Chapter 15

After having lunch with Teacher Huang Qisheng, Su Miao Miao returned to the classroom.

Shang Yan was not at his seat.

—

Noticing Shang Yan’s absence, Su Miao Miao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Shortly after Su Miao Miao sat down, Wen Susu stood up in the center of the classroom.

“The first afternoon physical education class will proceed as usual. Get ready to gather at the sports field.”

A few boys at the back of the class cheered and ran out in groups with balls in hand.

The previously quiet classroom stirred slightly after Wen Susu’s announcement.

However, Su Miao Miao sat frozen in her place.

Regarding the physical education class, what about her…

“Su Miao Miao.”

At that moment, Wen Susu’s voice sounded from the side of the desk.

Wen Susu, with complex emotions in her eyes, frowned as she looked at the girl in front of her.

“The updated class roster now includes your name, and this is the first physical education class after the roster change, so you also need to attend the class. I will inform the physical education teacher about your health condition.”

Su Miao Miao hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Where is the sports field…”

However, before she could finish speaking, Wen Susu had already turned and walked out of the classroom.

Su Miao Miao’s half-formed question hung in the air. Just as she was feeling unsure, a curious inquiry came from the desk behind her:

“Don’t you know where our school’s sports field is?”

Su Miao Miao was taken aback.

After a few seconds, she realized that the person was indeed trying to start a conversation with her.

Turning to the side, the girl hesitated for a moment before gently nodding, “Can you tell me?”

Seeing the glimpse of a snow-white jaw that had just tilted slightly under the hood, the girl behind Su Miao Miao froze for two seconds, then smiled and said, “I’m going too, I’ll take you there.”

With that, she got up from her seat and walked around. “I’m Qi Wenyue, and you’re Su Miao Miao, right?”

The kindness rarely felt from peers during a first meeting made Su Miao Miao pause for a moment before coming back to her senses.

She stood up and said softly, “Yes, hello… I’m Su Miao Miao.”

After hesitating for a moment, recalling the first time someone asked her about her name, she repeated quietly, “Miao represents the distance.”

“I know, ‘miao’ means distant, right?”

This time, Su Miao Miao quickly nodded.

This is the normal reaction, right?

Not like Su Miao Miao…

Seeing the girl’s subtle reaction to being acknowledged, Qi Wenyue’s laughter was pleasant, “You’re really cute, I’m starting to like you.”

“…”

Su Miao Miao was taken aback.

After a moment, the pinkish-white earlobe hidden under the hood blushed belatedly.

Qi Wenyue, unaware of the new student’s lack of humor, reached out to pull Su Miao Miao’s sleeve. “Shall we go to the sports field?”

“Okay.”

The campus of No.3 Middle School was large, and the sports field occupied a vast area.

Apart from the standard synthetic track football field and basketball courts, at the eastern entrance of the sports field, there was also a section resembling a small park with greenery.

The low shrubs in the greenery area were neatly trimmed by the school’s gardener, surrounding the gravel path leading to the main sports field in winding patterns.

At the northern end of the greenery area, there was a decorative rock fountain pool.

During the noon of summer, the fountain was in operation, with water jets forming beautiful patterns from the hidden outlets in the rock, creating small rainbows in the sunlight.

Su Miao Miao was lost in thought, gazing at the scene.

She and Qi Wenyue walked around a section of shrubbery surrounding a tree, and suddenly heard voices ahead–

“Susu, don’t be angry.”

“Yeah, Shang Yan’s words must have been a joke, how could he like an ugly monster who doesn’t even show her face?”

“Su Miao Miao is so lucky, she can sit next to Shang Yan!”

“But I heard from Li Zhe, she’s also in the computer training group…”

“Ah? So she spends more time with Shang Yan than Shu Wei does…”

“That’s enough!”

A sudden female voice interrupted their conversation.

Su Miao Miao was familiar with that voice.

It was Wen Susu’s.

However, due to her annoyance, she lost her usual composure.

—

“I don’t want to hear about her anymore, stop mentioning her.”

“…”

Several girls fell silent awkwardly, and after a few seconds, someone changed the topic and started talking about something else.

