Back in the classroom, Mufeng Su buried his face in his arms on the desk for a nap, just as he did every day.
Looking at his exhausted expression and recalling what had been said at noon, Luoyi Zhao felt a pang of sadness in her heart.
They were the exact same age, yet while other kids could act spoiled and play around, he had been denied a childhood filled with laughter and games—a carefree time of childhood where one was allowed to make mistakes.
She had actually reached out and touched his head just a moment ago. His hair had felt prickly against her fingers. The thought alone made her cheeks start to burn.
She touched her own face. *My, it's so hot.*
She immediately turned her head away so she wouldn't have to look at him anymore.
...
Luoyi Zhao turned around and glanced at the clock hanging on the back wall of the classroom. Mufeng Su was sleeping soundly.
The teacher would be arriving soon, so she should probably wake him up, Luoyi Zhao thought to herself.
What Luoyi Zhao didn't know was that even if Mufeng Su dozed off in class once in a while, the teachers tacitly allowed it—who could blame them when he already knew how to solve every problem they taught?
"Class is about to start, Mufeng Su. Time to get up, the sun's already up!" Luoyi Zhao leaned in close, trying to wake him.
Yet despite her efforts, there was still no response at all.
*Why is he sleeping so deeply?* Luoyi Zhao pouted, a sudden idea forming in her mind.
She gently pinched Mufeng Su's nose with her fingers. Gradually, Mufeng Su felt himself unable to breathe; he sniffed, feeling as though something was blocking his nose.
Instinctively, his hand shot out to grab it. In his drowsy state, his fingers seemed to brush against something, and he gripped it tightly. The sensation felt somewhat like...
Mufeng Su snapped his eyes wide open, only to discover that the thing he was tightly gripping was none other than Luoyi Zhao's hand. Startled, he let go instantly.
Luoyi Zhao lowered her head, blushing shyly.
"Why do you sleep so heavily? I called you several times and couldn't wake you up. Were you having a dream?" Luoyi Zhao still didn't dare look at him.
Mufeng Su shook his head to clear the sleep from his mind. "I was reading too late last night, and I woke up early this morning so I didn't get enough rest. I feel much better after a nap." As soon as he finished speaking, he let out another yawn.
Actually, he had lied. After falling asleep, he had dreamt of a lovely, pretty girl standing gracefully before him, smiling gently as she handed him a skewer of candied hawthorns.
The girl from the dream suddenly took on a concrete form right in front of him.
She let out a small giggle.
"You call that getting enough rest?"
"You're such a dork, Mufeng Su. The way you are right now is completely different from how you looked speaking up on the podium this morning."
Luoyi Zhao tried her best not to laugh out loud, but she simply couldn't hold it in.
Mufeng Su looked at her in utter confusion. *Am I really that funny?*
"What book were you reading so late into the night?"
Mufeng Su scratched his head and said, "It wasn't a school textbook. I've been studying some other things on my own lately. I want to learn more so I can use my own knowledge to make money. The sooner I can earn money, the sooner they can live a comfortable life." Mufeng Su said this with a firm, resolute tone.
Luoyi Zhao looked at the tall, handsome boy before her, not knowing what words of comfort to offer.
"Mufeng Su, I believe that through your own hard work, you'll definitely be able to give your parents a good life."
Luoyi Zhao's gentle gaze met Mufeng Su's pupils. The two of them smiled at each other.
"All right, class is about to start. Focus."
"Yeah."
A subtle change toward Luoyi Zhao began to take root deep within Mufeng Su's heart, though perhaps he didn't even understand its meaning yet.
"Ah, we've finally survived the first week! Two whole days of blissful freedom!" Zhang Cheng shouted recklessly across the classroom.
"What are you guys planning to do this weekend? How about we all head to an internet cafe for a bit? I'll spot you an hour of net time."
"Li Gang, what are you shoving me for?"
Li Gang muttered, "Idiot, stop talking."
Zhang Cheng looked at him in total bewilderment. "What's wrong? School's out, aren't we even allowed to blow off some steam?"
Even as he spoke, he suddenly sensed that the atmosphere in the classroom felt wrong. He whipped his head around to find the head teacher standing right outside the door, staring at him with a cold sneer.
"Actually, I feel that since we're in the second year of senior high now, we should prioritize our studies. I still have some difficult problems I didn't fully understand this week, so I've decided to seclude myself at home for the next two days to properly review and conquer those tough questions."
