"The Mortal Chapter Of Qing Zhuan" - Chapter 18

A Great Show

“Jichang, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said those things to you back then!”

“Why are you saying that? My brother, you’re the top student at Haizhi Middle School now. Your future will definitely be amazing!”

“You’re not bad yourself. You’ve been a champion since you were a kid! And you’re still being modest with me! From now on, I’m entrusting Yuan Zi to you! Take good care of her!”

“Of course! By the way, the girl in the photo you sent me is really pretty…”

“Yeah, she’s the granddaughter of my grandpa’s comrade-in-arms. She’s in my class!”

“You lucky dog! Go for it…” Gao teased him.

“Hahahaha… you rascal…”

After seeing Wen Wen off, Gao rode his bike to my place. “How’s your leg doing?”

“It’s okay, but it hurts when I walk! It’s all swollen, look…”

“Here, this is for you, Da Yuan Zi. Enjoy! Time to go into pig mode, hahahaha…”

I opened the bag and saw it was full of delicious snacks. Then I picked up a jello and threw it at Gao. “You’re the pig!”

My mom brought out a bowl of pork rib soup. “Still showing off? Your leg is all messed up, and you’re still showing off! Do you want to break the other one too? You’re so mischievous!”

“Ji Chang, did that person leave?” my mom asked softly.

Gao swallowed the jello and nodded. “Yeah, he left. He bought all these snacks. He said he’s very sorry and hopes Da Yuan Zi can forgive him!” My mom nodded and walked away.

I looked at all the goodies in front of me and then looked up at Gao. “Gao, can you get me the box under those stars, please?”

“Here. What’s in it?”

“Gao, do you remember the day we went to pick up that package?” I hinted.

“Oh, oh, is it that phone?” He looked at me excitedly.

I nodded and motioned for him to open the box. We looked at the phone lying quietly inside. Gao looked at me in confusion. “Can this thing still work?”

“Hopefully!” I plugged it in and let it charge for a while. After a moment, the screen lit up. We watched it, waiting for it to turn on. It finally lit up and then immediately went black again. I looked at Gao in confusion. “What’s wrong with it? Can you take it apart and see?”

“Huh? That’s not right. What’s going on? Looks like I’ll have to take it apart and check…”

I sat on the side and watched Gao tinker with it for over half an hour, but he couldn’t get it to work. I decided to go sit on the rocking chair. “Gao, don’t fix it anymore. It’s okay if it doesn’t work! I want to relax on the rocking chair. Can you give me a piggyback ride?”

He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It looks like the circuit board is broken! I’ll take it to the phone repair shop later to see if they can replace it.”

Just then, Gao’s phone received a message. “Jichang, how’s my disciple’s injury? When is she coming back?”

Gao handed me his phone, and I looked at him curiously. “How did he know I fell?”

He ate a grape and said, “He was there at the circus that day. He told me he saw a woman helping you to the flower bed. He wanted to come see you, but his mom called him away.”

“What? Oh my god, I can’t believe it!” I covered my face and lay in the rocking chair.

“When are you going back?” Gao looked at me.

“In two days, maybe. Otherwise, I won’t be able to walk, and even going to the bathroom is hard!” Gao burst out laughing, and I gave him a left hook.

Life in middle school was exhausting because there were so many things to memorize. I buried myself in a sea of practice problems every day and paid little attention to the things around me.

Until that day, my deskmate, Li Lin, who I usually called Lin Zi, said to me, “Hey, buddy, did you notice? Weng Yuan is always coming over here and asking about you.”

“Really? I didn’t notice! When did this happen?” I looked at him blankly, with my pen in my mouth.

“Hey, hey, hey, speak of the devil, here he comes… Hahahaha…”

I watched Weng Yuan come over with his English book and shove Lin Zi out of his seat. “Hehe, disciple, how do you choose the answer for this question? Can you explain it to me…”

At first, I didn’t think much of it and simply thought he was just coming to ask me questions. But after that, he started basically living at my desk.

I looked at Lin Zi, and he looked at me. Suddenly, he laughed. “Hey, hey, hey, Weng Yuan, don’t you have your own seat? Why are you always hogging my spot? Go on, go on, I want to sit down.”

