Chapter 238 Isolation
Because Nan Zhiyi had to go to school the next day, Gu Xiao, though persistent at night, kept to himself and didn't stay up too late.
As dawn broke, Gu Xiao woke up. He looked at Nan Zhiyi, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and gently kissed her cheek. "Wife, it's time to get up."
Nan Zhiyi hummed sleepily, snuggled closer to him, and hooked her arms around his neck. "So sleepy, it's all your fault..."
Gu Xiao obediently admitted his guilt: "Yes, yes, it's all my fault."
As he spoke, his actions were swift; he lifted her up and gently rocked her as if coaxing Xiaoman, saying, "Good wife, if you don't get up now, we'll be late."
Gu Xiao found some clothes for her to change into, and then applied a warm towel to her face.
The warm touch dispelled the last vestiges of sleepiness, and Nan Zhiyi finally woke up, glaring at the culprit.
After breakfast, Gu Xiao drove Nan Zhiyi to school.
"I'm off these two days, I'll pick you up after school this afternoon."
Nan Zhiyi was flipping through the class schedule when she heard this and nodded, "Let's go to Wangfujing together and buy some delicious food to take back to Xiaoman."
Gu Xiao: "I'll do whatever you say."
When they arrived near the school, Gu Xiao stopped the car. Nan Zhiyi got out of the car with her schoolbag, waved to him through the car window, and watched the jeep turn around and leave before turning around and walking into the school gate.
When Nan Zhiyi arrived at her usual classroom, she found that her usual window seat had been taken by a classmate she didn't recognize.
She didn't pay any attention and walked straight to the front row.
Seeing Shan Xiaoyan and Yang Mei sitting together, she greeted them with a smile, "Good morning, Yang Mei and Shan Xiaoyan."
The two responded with smiles.
Nan Zhiyi didn't stop walking. She casually found an empty seat, took out her heavy textbooks and notebooks from her bag, and reviewed her previous notes.
In the days since the start of the semester, she has been absorbing knowledge with great eagerness. She is deeply impressed by the distinguished professors at Peking University. Every lecturer is erudite and cites classical texts, which has greatly benefited her. She often feels enlightened and thinks countless times how wonderful it is to have been admitted to Peking University.
The first period in the morning is Classical Chinese class.
Nan Zhiyi was just about to preview the new content of the lesson when a female classmate sat down next to her. It was Gao Huiqin, whom she had met a few times before.
Gao Huiqin greeted her quietly: "Good morning, Nan Zhiyi."
Nan Zhiyi nodded and smiled politely: "Good morning, Gao Huiqin."
She remembered this female classmate. Once, in a writing class, the teacher read aloud a short poem written by Gao Huiqin. The words were fresh and lively, full of life. The writing teacher encouraged Gao Huiqin to try submitting it for publication.
Just then, the class bell rang, and the teacher walked into the classroom. The two stopped their small talk and focused on the lesson.
I had four different professional classes in a row that morning, all in different classrooms.
Nan Zhiyi and Gao Huiqin naturally ended up traveling together, becoming companions.
Gao Huiqin looked at Nan Zhiyi's gentle profile and was a little surprised. Just yesterday, she had overheard some classmates talking in the dormitory, saying that Nan Zhiyi was a loner and did not get along with others.
But after getting to know her, she found Nan Zhiyi to be gentle and kind, like a spring breeze, and very easy to get along with.
When the bell rang at noon, Nan Zhiyi packed up her books and stationery, hesitated for a moment, and then took the initiative to ask Gao Huiqin.
"Gao Huiqin, would you like to go to the cafeteria with me? Or did you make plans with other classmates?"
She wasn't sure if Gao Huiqin had regular meal buddies, but walking away so coldly made her seem very impolite.
Gao Huiqin was a little surprised by her invitation. She quickly stood up and gave a shy smile: "I... I didn't make any plans with anyone else, so let's go together."
The two chatted about the morning's lessons and then went to the cafeteria together.
When getting food, Nan Zhiyi noticed that Gao Huiqin only ordered the cheapest dish of stir-fried bean sprouts and a steamed bun.
She only ordered a moderately priced dish of green peppers and potatoes and a steamed bun, worried that ordering too much good food would make Gao Huiqin feel uncomfortable.
Sure enough, when Gao Huiqin saw that there was only one dish on Nan Zhiyi's plate, she relaxed her shoulders and visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
After finishing her meal, Nan Zhiyi planned to go to the library to read, as usual. She still had some time before her afternoon class, and she wanted to finish reading the literary theory book she hadn't finished last time, and borrow two new books.
She explained her destination to Gao Huiqin, and the two parted ways at the entrance of the cafeteria to do their own thing.
Seeing this scene, Shan Xiaoyan, who was clearing away the dishes with Yang Mei not far away, felt a lump of wet cotton stuck in her heart, an indescribable awkwardness and unease.
She originally thought that she had some connection with Yang Mei and Nan Zhiyi.
This morning when she came to the classroom, she and Yang Mei specially took the two seats next to the window seat that Nan Zhiyi usually sat in, thinking that they could talk together when Nan Zhiyi arrived.
Unexpectedly, after Nan Zhiyi came in, she simply smiled and greeted them, then went straight to the front row and sat down, showing no intention of coming over to sit with them.
This made her feel like she had been given the cold shoulder.
Seeing Nan Zhiyi chatting and laughing with Gao Huiqin, who is usually quiet, and even having lunch together, she felt even more betrayed by her friend.
She said indignantly to Yangmei beside her, "Fine, she won't talk to us then! Humph! What's so great about that! We'll never contact her again! Humph!"
Yang Mei was conflicted. She quite liked Nan Zhiyi, but unfortunately, Nan Zhiyi didn't live on campus. If she didn't share a room with Shan Xiaoyan, she would be all alone, which terrified her...
She sighed helplessly to herself, nodded to Shan Xiaoyan, and that was her way of agreeing.
Shan Xiaoyan was so angry that Nan Zhiyi wouldn't "play" with her that she decided to start a one-sided cold war, but she didn't realize that Nan Zhiyi was completely unaware of her complicated little thoughts.
Nan Zhiyi was so busy that she barely had time to breathe, like a spinning top, shuttling between family, studies, and writing every day.
She needs to devote herself fully to her studies. It has been almost two months since the start of the semester, and the department has notified her that the midterm exams will be held in mid-May.
This is the first formal exam since the resumption of the college entrance examination, and every student is taking it very seriously.
Nan Zhiyi was even more on edge. Although she had a good foundation, she had been away from systematic learning for many years and dared not relax in the slightest.
Organize your notes, memorize the key points, and practice the exercises...
In addition, editor Lin Yuan frequently urged her to submit her manuscript... She needed to make the most of her spare time in the evenings and on weekends to write her science fiction novel.
She also had to spend time with the clingy Xiaoman and keep an eye on the "resentful" Gu Xiao.
Nan Zhiyi wished there were forty-eight hours in a day, so that she would be thinking about storylines or reciting classical Chinese texts while walking. She would have no extra energy to ponder her classmates' cold wars or isolation.
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