Chapter 57
The two walked and talked, just like last semester, slowly making their way to the school with the flow of people.
The rising sun greets us, its golden light shining brightly.
After passing through the checkpoint at the school gate, I returned to my classroom.
The classroom was filled with rustling sounds—copying homework, chatting, playing on their phones—and the familiarity made Jian Sheng feel comfortable.
Zhong Mei hadn't said much when the phone rang.
The wailing erupted after she left.
"Who laid out this layout? Why is there another workbook at the back? It's so thin, just a few pages, who's going to see it?!"
He Shang took the workbook and ran to Chen Zhoujing's seat.
"Copy yours for me." He pulled the winter vacation homework book from under the draft paper, sat down in Xu Xiu's seat, and began to copy it.
Chen Zhoujing glanced at him indifferently, then looked away, took a photo album out of his pocket, and handed it to him.
He Shang noticed it out of the corner of his eye, stopped writing, and turned his head: "What's this?"
Chen Zhoujing gestured again, raising his chin towards the third row.
"Why did you hand it to me?" He Shang frowned.
"Could you do me a favor?" Chen Zhoujing placed the booklet on the table in front of him, turned his head, and lowered his voice. "Thank you."
He put his hands back in his pockets, his gaze sweeping over Jian Sheng's back, and then casually said, "I've already pre-ordered the limited-edition sneakers, and they'll arrive just one day before your birthday."
"Holy crap! Chen Gou... oh no! Grandpa Chen, you're my grandpa!!!" He Shang was overjoyed and stomped his feet a few times on the spot.
Then, he picked up the A4-sized booklet from the table and exclaimed, "Help! Help! Help right now!!"
After saying that, he put down the workbook he had only copied halfway through and prepared to walk towards the seats a few rows ahead of Jian Sheng.
Passing by Jian Sheng, he seemed to have taken a stimulant, deliberately bending down to praise, "Wow, this handwriting is really good, so angular! No wonder someone keeps it for them!"
He Shang winked at Chen Zhoujing and ran to Xu Xiaxia's side before his face darkened.
Jian Sheng put down his pen and looked at He Shang, who was smiling at Xu Xiaxia from the third row. The atmosphere was unusually harmonious.
But what did he mean by that?
She turned her head and met Chen Zhoujing's eyes, which quickly curved into a smile.
........
"What's wrong?" Chen Zhou asked in surprise.
Jian Sheng asked, "What collection?"
"What's wrong with him?" he asked again.
Chen Zhou was embarrassed and coughed several times.
He Shangzhen is inhuman!
“He… oh, I promised Xu Xiaxia I'd give her a photocard or something, and I brought it with me when I went to Qinjin this time.” Chen Zhoujing ignored the comment about the collection and continued, “He Shang helped me.”
"Oh." Jian Sheng frowned. "Then what is collecting?"
Chen Zhou gasped in surprise. Realizing he couldn't escape, he leaned against the desk, pinched his neck a few times, and hissed, "Collect...collect..."
"Well, well... it's that one, that one..." Just as she was thinking about how to make up a story, a quarrel broke out in front of her.
The noise interrupted their conversation.
"You're really sick in the head, you don't know what's good for you!" He Shang was furious, standing in the aisle with his hands on his hips.
Xu Xiaxia didn't back down either, standing up and asking, "Who's the one who's sick here?"
"You came here on your own, acting like a fool, and now I have to put up with your attitude?"
Jian Sheng turned around and exchanged a glance with Chen Zhoujing.
The two got up at the same time and walked forward.
Jian Sheng tugged at Lin You, who was sitting next to her: "What's wrong?"
Lin You glanced at the two of them and said nonchalantly, "It's just elementary school kids bickering."
"For an eraser." Zheng Nian turned around and took it, then looked up at He Shang, who had his back to her.
He continued, "During the final exam, he lent Xiaxia an eraser, but Xiaxia accidentally lost it. We just mentioned it, and that's how we started arguing."
"You can even argue about this? He Shang, you bastard, how can you be so stingy with girls!" Xu Xiao shoved Chen Zhoujing aside, walked from his shoulder to the front row, and punched He Shang.
He Shang glanced around; everyone's eyes were on him. He didn't speak and lowered his head.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Xu Xiao asked, puzzled.
“Yeah, it’s just an eraser, it’s not that serious, monk.” Xu Yanghe agreed and patted He Shang on the shoulder.
More and more people gathered in the classroom, quickly surrounding the small area.