Su Miao Miao remained in place, not saying a word.

Qi Wenyue, standing beside her, felt a bit helpless, and led the girl back for a while.

After making sure their voices couldn’t be heard, Qi Wenyue spoke, “Wen Susu likes Shang Yan, and almost everyone in the grade knows… And you know, before you, Shang Yan never let anyone sit next to him.”

Su Miao Miao, who was lost in thought, was brought back by these words.

She raised her head slightly, curious.

“Why…”

“Shang Yan must come from a wealthy family, and he keeps his distance from people. He’s better now, but you didn’t see him when we first started high school… hardly anyone could get close to him then.” Qi Wenyue continued, “And he’s a bit of a germaphobe, hardly touching other people’s things and not letting others touch his.”

“…”

Remembering the last time in the cafeteria when someone mocked her as “five feet tall” while using new chopsticks to pick food for her…

Su Miao Miao: …

She was skeptical about the germaphobe label.

“And the boys in the class, you know, they come back all sweaty from playing ball– Li Zhe once came back and went straight to his desk after playing, but Shang Yan kicked him out several times.”

“And the girls…”

“The girls are even worse, whoever sits next to him probably spends the whole day just staring at him.” Qi Wenyue chuckled, “You’re new here, you don’t know the ‘scene’ with Shang Yan in school–he’s incredibly handsome, excels in studies, has a mysterious background, especially in computers–the girls who like him in school can line up from the north gate to the south gate and back again. And let me tell you…” Qi Wenyue paused and chuckled. “In the second half of his freshman year, Shang Yan had just won a computer competition gold award, and he even received an anonymous love letter from a boy hahaha…”

Su Miao Miao was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“So, for the entire freshman year, Shang Yan never had a deskmate–until you came.” Qi Wenyue shrugged.

“…”

Under the hood, the girl stopped with a slight quirk of her lips, her delicate eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Qi Wenyue said, “It’s only natural for Wen Susu to be hostile towards you. Everyone says Shu Wei is Shang Yan’s girlfriend, so apart from Wen Susu feeling a bit resentful, other girls lack the confidence to openly show interest in Shang Yan. But behind the scenes, who knows how many girls are envious of you.”

Su Miao Miao nervously pressed her lips together.

There was a moment of silence between the two.

Qi Wenyue glanced at the time on her watch– “We still have some time before class, I feel like it’s quite hot today, so I’ll go to the store and buy two bottles of water.”

“Okay,” Su Miao Miao responded softly.

Qi Wenyue smiled and walked towards the east entrance of the sports field.

Su Miao Miao stood still for a moment.

As time passed, more and more students seemed to be entering the pathway outside.

…

And whether it was her imagination or not, she felt like many students were staring at her and discussing something.

Still feeling the aftershock of the flag-raising ceremony, Su Miao Miao took a few steps under the shade of the trees, deciding to leave the gravel path leading to the entrance.

She followed a path on the other side of the trees, heading towards the north side of the shrubbery area.

What Su Miao Miao didn’t know was that after she left, some of the students who were discussing her opened the school’s online forum and posted something there.

…

Su Miao Miao walked slowly alone and reached the northern end of the entire shrubbery area, where she stopped in front of the rock fountain pool.

This place was rarely visited, quiet and peaceful.

The summer sunlight shimmered on the shallow water, emitting a dazzling light.

The water sprayed from the fountain danced in the air, creating intricate ripples in the water, filling the air with the fragrance of dampened flowers and grass.

Su Miao Miao gently closed her eyes.

She tried to capture the subtle sounds of water, wind, rustling leaves, and insect chirps…

From a young age, she was accustomed to this kind of quiet solitude.

There was a similar small rock pool in the sanatorium, deeper and with a few fish inside.

No one wanted to play with her there, so she often spent the afternoon by the pool.

Recalling that time, the girl’s eyelashes trembled slightly.

After a moment, she opened her eyes and looked at her reflection on the shallow water’s surface.

She thought that by hiding, she wouldn’t be disliked…

But it seemed like she had failed.

Just as Su Miao Miao was feeling regretful, a series of footsteps suddenly approached from behind her.

