—And pressed on this paper was a piece of candy wrapped in colored cellophane.
“…” Lin Zhexia looked at the person sitting beside her. “Where did you get the candy?”
Chi Yao said, “He Yang attended a wedding a few days ago and brought back a bunch. Left them all at my place.”
“As it happens,” he finished a problem and pinched his knuckles, “I couldn’t find a place to throw them away.”
Lin Zhexia: “Oh.”
Her mind was a bit fuzzy. She wanted to ask, “How did you know I couldn’t solve this problem?” but then realized he was sitting right next to her and probably noticed it by chance.
As Lin Zhexia unwrapped the candy, with sweetness spreading, she suddenly realized something.
Chi Yao had come over probably because she mentioned on the bus that she was under a lot of academic pressure lately.
Amid the busy and monotonous studies, the school anniversary performance was still something interesting for all Erzhong students.
Each class was busily preparing.
That day, Lin Zhexia was called to Old Liu’s office again.
“Old Liu,” having known him for almost two years, Lin Zhexia had become increasingly familiar with Old Liu. “What do you need?”
Old Liu saw her arrive and put down the assignments he was grading: “Lin, I do have something to ask of you.”
Lin Zhexia: “Please tell me.”
Old Liu: “As you know, our class has the ‘Early Bird Catches the Worm Plan,’ and poetry recitation requires the least preparation time. What do you think?”
Lin Zhexia said, “I think this strategy is excellent, fully demonstrating the planner’s resourcefulness.”
Old Liu: “So here’s the issue. The poetry recitation group needs a leader, and I want to entrust this important task to you. I’ve chosen you because…”
Lin Zhexia naturally continued: “Because I won first place in the speech contest?”
Old Liu nodded: “Yes.”
Unlike the previous time in Old Liu’s office, where she felt anxious and struck by bad luck.
This time, Lin Zhexia was very calm and didn’t decline: “I understand. I’ll go prepare.”
This response surprised Old Liu. He looked at the girl standing in his office. In nearly two years, everyone had subtly changed without realizing it. The introverted and timid Lin Zhexia from freshman year had changed a lot.
He still remembered how she anxiously refused back then, saying she couldn’t do it.
“Good,” Old Liu said with satisfaction, “the teacher believes in you. Prepare well.”
Lin Zhexia selected several poems, printed them using the office printer, and then carried a stack of paper, planning to head upstairs to her classroom.
As she walked, she thought this task wasn’t difficult.
It wouldn’t even take much effort—select people, use break time to rehearse a couple of times, and that would be it.
As she was thinking, passing by Class 1, she was stopped by Xu Ting.
Xu Ting stood in the corridor, arms spread wide, blocking the entire passageway, his posture extremely enthusiastic, his voice exceptionally warm: “—Lin!”
“…”
Lin Zhexia stopped, trying to bypass him: “Can I pretend not to know you?”
Xu Ting: “No, you’re Lin Zhexia from Class 7, my good buddy’s good buddy, which makes you my good buddy.”
Lin Zhexia: “If that’s the case.”
Xu Ting: “?”
Lin Zhexia, while moving past him, said: “Then I’ll have to address the root cause—I’ll end my friendship with Chi Yao.”
Xu Ting followed her: “Don’t do that, I need to talk to you.”
The corridor was busy with people coming and going.
Lin Zhexia involuntarily glanced toward Class 1’s windows, seeing that familiar seat empty.
So she stopped: “I’m very busy with schoolwork. I can only give you two minutes. Say what you need to say quickly.”
Xu Ting’s purpose was quite simple: “The school anniversary is coming up, right?”
Lin Zhexia gestured for him to continue.
Xu Ting: “As someone as charismatic as me, I need to shine on the anniversary stage, right?”
Lin Zhexia wanted to roll her eyes.
Xu Ting: “So I told the homeroom teacher that I’ll be in charge of Class 1’s performance.”
Hearing this, Lin Zhexia guessed: “I’m in charge of Class 7. So you’re so competitive that you stopped me from declaring war in advance?”
“…”
“Who’s declaring war on you? Your Class 7’s ‘Rookie Takes Flight Plan’ is known throughout the grade. Do I even need to declare war?”
“It’s ‘Early Bird,’ not ‘Rookie,'” Lin Zhexia couldn’t help correcting him.
But after correcting, she fell silent.
The two words didn’t seem that different after all.