Weng Yuan glared at Lin Zi with his big round eyes. “Why do you want to sit? You sit here all the time; haven’t you had enough? Let me sit for a while! Hahahaha…”

I turned my head awkwardly and looked at the practice problems without saying anything. I just listened to them bickering. I thought that with the increasing academic pressure, Weng Yuan wouldn’t have time to bother me anymore, but I didn’t expect a good show to unfold in the last year and a half of middle school!

Do you remember him—Weng Yuan? The story begins with a relationship that was never meant to be…

“Look, look, the high school exam results are out! Ah, I passed, that scared me to death…” Everyone was buzzing with excitement…

I also went to take a look. Yep, it was exactly what I expected; I passed everything. It was the result of Gao’s efforts for an entire week.

I was holding my water bottle, planning to go find Gao and tell him the good news after getting some water. Just then, a girl in our class, Cai Jingwen, started chasing Weng Yuan again. He finally managed to snatch his pencil case back from her, but he was chased for at least four laps.

Sometimes I really have to admire the stamina of teenagers. After doing more than 50 sit-ups in PE class in the morning, they could still run, jump, and play wildly in the afternoon.

I was about to take a sip when I saw him run up to me, panting. “Good disciple, quick, quick, quick…”

“Quick what? Tell me!”

“Quickly hide my pencil case for me. Keep it with you. I’ll get it after school. Don’t let them snatch it away.” I took the pencil case, utterly confused.

Just then, Cai Wenjing and her friends also ran over, panting. Fang Hao was leaning on the blackboard, panting, and looked at me. “Did you see Weng Yuan?”

I shook my head, and they ran out of the classroom again to look for him. I took the pencil case that was hidden behind my back and went back to my seat, thinking, “They’re so happy every day. It’s almost the third year of middle school, and they’re not worried at all. Sigh.”

I went to the door of Gao’s classroom and called out to him. “Gao, Gao…”

His deskmate replied, “Looking for Jichang? He’s not here. He just went to the office! Do you need something?”

I bit my lip awkwardly and waved my hand. “No, it’s nothing. Can you just tell him Li Yuan was looking for him when he comes back?” He nodded.

After I got back to the classroom, the bell rang for class, and everyone rushed back to their seats, getting ready for history class.

I couldn’t help but laugh at the hilarious sight of those girls dragging Weng Yuan back to the classroom.

To prevent us from getting nearsighted, our teacher would often change our seats. This time, we were sitting against the wall. My deskmate usually sleeps against the wall, except during history class. History was his favorite subject, and the history teacher also admired him.

Whenever I saw him talk so eloquently in history class, it was a stark contrast to how he acted in other subjects. When he had nothing to do, he liked to quietly play on his phone or listen to music and sleep. Sometimes, I would also ask him to help me grade papers for our teacher, so we had a good relationship.

This history class was about the economy of the Tang Dynasty, which my deskmate loved. Since there was a role-playing part today, he invited me to perform on stage with him. Since everyone was influenced by TV shows, they talked about Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and Emperor Gaozong of Tang, Li Zhi. As they talked, they got off-topic.

Somehow, they started talking about Empress Wu Zetian, and how she was loved by two emperors. Then my deskmate and his friends suggested to the teacher that we could freely use our imagination to write a script and insert it into the historical events.

The teacher also wanted to watch the show, so he nodded in agreement. He then found a small stool and sat by the window to watch us perform. My deskmate really did have some talent for acting. He said to me with a grin, “Da Yuan, you play Wu Zetian. I’ll play Li Zhi, and your master will play the eunuch, hahahaha… And she’ll play…”

I burst into laughter after hearing that. I couldn’t hold it in when he said Weng Yuan would play the eunuch. And he didn’t disappoint my deskmate. He really did play the eunuch so vividly.

When the teacher said “start,” everyone got into their roles.

“By the grace of the heavens, the emperor decrees, summon the crown prince…”

Everyone burst into laughter because Weng Yuan perfectly captured the voice and mannerisms of a eunuch. The whole time, everyone was doubled over with laughter. As everyone took turns performing on stage, the entire classroom was filled with laughter…

The bell rang soon after, but everyone was still immersed in their roles. No one had come down from their high of laughter because it was just so funny. This resulted in everyone still laughing during study hall.

