Chapter 148 Picking a Green Plum 3: Little White Sheep
Su Cheng woke up when morning reading began, and there were familiar figures around her.
Rubbing her eyes, Su Cheng mumbled, "Good morning."
Xi Congshuang kept glancing at her reddened ear tips out of the corner of her eye, and after being pressed down by her arm for a while, they turned even redder.
"morning."
The class monitor counted the exercise books on the table, then skillfully took the exercise book out of Su Cheng's schoolbag and put it on the pile of homework. Without even opening it, he knew that Su Cheng had definitely finished.
Who could blame her for holding multiple positions, including the important role of class representative?
Upon hearing this, she looked up in shock, her gaze towards Xi Congshuang as if she had heard a mute speak.
Who would have thought that a transfer student who was unresponsive and uncooperative would one day respond and greet someone?
The class monitor wondered if it was possible that she might suddenly have a change of heart, study hard, and decide to work harder, thus completing her homework?
With this hope in mind, the class monitor said, "Xi Congshuang, your math homework..."
Xi Congshuang: "I didn't write it."
Class monitor: "..." I knew it!
"Then I'll have to remember your name."
"good."
The class monitor went to collect homework from other groups, indicating that he refused to communicate with Kapibala.
Su Cheng dozed off for a while, but still felt a little sleepy. She felt something was wrong; she had never been this tired before when she stayed up like this. Today was unusually tiring.
I'd better decline the tutoring assignment tonight and go home early to catch up on my sleep so I can get up early in the morning to finish my homework.
Xi Congshuang took a paper bag from the hook on the side of the table and pushed it onto Su Cheng's table: "I think we need this."
More than half a month after starting school, this was the second time she had voluntarily crossed the dividing line between the two desks.
The first time was in math class last Friday, and I never expected that just two days later, we would see another milestone.
That's what Su Cheng was thinking as she stared at the paper bag.
She turned to look at Xi Congshuang, one side of her face was flushed, as if she had accidentally applied too much blush, and her gaze was also confused: "Huh?"
Xi Congshuang pursed her lips, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. She said, "Coffee. I'm not used to drinking iced coffee in the morning, so I bought hot coffee."
Before she could even drink it, she was called to the teacher's office. When she returned and saw Su Cheng, who was exhausted, she realized that coffee had a more suitable purpose.
Su Cheng immediately sat up straight, startled. "I really need this, thank you."
She actually woke up late today and only had time to eat two meat buns on the way. She forgot to drink soy milk, which made her choke quite a bit. She rushed into the school gate before the security guard closed the sliding gate.
The weather has been slightly cool lately, and the coffee in the coffee bag is still warm. Su Cheng immediately recognized the familiar taste in one sip.
This is sold at a coffee shop near the school, and it's very popular with students from the nearby No. 2 and No. 3 Middle Schools. They often buy a cup to take back to school to refresh themselves when they pass by.
Most coffee shops don't open that early, but the owner of that particular shop believed in the principle of "the early bird catches the worm" and was willing to open early.
After finishing the warm coffee in one go, Su Cheng felt her stomach warm up a bit and her spirits lifted.
Put the empty cup back in the paper bag, throw away the trash and then come back.
"Great, I'm full of energy now, I'm not afraid of three more math classes in a row!" Su Cheng boasted.
Xi Congshuang politely declined, saying, "No, thank you."
How many times will she be called on during three math classes?
Xi Congshuang could have solved the problem simply by doing her homework, but she refused, determined to carry on her rebellious ways.
However, Su Cheng spoke too soon. Forget about three consecutive math classes, she had only gone to do some exercises and came back feeling completely listless, as if the whole world was shaking and her soul was adrift.
Xi Congshuang was a step behind when she returned to the classroom, and saw that her deskmate had turned into a radish buried in her arm.
This situation did not improve even when classes started.
The first class after the long break was physics. Xi Congshuang hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand to the side. The class monitor in front of her turned around as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
"Class is starting, class is starting! Orange, wake up, class is starting!" The class monitor shouted in her ear and nudged her shoulder.
"...Okay, wait a minute."
Su Cheng gave a few mumbled responses, and only raised her head when the second class bell rang.
Next door, Xi Congshuang had already taken out her textbook, which was even whiter than her face, and laid it open on the table. Her unopened pen was placed to the side, which made Su Cheng think that she was really strange.
It was both perfunctory and strangely polite.
While I might daydream during class, I won't do anything outside of class, such as passing notes, whispering, drawing historical figures from books, folding origami to perform mini-dramas, reading extracurricular books, playing on my phone, etc. I won't do any of these things.
If you didn't see her maintain the same posture for the entire class, you wouldn't realize so quickly that she was actually daydreaming and just going through the motions.
The teachers didn't know what to say about her.
