“I’m not explaining anymore, move aside.” Xu You was being bothered by him to the point she couldn’t review, so she simply stood up.
Xie Ci raised his eyebrows with a roguish look on his face, “Not moving. If you’ve got the guts, climb over me.”
He placed his feet on the crossbar under the desk, leaned his body back directly against the wall, thus blocking all her exit routes.
Xu You looked at Xie Ci and found it amusing: “I’m going out to get some hot water to take my medicine, what are you doing?”
This medicine was traditional Chinese medicine for stomach regulation. You could smell the bitter taste just by sniffing it. Xu You gently shook the thick brown liquid and took a small sip, immediately frowning from the bitterness and sticking out her tongue.
“Whoa, I was wondering what that smell was, it’s so damn unpleasant!” The person in the front row turned around, only then discovering that Xu You was sitting next to Xie Ci. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost, “Damn, top student, when did you sit over here? So stealthy.”
Their seats were near the back door, considered a fairly inconspicuous location in the class. Because of the temperature difference, the glass windows in the classroom were covered with a layer of white fog. Those outside couldn’t see in, and those inside couldn’t see out clearly either.
Xu You wrinkled her nose and looked at the medicine in the cup, “Does it smell that bad? Then I’ll drink it quickly.”
“What are you yelling about? Turn around.” Xie Ci was impatient on the side and casually threw a book over.
When he spoke in the classroom, he was really as loud as could be. He made several people in the front rows turn around to look, thinking there was some excitement to watch.
Xu You struggled for a long time, finally mentally preparing herself. Steeling her heart, she pinched her nose and tilted her head back to pour the medicine down.
Gulp gulp. The bitter brown liquid slid down her throat, the choking bitter taste filling her nose and throat. She placed the emptied cup aside, all the features on her small face scrunched together.
She couldn’t speak at all. It was too bitter.
“Do you have water? Let me drink some water.” Xu You couldn’t stand it and asked in a low, strained voice.
Xie Ci went to the side to pour her some warm water. Xu You opened the back door and ran to the bathroom to rinse her mouth. She rinsed many times, but the unpleasant taste in her mouth still lingered and wouldn’t dissipate.
Returning to the classroom, Xie Ci was still sitting there, his posture hardly changed at all.
His eyes stared at her, “Feeling better?”
Xu You shook her head, gently closed the door, and sat in her seat, “It was too bitter, so bitter it’s killing me.”
Xie Ci said something else, but she didn’t hear it clearly and asked: “What?”
“I said.” Xie Ci lowered his head, unwrapped a candy and tossed it into his mouth, speaking unhurriedly, “I have candy.”
He leaned over slightly closer, reaching out to rest his hand on the chair behind her shoulder, his entire body encircling her.
Xu You sensed something amiss and backed away a little. The next second, Xie Ci kissed her. He supported her shoulder with one hand, tilted his head slightly as his lips pressed against hers.
Xu You was struck as if by lightning, frozen on the spot.
He smiled lightly, his eyes slightly drooping as his tongue pried open her slightly parted pink lips, transferring the candy from his mouth to hers.
It was the sweet taste of White Rabbit candy.
When she came to her senses, Xu You reflexively pushed him away. Her face uncontrollably became redder and redder. She collapsed onto the desk beside her, burying her face in her arms. The heat on her face was scalding, her heart like an opened bottle of Sprite bubbling with carbonation.
The milk candy was held on the tip of her tongue.
Xie Ci licked the corner of his lips with lingering satisfaction, laughing softly twice as he watched her shy appearance. The sense of fulfillment in his heart seemed about to overflow.
—
The three days of exams passed quickly.
As the final exam of the upper semester of sophomore year settled into place, the final list of students for the science honors class was also determined. This time, four liberal arts classes were divided, and Class 7 became the liberal arts honors class.
The science rocket class had a total of 30 students. Xu You and two other students from Class 9 entered without surprise.
Class 0 would have their vacation a week later than students in other classes. Xu You was still resting at home that day when she received notice to come to school for class the day after tomorrow at noon.
The students of Science Class 1 had always been the most watched, and the teachers assigned to each subject were also the school’s top teaching resources. Even before the class assignments for other classes were announced, the list of Class 0 students was posted on the bulletin board. It was filled with names everyone basically knew, those top students who regularly ranked at the top of the monthly rankings. Anyway, entering this class was like having a golden, gleaming label attached to your body.
Going to school the next day, Xu You didn’t have to expend much effort to find the location of Class 0. It was on the first floor.
There were already quite a few people in the classroom. Some should have been classmates before and were sitting together in twos and threes chatting. Xu You didn’t know any of them anyway, so she randomly picked a seat toward the front and sat down.
The new homeroom teacher was surnamed Wang, called Wang Xiadong, in his forties, and looked somewhat stern. He taught mathematics. Walking up to the podium, he first gave a self-introduction, then routinely delivered some inspirational chicken soup that everyone had heard so often their ears had grown calluses since childhood.
Then the next segment was self-introductions from each student in the class.
Actually, students with good grades weren’t necessarily all bookworms. Some of the boys who went up before Xu You were especially witty and humorous, able to talk about all sorts of things, making the whole class laugh heartily.
When it was Xu You’s turn, she was rather dull and didn’t know what to say. First, she went to the blackboard and wrote her name stroke by stroke. After finishing, she tossed the chalk into the chalk box. Being watched by so many people, she felt uncomfortable and paused for a while before saying: “Hello everyone, my name is Xu You. ‘You’ is the ‘you’ from ‘Youyou the deer cries.’ I’m very happy to become classmates with everyone. I hope we can progress together over the next year…..”
