Lin Zhenzhen turned around and saw Gong Yao leaning against the wall.

He was backlit, his head almost touching the door frame.

"Gong Yao, what brings you here so suddenly?"

Perhaps because of his bad reputation, the English teacher's voice was noticeably lowered when she spoke, as if she was also somewhat hesitant.

"Did I disturb you?" Gong Yao raised his hand and touched his neck. "I knocked on the door twice."

He stepped forward and, relying on his long legs, effortlessly shortened the distance between himself and Lin Zhenzhen.

"The class monitor heard everything, right?"

Gong Yao smiled slightly, his expression nonchalant.

He had a buzz cut and a shallow crease under his eyelids.

Why are you standing so close? Stand further back.

The English teacher, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, jumped up from her seat, grabbed Lin Zhenzhen's arm, and pulled her back.

Gong Yao straightened up, the smile in his eyes becoming very faint.

"I'm sorry, teacher, I know you're busy, but I still need to trouble you to come to the principal's office with me."

He turned slightly to the side, as if deliberately avoiding Lin Zhenzhen's gaze, and lowered his voice, saying, "There are some documents that need your signature."

"Gong Yao," Lin Zhenzhen called out to him, "Don't you have anything you want to say to me?"

"Look at my memory, I've been so busy lately that I've completely forgotten things. You still have something with me, right?"

Lin Zhenzhen didn't know how to respond for a moment.

After pausing for two seconds, he answered somewhat uncertainly, "...Yes."

Gong Yao grinned, revealing a set of dazzlingly white teeth, but his eyes remained fixed on the stagnant air in front of him, refusing to look even slightly towards Lin Zhenzhen.

"Or maybe we should just forget about it, class monitor."

"No way!" the English teacher exclaimed. "Don't you know how important the learning materials are to them? How can you just let it go like that?"

"Yes, no, we can't just let it go like this."

Lin Zhenzhen tilted her head slightly, her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable firmness.

Gong Yao lowered his eyes to look at her, the smile on his lips growing fainter.

After an unknown amount of time, he turned around and let out a somewhat helpless sigh.

"Okay, I promise you, I will give you an explanation."

-

The early autumn weather is exceptionally pleasant.

A pleasant evening breeze gently caressed the girl, lifting her knee-length skirt.

Lin Zhenzhen looked at the stranger in front of her, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Hey classmate, you really don't remember me? We went to the city's speech contest together before. I came in second place, and you came in first."

Lin Zhenzhen tilted her head and lowered her eyes, seemingly trying to think.

After a moment, she smiled apologetically: "Um. I'm sorry, I don't remember very well."

The boy lowered his head in disappointment.

"It's okay, it all happened a long time ago. I was too embarrassed to say hello back then, so it's normal that you don't remember."

Lin Zhenzhen looked at him, her brown eyes filled with a gentle smile.

The boy instantly became even more nervous, and even started to stutter.

"Well, I just wanted to ask you, would you be interested in joining our literary society?"

"I'm sorry, she's not interested."

A somewhat cold-looking boy interrupted his question from behind.

Gong Yao, with his shoulder bag slung loosely over his shoulder, stood under a large banyan tree not far away, staring intently at the two of them.

Lin Zhenzhen called out his name.

Gong Yao strode forward. He was more than a head taller than the boy, with an ambiguous smile on his lips and a mischievous glint in his eyes like leaping flames.

"Yes, something came up and I was a little late."

Gong Yao spoke casually, but didn't even glance at the boy next to him.

His hostility and contempt were so obvious that even the most oblivious person could sense it.

"Well, never mind then, sorry to bother you."

The boy fled in panic, leaving the two of them standing there, speechless for a moment.

Lin Zhenzhen raised her head, her gaze lingering slightly as it swept over Gong Yao's profile.

Although the location was hidden, she still saw it: a small black mark below his left earlobe, near his neck.

If I'm not mistaken, it's a tattoo.