The classroom gradually filled up as students returned from various test centers after finishing their final exams, noisily discussing the difficult questions on the papers. The last subject had been English, and as expected, Luo Ming was immediately cornered by her friends.
“Luo Ming, Luo Ming, which two didn’t you choose for the seven-out-of-five section? It was so hard this time. I feel like I’m going to fail, and the New Year is going to be miserable,” Zhao Xin said, pouting with a face full of disappointment and gloom, having lost her usual cheerful energy.
“D and G, I think. I’m not entirely sure. It’s over now, so don’t think too much about it. If you’re going to be upset, wait until the grades come out. For now, just relax during the break.”
“That’s true. I’ll worry when I know the results. Maybe I actually did well,” Zhao Xin said loudly, slapping her cheeks to regain her energy. “Luo Ming, are you still working during the break? Do you want to come out and hang out?”
“I probably will. I might not have time, but we’ll see.”
“Alright, alright. My poor little Luo Ming, you’re so busy every single day. You don’t even get to rest during the holidays.”
Zhao Xin left Gu Yu’s seat after dropping that sigh of lament. Luo Ming looked toward the front rows, where the boy had been stopped. He was currently sitting next to He Yu, chatting and laughing with her.
The joy in the girl’s eyes was unshielded, open, and pure. It was so clean, which made it the complete opposite of her own.
Luo Ming watched the two of them talk and laugh with impatience. Her hand, pressed against the desk, gradually tightened, clutching the neat paper until it formed ugly wrinkles. An impulse roared in her heart.
“That’s it then. I’m off. Happy holidays!”
“Get lost, get lost! You just had to annoy me right before the break. I really want to punch you.”
He Yu waved her hand to chase Gu Yu away, her cheeks puffed out in annoyance and her beautiful eyebrows knitted together.
Gu Yu looked somewhat helpless as he returned to his seat. He stuffed the scattered exam papers into his desk drawer all at once, not wanting to look at them ever again.
Since the break was starting, he figured the teachers wouldn’t be interested in pulling them out to go over them next semester anyway. He didn’t want to torture himself at a time like this.
“The holidays are here. You’ll have more time to work now,” Luo Ming said, clutching her packed backpack as she struck up a casual conversation with Gu Yu.
“Student Luo Ming, please, I beg you to stop being such a workaholic. Take a rest. Is there something you absolutely have to buy?”
Luo Ming turned her head and hugged her backpack tighter, staring directly at Gu Yu’s face. “Yes, there is. I want it very much.”
“What is it? You usually seem so detached from worldly desires, like a Saintess. I thought nothing could interest you.”
“You.”
“Huh?” Gu Yu froze for a moment, asking blankly, “What about me? Is there something on my face?”
“I want to buy you. How much are you worth, Gu Yu?” A playful curve appeared at the corner of Luo Ming’s lips, and her voice was cloyingly sweet, as if she were joking.
“If you buy me to use as manual labor, you’ll regret it because I don’t have much strength. It’s a guaranteed loss, so don’t bother.”
“But what if I just want you anyway? Gu Yu, can you save yourself for me? When I have the money, I’ll definitely buy you and exploit you every single day.”
“Sure, sure. I’ll save myself. Whatever makes you happy.”
Gu Yu took it entirely as a joke, never considering any deeper meaning behind the words. Even if they liked each other, high school romances almost always ended in nothing. A laugh and a joke was the most appropriate reaction.
The Class Advisor entered the classroom just as the bell rang, distributing a large stack of red papers printed with holiday notices and letters to parents. At the same time, he began his usual nagging. As expected, it was the same old reminders that made everyone’s ears itch: “Review well, don’t play too wild, stay safe, and have a happy holiday.”
The red papers were quickly passed from the front to Gu Yu. He took one and passed the rest back.
After over ten years of student life, the students were used to this and didn’t take it to heart. Most of them simply forged their parents’ signatures, stuffed the papers into their desks, and ignored them.
Gu Yu looked at the red paper, the tip of his pen hesitating over the signature line. The only name he could sign, the only person who would actually look at this letter if he took it back — the person who could be called his guardian now…
Luo Ming glanced at him just as Gu Yu finished the last stroke of the name. She blinked in confusion and leaned over to ask, “Why her? Isn’t she just your pretend guardian?”
“It doesn’t really matter who I write. Sister Qianxin is like a real sister to me, so I might as well just write her name.”
“Then why didn’t you write mine? You’ve called me sister before, too,” Luo Ming said with a hint of resentment in her tone.
“Then I’ll write yours next time, Sister Luo Ming.”
“Alright! Hehe, Little Yu is so good.” Luo Ming patted Gu Yu’s head, putting on the air of a gentle older sister.
Gu Yu allowed the gesture. He was happy to see the girl’s smiling face, and he liked this gentle, appropriate touch. It made him feel strangely comfortable.
He glanced at the red paper on Luo Ming’s desk. In the blank space was a signature that imitated a parent’s handwriting perfectly, looking messy and casual — Luo Ming.
“Luo Ming, your father’s name is so similar to yours.”
“It’s just my own name with the radical removed. It’s just to fool the teacher.” She casually folded the paper and stuffed it into her drawer, not wanting Gu Yu to see it, as if she were hiding a secret.
The smile on her face faded, quickly returning to a calm expression. Gu Yu swallowed the question he was about to ask, remaining silent about the things the girl clearly didn’t want to mention.
Gu Yu had never heard Luo Ming talk about her family situation. She always avoided topics involving parents or elders. He assumed it probably wasn’t a warm or happy home.
He recalled that night again. He had never seen that side of the girl before. She had been as resolute as someone facing death, and her actions of lust and desire had been like a frenzy. He had even stopped thinking at that moment, eventually relying on instinct to stop her.
The topic was silently changed, and they continued to chat about random things. Most of the students in the class weren’t listening to the Class Advisor’s nagging either, excitedly discussing their plans for the break — the amusement park, the aquarium, the cinema…
That was the beauty of youth, revealing the vitality of young people — but it didn’t belong to them.
“Alright, that’s all. Go home for the holidays. The National College Entrance Examination is next year, so handle your homework yourselves.” Wang Zhenming finished his announcements and waved his hand for everyone to leave. He glanced at Gu Yu and said, “Gu Yu, come with me for a moment.”
Gu Yu stood up in confusion and followed him. Wang Zhenming didn’t speak, leading him all the way to the office on the second floor. He opened the door, went inside, and pointed to a box of milk next to his desk. “Take this box of milk back with you. It’s a little subsidy from the school. I didn’t know about your family situation before, but I only found out when Director Liu mentioned it last time. Life certainly isn’t easy for you two siblings. You must listen to your sister at home.”
Gu Yu was stunned for half a second before realizing the Class Advisor had misunderstood his relationship with Yun Qianxin.
With both parents gone and an older sister at home, it was naturally easy to assume the two siblings were depending on each other to survive. It was the classic trope of an elder sister acting as a mother to raise her younger brother.
“Thank you, Teacher. I will.”
Gu Yu agreed somewhat insincerely. He picked up the heavy box of milk and returned to the classroom. Luo Ming had already helped him pack up his seat and was waiting at the door with both of their backpacks.