The two people on the subway are birds of a feather.
I spent half the night in a bizarre and fantastical dream.
The curtains were blown open by the wind, and the morning sunlight shone in. Suddenly, Lin Shiren's head slipped off the pillow, and when he woke up, his body was covered in a damp heat.
She had a nightmare in which Zhou Lin rode a golden broom and flew through the air, the wind he created making it impossible for her to open her eyes. When he landed in front of her, he threw a box of condoms at her and told her to put all her valuables inside.
It's absolutely absurd.
Even more absurdly, in her dream, she could clearly see the serpentine veins on the back of his hand, and she could even see the small, crescent-shaped scar on his index finger.
What should have come hasn't, and what shouldn't have come has.
Lin Shiren felt heartbroken. In her seventeen years of life, the only man who appeared in her dreams was Zhou Lin, a position that was reserved for Shen Xuqing.
She could actually accept that people had intimate relationships in high school, since they weren't people with bound feet like in the Qing Dynasty. But when she thought of Zhou Lin's aloof and arrogant demeanor at school, she felt that he was really hypocritical, and her dislike for him unconsciously increased.
The polluted dream bred internal conflict all morning, leaving only the thought of using knowledge to brainwash myself. So I got up and washed up without delay, ate breakfast hastily, and went out.
At 6:40 a.m., Lin Shiren arrived at the subway station ahead of schedule.
Since Xin Xiaomei had agreed to have dinner on Sunday, she checked several restaurants with good ambiance and good value for money on Dianping last night. While waiting for the car, she forwarded the links to both Xin Xiaomei and Lin Zhiyuan.
It wasn't rush hour yet, so there weren't many people waiting for the bus. Lin Shih-jen had no makeup on, no lips, and her long hair was tied in a ponytail. Since she didn't have to wear a school uniform during summer vacation, she wore a sun-protective shirt over her black T-shirt, making her outfit exceptionally simple.
Xin Xiaomei always says that she looks old despite her young age, but she likes the feeling of not being noticed in a crowd.
There were plenty of empty seats in the carriage. The two girls sitting opposite her were also seniors at Huiwen High School. They looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place their names. She didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, so she found a corner seat near the door.
Lin Shih-Jen scrolled through the music on her playlist and chose Zhou Shen's "Little Happiness" to listen to. She usually only wears one earphone when listening to music on the street.
A new message notification popped up on my phone. It was from Lin Zhiyuan: "You should listen to your mother about the restaurant. She'll definitely object if I choose it."
The ex-couple still harbored too many grudges against each other, so Lin Shih-jen didn't bring it up. Instead, he lightly typed with his fingertips: "Dad, no need to order a cake, Mom ordered it."
Lin Zhiyuan: "Okay, then Dad will treat us to dinner."
Lin Shiren was delighted when she said that. Her biggest birthday wish was for the three of them to sit down and have a happy meal together. Her lips unconsciously curled up, and she replied with a cute emoji.
In the time it takes to listen to a song, we arrived at the next stop before we knew it. The carriage door slowly opened, and with passengers passing by, the sound of hurried footsteps drifted over from afar. A boy ran over, breathing unevenly.
The girls across the street looked over, strangers looked over, and Lin Shiren looked over too.
Diagonally opposite, Song Ci was confronting another person, who was sitting in an empty seat near the door, wearing a simple white T-shirt, with long legs, and gray sweatpants with a smooth drape. Between the pant leg and the high-top sneakers was a section of fair ankle, only the face was not visible, as it was completely hidden by Song Ci's back.
Song Ci stood there, her pink T-shirt collar soaked with sweat, her voice indignant: "Little Zhou Zhou, promise me you'll replace your phone with a stainless steel basin if you don't reply to my messages, okay?"
This is another legendary figure from Huiwen, the kind who serves as a negative example. He usually loves to contradict the head of the teaching department, and he has written more self-criticisms than homework, yet he has still managed to stay in the top class for two consecutive years. This unruly person is inseparable from Zhou Lin, the top student in the grade...
Lin Shih-ren paused for a few seconds, his heart pounding. He wondered if he was really that unlucky to run into the same person two days in a row. His suspicions were so strong that he forgot to look away.
The train doors closed with a "beep" sound, and the inertia of the train's start made Song Ci lose his balance. He swayed and sat down in an empty seat, and the image of the person he had blocked was clearly presented in front of him.
Lin Shiren took a breath.
What an incredible coincidence! I've run into Zhou Lin again.
Perhaps displeased with being called "Little Zhou Zhou," his expression was far from pleasant, bearing a hint of helplessness, as if he'd been bothered by a fool again: "How did you know I was in this carriage?"
Song Ci looked quite angry: "Does this kind of weather require your passive-aggressive tactics? Is the cell phone signal bad in prison?"
“Isn’t it only natural for a father to avoid his unfilial son?” Zhou Lin finally opened his eyes, rested his elbows on his knees, flipped his phone in his palm, the screen still lit, and looked very relaxed.
