“Today, we are gathered here for the grand 100-Day Oath Ceremony for Senior Three. This is the war drum of our departure, the bugle call of our advance. In 100 days, we prepare to fight a beautiful battle and sow the seeds of a three-year dream. This is our hope, and it is also our oath…”
On the rostrum in front of the playground, Luo Ming wore her school uniform neatly. her delicate face was clean and beautiful. Facing the gaze of all the Senior Three teachers and students, she read the long speech with clear articulation.
The girl’s voice was as ethereal and clear as a bird singing in the mountains. There was no hint of affected or fake emotion; instead, it possessed a captivating magic.
Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, Luo Ming appeared calm and composed. Her status as the top student in her year and the recognized School Beauty had made her accustomed to such a dazzling position, and she had heard far too much praise.
But she understood that this was nothing more than an elegant facade covering decayed wood. The real her harbored incredibly filthy, greedy thoughts toward a certain boy in the audience. She… was never some rule-following good girl.
Gu Yu stood in the middle of the crowd. At a glance, he was just an ordinary student among many, yet Luo Ming found him instantly. Once she did, her gaze never wavered.
The crisp, loud female voice echoed across the playground after being amplified. As various gazes converged on the stage, Li Xiang, who was standing next to Gu Yu, could not help but click his tongue in admiration. “As expected of the School Beauty. She’s really beautiful.”
“She’s beautiful, all right, but she’s too cold. It makes people afraid to get close. In comparison, I think He Yu is a bit more beautiful,” another boy whispered in response.
“Speaking of which, the girls in our class generally have quite a high level of beauty. Gu Yu, what about you? Who do you think is the best looking?”
“Me?” Suddenly being asked, Gu Yu was stunned for a moment. He turned his head to look at the front of the girls’ line on the other side and happened to meet He Yu’s gaze. She bared her teeth at him playfully.
“No need to think about it. It’s definitely Luo Ming. They’re desk-mates, and their relationship is so good. Maybe they’ve developed feelings over time, and all that’s left is a confession.”
“What do you know? If you look at someone too much, you get used to it, and they don’t seem as beautiful anymore. I bet Gu Yu will say He Yu.”
“…Luo Ming, I think. I think she’s a bit more beautiful.”
Gu Yu answered after a moment of hesitation. Perhaps it was the filter of a youthful crush, but the girl was always so radiant in his eyes. He found that face stunning no matter how many times he looked at it.
“I told you! Luo Ming is still more beautiful. So, Young Master Gu, have you made any progress?”
“Progress? What do you mean?” Gu Yu asked in confusion.
“I mean progress with Luo Ming! You two usually look so close. Have you already made the relationship official?”
“…Close? Not really. We’re just good friends. Don’t overthink it.”
“Just friends?” Li Xiang patted his shoulder, leaned in closer, and lowered his voice. “In the whole class—no, the whole school—you’re the only one who gets close to Luo Ming. You’re telling me there’s nothing between you?”
“It’s not what you think. Luo Ming and I really aren’t dating.”
“I don’t believe it. That’s…”
Li Xiang wanted to keep pressing, but another boy nearby grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away, helping Gu Yu out of the situation. “There are only 100 days left anyway. Stop gossiping. You’re acting like you’re interrogating a prisoner. Even if Gu Yu has a good temper, you shouldn’t pry like that.”
“Oh, right. With Luo Ming’s grades, there probably aren’t many people in the whole school who can get into the same university as her. Even if they were dating, they’d have to break up sooner or later.”
Gu Yu did not speak again. Li Xiang’s words replayed in his mind several times. It was a truth he understood clearly, yet he could not convince himself to accept it calmly.
The whispering nearby gradually died down as the mobilization speech on stage came to an end. Luo Ming bowed to the audience, stepped off the stage briskly, and returned to the Class 3 ranks.
The Dean of Students took the microphone and said a few more words before the 100-Day Oath Ceremony entered its final phase. One after another, the students approached the long wooden table that had been placed on the track beforehand to sign their names on a red banner printed with the oath.
There was no formal line, but the scene was not chaotic. The students in front quickly finished signing and left. Gu Yu walked up, squeezing through the crowd to the table, and looked left and right, but there were no extra markers to borrow.
He waited for a moment when a pair of clean hands suddenly reached out in front of him. A black marker lay in her palm. “Want to sign your name with mine?”
“No, that doesn’t really mean anything.”
“Just humor me for once, you dummy. After all, I am your Boss.” He Yu tapped Gu Yu’s head, baring her teeth as if she wanted to take a bite out of him.
“Alright, alright. Boss, where is your name?”
“There. Sign yours under mine.”
He Yu pointed to her elegant, neat handwriting in the middle of the banner. It was quite a prominent spot. Gu Yu picked up the marker and wrote his name beneath hers.
After signing, the two walked together naturally, following the crowded flow of people back to class.
“It’s the final 100 days. Work hard. Try to get into the same university as me,” He Yu said, patting his shoulder.
“That’s unlikely. My first choice is Linyang, and you’ll definitely do better than me, Boss. Besides, why would I want to go to the same university as you?”
“So it’s easier for me to steal you away from Luo Ming! Give me a chance to lead you astray, Gu Yu.”
Gu Yu saw the joking look on the girl’s face and naturally did not take her seriously. He knew in his heart that he and He Yu belonged to different worlds and would eventually head toward different futures.
“Just kidding. But you really do need to work hard. You have to listen to your Boss’s advice, right?”
“I know. I’ll do my best.”
“Then… a high five?”
A genuine smile appeared on He Yu’s beautiful face as she raised her hand, her pale palm facing Gu Yu. He met it and gave it a light slap, the faint sound reaching his ears.
“You should work hard too.”
“I don’t need you to worry about me. Just make sure you don’t mess up your own exams.”
***
The two figures were gradually swallowed by the crowd. Most of the students on the playground had already left. Luo Ming stood before the wooden table. Her name had not yet been placed on it, but someone else had beaten her to it.
She stroked the boy’s name on the banner. The handwriting was clear and sharp, with every stroke bold and direct, just like the person himself.
But it was too close. He Yu’s name was far too close to his. This was something Luo Ming could not tolerate. The boy could become filthy, but it had to be by her hand. Besmirching that purity was her privilege!
“Luo Ming? You’re still here? Class is about to start. Hurry up and sign your name so you can head back,” a teacher nearby who was packing up reminded her, interrupting her thoughts.
“Yes, I understand.”
Luo Ming picked up the pen and pressed it down over the boy’s name. “Luo Ming” and “Gu Yu” overlapped, the strokes immediately becoming a mess. The four characters merged into an indistinguishable blot of ink.
The spring air was chilly as a cold wind that had not yet finished blowing from winter swept in from afar, ruffling the strands of hair on the girl’s forehead. She looked at the overlapping names, her lips curling into a chilling arc. The sweet, cloying scent of blood seemed to drift across the tip of her tongue.
***