CM - 44

Zhou Shuirong returned to the classroom, and everyone’s eyes were on her, filled with resentment. People were murmuring and making sarcastic remarks.

Fu Lin’en didn’t believe Zhou Shuirong would push someone; the story sounded ridiculous. He had spent a few days with her, and while he couldn’t say he knew her well, she was a person who was grateful to those who helped her. She wasn’t the malicious person they claimed her to be.

He secretly passed her a note, wanting to encourage her, but the discipline committee member saw it and slammed a hand on the lectern. “What are you doing?”

The note was halfway passed and couldn’t be taken back. The discipline committee member took it, and read it aloud to the whole class: “Are you okay? Hang in there, I believe in you.”

On the lectern, the discipline committee member said sarcastically, “Some girls need to have more self-respect. Don’t be so desperate and flirt with every guy. And don’t think that just because you have one or two people supporting you, you can ignore the rules. Passing notes in class? I’m putting this in the discipline book!”

Fu Lin’en had never been publicly criticized before. Even though the criticism wasn’t directed at him, it was related to him, and it made him blush and lower his head.

Jing He was very smart. He didn’t believe Zhou Shuirong, nor did he believe Teacher Fan, but he wouldn’t join the others in shunning Zhou Shuirong, nor would he support her like Fu Lin’en.

He didn’t want to get involved, so staying out of it was the best course of action.

Zhou Shuirong didn’t stay for the self-study session. She packed her things and went home. She was not in a good mood and didn’t want to be in class. Besides, the current environment was not conducive to learning, and she wouldn’t gain anything by staying.

As soon as she left, everyone in Class 16 felt at ease, as if a great beast had left the room.

________________________________________

Zhou Shuirong walked out of the school gate, and Shen Tingwen approached her, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her along. She followed him for two steps, then shook his hand off. “I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now. If you’re smart, you’ll get lost.”

Shen Tingwen seemed not to understand and didn’t leave. “Are you hungry?”

Fine, Zhou Shuirong thought, and walked away. She walked past him, heading to the bus stop to go home.

Shen Tingwen followed her without saying a word, just staying behind her.

Zhou Shuirong waited at the bus stop, looking at the trees on the other side. They were full of leaves, but not as good as the ones on the island. Si Wen had bought many islands and asked Zhou Yan to name each one. Zhou Yan’s names were not poetic at all: Little Si, Little Wen, Little Si Wen...

After naming them, Zhou Yan would always ask Zhou Shuirong if the names sounded good. Zhou Shuirong couldn’t say no, or Zhou Yan would be upset. If Zhou Yan was upset, Si Wen would be upset, and Zhou Shuirong would be in trouble...

She missed them a little. She wanted to go home. China was nice, but it wasn’t her home. The place with Si Wen and Zhou Yan was her home.

The bus arrived. She got on, scanned her card, and walked to the back to sit down.

Shen Tingwen also got on the bus, walked to the back, and sat behind her, watching her.

Zhou Shuirong rested her head against the window. In the seat next to her, a little boy started crying loudly because he had dropped his last piece of candy. His mother was trying to console him, and the people around them looked annoyed.

Zhou Shuirong used to cry, too, especially when Si Wen said he didn’t like her. But she later found that crying didn’t change the outcome, so she stopped. She never cried again, no matter what happened.

Zhou Yan said that “the crying child gets the candy,” but she tried it and it didn’t work. So, that saying didn’t apply to her. How could she cry now?

Shen Tingwen’s tattooed arm was too eye-catching. Many people rolled their eyes, thinking it was scandalous. A parent with a child even used him as an example, saying in a low voice that people like him weren’t decent.

A slightly more rational person, when their child asked what was drawn on the brother’s arm, taught their child this way: “That’s a tattoo. It’s a normal thing, just like how Mommy is a woman and you’re a boy. But you shouldn’t get one when you grow up.”

The child seemed to understand a little, and Shen Tingwen found it ironic. He smiled faintly.

They told the child not to discriminate against tattoos but also emphasized that they shouldn’t get one themselves. What a ridiculous logic and lesson.

Zhou Shuirong also heard that comment. She knew they were talking about Shen Tingwen’s tattooed arm. She had just seen that he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, casual pants, and had his shoes stepped on at the heels. A good pair of limited-edition sneakers were being worn like slippers, which meant he had rushed here.

But what did it matter?

Whether Shen Tingwen knew or not, or which side he chose to be on, wouldn’t change Zhou Shuirong’s terrible mood. The scratch on her arm from the day she broke up with Vanessa had already scabbed over. It was a little itchy now, as if to remind her that no matter what environment she was in, the things that were meant to happen to her would still happen. The environment might be different, but the terrible parts of human nature were much the same. As long as she was Zhou Shuirong, as long as she appeared aloof and indifferent, continued to be unconventional, and refused to be assimilated, becoming cynical and slick, she would always be isolated.

The bus arrived at her stop, and Zhou Shuirong got off.

Shen Tingwen also got off and followed her.

Zhou Shuirong was annoyed. She stopped and turned around. “Are you sick? Why are you following me?”

Shen Tingwen just wanted to follow her. “Yeah, terminal. I’ll die if I don’t follow you.”

Zhou Shuirong pointed at him. “If you follow me one more time, I’ll break your legs!”

Shen Tingwen just kept following. He wouldn’t let her walk this path alone, nor would he let her deal with all these bad things by herself.

Zhou Shuirong turned and kicked him. “You have a death wish!”

Shen Tingwen pursed his lips and didn’t even brush off the footprint on his pants. “If I admit I have a death wish, will you let me follow you?”

Zhou Shuirong gave up trying to reason with him. She turned and continued walking, swiping her card to enter her apartment complex.

Shen Tingwen was shameless; he slipped in behind her by also using his card and followed her all the way past the man-made lake.