Chapter 6
“I was right,” my deskmate said.
Jian Sheng paused in her pen-holding motion, then heard her deskmate say, "You don't need to get to know him; he'll get to know you on his own."
"So that's what it means," Jian Sheng said, placing the pen on the table. Just then, Zhong Mei walked in from outside.
"Class representatives, collect the summer homework." After she finished speaking, she looked over at Jian Sheng. "Chen Zhoujing, what are you doing? I told you to water the flowers for me, where are you?"
Chen Zhoujing abruptly looked away from Jian Sheng, then stood up with a start: "Teacher, I forgot. I'll take it next week too."
After he finished receiving his punishment, Zhong Mei seemed quite satisfied and waved for him to sit down: "Since you enjoy receiving punishments so much, here's a reward for you."
She deliberately took a detour, walked around to the podium, and sat down before speaking: "Later, you will lead the new students to get their books."
"Teacher, this isn't a reward at all. With so many books, this is just pure punishment," said the burly boy next to Jian Sheng.
Zhong Mei chuckled and said, "Oh, so you're being punished."
"Then Xu Xiao, you should go too." As soon as she finished speaking, laughter erupted in the class.
"No, teacher! I think Chen's attitude in accepting punishment was excellent. He should be rewarded with helping the new students move books. I'm very satisfied." Xu Xiao clasped his hands together and begged for mercy towards the podium.
Zhong Mei chuckled and ignored him, then added, "Can Chen Zhoujing complete the mission?"
"Yes, teacher." The clear and strong voice behind Jian Sheng echoed in her ears, like cool water from a deep well on a hot day, refreshing and clear.
Jian Sheng raised his left hand and wiped his forehead, letting out a deep sigh of relief, hoping that no more physical pain would occur.
"Sorry, new classmate, the teacher asked him to go, so I won't go." Her deskmate poked her with his pen.
Jian Sheng snapped out of her daze and said thank you.
Chen Zhoujing, who was just worried about how to deliver the drinks, finally had a reason.
The sound of rain outside the window gradually stopped, water droplets fell from the treetops, and the sunlight quietly broke through the thick clouds, falling on everything. The corridor, which had been dampened by a few leaves that had reached in, gradually dried.
The bell rang.
Jian Sheng felt something hard poking her from behind. She turned around and met a smiling face.
Chen Zhou had a handsome and rugged face. His eyebrows were long and straight, and his eyes were like black pebbles in clear water, clean and bright. His extremely long eyelashes made his eyes look bright and beautiful. A well-placed beauty mark under his eye perfectly matched the golden ratio of his five eyes, adding a touch of charm.
With short hair on the sides and slightly longer hair in front, it's a neat and refreshing hairstyle. When he's not smiling, his face looks much more aloof, but when he smiles, he looks gentler and more youthful.
Chen Zhoujing just stared at her, making her feel a little uncomfortable.
He didn't speak, forcing Jian to ask in a low voice, "What is it?"
"That's fierce!" Chen Zhou exclaimed, teeth bared. "Shall we set off now?"
Jian Sheng didn't reply. She stood up and walked towards the back door. After taking two steps and not hearing any sound from behind, she turned around. The person who was supposed to help her get the book was sitting calmly in his seat, looking at her leisurely. He seemed to be thinking about something in his deep eyes, and was hesitant.
"Are you coming or not?" Jian asked in a low voice.
Chen Zhoujing was stunned for a few seconds by her cold voice. He glanced at his watch. The place to pick up the books was downstairs in the registrar's office. It would take just enough time for a one-way trip. The first class was taught by Lao Zhong. He stood up and said, "Let's go, new student."
"Do you usually talk to people around you like this, transfer student?" The two walked through the corridor and came to the dimly lit stairwell from yesterday. There was a small glass window diagonally above their heads, and sunlight shone into the room in a square shape, curving down along Chen Zhoujing's hair and covering half of his upper body.
His face was both dimly lit and vividly bright.
Jian Sheng stopped and turned to face him standing in the light, his entire body enveloped in that ray of light.
