Chapter 72 (First Update)
The next day, it was a bad day with sandstorms raging everywhere.
Luo Yan was riding her bike to school when she got so dizzy that she couldn't open her eyes after only a couple of steps, and tears welled up in her eyes.
She wiped her eyes vigorously with her free hand, and when she arrived at school, both her eyes were red. Anyone who didn't know better would think she had suffered some great injustice.
Zhou Xiuhe was waiting in the corridor to greet her when he saw her. He was startled and took two steps forward, asking, "What's wrong?"
This is the liveliest time before class, and Luo Yan can recognize all the students by name with just a casual glance.
She instinctively tried to hide, then quickly said, "It's okay, it's just the wind. I'm going into the classroom."
They left as soon as they finished speaking, as if their backs were screaming "We don't know each other," avoiding any appearance of impropriety that would make anyone feel awkward.
Zhou Xiuhe felt a little uncomfortable, but then he realized that he was in the wrong. He comforted himself, "We already agreed on everything."
That was indeed the agreement, but Luo Yan realized she had been rather impolite as she came to her senses and her gaze drifted out the window.
Zhou Xiuhe's morning class was on the fourth floor, and now not a single hair could be seen. Luo Yan thought she should find an opportunity to apologize to him today, and kept looking around in the corridor after class.
The teacher extended class time, and the ten-minute break almost vanished. Zhou Xiuhe didn't have time to run up and down; he could barely stand up to stretch before having to sit down again.
When people make mistakes, they tend to overthink.
Luo Yan recalled Zhou Xiuhe's expression after she finished speaking, but realized that she had run too fast and seemed not to have noticed.
She felt increasingly apologetic, and hesitated at the stairwell after school.
One minute he'd pretend to be looking for something, the next he'd squat down to tie his shoelaces.
Zhou Xiuhe was going down the stairs with his roommates when he saw her furtively touching the top of her head as soon as he turned the corner, and he couldn't help but laugh.
His roommate glanced at him and asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "It's nothing, you guys go eat first, I have something to do."
Roommate: "Do you want me to bring you some food?"
Zhou Xiuhe: "No need."
He naturally fell behind and coughed twice forcefully.
Luo Yan looked up and saw him, then secretly winked at him and led the way through the campus in a winding, circuitous route.
Thank goodness it was her, otherwise Zhou Xiuhe would have thought he was going to be sold off.
He didn't know where he was going to stop, and as he looked around, he didn't notice that Luo Yan had stopped and turned around, so he just crashed straight into her.
Luo Yan covered her forehead as she looked at him, her eyes wide and round.
Zhou Xiuhe reached out and touched the back of her hand: "Did it hurt?"
Luo Yan's hand was burning hot, but she didn't pull away: "It doesn't hurt."
She bit her lip: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that this morning."
Zhou Xiuhe wondered if it was because she liked to bite her lips that they always looked so red.
He paused for a moment before saying, "It's my fault, I forgot there were a lot of people."
Luo Yan believes that one should be responsible and admit one's mistakes, saying, "It's my fault."
Zhou Xiuhe laughed out loud: "This isn't a good thing either, let's not argue about it."
Then he asked, "Does your eye still hurt?"
Luo Yan stared at him wide-eyed, complaining, "The weather in March is the worst."
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and Zhou Xiuhe raised his hand to shield her eyes, saying, "It really is annoying."
His fingertips rested between her eyebrows and eyes, and Luo Yan's eyelashes seemed to brush against his palm.
She was momentarily speechless, and stammered, "I... I'm going to eat."
Even the most secluded corner is still within the school. Zhou Xiuhe: "Okay."
The two walked one after the other, and Luo Yan couldn't help but look back.
Zhou Xiuhe smiled at her and suddenly felt that the weather wasn't so bad.
Luo Yan was in a good mood. She bought herself a plate of stir-fried green peppers and pork and found an empty seat to sit and eat.
Zhou Xiuhe sat diagonally opposite her, pretending that they were eating together.
The thought of having to continue this underground work for four more years suddenly gave him a headache.
Luo Yan was completely unaware that after finishing her meal, she wanted to go to the library while she still had some time.
As Zhou Xiuhe was heading back to his dorm to get his afternoon textbooks, he brushed past her and said, "See you tonight."
Luo Yan nodded.
Although they've been meeting every night recently, she does feel a greater sense of anticipation at this moment.
She carried this secret joy with her, and was in a good mood all afternoon. After school, she even went to the small playground to watch Zhou Xiuhe play ball.
Zhou Xiuhe didn't notice her at first, but saw her during halftime. He pulled back his foot as he was about to walk towards her, raised his eyebrows, and threw a ball into the net with one hand.
His eyes are upturned at the corners, giving him a dashing appearance at first glance, yet he also exudes the air of a good student, which adds to his spiritedness when he's exercising.
I must say, she's surprisingly good-looking.
Luo Yan touched her slightly reddened ears, and seeing that it was almost time, she was eager to make eye contact with him.
Zhou Xiuhe had no classes in the evening, but he knew her schedule perfectly. He glanced at his watch and gave a barely perceptible nod while dribbling the ball extensively.
