Zhu Yunque had never forgotten: her story with Lu Rangchen began in 2013, when she was in Year Two of high school.
That year, the Shenzhou spacecraft successfully docked with the Tiangong space station, and a lunar rover set out for the moon. Wang Fei and Li Yapeng abruptly announced their divorce, shaking the entire entertainment world.
But for Zhu Yunque, none of those headlines came close to the vividness of what happened that semester.
In the very first month after school began, she received the worst exam results of her life.
It was September then.
The summer heat still lingered.
Zhu Yunque, laboring under the dual burden of her period and heatstroke, had stumbled through two days of exams in a daze.
When the results came out, she had dropped from a stable position in the top ten of Class B all the way down to the C tier of the school year’s ranking. This meant she might be reassigned to Class C at the beginning of next semester — and it meant she might be shut out of a top university entirely.
The homeroom teacher, Zheng Guoxiong, was furious. The moment class ended, he called Zhu Yunque to his office.
The seventeen-year-old girl arrived in the school’s standard summer uniform. Her expression was calm and distant.
Her fine-cut bangs and glasses concealed her delicate features. A full, gently curved back-of-head was adorned by a low ponytail. Her skin was the kind of pale that suggested a lack of sunshine, and in the daylight it had the texture of cold custard.
By every indication, she was the most obedient and well-behaved student in the class.
Zheng Guoxiong knew better, though. This girl was stubborn to the bone — no less so than the worst troublemakers in the room.
Take this exam, for instance: she was clearly capable of scoring far higher, yet had deliberately left several major questions blank, and had answered her strongest subject — English — in a way that was completely unlike herself.
Zheng Guoxiong went through each subject with her, marking it up and berating her at length, then set down his cup and took a drink of tea.
He put down his teacup, fanned himself with his fan, and looked at her with disappointed resignation. “You can’t keep going like this. Tomorrow I want your parent or guardian to come in personally.”
At those words.
Zhu Yunque had the faintest reaction — no more than a slight pressing of her lips.
In the end, she nodded. “All right.”
…
Coming out of the office.
It was the afternoon break between classes.
The teaching building buzzed with laughter, chatter, and the sound of footsteps.
Young, lively faces everywhere.
Zhu Yunque had barely taken a few steps before Xu Linda, who had been waiting deep in the corridor, came running up to her, urgent and breathless. “What happened? Did Old Zheng scold you?”
Zhu Yunque was slightly taller than her.
She lowered her eyes, expressionless. “No. He just wants a parent or guardian to come in.”
Xu Linda, who was terrified of that phrase above all else, drew the syllables out in a pitiful lament and exclaimed, “For a single bad exam? Isn’t that a bit much?”
If it had truly been just a single bad exam, perhaps it wouldn’t be. The real problem was her recent state of mind in class.
In Zheng Guoxiong’s words: her spirit had gone wandering somewhere and couldn’t be found.
Faced with Xu Linda’s righteous indignation, Zhu Yunque said nothing.
She was always sparing with words. Xu Linda simply assumed she was in a bad mood, and looped her arm through hers, walking with her along the corridor toward the exit.
Outside the teaching building stretched a sweep of pure blue sky, plump clouds hanging from it — white and loose as cotton candy.
It was a rare fine day. Xu Linda decided to treat Zhu Yunque to an ice cream cone.
The two turned left and headed for the small shop at the back of the school grounds.
The shop during the break was packed and lively.
Xu Linda went to the refrigerator section to pick out ice cream. Zhu Yunque stood in front of the shelves, eyeing the colorful row of drinks, trying to decide what to choose.
It was then that a ripple of restless excitement broke out near the entrance.
And then came the whispering laughter of girls — giddy and probing, with all the exuberance and trembling curiosity of that age.
A sweet voice said with a smile, “Lu Rangchen — let me treat you, okay?”
The girl’s voice was not loud, but suggestive enough to ignite the surrounding atmosphere in an instant. The response came quickly — a chorus of “ooh”-ing and teasing from the people around them, boys and girls alike, acquaintances and strangers alike.
“Nice try, big brother. Wherever you go, someone’s after you.”
“God, I wish someone would offer to treat me. I’m running out of pocket money this month.”
“Come on, one more person won’t cost much.”
“Wow, you’re so generous!”
“Generous my foot — she’s in Year Two just like us.”
The back-and-forth banter drew plenty of attention.
Zhu Yunque’s lashes trembled faintly, and her heart skipped a beat or two.
She stopped deliberating and simply picked up two bottles of green plum tea.
When she went to pay, Lu Rangchen was standing at the register with his back to her.