Chapter 85: Desolation

Chapter 85: Desolation

Senior year of high school life became even more structured.

There were no more music classes, physical education classes, or any activities, big or small. In their first and second years of high school, students often had the opportunity to participate in many interesting campus activities, as well as some very interesting humanities and social science lectures, such as "From Blue and White Porcelain to Pastel" and "Analysis of the Visual Art of Miyazaki Hayao's Films"... However, these were not for the third year of high school.

For senior high school students, mornings begin with loud and passionate recitation of oaths. Morning exercises have been replaced with running exercises. Even while waiting in line, they are busy memorizing vocabulary words or other secret tips on small slips of paper. Lunch break has become a luxury. The competition for food in the cafeteria has eased a little because senior high school students receive preferential treatment. In the dormitory, everyone is working on their little flashlights for longer and longer, and the number of times they go home has gradually become countable. When the new class uniforms were first received, the back was printed with the English words "DoorDie," meaning "Do or Die."

This perfectly reflects their current situation.

However, one time when they were wearing their class uniforms and preparing to line up for morning exercises, a student from another class said, puzzled, "What does that say on their class uniforms? 'Door Dad'?"

Li Peixiang chased the man for two miles, yelling, "You fucking know why you pronounce English with pinyin at the end?!"

When Fang Yuenian told Cheng Bing about this anecdote, she almost laughed herself silly.

Specifically, among the people around him, Meng Xiaoyang's final exam in the second year of high school was not ideal, and his ranking in the grade was only in the forties. Li Peixiang was even more average, barely staying in the top three hundred. So at the beginning of the new semester, their attitude towards learning was extremely serious. It wasn't until the first monthly exam, when their rankings returned to normal, that they relaxed a little.

—Those secret speculations seem to be just speculations. There seems to be no sign that anything has developed between the two of them, although Li Peixiang still goes to great lengths to help the four boarding students whenever they need it.

The biggest change is in the dormitories.

They moved dormitories again. Cheng Bing moved into a four-person room in Class 9, along with the only male student living on campus in Class 17. Although the six of them had different habits in many ways, they got along very well. Because of their excellent hygiene and discipline, they were even rated as an excellent dormitory several times.

This was an honor they had never received in the previous two years, so Li Peixiang generously organized a barbecue party. This gathering became their happiest outing experience during the first semester of their senior year.

The pressure last semester wasn't terrifying or suffocating. After the midterm exams, the homeroom teacher showed a movie again, something that hadn't happened in a long time.

Meng Xiaoyang asked Fang Yuenian if she wanted to call Cheng Bing.

Li Peixiang said, "Hurry up and go. I couldn't get him to come last time. I'll go and call that guy from Class 17 too. We should share the good fortune."

The boarding student in Class 17 is named Li Mingqi. Since coming to their dormitory, he has gained a lot of friendships. Everyone has managed to make him, an extremely introverted and quiet boy, more outgoing.

Fang Yuenian was persuaded, so she went downstairs and found her way to the door of Class 18.

Three large ironwood trees still stood in the corridor, probably replaced twice, but they remained standing. Looking inside, Cheng Bing was not in her seat again.

Just as he was wondering where this person had gone, Cheng Bingren suddenly leaned out from the doorway and called out to him, "Fang Yuenian!"

It turned out that Cheng Bing had seen him as soon as he floated past the doorway.

Fang Yuenian ran over and said, "Our homeroom teacher is showing a movie again, want to go?" Turning around, she saw Li Peixiang calling Li Mingqi out from in front of the door of Class 17 next door. "Look, Li Mingqi is going too, wanna come?"

Cheng Bing said, "I..."

Before he could finish uttering the word "I," a person stepped out from behind him, smiling, and said, "Cheng Bing, I'm ready!"

It is Zhang Qing.

Fang Yuenian paused for a moment, then looked at Cheng Bing: "Is there something you need?"

“It’s agreed,” Cheng Bing said in a low voice, her gaze fixed on Fang Yuenian’s face, “We agreed to discuss the questions.”