Chen Zhoujing took a step forward, pulled Jian Sheng along, and then stood behind her.
Jian Sheng turned around, glanced at the crowd behind him, said nothing, and turned back.
Chen Zhoujing's gaze lingered on Jian Sheng for a few seconds before turning back to He Shang's lowered head.
My hair is shorter again. It wasn't very short before, but now it's a proper buzz cut.
Having known each other for many years, Chen Zhoujing knew that He Shang and Shen Xuzheng were two people with very similar underlying characteristics.
However, He Shang's eloquence and flattery were mostly revealed in his unintentional boasts and rarely in his actions.
However, unlike Shen Xuzheng, he believed that the best way to handle a relationship was not to express his feelings.
Shen Xuzheng was more generous than him, but his methods were not pleasing; he always waited for others to beg him.
He Shang is the one who is not good at expressing himself in relationships, and he really needs his partner to be direct with him.
But often, it makes the other person feel very tired.
Chen Zhoujing rarely saw him being reserved; it seemed that his usual unseriousness was just a facade.
He should be well aware of these underlying emotions, but he is unwilling to take that step.
Like him, they were all cowards.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore. You can go now. I'll go buy it later and return it to you." Xu Xiaxia was about to kick her out.
He Shang remained silent, staring blankly, seemingly doing nothing. Only the tips of his exposed ears were bright red.
Jian Sheng glanced at Xu Xiaxia's reddened eyes, then looked around at the classmates who were watching the commotion.
Amidst whispers, they slowly moved to Chen Zhoujing's side.
She tugged at his sleeve.
Chen Zhou turned his head in surprise. He squinted, his pupils filled with worry. He bent down, his gaze level with hers, waiting for her to speak.
Jian Sheng hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the two people who were locked in a stalemate.
Chen Zhoujing understood her meaning, and just as Xu Xiaxia was about to burst into tears, he said, "He Shang."
Hearing his voice, He Shang raised his eyes, a hint of stubbornness in his dark eyes.
"Workbook." Chen Zhou reminded him, and as He Shang walked towards him, he addressed the class, "Everyone back to your seats, there will be a test in Teacher Shen's class next period."
After he finished speaking, many people walked away, and those who remained were comforting Xu Xiaxia.
Seeing that everyone had left, Jian Sheng moved next to Lin You and stood quietly. She stayed with her for as long as they comforted her, until the school bell rang and they left. Then she whispered a few words to Xu Xiaxia.
Only then did he follow Chen Zhoujing back to his seat.
Later she learned that He Shang didn't actually want to make a fuss about an eraser; he just wanted to invite her out for her birthday.
I just didn't know what to say, and suddenly the conversation turned to erasers.
We often bicker when we talk, and when we try to argue, it turns into a fight.
Just like when eating in the cafeteria, fighting for a seat by the window, it was the first time Jian Sheng realized that the two of them were so good at bickering.
She stood next to the pillar, holding the plate, and swallowed hard.
The argument across the street was so loud that it almost alerted the teacher on duty outside.
"You're really persistent; I see you everywhere I go, like a black ghost." Xu Xiaxia said angrily.
Mr. He was speechless with anger at her outrageous descriptions, and could only stand in front of her with a cold, indifferent face.
"Why don't you go over there?" Chen Zhoujing and Xu Yanghe and the others came up from behind.
He glanced at the two people arguing again at the table diagonally in front of him, and then gave a signal to the people behind him.
The group walked to the empty seat next to He Shang.
“Let’s go.” Chen Zhou stepped forward and raised his chin.
Jian Sheng said "oh" and followed him.
There are four long tables in the back row by the window, with a total of twelve seats. The front and back rows are all occupied, leaving only the second row.
Chen Zhoujing put the plate on the table, then turned around and took the plate from Jian Sheng's hand, placing it next to him.
Only after doing all that did he speak: "It's such a long table, wouldn't it be better to sit together?"
"Harmony brings wealth." He waited for Jian Sheng to come over, then raised his hand and waved it in the air. "Sit down, everyone."
After they finished speaking, the two who had been arguing looked at the long table, which was almost full, exchanged glances, and then sat down opposite each other, feeling resentful.
Chen Zhoujing and the others took their seats quietly before following suit.
"Are you two arguing again?" Lin You asked, frowning, as four girls came up behind her.
Several people put down their plates and sat down in the empty seats.
"Who wants to argue with him? He's acting like he's crazy." Xu Xiaxia glared, slammed her hand on the table, and spilled a small piece of soup from her bowl.
