two
"Lu Yunian," Ning Yi'en spoke up after another period of silence, with Ning Yi'en looking at her phone and Lu Yunian fiddling with his hands.
—Although he didn’t think it was necessary, seeing the bewildered look on the person next to him, he suddenly felt like teasing him, “Did you just forget to introduce yourself?”
"Ah," Lu Yunian tried hard to recall with his already muddled mind, and it really was true. "Sorry, sorry, hello, my name is Lu Yunian, Yu as in honor, Nian as in youth." Then, he habitually reached out his right hand, almost dropping the thermometer, before realizing something.
"Senior, do you know me?"
"I saw it when they were taking temperatures and writing down my class and name. It's a very unique handwriting," Ning Yi'en said with a smile.
The thermometer beeped, and the school doctor came in. "39.5°C, that's too high. Quickly ask the homeroom teacher for leave to rest."
Why is the thermometer so inconsiderate? If only it could take a little longer so we could talk more. The school doctor's voice seemed to drift further and further away, but it was still right in front of him, Lu Yunian thought dazedly, feeling a pang of regret.
"What are you thinking about? It's time to go." Ning Yi'en stood up and walked to him. Since Lu Yunian was sitting, she squatted down slightly until her eyes were level with his, rested her hands on her knees, and tilted her head to look at him. "Let's go. Go ask for leave. I should go back to class too."
The infirmary and the senior high school building are not in the same building, and it's another long way to go.
The two walked one after the other. Lu Yunian wanted to find something to talk about, but he felt drowsy. Ning Yi'en kept looking down at her phone. Although he couldn't see her expression, he could tell that Ning Yi'en's face was probably cold.
After thinking for a long time, Lu Yunian still didn't speak.
The last period in the morning is self-study.
"He really is a student repeating a year of high school."
"How many points did he score before the college entrance exam?"
"He looks like a sleazy guy. He must have gotten his position through connections."
It's so annoying. Ever since Ning Yi'en sat down, these whispering discussions haven't stopped.
Even though the class monitor had reminded him many times from the podium, it had no effect; in fact, the situation only escalated. Clearly, few in the class were uninterested in him, but they only gossiped about it privately, and no one dared to ask him directly.
"Classmate," finally, after the bell rang, the buzzing of flies subsided as almost everyone rushed towards the cafeteria. Someone finally mustered the courage to speak to him—when Ning Yi'en's face was cold and unsmiling, he exuded an aura of unapproachability.
Are you a student repeating a year of high school?
"Yes." Although the news had already spread throughout their class today, the student still wanted to confirm it again.
"So what was your score on the college entrance exam?" It was a question, but Ning Yi'en heard it sound more like an interrogation. "If you're being presumptuous, then forget it." Seeing that the person didn't speak, the classmate added.
"No offense intended, if I remember correctly, it's five hundred and fifty-five."
Without saying a word of thanks, he simply ran off.
Ning Yi'en frowned but didn't say much. In the past few months, he had already made peace with himself, so going through it again wouldn't be a big deal. Naturally, he didn't mind others knowing his score; telling that person was just a way to give himself some peace and quiet.
However, it is clear that he was wrong.
Students at Jiannan University can return to their dormitories to rest during lunch break. Whether they are day students or not, beds are provided. Of course, they can also choose to study or rest in the classroom.
Ning Yi'en always felt that going back to the dormitory was too troublesome, and that resting in the classroom for a while was enough. She hardly ever went to the dormitory during her three years of high school.
Ning Yi'en didn't know what this class was usually like, but today almost three-quarters of the students stayed in the classroom.
"It's obvious that he got in through connections."
"Tsk tsk tsk, what powerful connections they must have to get into our class with such low scores."
Soon, the nickname given to him by someone spread throughout the classroom. So fast that almost no one knew his real name was Ning Yi'en, while people from other classes already knew him as "Brother Sanwu".
That afternoon, everyone was discussing and talking about it, but no one wanted to know the truth. As soon as the rumors started, they spread very quickly. Several versions of the story of Brother Sanwu and the college entrance examination were fabricated to be almost perfect, if you weren't the person involved.
Ning Yi'en didn't actually care about these random noises, but the incessant sounds were really annoying. Eventually, she couldn't stand it anymore and decided to ask for leave from evening self-study to go home.
