The neat handwriting stood out against the snowy white paper, every letter perfectly aligned. Gu Yu filled in his name and student ID number before reading through the questions line by line. There were no unfamiliar words in the listening comprehension options.
A few minutes later, a bell rang. A woman’s voice, clear and well-articulated, broadcasted through the speakers. Gu Yu listened intently, searching for answers within the speech flowing into his ears and marking down his chosen selections with certainty.
It was not too difficult, or perhaps his English had simply improved. He finished the paper 30 minutes early and went back to check it thoroughly.
He felt good, and his confidence grew. After the papers were collected, he returned to class, avoiding the students who were busy comparing answers. With nothing else to do, he flipped through the textbook for the next subject.
This exam felt much heavier than usual. It was not just because of the special treatment in the Elite Class, but also because of the warnings from his teachers and friends. Gu Yu felt a pressure driving him to do his absolute best… He wanted to be in the same class as Luo Ming and He Yu; the thought took root in his mind.
It was not that he expected to get closer to Luo Ming, but for some reason, he just wanted to be near her, to be able to see her just by turning his head.
The 30-minute intermission ended quickly. Gu Yu headed to the next examination room ahead of time. When the bell rang, the 1.5-hour battle began once more.
The two-day examination period ended faster than expected. The weight on his heart lifted slightly. Gu Yu comforted himself with the idea that the dust had already settled so he would not dwell on it, yet he also mentally prepared himself for a poor result.
“What are you staring at? Did the exam turn your brain to mush?”
Seeing Gu Yu sitting blankly in his chair, He Yu patted his shoulder. She spoke in a relaxed tone, trying to distract him.
“Did it go poorly? It’s fine. It’s not the National College Entrance Examination. At worst, Teacher He can give you extra lessons in the future.”
Gu Yu looked up and met the girl’s sparkling eyes. Understanding her kindness, he grinned. “I’m just a little nervous. I’m not sure how I did.”
“Then don’t think too much about it. The more you think, the more anxious you’ll get.” He Yu arched an eyebrow.
“Okay, thank you.”
“There’s nothing to thank me for. I’m heading out first. Bye-bye.”
“Bye.”
He Yu grabbed her backpack and left the classroom with a few laughing girls. Gu Yu sat quietly for a while longer. Only after everyone else had left did he stand up.
Luo Ming was not waiting for him at the door. Feeling a bit confused, Gu Yu walked past the windows of Class 3 and saw her sitting alone in the classroom, her head lowered as she wrote something.
She was very beautiful when she was focused. Her profile was stunning—a delicate nose, thin lips, and a few strands of hair hanging by her ear that added a sense of reality to the sight, making one hesitate to disturb her.
Her pen suddenly stopped. Luo Ming looked up, her fleeting glance catching Gu Yu outside the window. She smiled at him, packed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and walked out.
“How was the exam?” Luo Ming asked, her expression warm and gentle.
“I don’t know. English shouldn’t be too bad, and the others… they were alright.”
“Then we have a chance to be in the same class?”
“I suppose. Please… look after me in the future as well.”
“Hehe.” Luo Ming covered her mouth as she giggled, the corners of her eyes crinkling. She tugged at the hem of Gu Yu’s shirt and tilted her head to look at him.
“Since I’ve taught you so much, do I deserve to be called Teacher Luo by you?”
Gu Yu froze, not expecting her to say that so suddenly.
“That… that’s fine. If that’s what you want me to call you… Teacher Lo—”
“Wait.”
Luo Ming’s index finger suddenly pressed against Gu Yu’s lips, interrupting him. “Gu Yu, how old are you?”
Gu Yu was puzzled. The finger against his lips was slender and as exquisite as white porcelain. The girl was smiling at him, looking lovely and charming, faintly stirring something in his heart like a sprouting seedling.
“I’m 17… almost 18. Why?”
“The same as me. But your birthday is in December, and mine was a few months earlier. I’m older than you.”