"Get lost."
The two young men were youthful and good-looking; they were eye-catching just by sitting there. The atmosphere inside the vehicle became somewhat subtle, with many people secretly glancing at them. The two girls opposite them became uneasy, stealing glances before lowering their voices to chat, as if they were talking about some unspeakable gossip.
The train tracks made a loud noise, bringing Lin Shih-ren back to his senses. His heart was still pounding, and he could only tactfully scroll through his phone to cover his embarrassment, while reminding himself not to look in that direction.
The air conditioner vents were blowing cool air gently. Song Ci chatted for a while, then suddenly remembered something important: "By the way, can I copy your physics homework? Otherwise, Old Chen will throw a tantrum again."
Zhou Lin didn't say anything, but threw the schoolbag at him. Song Ci caught it like a treasure, pulled out the physics test paper, and quickly copied the multiple-choice questions. When he turned to the back, he frowned and said, "You didn't write the steps for the long questions. Can't you consider the feelings of the person copying your homework?"
"You tricked me once yesterday, and now you've done it again today, a double kill! You should at least compensate me, right?"
He went on and on complaining for a while, but Zhou Lin ignored him, tilting his long neck back slightly and leaning against the back of the chair to rest with his eyes closed.
Although Lin Shih-Jen's headphones were still on, the music had long since stopped, so when the two girls opposite him started talking louder, the gossip easily leaked into his ears.
Do you think Xu Yiqiao succeeded in winning over Zhou Lin?
"Who knows, a lot of people in the top class are saying it, it's probably true, after all, Xu Yiqiao has good grades, a good family background, and is beautiful..."
"The thought process of a genius cannot be compared with that of an ordinary person. I think Zhou Lin is not interested in anything other than studying."
No!
Absolutely wrong!!!
He was interested in things outside of studying, especially renting hotel rooms; he would buy six at a time…
Lin Shih-ren wanted to retort, but involuntarily glanced at her. Coincidentally, the girl opposite her also looked over, and she tried to cover up her mistake by looking away.
Meanwhile, Song Ci had finished copying the answers. As he folded the test paper, he kept an eye on Zhou Lin. Seeing that Zhou Lin seemed to be really asleep, he suddenly had a mischievous idea. He opened his backpack, quietly took out a small box the size of his palm, put it inside the physics test paper, and then stuffed it back into Zhou Lin's backpack. Finally, he thoughtfully zipped the zipper up tightly.
Having swiftly completed all of this, Song Ci's lips curled into a smug, mischievous smile. Her gaze swept around, meeting Lin Shiren's. Surprisingly, he showed no remorse for being caught red-handed; instead, he shushed her.
Lin Shiren was stunned by his actions for a few seconds, swallowed awkwardly, and turned his head to look in the opposite direction.
This scene wasn't unfamiliar; she'd encountered it yesterday as well. But because of the distance, the oppressive feeling wasn't as strong as it had been yesterday. Her mind was only now starting to work. Although Song Ci had done it discreetly, she had seen clearly what he'd slipped into Zhou Lin's bag; she would recognize it even if it were ashes.
It's Jissbon again!
The two of them are indeed birds of a feather.
Not only did they pass these things around in public, but they also put them in their schoolbags and brought them to school.
Meanwhile, Song Ci quickly completed the name-and-appearance matching game in her mind, and suddenly her eyes lit up, "Hey, isn't that the new classmate?"
Seeing that Zhou Lin hadn't opened his eyes yet, he nudged him with his elbow: "Don't blame me for not warning you, he's strangely good-looking."
Song Ci thought she was just whispering, but the carriage was quiet, so the words "strangely beautiful" were still quite clear. Lin Shiren stared at her toes, not daring to look around anymore.
Not only did my face turn red, but the tips of my ears also felt hot.
The subway jolted violently, and Zhou Lin opened his eyes abruptly, his eyelids drooping, radiating annoyance at having his sleep disturbed again. Perhaps because they were in a public place, he didn't take his anger out on Song Ci, only glancing at him with indifferent expression.
At that glance, one could see Lin Shih-ren sitting awkwardly with his ankles crossed.
Zhou Lin is actually face-blind. He can memorize formulas perfectly, but he just can't remember other people's facial features. Sometimes when Song Ci points to a row of girl groups and asks him which girl is pretty, he genuinely thinks they all look pretty much the same. But yesterday, he seems to remember the girl's face, perhaps because he observed her up close.
Her skin was very fair, her eyes were like black grapes soaked in milk, and the small brown mole on her nose was charming and lovely. For the first time, he felt that Song Ci's aesthetic sense was finally on point.
Zhou Lin raised an eyebrow: "She's in our class?"
"Yes, he was promoted from the regular class, I think his name is Lin Shiren."
Lin Shiren.
He pondered those three words.
