“I’m not trying to lose weight.” Wen Tang explained, “I had gastroenteritis some time ago, so I have to make sure to stick to a light diet recently.”

Everyone then nodded in understanding.

After eating lunch, everyone returned to the classroom for lunch break.

Then, after school at noon, students are free to either go home, to the dormitory, or to rest in the classroom. Most students choose to stay directly in the classroom to avoid running back and forth and wasting time on the road.

There was no one sitting beside Wen Tang’s seat, and Jiang Shuyi in the back seat was also absent from the classroom. After chatting for a few minutes, the girls went back to their desks to rest.

But then Wen Tang’s stomach started to feel uncomfortable, and she felt like vomiting again, even though she knew she probably wouldn’t be able to vomit anything if she went to the toilet right now.

Wen Tang stood up from her seat and quickly strode to the restroom.

She retched a few times, turned on the faucet, scooped up a handful of water, rinsed her mouth, and wiped the water droplets off her face.

She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that she was emaciated and pale.

Mom, even if it is difficult, I will persevere.

—

Not wanting to go back to the classroom and unable to sleep anyway, Wen Tang simply wandered around the campus aimlessly.

She turned into a small path and found a stone bench to sit on. The lush trees around were swaying, bringing a slight breeze to the summer day.

Wen Tang pulled out her phone and scrolled through it casually. There were several unread messages on WeChat. They were all from that person, a long string of voice messages. She didn’t click to listen because they were all the same.

She blocked the person immediately and exited the WeChat interface.

It’s one o’clock now. She should go back for now and review the afternoon class. Wen Tang patted her skirt, stood up, and was about to walk back.

The voices of a man and a woman talking drifted from the grove ahead.

It must be a young couple quarreling. She didn’t pay much attention to it, but since the two of them were standing there, it was not convenient for her to walk over. She could only sit down again and wait for the two of them to finish talking before leaving.

The boy’s voice sounded familiar, but Wen Tang couldn’t remember where she had heard it before. It wasn’t until she heard the familiar name that she realized what was going on.

Shen Yanchuan.

“What kind of girls do you like?”

Wen Tang raised her eyebrows. She had just heard about the glorious days of the school bully, and now she ran into the honourable and infamous man himself.

It seems to be the same repeated story plot: the man is unfeeling, while the woman is interested.

She leaned forward slightly and looked over. It was difficult to see the girl’s face clearly, but judging from her dress, she looked very sweet.

No. 5 Middle School does not allow students to wear their hair down, so the girl creatively tied her hair into centipede braids¹, which looked playful and youthful.

At this point, she lost her composure and grabbed the boy’s arm and questioned, “Tell me, I can do anything you say.”

The man turned sideways in Wen Tang’s direction and impatiently pried open the girl’s fingers: “What I like or don’t like is my own business.”

After moving a few steps to the side, Shen Yanchuan’s tone was cool and chilling: “I don’t hit girls, but you know what kind of actions you have done. Jiang He, take care of yourself.”

The girl named Jiang He clenched her fists and yelled at Shen Yanchuan, “I won’t give up. I won’t give up as long as you don’t have a girlfriend!”

Then she ran away crying.

Shen Yanchuan sneered and turned to walk towards Wen Tang’s direction.

Wen Tang was very calm. Most people who were caught eavesdropping would at least make an excuse or avoid the place. But she just sat there and even greeted calmly: “Good afternoon, fellow deskmate.”

A hint of surprise flashed across Shen Yanchuan’s eyes.

It was lunchtime, and most students would choose to sleep in the air-conditioned classrooms. He hadn’t expected someone to be sitting in the woods watching the show at this hour, and he hadn’t expected it to be his new deskmate.

The corners of his mouth turned up, and he smiled meaningfully at her: “Classmate, eavesdropping is not a good habit.”

Wen Tang tilted her head slightly, looking at him with a pair of clear eyes. Her cheeks were slightly flushed by the heat, adding a bit of charm to her appearance: “I came here first, and you arrived later.”

