The system at Jinhe High School was relatively relaxed; physical education classes wouldn’t be canceled until the second semester of Senior Three.
Luo Ming also had a window seat. With a slight turn of her head, she could see the figures moving across the playground outside. Several restless boys from Class Four were chasing an orange basketball, running back and forth while letting out occasional shouts.
The boy did not participate. He sat on the stone steps not far away, propping up his face as he watched the farce on the court. He seemed unable to muster any interest and was simply waiting for class to end.
The temperature was heralding the arrival of a cold winter, freezing the moisture in the air and allowing choking dust to accumulate. It was stifling and uncomfortable, and the sound of coughing often echoed through the classroom.
A middle-aged man wearing black-rimmed glasses stood behind the podium explaining a problem. His voice was dry and hoarse, yet his spirit was high. He pointed his finger at the white handwriting on the blackboard, using obscure formulas to combat the difficult questions that had caused the students to lose so many points. He spoke quite loudly.
Luo Ming turned back to glance at the blackboard and the teacher before shifting her gaze back to the playground. Her focus sharpened as she saw that lazy figure lower his head, his black hair looking dry and split at the ends.
The youth looked somewhat desolate, sitting alone and unable to blend into the excitement.
Luo Ming knew that he actually didn’t like sports. He habitually complied with others, wanting to appear sociable, which was why he did things he wasn’t particularly willing to do.
The lonely Gu Yu at this moment was exactly what Luo Ming wanted. It was enough for the boy to have only her. They would accompany each other and build the strongest bond, with no third person ever intervening.
He was a piece of fine jade she had found first. Although he was covered in dust, she would carefully wipe it away. She would brush off the grime and even engrave her name upon him. His ownership was crystal clear; no one else was allowed to touch him.
Her five slender fingers pressed against the cold glass window, touching Gu Yu’s silhouette. She traced him bit by bit, as if pulling him into her palm.
“Luo Ming, what is the next step here?”
The math teacher suddenly called on her. He must have noticed her distraction. He asked her to stand up and answer the question, his face solemn as his withered finger pointed at the white chalk writing.
Luo Ming scanned the steps. She had gotten this question right, she still remembered the solution clearly, and she understood what was on the blackboard.
Standing up straight, several pairs of eyes in the classroom turned toward her. Those few seconds of silence made them wonder if even a top-tier student could lose her focus. They watched with a sense of curiosity, as this was not a common occurrence.
The girl sitting next to her covered her mouth, wanting to whisper a reminder, but Luo Ming spoke first.
“Power reduction, the coefficient of cos squared 3x, and then multiply both sides by two.”
“Correct. Sit down. We reduce the power first. Everyone should remember the power reduction formula, right? Cos squared equals…”
There was no need to worry about Luo Ming’s grades. Since she could answer so fluently, it didn’t matter if she wasn’t listening to this specific part of the lecture.
The dull and sleepy class continued. A few students in the back row were nodding off, while others were absentmindedly slacking off.
“Luo Ming, you actually knew how to do that?”
Her seatmate, Zhao Yingxin, leaned over to ask. She had seen Luo Ming spacing out and hadn’t expected her to be able to answer. She marveled at how different top students were.
“I got it right on the test; the calculations were just a bit tedious.”
“Then teach me. I can’t keep up with the teacher’s explanation. I understand half of it and then get stuck.”
“Sure, let me see.”
Luo Ming pulled over Zhao Yingxin’s paper. It was covered in a dense mess of numbers and letters, showing she had clearly put in effort, but there was no bright red checkmark to be seen.
Many teachers had the habit of marking correct answers with a check and leaving the wrong ones blank.
Luo Ming started from the beginning. The other girl leaned in close as neat and elegant handwriting appeared in the remaining white space. Luo Ming explained carefully, fearing the girl wouldn’t keep up, occasionally stopping to ask if she understood.
“So that’s how you do it! Thank you. I’ll try to organize it myself now.”
