After the last English class ended, the bell rang. Sweeping away the classroom’s lifelessness, students happily packed up their things to go eat.

The PE monitor stood on the podium, banging his book and shouting: “Tomorrow is the monthly exam, so no PE class today!! Come directly to the classroom this afternoon, don’t go to the field!!”

Waves of sighs arose.

As soon as they left the classroom, without the air conditioning, a surging wave of heat hit them head-on, the temperature rising sharply.

Xu You felt a bit dizzy from the heat, books and homework cradled in her arms, turning a corner to go downstairs.

The crowd was packed, with noisy clamoring sounds.

Two female students in front walked arm in arm chatting, their voices just loud enough to reach Xu You’s ears.

“Hey, did you hear? Just now Chen Jingyi went to find a girl from the senior liberal arts class to fight. So many people were watching.”

“Senior liberal arts class? Who?”

“He Danlu, I think. She was directly grabbed by someone who threw a book at her face right at the classroom door, so I heard.”

“That wild? What happened, what happened?”

One person’s tone was extremely curious and gossipy.

“I also heard from my friend. It seems He Danlu and her friend ran into Chen Jingyi in the bathroom, then cursed her as a vixen, saying she had a slutty smell. She was immediately slapped by Chen Jingyi.”

“Huh?” That female student was incredulous, “A sophomore hitting a senior?!”

Then she added in confusion, “Why would she curse someone for no reason?”

The other female student whispered the gossip, “Seems like it’s because of Chen Jingyi’s ex-boyfriend. He Danlu is pursuing him, but hasn’t succeeded.”

“Ex-boyfriend? Who is it, do I know him… oh my god, so dramatic.”

“Xie Ci. Do you know him or not?”

“……..”

One of them paused for a few seconds before saying: “Who at No. 1 High doesn’t know him?”

After saying that, as if remembering something, she asked again: “Didn’t he just break up with Qiu Qingqing? Before that he was also with Chen Jingyi?”

“They’re all just playing around. Those people never lack beautiful women around them.” The female student sharing gossip sounded nonchalant, “Actually, that group from Class 9 are all pretty awful, but their families have money…”

After turning another corner, the voices ahead gradually diminished.

Xu You stepped down the stairs one by one. She had no interest in listening to other people’s gossip.

She thought to herself that she’d only been at this school for a few days, and didn’t know many people in Class 9, most were unfamiliar. Yet no matter where she went, she could hear those few familiar names.

Really, it was a bit like they were haunting her.

Just as she was spacing out, someone patted her shoulder. Xu You turned her head and saw her dormmate standing beside her.

“Youyou, are you going to the cafeteria now?!”

“Mm.” Xu You nodded.

Chen Xiao made an “ah” sound, grabbed her arm and shook it, “Come with me to buy food outside the school. I don’t want to wait in line alone.”

“Please?”

Xu You wasn’t good at refusing others. After being stunned for a moment, she said: “I’m still holding books. Is it far?”

“Not far, not far, just at the school gate.” After saying that, she dragged Xu You away, without any hesitation.

Lunch break was the liveliest time at the school gate area. Groups of students clustered around the doors of several small shops nearby. Many tall male students leaned or squatted by the trees, smoking and chatting while waiting for people.

The place they were queuing at was a fried noodle shop. It had been around for some years and had a good reputation. There were already many people in front, the queue extending outside the shop, the customers mostly students.

Chen Xiao enthusiastically pulled Xu You to stand at the end, standing on tiptoe to look ahead, “Aiya, so many people. We’ll probably have to wait a while. A’Chai, you’re not hungry, right?”

She turned her head to ask Xu You.

A’Chai was Xu You’s nickname.

When Chen Lizhi came to the school dormitory to see her last weekend, she called it a few times and Chen Xiao happened to hear. She thought it sounded nice so occasionally started calling her that too.

The two stood on the road, exposed to the blazing sun. Xu You wore long sleeves and a jacket, her face already covered in sweat. She shook her head, “It’s fine, I’m not hungry.”

Tormented by menstrual pain, her small face was pale and delicate, her lips bloodless.

After queuing for a long time, there were always a few people cutting in line ahead, and the queue seemed not to have moved at all. They were still in the same spot.

Xu You supported her waist with one hand, patting Chen Xiao who was playing on her phone, saying weakly: “I’m going to squat for a bit. You keep queuing.”

That sinking pain in her lower abdomen made one want to curl up, perhaps it would feel a bit better.

Chen Xiao was startled by her weak appearance, hurriedly putting away her phone and supporting her as she asked: “What’s wrong with you?”

Xu You frowned, paused, then slowly said: “Menstrual cramps, it’s fine.”

“Why don’t you go back first? Don’t wait in line with me anymore.”

“It’s okay. I’ll go recover for a bit. Call me when you’re done.”

She squatted under a tree not far away where there were few people. Behind her was a coffee shop, with the crisp tinkling sound of a piano flowing slowly.

Xu You fumbled out an apple-flavored lollipop from her jacket pocket and put it in her mouth to chew.

Her abdomen cramped, even with some stomach spasms. It made breathing difficult.

—

Inside the coffee shop.

Tu Youyou’s five fingers were tightly interlocked with Li Jieyi’s. She hugged his arm, clinging to him, acting coquettishly in a low voice: “Where should we go play this afternoon?”

Someone beside them was smoking. Hearing this, he replied: “Go play on the bed.”

“You’re annoying.” Tu Youyou laughed and scolded, still being coy.

Heh.

That person didn’t look up, laughing mockingly in a low voice, coughing once.

Li Jieyi raised his hand, draping it over his girlfriend’s shoulder, turning his head to talk to that person: “A’Ci, what do you say? Are you going to play cards this afternoon or not?”