Our teacher came into the room with a frown. “Laugh, laugh, laugh, what’s so funny? I could hear the laughter all the way from the hallway…”

Everyone started another round of laughter. Lin Zi said, laughing, “In history class, Weng Yuan played a eunuch so vividly! Hahahaha…”

Our teacher looked at the eunuch actor and tried to hold back his smile, but he couldn’t, which was followed by another round of laughter from the entire class…

The laughter of teenagers is always so pure, without any pretense. Looking at those innocent faces, youth seemed to be frozen in that moment.

Time passed in laughter, and soon it was time to go home. I called out, “Master, come get your pencil case! You don’t want it anymore?”

Weng Yuan rushed over. “Oh no, my lady, I almost forgot, your humble servant is here…”

“What! Weng Yuan, are you addicted to playing a eunuch? Are you still in character? Hahahaha…” Lin Zi wrapped his arm around his neck and laughed.

“My disciple, Wu Zetian, was so good at acting! Every frown and every smile…”

I laughed and said, “My acting is just so-so. Master’s acting is the real deal. He played the eunuch so vividly, hahahahaha.”

“I heard you guys put on a show in history class?” Gao looked at me curiously.

I nodded. “Yeah, look, Eunuch Weng is still in character!”

“Eunuch Weng? We have to go home and eat. See you tomorrow.”

Weng Yuan heard this and asked, “Do you two live together?”

I nodded and explained, “Kind of. We’ve known each other since we were kids and grew up together. Plus, Gao is very good at math, so I often ask him to tutor me. In return, I often invite him to eat at my house.”

He muttered something under his breath, but I couldn’t hear what it was.

Gao said, “Let’s go. I’m starving. Time to go home and eat. Weng Yuan, we’re leaving, see you tomorrow.”

Weng Yuan waved at us. “Okay, see you tomorrow…”

The next day, as I arrived at the school gate, I heard someone calling me from behind. “Da Yuan, Da Yuan!”

I turned around and saw it was him. He was rushing toward me, pushing his bike. To be honest, Weng Yuan was quite good-looking, but he was one of those boys who developed later. So, he was still pretty short, about the same height as me. Plus, he had a knack for being funny and liked to hang out with girls, so he was very popular with them. They all treated him like a little good luck charm. He also had a naturally cute baby face, and the boys loved to tease him, so he had a lot of friends.

He ran up to me and handed me a big red apple. I was stunned when I saw the apple in my hand. I asked him curiously, “Master, this apple is huge! Where did you buy it?”

He held the handlebars with one hand and scratched the back of his head with the other. “My family grew it. It just got frosted recently, so the apples are very sweet. I brought two this morning. This one’s for you, don’t mind it.”

I smiled and said, “Of course not. This big apple must cost a lot of money, right? Thank you for thinking of me, Master. I’ll take it.” I brought the apple to my nose and smelled it. The sweet scent filled my nostrils.

Just then, Fang Hao saw us and looked at Weng Yuan sourly. “Oh, Weng Yuan, why didn’t you give me one?”

Weng Yuan ignored her and started telling me how good the beef steamed buns his mom made last night were. Fang Hao walked over to him and hit him. “I’m talking to you, Weng Yuan, did you hear me?”

I had a feeling something was about to happen, so I used the excuse of going to the bathroom to let them go ahead. To my surprise, when I came out of the bathroom, I saw Weng Yuan standing outside. I was stunned.

I looked at him curiously. “Why are you here? Did you come to use the bathroom too? What was going on with you two just now? Why was there so much tension so early in the morning? How about you give her this apple, Master.”

He had a look of disgust on his face. “Good disciple, this is for you. You eat it. Why would you care about her?”

Since he had said so much, I had no choice but to take it.

When I got back to the classroom, my deskmate quickly pulled me to my seat. “Quick, quick, quick, buddy, why are you so late today? Homework! Hurry, they’re going to collect homework soon! Quick! Emergency!”