He smiled gently at her, stopped, and took a short breath. His face was cold and indifferent, and the darkness enveloped him perfectly, matching his aloofness. He said, "I don't usually talk."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Chen Zhou was stunned for a long time, and only ran up to her after the slender figure walked further and further away: "Who doesn't talk? Wouldn't you die if you didn't talk? My mouth feels uncomfortable if I don't talk for even a minute."
"Hey, is it because you're studying that you don't have time to talk? It's okay, I'll tell you, time can always be squeezed out. Have you heard of that, like squeezing a sponge... We've known each other for so long, we're good brothers. Do you like playing basketball? I'll teach you. I'm pretty good at it."
We've only known each other for a day...
"But with your delicate skin... you need to practice more. Don't worry, I'll teach you how to warm up when we play." The two approached the administration office, knocked twice on the door, and said behind them, "We don't do any of those fancy tricks when we play, I'm afraid you can't handle it..."
There was a response from inside the door. Jian opened the door and took a step, but something blocked the door from behind, so she could only squeeze in sideways. As soon as she stopped, her back bumped into a hot chest, which pressed against hers.
"Why don't you go in?" the person behind you asked, taking a step back. After a few seconds, they added, "What do you use to take a bath? It smells so good."
Jian Sheng tightened her grip on the handle, just as a voice came from inside the door: "Come in, the book has been moved."
The door opened completely, and several teachers inside looked over. Zhong Mei was there too. She glared at the incessantly chattering Chen Zhoujing: "Chen Zhoujing, can't you stop talking all day long?"
I could hear your voice from a long way away.
Jian Sheng nodded to the teacher, walked closer, and whispered "Hello, teacher." The voice behind her finally quieted down, but it only stopped talking to her; it switched to talking to the teacher instead.
Zhong Mei ignored him and moved to the side of her seat with a disgusted expression: "Tsk tsk tsk, hurry up, class is about to start."
Jian Sheng saw the books in the corner, walked over, and wondered which book to start with. Suddenly, her hand was lightly tapped, the force was very light, like the touch of a feather. Her mind went blank, and she excitedly pulled her hand back.
Chen Zhoujing didn't seem to notice, as if the touch was just a normal accident. He handed her the two required Chinese textbooks. After taking them, Jian Sheng looked up and saw that he had already categorized all the subjects and was carrying a large stack of books by himself.
He gestured with his chin toward Jian Sheng: "The important ones have already been brought out. The ones I have here are the books I need for the class schedule. I'll bring the others when I have time. Let's go."
Jian Sheng glanced at the book in her hand and then at the one in his: "You only gave me two required Chinese textbooks?"
The book was thin and light in her palm; it felt almost weightless.
Chen Zhoujing, who had taken a step forward, stopped and turned to look into her eyes: "Holy crap?"
Jian Sheng frowned: "?"
"Holy crap?" Chen Zhou leaned closer, staring into her eyes. "Is this the first time you've talked to me this much?"
"You can talk?"
A fire suddenly welled up in Jian Sheng's chest. He took the book, which was almost half-full, from under Jian Sheng's chin and walked towards the door, saying, "How inexplicable."
"No, I'm afraid you can't carry it." Jian Sheng didn't say anything more until they reached the classroom door, and Chen Zhoujing was the only one explaining in the entire corridor.
The two walked down the long corridor, one in front of the other, until they reached the classroom door.
"Report," Jian called out in a low voice.
Chen Zhou suddenly realized they were in the classroom, and before he knew it, the book in his hand brushed against her back again.
The sharp edges of the new book poked her bone, making Jian Sheng's scalp tingle with pain.
She's bound to get into trouble whenever she encounters Chen Zhoujing.
Back in his seat, Jian Sheng ignored the actions behind him and stared at Zhong Mei's first lesson of the new semester on the blackboard.
Until her deskmate nudged her.
She turned around and saw her deskmate, Qi Jing, quietly slip her a drink from under the desk, along with a note.
The note read: "New classmate, I really didn't mean it. Consider this drink a thank you gift!!!"
A thank-you gift?
Jian Sheng flipped the note over; several bold characters read: Consider this a thank you gift for helping you collect the book (grinning).
