CM - 21

On Monday, school started. Zhou Shuirong wore her school uniform, a blue and white “sack,” which actually looked quite good on her. With her hair tied back in a ponytail, she looked no different from other students, if you didn’t look at her face. But if you did look at her face, she was like a perfectly edited campus promotional video.

The duty students checking uniforms at the school gate saw Zhou Shuirong and started winking and whispering about the ambiguous relationship between her and Shen Tingwen.

The news of the two of them being alone for ten minutes in the sports hall stairwell was now spreading like wildfire throughout the school. The main content of their gossip was that Zhou Shuirong, despite Liang Jifan’s persistent pursuit, had chosen Shen Tingwen, who came from a better family.

Zhao Guqing and Zhu Jiayi entered the school gate just as they met Zhou Shuirong. She had her bag slung over one shoulder, and her white sneakers looked even whiter in the sunlight.

Zhu Jiayi said to Zhao Guqing, “Look at her, it’s like nothing happened.”

Zhao Guqing watched Zhou Shuirong’s back, not listening to Zhu Jiayi. She came back to her senses and said to her, “The school anniversary is on Friday. We third-year students haven’t signed up for many performances, have we?”

“The notice came late. In previous years, third-year students weren’t allowed to participate, right? This year, who knows what’s gotten into them, third-year students can also sign up for performances.”

“What performances are there now?”

“I don’t know, Li Gun’s band will definitely have one performance, I heard it’s their original song.”

Li Gun’s band was formed by the instrumental class of Guoda Affiliated High School, and its founder and lead singer was Li Gun. Li Gun was a low-key and taciturn person. Whenever he had a conflict with someone, he would first look fierce, then grit his teeth, his eyes almost bulging out, looking as if he were possessed. For several years in high school, because of this eccentricity, he and the enigmatic Shen Tingwen were known as the “Two Oddities of Guoda,” and many people tried to avoid them.

This was the unreasonable part of society: most people believed that those who spoke louder were more rational, and those who didn’t blend into the crowd were stranger.

Zhao Guqing remembered that the keyboard player of Li Gun’s band had gone abroad, right? “Their keyboard player went abroad, have they found a replacement?”

“Is that so? I haven’t heard.”

Zhao Guqing stopped talking about them: “Do you want to sign up for a performance?”

“It’s our last year at Guoda, of course I want to.”

“Okay, let’s do it together.”

________________________________________

As soon as Zhou Shuirong went upstairs, she saw Shen Tingwen sweeping the floor at the stairwell. He was also wearing his school uniform, his tattoos covered, and his bangs down. For a moment, she thought she had seen that baby-faced good-for-nothing again.

Shen Tingwen happened to be sweeping near her feet. He deliberately blocked her path, “I’ll let you pass after I’m done sweeping.”

Zhou Shuirong insisted on walking, even stepping on his broom.

Shen Tingwen looked up.

Zhou Shuirong looked down at him, looking like she was about to pick a fight.

Shen Tingwen remained calm, gently tugged on the broom, and Zhou Shuirong’s foot slipped. Her arms swung back in a half-circle, and she almost fell. Shen Tingwen immediately grabbed her arm, pulled her into his embrace, and her forehead hit his chest.

Zhou Shuirong reacted quickly, raising her knee, bending her elbow, a crotch shot, and a chest hit, giving Shen Tingwen a combo.

Shen Tingwen let out a low groan, his waist involuntarily bent, and his face looked displeased.

Zhou Shuirong looked very concerned, “A little weak, Young Master?” She then left.

Shen Tingwen stayed in place for a while to recover, a faint smile playing on his lips.

________________________________________

The first class was Chinese language, taught by the homeroom teacher of Class 16. She first praised Zhou Shuirong, saying she had made great progress and scored forty points on Friday’s essay. Then she praised Fu Linying, saying he was very responsible.

Fu Linying secretly gave Zhou Shuirong a thumbs-up, and Zhou Shuirong returned a smile, something she had never done for Shen Tingwen before.

Shen Tingwen only glanced at it, and the 143 points on his test paper were poked through. His deskmate thought he was dissatisfied with his 143 points, and even lamented that a top student was indeed a top student, too strict with himself.

After class, Zhou Shuirong went to the restroom. Shen Tingwen walked to Fu Linying’s desk and tapped on it: “Let’s talk.”

Fu Linying looked up and saw him, startled. Did Shen Tingwen have anything to talk about with him? Not just him, did Shen Tingwen have anything to talk about with anyone? Hadn’t he always been a loner? “Uh, what?”

Shen Tingwen got straight to the point: “You team up with me and teach me how to write essays.”

Fu Linying was speechless for a moment, then said, “Huh?”

Shen Tingwen showed him his test paper: “57 points for the essay is too low.”

Fu Linying thought he was being sarcastic: “Is 57 points still low? And you scored 143, you’re first in the class again this exam. Stop messing with me, I can’t teach you.”

Shen Tingwen sat down and said again, “I’ll get you guest passes for the June Guoman Comic Exhibition and tickets for the JK camp.”

The Guoman Comic Exhibition and the JK camp were the two events Fu Linying most wanted to attend. This was too tempting for him. He cleared his throat twice to cover his失態, then said, “Just, teaching me to write essays, that’s the only condition?”

“Only teach me.”

“But Zhou Shuirong and I are...”

“Only teach me.”

After a struggle of thought, Fu Linying finally compromised for the coveted tickets and guest passes: “Deal!”

When Zhou Shuirong returned from the restroom, she received a note from Fu Linying that said: “You’ve made such great progress in essays, you don’t need me to teach you anymore. At noon, I’ll tell the teacher to dissolve our group.”

She was baffled. Why the sudden change of heart? She stared at Fu Linying for a while, and through his guilty eyes, she felt there was something hidden, but she wasn’t one to force others, so she didn’t pursue it.

In the afternoon, the homeroom teacher announced that Fu Linying and Shen Tingwen had formed a group, and Zhou Shuirong understood. She glared at that bastard, who pretended as if nothing had happened.

What a bastard, he never did anything decent.

Hmph.