Chapter 39 Numb.39 My Heart Is No Longer at Peace

"jingle-"

The bell rang for the end of the second period.

Xu Wu put down his pen, looked up from the exam paper, glanced at the slightly messy red corrections, and once again felt a sense of aversion to the subject of mathematics.

I've never seen such a disgusting subject before; it's even worse than film analysis.

She sighed, put the pen cap back on, and pinched the bridge of her nose.

This is the review of the monthly exam. Although I promised the homeroom teacher I would listen carefully, math is something that you can't understand just by listening.

"Xu Wu, are you going to the cafeteria?" Xia Ni called out to her from the doorway, arm in arm with a girl she was with.

This week's flag-raising ceremony was unusually canceled, and coupled with the extended break between classes, it's only natural that most people would choose to have breakfast in the cafeteria.

Upon hearing this, Xu Wu glanced at Liu Tan, who was sitting in the front seat engrossed in writing and drawing, and shook his head as an answer.

"Alright then." Xia Ni didn't press the matter, and turned her gaze to Liu Tan, asking, "Hey, what do you want to eat?"

"A custard bun will do," he said loudly without looking up, "and bring me a cup of soy milk too."

"Okay, okay, this is such a hassle."

Shani rolled her eyes, turned around, and left with her companion.

Xu Wu didn't notice the noise. She stepped back slightly, took out the bag from the drawer, and then turned to look at Jie Ying's spot. It was empty.

Then, carrying the bag, he stood up, walked out of the classroom, strode across the corridor, and took out his phone to confirm the place he and Jie Ying had mentioned.

It's the empty storage room at the very front of this floor.

That's not quite accurate. It should be considered a classroom. It was originally used for repeat students, but the teaching building was expanded and the classroom was abandoned. Gradually, it was used as a storage room, where broken chairs and other items were often left.

When Xu Wu entered the storage room, the first thing she noticed was the figure standing in front of the window.

The weather was nice today, unlike the heavy rain last Friday. In addition, the sunlight at around nine o'clock in the morning was gentle and not glaring. He was easily enveloped by the light just by standing there, and even his hair was slightly translucent. You could even vaguely see the fine downy hairs on his face when you looked at half of his profile.

Startled by the scene, Xu Wu pursed her lips and unconsciously tightened her grip on the bag.

Taking a deep breath, she calmly said, "Jie Ying."

The person in front of him turned around as instructed, and their eyes met completely.

Even though she had met those eyes countless times, Xu Wu would still feel suffocated every time.

for example-

My heart stopped for a few seconds and then suddenly started racing, and I couldn't stop myself from taking steps back.

"Here you go," Xu Wu composed herself, put on a stern face, and handed the bag to Jie Ying. "I've already washed the clothes. If you mind, you can wash them again when you get home."

How could he possibly mind? Xu Wu was well aware of this; these words were merely polite formalities.

She could even imagine what Jieying would do to the bed she had slept in after she left the room.

"No, I don't mind." Jie Ying carefully took it and held it in her arms, even lowering her head to sniff it.

The aroma of freesia is refreshing and subtle, not very strong.

Not very concentrated... Jie Ying frowned slightly, then looked up: "This laundry detergent..."

"Oh, I'm done using it." Xu Wu said with a half-smile. "Anyway, you have the same one yourself, so it doesn't really matter whether I use it or not, right?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Jie Ying's cheeks flushed, making the mole on the corner of her lips appear even more beautiful.

Like a dewdrop trembling on a leaf on a clear morning after the rain.

Xu Wu shifted his gaze somewhat awkwardly and coughed lightly twice.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly, the bag he was holding making a soft rustling sound, a silent strain on his muscles. "Won't Wu...won't she think..."

"Disgusting?" Xu Wu kindly finished his hesitant words.

“…Hmm.” Jie Ying answered listlessly, her bangs drooping listlessly from nervousness.

"Was the bed I slept in comfortable?" she asked, seemingly unrelated to the question.

"..." He blushed and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "It feels very comfortable."

"Yes, it's still as disgusting as ever."

"I'm sorry."

"never mind."

As Xu Wu finished speaking, she noticed the surprised look in Jie Ying's eyes as she lifted her head from her bangs.

Is that strange? She found it amusing.

How could two simple words elicit such an expression from him?

She simply decided to leave it at that; she had no intention of pursuing the matter further or delving into it, and simply left it there.

"I......"

Jieying opened his mouth.

QQ—

Suddenly, two casual knocks came from the door.

Jie Ying shut her mouth.

Xu Wu looked in the direction of the sound and bumped right into Shang Xu, who was leaning against the door frame and still in a knocking position.

"Did I disturb you?" Shang Xu smiled. "I'm really sorry."

He emphasized the last four words, and although he was apologizing, neither his facial expression nor his tone showed any remorse.

"It's nothing." Looking at his smiling eyes, Xu Wu felt a strange sense of guilt, as if she had been caught out. After saying those two words, she added, "I came to return something. I was about to leave anyway."

