“Your recent assignments have been quite good. The accuracy is much higher than before.”
Liu Huixin flipped through the homework notebook in her hand, quickly scanning the coverage of red checkmarks while seriously reminding the young man in front of her.
“Did you do them yourself?”
“Yes, I did them myself.”
“I’m not interested in digging into whether you copied or not. These are the last two semesters; you have to take control of your own progress.”
Liu Huixin looked up at the boy standing before her. He kept his head slightly bowed, his expression timid. His gaze flitted between her and the floor, and his hands were pressed tight against his sides, making him look obedient and sensible.
He was the quintessential introverted student — the type who was only cheerful and unrestrained around friends, but couldn’t help but be stiff and formal in front of teachers, never daring to talk back.
Liu Huixin was a senior member of the teaching staff. She had been an English Teacher at Jinhe High School for seven or eight years and had risen to the position of Dean of Students. She had seen many boys like this. Their grades were usually above average, they favored science over the arts, they didn’t make major mistakes, but they also weren’t above cutting a few corners when they could.
However, Gu Yu was an exception. When the subject of students with unbalanced grades came up in the office recently, his Class Advisor had mentioned him as a classic example, also touching upon his family situation.
His mother had died from complications during his birth. His father, a devoted man, never remarried and raised the child alone. But before he could enjoy the fruits of his labor, he died from overwork. it was truly a tragedy.
On the first day of school, Gu Yu was the only freshman who had come alone. He had kept his head down, quietly finished his paperwork, and sat in the classroom by himself. He wasn’t loud or disruptive; he seemed very well-behaved.
Liu Huixin was in her 30s, and the marks of time were visible on her face. She had been polished by life and understood the hardships of daily survival. She understood even more what it meant for a high school student to be all alone.
Her kindness was touched by his story. She had a good impression of Gu Yu and worried about his grades; she lamented that despite his hard work, his scores never seemed to climb very high.
Some introverted students were like that. They were diligent, but they didn’t dare to ask the teacher about things they didn’t understand. If they asked their classmates, they might not know anyone who was good at English, and they were too embarrassed to ask students they weren’t close with.
Furthermore, most of the students in this class who were good at English were girls.
She hoped Gu Yu could raise his English scores. With his math and science grades already in the top ten of his year, he would be prime material for a top-tier university if his humanities scores didn’t drag him down.
“Do you understand these grammar points? If you don’t, you can come and ask me… This part… did you ask a classmate for help? You got several points right that you used to miss constantly.”
“I… someone helped me study, and I memorized those grammar rules.”
“Then keep studying hard. Your current level is enough to get into the Elite Class. I am the English Teacher for all three Elite Classes. Try your best to do well on the exam in a few days.”
“Alright. Thank you, Teacher. I’ll try my best.”
The office door opened with a soft creak of the hinges. Luo Ming entered carrying a stack of notebooks and walked straight to Liu Huixin, placing the stack on the desk.
“Did you collect all of them?” Liu Huixin asked her Class Representative, glancing at the obviously thin stack of notebooks.
“Um…” Luo Ming blinked. The significantly small pile made her a bit embarrassed, so she corrected herself. “A few are missing. Some forgot to bring them, and some couldn’t find theirs. They said they’d hand them in personally after they finish catching up.”
Liu Huixin frowned, her expression one of disappointment. “…Already in Senior Three and they’re still missing assignments. It’s probably those same few boys. Forget it, let them be. Once the classes are reshuffled, I won’t be teaching them anyway.”
If they didn’t want to improve, it was better to let them drift. At this age, those who could study didn’t need her to nag them every day, and those who couldn’t study wouldn’t listen anyway. As long as they didn’t affect others, it was fine.
Luo Ming remained silent, her eyes discreetly shifting toward Gu Yu. Their gazes met for a moment before quickly pulling apart.
Liu Huixin waved her hand to signal that she could go. Seeing her turn to leave, the teacher suddenly remembered something. “Luo Ming, wait a second.”
“What is it, Teacher?”
“Have you been under a lot of pressure lately? Is the coursework too much?”
“It’s alright. I can handle it.”
“Then after the exams are over in a few days, I’ll put the two of you in the same class.” Liu Huixin’s gaze moved back and forth between them. “When the time comes, I want you to look after him. He’s very good at science, but his English is a bit lacking. Teach him when you have time.”
Luo Ming’s calm gaze met Gu Yu’s. He still had his head slightly lowered, stealing glances at her out of the corner of his eye. His expression was a mix of shyness and inquiry.
‘Is that so? Then… you won’t be able to escape…’
“Sure, I have no problem with that,” Luo Ming responded with a smile. Her dignified and graceful posture was like the bright, gentle sunlight of a spring morning, generously shining down and stirring up beautiful aspirations.
“It’s settled then.” Liu Huixin looked at Gu Yu and reminded him, “Continue to work hard during this time. If you want to play, wait until after the exams. If you don’t get into the Elite Class, I won’t be able to help you. If you do well on the National College Entrance Examination, I’ll pay for your travel expenses to university myself.”
“I will. Thank you, Teacher.”
“Go on back.”
***
Leaving the office, Gu Yu and Luo Ming walked side by side. There were few people in the hallway, and the cold wind rushed through the empty corridor.
Gu Yu knew the Dean of Students meant well, and he didn’t want to disappoint her kindness. He wouldn’t slack off when it was time to put in the effort. “Luo Ming, about that… this weekend… are you free?”
“I don’t have anything going on during the weekends. I told you, Gu Yu, if you need help, you can just tell me.”
“Alright… then I’ll be in your care.”
“It’s no trouble.”
An opportunity to be alone together like this belonged only to her. Those posturing butterflies wouldn’t have the chance. Gu Yu might even think her guard was too low around him, not realizing who the dangerous one actually was.
At this moment, the boy beside her was completely defenseless. He looked a bit dazed, with a hint of laziness between his brows as he stared at the rows of evergreen trees outside the corridor. The lines of his profile were handsome yet appeared fragile.
The craving that had felt like a demonic whisper yesterday had not subsided. She didn’t know what was happening; those dirty, secular thoughts had suddenly sprouted and continued to urge her on, impossible to shake off. The feeling only intensified after seeing him.
“Gu Yu…” Luo Ming called softly.
“What is it?” Gu Yu turned his head, blinking.
” — “
“What? I didn’t hear you clearly.”
“I said,” Luo Ming stopped walking, and Gu Yu stopped with her.
She looked up slightly. The boy was right in front of her, his face full of confusion.
The sunlight piercing through the clouds shone into the corridor, brightening behind him. it gilded his soft silhouette with a golden edge, highlighting his handsome and youthful features.
Those eyes were reflected in Luo Ming’s own — clear and transparent to the bottom, just like the boy himself, and just like the pure, moderate friendship they were supposed to have.
‘If you knew I was such a crazy and sinister person, Gu Yu, what would you do? If I… used you… to satisfy my own desires, what would you think of me?’
That was what she thought, but her mouth said, “You have to study hard. I’ll do my best to help you.”
“I know, I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve been told to study hard lately.” Gu Yu’s eyes crinkled. “But for the second half… thank you.”
They continued forward until they reached the door of Class Four. Class Three was further ahead. Gu Yu turned to enter. “See you after school.”
“Yeah, see you after school.”