Chapter 3, "Not even daring to sit?"...

Tang Jianwei was a construction contractor with many cronies. When he heard that Qin Ling was pregnant, he invited him out for drinks for several days in a row.

Qin Ling would ride her bike to be with him after getting off work at the kindergarten. They would drink and chat until late at night, and she would usually get home after midnight.

Tang Ci gets off work at the billiards hall at 10 p.m., and since there are no electric bikes available, she has to walk home.

On a hot and humid night in the Nanling Mountains during the last days of summer, the roadside food stalls were packed with people. Many middle-aged men lifted their shirts to reveal their white bellies, and some even took off their shirts and draped them over the backs of plastic chairs.

Tang Ci gripped the shoulder strap of her schoolbag tightly, hesitated for a few seconds at the fork in the road, and instead of taking the food stalls down the street, she took a longer route home.

After getting home, she took a shower. When she came out of the bathroom, she felt a little hungry. When she looked at the time, it was not yet eleven o'clock, so she decided to go to the kitchen to fry two eggs for herself.

Tang Ci opened the refrigerator and saw that the tray containing eggs was empty, and there were only a few wilted vegetables left on the shelves.

Tang Ci closed the refrigerator door and took a packet of instant noodles from the drawer to cook.

In summer, garbage left overnight will produce an unpleasant smell, so after finishing her instant noodles and cleaning up the trash, Tang Ci took her keys and went downstairs to take out the trash.

In addition to local residents, many tenants from other places who work in Nanling also live in the old-style residential buildings. Overtime is the norm for these workers, and people often come and go in the community even late at night.

So when she finished throwing away the trash and heard noises coming from the bench behind her, she didn't pay much attention until the man who had collapsed on the bench behind the green belt started talking.

"Wife, I'm sorry you've suffered all these years." Tang Jianwei, pulling Qin Ling who had just parked the tram, mumbled drunkenly, "If it weren't for me taking care of Xiao Ci, our family wouldn't be living in such poverty."

Qin Ling glanced at him lightly, raised her eyebrows, and said smugly, "It's enough that you know you owe me."

Tang Jianwei rubbed his face vigorously, and as if making a decision, said solemnly, "You heard what Lao Liang said. After the Nanling project is finished, we'll move to Jiangcheng. The market there is big, and the future is promising."

"You think you can just move when you have a few coins to your name?" Qin Ling retorted. "You don't expect me and our son to live with you in a rented place, do you?"

Tang Jianwei glanced at the living room on the sixth floor, which was lit up. "If we sell this old house, we can get a two-bedroom apartment in Jiangcheng."

Qin Ling swallowed hard, hesitated for a moment, and then asked the crucial question: "What about Tang Ci?"

Tang Jianwei seemed to just remember that he had a daughter. After a long pause, he said in a low, hoarse voice, "Xiao Ci is almost an adult. She can go out to work after graduating from high school and can rent a house anywhere."

Seeing his quick decision, Qin Ling happily asked, "Why are you suddenly so willing to part with it?"

“I’ve figured it out these past few days.” Tang Jianwei squeezed Qin Ling’s hand. “Life is only a few decades long. We should strive for people who are valuable so that our lives can get better and better.”

Qin Ling laughed and punched him lightly, "I told you so."

Tang Ci closed the door, sat on the edge of the bed, and applied floral water to her ankles, which were covered in bites. The cool scent of menthol instantly filled the entire bedroom.

It reminded me so much of the night my mother passed away, the hospital corridor filled with the smell of disinfectant.

Tang Ci still remembers her mother's body being covered with a white sheet and wheeled into the morgue by nursing staff, becoming a worthless and neglected corpse.

The day before, her mother told her that she regretted not being able to see the cherry blossoms again.

Tang Ci suddenly felt cold all over. She hugged her arms and wandered aimlessly around the room until she saw the test papers on the desk, each with a near-perfect score. Only then did her body warm up slightly.

The score on the test paper tugged at her broken nerves; it was the only value she had at that moment.

Out of the corner of her eye, Tang Ci noticed a brochure hastily stuffed into the exam paper. She mechanically flipped through it, and it detailed the scholarship program for Nanling No. 1 High School this year.