He was teasing her on purpose yesterday. He rarely saw anyone look disgusted, so he suddenly had a mischievous thought and wanted to scare her. Sure enough, after he suggested splitting the bill, the girl's almond-shaped eyes widened, her emotions began to change, her mouth opened and closed but no sound came out, and she looked completely panicked.
It looks a lot like the cat he keeps.
Its cleverness, both timid and rebellious, is surprisingly harmonious and adorable.
She lowered her head, trying to make herself less noticeable. It was a little funny that she didn't dare to look at him even though she heard his name. Zhou Lin looked away and stretched his long legs forward: "Keep your voice down, the girl is embarrassed."
Song Ci looked like she had discovered some earth-shattering gossip, her face contorted with mischief. "So you're protecting her now? Little Zhou Zhou, something's not right with you, very not right."
Something's not right.
Suddenly, Zhou Lin's mind conjured up the image of that fair neck bathed in the setting sun outside the convenience store. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and his eyelashes suddenly felt a little itchy.
Seeing that he didn't refute, Song Ci got more and more excited: "Why don't you go and introduce yourself to the new classmate? You were the only one who didn't come yesterday when the classes were divided, so the new classmate definitely doesn't know you."
Zhou Lin slapped the head that was leaning forward back, his eyes lowered: "Stop acting crazy."
Song Ci wasn't deterred by his cold look, but she did restrain herself: "You ignore your new classmates, and you don't reply to Xu Yiqiao's messages on Weibo. How can you be so cold-blooded?"
Zhou Lin lifted his eyelids slightly, remaining noncommittal.
He had no interest in understanding the complexities of a girl's emotional world; for him at this stage, winning competitions and securing a place in Q University's Yao Class was the most important thing.
Song Ci suddenly lowered his voice, his expression more serious than ever before: "We've known each other for so many years, brother, I want to ask you for the truth..."
"What?"
Are you even straight?
But Zhou Lin's reaction was unexpected. He took out his phone from his pocket and dialed a number: "Sister Shi, your brother is in heat lately."
"Damn it, who are you on board with?"
Song Ci snatched the phone from his hand, muttered "boring," and finally quieted down.
The subway has finally arrived at the station.
Lin Shiren rushed out the moment the car door opened, and Zhou Lin and Song Ci got off together, but she took the elevator a little faster, leaving many passengers between them.
Song Ci stared at the retreating figure, wondering, "Why is the new classmate running so fast? Is it some kind of ghost?"
Zhou Lin: "..."
Morning self-study starts at 7:10, and the head of the teaching department catches the most latecomers at the school gate.
The hectic day of class assignments passed, and although it was still summer vacation, Class 1 of Senior Three, like countless other days before, was filled with diligent study, creating a strong academic atmosphere. Lin Shiren didn't look around; she kept her head down and walked quickly to her seat. She hung her water cup on the side of the desk with practiced ease, pulled out an exercise book from the stack of books, but her attention unconsciously drifted to her left and behind her.
Shen Xuqing calmly and quietly completed the exam paper, his pen moving gently, his whole being enveloped in an aura of composure and tranquility.
There were no teachers during the morning self-study session, but there were occasional sounds of discussion in the classroom. Dong Rui nudged her with her elbow: "The chemistry teacher is very fierce. You have to finish all the homework she assigns."
A single sentence pulled him back to his senses. Lin Shiren blinked, still a little confused: "What will happen if I don't finish writing?"
"A five-minute pre-class presentation explaining why you're not writing anything down."
That's just too infuriating.
This message was more effective than any instruction. She was even amazed by her own execution ability. With her eyes closed, she accurately pulled out the chemistry test paper from her schoolbag, then bit the pen cap and studied it seriously, with an attitude more devout than when she went to a temple to worship Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Murphy's Law tells us that when you worry that something will happen, it will happen.
In the corridor outside the classroom, Zhou Lin walked alone among the students coming and going.
When Song Ci passed by the parallel class, the physics teacher of Class 5 chatted with him for a few minutes about the IPHO competition. Song Ci went back to the classroom to finish his homework. When he went back into the classroom, the bell for morning self-study had just rung.
Standing at over 1.8 meters tall, he couldn't possibly keep a low profile, and half the people looked up, their gazes following him like a tide.
Suddenly, someone started clapping. Lin Shiren was focused on finishing her homework when she looked up at the sound and saw him standing right in front of her desk.
Zhou Lin's seat was in the fourth row by the window, and he was sitting next to Song Ci. In other words, her seat was not on his way. Lin Shiren's heart pounded.
From their elevated vantage point, their eyes met, and Zhou Lin tapped the table with his knuckles.
Dozens of eyes stared at him simultaneously, the air seemed to freeze. Lin Shiren flicked his wrist, his force penetrating the back of the paper, and immediately punctured a hole in the chemistry exam paper.
What is Zhou Lin up to?
A note from the author:
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100 red envelopes
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