I quickly handed it to him. I watched him frantically writing, and he complained, “Oh, buddy, why are you so late today! I was almost caught! Help me copy the English homework, good deskmate.”

Seeing him so flustered, I silently took his English workbook and said haughtily, “Then you have to buy me some chocolate milk, okay?”

Lin Zi nodded repeatedly. “No problem, I’ll bring it for you tomorrow. Hurry, hurry, we don’t have time! They’re going to collect homework! Hurry, hurry, buddy…”

We had two big back-to-back exams in the morning, which made me want to eat quickly. Just as I was about to dig in, Weng Yuan came jogging over with his lunch box. “Here, good disciple, try a bun my mom made.”

I kept waving my hand no, but he had already put it in my lunch box. I had no choice but to take a bite under his gaze, but it was actually pretty good. I gave him a thumbs-up, and he happily started eating next to me.

Just then, my deskmate came back and saw him in his seat again. “What’s up, Weng Yuan, is my seat so nice that you have to sit here four or five times a day? Get up, I need to rest.”

Weng Yuan then asked him, “Lin Zi, didn’t you go out to eat? Why are you back so soon?”

My deskmate took a sip of soda and burped. “Ugh, don’t even get me started. The food at the restaurants outside didn’t look good at all today, so I just ate a pack of instant noodles. Speaking of which, your bun looks good. Give me one. What’s the filling?”

Weng Yuan protected his lunch box. “It’s beef. There’s only one left, and I need to eat it.”

I looked at my deskmate and pointed to my lunch box. “Hey, buddy, I only took one bite. I haven’t finished my food yet. If you don’t mind, you can have this one.”

Lin Zi smiled and was about to take it. “It’s a good thing I have a good buddy who’s so good to me. I don’t mind, buddy. We’re like brothers! Unlike Weng Yuan, who only thinks about himself and won’t even give me one bun!”

Weng Yuan saw this and immediately snatched the bun that was halfway in the air. “Here, this one’s not bitten. You can have this one.”

My deskmate watched Weng Yuan take a big bite out of the bun I had already bitten into and looked at me in shock. “What’s going on? He, buddy, are you two…”

My eyes widened as I stared at Weng Yuan. I immediately interrupted Lin Zi. “Hey, hey, don’t talk nonsense! No, there’s nothing going on. Maybe Master was afraid you wouldn’t be full, so he gave you a whole one. Don’t talk nonsense!”

My deskmate looked at me in surprise, I looked at Weng Yuan in surprise, and Weng Yuan ate his bun with a big bite. This scene completely broke me. How was I supposed to explain this?

I heard my deskmate whisper in my ear, “I think Weng Yuan likes you. Do you believe me?” I immediately retorted, “No way, how could he? I’m not even that pretty. What’s he getting out of it?”

My deskmate gave me a look of disdain. “Oh my god! Someone is really clueless. You’ve studied yourself stupid! Who says you’re not pretty? I’ll beat them up! You’re always so messy from studying all day, but if you just clean up a little, anyone with eyes can see that you’re a beautiful girl! Look at the girls in our class and our school. Who doesn’t wear makeup? They all doll themselves up… They either have long flowing hair or short bob cuts! But you’re the only one in the whole school who can go up against the school beauty with no makeup on. I mean, have you ever seen a girl with messy hair reading under a big tree and have a senior from the school team come over and ask for her number? And what about that thing with your ex-boyfriend, the genius? Everyone knows about it. You’re just too modest, no, too humble. Look at yourself. When was the last time you wore makeup? When was the last time you wore a dress? When was the last time you had long hair? I mean, school is important! But can’t you at least clean up a little? Haven’t you looked at your old pictures? I still remember how beautiful you were when you had long hair when you first started middle school! It’s a shame that was a limited edition. Take a good look at your old pictures! Sigh, and look at yourself now. Oh my god, tsk, tsk, tsk! You look like a caveman coming down from the mountain! I’m not dissing you, but you’re a bookworm all day long, only doing and reviewing problems. You don’t pay any attention to anything else in the outside world, sigh…”

After listening to his rant, I patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. I have you, the walking encyclopedia! If I want to know anything, I have you, right?”

