On the first day of school.
Lin Zhexia quickly finished breakfast, grabbed her unfinished milk, shouldered her bag, and rushed toward Chi Yao’s building: “Mom, Uncle Wei, I’m off to school.”
There was a bus stop a short walk from the residential area, and it took eight stops to reach No. 2 High School. Since she was going with Chi Yao, Lin He and the others weren’t worried: “Alright, go ahead. Pay attention in class.”
She had received her textbooks and new school uniform two days in advance.
No. 2’s uniform was simple in design, predominantly white with red and black color blocks at the collar and sleeves.
—This color scheme was much more mature and cooler than the pink and white uniform from her previous school.
Lin Zhexia felt more mature just wearing her new uniform.
Girls her age were exceptionally drawn to the concept of “growing up.”
When she arrived at Chi Yao’s entrance, he had just opened the building door to come out. She jumped up the steps toward him in a few bounds and said with a smile: “Look at me.”
Chi Yao closed the door behind him.
He wasn’t startled by Lin Zhexia’s sudden appearance.
The main reason he wasn’t startled was that, even when Lin Zhexia suddenly approached, due to their height difference, she didn’t reach his face, just barely reaching his chin.
The girl in front of him had tied her fine, soft hair in a simple ponytail.
Below that was a face without much edge, not yet fully developed. Lin Zhexia didn’t have a particularly striking appearance; she was the typical southern girl, fair and pure-looking, with a pointed chin and slightly aloof inner double eyelids, but when she smiled, she resembled a little fox.
“Look at what,” Chi Yao lowered his head and said, “look at a shortie?”
“…”
Lin Zhexia’s good mood for the day was shattered by the word “shortie.” She gritted her teeth and said: “Look at my new uniform. On the first day of school, I was planning to be a good student, don’t force me to get physical.”
“Then you’ll need to step back a bit,” Chi Yao dragged out his tone, “—I can’t see you like this.”
Lin Zhexia held back her anger and said, “How pitiful for you, going blind at such a young age.”
Although slightly annoyed, this was Lin Zhexia’s long-awaited opportunity to go to school with him. During middle school, though they often hung out during holidays, once school started, she had to go to the all-girls school alone. Thinking about this, her anger quickly dissipated.
In the distance.
He Yang and the others were also heading to the bus stop and waved at them from afar: “Brother Yao, Brother Xia—wait for me—”
Lin Zhexia walked over beside Chi Yao and greeted them: “Are you going to the bus stop too? Which bus are you taking?”
He Yang replied exasperatedly: “Could you two care about me a bit more? I’m going the same way as you, taking Bus No. 3.”
Chi Yao also expressed some surprise at this, specifically by deigning to raise his eyes and give He Yang a glance.
“…”
Based on years of experience together, He Yang keenly caught Chi Yao’s glance: “No way, neither of you knew that I got into the Experimental Affiliated School… next to No. 2 High School, three stops away?”
Chi Yao withdrew his gaze: “Now I know.”
He Yang: “…”
Lin Zhexia added: “Now I know too.”
“So you got into the Experimental Affiliated School,” Chi Yao dropped that sentence and then stopped talking. Lin Zhexia, considering He Yang’s feelings, patted his shoulder and said a few more words, “…Although there’s still quite a gap between it and No. 2 High School, I believe that as long as you study hard, you still have a chance to catch up with us. Keep it up, Da Zhuang.”
He Yang felt even more complicated: “Brother Xia, if you can’t say the right things, you can say less.”
He Yang didn’t feel complicated for long and continued chattering: “Speaking of which, you two are actually at the same school this time, I’m so envious.”
Lin Zhexia: “No need to envy, you can barely count as our spiritual schoolmate.”
He Yang didn’t understand her joke.
But Chi Yao laughed after hearing it.
Lin Zhexia explained: “Because you’re at… next to No. 2 High School, three stops away at the Experimental Affiliated School, you count as half a spiritual schoolmate.”
He Yang: “…Thanks.”
The group walked out of the residential gates, chatting as they used to. The blue sign with white letters reading “Nanxiang Street” had stood at the street corner unchanged for years.
But as Lin Zhexia passed the intersection this time, she couldn’t quite explain it, but felt like something had secretly changed.
Maybe it was because of the new uniform she was wearing.
Maybe it was the three words “high school student.”
Maybe it was because she was sixteen.
The feeling was like someone who had always kept their head down in life suddenly looking up.
Then, realizing that unknowingly, they had already arrived at the intersection of the next stage of life—
After getting off the bus, the school entrance was bustling with people.
Class assignment lists were posted on the bulletin board at the entrance.
Everyone gathered around the bulletin board, looking for their names.
The full name of No. 2 was “Cheng’an No. 2 High School,” located in the center of Cheng’an District in Lianyun City.
Which was where Lin Zhexia currently lived.