Monday’s second period had just ended. The Class Advisor entered the room right as the subject teacher was finished, holding a sheet of printed paper with a displeased look on his wrinkled face.
“Wait a moment. The results from last week’s exam are out. The students whose names I call will move to Class Three next door.”
The classroom immediately fell silent. Occasionally, after one or two names were called, a quiet whisper could be heard. The rankings for this exam had not been posted yet, and many students were uncertain whether they would make it into the Elite Class. They were on edge, terrified that their hopes would be dashed.
Gu Yu was among them. He lacked confidence in many things and could not help but think the worst. Even though he knew he had performed exceptionally well in English, the weight in his heart would not lift.
The names of several top students in the class were called in succession. When it was He Yu’s turn, the Class Advisor specifically praised her for ranking second in the grade. As he looked at her, his stiff expression softened for a brief moment.
However, not much joy could be seen on He Yu’s face. Instead, she looked rather nervous. The Class Advisor was calling the names in order of student ID numbers, and Gu Yu was right after her.
The Class Advisor then looked at Gu Yu. His expression remained pleasant, which allowed Gu Yu to breathe a sigh of relief. “Gu Yu, you did quite well this time. Keep up the good work. You’ll need to work even harder once you’re in the Elite Class.”
His racing heart calmed down. Gu Yu let out a breath and nodded to show that he would remember the old teacher’s instructions.
The Class Advisor finished reading the names quickly, and his face clouded over with anger again. It was clear that the overall situation was not good. Several students in the class who usually had good grades had underperformed, and only a handful had made it into the Elite Class.
“The seats have been pre-arranged. The chart is posted on the wall outside. Move your things quickly.”
The Class Advisor left after speaking. The harsh sound of desk legs scraping against the floor echoed in both classrooms simultaneously, creating a chaotic mess. Gu Yu stuffed the books on his desk into the drawer and flipped his chair upside down onto the desktop.
Chen Yang patted his shoulder with a look of reluctant parting, acting like an old father sending his son abroad to study. “Study hard over there. If anything happens, tell the family. Call home often. I’m old now, and I can’t keep a lid on you young people with your hardened wings — you take care of yourself.”
Gu Yu glared at him. “You unfilial son, your father is leaving.”
The classroom was in disarray. Gu Yu saw several familiar faces from Class Three already pushing their desks and waiting outside. He carefully made way for those around him and slowly pushed his own desk out.
After quite a bit of effort, he made it out of the classroom. A few students were gathered outside Class Three to check the seating chart. Gu Yu pushed his desk to the door and leaned in to find his name on the list.
It was not a wall-side seat, and it was fairly close to the front. His desk partner was… Luo Ming?
Gu Yu did not know whether to be relieved. He had originally hoped for a male desk partner, as boys usually had more to talk about and could be more relaxed around each other. Luo Ming was a very good friend of his, but he still felt the need to maintain a proper distance between the opposite sexes.
Ultimately, he was lucky. This was likely Advisor Liu’s arrangement. Luo Ming… should be a very good desk partner.
Gu Yu pushed his desk into the classroom. The girl was sitting upright at her desk reading a book, quiet and still, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with her.
Many desks in the Class Three classroom had already been moved out, so it was relatively easy for Gu Yu to move to his spot. As he joined their desks together, Luo Ming looked up and gave him a serene smile, like a fresh, pale pink morning camellia shrouded in mist.
“Please take care of me from now on, new desk partner?”
“Why would you need me to take care of you? I’m the one who will be bothering you.”
“Hehe, then from now on, let me take care of you.”
“That’s not necessary.” Gu Yu put down his chair, sat down, and placed a few books on the desk. “I actually managed to do well this time thanks to your help. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. I actually quite like teaching you.”
“Like… teaching me?”
“Yes. You… are special.” Luo Ming turned her head and shifted her gaze back to her book.
Gu Yu did not understand those ambiguous words. A girl’s meaning was sometimes difficult to guess, and her calm exterior revealed nothing of her deeper thoughts.
Scanning the classroom, Gu Yu saw a familiar back. He Yu was sitting in the first row, only one or two seats away from him.
She was looking around with her head held high. When she turned back, she noticed Gu Yu sitting behind her with Luo Ming as his desk partner.
—
A black McLaren drove into the dilapidated residential area and found a suitable spot to park. The driver’s side door opened, and a woman wearing a long white trench coat stepped out. She took a suitcase from the trunk and walked into the dim alleyway.
The afterglow of the sunset filtered through the tangled power lines in the air, casting large shadows under the old plane trees with their yellowing leaves. An old woman with graying hair was washing vegetables in front of her door. Seeing the glamorous girl emerge from the alley, she could not help but feel curious.
Fair skin as white as snow, a young and beautiful face, and an exquisite, expensive outfit — everything about her radiated an air of nobility that was out of place in this old neighborhood. Her gentle smile made people feel very comfortable.
The girl approached, her clear eyes fixed on the old woman, and her voice was soft and gentle. “Grandma, excuse me, does Gu Yu live here?”
“You’re here for Xiao Yu? He lives in that building. Are you a relative?” The old woman pointed toward an old, weathered building nearby, looking the girl up and down. For some reason, she felt the girl looked familiar.
Yun Qianxin thought for a moment and replied with a smile, “I’m… his older sister. Thank you, Grandma Zhou.”
She pulled her large suitcase toward the building. The old woman frowned, trying to remember if she had seen the girl somewhere before. It was only after she entered the building that the old woman realized the girl… knew her last name.
The lighting in the hallway was poor, illuminated only by a few dim incandescent bulbs. The white walls were peeling and cracked, covered in various small advertisements, and the air quality was quite poor.
Yun Qianxin struggled to carry the heavy suitcase up to the third floor. The door lock before her was covered in rust, and the nails on the black doorplate were loose, looking as if they might fall off at any moment.
She took a key from her pocket and struggled with the keyhole for a long time before finally opening the door. The sound of the hinges turning was shrill and grating, and a foul smell of dust rushed out, forcing its way into her nostrils.
Yun Qianxin entered the house and looked around at the furnishings that had been sealed in her memory for many years. Everything was covered in a thin layer of dust, like fine wine buried in the earth for many years finally seeing the light again.
She set down her suitcase and went to a familiar room, using another key to open the door. What met her eyes was a minimalistic, simple desk and a single bed. The wooden window, painted red, was tightly shut. After many years apart, it seemed as though nothing had changed.
She knelt by the bed and pulled out a small leather suitcase from underneath it. The dark yellow keyhole had been corroded by rust and become extremely fragile. After she opened it, a damp diary with curled edges lay inside.
‘Fortunately, Xiao Yu shouldn’t have seen this.’
Yun Qianxin tucked the notebook away and walked out of the apartment. She knocked on the door next door, but there was no response for a long time. Realizing the boy was still at a school-going age, she figured he was probably still in class.
She went back to the room, took off her trench coat, found a rag to dampen, and began wiping away the dust that filled the house. After a while, her back ached so much she could not stand up straight. She realized that after so many years of leaving the housework to the nannies, she was no longer skilled at doing it herself.