My deskmate crossed his legs and grinned. He then looked at Weng Yuan again. “Why are you still eating? You only had a few bites. Finish up and leave!”

Weng Yuan drank some water and glared at him. “What’s the rush? Class hasn’t even started. Besides, you’re sitting behind my disciple just fine, aren’t you? Wait a little longer.”

My deskmate said anxiously, “I’m sleepy. I want to take a nap. Hurry up and get out!”

Weng Yuan finally got up, mumbling, and slowly walked away with his lunch box.

My deskmate leaned close to my ear and discussed the issue with me again. We even made a bet about it. We bet on whether Weng Yuan liked me and if he would have the courage to say it. So, in the following days, we secretly watched him…

Days passed, and the seasons changed from spring to autumn and then to winter with a sky full of snow.

The final exams were approaching, and Weng Yuan once again took over my deskmate’s seat. “Good disciple, can you tutor me in English grammar? I’ll tutor you in math. What do you say? The final exams are in two days. Lin Zi won’t say anything if I sit here.”

I looked at Lin Zi, who was having a great time playing with Xiao Teng, and I thought my chances of winning this bet were slim. I told him, “Master, go back to your seat first and write down the grammar rules you don’t understand. I’ll also write down the math problems I don’t understand. We can teach each other in 20 minutes. Go, Master.”

Then, I called my deskmate back and whispered, “Oh my god, what if he really does like me? Isn’t that a bit… It’s almost the third year of middle school. How can he have time for this? I really don’t get it.”

My deskmate sighed and looked at me with a look of disgust. “You, you just don’t get it. Everyone in this school is dating. How many of them are actually studying? You big idiot! Hahahaha… But then again, who can say for sure about matters of the heart? Who knows who else in our class has a secret crush on you!”

I felt like I was struck by lightning and stared at him blankly. “What did you say, ‘else’? How is that possible? Don’t they all want to go to college? Do they all have jobs lined up for them? That’s intense!”

Lin Zi looked at me and said with a serious tone, “You’re a good student. In other words, your mind isn’t on something as unrealistic as dating, so you can be carefree and focus on your studies! But other people might not think that way. You probably forgot about the last school celebration when you had to fill in for someone and sing. Did you forget that a third-year boy came up to you and asked for your number after you got off the stage? Or did you forget about that milk tea guy with glasses from class four? I don’t know him, but he would come to our classroom door every day and give you bubble tea, hahahaha. Just thinking about it makes me laugh so hard. You have so many funny things happening to you! I think there was another time, last month, during the debate competition, the class three monitor saw you and changed his debate point to your view. Everyone in the audience was laughing so hard. The judge was his teacher, and the teacher said, ‘Did you forget which side you’re on?’ I was dying of laughter. And just two days ago, during our class meeting, do you remember when Lian Shuyang handed out tangerines and gave you two extra? Haha, it made Li Hui jealous. I was laughing so hard. All these funny things happen to you, and you don’t even remember.”

I listened to him calmly, hearing about all the funny things that supposedly happened to me. We laughed so hard we were doubled over, completely forgetting that it was study time.

Meanwhile, Weng Yuan was still writing furiously. When he heard us laughing, he secretly ran over. We were still so engrossed in our conversation that we didn’t notice him. We looked up and saw Weng Yuan’s big face, which startled me. My deskmate was so scared that he yelled, “Weng Yuan! You son of a gun, you scared me to death. What are you doing? Don’t you have a sound when you walk? What are you doing here?”

Weng Yuan said unhappily, “I came to ask my disciple to explain English grammar. Can you move?”

We looked at Weng Yuan’s expression and remembered him playing the eunuch. His little facial expressions made us laugh even more. Weng Yuan, who was completely confused, looked at us. “What are you two laughing about? I just heard you two giggling over here. Tell me about it?”

We immediately became serious. Lin Zi patted his pants and stood up. “Sit down, Eunuch Weng, puff~ hahaha…”

Seeing that my deskmate was missing half of his front tooth, I couldn’t hold it in either. “Hahahaha, Master, let’s start. How’s that list you made?”