Luo Yan pointed her thumb in the direction of the teaching building, and only left after making sure he received the message.
It hopped and skipped all the way, like a lively and adorable little rabbit.
At least, that's how Zhou Weifang sees it.
He came to his refresher course, strolling expectantly down the corridor. When the person got close enough, he called out, "Luo Yan."
Luo Yan looked up, revealing most of her face through her scarf: "What a coincidence."
There aren't that many coincidences in the world. Zhou Weifang pretended not to know: "Which floor do you have class on?"
Luo Yan: "Third floor."
Zhou Weifang replied matter-of-factly, "Since we're going the same way, let's go together."
Luo Yan nodded and asked him if he had prepared for the lesson.
He really can't stop talking about studying. Zhou Weifang: "Yes."
He wanted to talk about something else, so he said, "I'm going home tonight too, let's walk home together after school?"
Luo Yan twirled her fingers around, then said shyly, "I have an appointment with someone."
Zhou Weifang stumbled over all the lines he had rehearsed in advance, and smiled faintly: "Okay, then you guys take it slow."
In just a few words, the two of them had already reached the third floor.
Luo Yan turned a corner, saw her teacher, and bowed slightly to greet her: "Hello, teacher."
The teacher glanced at them, gave a quick "hello," and left.
Zhou Weifang asked curiously, "Which subject's teacher?"
Luo Yan: "The Academic Affairs Office."
Zhou Weifang: "I thought the teachers in the Academic Affairs Office all sat in offices, but it felt like he was on patrol."
Luo Yan: "It's patrolling and arresting suspects."
Did the teacher see no connection between the two of them standing together? Or was it because Luo Yan's poised and confident attitude made the teacher not take her seriously?
Neither of these two options was pleasant for Zhou Weifang, so he sighed.
This time it was a sigh, and Luo Yan thought it was his preparatory action before entering the classroom, so she clenched her fist and encouraged him: "Good luck."
Zhou Weifang didn't explain, said goodbye to him, and went into the classroom.
Luo Yan had to walk all the way to the very end of the corridor.
Before she could even sit down, a female classmate named Yu Sisi leaned over and asked, "Who was that handsome guy standing next to you just now?"
Yu Sisi is known for her big mouth, which has offended most of the class.
Luo Yan was wary of her and, to save trouble, said, "My brother."
Yu Sisi was delighted: "What's his major?"
Luo Yan: "Continuing education class".
Yu Sisi immediately lost interest, thinking that no matter how well she was born, it wouldn't matter.
She showed a hint of disappointment and stopped talking, which made Luo Yan a little unhappy. She wondered what had happened to her in the training class and put on a stern face.
Yu Sisi realized this too, and said awkwardly, "I didn't mean anything by it."
Luo Yan wasn't good at arguing with people, so she pursed her lips, walked past her, and found an empty seat to sit down.
Ji Ning was in front of her. She turned around and said, "What did Yu Sisi say to you? I think you're really angry."
Luo Yan didn't want to bring up Zhou Weifang, so she just vaguely said, "It's something I don't want to hear."
Ji Ning comforted her, "Don't pay attention to her, she's just annoying."
She whispered to her how much Yu Sisi was disliked in the dormitory.
Luo Yan had heard about it last semester, but she didn't know most of the people involved well and wasn't quite sure what it was all about.
Now that I hear it, I've made up my mind: I'll pretend I didn't hear her next time.
Ji Ning was trying to express the same idea: sit up straight when the school bell rings.
Luo Yan's gaze followed the teacher's, her mind still reeling from the economic geography that had been crammed into her, and she hadn't quite sorted it out by the break.
Ji Ning went to the restroom and when she came back, she asked, "I just saw someone who looked familiar, like your childhood friend."
When Luo Yan took her to the car dealership, she thought there was no need to explain a lot, so she simply said that Zhou Weifang was her childhood friend.
She believed it to some extent, saying, "It was him; he came to attend the advanced training course."
He looks unruly, but he's actually quite composed. Ji Ning: "I knew I wasn't wrong."
She only asked one question before turning away to chat with her other classmates.
See? We're all human, but she makes people feel comfortable around her.
Luo Yan disliked Yu Sisi even more. On the way home, she complained to Zhou Xiuhe, "What's wrong with a continuing education class? It's because they're ambitious."
The so-called equality for all is just a slogan. In the real world, countless classes are divided according to education, job, wealth, and power.
But Zhou Xiuhe wouldn't say something that would upset his sweetheart even more, so he chimed in, "That's right, who knows, maybe someone else will do better than her."
Luo Yan remained objective: "It's definitely not possible now."
But then he added, "It's hard to say what will happen in the future."
She mentally created a new study plan for Zhou Weifang, and felt full of energy, arriving home earlier than usual.
Luo Hong was the only one left in the living room watching TV. When his sister barged in, he asked, "Who upset you?"
Luo Yan took a sip of water and said to him, finally declaring, "I will make sure Zhou Weifang gets first place!"
Yu Luohong was surprised and instinctively wanted to stop him, but then he remembered that studying was a serious matter and held back.
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Author's note: The second update is in urgent production.
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