As Su Cheng was thinking, her nose itched, she sneezed, and the world before her suddenly became even more blurry.
It dawned on me then that it wasn't because I hadn't slept enough.
She's not like this when she's not getting enough sleep.
Not far away, Teacher Wang paused in explaining a problem to her students, turned around and walked over: "Su Cheng, you don't look well. Do you have a cold?"
Su Cheng was a beat slow to understand what the teacher was saying. Before she could answer, Teacher Wang placed her hand on her forehead: "It seems like you have a slight fever."
"Xi, take her to the school clinic."
Su Cheng seemed to hear someone beside her respond, and then someone grabbed her arm and pulled her up, and she followed along unsteadily.
At the top of the stairs, Xi Congshuang didn't rush downstairs with the person. She turned her head and asked, "Can you walk downstairs by yourself?"
Su Cheng thought to herself that it wasn't to the point of being completely useless, unable to walk just because of a fever.
In the end, he almost had to lean his weight on Xi Congshuang to get downstairs safely.
For 15-year-old Xi Congshuang, this was her first time taking care of a patient, and she was not very skilled in her movements, and didn't even know how to exert force properly.
She is nowhere near as good as she is as an adult. Xi Congshuang has experienced what it means to have experience but be powerless.
By the time they reached the bottom of the stairs, both of them had beads of sweat on their foreheads.
One person was exhausted, the other was sweating profusely.
Su Cheng: "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
Xi Congshuang shook her head: "No."
Although the school is old, it has all the necessary facilities. The school doctor in the clinic is an elderly woman who speaks softly and gently.
The school doctor took the person inside to have their temperature checked, while Xi Congshuang waited outside. The rain had stopped long ago, and the sun was out. The osmanthus bushes in front of the school doctor's office were wet and green from the rain.
Through the pure white curtain, one could hear voices inside.
"Did you catch a cold because you got caught in the rain and didn't dry your hair?"
"It seems so..."
"I need to dry my hair before I can go to sleep."
"I was so tired last night that I fell asleep without realizing it."
High school students do have a heavy academic workload. The school doctor knew that this girl was the top student in her grade and assumed that she was a very hardworking student.
School doctor: "You should dry your hair before going to sleep, or don't wash your hair at all and wait a day before washing it. Doing this all the time can easily cause headaches."
Su Cheng didn't know what the school doctor had misunderstood, so she just nodded twice to brush it off.
Her eyes kept glancing outside through the curtain, as if she could still see the figure standing there. She thought the other person would leave immediately after dropping her off.
Xi Congshuang stood in the room with its slightly yellowed walls. She couldn't tell if it was the color of time or the color of the afternoon sun. On the table sat a thermos cup steaming with heat, exuding the charm of a slow-paced old town life.
It seems... nothing is so bad after all.
Xi Congshuang's shoulders, which had been tense for a long time, relaxed for a moment.
She didn't want to go back to the classroom; she had already learned these things thoroughly and knew them by heart, so there was no point in learning them again.
The school doctor ignored her and, seeing that Xi Congshuang stayed, said, "Student, please keep an eye on the medicine in the bottle. Remember to call me when it runs out."
She gave Xi Congshuang a more reasonable reason to stay.
"good."
Through the half-open curtain, the figure of a girl lying on the bed receiving an IV drip came into view. She was asleep with her eyes closed, and half of her abdomen was covered by a blanket.
The weather has been cooler in the mornings and evenings lately, but it's still quite hot around noon and in the afternoon, with the overhead fan slowly oscillating.
Xi Congshuang pulled over a wooden chair with peeling paint and sat down to wait quietly.
When the school doctor was changing the medicine bottle, her movements startled the sleeping person. She tried to open her eyes, but her body was overwhelmed by immense fatigue, and she was unable to open them.
In Xi Congshuang's view, Su Cheng was unable to sleep soundly due to her illness, and her long eyelashes trembled incessantly.
She wanted to raise her hand and gently grasp the back of Su Cheng's hand that had been injected, hoping it would make Su Cheng more comfortable.
Fifteen-year-old Xi Congshuang, lacking experience in caring for others, obviously didn't know what to do. She just stared silently at the other person's face, and when she saw that the other person's trembling eyelashes finally calmed down, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The person in bed sank into a deeper sleep, while Xi Congshuang gazed out the window, lost in thought.
After a long while, Su Cheng's voice came from beside me: "Don't overthink it, my fever isn't because of you."
Xi Congshuang snapped out of her daze: "Yes, I know."
The umbrella wasn't big; it could cover most of the two people when they squeezed together. She remembered that Su Cheng's head wasn't wet, but the school doctor said she had caught a cold from her head getting chilled, which didn't match the situation at the time.
Su Cheng: "Just so you know."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Su Cheng asked again, "What would you do if I said it was because of you?"
Xi Congshuang: "Pay us money."
