Chapter 5 My Sunny Heart Was Quietly Filled
"Yan Zhao, do you have someone you like?" Jing Yiran's sudden question startled her.
"I..." Ning Yanzhao thought her clumsy disguise had been discovered. How could Jing Yiran be so perceptive in her dream? She had never asked her such a question before. Ning Yanzhao wanted to explain, but before she could, Jing Yiran quickly interrupted her.
"How could I ask you such a question? You're one of my most studious friends. I've seen everything you do except study. How could you possibly have someone you like? You simply don't have any free time."
Ning Yanzhao: "..." She was unsure whether Jing Yiran had overestimated her hard work or underestimated her acting skills. Actually, that wasn't the case. But if she continued to explain, Jing Yiran would definitely notice something fishy. So she decided to change the subject along with Jing Yiran.
Ning Yanzhao's secret crush on An Nianyu was unknown to everyone, including her best friend Jing Yiran.
Since Jing Yiran had already changed the subject, there was no need for her to explain. During the crucial three years of high school, expressing such immature feelings would not be a good decision for anyone.
"Let's go, now that we've finished lunch, let's finish delivering the trays and then study together during our lunch break!"
"No way, I'm so tired." Jing Yiran felt that Ning Yanzhao was a genius in another sense. Although she didn't study while eating or walking, she was very good at compressing time. In short, she was highly efficient at learning and might have learned just as much as others. So, when she looked at Ning Yanzhao, she could only shake her head silently. We ordinary people can't compare to her, we can't compare at all.
"What's wrong? Is your head bothering you?"
"No, I was just relaxing my neck so that it wouldn't be too sore from studying and would slow down my progress. I'm all relaxed now, so let's get back to studying hard!"
"Let's cheer each other on!" What Jing Yiran didn't know was that Ning Yanzhao was currently in a phase of catching up on everything. Although she appeared calm on the surface, she was actually working like Nuwa patching up the sky.
"Math, huh? I refuse to believe I can't solve that last difficult question on today's test!"
Despite her complaints, Jing still studies diligently when she gets serious.
After their respective hard work, the lunch break and the first two classes in the afternoon flew by, followed by one of the only two physical education classes of the week.
According to the PE teacher's usual teaching plan, this PE class was supposed to involve running three laps around the playground, doing some calisthenics, and then having some free time for the students. However, because a section of the playground was under renovation today, and because the PE teacher was considerate of everyone's tiredness from studying, he turned a blind eye to the "terrain problem" and allowed everyone to have free time.
Not only did everyone not have to run, but it was also a rare opportunity for a core subject teacher not to take over the PE class by claiming the PE teacher was sick. Everyone was overjoyed that they could slack off during PE class. Sometimes, the happiness of being a student is just that simple. Everyone whispered among themselves, saying they would go to the convenience store to buy snacks right away.
"Yan Zhao, let's go buy some snacks. We've been studying for hours and I feel like I've reached my limit. We need to rest." Shortly after the PE teacher announced free time, Jing Yiran quickly walked over from her seat.
Jing Yiran's words reminded Ning Yanzhao of a meme of a graduate school entrance exam teacher, which roughly said, "You must take a break today." Considering Jing Yiran's current expression, she felt a little like laughing, but she had to hold it in.
If it were the old Ning Yanzhao, she would definitely have gone along, but now she plans to use this time to walk around and give her eyes and body a rest, because sitting for long periods of time is not good for her health. Although it is not very obvious now that she is young, it will affect her spinal health in the long run. As for snacks, they have too many additives, so she thinks she should try to eat less of them.
"I won't go. Eating too many snacks will affect my health."
"Tell me the truth, you're not actually from here, are you?" Jing Yiran's expression suddenly turned serious after Ning Yanzhao finished speaking, and she crossed her arms.
"Hmm?" Perhaps Jing Yiran has actually discovered something?
“You’ve really changed. You weren’t like this before. No, you weren’t like this even a couple of days ago. You were eating snacks even more than me before. Who is it? Get out of your Yanzhao shell and give her back the old you.” Jing Yiran suddenly stretched out her hands and, like an actor in a TV drama, grabbed Ning Yanzhao’s shoulders and shook her violently.
"Haha, I am who I am. I actually had a sudden epiphany." Ning Yanzhao also adopted the same serious expression as Jing Yiran and said in a deliberately profound manner.
"Really not going to eat?"