The girl moved her paper back and picked up her pen. Seeing Luo Ming staring out the window in a daze again, she asked in a low, gossiping tone, “That’s Class Four, right? They have P.E. this period. Luo Ming, who are you looking at?”
“It’s nothing.”
Zhao Yingxin’s interest was piqued. She followed Luo Ming’s gaze outside, scanning around until she spotted the boy sitting by the court.
“That looks like Gu Yu over there. You aren’t looking at him, are you?”
Luo Ming turned her head back and met the girl’s eager eyes. Those ordinary eyes seemed mediocre and vulgar in front of her own obsidian-like pupils. Even Zhao Yingxin’s relatively pretty face paled in comparison to hers.
Luo Ming’s gaze was pure yet eccentric, as calm as a pool of stagnant water, deep and incapable of producing a ripple.
Thinking she had caught Luo Ming off guard, the girl glanced at the teacher and lowered her voice to share some gossip. “Alright, alright. I know you aren’t that interested in Gu Yu, but there are a few girls in our class who have their eyes on him. After all, he’s good-looking, so it’s normal for people to like him.”
Smacking her lips, Zhao Yingxin continued to herself, “It’s a pity Gu Yu is a bit… dull? Anyway, he doesn’t show his face much. He’s always cooped up in his classroom and doesn’t interact with many people. Otherwise, he’d definitely be in high demand.”
“Is that so? He’s that popular?”
“Of course! He’s handsome, not a jerk, and has a good personality. There are even a few girls in his own class who like him. That Class Monitor of theirs, He Yu—I heard she’s interested in him too.”
Luo Ming smiled, her expression remaining calm. “Really?”
“Hard to say. I just heard people saying He Yu gets along well with him. They might just be ordinary friends.”
“Then we shouldn’t spread rumors. It’s not good for those involved,” Luo Ming reminded her, before asking in a self-deprecating manner, “By the way, weren’t there rumors about me and Gu Yu a few days ago?”
“There were back then, but those must be fake. I can tell you don’t seem to like Gu Yu that much, Luo Ming.”
“Don’t listen to that nonsense. Just focus on your studies.”
Luo Ming patted her shoulder and looked up, inadvertently glancing out the window again.
Someone was now sitting next to the boy. Her face was equally delicate and beautiful, with long legs and a slender waist. Even though the curves of her chest were wrapped in thick clothing, the silhouette was still visible.
They seemed to be chatting. Luo Ming couldn’t hear their voices, but no matter what they were saying, they had shattered the stillness of the lake in her eyes. Violent waves surged and crashed fiercely against the shore.
The demon in the depths of her heart whispered in her ear, narrating a filthy yet extremely effective method.
‘What would happen if… I carved a physical mark onto him?’
She wanted to completely seize that sweetness. He looked so pure, with delicate bones and fair skin. He was a unique delicacy, a flavor that would surely fill her empty heart.
It was a nightmare-like desire. She thought of polluting that submissiveness, of dragging the boy into the mire, and frantically tainting him for the sake of her own private desires!
Guilt and greed collided. Luo Ming shook her head, tearing the thought away, hating herself for such ugliness.
However, her legs couldn’t help but tighten. Waves of aching soreness rippled through her, and a throb of excitement washed over her mind uncontrollably. Saliva secreted frantically in her mouth as a flush spread over her fair skin. Her rationality was being tortured.
Others were already coveting him, even moving to steal her things. Why should she remain indifferent? What was wrong with letting go?
‘How sweet, how fresh would his taste be?’
‘If he were stained with my scent, would he become obedient?’
The heavy fabric beneath her felt damp and hot. Luo Ming bit her nail, hearing the bell ring to signal the end of class. She saw He Yu walk away, and Gu Yu blended into the line of boys returning to their classroom.
Luo Ming looked down. A test paper was crumpled in her palm, the pages dampened by her sweat.