Since the matter is unclear and the other party believes that they are at fault, then they should use money to buy peace of mind.
Although the other cards were frozen, there was still one card that could be used, which contained a sum of money sent by her parents every month. Xi Congshuang didn't spend much money, ate at school, and still had a lot left over each month.
Su Cheng: "So decisive... wait, after you pay me back, will you never talk to me again?"
Xi Congshuang nodded: "Mm." Who would pay attention to someone who's trying to extort them?
She's just rich, but not stupid.
She was willing to help because Su Cheng had offered to help twice; she wasn't that cold-blooded.
Su Cheng felt much better and started talking more. Suddenly, she felt that Xi Congshuang was too taciturn: "Is your quietness innate? Are you an earth sign?"
Being young and full of curiosity, the students in the class liked to discuss topics related to constellations during their free time.
Xi Congshuang paused, then shook her head: "No."
Su Cheng was very surprised: "So you know about constellations, and even earth signs."
Xi Congshuang sighed helplessly: "..." She wasn't that ignorant.
What's even more frustrating is that this little white lamb talks so much even when it's sick.
As the girls gathered together, comparing their zodiac signs with their own, Xi Congshuang heard Su Cheng say, "So I'm an Aries."
The tone was exactly the same then as it is now.
Xi Congshuang's helpless expression was so obvious that Su Cheng realized she was making a fuss over nothing. She just didn't like to talk, she wasn't a real autistic girl.
Xi Congshuang glanced at her dry, pale lips: "Would you like some water?"
Su Cheng: "Yes."
People with fevers are prone to thirst. Even if Xi Congshuang hadn't said anything, she would have forgotten that her throat was so dry it was practically burning and she desperately needed water.
"Then wait a moment."
Xi Congshuang got up, asked the school doctor for a disposable cup, poured herself some warm water, and instead of handing the water directly to Su Cheng, she placed it on a table to the side.
Su Cheng, who reached out and caught nothing, was speechless.
Xi Congshuang stood by the bed: "You can't drink water while lying down, you'll choke."
Su Cheng thought about it and realized it made sense. She was about to get up when someone pressed down on her shoulder. She looked over in confusion.
What happened this time?
Xi Congshuang said, "You can't move your hand, be careful of blood backflow." She bent down and lent her hand to Su Cheng as a support, helping her sit up.
Leaning against the headboard, Su Cheng finally got the warm water she wanted to drink.
After finishing her drink, Xi Congshuang asked again, "Would you like some more?"
Su Cheng rubbed her stomach: "I'm not drinking anymore." She didn't want to bother them if she needed to use the restroom.
With nothing to do and no phone with her, Su Cheng also followed Xi Congshuang's example and stared blankly out the window.
Osmanthus trees are planted in front of and behind the school clinic. They are short clumps that will bloom around the Mid-Autumn Festival, filling the room with fragrance.
Xi Congshuang: "After you get your injection, please take the afternoon off and go home."
Even with no experience, Xi Congshuang knew that when a person is sick, they need family members to take care of them, only the person taking care of them would be replaced by a maid or a doctor in the hospital.
If the situation is not serious, the two busy people cannot go home or to the hospital to visit Xi Congshuang in person. If the situation is more serious, they will send their assistants to help monitor the situation.
"I won't ask for leave, and I won't go home." Su Cheng shook her head, met Xi Congshuang's gaze through the window, and said vaguely, "My family is busy, so I won't let them worry."
Xi Congshuang's eyes flickered slightly: "...I see."
Soon, Su Cheng remembered something else: "I saw a driver picking you up from school before, so your family's maids don't call you 'Miss' like in TV dramas?"
Xi Congshuang glanced at him calmly, realizing that Su Cheng's question was just out of pure curiosity and without any malice. Her guard disappeared, and her eyes seemed to say: Is there a problem?
"..." That's really true.
Su Cheng couldn't help but turn her face away to control her expression.
Cheng, she really is a young lady from a wealthy family, just like I was when I was a child.
The young lady even brought him water; she's actually a very nice person, not aloof or cold at all.
Xi Congshuang looked at him with even more confusion, not quite understanding why Su Cheng suddenly chuckled. Was there something funny about it that she hadn't noticed?
Although she didn't understand, Xi Congshuang still kindly said, "Laugh if you want to."
Soon, Su Cheng's smile faded.
She clutched her stomach, looking distressed.
Xi Congshuang thought she was feeling unwell again and got up to go find the school doctor, but Su Cheng, who was quick-witted and agile, stopped her.
"No, no, you absolutely mustn't go." Su Cheng felt she couldn't bear the embarrassment.
Xi Congshuang: "We cannot hide our illness and avoid seeking medical treatment."
Su Cheng: "I just need to go to the bathroom..."
Xi Congshuang: "..."
