“Here, take these. Do your best on the exam later.”
By the bus stop, He Yu had just stepped off when she stuffed a plastic bag containing three buns into Gu Yu’s hands. She stood with her hands on her hips, issuing orders: “Consider the payment settled. Remember to pick up when I call you tonight.”
“I thought you weren’t giving me any more?”
“If you don’t want them, give them back.”
“I’ll eat them, I’ll eat them! Thanks.” Gu Yu pulled one out and took a bite. The meat filling inside the white dough was as fresh and fragrant as ever. “Tastes good, though it feels a bit different from last time.”
“I made them today.”
He Yu glared at Gu Yu, fuming. Watching the golden oil glisten at the corner of his mouth, she noticed the look of satisfaction on his face freeze, though he kept chewing.
Gu Yu felt a bit awkward. “Ah… I see. They’re really good; you’re actually quite skilled.”
“Flattery won’t work. You’re not getting any tomorrow.”
Dissatisfaction was written all over He Yu’s face. Her large eyes reflected Gu Yu’s silly expression as he swallowed mouthful after mouthful. Somehow, her anger dissipated, replaced by a sense of… gratification?
“I’m on duty today, so I’m heading over first. Good luck with your exams.”
“Right, right. You too,” Gu Yu responded, swallowing the last of the bun.
He Yu blinked. Seeing he was almost finished, she raised a slender hand, a smile appearing on her fair face. “Come on, high five?”
“Huh?” Gu Yu froze, feeling a bit stiff.
Aside from the recent time Luo Ming adjusted his collar and leaned against him for a nap, his closest contact with girls consisted only of fragmented memories from long ago involving a neighbor girl.
Gu Yu knew He Yu could be eccentric and scatterbrained at times, and that she didn’t care much about physical contact. But they had never interacted like this before, and he had never seen He Yu do this with anyone else.
Perhaps he was being too sensitive. To He Yu, a high five was likely just a normal gesture between friends. He shouldn’t be so hesitant, acting like a shy schoolgirl.
“Oh.” After a second of hesitation, Gu Yu pressed his hand against hers. He clapped with a bit of force and pulled away instantly, as if struck by an electric shock.
He Yu’s hand was warmer than his, soft and slender. Her skin felt so smooth it was as if there were no lines at all—like hitting a block of cream. It felt nice.
“Gu Yu…” He Yu’s expression soured again.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wipe the grease off your hands first!”
He Yu knitted her thin brows in exasperation. She pulled two tissues from her pocket and handed them to him, then took two more to wipe her own hand.
“What a dummy. There’s oil on your mouth, too. Remember to wipe it.”
He Yu curled her lip, turned around, and walked away with an air of feigned disgust.
Her silhouette was slender, the autumn school uniform hugging her graceful curves. Her ponytail swayed from side to side, radiating vitality even in the bleakness of late autumn.
She kept her head down, a shy crimson flush blooming across her face.
Embarrassed, Gu Yu wiped his hands, crumpled the tissue into a ball, and tossed it into the bin. He continued walking slowly while finishing his food.
The street outside the school gate was as aged as the decades-old Jinhe High School. Stationery shops run by the elderly sat squeezed against small diners owned by middle-aged men. Rows of ginkgo trees lined the sidewalk, their withered yellow leaves carpeting the ground.
Tangled power lines hung overhead, dusted with white frost. Vehicles flowed back and forth; occasionally, students would arrive in private cars—unfamiliar luxury brands that looked high-end and expensive.
Most students at this modest high school came from humble backgrounds. Such wealthy kids were eye-catching; their starting point was the finish line for others, and they could live a life of leisure without a care in the world.
Gu Yu didn’t mind it. He felt nothing toward it. He didn’t know if that kind of life was good, but it certainly didn’t come with the Class Monitor’s buns.
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder. Gu Yu turned around, still chewing.
“Is it good?”
Luo Ming had a white bag slung over her shoulder, wearing a silver-gray lining under her school uniform. She was smiling, her eyes sparkling. She looked beautiful like this.
“Not bad. Quite tasty.”
“Finally decided to eat a proper breakfast, I see.”
“Actually, He Yu gave it to me. Otherwise, I’d probably still be eating bread,” Gu Yu replied honestly.
The smile on Luo Ming’s face faded, turning into a calm, unreadable expression. The warmth in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a dull, murky depths. “I see,” she said gloomily. “No wonder you say she’s good.”
“It’s not just because of that. The Class Monitor is just… quite friendly.”
“Have you memorized those vocabulary words? The first session today is English.” Luo Ming changed the subject, clearly not wanting to hear about her.
Gu Yu thought for a moment. “I tried my best these past few days. Hope I haven’t forgotten them.”
“Shall I test you?”
“Sure, I should remember most of them.”
“Refuse?”
“Verb: to decline. Noun: trash.”
“Exasperated?”
“That should be ‘irritated’ or ‘annoyed.'”
“What about belong?” Luo Ming looked at him coldly. Gu Yu had his hand on his chin, deep in thought, and didn’t notice her strange gaze.
“Hmm… let me think… is it ‘to be the property of’?”
“Yes, ‘to belong’…” Luo Ming whispered. She dropped her volume for the next sentence, her tongue pressing against her palate then lifting, the syllables reaching only her own ears:
“You only belong to me.“
“Not bad. Good luck. Want to celebrate at your place this weekend?”
Gu Yu, habitually bracing for the worst, didn’t give a direct answer. “It’s not certain I’ll do well. It’ll be miserable if I fail.”
“I believe in you. You can do it.”
Luo Ming took a few quick steps to get in front of him. She raised a fair, slender hand. “High five?”
“Why are you doing this too?!”
“If your ‘good’ Class Monitor can do it, why can’t I?” Luo Ming tilted her head, a few strands of black hair brushing her face. The questioning look in her beautiful eyes made him blush.
“It’s not that… fine…”
Gu Yu raised his hand and high-fived her, pulling away quickly after the contact.
Luo Ming’s fingers were longer than He Yu’s, and her palm was much cooler, though just as soft.
It made sense for someone with He Yu’s bubbly personality to do something like this, but it felt out of character for Luo Ming. She was much more reserved, possessing the aura of a quiet “literary girl.”
Could it be… jealousy? Gu Yu shook his head, scolding himself for being conceited.
His relationship with Luo Ming had indeed grown closer. The boundaries of friendship seemed to be shrinking; they had more contact, and it was becoming deeper.
It seemed Luo Ming was the one taking the initiative. Perhaps she saw him as a close friend and was slowly narrowing the distance.
There was one possibility Gu Yu hadn’t considered. He didn’t have those kinds of feelings for Luo Ming, so he never imagined she might have such strong feelings for him.
It wasn’t that he disliked her. A girl who was beautiful, gentle, excellent in every way, and took such good care of him—it was impossible for Gu Yu to be completely without feelings. It was just that…
“Focus on the exam. If you really mess up, Teacher Luo won’t be so gentle during our tutoring session this weekend. Got it?”
“Yes, yes. I won’t let your efforts go to waste. See ya.”
They parted ways near the door of Class 3. Gu Yu walked straight to the Class 4 classroom, checked the exam room and seat number posted on the wall, and noted them down.
Recently, several teachers, including the headteacher, said he had a shot at the elite class. His two friends were also looking forward to it. For them, and most importantly for himself, he had to work hard.