The intersection of duty students
During the last self-study class on Thursday afternoon, sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting dappled shadows on the blackboard. Lin Weixi was concentrating on sorting out her math mistakes when she felt someone gently touch her elbow. She raised her head and met Chen Wang's smiling eyes.
"It's our turn to be on duty today." He lowered his voice and pointed to the duty list in the corner of the blackboard. Lin Weixi followed his finger and saw their names side by side on the duty list. Her heartbeat accelerated involuntarily and she nodded to show that she understood.
The bell rang and the students began to pack their bags to leave. Lin Weixi was tidying up her desk slowly and at the corner of her eye she noticed that Chen Wang had already neatly packed his bag and was standing in front of the podium checking the duty schedule.
"Shall we start by sweeping the floor?" Chen Wang picked up the broom leaning against the corner and handed it to her naturally. "You sweep from the back to the front, and I'll sweep from the front to the back. It's faster this way."
Lin Weixi took the broom, and her fingers accidentally touched his fingertips. A subtle electric current spread throughout her body along her fingertips. She hurriedly lowered her head and pretended to concentrate on sweeping the floor.
The students in the classroom gradually dispersed, leaving only the two of them. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, dyeing the entire classroom a warm golden color. Lin Weixi carefully cleaned every corner, occasionally glancing at Chen Wang who was wiping the blackboard.
"Can you help me wash the rag?" Chen Wang turned around, beads of sweat on his forehead. "I've been wiping the blackboard for too long, and the rag is dirty."
Lin Weixi nodded and took the rag that had turned gray. The washroom was at the end of the corridor. She scrubbed the rag carefully, watching the clear water gradually turn turbid. When she returned to the classroom, she found Chen Wang tidying up the chalk box on the podium.
"Thank you." He took the rag and continued to wipe the blackboard groove. Lin Weixi noticed that the cuffs of his school uniform were stained with chalk dust, and subconsciously wanted to help him brush it off, but she didn't dare to reach out rashly.
After sweeping the floor, they began to move tables and chairs to clean up the dead corners. "I'll lift this side." Chen Wang walked to one side of the desk naturally. Lin Weixi quickly grasped the other side of the table leg, feeling the rough texture of the wood.
"One, two, three, up!" Chen Wang commanded. The desk was heavier than expected, and Lin Weixi used all her strength. During the movement, their hands would occasionally touch each other accidentally, and every contact made Lin Weixi's heart beat faster.
"Let's take a break." After moving the third table, Chen Wang wiped the sweat off his face. "Would you like some water? I have some mineral water in my backpack."
Lin Weixi shook her head, but her throat was actually a little dry. She looked at the profile of Chen Wang who tilted his head back to drink water, his Adam's apple rolling up and down as he swallowed. This scene made her stunned.
"Oh, right," Chen Wang suddenly remembered something, "should we work together on next week's math group assignment? I noticed your approach to solving the problem last time was quite unique."
Lin Weixi was stunned for a moment, then a burst of surprise surged in her: "Okay." She tried to make her voice sound calm, but her slightly trembling fingertips still revealed her inner excitement.
After all the cleaning was complete, the classroom looked brand new. The sun had already set, leaving only a last ray of twilight on the horizon. Chen Wang closed the window and checked the power switch.
"Let's go, it's getting dark." He put on his schoolbag and stood at the classroom door waiting for her.
Lin Weixi took one last look at the cleaned classroom before following him out the door. Their footsteps echoed in the empty corridor. Lin Weixi deliberately slowed down her pace, wanting to prolong this time alone.
In the lobby, they ran into the basketball team's coach. "Chen Wang, nice to meet you," the coach patted him on the shoulder. "Don't forget to arrive half an hour early for training tomorrow morning."
"Okay, coach." Chen Wang nodded seriously. Lin Weixi stood aside, looking at his focused profile, and an inexplicable feeling surged in her heart.
After seeing the coach off, Chen Wang said apologetically, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
"It's okay." Lin Weixi replied softly. In fact, she hoped that this journey could be longer, so that she could have more time alone.
As she left the teaching building, the evening breeze carried the coolness of autumn. The streetlights were already on, casting a warm glow on the concrete floor. At a fork in the road, Chen Wang waved at her: "See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow." Lin Weixi watched him turn and walk towards the gymnasium, and only walked towards the school gate after his back disappeared in the twilight.
On the way home, Lin Weixi's mind kept replaying every detail of what had just happened: his fingers when he handed over the broom, the lines of his arms tensed when he moved the table, his Adam's apple rolling when he drank water, and his warm smile when he said goodbye. These scenes played over and over in her mind like movie clips.
She deliberately took a detour, walking slowly along a path lined with sycamore trees. The autumn breeze rustled the leaves, as if they were keeping this sweet secret for her. Passing a convenience store, she stopped and bought two bottles of the same mineral water that Chen Wang had been drinking today.
The first thing she did when she got home was open her diary. Her pen moved smoothly across the paper, recording this special evening:
"I shared a 100-minute shift with him today, from 4:30 to 6:10 p.m. We exchanged 23 sentences, 15 of which he initiated. He accidentally bumped into my hand three times while moving a table, and my heart raced each time. He invited me to team up with him on math homework, and I agreed."
She paused, recalling his expression when he said he wanted to form a team. It was the first time she saw him smile a shy smile, a stark contrast to his usual high-spirited self on the court.
Closing the diary, the stars were already twinkling outside the window. Lin Weixi opened the mineral water she had just bought and drank it in small sips. The water tasted ordinary, but because it was the same brand as his, it seemed to have a hint of sweetness.
That night, she had a beautiful dream. In it, they were no longer gazing at each other from afar across a crowd. Instead, like today, in a classroom bathed in sunset light, they stood side by side, doing the most ordinary things and speaking the most ordinary words. But for her, this was already the most precious memory.
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