"real."
"Alright then, I'll go buy snacks by myself." Jing Yiran shook Ning Yanzhao's hand, feigning a pitiful look.
"Don't do that. Although I don't eat snacks, I can come with you. I'll wait for you outside later."
"That's more like it. Let's go together now."
"OK".
A bunch of classmates also went to the convenience store with me. They chatted during this rare moment of relaxation, and their tone of voice and the way they walked revealed their happy mood.
Watching everyone excitedly head to the convenience store, Ning Yanzhao felt that her various "insights" about health, stemming from having worked for several years, made her seem particularly "old-fashioned." Should she overturn her decision and buy a bag of spicy strips to satisfy her craving?
There's a saying online: "People tend to romanticize the paths they haven't walked before." Ning Yanzhao is now appropriately striving on a path she's never taken before, hoping that things might change in the future. She sometimes wonders what choices others would make if they had the same dream as her. But she doesn't know.
In the end, Ning Yanzhao only bought one lollipop and paid the bill, then stood outside waiting for Jing Yiran.
It was only when Ning Yanzhao was waiting for Jing Yiran at the entrance of the convenience store that she inadvertently saw the cleaning lady cleaning the school and remembered that she was responsible for cleaning the hallways today. How could she have forgotten? Her forgetfulness was really getting worse and worse.
"Alright, Yan Zhao, I've finished shopping. Shall we eat some snacks and go for a walk?"
"I'm afraid that won't work. Today I'm cleaning the hallway."
"That's alright, let's go back to the classroom now."
After the two returned to the classroom, Jing Yiran originally wanted to help Ning Yanzhao clean up, but was suddenly reminded by the English class representative that she hadn't done her homework due in the first period of evening self-study, so she had no choice but to give up.
"Oh dear, even after several hours of hard work, there are still some who slipped through the net. There's so much homework, it's endless. I even forgot about this darn English homework, otherwise I could go with you."
"It's okay, this is my task anyway. It's more important for you to finish your homework first."
"Then come back soon. I'm not very good at cloze tests. Let's check the answers when you get back."
"good."
Ning Yanzhao took a broom and mop to the hallway. She first swept the floor carefully, then went to the bathroom to wet the mop and mop the floor. After mopping the floor for the first time, she looked at the sky while supporting her aching lower back.
Compared to her usual leisurely time, standing in this corridor and seeing the beautiful sunshine today, Ning Yanzhao was inexplicably reminded of her first encounter with An Nianyu.
That was a sunny day during Ning Yanzhao's first semester of high school, just like today.
If it were Ning Yanzhao in her senior year of high school, she would definitely seize the time to study hard, quickly finish mopping the floor, and return to the classroom.
However, Ning Yanzhao was quite playful at the time and wanted to slack off on her studies whenever she had free time. So, she took advantage of the time when she could openly skip studying and stay outside the classroom, lingering outside and not going in. She would slowly sweep the corridor with a mop by herself, while the other students in the classroom were diligently studying under the supervision of the homeroom teacher.
At that time, Ning Yanzhao was enjoying the breeze and humming a little tune as she mopped the steps one by one. She thought that although the process was slow, it was still quite clean.
Then, at a certain moment, Ning Yanzhao, who was even distracted while mopping the floor, saw that the sun shining on the wall looked exactly like half a heart.
Ning Yanzhao thought it was quite rare, since no one was watching anyway, so she used her other hand to make a half-heart shape to fill the heart shape. When she finished making the heart shape, she couldn't help but smile.
Just as Ning Yanzhao belatedly realized how foolish she had been, her heart was quietly filled.
Oh no! Someone's behind her! And they must have seen her abstract behavior!
If it were Ning Yanzhao now, she would definitely pretend that nothing had happened, take a broom and mop, and return to the classroom openly and honestly. After all, such behavior is a bit silly, and it's not a good thing for others to see it.
However, Ning Yanzhao had a different thought at the time. She subconsciously turned around to see who was as leisurely as her, and then she saw An Nianyu in the sunlight. At that moment, if we were to use an old saying that is often heard on the Internet, it would be "the whole world felt bright".
Looking back now, Ning Yanzhao realizes that her crush during her student days was so simple and pure. A ray of bright sunshine, a chance encounter, and the subtle feeling between us when we looked at each other—that's how she fell for someone for the first time, and it's something she'll never forget.
"what are you doing here?"
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