Although this would only fuel the rumors, he didn't care. If you were to ask Ning Yi'en what was more important than his own comfort, his answer would be nothing.
When the afternoon classes ended, Ning Yi'en packed up her desk and bag with a dark expression, preparing to go home.
"Hey classmate," the two people in front of him turned around and looked at him, "People in our class just like to talk a lot. Don't mind them, they'll stop talking in a few days." The one who spoke was the deskmate of the person in front of him, a pretty girl with a high ponytail.
"It's alright, I don't mind." Ning Yi'en said calmly. "You can ask me anything you want." — It would be even better if no one kept buzzing around.
"No, no," the girl quickly shook her head, her hair bobbing as she did so. "My name is Yan Ting, this is my deskmate Wen Xi, and the person behind me, who is also your deskmate, is Lu Yunian. But he caught a fever from the air conditioning a few days ago, and I don't know if he'll be back tomorrow."
She smiled at Ning Yi'en, "I just wanted to say that if you need anything, you can come to any of us." As she spoke, she nudged her deskmate, and Wen Xi smiled and greeted him, "Yes, yes, it's nice to meet you. We're all easy to talk to."
"Thank you, Ning Yi'en." Ning Yi'en smiled faintly, but the cold feeling completely disappeared as soon as she smiled.
"Let's go eat first. Are you going home? See you tomorrow." Yan Ting pulled Wen Xi away, waving to him as they walked.
"goodbye."
Today wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as I'd imagined either. Ning Yi'en thought as she walked home.
The evening sky was heavy, as if a heavy rain was about to fall, but the calm before the storm was not always present—the damp air enveloped people, choking them, threatening to suffocate or drown them if they didn't take deep breaths. The only comfort was the occasional cool breeze, free of heat, refreshing and intoxicating.
Ning Yi'en originally thought that he could reconcile with that incident and his senior year of high school in a few months. But he was wrong. He not only overestimated his self-healing ability, but also underestimated his own presence. Even the smallest stone will inevitably cause ripples when it gently enters the water. Moreover, the title of a repeat student is not a small stone. A class with good grades but poor discipline is full of storms.
He habitually rubbed his fingers while thinking—he couldn't remember how he developed this habit, and by the time he realized it, it was already difficult to correct. It wasn't a bad habit that he had never changed.
Once again, he touched the scar on the side of his right ring finger, and it felt like a knife stabbing into his heart. In fact, he had been trying to change his behavior over the past few months, trying to avoid touching that finger, but how could a habit of more than ten years be changed overnight?
He thought that with time, even if the scars could never be healed, his mindset should calm down and he would no longer be stung. So he stopped suppressing himself and quietly waited for the pain to be taken away by time—although he didn't know how long it would take or how many times he would be stung, it would be good if he could get PTSD. Although it was disheartening, at least he wouldn't have to keep recalling those few seconds.
Fortunately, the heavy rain didn't start until after he got home.
After taking a shower, Ning Yi'en heated up a cup of milk and sat quietly on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at the rain.
He forced himself not to think about anything—nothing mattered. He told himself that gossip didn't matter, random nicknames didn't matter, and even the concern of outsiders wasn't that important. All he had to do was to get through these ten months peacefully and calmly.
As soon as this college entrance examination is over, everything in this class will be washed away by the heavy rain, just like the damp air before a downpour.
As long as he gets out of this place that he both loves and hates, all the joys and sorrows of those five years—the year of junior high, the three years of high school, and the year of repeating a year—can be forever sealed in his memory. The happy moments can become topics of conversation over tea, while the unhappy ones will simply drift away with the wind, and no one else will ever know about them again.
Tuesday
Last night's heavy rain, like all summer rains, was intense but short-lived, bringing a rare cool and sunny day the following day.
With the intense academic workload of senior year, people's attention is easily distracted, and discussions about "Brother Sanwu" have almost disappeared today.
Ning Yi'en's good mood lasted until the end of the second class.
When get out of class ended, two people were playing around in the classroom. One of them bumped into Ning Yi'en's desk, which tilted and caused Ning Yi'en to draw a very unsightly long mark on his exercise book.