After receiving about two bottles of IV fluid and drinking a glass of water, it's perfectly normal to need to urinate.
Following her role as a human cane, Xi Congshuang once again acted as an IV stand, leading the person out. She handed the medicine bottle to Su Cheng, who waited outside.
Looking up into the distance, the rain has stopped and the sky is clear and blue.
The weather should be good from now on.
*
Being young, Su Cheng returned to school the next day after only one day of rest, fully energized as usual.
Xi Congshuang has changed a bit. Her blank textbooks and unsubmitted homework remain unchanged, but a thick hardcover book has appeared on her desk.
She doesn't look at the screen during class, but she looks at it after class and during self-study periods. At other times, she is very cooperative with class activities.
Try not to contribute or hold anyone back, and treat yourself as if you're invisible.
"What are you looking at?" Su Cheng asked curiously. "Can I see it too?"
Xi Congshuang placed a bookmark, closed the book, and handed it over.
The dark green cover looked convoluted and difficult to understand, and even the class monitor who was passing by leaned over to look.
Learning at school is so boring and tedious that even ingredient lists seem interesting, let alone an unfamiliar book.
Su Cheng glanced at it. She had good English grades and had participated in competitions, but she was certain that this was not English. She silently looked at Xi Congshuang and asked, "What language is this?"
Xi Congshuang: "German."
Su Cheng closed the book and returned it.
The class monitor dared not look directly at him, and turned his head away with his eyes closed.
After spending time together these past few days, she finally understood that Xi Congshuang wasn't incapable at all, but rather too capable, which was why she didn't do her homework.
If she knew that Xi Congshuang had skipped grades since childhood and had already completed high school, she would be even more speechless.
Fortunately, she wasn't in the mood for frying fish. Otherwise, if a transfer student's grades far surpassed those of most students in the class, the teachers would only intensify their efforts, and everyone's lives would become extremely difficult.
Transfer students who don't harm the environment are good people.
Unbeknownst to her, Xi Congshuang's reputation began to change in a corner she paid no attention to.
Before the afternoon class started, Su Cheng was called away by the teacher and never returned.
It seemed like she was being asked to prepare for an English calligraphy competition. Xi Congshuang couldn't quite make out whether it was a speech or calligraphy competition, but she did hear Su Cheng whisper, "The first prize is five hundred, not bad."
After two consecutive hours of classes, the class monitor remarked knowingly, "It seems she won't be coming back."
Because the remaining two classes are not important.
Another class ended, and the next class was physical education, followed by self-study.
It was still the first year of high school, the courses weren't so packed, and the PE teacher was still healthy enough to teach PE classes.
As the school bell rang, Xi Congshuang followed the students down the stairs slowly.
The other students walked towards the playground in twos and threes, but Xi Congshuang stopped in front of the stairs, looked at the long road of kapok trees in the distance, and paused for a moment.
She abandoned the decision.
Leaving the school in front of the security guards without a leave slip will only result in being caught and brought back immediately.
So she turned around and headed towards the school wall. The security cameras on the wall were practically useless, as they could only be fixed at one angle. As long as she carefully avoided the camera's range, she could leave the school without leaving a trace.
Xi Congshuang stopped at the foot of the wall and peered out.
This is the wall that students from No. 3 Middle School often climb over; it seems that Su Cheng also left through this place.
After a moment's thought, the young lady began to learn her new skill—how to skip class.
Having learned rock climbing, she was quite fast at scaling walls and leaping down.
Outside the wall was an alleyway lined with bricks. To the left was the road leading to the school gate. Since it wasn't time for school to let out yet, there weren't many vehicles passing by.
Xi Congshuang looked around, then turned to look at the other side. The other side of the alley connected to the residential area behind the school. It was a relatively old community where many faculty and staff lived.
There seems to be nowhere I want to go. There's no difference between going home and going to school, and there are even more people at school.
Before digging it out, she wanted to try out what it felt like to skip class, but after digging it out, she found it boring and wanted to go back.
A strange noise came from behind her. Xi Congshuang turned around and looked at him, a look of surprise flashing in her eyes: "You..."
Unexpectedly, Su Cheng, who had disappeared first, reappeared on the wall and was about to jump down with light movements. However, she did not expect that there was not only someone in the alley, but also her serious classmate.
Shocked and worried about being discovered by a passing teacher, Su Cheng lost her balance and was likely to fall face-first or twist her arm.
However, she didn't. She fell onto something soft and cool, and in her panic, her elbow hooked onto something to steady herself.
As soon as I moved, I bumped my head on something and felt a dull pain.
"It hurts... no, it doesn't hurt that much." Su Cheng quietly opened her eyes, and everything went black.
Because Xi Congshuang subconsciously took a step forward and caught her.
She was now on top of Xi Congshuang.
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Snowflake: Ah, a snowflake is falling from the sky...
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