Friday, 18th of November.
Xinjiang No.1 High School.
Lunch.
Jing Yao was at the library. She was searching for some books to give to her younger brother.
She wandered through the large shelves aimlessly. Actually she didn't even know whether their school library had picture books, and she was too embarrassed to ask the librarian.
It was quiet inside. The sun was out and most people were outside. Maybe in a few months the library will be more crowded.
Turning a corner, Jing Yao stopped.
She saw a familiar back.
She walked up to the figure. "We've been running into each other a lot recently."
"Oh." Lin Yuan responded without surprise at her sudden appearance.
Jing Yao sighed hearing his nonchalant response, and then shook her head. She was getting used to it.
She turned to look at what he was staring at so absentmindedly.
It was a glass shelf filled with trophies and certificates. Mostly from past students. There were quite a lot of them, after all Xinjiang No.1 High School was quite old.
Jing Yao followed his gaze which stopped at an old photograph.
It was a picture of a young man with a dazzling smile, holding up a golden medal.
[Lin Yifeng, 18, gold medal winner of the International Physics Olympiad.]
"Wow, our school had an olympiad winner?" Jing Yao was surprised, even though there were always a few students at their school every year who were hopefuls for the national training camp, winning a gold medal at the international olympiad was a very big deal.
"Huh? Lin…" Jing Yao glanced at Lin Yuan. Could it be someone he knows?
Lin Yuan was silent and his face looked calm but she didn't inquire any more even though she was curious.
She looked through the other certificates, there were a lot of awards for science and maths, and fewer ones for liberal arts subjects.
"Oh, someone won the National Essay Writing Contest…Ning Qing?" Jing Yao looked at the name curiously. There was no picture, only a large framed certificate but for some reason she felt like the name was a little familiar.
"Huh?" It seemed Lin Yuan finally had a reaction.
He bent down to look at the certificate more closely. He didn't realise his face was almost touching Jing Yao's.
She backed away quickly, "What are you doing?"
But Lin Yuan didn't respond. He had a thoughtful look on his face and then after a while he suddenly smiled.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Seeing that he was suddenly in a good mood, Jing Yao was confused.
"Are you looking for a book?" Lin Yuan turned towards her.
So you can ask questions as well? Jing Yao thought his vocabulary was only made up of one word answers.
Seeing as she didn't respond he continued, "I saw you wandering around furrowing your eyebrows."
"What, I- I wasn't furrowing my eyebrows!" Jing Yao was embarrassed, "Also if you saw me why didn't you say anything?"
Lin Yuan ignored her question, and asked again, "What are you looking for?"
"Uh, uh, picture books…" Jing Yao stuttered, then added, "Not for me, for my brother."
"They're over here." Lin Yuan didn't skip a beat and walked towards some shelves farther away. Jing Yao quickly followed.
Looking at the small collection of colourful books, Jing Yao was surprised, "I didn't expect our school would have these."
"I also read them."
"Huh? You read picture books Lin Yuan…" She sometimes heard Teacher Wei complaining about Lin Yuan's liberal arts grades, but she didn't realise his Chinese was so bad.
"What's with that look?"
"Oh, nothing." Jing Yao sighed while quietly leafing through a book. She realised that honour students have their own troubles.
Maybe that's why he doesn't speak much!
Jing Yao felt she had grasped something important.
"..."
"I read them in English. To practice." Lin Yuan pointed at a group of books on another shelf.
"Oh?" She went over to the other shelf, "Fairy Tales?" Jing Yao flipped through them.
"You understand them?"
"Well yeah, this is pretty basic English."
"..."
"What was your mark?"
"What?" Jing Yao was confused when she looked up to see Lin Yuan's resentful gaze.
"Your English mark, for the monthly test."
"130." Jing Yao replied. Then she asked curiously, "What was yours?"
"..."
There was silence for a few moments as Lin Yuan just stared at her.
Are you trying to intimidate me? Jing Yao couldn't help but laugh in her heart. You're too young!
"..."
It was almost a whole minute of silence until Jing Yao couldn't take it anymore, "Ahem, anyway thanks for helping me."
"No problem." Lin Yuan spoke calmly but he had a smug smile on his face.
"Childish."
"..."
"What's the point of covering your mouth every time?"