“Not going.” His voice was lazy, his arm draped over the chair, pulling up the corner of his mouth in a smile.

“Why not go? What’s fun about staying at school?”

Xie Ci asked back: “What’s fun about going?”

“You can play whatever you want.” Li Jieyi smiled ambiguously and wickedly.

Song Yifan came over carrying drinks, just hearing this sentence. He sat down at the booth, incidentally answering for Xie Ci, “He now wholeheartedly only wants to play with a female student from our class.”

“Really? Which female student? Such great charm to attract Brother Ci’s attention. Have I met her? Is she pretty?” Li Jieyi threw out a string of questions, his face full of curiosity.

Song Yifan said with a straight face: “No no no, they’re purely discussing academics. That female student is teaching A’Ci to study English…”

As he spoke, he revealed his true nature, his face full of wicked smiles as he made dirty jokes, “As for how they’ll play in the future, I don’t know.”

These words were said ambiguously. The person in question neither acknowledged nor refuted it, as if it had nothing to do with him.

However, Wang Xiaoqian sitting on the side laughed and said to Li Jieyi: “You’re still thinking about going out to play today. Tomorrow is the monthly exam. Didn’t you say last time your dad froze your card, and you’ll talk about it after you do well on the exam?”

Li Jieyi was impatient, “How well can I do? Fuck, why’d you have to bring this up, buzzkill.”

The others laughed.

Linshi No. 1 High School was quite wealthy. Everything was built quite well, including the exam hall signal blockers. When they were first used, the school proudly claimed they were comparable to the college entrance exam halls. Students didn’t believe it, but after taking one exam they were completely convinced. This damn thing really works well.

Phones completely unusable.

“Hey, you.” Wang Xiaoqian rolled his eyes.

Song Yifan flipped through the menu on the table, saying profoundly: “No problem, bro. This time we have a genius in our exam room.”

“What genius?” Li Jieyi’s eyes lit up, urging: “Aiyou fuck, hurry up and say it, don’t let your bro die of anxiety.”

Song Yifan took a sip of his drink, picked up his phone and slowly replied to messages, saying: “I’ve already inquired. This time the transfer students and repeat students are all in the same exam room as us.”

“And then?”

“Idiot, I told you about that student who just transferred to our class. Her grades are really good, and she’s nice too. She has the best relationship with me. I’ve already talked to her. When the time comes, you can just copy from her.”

Hearing this, Xie Ci slightly raised his brow bone, his hand holding the cigarette stopping there, “Best relationship with you?”

Before Song Yifan could speak, his gaze casually glanced outside, then fixed.

After a few seconds.

“Hey, shit… that, that, bro.” Song Yifan stood up, walked forward and squinted to look, patting Xie Ci and saying: “Look outside, is that someone we know squatting there?”

—

Xu You’s soft, curved hair tips hung loosely, almost covering half her face. She hugged a stack of books in her arms, squatting there.

The blazing sun brought a gust of wind. In the dense tree shade, cicadas kept calling nonstop.

She lowered her head, bent her index finger, and rubbed the corner of her forehead.

When she opened her eyes again, a pair of black sneakers appeared before her eyes.

Xu You’s gaze moved upward.

Xie Ci wore a black jacket and T-shirt, bending down slightly, tilting his head to look at her, his face showing undisguised mischief, “Classmate Xu, are you squatting here waiting for me?”

Her upturned face showed a listless expression, her pointed delicate jaw, her face pale.

Xu You didn’t want to deal with him. She supported herself on her knees, preparing to stand up.

Who knew that after squatting for too long, her calves were numb. The instant she stood up, her center of gravity was somewhat unstable.

Xie Ci reacted quickly, his eyes and hands fast as he supported her.

Xie Ci grabbed half of her arm, the long sleeve of the school uniform jacket wrapping around half her palm, revealing frost-white slender fingers.

“Are you steady?” His eyes looked at the soft black hair whorl on top of her head, asking in a low voice.

His lean chest pressed very close to her.

Xu You nodded, wanting to push him away. Already impatient in her heart, she absentmindedly thanked him in a low voice, “Thank you, you can let go of your hand now.”

Xie Ci made an “oh” sound, but didn’t let go. Instead, he asked carelessly: “Did you do it on purpose? Falling into my arms twice in one day?”

“Nong lao cuo qi oh! (You’re so annoying!)” Xu You wasn’t feeling well, and now her temper also rose. She couldn’t help but loudly scold him in her hometown dialect.

Then she pushed hard.

He was pushed back, staggering a few steps.

Hearing her jabber and scold him in gibberish, Xie Ci tilted his head and smiled, his thin lips slightly raised as he asked her: “Nong what?”

Xu You turned and walked away, not looking back.

—

When she went to find Chen Xiao, she had already reached the front of the queue. The boss was making her noodles.

Xu You held her books, waiting for her beside the queue.

Here the oily smoke smell was very heavy, waves of hot aromatic steam from the food wafting and dispersing.

Chen Xiao took the plastic bag the boss packed, paid the money, then said to Xu You: “Let’s go, I’m done.”

Xu You nodded and followed her toward the school’s side gate.

They hadn’t walked far when Xu You heard a series of hurried footsteps behind them, accompanied by shouts:

—”Hey, hey, hey, hey, young lady in front, wait a moment.”

Xu You and Chen Xiao turned around and saw someone running over. In a moment, she reached the two of them.

It was a young girl wearing work clothes, with a green apron around her waist with the logo of Wu Yin Milk Tea Shop on it.

She stopped out of breath, holding something in her hand, handing it to Xu You, “Young lady, someone just bought you a cup of red date milk and asked us to give it to you.”