Zhang Qingcai saw Fang Yuenian, blinked, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Cheng Bing: "How about..."

"Nothing, nothing," Fang Yuenian said quickly. "Well, you guys go ahead and learn. Oh, I have to go now."

He was about to leave when Zhang Qing called out to him, "Wait, Fang Yuenian."

"Huh?" Not being familiar with her either, Fang Yuenian had no choice but to stand still.

"My parents are inviting Cheng Bing to our house for dinner tomorrow to thank him for helping me with my studies. Do you want to come along?" Zhang Qing smiled, looking very cheerful.

Fang Yuenian's expression changed.

Before the exam, he asked Cheng Bing if she had time to go out for a walk after the exam, and she said she would talk about it after the exam.

“I,” Fang Yuenian said stiffly, “I won’t go. I have things to do too. Thank you, thank you.”

Without looking at them again, he quickly crossed the corridor and went upstairs.

Li Peixiang and the others were puzzled to see him return alone and asked, "Where is Cheng Bingren?"

"No time, I'm studying," Fang Yuenian replied with her head down, and went back to her seat.

Li Peixiang said, "You're already studying right after the exams? So fast!"

Fang Yuenian didn't want to talk.

Meng Xiaoyang said, "Uh, I bought some potato chips. Let's share them. I'll give you a cucumber flavor."

Fang Yuenian tossed the potato chips onto the table, sighed silently, picked them up, tore open the packaging, and chewed them listlessly.

Who couldn't tell he was unhappy? Meng Xiaoyang pushed Li Peixiang aside, sat down next to Fang Yuenian, and said, "Are you free tomorrow? Let's play badminton?"

Fang Yuenian munched on potato chips: "Aren't you going to catch up on sleep?"

"After playing and working up a sweat, it's perfect to take a shower and then go to sleep."

Fang Yuenian smiled and said, "I'm a little tempted."

Li Peixiang perked up immediately, "Great! Let's all four of us do it together. School heartthrob Cheng needs to get some exercise too."

Fang Yuenian: "..."

Meng Xiaoyang hated his talkativeness and said, "If I didn't call you, Fang Yuenian and I would have gone alone."

Li Peixiang: "Damn it, why? By what right?"

Before they could finish shouting, a boy carrying a lot of things in both hands came in through the back door of the classroom and walked straight towards them.

Li Peixiang was the first to see it, and his eyes widened in surprise: "...Damn."

He Linjie approached Meng Xiaoyang carrying a large pile of milk tea and snacks, and asked, "What movie are you showing?" As he spoke, he put down the things he was carrying, his movements natural and his expression calm. "Hmm? Fang Yuenian, Cheng Bing isn't here? I bought some for him."

Fang Yuenian: "..."

Meng Xiaoyang: "..."

Li Peixiang silently turned his body away, focusing intently on the beginning of the movie on the multimedia screen.

What can be done?

They're childhood friends, even if they've fallen out, they spent a summer together, what's there to be upset about?

It's unclear how the two talked, but He Linjie completely changed his previous homophobic attitude, frequently offering help and inviting people to play ball. He also occasionally had his mother invite people over for meals. After being estranged for more than two years, the relationship between these two friends has been rekindled since the start of this semester.

He Linjie has even improved a lot, and he's now in the top 300.

Fang Yuenian could only force a laugh: "You've gone to so much trouble. Cheng Bing isn't here, so I'd rather we all have a drink together."

He Linjie said, "You want to have a couple of drinks? That might make you sleepless."

Meng Xiaoyang buried himself in distributing the items, calling over Chen Yu and Wang Wei. He Linjie was very generous, giving enough for the six people in the dormitory, plus himself, Cheng Bing, and even Li Peixiang.

Li Peixiang was extremely frustrated.

He had called He Linjie an idiot for two or three years, and now that they were suddenly friends, he still couldn't get used to it after two months.

