Fall - Chapter 3

“Can Can, when do you think I’ll finally get a girlfriend? Do I seem too straight? Why hasn’t any girl confessed to me yet?” Zhong Ran muttered, propping her chin in her hand as she gazed at Yue Can.

Yue Can had heard this rant so many times her ears were practically calloused. “Why are you staring at me like that? Trying to hit on me?”

Zhong Ran choked, the shameless flirt not even blushing. She blinked at Yue Can and asked, “Have you ever heard the timeless proverb?”

“What?”

“Straight girls flirting with lesbians? A surefire way to get struck by lightning.” Zhong Ran paused, scrutinizing Yue Can thoughtfully. “Wait, are you even straight? You don’t seem interested in guys either. Remember that girl from the next class who confessed to you? You were so nonchalant about it.”

Yue Can raised an eyebrow. “I don’t love anyone. Is that okay?”

Zhong Ran narrowed her eyes, delivering a sharp critique: “People who claim to love no one always end up falling head over heels.”

The love-obsessed master, who had never even been in a relationship, was once again spouting lofty theories about romance. Yue Can tossed her test paper in front of Zhong Ran. “Copy your homework.”

“It’s not copying, it’s collaboration! Collaboration!”

The weather grew warmer day by day.

After the start of the second semester of senior year, the atmosphere in class became noticeably more tense. Beyond the tension, however, the usual monotony and dullness persisted.

Two things had recently disrupted Yue Can’s otherwise uneventful life: the school’s annual art festival, held in the first half of the year, and the fact that her homeroom teacher had requested a parent-teacher conference.

Zhong Ran’s sharp tongue had proven prophetic; Yue Can was indeed called in for a parent-teacher conference due to rumors of a romantic relationship circulating in class. She tried to explain to the homeroom teacher, but the teacher remained stubbornly convinced that her lackluster grades were due to early romance.

Unable to reason with her, Yue Can simply gave up trying to explain, thinking, “Let them call my mom if they want.”

She excelled at giving up easily and avoiding unnecessary effort, never wasting energy on internal conflict. Her friends often called her heartless, but she found that heartlessness quite liberating, prioritizing happiness above all else.

Thus, Tan Ming was “invited” by homeroom teacher Tang Xiaojun three times, eventually having to take half a day off work to visit the school.

Tan Ming was a prominent businesswoman in Naxia City and a donor to the school. Upon meeting her, Tang Xiaojun adopted a polite and respectful demeanor, exchanging pleasantries before getting to the point.

“Ms. Tan, I know you’re very busy, but your daughter’s education still requires your attention…”

“You’ve seen Yue Can’s grades from last semester. With the college entrance exams approaching, we need to focus.”

“Yue Can is actually quite intelligent; she just doesn’t apply herself to her studies.”

“You should guide her more at home…”

“And… she was also involved in a romantic relationship last semester…”

After nearly an hour of discussing Yue Can’s grades and alleged early romance, Tan Ming finally escaped the meeting, her head feeling like it had swollen a size larger. She sighed heavily. While her career was thriving, raising her daughter remained a daily source of frustration.

As she left the office, class had just ended. Tan Ming pulled Yue Can aside for a private talk, and the mother-daughter pair had dinner at a restaurant off campus.

Though Yue Can was innocent of the charges that had summoned her mother, she braced herself for a thorough dressing-down.

Tan Ming cut straight to the chase: “Are you really dating someone?” Her tone was as crisp and efficient as her appearance.

“No,” Yue Can replied.

“If you are, just admit it. I’m not some old-fashioned prude.”

“I’m telling you, I’m not!” Yue Can dragged out the words, repeating her explanation. “They’re just spreading rumors. I can’t control what people say.”

“Then why did your homeroom teacher call me three times, saying your ‘early romance’ is affecting your grades?”

“I tried to explain, but she wouldn’t believe me. Besides, my grades have always been bad—you know that.”

“So you’re blaming your poor grades on the teacher?”

“The test was too hard!”

“You really refuse to take any responsibility, don’t you?” Tan Ming was speechless with anger. “I used to get scholarships every year, and your father’s grades were decent too. I have no idea where you get this from.”

“I’ve been studying hard lately,” Yue Can said, busily picking up food, her appetite undeterred. “I didn’t even play during winter break.”

Tan Ming sighed, amused and exasperated. “Eat, eat, eat. You still have an appetite?”

“People are like iron, and food is like steel. This tomato beef stew is really good.”