Lin Zi went to find Xiao Teng, and they continued their game. They would occasionally look at me, and as soon as we made eye contact, we couldn’t help but laugh.

Weng Yuan’s eyebrows were furrowed. He looked like a baboon hunched over his desk, looking at the problem. I laughed even more, like a kettle boiling. When my deskmate heard my laughter, he couldn’t hold it in either and started laughing against the wall. The classroom suddenly went quiet, and all you could hear was us laughing. So, we awkwardly tried to hold back our laughter until we calmed down.

Gradually, the chatter in the classroom started up again. I held Weng Yuan’s notebook and explained the meaning and usage of each grammar rule. After a while, I finally finished explaining everything to him.

The setting sun shone on his face, his eyelashes fluttered, and his big eyes blinked. His clear eyes looked especially bright under the sunlight. He asked, “What about this problem?”

I analyzed it for him again and told him to pay attention to the singular and plural forms of nouns and their changes. He finally understood. When he was thinking, he looked even more like a baboon. I couldn’t help but cover my mouth and subconsciously look at the door. As expected, I caught a glimpse of my deskmate with a big grin on his face. I burst out laughing. Lin Zi heard me and couldn’t hold it in either, so he started laughing again.

Then, Weng Yuan suddenly asked me seriously, “Yuan Zi, do you believe in love at first sight?”

I was stunned and replied, “Huh? Love at first sight? I don’t know. I’ve never met anyone I fell in love with at first sight. Why, Master, do you have someone you like?” I looked at him with a gossipy expression. This action of mine completely broke Weng Yuan. He started to laugh shyly. As soon as I heard him laugh, I couldn’t help but laugh even louder, until my stomach hurt. When I looked at him, he was laughing so hard he was under the desk.

Cai Jingwen saw us laughing so hard and ran over to us. “Weng Yuan, are you crazy? Can you stop laughing? It’s so loud. If you’re not studying, others have to memorize things.” I knew she was saying it for me to hear. I poked Weng Yuan with my elbow. “Master, go back to your seat. When I see you, I can’t help but laugh. Hurry up and go back, Master.”

Weng Yuan looked at her with a look of disgust. “Why are you so picky? No one else thinks it’s loud. If you think it’s loud, go outside and memorize.”

She pouted angrily and walked away with an unhappy expression. I didn’t laugh anymore. I thought to myself, ‘If Weng Yuan really likes me, then that’s a problem. She obviously likes Weng Yuan, and I don’t want to get involved!’

As I was thinking about how to avoid getting involved, Weng Yuan called me, but I didn’t hear him. He pushed me. “Good disciple, ignore her. It’s okay. Let’s not laugh anymore. Let’s study. I’ll explain this problem to you.”

This was a problem that required drawing, so I had to keep up with every step, which brought our heads closer and closer. Without realizing it, as we were discussing the position of the dotted line, I looked up and saw his face. We were so close that I could count his eyelashes.

Meanwhile, Lin Zi, who was not far away, seemed to be watching our every move. The bet he made with me was not over yet, and he was waiting for his moment of victory. We had made many bets before, and I always won, but those bets had nothing to do with feelings. This time was different. I had a feeling I was going to lose. So, I pulled my head back and leaned against the window, turning my head to look at the sunset. The sunset clouds were as red as my face.

Weng Yuan was secretly delighted. He looked at the problem and asked, “Yuan Zi, do you understand this problem? Did I explain it clearly?”

I scratched my head awkwardly. “Yes, I got it, Master.”

To my surprise, this rascal didn’t play fair and used the same trick Wen Wen used during his speech. He imitated Wen Wen’s tone and said, “Since you got it, I’ll give you another problem to test you and see the results.”

I quickly interrupted. “Huh? Master, you don’t have to! I got it! Really, I want to rest for a bit. I’m a little tired. You should go back and get ready to go home.”

I pretended to be busy packing my notes, without looking up at him. Weng Yuan suddenly got up and leaned toward me, cornering me against the window. “Is that so, my good disciple?”

I heard his intentionally low voice and looked down, saying, “Yes, yes, yes, Master, yes, yes, yes, I got it!”

