"Forget it! The temperature dropped today, Zhang Wei—you’d better just stand in the back!"
For Su Ming, he actually quite liked Teacher Chen’s class. As long as Teacher Chen was at the podium, there was no need to worry about him popping up from some unexpected corner to catch someone. In that era, there were no "buggy" things like surveillance cameras; everything depended on the homeroom teacher’s uncanny ability to appear out of thin air.
Because he was sitting in the back row, Su Ming began a conversation via notes with his good buddy.
Ge: Since we’re just sitting here, I have a question for you, and you have to answer. Do you like Shen Ruoyan?
A true straight-shooter, getting straight to the point.
Ming: We’re brothers, so I won’t hide it from you—there’s a trend in that direction.
Ge: Exactly! Shen Ruoyan is a hundred times better than Liu Rumeng! I told you before, but you just yelled at me. Now, look at you, having a change of heart—not bad at all.
Ming: That’s called returning to the right path. A prodigal’s return is worth more than gold. Read more books; you’ll find beauty in them.
Ge: Unless it’s Lin Daiyu inside, I’m not reading.
Ming: Anyway, do me a favor after school.
Ge: What is it?
Ming: I’ll tell you when the time comes.
Ge: Then why didn’t you just say it in the last sentence?
...
"On the banyan tree by the pond, the cicadas are calling out summer."
"On the swings by the playground, only butterflies are resting..."
School ended. Shen Ruoyan dragged her exhausted body away after saying goodbye to Su Ming.
"Ge, I’m counting on you to get her home safely. Remember, you must see her mother come out to meet her."
"Leave it to me, but what’s my reward?"
"The reward is that I’ll create more opportunities for you to be alone with Guo Lingling later."
"Ah, this... you..."
Zhang Wei was stunned; he hadn't expected his secret to be discovered, even though he’d hidden it so well.
"A father knows his son best—don't bother arguing. Just go."
"You’re the man! Buddy, my future happiness is all in your hands."
After giving those instructions, Su Ming was the only one left in the classroom. He had no choice; he was on cleaning duty.
"Unbelievable! Who stuck chewing gum on the wall?"
"And cigarette butts? They’ve got some nerve!"
"What is this? Who spilled milk all over the floor?"
Just as Su Ming was busy looking down, a pair of brand-new white sneakers suddenly appeared before his eyes. He looked up to see the cold, high-status school beauty, Liu Rumeng.
"Classmate, is there something you need?"
Deciding to stop and take a break, Su Ming stretched.
"First of all, I want to apologize for what happened earlier today. My attitude was bad."
"Ah, if you’re here to apologize, there’s no need. As long as Shen Ruoyan isn't angry, nothing else matters." Su Ming shrugged, as if mimicking a certain basketball star.
But Liu Rumeng wouldn't let it go; her tone sounded a bit anxious. "I know how you feel; there’s no need to act like this just to spite me."
"Huh? Big sister, aren't you being a bit narcissistic? I admit you’re pretty, but the more charming something is, the more dangerous it is, isn't that right?"
Su Ming didn't want to explain further, but Liu Rumeng was blocking his path, which was getting a little annoying.
"Are you done yet? Don't force me to say something ugly!"
Seeing Su Ming’s furrowed brow, Liu Rumeng felt even more frustrated. He used to be so compliant; had hitting his head during basketball turned his brain to mush?
"I’ve been thinking, maybe my attitude was a bit cold before, so I plan to improve things a little in the future."
Liu Rumeng had come here today to win Su Ming back as much as possible. Of course, this wasn't love—it was pure vanity. Just imagine, having a guy who made the whole school swoon trailing after her like a puppy... that would be simply wonderful.
"Haha, thanks. But since you’ve laid your cards on the table, I’ll be blunt too."
"First off, you know yourself how cold you were to me before, and I was like a dog, getting nothing for my efforts."
"Thank Zhao Yuanhua for that; he had Hóuzi trip me, and my brain cleared up in an instant."
"In short, from now on, we are just classmates. You can be beautiful all on your own; it has absolutely nothing to do with me."
The long speech had made Su Ming thirsty, so he walked over to Shen Ruoyan’s desk and pulled out her pink water bottle. He unscrewed it skillfully and downed the contents in one go. He had done this before; though she had resisted at first, she couldn't keep up with how often he did it. Anyway, he would just refill it before she arrived the next day. Why else would she leave it at school instead of taking it home?
"You!"
This action completely ignited Liu Rumeng’s temper. However, she didn't blow up on the spot; her upbringing kept her emotions within a controllable range.
"How about this? I’ll give you a chance. But you can't let Zhao Yuanhua or anyone else know."