A very formulaic self-introduction. After speaking, she had nothing more to say.
However, applause from below still rose as usual.
Xu You propped up her chin with her left hand, absentmindedly playing with her pen, waiting for the remaining people in class to introduce themselves one by one.
She was spacing out when she suddenly heard a soft, gentle female voice:
“——Hello everyone, my name is Qiu Qingqing.”
Instantly, the discussion from two girls sitting behind reached Xu You’s ears:
“Oh my, I’ve discovered that Shen Jiayi is really quite pretty, so fair.”
“She’s okay, I think she’s just average.”
“I heard from my friend that her personality is also very good. I really envy this type of girl, pretty and good grades too…..”
“Otherwise, why would so many boys in the grade be chasing her? That guy also dated her before.” One girl mentioned a name, “Xie Ci, you know him, right?”
The other girl clicked her tongue twice, “Xie Ci is pretty much a player. Really don’t know how those two got together.”
“Please, he’s handsome and his family has money…….”
“………..”
Xu You didn’t listen to what came after.
After school that evening, it was almost ten o’clock. Xu You was packing her things when an unfamiliar male student sitting across the aisle from her came to ask her about problems. Everyone’s grades were similar, so difficult problems were mainly discussed.
Through their interactions, Xu You actually became somewhat familiar with that male student. She learned his name was Shen Yang. Shen Yang liked to discuss chemistry problems with Xu You after evening self-study, or rather, debate them. This person was a bit stubborn. He liked to ponder over problems he couldn’t figure out. Xu You would generally just listen quietly and point out the errors in his logic. Then the two would part ways at the school gate.
Studying in the science honors class didn’t feel particularly special. It was just that the surrounding classmates had become strangers, people talked less, and everyone buried their heads in studying after class. Class 0 progressed quickly. Although they only had supplementary classes for seven days, in just these few short days, basically every subject’s teacher had successively finished new material and started comprehensive review.
Just before the New Year’s Eve, Class 0 and the senior students were released on vacation together. Winter break had also quietly arrived without notice.
After the class reassignment results came out, former classmates and friends successively sent Xu You congratulatory text messages. There were previous roommates: Liao Yuemin, Chen Xiao, Li Lingfang, and also some classmates from Class 9.
That day, Xu You was organizing things at home when she suddenly remembered that she’d been too busy during this period and hadn’t seen Xie Ci in a long time. Her parents were watching TV in the living room. She sat on a small stool, organizing test papers by the weak yellow light of the desk lamp while calling Xie Ci.
She called several times, but no one answered on the other end. Perhaps he didn’t hear it, or for some other reason.
She dialed out again. This time it was deliberately disconnected. She couldn’t guess what had happened and felt her mind was a bit chaotic.
At this moment, Chen Xiuyun pushed the door open. Xu You casually placed her phone aside and looked up, softly calling: “Mom.”
“Mm, what are you doing?” Chen Xiuyun had a faint smile on her face.
Ever since learning that Xu You had been assigned to the science honors class, the atmosphere in their home had been very good, and Father Xu’s nagging had decreased considerably.
“I’m organizing things, sorting test papers.” Xu You answered honestly.
Chen Xiuyun nodded, “How many days of vacation do you have?”
“Twelve days. We go back to class on the seventh day of the first lunar month.”
Xu You calculated, “But the teacher assigned a lot of homework to write.”
Chen Xiuyun was surprised, “Your class is managed that strictly?”
“Mm…” Xu You was distracted, unconsciously folding and refolding the test papers, her back slightly hunched as she leaned against the edge of the bed.
After a while, the phone on the bed vibrated. She glanced at the caller ID.
Chen Xiuyun asked: “Your classmate?”
Xu You nodded and said: “My former deskmate.”
After Chen Xiuyun left the room, she answered the phone. It was Fu Xueli. On the other end, there was deafening music and cheering sounds.
Xu You spoke: “Xueli?”
Fu Xueli seemed to be talking to someone on that end. After a long while, she finally said “hello” and walked to a slightly quieter place, “Youyou, are you at home?”
“Yes.” She paused for a moment and said, “It’s so late, why are you still outside?”
“Class 9 is having a gathering today! Why didn’t you come? I called you so many times this morning.”
Xu You explained, “We only got our vacation this afternoon. I hadn’t looked at my phone the whole time.”
“What about dinner then? Xu Xingchun also came, but I looked everywhere and couldn’t find you.” Fu Xueli was clever and picked out the important things to say, “Xie Ci’s mood seemed pretty off today. Don’t you want to come and see?”
Hearing this sentence, Xu You’s action of flipping through test papers paused, “Xie Ci is eating dinner together with you all?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t hang out with us in the afternoon. He only came for dinner in the evening.” Fu Xueli answered.
Xu You smiled and said: “I understand. I probably can’t make it today. Please say sorry to everyone in the class for me.”
—
Fu Xueli hung up the phone. Song Yifan beside her looked at her, “How was it? Is Xu You coming out or not?”
“Not coming.” Fu Xueli put away her phone, pushed open the private room door to look at the situation inside, and frowned, “What’s going on with Xie Ci? He drank so much just now, and now he’s still playing cards with Li Jieyi and them.”
Song Yifan hemmed and hawed, his expression hesitant.
Inside the private room, the lights were hazy and smoke swirled around.
Chen Jingyi sat down beside Xie Ci, tossed his phone onto the coffee table, and said in a soft, gentle voice: “Brother Ci, I’ve finished making the call.”