In addition to the usual awards, a new mutual assistance award has been added this year.

If you can help a student with poor grades significantly improve their ranking within a semester, both of you can receive a scholarship.

Tang Ci pressed her fingertips firmly against the line of printed words, silently calling out the name hidden in her heart for the first time.

/

During breaks, only Old Chen was in charge of the Chinese language group office.

Sitting across from me was Tang Ci, who would come to ambush me as soon as get out of class ended.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Old Chen frowned. "Putting aside Sheng Yutong's disagreement, helping your classmate could potentially interfere with your studies."

Thinking of this, Old Chen shook his head at Tang, "This is too risky for a senior high school student—especially for you."

"I remember you once said that the best way to consolidate knowledge and fill in the gaps is to be a teacher to others."

Tang Ci spoke calmly, explaining her reasons in a gentle manner, "Moreover, I have seen Sheng Yu's grades. He was first when he entered high school, and his grades gradually declined in the following two years because he submitted blank papers in a few subjects. People like him can improve very quickly."

“That’s the problem,” Old Chen sighed. “You probably heard me advising him in the office that day. Sheng Yu is an arrogant kid. No one can persuade him if he doesn’t agree with something.”

The noise outside the office door was deafening, but Tang Ci seemed oblivious. Her clear, dark eyes were fixed on Old Chen as she spoke words that were completely at odds with her gentle and mild appearance.

"I'll make him say yes."

...

This week is the last week of make-up classes for senior high school students, and the school will give them a full weekend off.

The next class for Class 1 is physical education. There are small groups of students gathered inside and outside the classroom, discussing where to go for fun over the weekend.

Zhou Yiyang sat on the windowsill, leaning over to look at Sheng Yu, who was playing games in his seat. "How about we go to Lincheng and go hiking to relax?"

Jin Ming's leg injury hadn't fully healed, but he couldn't resist the urge to have fun. "Then I want to ride the cable car."

Sheng Yu smoothly manipulated the game character in her hands, then lifted her eyelids and asked, "Are there any competitions this week?"

Zhou Yiyang took out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through the messages in the racing group. "There are messages every day from Friday to Sunday."

“Then you guys go climb,” Sheng Yu said.

When Zhou Yiyang heard that he wasn't going, he hesitated for a moment. After flipping through two more pages of messages in the group, he suddenly frowned: "That persistent Lin Yao is also participating in the competition this weekend."

Jin Ming spat on the ground, "Damn it! What's the point of climbing the mountain then? Let's get him!!"

They all graduated from the same junior high school. Even though they went to different high schools, they all hung out outside of school. In addition, Lin Yao's father was Sheng Hong's subordinate, so he would occasionally run into Lin Yao, who had a deep grudge against Sheng Yu.

After the last incident, Lin Yao was quiet for quite a while. I heard that his father had locked him up at home. Recently, his discipline has probably loosened, and he has started to sneak out again.

Amidst the boys' indignant protests, Jin Ming scratched the back of his head and suddenly said, "That vocational high school girl we rescued last time said she wants to treat us to dinner, Yu-ge, wanna go?"

During the fight at Binhu Park, they had just arrived when they saw a group of thugs harassing several girls who were shopping nearby. Without saying a word, they kicked the thugs to the ground. In the midst of the chaotic punches and kicks, Jin Ming even managed to get the contact information of the girl in charge.

Later, I found out that the girl's name was Qiao Xi, and she was the school beauty of the vocational high school.

"I'm not going," Sheng Yu said, stretching her wrists after finishing a game.

As expected, Jin Ming looked troubled and continued to plead, "They've already booked a private room and are just waiting for us to go over after school."

Zhou Yiyang knew his nature. "You've already agreed, haven't you?"

“That girl is very pretty.” Jin Ming’s eyes were full of spring. “She asked me for several days, and I just couldn’t resist, so I agreed.”

Zhou Yiyang sneered and kicked him, "You're the one who's interested in that girl. Last time you reported it and made Brother Yu take the blame for you. And now you have the nerve to ask Brother Yu to have dinner with you?"