Even though it was winter, the heater in the room was very hot, and we were both wearing sweaters. He was also very close to me. Plus, we were at an age of physical development, and when he got close, I was practically pressed against his chest. I looked at his smug expression and pushed him away. “Hey! Stop messing around! Master, hurry up and go back. It’s almost time to go home. Aren’t you going to pack up?”

He saw that I was getting a little annoyed and took the opportunity to pat my head. “Your master is leaving. I’m going back to pack my bag.”

Looking at his back, I let out a sigh of relief. “He’s finally gone! So annoying!”

My deskmate slowly walked back with his books and looked at me with a proud expression. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, oh my! See, I was right, wasn’t I? Did he take advantage of you just now?” he said, laughing.

I said angrily, “No, he didn’t! What kind of crazy things are you thinking about all day? Can you fill your head with some normal things?! Hmph!”

He saw that I was a little angry and quickly apologized. “Okay, buddy, I was wrong. I’m sorry. I won’t laugh at you anymore, okay? If he bullies you, just tell me, and I’ll deal with him for you. Bullying my buddy is like bullying me.”

Just then, Cai Jingwen said sarcastically, “Oh, Lin Zi, you’re so good to your buddy. What, do you have a crush on her?”

She thought my deskmate would get angry, but he immediately retorted, “Yeah, so what? My buddy is beautiful, kind, and smart, unlike some people who are always gossiping, idolizing, and have a dating obsession! Besides, what boy wouldn’t be attracted to my buddy? Unlike some people, who have a one-sided crush on someone and get rejected like a clown! A girl like my buddy is like a jasmine flower. Just looking at her makes you feel refreshed, and people want to stop and admire her. And you’re like a cactus that only blooms once every forty years.”

Cai Jingwen stomped her feet in anger and glared at me.

I was inexplicably glared at, and I glared back angrily. “What are you doing? Why are you glaring at me? I didn’t do anything to you. What’s wrong with you?”

She cursed at me. “You’re shameless, you’re always getting tangled up with boys. You were just laughing and giggling with Weng Yuan, and now you’re flirting with Li Lin. You’re not a good person.”

My temper flared up instantly, and I wanted to fight her. Just then, Weng Yuan ran over and scolded her. “Are you crazy? Why are you cursing at her? If someone cursed at you, you should curse back at them. Why are you cursing at someone who didn’t say anything to you? Did you let your books go to the dogs? Why are you bullying a classmate?”

“Weng Yuan, you’re just protecting her! You big idiot!” She looked at Weng Yuan pitifully.

The students in the class came to break up the fight. I stood on the side, packing my bag and listening to the gossip. “Are you crazy, Cai Jingwen! What does it have to do with you who I protect? You’re a lunatic!”

Cai Jingwen was so upset by Weng Yuan’s words that she started crying and ran out. A few of her friends went to chase her. I sat on my stool and sighed, looking at the scene in front of me. I thought, “This is so frustrating! Why is it so hard to just study quietly!”

Lin Zi looked at me for a moment and said, “Don’t pay attention to her, buddy. You didn’t do anything wrong! Don’t doubt yourself. You’re the most beautiful jasmine flower, hahahaha.”

His words made me laugh. After this incident, Weng Yuan’s feelings for me became more and more obvious and public. He even said to me vaguely after school, “Yuan Zi, I like… him.” He pointed at his deskmate but looked at me with a grin. I was speechless and just packed my bag to go home. As I was walking down the stairs, he quickly chased after me and wrapped his arms around me. “Yuan Zi, I like… (you) him.” I was so scared that I yelled, “Ah! What are you doing! I’m going home!”

I ran as fast as I could and finally escaped. As I walked home, I thought about everything that had happened today. The more I thought about it, the more my head hurt. Just then, Gao rode up behind me and asked, “Da Yuan Zi! Why are you running so fast? I went to your class to find you, but you had already left. Why didn’t you wait for me today?”

I replied groggily, “I didn’t! I thought you had already left?”

Gao looked at me in surprise. “Kid, are you running a fever? Why are you talking nonsense?”

I shook my head and said impatiently, “Ugh, stop asking! Let’s just go home.”

