Chapter 4

In the boys’ dormitory, the lights had already been turned off.

The five of them fumbled around in the dark for a bit before quickly lying down on their beds.  

On the upper bunk, Yan Lie turned over a few times but couldn’t fall asleep. He let his hand drop and tapped the ladder, softly asking, “Dan Gao ^[1]Means cake. Shen Musi’s nickname. Because Musi(慕斯) different characters from SMS’s name9慕思), is Mousse., do you know about your Jie’s situation?”  

The dormitory fell silent as they listened to their conversation.  

Shen Musi replied in confusion, “I don’t have a Jie?”  

It took a couple of seconds for him to react, then he said, “Oh, you mean Fang Zhuo?”

Although Fang Zhuo usually kept to herself, her name came up quite frequently in the boys’ dorm, especially during the period when she had just transferred to the school, which had stirred up quite a lot of attention.  

After all, she was very beautiful, with pale and delicate features that gave her the appearance of someone who needed protection. That fragile look softened her aloof aura and gave the boys false courage.

After spending some time together, they finally realized they had underestimated Fang Zhuo and overestimated themselves. This girl was truly immune to their advances, always giving a cold face to the boys who tried to strike up a conversation.

Zhao Jiayou recalled, “I heard her mouth is a bit sharp. There was a boy from the next class who confessed to her, and she mocked him so much he almost developed a psychological trauma.”  

Yan Lie was shocked. He said, “How is that possible?” 

With Fang Zhuo like that? And sharp-tongued? She would have to think for ages before coming up with something insulting, right?

A boy near the window spoke up, “It’s not exactly like that. Last year, I was her deskmate. Actually, she’s not that antisocial, just doesn’t bother to interact much, like a cool older sister. We were assigned to the same group for duties, and every time I asked her for help, she agreed, very easy to talk to.”  

The class monitor, who was sleeping in the corner, added, “Yeah. Lao Zhao, don’t mention that guy from the next class. He just thinks Fang Zhuo is poor and he has some money, so he acted all high and mighty, provoking her. I think the boys from the next class are a bit off. They’re always pestering Fang Zhuo, treating it like a challenge. They think getting her to date them would give them face. Have they looked at themselves? What a joke. If it were me, I’d scold them too.”

Yan Lie tilted his head, his voice tightening, “What do you mean by that?”  

The class monitor sighed, “Fang Zhuo’s conditions must be pretty bad. I’ve run into her at the cafeteria a few times, but never during meal times, and the food she eats is very simple. And she doesn’t have a phone. Smartphones have been popular for years now, and she still doesn’t even have one.”

At school, everyone had to wear uniforms, so it was hard to tell the differences in wealth among the students. Plus, since Fang Zhuo transferred last year, she hadn’t gotten close to them, and if they didn’t pay attention, they wouldn’t notice much.  

Everyone vaguely knew that Fang Zhuo’s family situation wasn’t great, because she lived very frugally. The shoes she wore and the everyday items she used were all cheap and barely used.  

But they hadn’t dug deeper into how bad her situation really was.

Yan Lie’s voice turned cold, and in the dark of night, it sounded somewhat chilling: “I’m asking, what did that guy mean by that?”

He was about to discuss the meaning of “acting high and mighty” when Shen Musi, who had been pondering for a while, suddenly said something shocking: “I’ll quietly tell you all, but don’t spread this around, okay? After we leave this dorm, I won’t admit it. Actually, during the last holiday, I ran into Fang Zhuo working a black job outside. She was sitting in an alley eating takeout, her hands were shaking from exhaustion. It seems like her family doesn’t care about her. Last year, for the Arts Festival, Class Monitor, weren’t you going to buy a set of pure white uniform outfits? The 100-plus yuan was also earned by Fang Zhuo working a part-time job.”  

The group fell silent.  

After a moment, everyone erupted in shock.

The class monitor exclaimed, “Why didn’t you say this earlier?!”

“I did say it!” Shen Musi complained, “When you suggested it, I interrupted! I said it wasn’t necessary, right? But then you criticized me! You said it was our last performance together, that we should have a sense of collective honor! And everyone agreed! So how could I say in front of everyone that Fang Zhuo doesn’t have money? Her pride is so strong, what could I do?”  

The class monitor, in a daze, said, “Well, I didn’t know that! Why didn’t she apply for financial aid?”  

Zhao Jiayou followed, getting overly excited: “No wonder I thought she was getting poorer!”  

Yan Lie quickly hushed them, “Shh—”

The group inhaled deeply in unison, suppressing their rising voices so as not to attract the dorm supervisor’s attention.  

After they calmed down, Zhao Jiayou gently said, “I think she’s really beautiful, completely my type. I really like this kind of girl, you guys know?”  

The conversation suddenly became awkward. No one in the dorm was particularly interested in engaging with him.  

Zhao Jiayou, lost in his own thoughts, continued, “You guys think, if I insist on bringing her breakfast every day, let her feel the warmth of society, will she fall in love with me out of gratitude?”  

“Heh,” the class monitor sneered, “The boys from the next class probably think the same thing.”  

Zhao Jiayou grumbled, “I’ll keep it pure, I’m serious! How can you insult me like that compared to them?”  

Shen Musi lazily remarked, “You’ll be the one getting called into the office for early dating problems by the class teacher.”  

Zhao Jiayou immediately slumped, “Well, never mind. Her life philosophy is really draining.”  