Jin Ming pouted, "She said that if Brother Yu isn't going, then none of us need to go."

Zhou Yiyang rested his elbow on Sheng Yu's desk. "It has to be Young Master Sheng. He bewitched the girl after just one meeting."

Sheng Yu smiled and slapped his arm away, and the phone on the table lit up with a buzz.

[Sheng Hong: Come with me to the charity gala tonight. I'll have Lao Yang pick you up from the school.]

The smile on Sheng Yu's lips vanished. She locked her phone and said in a low voice, "Go tell her."

Zhou Yiyang paused for a moment, then widened his eyes dramatically. "No way, Brother Yu, you're actually interested in that girl?"

No sooner had they finished speaking than a person floated in through the back door, walking almost silently as they passed by them.

Jin Ming touched his arm, which was covered in goosebumps, and muttered, "How come this top student in your class always appears out of nowhere? If the old man who called the police hadn't been there the day of the fight, I would have really thought she was the one who called the police."

Sheng Yu kept her eyes down, completely unaware of Tang Ci's presence, and turned her phone expressionlessly.

Zhou Yiyang glanced at Tang Ci's back and said, "She has an invisible body. We've been classmates for two years, and I still can't remember what she looks like."

Tang Ci is not only transparent, but also lacks any topicality.

The boys quickly forgot about her and started talking about the weekend race.

Amidst the harmonious and noisy conversation, abrupt sounds of table corners scraping against the floor suddenly broke the silence.

The creaking sound seemed to be getting closer.

Zhou Yiyang turned around in confusion and saw Tang Ci, who had just passed by, carrying a schoolbag and struggling to move a desk with her slender arms, huffing and puffing as she moved toward the back door.

Due to excessive force, her cheeks bulged slightly, her large glasses wobbled precariously, and her round eyes behind the glasses were wide open.

Like a pufferfish that has puffed up its lungs but has no temper.

Zhou Yiyang suddenly realized that Tang Ci was actually quite good-looking.

Her actions not only attracted the boys gathered at the back door, but also drew surprised glances from her classmates.

Seeing that she was struggling to carry it, Jiang Chan rushed over to help, but didn't forget to ask, "Tang Ci, what are you doing?"

Tang Ci slowly raised her eyes and said in a natural tone, "Change seats."

Jiang Chan looked around the back of the classroom and saw that apart from the empty seat next to Sheng Yu, there were no other empty seats.

She asked anxiously, "Where are you going?!"

Before she finished speaking, Tang Ci had already moved her desk next to Sheng Yu's desk, and when she spoke again, she was slightly out of breath, "Here."

Jiang Chan and Zhou Yiyang looked at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Tang Ci solemnly moved the stool off his seat and casually wiped the sweat from his smooth forehead.

But he didn't sit down right away.

Class 1's classroom is near the stairs. In the corridor outside the classroom, not only are the students from Class 1 about to go downstairs, but also the students from Class 7 who are also going to have a physical education class walk by together.

Many girls used the time between classes to come and see Sheng Yu, and when they saw this scene in the classroom, they all stopped and whispered among themselves.

Tang Ci's fingertips rested on the table, her long, slender neck drooping, her eyebrows half-closed as she pondered something, like a jasmine flower swaying precariously on a branch.

A few seconds later, she finally mustered the courage to turn and look at Sheng Yu.

Sheng Yu, holding her phone, leisurely looked up at her, her chin resting on her palm, her brow slightly raised, as if waiting for her to speak.

Tang Ci could hear the cacophony of conversations around her and feel the probing gazes directed at her—some disdainful, some contemptuous, some mocking.

Everyone felt that someone like her standing next to Sheng Yu was out of place and inappropriate.

As her fingernails dug deeper into her palms, Tang Ci finally realized her nervousness under everyone's watchful eyes. She suppressed the tightness in her throat and tried to regain her composure, but her weak voice betrayed her cowardice.

"I, I'll tutor you."

Sheng Yu gave a cryptic smirk, his pale fingers tapping lightly on the table as he asked her, "Then why don't you dare sit down?"