It's alright, he just frowned and straightened the table. This little thing shouldn't bother him. Even though he thought that, Ning Yi'en's face was still frighteningly dark.
The person who bumped into his table showed no remorse whatsoever. Instead, he walked up to Ning Yi'en with a grin, hooked his arm around his shoulder, and leaned in, saying, "Hey, buddy! Your table hurt me, why aren't you apologizing?"
Actually, Ning Yi'en hadn't really heard what he said. When the man got closer, a foul odor wafted over, so strong that Ning Yi'en could only hold her breath and tell him to leave. So Ning Yi'en didn't say anything, just pushed away the hand that was hooked on his shoulder and continued writing her math. Seeing that Ning Yi'en didn't speak, the man became even more enthusiastic, "Who are you trying to impress with that aloof look? Everyone knows you only got such a low score on the college entrance exam, you're just putting on airs."
The person next to him tugged at him, "Luo Yao, let it go." But Luo Yao just shook his hand off, "What a coward, you should learn from this."
Ning Yi'en glanced at the person out of the corner of her eye, feeling that the face looked somewhat familiar but she couldn't quite place it.
"Stop pretending." Luo Yao slammed his hand hard on Ning Yi'en's desk, making a loud noise. "How about this, you become my little brother. Call me Brother Yao and I'll guarantee that no one in school will dare to bully you except me."
Ning Yi'en hadn't expected him to be so boring and idiotic, and was suddenly amused. "Take your hand away, it stinks."
Luo Yao hadn't expected this guy to act like this, and he started attacking, somewhat losing his guard. "What the hell are you pretending for? Acting all high and mighty, don't you secretly masturbate behind my back?" As he spoke, he put his hands between his legs and thrust his hips towards Ning Yi'en, laughing shamelessly and disgustingly with the people next to him. "Look how many pretty girls we have in our class, huh? Which girl are you planning to fantasize about tonight, hahahahahahahaha."
"Get out of here, Luo Yao," Ning Yi'en hadn't even finished her sentence when Yan Ting walked in through the back door and said first, "If you don't use your brain, donate it. Don't use your brain to think."
"And you, Xu Qi, are you cursing me again, aren't you?" Yan Ting rolled her eyes. "Still trying to pull this bullying stunt? Be careful you don't get beaten up again. Get out of here, get out of here now."
The two wanted to say something more, but the class bell rang, and Chao Yanting gave her the middle finger and walked away sullenly.
"Thanks."
“It’s nothing, it’s only natural,” Yan Ting said with a hearty smile, sitting by the window, the sunlight streaming in like a chivalrous hero from a martial arts novel. “That’s just how they are, bullying the weak.” She said resentfully.
"I didn't mean you were weak, it's just that since you're new here, they might think you're easy to bully."
Ning Yi'en smiled too, a smile more intense and emotional than any smile Yan Ting had ever seen him smile before. "It's alright, thank you anyway."
Lu Yunian's physical condition is actually quite good. After taking the fever reducer yesterday, he slept soundly all afternoon and felt almost recovered. The medicine had a drowsy effect, and he fell asleep very early last night. But perhaps because he slept for too long, he suddenly woke up in the middle of the night. He really hoped that he had just had a dream. He went to school in the morning and it was still Monday. He lost a bet and had to treat everyone to dinner over the weekend.
But Heaven isn't a wishing well; it can't grant one wish after another. Of course, some wishes aren't even granted. If you have to say, it can only be attributed to fate. Lu Yunian sat on the bed in a daze for a long time. The words the people had spoken to him during the day were imprinted in his mind and he couldn't shake them off. His emotions were completely chaotic.
When I opened my eyes again after falling asleep, it was almost nine o'clock. Since I was already so late, I decided to take the morning off and go back to school in the afternoon.
When Lu Yunian entered the classroom, the wake-up bell for lunch break had just rung. The curtains and lights were not yet open, and the classroom was dimly lit. It wasn't pitch black, but it still took some effort to see people's faces.
When he was at the back door, he saw someone sitting next to him reading a book, but he didn't think much of it and just assumed that Wen Xi was sitting there again. He had heard that Wen Xi and Lu Yunian always complained about the noise they made during their lunch break, so the table next to Lu Yunian was always empty. Therefore, Wen Xi often sat next to Lu Yunian during her lunch break.
