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Psst! We're moving!
After Friday passed, there was a two-day break, and a new week began.
This week, it was Lin Zhan’s class that was assigned to the big cleanup.
Every time there was a major cleaning session, the girls were always eager to team up with Lin Zhan. She was strong, worked quickly, and could handle tasks like carrying water or other challenging chores even better than the boys.
Huang Chen divided the students into several groups, each responsible for different areas, and appointed two “chief supervisors.”
The chief supervisor for the boys was the class monitor, while for the girls, it was Lin Zhan.
Not only did she have to clean herself, but she also had to check on how well others were doing their jobs.
Huang Chen said, “Alright, everyone hurry up. After cleaning, we’ll need to go raise the flag.”
After finishing the last bite of her burger, Lin Zhan picked up two buckets and headed out.
She and five other girls were in charge of the large playground.
The playground was far from the water source, so they had to sweep the ground and wipe down fitness equipment—water was essential.
After distributing the brooms, Lin Zhan said, “You all start sweeping. Zheng Yi Mian and I will handle the equipment. I’ll go fetch two buckets of water now.”
“Okay, go ahead,” Jiang Qin encouraged everyone, “AV8D, let’s get moving!”
The rest of the girls looked sluggish, clearly still half-asleep.
Jiang Qin urged them again, “The student council is coming to inspect later! Pull yourselves together!”
That woke them up. Someone asked eagerly, “Will the president come?”
Jiang Qin replied, “I don’t know. Let’s hope.”
Lin Zhan went to the first-floor restroom to fill two buckets of water, washed the rags, and then hurried to meet Zheng Yi Mian by the equipment.
Just as Shen Xi stepped out of the guidance office with his notebook, he saw Zhang Ze leaning against the railing with great interest, looking down.
Shen Xi approached him: “Stop staring; the inspection is about to start.”
Zhang Ze shifted his gaze back from the edge of his vision to focus on a figure rushing around: “Holy crap, is that a girl?”
Shen Xi followed his line of sight and saw a short-haired girl carrying two full buckets of water with ease.
The water was steady in her hands, swaying only slightly despite its obvious weight. Yet she carried it effortlessly.
...It was that surprisingly strong stalker again.
If you called her manly, her features were delicate; if you called her soft, her strength was astonishing.
He felt a momentary lapse in thought—it was fascinating.
///
Not long after, the amazing Lin Zhan had already reached the parallel bars.
Humming a tune, she set down the buckets and handed a rag to Zheng Yi Mian.
Zheng Yi Mian pulled out some tissues she carried with her: “You’ve worked hard. Wipe your sweat.”
Lin Zhan touched the tip of her nose and replied, “I didn’t sweat.”
Zheng Yi Mian: “...”
She’d forgotten—Lin Zhan had the face of a soft girl but the heart of a tough guy.
“Let’s get started,” Lin Zhan said. “Once we’re done wiping, we can rest.”
Zheng Yi Mian softly responded, “Mm.”
They worked seamlessly together. After finishing the parallel bars, they moved on to the climbing ladders.
The climbing ladders were similar to regular ladders but divided into sections. In spring, many students liked to climb up during gym class, sit there, drink beverages, and chat.
Of course, they weren’t leisurely now.
The tactic for wiping such things was naturally to work from top to bottom. Lin Zhan quickly climbed up, with Zheng Yi Mian following closely behind.
When they reached the top, Lin Zhan prepared to sit down. With a side step, she swung herself onto the bar, showing off moves akin to mounting a horse.
Thankfully, Zheng Yi Mian dodged backward just in time; otherwise, she might have been kicked.
///
Meanwhile, Shen Xi and Zhang Ze, who were “inspecting” nearby, naturally kept a close eye on this scene.
“Holy crap,” Zhang Ze exclaimed, startled by Lin Zhan’s sudden side step. “She almost kicked someone!”
Shen Xi glanced over at Lin Zhan.
Zhang Ze added, “With that girl’s strength, she probably would’ve kicked someone to tears…”
Of these two sentences, Shen Xi only caught one:
—With that girl’s strength, she probably would’ve kicked someone to tears…
A fleeting image flashed through his mind.
No, he shook his head. It couldn’t be that coincidental.
His thoughts became slightly disordered. He pressed the tip of his pen before saying, “Alright, they’re almost done. Let’s go inspect.”
///
After swiftly finishing the cleaning, Lin Zhan left the final touches to Zheng Yi Mian and hurried off to check everyone else’s progress.
Above the third floor was the class monitor’s responsibility. Lin Zhan inspected the second and third floors and found everything thoroughly cleaned.
There would be no issues passing the inspection.
When she returned to the playground, she was about to wash her hands when she heard Jiang Qin and the others excitedly exclaiming, “They really came! We’re so lucky!”
Several girls huddled together, their bodies trembling slightly to express their excitement.
Lin Zhan had a premonition. She looked up and saw Shen Xi approaching steadily with his notebook in hand.
He was wearing the summer linen school uniform, mainly white with a few light blue lines decorating the cuffs.
His broad shoulders filled out the loose-fitting uniform, making it look tailored.
The collar of his uniform was trimmed with blue. Lin Zhan tried to catch a glimpse but only saw a neatly buttoned row.
Tch, boring.
