Bai Ming was only eighteen years old, but he had grown very tall. His two long legs had nowhere to put, so they were spread apart and sticking out of the aisle.
He raised his head, revealing a handsome face. His thick eyebrows slanting into his temples were tightly furrowed, his expression was ferocious, and his fists were raised, as if he would start a fight if he disagreed with someone.
His deskmate covered his face, as if he couldn't bear to witness the tragic scene that followed.
Bai Ming, who wasn't getting enough sleep, was completely unreasonable, with a temper like a firecracker that ignited at the slightest provocation. Many people who didn't believe in evil would deliberately try to mess with him while he was sleeping, only to be beaten black and blue.
The whole class opened their eyes wide, waiting for the chaos that would follow.
Zhuang Li was not afraid. Instead, he leaned over and put his face close to Bai Ming's fist, chuckling and asking, "Who are you going to hit?"
Bai Ming's hazy vision finally became clear, so he looked forward and then froze.
Today's sunshine was bright and warm, like golden honey, pouring in through the transparent glass windows. The young man before him was immersed in this golden honey, his translucent skin tinged with a glow, his narrow eyes brimming with starlight, and a smile sweeter than honey lingered on his lips.
He was slowly moving towards Bai Ming's fist, his breath gently spraying on Bai Ming's knuckles, feeling hot and itchy.
Bai Ming's wrist somehow went limp, a ferocious expression still frozen on his face, but his ears quickly turned red.
"Who are you?" he asked stutteringly, then quickly hid his fists behind his back.
"Our homeroom teacher won a big prize and went traveling abroad. He is our substitute teacher." My deskmate reminded me in a low voice.
Bai Ming opened his mouth in surprise: "Teacher?"
The young man before him smiled at him in the sunshine. His features were extremely handsome, yet also tinged with a hint of youthfulness. He looked about the same age as him. He had even thought he was a classmate from another class.
Zhuang Li supported himself on the desk with one hand and on the back of Bai Ming's chair with the other. He bent down and said, "Hello, I'm the new math teacher. My name is Zhuang Li."
His posture was very strong, and he had completely enveloped Bai Ming in his aura.
If anyone else had done that, Bai Ming would have kicked them away. He hated people getting close to him, especially not the smell of strangers on his territory. In some ways, his temperament was closer to that of a wild animal.
But at this moment, no one knew that his heart was trembling, his skin was covered with goose bumps, his hair was standing on end, and his nose was constantly inhaling the scent of the new math teacher.
This person actually smells fragrant, like a blooming flower mixed with sunshine and honey, so sweet that it's intoxicating.
Bai Ming swore that he had never smelled a more wonderful fragrance than the new teacher's in his life. He couldn't help but take a few deep breaths, and all the pores in his body were dilated and his bones were soft.
He sat in the chair with his hands and feet tucked in. He no longer had the arrogance he had when he threatened to hit someone. He had become like a quail.
Zhuang Li extended his fingertips, tracing Bai Ming's dark circles from an inch away, and asked, "Classmate, what were you doing last night? Why were you sleeping so soundly during the day?"
The new teacher's fingers didn't touch Bai Ming's skin at all, but Bai Ming felt his eye sockets getting slightly hot and his scalp was tingling.
The new teacher was like a magnet, constantly releasing magnetic fields to interfere with his thoughts, making his head a mess and his heart pounding wildly.
For a moment, he felt chest tightness and shortness of breath and was unable to speak.
Zhuang Li smiled softly and asked, "Did you stay up too late reading?"
Bai Ming didn't read at all, but went to work. He helped greet customers at a late-night snack stall and was busy until two or three in the morning before going to bed. Naturally, he was exhausted during the day.
Whenever teachers or classmates asked him about it, he would always tell them the truth. He believed that this little effort to survive was not shameful; to live meant having clothes to wear and food to eat. He had no parents, so of course he had to rely on himself.
But now, looking at the person in front of him who was clean and seemed to be condensed from bright spots of light, Bai Ming opened his mouth but found it difficult to speak.
For the first time in his life, he realized what it meant to be ashamed of himself. It was shameful to show his most embarrassed and miserable self in front of this person.
His ears turned even redder, and he actually closed his mouth and tacitly agreed to the statement "it's too late to read", and his eyes that were glued to the young man's face also moved away timidly.
He looked at the young man's slender and beautiful hands resting on his desk, then looked at his own dark and rough hands, and an idiom vaguely popped up in his mind - a difference as great as heaven and earth.
At this moment, he felt as if his heart was cut by a sharp blade, and felt a sharp pain.
Zhuang Li lowered his eyes to look at Bai Ming's hair whorls, already guessing the embarrassment and discomfort he was experiencing. For a boy of this age, self-esteem is an extremely fragile thing, easily shattered.
