“Xiao Rou, do you want to take the Gaokao?”
Luo Yun’s sudden question startled He Rou.
“I… I never thought about that…”
“Oh~ Then… why did you react so strongly when someone mentioned the word ‘Gaokao’ to you?”
‘How… how did she know?’
Luo Yun’s eyes widened wide, her whole body trembling like a plastic bag weighed down by a brick being blown fiercely by the wind.
An extremely fearful emotion spread from her heart to every part of her body.
Her legs grew weaker and weaker, her thin legs shaking.
It felt like if the wind blew, she would fall.
“I… I never thought that. I’ve always been very resistant… resistant to contact with strangers.”
“Oh~ I see. Since you don’t have that idea, then I won’t give you the opportunity.”
“Huh? Op… opportunity?”
“That’s right. If Xiao Rou wants to give it a try, I’m not completely against it. After all… your brain also needs to absorb some knowledge. Otherwise, what difference is there between you and an ordinary pet?”
“So, Master agrees to let me… study?”
“Are you that happy? Just a moment ago you said you had no such thoughts. That’s the third time you’ve lied to me today. I’ll remember it.”
“Huh? I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”
Realizing she had been tricked, He Rou’s mental state completely collapsed.
The hope that had barely been rekindled was rapidly extinguished.
“Xiao Rou… I’ll give you one last word: always remember everything your Master says, even if it’s a test.”
“Mm…”
“I didn’t reject Xiao Rou’s idea of taking the Gaokao, you know. So… do you want it now, or don’t you?”
The food mixed with sand in He Rou’s stomach was still churning.
She couldn’t tell whether Luo Yun was being sincere or testing her true thoughts again.
But… opportunity always came like this.
“I want to… study, and then take the Gaokao.”
“Heh heh… Fine, I understand. Now, Xiao Rou, clean yourself up and follow me.”
The iron door of the rooftop let out a dull “clang” behind them, temporarily shutting out the biting cold wind.
He Rou limped behind Luo Yun.
The dull pain in her knees reminded her of everything that had just happened.
But now, her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would burst through her chest.
Luo Yun had actually agreed.
She agreed to let her try the Gaokao.
Although she didn’t know what her real intentions were, this time she really had a chance to change herself.
This feeling was extremely unreal, like someone who had been drowning for too long suddenly being pulled out of the water to breathe a thin breath of air.
Luo Yun took her back to the classroom.
At this time, many people in the class had not yet returned.
Those who were there were only the “transfer students” who had to change their fate through exams.
And now, He Rou would be the same as them.
But that didn’t mean she was starting from the same starting line.
“You’ll stay here for the afternoon. No bathroom breaks, no water, no talking. In short, you’re not allowed to do anything except read. When school lets out, I’ll be testing you, Xiao Rou.”
“Uh… yes.”
He Rou couldn’t figure out what Luo Yun was really up to.
Luo Yun returned to her seat and took out her phone as usual, looking at something unknown.
As for He Rou, several books were placed in front of her.
She hadn’t been to school for a long time.
There was a lot she couldn’t understand.
“Set… set? What does that mean?”
“These are the same characters, but why do they have different pronunciations and meanings in classical Chinese?”
“Uh… if I’m going to draw, do I still need to learn English?”
He Rou’s head felt a little dizzy.
She simply couldn’t understand anything.
She didn’t even know what the exam would test later.
Which subjects had tests, what she should study—she had no idea.
—
That afternoon, He Rou’s experience rivaled that of the White House in the villa.
Painful, hard to endure.
But this was her choice.
She couldn’t complain.
The pages were densely packed with words, like a swarm of black ants crawling across the paper, making her dizzy.
She stared at the math book.
She recognized every word, but when combined, they turned into English.
He Rou unconsciously bit her lip, and that faint, grinding sound came from between her teeth again.
The sand from lunch was still stuck in her teeth, not yet cleaned out.
The blanks of so many years couldn’t be filled in just one afternoon.
During this time, she had learned how to be a good maid, but Luo Yun never gave her the chance to show it.
Many times, she went to work covered in injuries, and the results didn’t please Luo Yun, ending up with another buff of “injuries +2.”
As for this knowledge…
He Rou flipped through the books in despair.
She found that she couldn’t even remember the most basic formulas.
She remembered Cheng Ruo’s words about “change,” but facing these cold, impersonal problems, she only felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness.
‘Can I really do this?’
He Rou asked herself.
She sneaked a glance at Luo Yun beside her.
Luo Yun was leaning back in her chair, her slender fingers poking here and there on her phone screen.
The light from the screen illuminated her face, making her look particularly serene.
But come to think of it, why hadn’t the teacher come to class this afternoon?
Realizing this strange fact, He Rou looked up in confusion toward the classroom door.
An entire afternoon, and the front door remained in the same position, unchanged.
No one had entered the classroom, and no one had left.
But now, only Luo Yun and herself were left in the class.
Very, very strange.
“What are you looking at?”
Luo Yun suddenly called out.
Her voice was especially loud in the silent classroom.
“No… I just think it’s strange. Shouldn’t we be having class?”
“Oh, it’s Friday today. The teachers are all in a big meeting. The students are unsupervised. Except for a few studying, everyone else went out. As for you, Xiao Rou, why do you care about so many things?”
“I’m sorry…”
After that conversation,
having sat in her seat for the entire afternoon, He Rou felt her mouth was dry and…
…
Slap.
Luo Yun placed her phone face down on the desk.
The sound was like a gunshot in the dead silent classroom.
With that sound, He Rou’s feeling grew even stronger.
“Xiao Rou… time for your test. Let me see what you learned today.”
Luo Yun walked over with a gentle expression.
She seemed like a kind and caring study committee member.
First, she pulled He Rou up from her seat, then sat down in the seat herself, and finally pulled He Rou into her lap.
He Rou was very small.
Compared to Luo Yun, that is.
Otherwise, why would she often be treated like a pet?
And after He Rou experienced…
…
Luo Yun hugged her body…