Haven't you already given yourself up for the title?
Monday morning, fourth-floor corridor.
Despite having mentally prepared herself, Lin Shiren still felt uneasy at the thought of facing Zhou Lin face-to-face, especially after what happened yesterday.
On the way, they thought it would be simple: pretend nothing had happened and they would still be ordinary classmates. But when they actually faced it, they realized how difficult it was.
Lin Shiren was fully prepared, but as soon as he stepped into the classroom, he heard Song Ci's voice: "What the hell are you looking at?"
Zhou Lin said casually, "The world's longest train journey."
Why are you looking at this?
"I want to go to Russia for my graduation trip, is that not allowed?"
Lin Shih-jen almost twisted her ankle on the spot. Why bring up Russia? She suspected Zhou Lin was being sarcastic, but had no evidence.
Seeing her standing still, Song Ci called out her name: "Lin Shiren, have you finished your English homework? Let me copy it."
Lin Shiren sat down in his seat as if in a daze, pulled out a test paper from his bag and gave it to him. Song Ci didn't go back to his own seat, but sat in front of her and started writing furiously, while chatting with her: "What time did you get home yesterday? My sister wanted to invite you to dinner, but I was afraid of disturbing your time together, so I didn't agree."
Song Ci's tone suggested that he knew she and Zhou Lin had spent time alone yesterday and was deliberately asking to tease her.
Lin Shih-jen didn't want to continue the conversation, so he awkwardly changed the subject: "Do you need to do chemistry homework?"
"want!"
Song Ci didn't even look up, continuing to shower her with compliments: "What would I do without you? Zhou Lin doesn't do his homework anymore, so I have nowhere to copy. I've been criticized by Old Chen several times. It's the group leader who's so kind to save me from this predicament."
Although he was talkative, he was a good balm for the awkwardness, and Lin Shiren hoped he could stay there. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned; Chen Mo arrived early today, and Song Ci, under his angry glare, slunk back to her protective seat.
Out of the corner of her eye, Lin Shiren noticed that Zhou Lin had been quietly reading a book and hadn't even greeted her, which made her uneasy.
How can she make Zhou Lin understand that a first kiss is only a kiss with someone you like when you grow up, and that since they don't like each other, they shouldn't be swayed by an accidental kiss. Wouldn't it be better to just be innocent classmates?
As Zhou Lin's mind became increasingly chaotic, he had already flipped through several pages. Lin Shiren turned his head unguarded and saw Leng Bai flip his wrist, pull out a shiny object from his pencil case, and tuck it into a page of "The World's Longest Train Journey".
She couldn't hold back her momentary daze any longer: "Isn't this my hair clip?"
Zhou Lin answered fluently: "Oh."
Oh what?
Lin Shiren stretched out his hand, palm out in front of him: "Give it back to me."
Zhou Lin slammed the book shut, as if he had just seen her, and smiled politely and distantly: "I found it on the floor at home, so it'll serve as a bookmark."
What kind of human-dog agreement is this? Just because it falls on the ground doesn't mean it belongs to him!
Lin Shiren had never seen a boy use a hair clip as a bookmark, and besides… she took a breath and mocked in a low voice, “Using a hair clip as a bookmark, don’t you think it’s girly?”
Zhou Lin turned his head to look at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly on his long neck, and said ambiguously, "I think it's fine."
Lin Shiren was speechless. His behavior left her completely bewildered. Just as she was about to organize her words to rebuke him, Chen Mo entered through the front door.
Behind him followed Cai Shichen, who had been suspended from school for a week.
The classroom lights were on, but the light was still cold. The air was filled with the rustling sound of writing. Lin Shiren's pen fell to the ground because he was lost in thought. Zhou Lin glanced ahead indifferently, his eyes filled with a youthful gloom.
Chen Mo crossed his arms and glanced around: "Li Pengfei, switch seats with Cai Shichen."
Li Pengfei, who was called out, was completely unprepared and blankly exclaimed "Ah!"
Chen Mo: "What 'ah'? Hurry up and pack, don't be late for the first class."
To make the seating arrangement seem natural, he changed seven or eight groups of people in one go, and for a while the sounds of clattering tables and chairs and tidying books rose and fell.