Everyone thought the topic was over, but Zhao Jiayou wouldn’t let it go, continuing to mumble a string of shameless nonsense: “After all, a guy like me—handsome, good grades, and clean—must be a target of the class teacher’s vigilance. The moment I show any signs of trouble, she’ll panic…”  

Shen Musi silently got off his bed, crawled over to Zhao Jiayou, and forcefully pulled his pillow over his face.  

“Shut up!” he shouted angrily, “Why are you disgusting everyone at this time of night?”  

The two of them wrestled for a while, burning off their energy, before finally settling down to rest.

That night, they all slept restlessly, disturbed by a mix of random dreams.  

The next morning, Yan Lie and Zhao Jiayou woke up earlier than the rest. They went to the cafeteria for breakfast and, on the way, picked up a few packed meals for the lazy ones back in the dorm.  

As they were finishing their queue, they spotted Fang Zhuo in the crowded cafeteria.  

Not sure if it was because they had discussed her the night before, but now, Zhao Jiayou couldn’t help but see her through a lens of loneliness and vulnerability. As soon as he noticed that an annoying guy was sticking close to her, his temper flared. He snorted loudly through his nose.  

He slung an arm around Yan Lie’s shoulder, pointing ahead with righteous indignation, saying, “Let’s go, hero to the rescue!”  

When they reached Fang Zhuo, they saw Bai Lufei, with his smarmy face, pestering her. “Why are you giving me money? I can buy my own things. Don’t misunderstand, I just want to be friends.”  

Fang Zhuo gave him a side glance, one that anyone could clearly see was filled with impatience. She asked, “And then?”  

Bai Lufei grinned, “Then, I’d be showing care between classmates.”  

Zhao Jiayou made a disgusted face, worried that Fang Zhuo might not be good at rejecting this kind of harassment. Just as he was about to speak up, Fang Zhuo slammed her stainless steel bowl down on the table and, with a patience that had clearly run out, said, “I don’t think you need any care; you’re more like a weed growing over a grave.”  

Bai Lufei: “…”  

Fang Zhuo twirled her chopsticks in the air. “Considering you’ve eaten so many of the nation’s food, and you’re at least a reserve labor force, I don’t mind helping you insert one into your skull.”  

Zhao Jiayou: “…”  

Fang Zhuo sneered, “Do you need it?”  

Yan Lie: “…”  

Yan Lie swallowed hard, shivering slightly, and whispered to Zhao Jiayou, “Do you still want to bring her breakfast and hope she’ll be moved?”  

Zhao Jiayou slowly shook his head, deeply regretting his previous foolishness. He humbly said, “I’m afraid she’ll turn my skull into a incense burner for offerings.”

Bai Lufei’s face turned pale, going through several expressions.  

Fang Zhuo gripped the edge of the bowl with one hand, her eyes cold and emotionless as she stared at him. If Bai Lufei took another step forward, she would undoubtedly pour the bowl of congee right into his face without hesitation.  

Before the sparks could fly, Yan Lie sat down between them, blocking the two.  

Fang Zhuo’s gaze shifted downward, landing on him, and she raised an eyebrow.  

Yan Lie propped his chin with one hand and cheerfully greeted, “Good morning.”  

The young man’s hair was slightly messy, with a few curls, his smile bright and his eyes curved like crescent moons. Standing in the bright light from the open door, his clear eyes seemed to glow, and his smile was infectious. He glanced toward the front, subtly directing his gaze somewhere.  

Fang Zhuo studied his face for a moment before relaxing her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the bowl, and returned to her breakfast without further paying attention to the people standing nearby.

Zhao Jiayou stood in front of Bai Lufei, smiling broadly, “The teacher is right in front. If you keep coming over, I’ll have to accuse you of harassment. And by the way, stop bothering Fang Zhuo. Every time she sees you, she feels the need to come up with new curse words. It’s so tiring, don’t you think?”  

Bai Lufei gritted his teeth, but before he could say anything, Zhao Jiayou shoved him away to another part of the store.  

After Bai Lufei left, Yan Lie also took his breakfast and left. Fang Zhuo finished her meal, cleaned her tray, and walked back to the classroom slowly.  

After the morning exercise and break, students scattered from the playground, chattering noisily. Yan Lie was pulled by Shen Musi to the supermarket.  

The supermarket was crowded, and Yan Lie, who disliked tight spaces, stood outside, waiting.  

The floor-to-ceiling windows, which hadn’t been wiped in ages, were covered in a dusty film. Yan Lie was tall and noticeable no matter where he stood. He found a shady spot, turned around, and through the stained glass, he spotted Fang Zhuo standing in front of a shelf.  

She bent down, looking for something among the many displays. After a moment, she picked up a pair of shoes, checked the price, let out a small sigh of relief, and returned them to the shelf.  

Yan Lie smiled at the sight. When he returned to the classroom, Fang Zhuo was already there.  

He casually pulled out a chair and sat down, flipping through the book on the desk, only to find a fifty-yuan note tucked inside.  

“Wow.” He grinned, pocketing the money, then grabbed two pieces of strawberry cake from the corner of the desk and chuckled, “How did the God of Wealth know I like small cakes?”  

Fang Zhuo hadn’t wanted to look at him, but hearing that, she couldn’t help but glance at him, only to meet his gaze.  

He raised his hand in a casual gesture and smiled generously, “Thanks.”  

Fang Zhuo simply hummed in acknowledgment.  

…Straightforward.  

Fang Zhuo pondered for a moment.  

So, was Bai Lufei and his group made of heavy metal? Poisonous. 

Author’s Note:

Yan Lie: The weak, pitiful, and helpless Fang Zhuo Mei(younger sister)… ba ba.