He Linjie adapted quite well, and he could chat and laugh with Fang Yuenian.

After the milk tea was served, the movie started, and He Linjie naturally sat down next to Meng Xiaoyang.

Li Peixiang's eyes darted back and forth. He was annoyed by the two people sitting side by side in front of him, but he was also conflicted when he saw Fang Yuenian looking listless next to him.

Since the start of the semester, Cheng Bing has never been with the others. I heard that she even goes back to the dormitory to sleep very late and doesn't fool around with Chen Yu and the others. Although it's because of the stress of studying in the senior year of high school, the difference is still quite significant, not to mention Fang Yuenian, even Li Peixiang felt.

With Cheng Bing gone and He Linjie constantly coming over on his own, the dynamics of their group inexplicably changed—they all seemed unhappy.

After much hesitation, Li Peixiang whispered in Fang Yuenian's ear, "Hey, I have something to tell you."

Fang Yuenian turned her head dismissively and said, "Mm."

"I heard that Cheng Bing still can't change seats after this midterm exam. Their homeroom teacher is now using him as a stabilizer for Zhang Qing. Zhang Qing has indeed been quite normal for the past two months, unlike last semester when she made a huge fuss after the final exam results came out. The school and her parents were terrified, afraid that she would do something rash."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yuenian felt even more upset.

He only found out about this when school started. Zhang Qing failed to get into the top ten in her entire second year of high school, and her condition became increasingly out of control. She self-harmed several times during the summer vacation and cut her hair into a mess. The school was also afraid that something might happen to her, so they dared not say a harsh word to her. She wanted Cheng Bing to be her deskmate, and the homeroom teacher immediately went to talk to Cheng Bing to persuade him to agree.

How could Cheng Bing disagree?

In the last monthly exam, Zhang Qing returned to the top ten after a long time and was in great form, so changing seats was even more impossible at this time.

“Cheng Bing has done a great service,” Li Peixiang said, “but it’s not a solution. Right now, they can sit together, but what about later? After the college entrance exam, will they apply to the same university and continue to let Cheng Bing coax her?”

Meng Xiaoyang, sitting in the front row, was speechless, wondering why this person was being so oblivious today. He couldn't help but turn his head and whisper to him, "Li Peixiang, stop talking."

Li Peixiang shrugged, but Fang Yuenian smiled and said, "Indeed, it is a great deed."

I'm going to someone's house for dinner tomorrow.

His smile looked rather forlorn, and upon seeing it, Li Peixiang regretted saying those things.

While they were silent, He Linjie suddenly turned his head and said, "I think the homeroom teacher of Class 18 is pretty awful. Does Cheng Bing owe her something? Maybe it's not true. Cheng Bing could have been in the top five, but now she can only be in the seventh or eighth place."

Fang Yuenian: "Uh..."

Meng Xiaoyang: "Why are you getting all excited too? Just enjoy the movie."

He Linjie: "Oh, okay, okay."

Li Peixiang rolled his eyes in annoyance and whispered to Fang Yuenian, "Yuenian, don't mind it. After all, they're classmates. Cheng Bing will probably help if she can."

Fang Yuenian snorted: "I don't care. I don't need to explain problems to others. I can't even get into the top fifty myself, why bother with such things?"

Li Peixiang said, "How do you know you won't get in? The results haven't come out yet, don't discourage yourself."

Fang Yuenian twitched the corner of her mouth and said, "We'll talk about it later. I'm going to the bathroom."

He didn't care what movie was playing. He walked out and stood on the corridor outside the restroom, silently looking at the high school building across the street.

Back in our first year of high school, I was full of energy every day, climbing up and down stairs to find Cheng Bing. Now we live in the same dorm, but we don't talk anymore. We exchange a few words when we're washing up in the morning, and a few words before bed at night, and that's how the day goes by. I often hear gossip about him, but I've never seriously asked about it. I can't very well stop Cheng Bing from helping Zhang Qing, can I?

Cheng Bing herself never said it.