Amidst the commotion, Cai Shichen returned to his seat to gather his belongings. His injuries had completely healed, but his spirit was shattered; he was utterly dejected, and every movement he made was timid. Zhou Lin's gaze followed him intently, the pen slowly twirling between his fingers. Cai Shichen avoided eye contact, his eyes always lowered, making rustling sounds.
"Keep your voice down, you're disturbing my reading."
Zhou Lin's tone was quite harsh, clearly indicating that the previous matter wasn't over, but those around him didn't know this and were quite surprised by his attitude. After all, they hadn't seen the patient for a week, and instead of offering any words of comfort, he came up with such a rude remark. In an instant, all sorts of imaginings flashed through their restless eyes.
Zhou Lin never got into a fight at Huiwen, but he was quite the fighter when he was a kid, and that's where his ill-fated relationship with Song Ci began.
Back then, I was young and always had a cold expression. When I was catching insects downstairs, I was often bothered by mischievous boys who thought I was antisocial and would deliberately pick on me.
Fighting is something you get used to after a few tries. Since they're all kids around the same age, it's not about physical strength, but about guts.
Zhou Lin's fighting style was calculated. If a group of kids came to provoke him, he would choose the weakest opponent and beat him mercilessly. Seeing his madness, the other kids wouldn't dare to intervene. The next time they saw him, he would beat the same person again without saying a word. After a few times, they would become afraid.
As he grew older, he gradually softened his sharp edges, because there was no point in fighting with people who lacked common sense.
Just like when you're high above and destroy a nest of ants, do you feel any sense of accomplishment?
Won't.
Later, Zhou Lin focused more on competitions, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment. If Cai Shichen hadn't been so blind as to bully Lin Shiren, he would have forgotten that he had this side to him.
Li Pengfei came over with his schoolbag and overheard this. He gave his new deskmate a wink, and Shao Xiaxuan shook her head. She then lowered her head and frantically shared gossip with her best friend.
What was even more surprising was that Cai Shichen did not refute it. Instead, he sped up his packing and then fled to his new seat as if he were escaping.
The school bell rang, and the sound of blowing her nose seemed far away. Lin Shiren finally relaxed, freed from the chilling feeling of being watched by a venomous snake on her back, and silently picked up the pen from the ground.
The morning passed peacefully, and soon it was lunchtime.
Lin Shiren originally wanted to eat by herself, but when she was carrying her tray and looking for a seat, Song Ci, who had sharp eyes, saw her and waved to her: "Here, the seat has already been reserved."
Lin Shiren immediately glanced at the person opposite him. Zhou Lin was disassembling chopsticks; he was a germaphobe and never used sterilized chopsticks. In the few seconds she hesitated, he kindly pulled aside the seat next to her, his movements natural and his expression showing no sign of guilt. He looked at her as if she were an ordinary classmate.
If he hadn't taken the star-shaped hair clip, she would have doubted that yesterday was a dream.
Lin Shiren didn't sit next to him. Instead, he took his tray and turned to the opposite side, looking at Song Ci: "Let's switch seats. I want to sit in a sunny spot, where it'll be warm."
Should I change seats?
Song Ci glanced at Zhou Lin subconsciously, immediately noticing the awkward tension between them, and said as if to break the ice, "Sure, then you can take a look and see if Little Zhou Zhou's cooking is up to standard today."
Lin Shih-ren's gaze shifted to his plate: beef and potatoes, stir-fried kale, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
"Quite healthy."
After briefly mentioning it, she added, "His injury has long since healed, so he doesn't need to avoid certain foods anymore."
Zhou Lin's expression didn't change when he heard her words. He slowly picked up some food, his cheeks moving slightly.
"Okay, all done."
Song Ci looked Zhou Lin up and down, then raised an eyebrow: "I feel like it's gotten even worse."
Then there was a moment of silence. Song Ci tried to start several topics, but Zhou Lin and Lin Shiren didn't respond, making him feel like a clown. In the end, he shut up.
The atmosphere at the meal was particularly strange.