Luo Ming stopped walking and stood in front of him, slightly lifting her face to meet his gaze. “I’ve changed my mind. Don’t call me Teacher. Call me Sister.”
“I have to call you Sister just because of a few months’ seniority?”
Gu Yu spoke casually, but his heart was in a localized state of chaos because of the details in her words.
‘She… remembers my birthday?’
“Just once. Just say it once.”
“Fine. Sister… Sister Luo…”
“Mhm, such a good boy.”
Luo Ming reached out and patted Gu Yu’s head, smiling tenderly. She seemed immensely satisfied, as if she had truly stepped into the role.
“Alright, that’s enough. Let’s go, or we’ll be late.”
“Okay, okay, Brother Gu Yu.”
***
Luo Ming stood behind the counter as usual, wearing a polite smile as she dealt with the line of customers. From time to time, she turned her head to look at Gu Yu, who was equally busy.
“Wait… I ordered sausage rice, but this is chicken cutlet.”
A young customer looked at the takeout box handed to him and pointed out the mistake.
“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I grabbed the wrong one. This one is yours.”
Luo Ming apologized repeatedly as she swapped the boxes for him.
“It’s fine, it’s fine.”
The customer took the new plastic-wrapped lunch box and left without making things difficult for the beautiful girl.
Luo Ming blinked, regaining her focus to greet the next customer.
She was usually meticulous and focused in both her work and studies. Logically, such a mistake should not have happened.
She was absent-minded, and she knew exactly why. A sense of dread haunted her like a shadow—a threat she shouldn’t have been subjected to.
She had been the one closest to Gu Yu. She had managed the boundaries perfectly, slowly drawing the boy in so that he would eventually have eyes only for her.
But recently, Luo Ming realized that things were not going as well as she had thought. Aside from He Yu, there were many other vulgar girls eyeing him, often gossiping about him.
Gu Yu would never choose them, of course. Those girls weren’t worthy!
…But the fact that he was being coveted made her uncomfortable. Every time she recalled the delusional words of those women, she wanted to vomit, and an impulsive urge would strike her.
More importantly… it was the desire… She found it increasingly difficult to control her urge to be closer to Gu Yu, to touch him more. It had reached the point where her original plan was in complete disarray.
She put on a persona completely different from her usual self, using jokes as a cover to brazenly touch the boy, feeling his scent and his warmth. She used this to alleviate her frantic adoration and satisfy her unrequited longing.
Drinking poison to quench her thirst; she welcomed it with open arms.
This unique, exquisite delicacy… when would she finally get to taste it?
Hiding behind a mask that wasn’t hers at all… it was ridiculous, shameful… and truly… pathetic.
“Luo Ming?”
Someone patted her shoulder. The clean scent was faint, but she was highly sensitive to it.
“Sit down for a bit. There are no more customers. Aren’t you tired after standing for so long?”
Gu Yu was behind her. He had brought over a stool and placed it by her feet.
“I’m okay. You sit.”
“…Suit yourself.” Gu Yu sat down beside her. He seemed tired, lowering his head as he chatted with her about random things.
“Payday is coming up soon, right? I worked hard to make sure I didn’t miss a single day for the Boss’s perfect attendance bonus. I’ll get an extra 200 yuan this time. Luo Ming, you didn’t miss any days either, right? I remember we came together every day.”
“Mhm, together.”
“It’s a shame it’s still not much. I can hardly save anything. Though the Boss is fair; we only work 3 hours a day and still get this much…”
Gu Yu looked up absent-mindedly, and the words died in his throat. Luo Ming was leaning over, looking at him from a very close distance, less than 2 fists away.
“Wha… what is it?”
He met Luo Ming’s obsidian-like eyes. The whites of her eyes were perfectly balanced, clear to the bottom. Her face was cold yet incredibly moving, like a dark angel looking down at him.
“What’s wrong?”
Gu Yu was bewildered. Luo Ming did not answer. She pressed her lips together tightly, looking as though she were enduring something.
“It’s… nothing.”
Luo Ming stood up straight, her expression calm once more.
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