Chapter 29

"Hey, Lin Mian, don't look at her."

Jin Zixuan reached out and grabbed Lin Mian's arm, pulling Lin Mian back as he was looking towards the grass.

But Lin Mian couldn't help but turn his eyes to the girl.

She is so beautiful.

The face has a smooth shape, and under the big eyes that seem to be able to speak is a straight and upturned nose. Even the mouth is neither too thin nor too thick, which is very beautiful.

She is a girl that you will be attracted to at first sight.

"Oh, you're still looking!"

Jin Zixuan was a little angry. She finally took advantage of the opportunity when Zhong Yuqi was not around and asked Lin Mian to go out and buy stationery. Unexpectedly, Lin Mian's attention was easily attracted by someone else.

Becoming Lin Mian's friend is the happiest thing for Jin Zixuan this year, but Lin Mian never cares about her as much as she does.

"Is there anything I can't watch? So many people are watching."

Stopping for a beautiful person is a very normal thing in nature. Lin Mian didn't understand what Jin Zixuan was making a fuss about. She obviously had plenty of time and it was not like she didn't have time to buy stationery.

There are no evening self-study classes for the first and second grade students at Beishi Middle School, so Lin Mian agreed to go out with Jin Zixuan to buy stationery. For this reason, she also asked Chen Xiaoqiu to wait for her in the car first.

"That girl, she... Anyway, her reputation is not very good. No girl wants to get close to her."

Um?

Lin Mian was intrigued. She didn't think her reputation would improve. She wasn't approachable right now. She might have done well on the test, but she was a bit aloof and distant, the kind of person everyone disliked as a "connected person." Even with all that, Jin Zixuan still wanted to be friends with her. So what had that girl done to make Jin Zixuan so repulsive?

"Why does she have a bad reputation?"

After carefully looking around, Jin Zixuan pulled Lin Mian to a corner before speaking, "They all say she's a bitch, speaks in a coquettish voice, and has seduced many boys. We should stay away from girls like that."

Lin Mian was almost shocked. What did "slutty" mean? How old was this girl, and she was being called like that, and even "seduced"?

She really couldn't understand.

"Did you see her seducing anyone? Or why do they call her a slut?"

"I didn't see it, but everyone says so. It proves that's the kind of person she is. Don't get close to her. I'm afraid others will say something about you."

Lin Mian sighed. She couldn’t go shopping anymore today. She didn’t expect Jin Zixuan to be such a person.

"Just because everyone says so, does that mean it's right? Some theories are constantly being proven wrong. Didn't the Soviet Union, which was once so powerful in everyone's eyes, also disintegrate? How old is this girl? Why is she being looked down upon by everyone based on these so-called rumors? How can she be described with such harsh words at such a young age? How can this be justified?"

Seeing the usually calm and composed Lin Mian start to get angry, Jin Zixuan was a little scared, and a little sad because Lin Mian cared about others.

"But everyone says that. Do you have any way to stop them from saying that? Their mouths are on their bodies. How can I control them from saying things like that?"

"Then please control yourself and don't say such things!"

Lin Mian glanced at her coldly, shook off her hand, turned around and walked back, leaving Jin Zixuan staring blankly at her back.

Looking at the hand that was shaken away, Jin Zixuan was unable to recover for a long time.

Did she do something wrong?

But shouldn't people just follow the crowd? That way they'll suffer the least harm.

Standing in the largest group of people, nothing will go wrong even if you don't speak up.

But if you stand in the smallest group, even if you speak out, it will be of no use.

Jin Zixuan has always protected herself in this way.

When she was in elementary school, she was ostracized because of her good grades and the fact that she was considered aloof in the eyes of outsiders. Even when she answered questions normally in front of the teacher, she was called "pretentious" and "a flatterer" by others.

Jin Zixuan didn't want to be talked about like this, and didn't want to be ignored, so she chose to put herself in a difficult position.

No matter what others say, she will not object even if she disagrees in her heart, and may even agree with it on the surface.

Just like what she did with Wu Bingxia, she chose to protect herself while also helping Lin Mian to protect himself.

Her care for Lin Mian was real, and her dislike for Wu Bingxia was also real.

Jin Zixuan couldn't understand why what she thought was right was not acceptable to Lin Mian.

On the other side, Lin Mian walked to Wu Bingxia. She was sitting alone on the grass, but her eyes were empty, as if she looked down on everyone, and as if anyone could enter her eyes.

Such beautiful eyes should be more lively.

Lin Mian sat next to Wu Bingxia.

"Hello, I'm Lin Mian. I'd like to know your name, is that okay?"

The eyes finally showed some spirit, but there was no movement.

"You should stay away from me, especially an ordinary girl like you. Don't let me harm you."

Her voice sounded so lazy, but what she said was not relaxing at all.

"Harm me? How?"

"You don't want to know, but I see you're also from Beishi Middle School. It would be better for you if you don't come over to me when you see me next time."

Wu Bingxia stood up, brushed off the grass clippings on her plaid skirt, and left, as if Lin Mian's arrival disturbed her.

Lin Mian didn't chase after her. She just felt that what Wu Bingxia said was partly right.

She shouldn't have approached Wu Bingxia before she got to know her. She only wanted to get close to her after knowing her experience, but such closeness would cause trouble to Wu Bingxia.