She spoke with righteous indignation, so perfectly that not even her expression could be found to be flawless.

Two gazes fell upon him simultaneously. One was from his side, its gaze subtle yet carrying a nauseating undertone.

It was never moved.

Xu Wu's hands, hanging by her sides, were slightly sweaty, but she didn't show it. So she asked Shang Xu, "Did you come here for something?"

After all, this place is usually not frequented by many people, and because it has been separated into different areas, few people actually spend time here.

Of course, except for her and Jie Ying.

"There is something I need to do," Shang Xu said, glancing at Jie Ying as if it were nothing, while continuing to talk. "My Chinese teacher asked me to borrow your test paper from last month's exam. I couldn't find you in your classroom, so I had to ask a few people before I found you."

Xu Wu's humanities and sciences are starkly contrasting; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are worlds apart.

Her argumentative essays have always been well-written. For major exams, the grade level would compile a collection of essays and distribute the ones with the highest scores to the class. Usually, Xu Wu's essays were always the first ones.

However, since this was just a monthly exam, it wasn't uncommon for students from other classes to borrow her test papers; they were used to it.

"Okay, let's go, I'll go back and look for it."

Xu Wu agreed, but stopped after taking a step and glanced hesitantly at Jie Ying.

"What's wrong?" Shang Xu made way for her, and when he saw that she was not moving, he asked gently. When he saw why she had stopped, his gaze toward Jie Ying suddenly turned cold.

But Jie Ying acted as if he didn't see it, or rather, he completely ignored it.

"Fog, Fog, go back first." He raised his chin.

Xu Wu raised an eyebrow, did not insist, nodded, and followed Shang Xu out of the storage room.

The preparatory bell rang at the right time, but the students who were chatting and sunbathing in the corridor still showed no intention of entering the classroom.

"I've memorized all the essay collections that were handed out for the previous exams," Shang Xu said with a smile as he walked alongside her.

“Is that so?” Xu Wu distanced herself from him and said dismissively, “Then your memory is quite good.”

"It's alright, I'm just more familiar with what you've written before," he corrected.

"Yes, thank you," Xu Wu said politely.

Seeing that she had no intention of responding, Shang Xu smiled helplessly and changed the subject: "Speaking of which, our rehearsal on Wednesday might need a photographer."

"A photographer?" Xu Wu asked, puzzled. "It's just a rehearsal, why do we need a photographer?"

“I thought Fu Xi told you,” Shang Xu explained. “She said it was a requirement from the school to record some behind-the-scenes footage to be uploaded to the official website. If the performance goes well, it might even be included in next year’s admissions video.”

The admissions video for No. 1 High School is different every year, and three-quarters of the four-minute video features students from the school.

The key point is that the school has a rule that any student invited to appear on camera will receive a reward. Therefore, the annual New Year's Eve party and sports meet become a time for competition among classes, all hoping to be selected, and this year is no exception.

"Do you have a photographer in mind?" Xu Wu asked.

"Not yet." As soon as he finished speaking, Shang Xu looked up and realized that he had walked to the door of Class 4.

"I'm going to get the test paper. Wait here for me."

"good."

Xu Wu worked quickly, taking out the test paper and answer sheet together in about thirty seconds and handing them to Shang Xu.

"Thanks, I'll give it to you after school." He smiled.

“No need,” Xu Wu refused. “Just have Fu Xi bring it to me.”

Shang Xu paused for a moment, but ultimately said nothing, nodding in agreement with Xu Wu.

After seeing Shang Xu off, Xu Wu had just returned to her seat a second ago when the class bell rang.

She slowly found the history textbook for the lesson, recalling what Shang Xu had just said.

Photographer.

Xu Wu thought to himself, "In a way, it suits me quite well."

Thinking of this, she glanced at the podium and, seeing that the teacher hadn't arrived yet, took out her phone, unlocked it, and started typing on WeChat.

"Five: Did you bring your camera?"

The other party replied very quickly.

"Stalker: I brought it, but don't worry, I won't take pictures."

Why be so self-aware at a time like this?

Five: ......

"Five: We need a photographer for our club's rehearsal behind-the-scenes footage recording. Are you interested?"

"Stalker: No."

Xu Wu frowned and turned back—

Five: What?

Jie Ying's shooting skills are not bad, but it's hard to understand why some of his previous photos were so terrible. However, Xu Wu automatically interprets this as a mistake.

If their performance is selected for video appearance, then Jie Ying's name will also appear in the video.

The screen shows that the other person is typing.

About ten seconds later.

"Stalker: I can't take pictures without the fog."

Before Xu Wu could react, the next sentence appeared in the dialog box.

"Stalker: My camera is only for you"

Just eight short characters.

Xu Wu stared intently, her hand gripping the edge of the phone unconsciously tightening as she held her breath.

It seemed that even the breath he exhaled gradually turned into warm steam, enveloping his slightly cold face until it became scalding hot, and his heart was no longer at peace.

Just for...her?

Author's Note: There's more...