She accepted it as a token of her gratitude for his help in getting the book.
Jian Sheng accepted the drink.
Since the school gates are closed at noon, most people eat on campus. Jian Sheng took her newly issued campus card and prepared to follow the crowd to find the cafeteria.
"Jian Sheng, come together!" someone called out to her.
Jian Sheng turned her head and saw that the class monitor, who had already left through the front door, had gone around to the back door and called out again. She nodded and stood up, walking somewhat awkwardly toward Lin You. There were two girls with Lin You, one was her deskmate Qi Jing, and the other was someone she didn't recognize. With Jian Sheng, there were exactly four of them.
Unlike her school, where seating in the cafeteria was arranged by class, Jian Sheng could sit anywhere. After getting her food, she found a seat at the back by the window. She ate quietly, listening to the others discussing the latest boy band and which novel was good.
The fingers gripping the wooden chopsticks slowed down, and after a few bites of the dish, half a fistful of rice remained.
"Which one does Jian Sheng like?" the girl sitting next to Lin You asked, and all eyes at the table immediately turned to her.
Jian Sheng's pupils widened slightly, and her shoulders tensed involuntarily. She put down her chopsticks: "I don't understand..."
"Huh?" Her voice was too soft, and the girl didn't hear her. She tried to lean closer to listen, but Lin You next to her stopped her.
Lin You glanced at Jian Sheng's eyes and eyebrows, which were hidden by his bangs, and said, "This dish is a bit salty today."
As she spoke, she flipped through the chives and eggs on the plate again.
"Really?" The girl's attention was instantly diverted. "I'll try it."
Two rows of seats behind the window.
Chen Zhoujing, who had been dragged here to eat by He Shang, ate a few bites, but his mind was on the basketball court. The midday sun shone through the window and hit a small patch of his skin, making it a little hot. He got up and sat down opposite He Shang.
"What are you doing? You can't even eat in peace..." He Shang muttered, then stuffed another mouthful of rice into his mouth.
"It's too sunny." Chen Zhou sat down in surprise, and was about to punch him when he looked up and saw someone, instantly forgetting He Shang who was complaining next to him.
Jian Sheng's figure was too conspicuous. She sat in the corner of the square table, her thin body and head hanging down. Her desire to be ignored was obvious to him.
However, he was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice he clicked his tongue.
"What are you doing?" He Shang looked up and waved his chopsticks in front of his face. "Who are you looking at?"
"Holy crap, a new classmate." He Shang raised his head. "I haven't seen her face clearly since she introduced herself yesterday."
"A lot of people came up to the third floor this morning. I guess it won't be long before the news of the new student spread throughout the entire senior building," Xu Xiao, who was stuffing food into his mouth, chimed in.
"Who doesn't like to join in the fun? Besides, the new classmate is so good-looking. To be honest, it's the first time I've ever seen such a beautiful person in real life." He Shang rubbed his slightly prickly head.
After touching it, he felt a strange gaze and turned to meet Chen Zhou's shocked eyes: "W-what's wrong? Is there something on my head?"
"You..." Chen Zhou was momentarily speechless, "You..."
"What do you mean, 'what do you mean'?" He Shang had already gotten goosebumps all over.
"Sigh, he's no good anyway!" Chen Zhou turned his head in surprise, his brows furrowed tightly.
"What do you mean she's not good enough?" He Shang's eyes widened, and he only realized what was happening when the people at the table opposite him stood up. He looked at Jian Sheng's elegant back, sat up straight, and blushed slightly. "What...what are you thinking?"
"You must have misunderstood me, Chen Zhoujing!"
He shoved Chen Zhoujing, who was also looking at Jian Sheng who was walking into the crowd, and said, "Anyway, she can't, it has nothing to do with your sexual orientation."
"What?" He Shang was stunned. "What are you talking about?"
"It's strange, the school clearly doesn't allow couples to sit together..." His voice trailed off, becoming so soft it was drowned out by the noise of the cafeteria.
Chen Zhou only came to his senses after the figure had completely disappeared.
Why can Jian Sheng and Lin You sit together? And isn't he, a grown man, embarrassed to sit with a table full of young girls?
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