Take a look at that—is that even human language?
"What are the conditions?"
"You must promise me to stop talking to Shen Ruoyan! Seeing her makes me annoyed!"
Since they were speaking frankly, Liu Rumeng really was a bit jealous. Putting everything else aside, who could refuse that singing performance and the roses at the New Year’s gala? Looking back now, it was still incredibly stunning! It was just a pity that the person she was singing to wasn't her.
Su Ming shook his head. He had given her a way out, and she had actually taken it. After a moment of silence, Su Ming wiped the smile from his face. He looked at Liu Rumeng with the most serious tone he had ever used in his life:
"Liu Rumeng, let me tell you: Shen Ruoyan is the girl I have sworn to protect."
"You have no right to compare yourself to her!"
"From now on, we go our separate ways!"
"Don't bother seeing me again!!!"
A cold sneer, a turn, the lights clicked off, and the door slammed shut. The vast classroom was left with only Liu Rumeng inside—shocked, confused, helpless, and deeply wronged.
...
"Clack! Clack! Clack!"
Shen Ruoyan lived on the second floor. If Su Ming wanted to tap on her window, he had to use a long wooden stick. Fortunately, he did this often, and the stick in his hand was an old hand at it.
"What is it?"
The window opened, revealing a slightly tired but still sweet, smiling face in Su Ming’s sight.
Yes, this was exactly what he had been waiting for. It was much better than the bad luck he’d faced earlier.
"I was just checking to see if you were asleep."
"I am a bit sleepy, but I didn't really listen in class today, so I have to catch up a little~"
Shen Ruoyan got good grades, and her parents had high expectations for her. She couldn't let them down; just missing one lesson made her feel incredibly guilty. It was all Su Ming’s fault!
"Don't study too late, or you won't be able to get up tomorrow."
"You think I’m you? Anyway, you got back pretty fast."
"I have to thank you for that—I don't know when you managed to put my pedal back on."
"Hehe, I’m pretty handy, right? It’s exactly the same as it was before."
"I knew it was you!!!"
Suddenly, Shen Ruoyan realized she had let something slip. It was true: to get back at him for hugging her in public earlier, she had deliberately removed his pedal. Actually, it wasn't really revenge; Su Ming had sprained his ankle and couldn't ride his bike anymore, so it was better for him to just sit on the back of hers.
"Such a malicious girl at such a young age—who would ever dare to marry you?"
"I, I didn't mean it." Shen Ruoyan pouted, knowing that Su Ming wouldn't actually be angry with her over this.
"By the way, Su Ming, let me ask you a question. What kind of gifts do boys especially like to receive?"
"Um, I’m asking for a friend, don't think too much into it..."
Afraid that Su Ming might infer something, Shen Ruoyan quickly added that line. What a perfect example of "drawing legs on a snake." A top student’s single sentence could illustrate it perfectly.
"Is that friend of yours Guo Lingling?"
"Never mind who it is, just give me the answer."
"Let me think. A boy’s three main hobbies: girls, games, and sports. So, the corresponding gifts would be a marriage certificate, game points cards, or basketball shoes."
Su Ming’s summary was spot on; it was pretty much that range.
"Ah? A marriage certificate? Isn't that too early? No, no, we aren't even of legal age yet!"
As soon as Su Ming finished speaking, Shen Ruoyan shyly pulled her head back inside. Her two fair feet swung restlessly, seemingly showing the inner turmoil of their owner.
"Hey! What are you muttering about? Go to sleep, I’m heading back."
Su Ming’s building was right across from hers, so they could look at each other through their windows.
"W-wait! Su Ming, what’s your shoe size? Don't misunderstand, my friend’s friend is the same height as you."
It took a lot of courage for Shen Ruoyan to say that. On the surface, she acted indifferent, but her toes were curled tight, terrified that Su Ming might figure it out.
"I’m a size 43. Is that big?"
"Really? I’m only a 36..."
"My dad says: big feet mean you’ll travel far and wide. I’m going to be a man who roams the world!" As he spoke, Su Ming flexed his bicep.
"Oh."
"What’s with the 'oh'? From now on, just hang out with me. Where I go, you go. I’ll take you to see all the beauty in this world!"
If you wanted to know who the best at making big promises was, it was Su Ming down in the residential block. And yet, Shen Ruoyan was the one who bought it the most, because Su Ming had never broken a promise to her since they were kids. The little girl was easy to coax; the flicker of worry between her brows vanished instantly.
"Alright, I’m really going back now. Don't study too late. I’ll call for you tomorrow morning to go to school."
"Mm-hmm~"
(=^▽^=)!