Lin Shiren chewed very quickly, as if she was being urged by something. After finishing the last sip of soup, she put down her chopsticks and said, "I'm done eating. You guys can eat slowly."
After saying that, she flicked her ponytail, picked up her tray, and left.
Song Ci stared at her retreating figure with a cryptic expression, his gossip-loving instincts surging: "What happened to her?"
As November arrived, heating had been turned on in Huaicheng, and the canteen was bustling with activity as people cooked and fried food. Zhou Lin's restlessness intensified. However, he appeared remarkably natural, his well-defined fingers gripping the chopsticks, the white knuckles betraying his emotions.
Song Ci casually drew out her question: "What's your relationship now?"
Zhou Lin tried to keep his tone calm as he said, "We're just ordinary friends."
"Just friends?"
Song Ci's eating movements and expressions were glued to her, but the question she asked went straight to the heart: "You still don't have a title? Didn't you already give yourself to me? Is it because..."
Their gazes blatantly swept between his legs.
Zhou Lin was even more annoyed. He pushed the plate forward and frowned even more deeply: "If you're really that free, help me think of something appropriate to give the girl's family as a gift?"
Giving gifts? Song Ci didn't understand.
Zhou Lin told Song Ci about Shen Xuqing sending matsutake mushrooms to Lin Shiren's family, and Song Ci almost laughed herself silly: "People give gifts to express their gratitude, but what are you giving gifts for? A betrothal gift? Lin Shiren is so timid, are you trying to scare her to death?"
Zhou Lin straightened his lips: "Aren't you supposed to be a relationship expert? How come you're acting like an idiot?"
Song Ci touched her nose and advised firmly, "You need to have confidence in yourself. Don't compare yourself to Shen Xuqing; it'll make you look bad."
The matter of giving gifts was thus abruptly put on hold.
After that, Zhou Lin noticed Lin Shiren's coldness. Although she seemed the same as before, eating normally, attending tutoring classes normally, and having normal conversations, as if nothing had changed, she no longer wanted to be alone with him and wouldn't let him take her home after school.
When the school bell rang, Lin Shiren raised his fist and said firmly, "Don't worry, I recently learned a few moves from the boxing champion's videos. If Cai Shichen still dares to follow me, I'll teach him a lesson."
Zhou Lin: "?"
He was thinking, with her small frame, if someone punched her, would she die smiling?
But Zhou Lin held back, pondered for a moment, glanced at her one last time, and said softly, "Okay."
Life went on in an orderly fashion.
During a break between self-study sessions on Friday evening, Lin Shih-jen felt sleepy and went downstairs to buy coffee to perk himself up.
The convenience store was bustling at this time, and the coffee shelves were empty. She spent a long time choosing from the refrigerated section before finally picking out a box of yogurt to pay for.
As I walked towards the teaching building after pushing open the door of the convenience store, I heard several girls chatting at the west gate of the school. Their voices fluctuated in volume, occasionally punctuated by sweet laughter, as if they were gossiping about something.
"Qiaoqiao, we ordered the same thing twice."
"Didn't you say you'd order your own food?"
Although the girl's voice was soft, Lin Shih-jen could tell that the speaker was Hsu Yi-chiao.
They must be waiting for their takeout here.
There is no designated storage point for takeout orders at Huiwen School. Students order food during evening self-study sessions and hang it on the fence above the west gate. The security guard usually turns a blind eye.
At that moment, a sentence slipped into Lin Shiren's ears.
"I ordered the wrong thing. There's an extra cup now. Should I give it to Zhou Lin?"
Someone chimed in, "Sure, who's going?"
"When have you ever seen Zhou Lin eat someone else's food?"
Lin Shiren: ...
Is the person who eats her sandwiches every day a pig?
The sky was already quite dark, the wind was cool, and the aroma of coffee wafted in the chilly air. The girls came out chatting and laughing. Ruan Ya, holding Xu Yiqiao's arm, saw her and her eyes lit up: "Lin Shiren."
Lin Shih-jen stopped and looked away.
Just a few meters away, Ruan Ya smiled at her and said, "Could you please take this cup of coffee to Zhou Lin?"
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Author's note: 50 red envelopes~
Updates will be posted tomorrow and the day after.
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