“Are you sure she went this way?”

“Sure, someone saw her.”

“Hey–look, isn’t that ugly monster right in front of us!”

“Hehe, indeed.”

“…”

Su Miao Miao froze in place.

She appeared calm, but her reaction was quick, and she quickly understood that the group was talking about her.

The girl tried to move to the side.

But she didn’t make it in time.

—

The group of girls, dressed somewhat provocatively, saw her attempt to leave, exchanged glances, sneered coldly, and surrounded her at once.

Su Miao Miao was already standing by the fountain pool, now encircled with no way out.

One of the girls, with black hair streaked with brown highlights, stepped forward, chewing gum and chuckling.

There was malice in her eyes as she said, “You’re the new Su Miao Miao from Class 2, right?”

The gum in her mouth crackled loudly as she spoke.

Feeling cornered, Su Miao Miao could only stop.

Sensing the undisguised provocation, she pinched her fingertips hidden in her sleeve, remaining silent.

“Hey, so ugly, yet so arrogant? You dare ignore me when I speak?”

“Ugly people cause trouble.”

The other girls surrounding Su Miao Miao chimed in with mocking remarks.

The girl chewing gum spat lightly, took a step forward, and pushed the girl in front of her on the shoulder.

“I heard that you shamelessly sat at the same table with Shang Yan? — So ugly that you dare not show your face, where do you get the nerve?”

Su Miao Miao was pushed to the edge, her legs hitting the ledge of the fountain pool.

“I don’t know how this ugly monster managed to make Shang Yan say such things?”

“Hey, do you really believe that?”

“That’s what Class 1 says.”

“I’m sure Shang Yan was just mocking her.”

“Of course, with a big campus flower like Shu Wei as his girlfriend, who would look at this kind of ugly monster?”

As the girls surrounding Su Miao Miao taunted one after another, the circle around her grew smaller.

With no way to retreat, Su Miao Miao could only shrink her body slowly. “I don’t know that’s his seat…”

“What did you say?”

The girl chewing gum, leading the group, leaned forward with an insincere smile– “You sound like a mosquito, not only are you ugly, but your voice is so soft?”

“…”

Su Miao Miao tightened her fingertips.

The clamor around her grew louder, and it was evident that more and more students were gathering, pointing and gossiping, near where her hood covered.

The hushed discussions and the subtly malicious words made the already pale face of the girl lose even more color.

She couldn’t afford to get emotional…

She couldn’t…

Su Miao Miao clenched her fingers tightly, repeatedly reminding herself in her mind.

She closed her eyes forcefully.

Seemingly hearing the girl’s slightly rapid breath, the several girls exchanged glances and began mocking her.

“Oh my god, seems like a sickly wimp, huh? Don’t know what illness she has, so easily scared?”

“Qiao Xinyi, that’s enough, don’t scare this ugly monster into trouble, we’ll be blamed for it later.”

“Alright.”

The girl chewing gum smirked, her smile filled with malice– “Let’s not do anything else, let’s specifically expose the true face of this ugly monster–so she doesn’t delusionally try to seduce other boys!”

“Sounds good, I’ve started a live broadcast post–take her picture, let’s make this ugly monster famous at No.3 Middle School!”

As they spoke, one girl took out her phone, switched to camera mode, and started snapping photos of the startled Su Miao Miao.

“Hey, hold her, don’t let her move! — Cooperate, we’re doing this out of goodwill to make you famous, ugly monster!”

The girls’ laughter was grating.

They moved closer, reaching out to lift Su Miao Miao’s hood.

Panicked, Su Miao Miao tried to hold down the brim of her hood, attempting to avoid the girls’ harassment.

However, standing at the edge of the fountain with no way out, she couldn’t escape, and one of the girls forcibly pulled off her hood– In the moment the glaring sunlight hit her eyes, the girl let out a low, plaintive sound, stepping back in panic.

Her legs hit the edge of the fountain pool, and the hands that tried to prevent her from struggling became the final accomplices.

The onlookers gasped.

In their eyes, the petite girl was pushed into the fountain pool.

With a loud splash!