A chill ran through Zhang Cheng's entire body, and his legs trembled. It felt as though he had just been handed a death sentence.
*It's over, completely over. Why hasn't the head teacher left yet at a time like this? I'm dead meat for sure.*
Yu Zhang sneered, "Since classmate Zhang Cheng is so dedicated, the teacher will help you out. Come to the office with me in a bit, and I'll get you a couple of test papers to help reinforce your studies." With that, he walked over to Zhang Cheng, patted him on the shoulder, and adjusted his glasses.
*It's truly over now. My vacation, my weekend, my happiness—don't leave me, come back quickly~*
At that moment, Zhang Cheng was practically weeping without tears, cursing himself for running his mouth so much.
With a slightly flushed face, Luoyi Zhao looked over at Mufeng Su and asked, "Mufeng Su, do you have time tonight? Would you be willing to accompany me out for a walk? We're both exhausted after the whole week, so we can just treat it as a way to unwind."
Luoyi Zhao looked at Mufeng Su with hopeful eyes, almost as if she were acting spoiled.
"I have time, but you'll have to wait until I finish eating. Actually, it's been a long time since I went out for a walk anyway, so... let's go together."
As Mufeng Su spoke, his face flushed an unnatural red.
"It's a deal then! Let's meet at the main gate of Luoshui Park at seven o'clock tonight. I'm heading back first, you should hurry back too."
With that, a blushing Luoyi Zhao grabbed her schoolbag and trotted off outside, looking as though she were in quite a hurry.
Mufeng Su looked at the books on her desk, which had been jostled and scattered about, and gently helped tidy them up, arranging them neatly...
*Why did she have to run off so fast? I even wanted to ask if she wanted me to walk her home.*
As soon as Luoyi Zhao returned home, she immediately pulled a form-fitting long dress from her closet, paired it with white short socks, and slipped into a pair of casual shoes.
She inspected her outfit in the mirror and finally broke into a satisfied smile.
"Sweetheart, are you meeting up with a friend to go out later?"
Lin Na's voice drifted in from outside the door.
"Mom, after I finish eating later, I'm meeting up with a classmate to go for a walk." A faint blush crept across Luoyi Zhao's cheeks.
Hearing her daughter's reply, Lin Na noticed something amiss. "Is it a boy or a girl?" Not hiding anything, Luoyi Zhao replied, "Mom, it's a boy. He's my desk mate right now. He's a really nice person and takes good care of me, but lately he seems to have something on his mind, so I wanted to invite him out to clear his head." Luoyi Zhao lowered her head and spoke softly.
Upon hearing this, Lin Na found it rather incredible. Her own daughter was actually taking the initiative to invite a boy out—this was an absolute first.
In the past, the teachers at school hadn't failed to inform her that quite a few boys had written love letters to her daughter and the like, advising her to stay vigilant and prevent early romance.
"Silly child, Mom has never said anything against it. Even if you found a boyfriend, it wouldn't matter. But before that, you need to make sure he's someone trustworthy, whether he can give you the kind of happiness you want, and whether you'll be happy being together."
"Sweetheart, you're already grown up. Mom doesn't want to restrict you too much, or you'll find it annoying, but no matter what, you can't let your studies slip, understand?"
Luoyi Zhao threw herself into Lin Na's arms.
"Mom, I know. But he's not my boyfriend, and I'm not in a relationship yet either. He and I are just desk mates—right now, we're still just desk mates." The blush on her cheeks had long since betrayed her true inner thoughts, even if she wasn't entirely sure of them herself.
"He's always been ranked first in his grade at school. He's actually better at studying than I am, and I ask him for help with so many problems."
Luoyi Zhao took the initiative to sing Mufeng Su's praises.
"It sounds like this young man is quite exceptional. No wonder our little princess is paying this much attention to a boy's matters for the very first time."
"All right, eat your dinner before you head out. Come back early and stay safe, you hear? If anything comes up, give me or your dad a call."
"Mom, I know." With that, Luoyi Zhao gave Lin Na a hug.
Zhao Xijun had just arrived home, called out from the downstairs hallway, and after seeing no sign of anyone for a moment, he started upstairs to take a look—only to walk right into this heartwarming scene.
He stepped forward and gathered both of them into his embrace. At this very moment, the warmth they shared was something he wouldn't trade even for the entire world.