Sitting next to her, Jian Sheng gasped, and looked up to see He Shang's poised and ready expression.
Fortunately, Lin You stopped them: "You two are like firecrackers every day. Let's eat. Eating too many firecrackers will make your face turn black."
Xu Yanghe chuckled after hearing something out of the blue.
Several people looked over.
Xu Yanghe pointed at He Shang's face: "It's really dark."
He Shang pursed his lips, his pent-up anger turning into silence.
"Eat, everyone!" He took out a few tissues he had casually grabbed before leaving and used them to wipe the soup on the table.
The argument ended there.
Before they even started eating, Gu Zhenyi suddenly called out from the end of the table, "Chen Zhoujing!"
Chen Zhou exclaimed in surprise, "What?"
Gu Zhenyi gritted her teeth, looked at Chen Zhoujing among the row of girls, and finally swallowed her words when she saw Jian Sheng staring at her with wide eyes.
She waved her hand: "It's alright."
"Oh." Chen Zhou nodded in surprise, then suddenly noticed Jian Sheng's plate. "Finally, there's meat."
Jian Sheng looked puzzled, not realizing anything, and looked away from the two small chicken drumsticks on the plate: "Mmm, Auntie said the chicken drumsticks are delicious today."
Chen Zhoujing's eyes softened: "The braised pork was delicious today too."
He raised an eyebrow: "I haven't tried it yet, would you like to?"
Jian Sheng glanced at the braised pork on his plate, pondered for a moment, and slowly nodded.
Upon receiving a response, he held out the plate: "Take this piece; it's all lean meat. You don't like fatty meat."
Jian Sheng paused with his chopsticks, and after a moment, he picked up the piece of lean meat as instructed.
“And this one, this one.” He pointed again.
Jian Sheng shook her head: "That's enough, that's enough, I can't eat that much."
Chen Zhoujing only gave up after she refused several times.
He watched her take a bite, then turned around with satisfaction.
While eating, I listened to He Shang talk about his birthday.
"Next month, on the 5th, which is a Sunday. No one can back out now." He propped his head up and turned to the group of people eating with their heads down.
"I know, I know, how many times have you said it? Who wouldn't come?" Xu Yanghe raised his glasses.
“That’s right,” Xu Xiu agreed.
"I'm just worried you guys won't have time or anything..." he said, glancing at Xu Xiaxia a few more times.
However, she didn't react much and started to regret arguing over an eraser.
Although... she gave him that eraser during a final exam in his first year of high school.
She just doesn't remember.
He Shang was very annoyed, but fortunately, Xu Xiaxia did not refuse his invitation.
The meal lasted a long time, with everyone at the table gossiping until they were the only ones left in the entire cafeteria.
The empty restaurant was filled with the cheerful voices of a few people.
No one seemed to be paying attention to the time; the teachers and students on duty outside urged them several times.
They only hurriedly started packing when the bell rang.
Twelve people, carrying plates, ran towards the door.
The bell rang, and the group quickened their pace toward the teaching building.
Jian Sheng ran a few steps and found Chen Zhoujing walking calmly behind him with a smile on his face.
Not knowing what she was laughing at, she stopped.
Chen Zhou was surprised to notice that she was waiting for him. He quickened his pace and stepped forward: "Why aren't you running?"
In short: "Why don't you run?"
Chen Zhou was startled and choked: "This is...."
Suddenly, he changed the subject: "Then... run!"
He had barely finished speaking when he started walking, and Jian Sheng quickly followed.
Soon, the two of them caught up with the main group ahead.
The ringtones throughout the building were filled with frantic sounds.
On a sunny midday, in the chilly early spring.
Chen Zhoujing originally wanted to say that there was no teacher when the preparatory bell rang.
They found Zhong Mei and the head of teaching affairs standing at the door, waiting for them.
The twelve people successfully stood in a row and received their punishment.
Because the head of the teaching department was present, Zhong Mei gave him a brief reprimand and then asked him to leave.
Jian Sheng was still panting when she looked at Chen Zhoujing, her lips curved into a smile and her brows relaxed.
Just as Chen Zhoujing was about to say something, Zhong Mei's voice rang out from behind him: "Chen Zhoujing."
"Come to my office."
Her voice was flat and monotone.
Jian Sheng's smile froze and then disappeared. Urged by Zhong Mei, he walked into the classroom, turning back every few steps.
My gaze, however, remained fixed on the view outside the window.
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