So he stood up, took back his hands that were restraining her, and gently advised: "Go to bed early next time and don't overwork yourself. Come to my office during lunch break and we can talk."
Bai Ming raised his head, glanced at him quickly, then quickly lowered his head and agreed in an inaudible voice.
His timid look surprised his deskmate.
Bai Ming was not afraid of teachers, classmates, or even the hooligans outside the school. He was always confident and open with everyone. He was never ashamed of his family background, nor did he feel inferior to his grades. He was born with an indelible pride.
Therefore, everyone admired him and the teacher was particularly tolerant of him.
This was the first time he'd concealed his outside job from anyone. Was he feeling inferior? his deskmate wondered in surprise.
Xu Jingjing stared at Zhuang Li's slowly retreating figure, her eyes dark. She was acutely aware of the influence this new teacher had on Bai Ming.
Bai Ming raised his head when he heard the new teacher's footsteps fade away. He stared blankly at the door until someone walked past him, interrupting his sight. Then he turned to look at his deskmate and asked, "How many days will Mr. Zhuang be teaching?"
"Two months." My deskmate held up two fingers.
"So long?" Bai Ming tried to frown, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise.
For some reason, when he learned that he would be able to see the young man every day for the next two months, his heart began to beat fast. He felt a little nervous, but more of it was happiness and anticipation.
He took out a pack of cigarettes from his desk and waved it at his deskmate: "Want one?"
"Let's go to the bathroom." My deskmate stood up immediately.
After smoking, Bai Ming's mood was almost calmed down.
There was still one class left before lunch break. Bai Ming couldn't help grinning when he thought that he would have to go to the office in forty-five minutes to receive "education" from the new teacher.
He was so excited that he couldn't fall asleep during this class. As soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with a brilliant golden color and a glowing face. This face had a beautiful smile, and how could the curve of its mouth be so intoxicating?
Bai Ming buried his face in his arms to hide his gradually increasing breathing.
The March sunshine was very warm, but it made him feel hot all over.
---
As soon as the bell rang, Bai Ming rushed out of the classroom so fast that his deskmate had no time to react.
Xu Jingjing stared at his back, her eyes darkening.
Bai Ming quickly ran across the playground, through the tree-lined path, and arrived in front of the office building. A second before entering the office, his excited heart suddenly froze.
He suddenly realized that during those forty-five minutes, the new teacher might have heard about him from other teachers. He would know that he was an unwanted child, that he often got into fights outside, and that he had to work at a night market stall at night, getting himself covered in grease.
He will know that his grades are so bad that he can't even get into a junior college.
He will know that this is a person with no future and will only be at the bottom of society in the future.
Thinking of this, Bai Ming's body stiffened, and his legs felt heavy. He didn't even know what he was so happy about just now.
He slowly backed away and turned to leave.
"Why did you leave?" A warm voice sounded behind him.
Bai Ming stood there without daring to move, his back subconsciously straightened.
Zhuang Li walked over and held his wrist: "Come on, the takeaway I ordered has arrived, let's eat and talk."
The touch on his wrist was light and soft. He could break free with just a slight move, but Bai Ming had no such thought at all. Instead, he stretched out his arm and let the man lead him forward.
Zhuang Li's desk is next to the window, with good lighting. The table top is clean and tidy, and there is a row of small green potted plants on it.
He asked Bai Ming to sit across from him, took out a report card, and said, "I just looked at your grades from last semester."
Bai Ming's heart, which had become active again, fell to the ground with a thud and broke into two pieces. An extremely strong sense of shame made him unable to raise his head.
7480 sighed, "Others scored 600 or 700, but the gods only scored over 200. What a sin!"
Zhuang Li placed the transcript on the table, pointed at Bai Ming's name, and said slowly, "I already understand your situation."
Bai Ming's heart sank again and again, breaking again and again. He lowered his head even more, not daring to look at the person in front of him.
"What plans do you have for your future?" Zhuang Li leaned against the desk and moved closer to look at Bai Ming's face.
Bai Ming turned his head away, avoiding his gaze, and said in a muffled voice, "Teacher, since you know my situation, you should know that I can't get into any good school. After I get my high school diploma, I will go out to work."
Zhuang Li advised, "With only a high school diploma, what good job can you possibly find? My advice to you is to seize these last few months and make a final push to get into college. With a college diploma, you'll have a much better starting point."
Bai Ming lowered his head and said sullenly, "If I don't work, I won't have anything to eat or drink, and I won't be able to pay the rent. I can't even guarantee a basic living."
He finally gave up resistance and exposed his most unbearable self to the young man. He raised his head and quickly observed the other person, wondering what expression he would show.
Is it sympathy? Pity? Or even a little contempt?
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