Lu Yunian sat down and casually put his hand on the shoulder of the person next to him, speaking in a voice just loud enough for the person next to him to hear, "Hey, Wenxi, miss me..." Before he could finish speaking, his hand was slapped away. He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly noticed that someone was sitting in Wenxi's seat as well. Only then did he realize that the person next to him was not Wenxi at all, but the senior who had said yesterday that he wanted to transfer to their class.
"I'm sorry, senior, I didn't think it was you."
“It’s okay,” Ning Yi’en’s voice was cold, giving no indication that he was okay, but his actions of calmly turning the pages of a book gave people the illusion that he really didn’t care about anything.
Ning Yi'en hated this kind of close contact, even though most people would see it as just normal interaction between friends. He completely disliked this kind of interaction unless it was with extremely close friends, but today was only halfway through and he was already being put arm in arm with two people, which made him very unhappy, even though the other person had given a very good explanation.
However, he wouldn't show his displeasure—it wasn't necessary, and it might even cause more trouble. He also didn't intend to have any deep interactions with his classmates. It would be perfect to just remain indifferent to everything that didn't concern him with his studies.
From Ning Yi'en's perspective, although Lu Yunian's attitude was completely different from that of the person in the morning, the two incidents could actually be classified as the same. There was a big difference between taking the initiative to apologize and being chased away. However, as long as he didn't bother her anymore, Ning Yi'en didn't care.
Becoming deskmates with the senior he had longed to be friends with filled Lu Yunian with more guilt than anything else. Even though his selfish desires wouldn't affect the outcome of anything, he would still keep thinking about what would have happened if he hadn't thought about it that night—of course not, but Lu Yunian couldn't figure it out for the time being.
"Senior, can we add each other on WeChat?" Lu Yunian hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. "I'll add you to our class's WeChat group. It'll be more convenient if anything comes up." Afraid of being rejected, he added.
“Okay.” Ning Yi’en put down her book, tore off a piece of draft paper, and casually wrote her name and WeChat ID on it before handing it to Lu Yunian. “Thank you for your help.”
Lu Yunian stared blankly at the note for several seconds—Ning Yi'en's handwriting was beautiful, elegant yet with a touch of lazy casualness. He folded the note and then neatly put it into his pencil case.
A few minutes later, (actually, because Lu Yunian didn't want to make up for yesterday's homework, he spent those few minutes just peeking out the window and staring blankly at the outside world through the curtains.) he secretly took his phone out of his bag and put it back in the drawer, turning it on quietly. Perhaps the noise was a bit loud in the atmosphere where everyone was exhausted after lunch break, because Ning Yi'en glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
When doing something bad, people are often very perceptive. Lu Yunian keenly sensed the gaze, shoved his phone deep into the desk drawer, grinned at Ning Yi'en, and winked, saying, "United front, bro."
Ning Yi'en nodded, finding Lu Yunian rather amusing. "Don't worry about me, you do your thing."
"Then promise not to report me."
"Of course, a united front."
Lu Yunian smoothly opened WeChat and entered the WeChat ID Ning Yi'en had just given him. He had expected it to be a completely black profile picture and a username with a period, like the aloof male gods described in novels.
But of course not. His profile picture was a simple hand-drawn kitten, and his user ID was "N1E"—quite cute, a stark contrast to his appearance. Lu Yunian thought for a moment and sent a friend request.
"I am Lu Yunian. Please accept my application if you agree to be my friend. ^-^"
Even he himself felt that it was a very clumsy way of making friends, but Lu Yunian really didn't have much experience in actively making friends. He was a very outgoing and cheerful person with a very good appearance, so he never lacked people who wanted to be his friend. Making friends was a natural thing for him. This was the first time Lu Yunian had ever been so eager to become friends with someone.
"He won't reject me, will he? He won't even accept my friend request just to reject me, will he?" Lu Yunian thought to himself as he stared blankly at the blackboard, resting his head on his hand during the first class.
It turns out that friendship can also cause such panic.
Lu Yunian felt that he might understand what it felt like to have a crush on someone—although he could never have a crush on a boy, the feeling of trying to make friends today was strangely similar.
Senior, we will definitely become good friends.
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