Isn’t it hot to button up so tightly?
She guiltily averted her eyes.
Shen Xi scanned the area and asked, “Who’s the person in charge?”
“Me,” Lin Zhan took a small step forward. “Is there an issue?”
In the sunlight, he finally noticed the teardrop-shaped mole beneath the shimmering depths of her eyes.
When she blinked, the fan-shaped shadow cast by her lashes swept lightly across.
His grip on the pen loosened.
Feeling unnerved by his gaze, Lin Zhan wanted to push further, teasingly saying, “What’s the point of admiring from afar? Come closer if you dare.”
But at the moment reason returned, she wanted to turn and run.
Shen Xi withdrew his gaze, placed the pen in the notebook, and handed it to Lin Zhan: “Write your name.”
Perhaps her brain was frozen, or maybe she was deliberately teasing—she couldn’t quite trace what she was thinking at that moment—but instinctively, she blurted out—
“Do you want my contact information?”
Shen Xi: “...”
///
Everyone was stunned by this high-energy twist, leaving silence in its wake.
It was Zhang Ze who started laughing first.
“So, are we interrupting something?”
Lin Zhan glanced at the notebook and realized it was just a record of the cleaning.
She didn’t mind and laughed along with them.
It wasn’t a loss holding the pen Shen Xi had touched.
After writing, Shen Xi continued, “These borrowed brooms and buckets…”
He intended to say that he and Zhang Ze would return them on behalf of everyone.
But unexpectedly, Lin Zhan had already organized everything and stood ready: “I’ll return them.”
Considering it was likely a simple task for her, Shen Xi nodded: “Then follow me.”
Lin Zhan hesitated: “Alone?”
Her question was profound, prompting Zhang Ze to laugh again: “Yeah, I need to check the upper floors.”
As he left, his tone turned teasing, winking at Shen Xi: “I’m leaving now, President. Have a good time.”
Shen Xi: “...Hurry up and leave.”
///
Following Shen Xi to the storage room.
Inside were sports equipment and daily items like brooms and mops.
Perhaps due to the lack of people, the air was filled with tiny particles and dust.
Lin Zhan coughed twice and momentarily lost focus, tripping over something. The contents of the bucket clattered loudly.
Shen Xi extended a hand, steadying her without showing any emotion. He then took her bucket and began putting the items back in place.
Had he helped other girls like this before?
She couldn’t tell, and for a moment, Lin Zhan felt a bit uneasy.
Speculation was useless; she needed answers.
Cleverly changing tactics, Lin Zhan probed indirectly: “Do you often inspect the cleaning? I don’t think I’ve seen you before.”
In the dim storage room, his figure nearly blended with the cabinets.
“Rarely. Only when there aren’t enough people do I help with inspections.”
Lin Zhan drew closer to her true intentions: “Are girls usually the ones returning things?”
Her question was strange, but answering it didn’t require much thought.
Shen Xi: “You’re the first I’ve encountered.”
Meaning that no girl had ever returned items before.
Lin Zhan placed the broom behind the door, a small sense of triumph blooming within her as she smiled: “Then I’ll likely be the last.”
Shen Xi detected the clear emotional shift in her words but didn’t understand what she was so happy about.
Without dwelling on it, once she finished returning the items, he opened another notebook on the table and said, “You need to sign here too.”
“Okay.”
Lin Zhan wiped her hands and was about to step forward when she noticed his gaze shift toward the counter.
“You can wash your hands first.”
Looking at the sink in the corner, Lin Zhan’s heart skipped a beat. A subtle wave of affection spread rapidly, almost overwhelming her.
Attentive and considerate boys always earned extra points, especially when they were as handsome as he was.
How terrifying. As she squeezed the soap, Lin Zhan thought, Why does he stand there so calmly, yet a few words stir my entire world?
Her heart, seventeen years untouched, now raced wildly for the first time.
After washing and drying her hands, she picked up the pen but hesitated over the form.
“Where should I write?”
Shen Xi, who had been watching people play outside, turned his face and prompted, “Just write in order.”
Lin Zhan decided to keep playing dumb: “In order? But there are numbers here—some rows have one number, others have two...”
Suddenly, the air seemed thinner.
If Shen Xi got any closer, Lin Zhan felt she might collapse...
He stood behind her, maintaining a normal distance, but leaned forward slightly to point out the correct spot. His shoulder brushed against hers.
A little voice inside Lin Zhan screamed, but her expression remained calm.
She smelled his scent—a fragrance of abundant sunshine.
Effervescent, soft, pure.
Like the comfort of being wrapped in a blanket.
How strange. This person initially gave off a cold impression, yet his scent was so warm.
Of course, Shen Xi had no idea of the storm of emotions raging in Lin Zhan’s heart.
His index finger slid across the paper from the beginning of the row to the end. His beautiful fingertips made the entire page seem dull in comparison.
He instructed, “Just write this row. No need for the number.”
Then he stepped back to his original position.
Lin Zhan’s hand holding the pen trembled slightly. After finishing, she fled in panic.
The sound of her fleeing startled Shen Xi back to reality.
Out of habit, he glanced at the form.
In the space meant only for names and classes, she’d added something extra—
Lin Zhan, Class Three, Grade Two...
And in the number column, she’d left her contact information.
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