The calm water surface of the fountain pool was disrupted as the girl fell in.

She landed awkwardly in the pool, about half a meter deep.

The cold water instantly covered most of her body as she sat in the pool.

The fountain water cascading down also thoroughly soaked her lightly curled chestnut-colored hair.

The students were stunned by the sudden turn of events.

Before they could react and look at the girl’s face revealed from under the hood, the girl in the pool quickly hugged her knees and turned away.

Her drenched hoodie no longer concealed her figure.

———

A tall figure quickly entered the encirclement.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone, the boy’s steps abruptly halted.

His gaze swept around.

The sharp and clear lines of his profile, with those pitch-black eyes, seemed to be sealed in ice.

“…Shang Yan!”

“Oh my god, why is Shang Yan here…”

A collective gasp and murmurs of surprise escaped from the surrounding students.

The girls who had been hesitating by the pool turned pale at the mention of his name, and they all turned to look.

Their movements inadvertently revealed the trembling figure of the girl sitting by the pool, hugging her knees.

Shang Yan’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Qiao Xinyi, who had been chewing gum, snapped out of her daze and forced a smile–

“Shang, Shang Yan… we heard that this ugly monster is always clinging to you, so we wanted to help you–”

Before she could finish her sentence, Shang Yan’s eyes darkened instantly, his gaze turning as sharp as a blood-stained blade, almost cutting.

Before anyone could react, the boy had already walked into the group of girls.

He paused his steps, his thin eyelids lifting as he looked at Qiao Xinyi and the others.

His arm, clenched into a fist at his side, twitched.

His black eyes, tinged with bloodshot veins, bore a cold and menacing gaze.

The girls were frightened, their faces turning pale as they froze in place.

“Wait…”

The boy’s voice was low, tinged with hoarseness.

He tightened his grip on his jacket, his gaze shifting sideways.

Qi Wenyue, who had been ready to enter the water, instinctively froze her body under that glance.

Shang Yan tossed the jacket to Qi Wenyue.

His black eyes grew colder.

“…Don’t get wet.”

After saying this, amidst the suppressed murmurs of the onlookers, Shang Yan stepped directly into the half-meter-deep pool.

The sudden sound of water scared the girl hiding her face under the rock, causing her to shudder lightly.

Shang Yan seemed unfazed by the water reaching his calves.

His profile was as cold as ice, his thin lips forming a sharp curve.

Step by step, Shang Yan approached the girl, coming to a stop in front of her.

“Kid,” he called out to her in a hoarse voice, his black eyes as dark as the night, “…get up.”

The girl’s tense shoulders trembled again.

She shook her head vigorously, the refusal that escaped her lips accompanied by a soft, choked sob.

It was late summer, on the cusp of autumn, and soaking wet in the water, the girl’s body shivered when the wind blew, her figure light and fragile.

Bowed in the sunlight, her neck, exposed as she bent over her knees, was blindingly white.

Thin and fragile, she seemed like she could break with a single touch.

Shang Yan’s gaze darkened.

Initially wary of potentially fueling rumors about the girl’s injury, he had now reached the end of his patience.

—

Her skin as fair as snow, lips with a touch of charm, features so delicate as if meticulously carved and polished, like a work of art.

Her wet, curly hair clung to her pointed chin, accentuating her snow-like complexion and petal-like lips.

With jet-black pupils, glistening, it was a face near to enchanting beauty.

Paired with the panicked and bewildered gaze, it stirred the deepest desires in one’s heart.

Shang Yan was stunned.

After a moment, he awkwardly lowered his eyes, barely concealing the intense emotions brewing in his gaze.

“–Shang Yan!”

Outside the fountain pool, Li Zhe and others who had rushed over stopped by the pool at this moment. “Is your disciple…alright…”

The last word twisted suddenly.

The onlookers were blocked from seeing the girl’s face by Shang Yan’s back.

But at this moment, Li Zhe stood by the pool, and he saw Su Miao Miao’s appearance crystal clear. Clear enough to strike him like lightning. Li Zhe: Who am I, where am I, what did I see–why is my goddess in Shang Yan’s arms??