But thinking that she had indeed heard his private affairs, she apologized and promised: “I won’t tell anyone.”

Shen Yanchuan was amused by her.

The tip of his tongue touched his cheek, and he tutted his words: “Alright, let’s go, little deskmate. I’ll take you back to the classroom.”

The two walked out, and there was no shade after they left the grove.

The sun was high in the sky, radiating heat to the two ignorant little cubs wandering below outside.

Even Wen Tang, who always had a cold constitution, found it a little unbearable.

Fine beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead, and she felt a little dizzy, so she shook her head slightly.

Although Shen Yanchuan had been silent, he kept an eye on her. He frowned and pulled her over: “Stand behind me.”

Her arms were so thin that the blue veins were faintly visible. They were fragile and beautiful, and slightly cool to the touch.

Wen Tang subconsciously tried to break free.

Shen Yanchuan then realized that his action was a bit abrupt, so he quickly let go and explained: “I mean, I’m taller than you.” It felt like what he said came out wrong, so he added, “You’re short.” …Now what is he saying?

He put his hand to his forehead and stared up at the sky. Never mind, let’s just perish along with it.

It was rare to see him like this, he looked so helpless and cute. Wen Tang laughed out loud.

This was the first time she smiled in front of him today.

Her eyebrows are slightly curved, and the two shallow dimples on her cheeks diluted the alienation on her face, like a spring breeze. She took two steps back, stepping on Shen Yanchuan’s shadow, and tilted her head to look at him: “Thank you, dear deskmate!”

Shen Yanchuan felt his heartbeat gradually accelerating, and a dense itching sensation appeared on the tip of his heart.

Oh my god, he’s afraid he might have heatstroke.

He stood in front of the girl and slowed down his pace so that she could keep up. The scorching sun overhead didn’t lessen its pressure, still blinding him. Yet, his mood was no longer irritable, and he even wished the journey would last a little longer.

The girl’s shallow breathing came from behind his back, and the touch from before seemed to still linger on his fingers, and heat surged through his body.

Shen Yanchuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

—

The students in the classroom have already gotten up, some are talking, and some are doing their homework.

Wen Tang took some water from a cup to dispel some of the heat.

Shen Yanchuan had just sent her to the classroom door and left again. He is indeed a big boss, busy with all kinds of things every day.

There are three classes remaining in the afternoon. There is no evening self-study for the second year students of high school, so you can go home after the afternoon classes finish.

Wen Tang took out the physics textbook for the first period and looked at it. He had asked Zou Xinyao about their current teaching progress at noon, and it was about the same as Lincheng No. 1 Middle School. Catching up wouldn’t be a problem.

Just after turning a few pages, Shen Yanchuan came back with four cups of milk tea in his hands.

He first handed it to Jiang Shuyi and Zou Xinyao in the back seat and placed the remaining cup on her desk.

He nodded his chin towards her and said, “There was a buy one, get one free at the milk tea shop, it’s a waste not to buy one.”

Wen Tang was a little confused. When she reported in this morning, she didn’t see any store offering a buy-one-get-one-free promotion. But she didn’t think much about it; maybe the shop wasn’t open at that time.

She looked up and glanced at Shen Yanchuan again.

He must have run all the way back. There was a layer of sweat on his forehead, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.

Wen Tang took out a wet wipe from her bag and handed it to him: “Here, have a wipe.” Her chair was dragged forward to make it easier for him to walk through.

Then she pulled out a straw, inserted it into the milk tea cup, took a sip, and nodded to Shen Yanchuan: “Thank you, deskmate, it tastes great.”

She actually didn’t like sweet drinks, as they were too cloying. But this cup of iced milk tea, with its hint of matcha and jasmine, was surprisingly to her liking. She puffed up her cheeks and took a few more sips.

The corners of Shen Yanchuan’s lip lifted.

She really looks like a pufferfish.

---

1. centipede braids image: https://assets.juksy.com/files/articles/65524/590ad5d7945fd.jpg ↩︎