"Hehehe…" Jing Yao quickly took away her hands.
…
…
…
5pm.
The end of school.
Lin Yuan was on his phone looking through the '21st Century Girls' group chat. After scrolling quickly through all the spam, he looked at his sister's new message.
Lin Yuerong: Hey, hey, the new Waspman movie is coming out! Let's all go together on Saturday! Lin Yuan you come too, you can be our protector.
Seeing this message, Lin Yuan shook his head. Isn't she at work right now? She really is slacking off.
Lin Yuan habitually badmouthed his sister in his mind. Then he replied.
Lin Yuan: I have plans that day.
Lin Yuerong: How is it possible? You don't have any friends! What plans do you have by yourself?
"..."
Lin Yuan's finger hovered over the block icon.
Ning Yao: I can't go either, I also have plans.
Lin Yuerong: What?! You too Xiaoyao?!
Lin Yuerong: Fine, let's go watch the Waspman movie on Sunday, alright?
Lin Yuan: I'm going to watch it on Saturday.
Ning Yao: I'm also watching it on Saturday with friends.
Lin Yuerong: What the hell you guys?! How come everyone has plans? Fine, Ning Qing you'll watch it with me right? Let's show these traitors!
Seeing that Ning Qing didn't reply, Lin yuan couldn't help but feel bad for his older sister. She can only hang out with her brother and her friend's younger sister, she doesn't have any friends her own age…
Lin Yuerong: I'll go with Zhou Ye and Qingqing, so you guys can be jealous! Zhou Ye is super good looking now you know!
Ning Qing: …
Lin Yuerong: Huh?! Ning Qing if you were here you should say something!
Ning Qing: Let me screenshot this and send it to Senior Zhou.
Lin Yuan didn't really understand but he still gave her message a thumbs up, it seemed Ning Yao did the same.
Lin Yuerong: Hehe Ning Qing, my beautiful Qingqing, please leave me some dignity!
Suddenly there was a message in the group chat.
[User Lin Yuerong has sent a red envelope worth 1000 yuan to the group chat]
Sister is so generous? Lin Yuan was confused but his hands were not, he quickly tried to steal it. However he was still too slow.
Ning Qing: Grabbed 999 yuan
Lin Yuan: Grabbed 1 yuan
Ning Yao: Grabbed 0 yuan
Ning Qing: Okay Senior Sister, I won't say anything.
Lin Yuan had a dark face when he looked at his measly 1 yuan, however, before he could type anything, a voice interrupted.
"What are you doing?" Zhang Li had returned to his desk. He had gone to Zhang Yin's desk to show her that he was taking his notes properly.
"Nothing." Lin Yuan put away his phone and began packing his books.
Zhang Li didn't inquire any further, he grabbed his backpack and said, "Come on let's go to my place today, I'm so hungry. The food in the cafeteria is not filling at all!"
"Sorry, I can't."
"Huh what's going on with you? You've been busy all week, you always go home early!"
Actually Lin Yuan had to go early to collect Baozi, he didn't want to impede on Ning Qing's family even more than he already had.
But he felt like that was too complicated to explain, and Zhang Li would have too many questions.
"I have tutoring after school."
"Huh?!"
"For English."
"What?! Lin Yuan you traitor! Didn't you say you weren't going to cram school?!"
"I'm not."
"You!"
"No, how is this possible…" Zhang Li slumped back into his chair, his eyes glazed over.
"You're coming early now as well." Lin Yuan thought he was exaggerating too much.
"That's only because Zhang Yin is forcing me! Dammit! It's only a few months in, why are you trying so hard?"
"Are you afraid I'll surpass you?" Lin Yuan felt he understood why he was so upset.
Zhang Li was stunned, then he burst into laughter, "Hahaha, that's really funny! Haha! I was in a bad mood but now I feel better."
"..." Lin Yuan suddenly wanted to punch his arrogant face. Just wait, Lin Yuan thought, both Zhang Li and Jing Yao, he would show both of them! Lin Yuan made a solemn promise in his heart.
Somewhere in the food district near Xinjiang No.1 High School.
Jing Yao was drinking milk tea with her friends when she suddenly coughed. Clearing her throat she felt confused, do I have a cold?
She didn't realise that a certain young man was holding a grudge.