Chapter 70: Shen Yu (1/2)

Lin Luan was always like this, and that was exactly why Shen Yu liked him.

Time wound back several years to when they were still attending the same middle school.

Back then, Shen Yu was a completely different person compared to how she was now.

She was a head shorter than most girls her age, her round cheeks were full of baby fat, and she wore her hair in an ear-length bob. She was timid and withdrawn, preferring to listen to music alone rather than socialize.

Because of that, she was often the target of bullying.

The preparatory bell for the last class of the morning had already rung.

Shen Yu’s seat was in the middle-back of the classroom, an inconspicuous spot.

Small and frail, she stood in front of her desk, staring blankly.

The books and stationery that should have been in her drawer were scattered across the floor, and some papers were marked with faint shoeprints.

【Fat Pig】

【Ugly Freak】

The sight before her was a mess, dripping with malice.

Shen Yu quickly lowered her head, her bangs masking her eyes as they instantly grew red.

‘It’s like this again.’

‘Every time, it’s exactly like this.’

‘These people only dare to sneak around and destroy my things when I’m not here. They leave these childish masterpieces and then hide back in the crowd like rats in a sewer, blending in with their innocent faces just to enjoy the sight of me breaking down and crying.’

In the past, she would have cried.

But now… after it had happened so many times, she felt somewhat numb.

A cold voice spoke in her mind: ‘Look, this is all they’re capable of. They only dare to do these shameful things behind my back.’

‘They’re just a bunch of real cowards.’

Shen Yu silently leaned over, first placing the books she was holding on a relatively clean patch of floor. After tidying up her space as best as she could, she began to prepare for class with an expressionless face.

She didn’t care anymore. She had stopped caring a long time ago.

***

The afternoon passed quickly, and the final bell rang.

The students were like birds released from a cage, calling out to their friends and surging out of the classroom in small groups.

Shen Yu packed her bag. Today was her group’s turn for cleaning duty.

However, the other three girls had run off long ago. They had claimed their stomachs ached or their periods had started, leaving without even asking if Shen Yu was willing to do their work for them.

After finishing her own packing, Shen Yu picked up the broom and dustpan from the corner and prepared to start.

What was originally a job for four people that could have been finished quickly ended up dragging on until the sun began to set.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.

Shen Yu was startled by the sound. Her hands gripped the handle of the broom tightly as she stared fixedly at the classroom door.

The door was pushed open, and a boy walked in.

*Creak —*

Lin Luan lifted the hem of his sweat-soaked T-shirt to wipe his face. He had just returned from playing basketball.

Naturally, he noticed the chubby little girl cleaning the room all by herself.

“Oh…” Lin Luan put down his basketball. “Shen Yu? Why are you the only one cleaning?”

“Um… the others had things to do, so they left early.” Shen Yu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was Lin Luan.

Since they were childhood friends, Lin Luan wouldn’t bully her.

Although they were indeed childhood friends, they weren’t actually very close at the time. They hadn’t attended the same elementary school and hadn’t really been in touch for about 6 years.

It was only now, in middle school, that the thread of fate had reconnected them.

The current Lin Luan had changed quite a bit. He was sunny and cheerful, but with a bit of a rebellious streak.

He even got into fights sometimes. He was athletic and had good grades, making him the polar opposite of her.

Lin Luan was unaware of the fact that she was being bullied. Or rather, he was the only one in the entire class who didn’t know. There was an air of oblivious innocence about this blockhead.

“What? What kind of ‘business’ do they have? They’re clearly just treating you like a drudge.”

Lin Luan casually rolled his basketball into a corner and walked to the back of the classroom, picking up another spare broom. “Here, you sweep that side, I’ll sweep this side.”

“Eh?” Shen Yu was stunned.

“I’m helping you sweep, obviously. What else?” Lin Luan began sweeping, making the dust and paper scraps gather into a neat pile. “If you sweep by yourself, it’ll take you until next year.”

Shen Yu froze for a moment before giving a small “um” in response. She quickly lowered her head and continued sweeping her side.

Lin Luan was much faster and more forceful than she was. After finishing his side, he naturally walked over and swept the messy pile of trash in front of Shen Yu into the dustpan, dumping it all into the trash can.

The two of them worked in silence with almost no conversation. Soon, the classroom was neat and tidy.

Lin Luan slapped the dust off his hands, walked to the corner to retrieve his basketball, and tucked it under his arm while grabbing his schoolbag.

“I’m heading out.” He jerked his chin at Shen Yu from the doorway as a way of saying goodbye. “I need to get home fast, or my mom will nag me again.”

“Thank… thank you,” Shen Yu hurriedly whispered.

“Thanks for what? It’s a small thing.” Lin Luan spoke as he ran off into the distance.

From that day on, Shen Yu began to pay attention to this scatterbrained boy, whether intentionally or not.

Through Lin Luan’s conversations with his friends, she learned that he liked artistic girls with long, straight black hair.

She wasn’t that kind of girl… but if she worked hard, maybe she could become like that?

A tiny seed of affection began to take root and sprout in her heart.

The bullying continued. Her desk was occasionally vandalized, she was often stood up during cleaning duty, and she couldn’t shake off the nasty nicknames, but she really didn’t seem to care as much anymore.

Everything would be fine once she graduated. Once she left this place, it would all be over.

On the day before their middle school graduation, she finally gathered her courage and shoved a light blue envelope into Lin Luan’s arms.

“After school… I’ll wait for you by the small river behind the school!”

At that moment, Lin Luan had just wandered back from the basketball court with a few of his buddies. He accepted her love letter with a dazed expression.

The group of guys next to him froze for a second before they started hooting.

“Holy crap! Anzi! A love letter?!”

“Not bad, kid! Doing this on the down-low, huh?!”

The noise made Lin Luan’s head ache. He stuffed the envelope haphazardly into his pocket and pushed them away with a laugh and a curse. “Get lost, get lost! Stop messing around! Class is starting!”

Shen Yu fled back to her seat. She kept her head low and didn’t dare look in Lin Luan’s direction for the entire period.

Her mind was filled with thoughts of what she would do if Lin Luan rejected her. She even began to regret sending the letter.

She remained in that state until school let out.

The riverbank was overgrown with weeds. A few crooked willow trees hung their branches listlessly, and the cicadas chirped with all their might, their sound mixing with the slight fishy scent of the river water.

The setting sun painted everything in a heavy orange-red. It was the perfect atmosphere for a confession.

Shen Yu hid behind a willow tree, her back against the rough bark. As the minutes ticked by, she strained her ears to catch the sound of any approaching footsteps.

But 10 minutes had already passed since the appointed time. Why wasn’t he here yet?

‘Is he not coming? Does he think I’m a nuisance? Or… is he with his friends, reading my letter as a joke?’

Shen Yu felt a surge of panic. The longer she waited, the colder her heart became.

Just as she was about to be overwhelmed by her own wild thoughts, a set of hurried footsteps and the sound of laughter approached from the distance.

It wasn’t just one person; it was several.