She decided to get to know Wu Bingxia starting today and let her know that she was not just talking.

Seeing Lin Mian's excited expression in the rearview mirror, Chen Xiaoqiu felt a little curious.

Lin Mian usually has a cold face and doesn't look like a child of her age at all.

Her precocity made even Chen Xiaoqiu, who loved teasing children, afraid to tease her.

"What happened today? Xiao Mian, you look so happy."

"Is there?"

Lin Mian couldn't help but touch her face. Did she really look happy?

"A very interesting thing did happen."

"How interesting is that?"

"It has allowed me to understand a more interesting side of the world."

Later, Chen Xiaoqiu wanted to ask more questions, but Lin Mian just laughed it off.

Lin Mian's world used to be black and white.

But after her parents divorced, she felt that the world was not as simple and easy as she thought.

She discovered that people are complex; they construct the world and are also influenced by the world.

The world she understood was more than what Lin Mei told her.

Lin Mian no longer has high expectations for growing up, but she has a deeper desire to understand this world.

What’s the point of questions created by humans? Lin Mian doesn’t think that things that can be solved by studying are the most interesting.

Aren’t people who are the most interesting always complicated?

Even today, Lin Mian dreams of Qin Yumin and Li Qiming, and occasionally Chen Baixuan appears in his dreams.

They were all accusing her of leaving without saying a word.

But Lin Mian would not be troubled by such a dream.

She just wants to be a hero who solves problems, not an object of sympathy or pity.

Lin Mian couldn't accept being rescued, so she chose to escape.

This was the first time she faced a problem that she couldn't solve, and Lin Mian didn't want to go through it again.

She wants to understand the world better and become a hero.

She can solve all problems instead of being a cowardly bug who can only escape.

Looking at the ever-changing scenery outside the window, Lin Mian took off her glasses and decided to accept the challenge.

The next day at school, Jin Zixuan anxiously came to Lin Mian to apologize: "I'm sorry, Xiao Mian, I shouldn't have said that. I realize my mistake. Please forgive me, I will change in the future."

Maybe Jin Zixuan doesn’t know, but her eyes are really easy to understand.

She just wanted to win back her friend Lin Mian, and she didn't really recognize her own problems.

Lin Mian’s choice is——

"I was a little anxious yesterday, and what I said wasn't quite right. Xiaoxuan, can you tell me more about that girl?"

Looking at Lin Mian's amiable expression, Jin Zixuan breathed a sigh of relief and told him everything she knew.

Zhong Yuqi didn't know what the two were talking about, but she didn't care. Lin Mian might hide some things from her, but he would tell her later.

Zhong Yuqi has this confidence. She now knows everything about Lin Mian. She is Lin Mian’s best friend. There are some things that Lin Mian cannot tell others, but he can tell her.

So Zhong Yuqi is willing to be a good listener when Lin Mian wants to speak.

Jin Zixuan's words were also artistically processed, and Lin Mian knew that he couldn't believe them completely.

But there are also good things, like now she is standing outside Wu Bingxia's class waiting for her.

After packing up her things and walking out of the classroom, Wu Bingxia was startled by Lin Mian who suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Why are you here?"

"Are you surprised? Didn't you tell your sister yesterday that you really wanted to know her name? Can you tell me now?"

Wu Bingxia was speechless. She didn't believe that someone knew her class but didn't know her name.

Wu Bingxia said unhappily, "Wu Bingxia, Wu Bingxia, do you remember?"

"I remember it. It's a nice name. It has both winter and summer. It's beautiful."

Wu Bingxia pursed her lips, held the strap of her schoolbag, and walked forward without saying a word.

When she turned the corner, the vein on her forehead was throbbing.

"Are you done yet? Why are you still following me?"

Lin Mian waved his hand, "I want to go home too. Shouldn't I go from here?"

What? It makes you act like you are being overly sentimental.

Wu Bingxia covered her face and strode forward. As she walked, she started running again.

After a while, Wu Bingxia turned around and looked. Seeing that there was no one behind her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, a sense of loss filled her heart.

Don't you want to make friends with her?

Why was I frightened by her cold face?

However, if she didn't scare Lin Mian away, Wu Bingxia was afraid that Lin Mian would be hurt.

She bit her lower lip and didn't even notice that it was bleeding.

"Hey, why is your mouth bleeding?"

Wu Bingxia was almost petrified. She pointed a trembling finger at Lin Mian and asked, "Are you a ghost or a human?"

Lin Mian pulled Wu Bingxia's finger and pointed at the shadow with a bit of amusement, "I have a shadow, I am a human."

"Then why did you suddenly appear in front of me? Are you... a Taoist priest who catches zombies?"

Influenced by Hong Kong culture, many teenagers watch zombie movies. Wu Bingxia was reminded of a movie clip.

Lin Mian pointed to the passage on the left and said, "There's a road here, and this road is closer. No way, you didn't know it after all this time?"

Wu Bingxia felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks slightly red. "No one told me... Oh, you little dwarf run quite fast, but it's scary."

"Dwarf" Lin Mian looked at the girl in front of her who was much taller than her. Well, she said being a dwarf was not a problem.

"Let's go together. Since no one has told you, I'll go with you. You'll know later."

This time Wu Bingxia did not refuse.