Gao asked me in surprise, “You’re coming home with me?”

I smiled and retorted, “No!”

Gao looked at me in confusion. “Then why are you getting on my bike? I’m not eating at your house tonight.”

I pouted. “What, just because you’re not eating at my house, you can’t give me a ride? Just drop me off at the next intersection!”

He laughed and said sarcastically, “Look at who made our Jasmine Fairy angry?”

I punched him. “Where did you hear that nickname? It’s so annoying! Gao, I think you’re asking for a beating!”

Gao quickly replied, “Lin Zi told me! Just now, hahahaha…”

After I got home, I took out my notebook, and a piece of paper fell out. When I picked it up, I saw that it was the problem I was working on with Weng Yuan that afternoon! A series of dramatic scenes started playing in my head. I quickly shook my head, crumpled the paper, and threw it in the trash.

My phone suddenly rang. I opened it and saw that it was a message from my deskmate. “Buddy, what are you doing? Have you eaten? Do you have time? I have a funny story to tell you. Do you want to hear it?”

I replied with a gossipy expression. “Yes.”

“You left early after school tonight. I saw Weng Yuan corner you against the wall, hahahaha!”

I sent an exasperated emoji and typed, “Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

“Of course not.”

“Then what is it?” I typed.

“You got away and ran off, right? Weng Yuan was standing there, probably reminiscing about the moment. Then, that person suddenly ran over and hugged Weng Yuan, which startled him…”

I laughed when I read the message and asked, “And then, and then?”

“That person confessed to Weng Yuan, and Weng Yuan yelled at her, and she started crying. Hahahaha.”

I couldn’t stop laughing as I typed. “That’s so juicy! And then, is that all?”

“You’re making fun of others, but what happened between you and Weng Yuan is already juicy enough. Just wait and see. I guarantee you’ll be the center of attention tomorrow. And you’re still here gossiping about others, hahahaha…”

I sent a mischievous emoji. “No, who saw it?”

“No one, only I saw it. If you don’t want the news to spread tomorrow, then admit defeat and help me write my winter break homework. How about that?”

“You, Lin Zi, you’re going too far. I’ll admit defeat, but you want me to write your homework? Go ahead and spread it!”

He asked me back, “You’re not afraid of others finding out? Your psychological resilience is that strong now? I couldn’t tell!”

I replied, “Go play by yourself. I’m going to do practice problems!”

After a long time, a message appeared on my screen. “I was just kidding, buddy. How could I do something like that? But seriously, if he really likes you, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t like him. I don’t need to respond to him.”

My deskmate sent me a thumbs-up emoji. “You’re really a strong, female student. You won’t let these trivial things distract you. But then again, Weng Yuan really can’t compare to your ex-boyfriend. He’s like a god of academics.”

I sent a rolling-eye emoji. “There’s nothing going on between him and me, thank you! He’s just the ‘god of academics’ you’re talking about.”

He replied, “Then what kind of guy do you like, buddy?”

When I saw this question, my mind went blank. I stared at the screen for a long time without replying. To be honest, I probably don’t even know what kind of guy I like.

I was in a daze for a long time. “I don’t know…”

“You, you just haven’t met the person you like yet. You haven’t experienced the taste of love. Just wait for it!”

“It’s still early. I’m not in a hurry. I’ll just wait.”

I got up and closed the curtains, and I saw that it was snowing outside again…

Meanwhile, in a distant, extremely cold place, a person was turning the Pillar of Heavenly Secrets in the Hall of Karma, peeking into the cycle of reincarnation.

“Where is she! Where is Yi Qing’s reincarnation! I have to find you! I have to…”

“Who’s there? How dare you trespass into the Hall of Karma! Take them down!”

The reincarnation envoy of the Hall of Karma hit Yan Lin’s leg with a scepter, and he quickly used earth遁 and fled.

“Envoy, there’s a mark on the Pillar of Heavenly Secrets!”

“This person is… it’s her! Ancient God Ling Yin? How? How could she enter this cycle of reincarnation? Come! Quickly report to the Hall Master and tell him that an ancient god has entered the cycle of reincarnation…”