Tan Ming: “……” She didn’t expect her daughter to be at the top of her class, but she at least needed to pass. That’s why she’d specifically asked Bo Wanzhao to supervise Yue Can’s studies during winter break.

Soon, the phone on the table began to vibrate.

Tan Ming answered the call, then lowered her head to reply to messages while finishing her dinner.

Seeing Tan Ming’s hurried movements, Yue Can knew she’d be leaving within five minutes. “The school’s art festival is this Friday,” she said. “It’s our last high school event. Can at least one of you come?”

She’d mentioned it before, but she wanted to remind her busy parents again.

“Mm, okay,” Tan Ming replied, still typing. After sending her last message, she abruptly stood up, grabbed her coat, and said, “Mom has to go. Be good at school, okay? You’re eighteen now—act like it.”

Before Yue Can could respond, Tan Ming had already rushed out the door. Used to this routine, Yue Can continued eating alone.

To enrich extracurricular activities, the school held an annual Arts Festival each spring semester. This was naturally the domain of the first and second-year students; the third-year students, burdened by academic pressure, lacked the time to rehearse complex performances, typically opting for group recitations or choral performances. Though these events were rather dull, they were far more engaging than the monotony of self-study in the classroom. Moreover, as the final school-wide event of their high school careers, they carried a certain commemorative significance.

By Friday evening, the school was a whirlwind of activity, buzzing with excitement as evening self-study transformed into two hours of free time. The long-dormant campus finally came alive, brimming with youthful exuberance.

As night fell, students waved glow sticks with abandon, temporarily casting aside their studies to revel in the moment. The third-year students were particularly enthusiastic, as it was Friday night—the start of their weekend break—drawing a large crowd of parents and creating an unprecedented atmosphere of celebration.

Though Tan Ming had promised to attend, Yue Can didn’t hold out much hope. Based on past experience, she fully expected to be stood up again.

By 10 PM, the performances concluded, and the festive atmosphere gradually subsided. True to form, Yue Can hadn’t spotted any of the perpetually busy adults all evening…

It was exactly as she had expected.

“Goodbye, Can Can.”

“Didn’t your parents come?”

“See you on Monday.”

Yue Can responded to the greetings around her, then ran into Zhong Ran.

Zhong Ran’s parents were also here tonight. Spotting Yue Can alone, she looped her arm through Yue Can’s. “Let’s go home together tonight.”

Yue Can shook her head, politely declining Zhong Ran’s offer. “My family’s car is picking me up. See you next week.”

“Alright then.”

After saying goodbye to Zhong Ran, Yue Can noticed a WeChat message from Tan Ming. Too lazy to open it, she guessed it was another “something came up” excuse, followed by a promise to buy her a gift as compensation.

The auditorium buzzed with laughter and chatter. The evening was so lively that being alone felt particularly lonely.

Yue Can, never one for crowds, waited until the main group had dispersed before heading out. The campus, once bustling, gradually emptied, with only a few stragglers lingering.

It was late March, not particularly cold, but the evening breeze still carried a chill.

Yue Can wrapped her jacket tighter around her school uniform, bundling herself into an airtight cocoon. Head bowed, she listlessly descended the steps outside the auditorium.

She slowly stepped onto the final stair before finally lifting her head, freezing in place. It was as if someone had been waiting for her…

A slender figure stood in the hazy night, the evening breeze gently lifting strands of her hair and the hem of her dress. Bathed in moonlight, she appeared cool and ethereal, yet the large bouquet of flowers she held radiated warmth and romance.

Yue Can, convinced she was seeing things after being tormented by someone lately, stared blankly for a moment before asking Bo Wanzhao, “You… why are you here?”

Bo Wanzhao approached and first handed her the bouquet.

Yue Can immediately realized, “Did my mom send you to show support?”

Bo Wanzhao calmly explained, “She couldn’t come tonight, so she ordered these flowers for you.”

Right on the mark, Yue Can thought, glancing at the bouquet. The familiar sting of being stood up stirred her emotions, and she refused to take the flowers out of spite.

Bo Wanzhao didn’t press her to accept them. Instead, she said softly, “Let’s go back. It’s cold out here.”

Her words were gentle, almost coaxing.

Yue Can gazed at her, admitting to herself for a fleeting moment that she felt a flicker of warmth. She silently followed Bo Wanzhao’s footsteps. In her memory, Bo Wanzhao had never once refused Tan Ming’s requests.

She didn’t know the specifics of Bo Wanzhao’s circumstances, but she was certain Tan Ming had provided significant assistance. Otherwise, how could someone so aloof and indifferent care for her like a sister?