piled up than usual. Ruan Mian couldn’t carry it by herself. Qi Jia, who was in the same group responsible for erasing the blackboard and organizing the teacher’s desk, offered to help.
Liu Jingyi immediately became unhappy and said: “Qi Jia, you haven’t finished erasing the blackboard yet. What if the sanitation inspectors come and our class gets points deducted—will you take responsibility?”
Qi Jia: “The Sanitation Department inspects at six o’clock. It’s only five-thirty now. Even if I take out the trash, I’ll still make it in time. Also, can’t you see this trash bin is much bigger than the previous one? Even two girls would find it strenuous. What do you mean making Ruan Mian do it alone?”
Liu Jingyi: “But taking out the trash has always been her responsibility. We all have our own work to do.”
Qi Jia was about to say something more when Ruan Mian pulled her back and stepped forward herself. “Alright then, why don’t you try and see if you can lift this trash bin by yourself?”
At this moment, Zhao Shutang, who had been standing to the side, suddenly interjected coldly with a mocking tone: “Some people still think they’re princesses. If you don’t want to do the work, just say so directly.”
“What’s your problem, Zhao Shutang?” Ruan Mian laughed once, no longer wanting to hold back. She simply threw caution to the wind. “It’s just about my mom remarrying your dad. Do you really need to target me like this?”
Zhao Shutang’s expression immediately changed, and the surrounding classmates standing there were also stunned. The two boys present didn’t want the situation to become too tense, so they came out to mediate: “How about this—Ruan Mian and Qi Jia take out the trash, and we’ll erase the blackboard. You two are family no matter what, so stop arguing.”
Zhao Shutang shouted: “Who’s family with her!” After saying this, she ran out. Liu Jingyi glared at Ruan Mian and also ran out after her.
…
Ruan Mian lowered her eyes and said: “I didn’t want to argue with her. She’s been passive-aggressive like this all along. I couldn’t hold back and said a few things.”
Fang Ruqing listened and was silent for quite a while before holding her hand and saying: “I know your personality—you’re not someone who starts trouble first. I didn’t know Shutang was like this before either. I just thought that since you’re family now, I suggested to your Teacher Zhou that you two sit together. If I had known earlier—”
“Mom.” Ruan Mian interrupted her. “This isn’t your fault. I was overthinking things before and didn’t explain it clearly to you.”
“How about this—I’ll call your Teacher Zhou again and have him separate you two.” Fang Ruqing sighed. “I can’t have you marry into our family with me and suffer grievances like this all the time. Otherwise, how will I face your father in the future?”
Ruan Mian pressed her lips together and said nothing.
That day after finishing the IV drip and returning home, Ruan Mian rested in her upstairs room. Meng Xinglan was still chatting with her on QQ about Sheng Huan and Chen Yi.
Most of the conversation was about Sheng Huan.
Later, Meng Xinglan asked if she wanted to come out to hang out in the afternoon. Ruan Mian replied that she was sick and couldn’t go out to play. The other person directly called her.
After connecting, it was Meng Xinglan’s fussing voice: “No way, Ruan Mian, how are you sick again, again, again? I remember you were also sick during National Day last time. Are you cursed by holidays or something?”
Ruan Mian laughed: “I have a weak constitution. I get sick easily in winter.”
“Alright then. I was hoping to call you out to play.” Meng Xinglan sounded a bit disappointed. “Every time I go out with those boys, I’m the only girl. I’m so lonely.”
“I’m sorry, I really can’t go out. Plus, it wouldn’t be good if I transmitted the virus to you all.”
“Oh, why are you apologizing? I’m just complaining to you. Anyway, there’ll be plenty of opportunities in the future. Just rest well at home.”
Ruan Mian said: “Okay, got it.”
New Year’s Day only had three days of holiday—so short that it ended before you could even react. Ruan Mian’s cold hadn’t completely recovered. On the day she went to school, she dressed even more warmly than usual.
When she ran into classmates on the road, no one recognized her. Only Qi Jia ran over from behind and patted her shoulder, laughing at how much she was wearing.
That afternoon after she revealed her relationship with Zhao Shutang in class, Zhou Hai quickly learned about this matter from other students. During the class meeting, he specifically emphasized several times not to gossip about others’ private affairs—what others say is one thing, but we shouldn’t say it.
After that, there was much less gossip in class. Ruan Mian also became closer with Qi Jia as a result. Usually when Meng Xinglan and Liang Yiran went to eat, she would go with Qi Jia. Occasionally the three of them would go together.
“I’m afraid of the cold.” Ruan Mian’s voice still sounded a bit muffled. White puffs formed at her mouth when she spoke.
“It hasn’t even snowed yet.” Qi Jia wore her down jacket open with just a hoodie underneath. “When it snows, won’t you have to wrap yourself in a blanket to come to school?”
“…It’s not that exaggerated.”
Qi Jia opened her mouth and laughed heartily. Wu Yan, standing at the school gate, suddenly barked: “Laugh, laugh, laugh—all you know is laughing. What time is it already, young ladies? Why don’t you walk faster!”
Qi Jia: “!”
Ruan Mian: “.”
The two quickened their pace and walked into campus. Qi Jia turned around and made a face at Wu Yan’s back, complaining: “I really hate Can’t-See. So fierce and such a loud voice.”
Wu Yan—a homophone for “no eyes,” which equals blind, which equals “can’t see.” A code name independently developed by No. 8 High School students. Safe and reliable.
Ruan Mian kept her hands tucked in her coat pockets, head lowered as she said: “The director of education at No. 6 Middle School where I used to go was even fiercer and scarier than Wu Yan.”
“Then you’re so pitiful—from one sea of suffering to another sea of suffering.”
“…”
The two chatted as they walked. When they reached the bottom of the teaching building, a girl suddenly ran over from the side, hooking her arm around Qi Jia’s shoulder with an especially excited tone: “Jiajia! Chen Yi accepted my QQ friend request this morning!”
“Really? Congratulations, young lady. One step closer on your journey of pursuing him.” Qi Jia straightened her body and turned back with a smile to introduce to Ruan Mian: “Ruan Mian, this is my friend Sheng Huan.”
—
Author’s Note: —Sheng Huan isn’t a bad person—
The campus portion was originally planned to be half the story, but writing doesn’t always follow plans exactly. The specific length will be based on updates. Thanks for liking it.