The breath of winter grew heavier. The air was cold enough to freeze anyone who dared to step outside, and a biting wind rampaged through the streets. Pedestrians, wrapped in thick coats, hurried home without pausing.
The shop was exceptionally quiet today, with a pitiful number of customers. The food was covered to preserve heat, the rising steam misting up the lids.
Gu Yu decided to sit down and use his phone to memorize vocabulary words along with a mechanical electronic voice. Luo Ming sat beside him.
The stools lacked backrests, and leaning against the cold, hard wall was uncomfortable. Gu Yu shifted his posture several times, unable to find a satisfying position.
Noticing his restlessness, Luo Ming blinked and thought for a few seconds before asking, “How about… back-to-back?”
“Back-to-back?” Gu Yu didn’t quite catch her meaning.
“Since you look so uncomfortable sitting like that, and so am I—why don’t we lean against each other?”
“…Okay.”
Together, they pulled the stools slightly away from the wall and turned them around, leaning their spines against one another.
Gu Yu couldn’t be described as “brawny” or “broad-shouldered.” His waist and back were slender, narrower than most boys his age, and only slightly wider than Luo Ming’s.
As he studied, Gu Yu let out a yawn. A wave of sleepiness washed over him. He turned off his screen, lowered his head, and closed his eyes.
Luo Ming heard the yawn. “Didn’t sleep well again last night?”
“I slept fine, just stayed up a bit late. Didn’t get enough.”
“Very late?”
“Not that late, but not early either… Anyway, I just want to sleep.” Gu Yu’s voice grew faint as his fatigue became more apparent.
“Then take a nap. The boss probably won’t come to check, and if he does, I’ll wake you.”
“Mm, thanks… Luo Ming…”
Luo Ming didn’t say anything more. She felt the slight vibration of his breathing near her ear and licked her dry lips, her fingers tightening around the hem of her clothes.
She wished time could stay frozen at this moment—two people leaning on each other, him belonging only to her. Yet, she felt this contact wasn’t enough; the distance still remained. The relief of her longing was a mere drop in the bucket. She wanted to touch the body of the boy behind her even more.
From a distance, an uninvited guest entered her field of vision. Luo Ming pursed her pale lips, watching her approach step by step. She put on her gentle mask again, her smile becoming soft and clear.
He Yu was also smiling—not a fake one, but looking genuinely happy.
She always seemed to have this carefree appearance. Luo Ming didn’t like her, and she liked it even less when He Yu got close to Gu Yu.
He Yu entered the shop and froze for a moment when she saw how the two were sitting. She smiled at Luo Ming and handed over a cup of coffee and a bun.
This act of kindness was sudden, and Luo Ming didn’t quite understand it. The girl’s smile was sincere, without a hint of malice, as if it were the most natural thing in the world—even though they were merely acquaintances.
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I’m not hungry,” Luo Ming waved her hand in polite refusal.
“Just take it. You can use it to warm your hands. The bun, too—if you don’t want it, I’ll just let this dummy have it.”
He Yu stuffed the coffee and bun into Luo Ming’s arms, accidentally brushing against her hand. It was soft… and very cold.
Luo Ming couldn’t quite keep up with He Yu’s pace. She didn’t refuse again, letting the coffee rest in her palms, its warmth serving as a hand warmer. Suddenly, her hands weren’t cold anymore.
In hindsight, this fit her impression of He Yu: pure, gentle, with a friendly smile, always showing her positive side. Even as a casual acquaintance, one could receive her kindness.
But Luo Ming still didn’t like He Yu. She would remember this gift and pay it back at the right time; she refused to be in anyone’s debt.
In Luo Ming’s eyes, this was a form of “charity.”
The two girls kept their voices low, but Gu Yu hadn’t actually fallen asleep. He opened his eyes to find He Yu standing before him, pressing a plastic cup and a bag into his hands.
Gu Yu picked up the small transparent bag. The white, soft bun inside was perfectly shaped. “How come there’s only one?”
He Yu arched an eyebrow. “I gave the other one to Luo Ming. Didn’t you eat breakfast?”
Hearing this, Luo Ming sat up straight, turned around, and handed her bun to Gu Yu. “I’ve already eaten. You take it.”
“No, no, I’ve eaten too. Luo Ming, you should try it. The Class Monitor’s cooking is actually pretty good.”
Gu Yu took a bite as he spoke. The savory meat filling was delicious, an improvement over He Yu’s last attempt.
Luo Ming hesitated for two seconds before taking a bite herself. It was fragrant, far tastier than the haphazard breakfasts she usually had, though her expression remained unchanged.
He Yu scanned the shop. The decor was simple, the small space filled only with the essentials—much like the two people sitting there.
“Are you two sitting here all day?”
Gu Yu swallowed the bite of his bun. “Yeah. Want to stay and keep us company?”
He Yu looked at the pair sitting together. In the cramped shop, she couldn’t see a third chair. “Only two chairs? Even if I wanted to stay with you, there’s nowhere to sit.”
You, she said, not you both. Gu Yu didn’t notice the subtle detail.
“I can give you my seat. I need to stand up and watch the front anyway.”
Luo Ming froze. She saw Gu Yu take a sip of coffee and prepare to stand up. She wanted to stop him and offer to stand herself so he could keep sitting.
She dismissed the thought the next second. If she did that, Gu Yu would be sitting with He Yu.
She said nothing as Gu Yu rose to offer his seat.
“Forget it, forget it. You keep sitting. I’ll help you keep an eye out for customers.”
He Yu pushed Gu Yu back down and walked to the counter, leaning against the wall. She looked out at the bleak, desolate street. Pedestrians were scarce; business seemed poor today.
“Class Monitor, you don’t have to help us…” Gu Yu wanted to tell He Yu it wasn’t necessary, but then he remembered how stubborn this boisterous girl could be, so he stayed quiet.
Suddenly, a notification chimed from a pocket. He Yu pulled out her phone, scrolled through some messages for a few seconds, and said to Gu Yu, “The scores for all subjects are out. Want to see your English grade, Gu Yu?”
Gu Yu turned around. He Yu was giving him a mischievous grin, clutching her phone in its pink case. Her almond eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her lips curling up.
“Why didn’t I get a notification?” Gu Yu switched screens on his phone, but found no new messages in the class group.
“Because the English teacher sent it to me individually. Want to know how you did? I just saw it.”
“Then can you tell me?”
“Beg me and I’ll tell you.”
“You did quite well, a big improvement from last time,” Luo Ming spoke up suddenly, shifting her gaze from her phone to Gu Yu’s face.
Liu Huixin had sent messages to the class representatives of every class she taught. The spreadsheet contained the English scores for the entire grade; Luo Ming could see Gu Yu’s as well.
“Really? What’s the score?” Gu Yu turned to ask Luo Ming.
Luo Ming looked at He Yu, her expression slightly questioning.
“One hundred and four. You didn’t do half bad this time, dummy,” He Yu announced, continuing to swipe through her phone. “Luo Ming, what about you?”
“Around one hundred and thirty or forty. About the same as usual.”
Luo Ming smiled slightly, not revealing her exact score. Her ranking at the top of the list brought her little joy.