"Xiao Zhen? Are you feeling unwell?" Lin Simiao stood up and touched her forehead with the back of her hand. "It doesn't feel hot."

Lin Zhenzhen shook her head: "Dad, I'm fine."

Lin Simiao sighed: "I've been busy with the start of the school year lately, so I haven't spent much time with you and haven't taken good care of you. It's my fault."

“It’s okay, Dad, you go ahead and do your thing.” Lin Zhenzhen looked up. “I’m an adult now, I can take good care of myself.”

Lin Simiao patted the top of her head, his smile gentle: "Xiao Zhen is great."

It seemed there was something urgent going on. Lin Simiao ate a couple of bites of food and then hurriedly got up to change her clothes.

"The dishes and chopsticks are on the table. Dad can wash them when he gets home tonight." As he reached the door, he suddenly remembered something, turned around and smiled, "Oh right, I almost forgot to mention that."

Happy birthday, my darling daughter.

Lin Zhenzhen was taken aback. Even though she knew the blessing wasn't for her, she couldn't help but be touched.

She suddenly felt that it was good to stay in this world in a daze and take a break for a while.

Lin Zhenzhen slowly finished her breakfast, put the empty bowls in the kitchen sink, tidied up briefly, and then went out.

It was rush hour for students going to school, and there were many of Lin Zhenzhen's classmates on the bus.

"Good morning, class monitor."

"morning."

"Squad leader, would you like some bread?"

"No, thank you. I've already had breakfast."

A group of sixteen- or seventeen-year-old high school students were crammed onto a bus, chattering about the latest movies, popular singers, and foreign idols.

A youthful atmosphere permeated the carriage, and Lin Zhenzhen was inevitably infected by it, feeling as if she herself had become much younger.

When we arrived at a certain station, a familiar face appeared in the crowd outside the train door.

"Xiao Zhen!" Li Huiran waved to her.

Good morning.

Lin Zhenzhen glanced outside a few times, and for some reason, a strange sense of loss welled up in her heart.

Her emotional changes did not deceive Li Huiran's eyes.

She tugged at Lin Zhenzhen's sleeve and lowered her voice: "Are you still waiting for Gong Yao?"

Lin Zhenzhen's heart skipped a beat, and she slowly raised her head, saying, "I..."

"Don't wait any longer. He really doesn't plan to study anymore."

"Not going to school?" Lin Zhenzhen opened her mouth in surprise. "He's so young, what is he going to do if he doesn't study properly?"

Li Huiran selectively ignored Lin Zhenzhen's strange tone and shouted excitedly.

"What else can he do? Of course, he'll go make money! You know his family's situation."

“There are no adults in the family, and my grandmother has such a terminal illness that surgery will cost a lot of money. The scholarship from the school can only cover his tuition and daily expenses.”

Li Huiran shook her head with a sigh: "I heard from my parents the other day that their only house has also been put up for sale."

"Xiao Zhen, tell me, Gong Yao has sold all his houses and has no home left. Where can he go?"

Lin Zhenzhen's mind was in turmoil.

The image of the spirited young man riding his motorcycle along the riverbank, smiling and wishing himself a happy birthday, is still vivid in my mind.

I just took a nap, how come everything changed when I woke up?

Seeing her looking dejected, Li Huiran sighed and comforted her, "Xiao Zhen, you've done your best. These are adult matters. What can two high school students like us do to help?"

Lin Zhenzhen turned her head to look at the scenery outside the window and remained silent for a moment.

After morning self-study, Lin Zhenzhen went straight to the office.

After the division into arts and sciences tracks, Lin Zhenzhen and Gong Yao were no longer in the same class.

His homeroom teacher was a young woman who had recently graduated and was also Lin Zhenzhen's English teacher.

The English teacher was preparing the PowerPoint presentation for the upcoming class when she looked up and saw Lin Zhenzhen standing obediently in the corner.

"Xiao Zhen, is there something you need?"

Lin Zhenzhen nodded: "Good morning, Teacher Ai."

The English teacher put down what she was doing and waved to her warmly, "Good morning. What's wrong? Are you having any difficulties with your studies?"

Lin Zhenzhen gently shook her head: "Teacher Ai, I heard that Gong Yao is going to drop out of school, is that true?"

"Gong Yao?" The English teacher frowned. "Yes, that's true."

Why did you suddenly ask about him?

One is an excellent student with both good character and academic performance, while the other is a good-for-nothing troublemaker who does nothing but cause trouble all day long.

When two people like this come into contact, any teacher would have to pay attention and ask them a few more questions.

"Will he still come to school? Or, Ms. Ai, could you help me contact him?"

The English teacher immediately adopted a look of alarm: "What do you want with him?"

“I have some very important study notes with him. He was supposed to come back after the summer vacation, but now I can’t find him.”

Lin Zhenzhen blinked calmly, her expression open and honest.

Asking for her study notes back was, of course, just a lame excuse that Lin Zhenzhen made up on the spot.

Having no other choice, she couldn't contact Gong Yao and had to resort to this drastic measure.

But it was obvious that the teacher chose to believe her without even thinking, and even filled in some details in his own mind to make the logic consistent.

"Study notes?" The English teacher slammed her hand on the table angrily. "Well, well, this naughty boy not only doesn't study properly, but he even dares to steal his classmates' things!"

"...No, he didn't."

"Is he trying to blackmail you with this, asking you for money?"

"Really, no."

"Free of charge?!" The English teacher's voice rose an octave. "Did he make some other request of you?"

"No, no, no, it's not what you think."

Lin Zhenzhen shook her head vigorously: "Gong Yao didn't bully anyone. I lent him the notebook on my own initiative."

As soon as she finished speaking, a very soft knock sounded on the door behind her.