Chapter 5

Yu Fei and He Junming, two chatterboxes, sat next to each other and talked non-stop every day. One moment they discussed this, the next moment that, and whenever they disagreed, they would argue endlessly. "That's not how it is! Idiot!" Yu Fei stuck out her tongue at He Junming. "If you win the bet, I'll eat shit!" He Junming scoffed. "You boys always think we girls cry easily over a guy." "Then what else?" He Junming smirked mischievously. "Forget it, I don’t want to talk to you anymore!" Yu Fei was starting to lose patience. He Junming leaned in and playfully knocked on her forehead with his finger, quickly dodging her retaliation. Acting as if nothing happened, he casually took a lollipop and put it in his mouth. "A grown man eating a strawberry-flavored lollipop?" Yu Fei clutched her stomach, laughing until it hurt. "Just had a smoke, trying to get rid of the smell. I heard the homeroom teacher is about to check for cigarettes. Help me hide them?" He Junming raised an eyebrow at her. "Why ask me? Go to Shen Qian, she smokes and definitely has experience. Besides, the teacher won’t check the girls." Yu Fei was still sulking and didn’t want to talk to him. He Junming, clueless as ever, couldn’t tell if she was really mad. A short while later, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Li, walked into the classroom and announced a cigarette inspection. "You all know that smoking is not allowed in school, yet there’s always a lingering smoke smell in the classroom. The grade-level department has arranged for an inspection. Any boy caught with cigarettes will have to write a self-reflection essay." "All male students, line up in the hallway. Class monitor, check the desks for any hidden items." "Yu Fei!" As soon as the teacher turned around, He Junming secretly passed his cigarettes to Yu Fei. Yu Fei smirked, took them, and slipped them into her pocket. All the boys from Class 2, Grade 10, stepped out and lined up in the hallway while the teacher checked their pockets one by one. Several students were caught. "So annoying, we just got to school, and they’re already pulling this stunt," one boy muttered. "If you have complaints, say them out loud. The school is only doing this for your own good." After that, the boy didn’t dare speak again and obediently went off to write his self-reflection. After school, Yu Fei was waiting for Lin Shizhao to head home together, while He Junming and Gu Helin left first. "Shizhao, hurry up! Why are you carrying so much stuff? We’re going to miss the school bus!" Yu Fei urged Lin Shizhao. "Coming, almost done!" Lin Shizhao finally packed her Chinese textbook and caught up. Under the big tree near the school gate, two teenage boys were waiting for Yu Fei and He Junming. They were about the same height, though Gu Helin was half a head taller than He Junming. But He Junming wasn’t short either. By the time the two girls came out, the school bus had already left. The school was quite a distance from the bus stop, so walking home seemed like the best option. "Sorry, Yu Fei. If you hadn’t waited for me, you wouldn’t have missed the bus." "Oh, stop it! Are we not best friends? Why are you being so polite?" Yu Fei hooked her arm around Lin Shizhao’s and playfully tapped her little upturned nose. "Come on, let’s catch up to those two guys. Isn’t that Gu Helin and He Junming?" Yu Fei pulled Lin Shizhao along as they started running. Friendships formed in youth are truly precious. At an age when they still didn’t understand much about life, perhaps they had already met the best people. The two girls ran ahead, Yu Fei’s fair cheeks flushed pink with a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, making her look even prettier. Meanwhile, Lin Shizhao wasn’t even out of breath—her stamina was excellent. She had won numerous sports awards in middle school. Her high ponytail swayed behind her, carrying a faint fragrance. "We didn’t even run that far, and you’re already this tired? You’re making me laugh!" He Junming pointed at Yu Fei, who was gasping for breath, trying to recover. Gu Helin shook his head at He Junming and smacked him hard on the shoulder. "Helin, are we still brothers? I just made a joke, and you—" Before He Junming could finish, Gu Helin dragged him forward. Yu Fei couldn’t be bothered with him either. The two girls walked hand in hand behind them, while the two boys in front playfully pushed and shoved each other. At the intersection ahead, He Junming and Yu Fei went their separate ways home, leaving only Lin Shizhao and Gu Helin. The evening sun gently kissed the earth with its warm glow, bringing a sense of tranquility to the world. The boy and girl, one tall and one short, walked side by side along a tree-lined path filled with sycamores. "Why were you crying today?" Gu Helin asked casually. Lin Shizhao froze for a moment, caught off guard, and stared at his striking profile. "If you don’t want to talk about it, forget it. Just don’t start crying again and make it look like I bullied you." "I wasn’t crying!" Lin Shizhao blushed, slightly annoyed. "Alright, alright. Just don’t complain to Dad later. He told me to take care of you." "I don’t need your care!" Lin Shizhao quickened her pace and walked ahead. "I’m your brother. Dad told me to look after you," Gu Helin teased. Hearing that, Lin Shizhao couldn’t believe her ears. This was the first time in four months that Gu Helin had spoken to her like this—it actually felt like he cared. Her cheeks turned pink, and her heart raced. "Do you want me to help you review?" Gu Helin tried to break the silence. "No need, thanks. I’ll figure it out myself, don’t trouble yourself." Lin Shizhao tried to stay calm. In truth, she could use the help. Midterms were approaching, and class placements would be determined afterward. She had been studying late into the night, waking up early, and working hard. She wasn’t dumb, and her efforts had greatly improved her Chinese and English scores. Literature had always been her strong suit; in fact, the teacher had appointed her as the Chinese class representative at the beginning of the semester. But no matter how much she practiced, her math grades wouldn’t improve, and it was starting to frustrate her. "Don’t be so polite. I saw your monthly exam scores, and that math paper was terrifying," Gu Helin teased. "Gu Helin! How dare you peek at my test! My bad grades have nothing to do with you!" "There were so many red Xs, it was hard to miss. Plus, I saw you stuck on the second problem for ages, so I got curious and took a peek." After some internal struggle, Lin Shizhao finally "gave in to fate." Later that night, Gu Helin even helped with the dishes after dinner. Lin Shizhao knocked on his door with her math paper. He took his time answering, and when he did, his face was still damp from washing up, drops of water sliding down his sharp jawline. As she worked on a particularly tough question, Gu Helin flicked her forehead. "Look at the problem statement. It’s testing the AM-GM inequality. Just tweak the equation and apply the formula." As she finally understood, Gu Helin found himself getting flustered. He excused himself to the bathroom, and by the time he returned, Lin Shizhao had fallen asleep at the desk. Gently, he carried her to her room, tucked her in, and quietly left, closing the door behind him.