The quality of these school uniforms is terrible… The collar button was almost torn off.
Lin Qingle hadn’t noticed before, but when she went home, changed, and showered, she saw that the top button was barely hanging on.
After her shower, she waited until Lin Yufen wasn’t paying attention, then snuck a needle and thread back to her room and sewed the button back in place.
Once she finished, she tossed the uniform aside. Only then did her tense nerves fully relax.
But as she loosened up, the memory of that intense encounter at Xu Tingbai’s house started to resurface.
At the time… the sense of pressure he gave her was overwhelming.
Thinking back on their positions and actions, her face went completely red. In that moment, he didn’t feel at all like the boy she remembered. That slightly aggressive, mature aura and the warmth he exuded… it was a totally different side of him.
The next day was another exam. Because they shared the same exam room, Lin Qingle ran into Yan Dairong again.
Yan Dairong was no longer as friendly as the first day. When they met, she didn’t even nod.
Lin Qingle didn’t care anymore; whatever was going on between her and Xu Tingbai, she suddenly didn’t mind.
The exams lasted for three days, and since it was midterms, the results came out quickly.
Just a day after the exams, the rankings were posted on the bulletin board outside.
“Qingle, Qingle, let’s go check the rankings!” Yu Tingting ran over excitedly, grabbing her arm.
Jiang Shuyi followed along, casting a somewhat awkward glance at Lin Qingle without saying a word.
Since their disagreement at lunch that day over the water incident, they hadn’t spoken at all.
“Why are you zoning out? Let’s go!” Yu Tingting, unaware of the tension between them, pulled Lin Qingle up.
There were lots of people crowding around the rankings, and it took the three of them a while to squeeze in.
“Let me see where I am… Ugh, why can’t I find my name… Oh no, oh no.” Yu Tingting scanned from left to right, her expression growing increasingly dismal.
“Two hundred… I’m ranked 220th?!” She looked back in shock. “I studied so hard, and this is what I get?!”
Jiang Shuyi: “…”
“Where are you guys?”
Jiang Shuyi’s grades were average; she was typically around the 100th spot, and this time was no different.
“Qingle, you’re ranked 18th. Not bad,” Yu Tingting remarked, a bit enviously as she noticed the name near the top.
Lin Qingle had already seen her name. Fourth High was the best school in Xicheng, so 18th in her grade was indeed good.
But she couldn’t bring herself to feel happy, knowing exactly what her mom would say when she found out her ranking.
“Wow, you scored 147 in math? That’s amazing! Even the top-ranked student only got 144,” Yu Tingting said, rubbing her chin. “If only your English were better, you’d definitely be in the top ten.”
Indeed, her lowest scores were in English. She didn’t know why, but she just couldn’t seem to get interested in the subject.
“Yu Jiayou ranked 4th! No surprise there; he’s a total ace!”
“I’m heading back,” Lin Qingle nodded to her friends and turned to walk toward the classroom.
“Leaving already…?” Yu Tingting looked at Jiang Shuyi, who had no reaction.
Seeing their lack of interaction, Yu Tingting finally sensed something was off. “Hey, did you two have a fight or something?”
Jiang Shuyi turned away, saying, “I’m going back too.”
“Hey?!”
Back in class, the homeroom teacher handed out the test papers and praised the students who ranked highly in the class, especially Lin Qingle. Since she was the math teacher, she was especially enthusiastic about students who excelled in her subject.
The teacher praised Lin Qingle’s problem-solving approach so much that it made Qingle a bit embarrassed.
That evening, after she got home from study hall, Lin Qingle put her math paper at the front of the stack, even noting down some of the praise she’d received, thinking… maybe she could share it with her mom.
“Mom, you’re back.”
Lin Yufen had worked late today, and Lin Qingle had made her a little supper at home.
“I’m not hungry; I just made it for you.”
“Good.”
Lin Qingle saw her mom come in and glanced at the report card and test papers on the table. “Oh, Mom, my midterm results are out. They’re right there.”
“Oh, really?” Lin Yufen quickly picked up the papers, with the math test that Qingle had purposely put on top showing a bright red “147” score.
“What rank did you get?” Lin Yufen looked at the score and asked.
“Eighteenth,” Lin Qingle replied.
Lin Yufen paused. “What?”
“Eighteenth,” she repeated, emphasizing, “Eighteenth in the whole grade.”
“Only eighteenth? Didn’t you say you understood everything? Why did you score so low?”
Her mom’s reaction made all of Qingle’s anticipation and the things she’d wanted to say vanish.
“Eighteenth isn’t that bad. You can even ask the homeroom…”
“So far from the top three, and you call that not bad? Didn’t I tell you, you need to work hard and be the best? Can you get into the best schools in the capital with eighteenth place? It’s risky; you need to be consistently near the top three to have a strong chance.”
Lin Qingle’s expression darkened. “Okay… Well, give me the papers. I’ll go to my room.”
“Hey, I just said a couple of things, and you’re already not listening?”
Seeing her daughter’s mood drop, Lin Yufen seemed to realize she might have been too harsh. She softened her tone and reached out to take Qingle’s hand. “Qingle, I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just being honest. You know that to get into the top schools, you have to stay in the top three consistently. That’s the safest way, right?”
Growing up, Qingle had always known she needed to excel, to make something of herself, to take charge of her life. She understood all that and was already trying her best.
“I know.” Qingle took her test paper back from her mother’s hand.
But she couldn’t bring herself to hope her mom would ever praise her. Without first place, such an idea was simply unrealistic.
“I’m going to my room.”
“Hey…”
The gloomy feeling stayed with her until the next day.
It was Saturday, and Lin Yufen had the day off. Still upset about last night, Qingle didn’t want to stay at home, so she grabbed her backpack and left.
“Hey, young lady, here for rice noodles again?” The rice noodle vendor at the familiar street corner greeted her with a smile.
“No, I’ve already eaten.” Qingle paused, then asked, “By the way, did he go out today?”
The vendor chuckled. “That boy Xu Tingbai? He went to school yesterday, but I haven’t seen him out today. Probably stayed in.”
“Thanks.”
Qingle was just hoping to catch him. Normally, he’d have classes on Saturdays, so if he was out, she’d go to the library instead.
But now, she could go check if he was home.
Walking up the familiar alleyway and reaching Xu Tingbai’s door, she instinctively checked where he usually left the spare key.
It was empty—he hadn’t left it.
Without hesitating, she knocked on the door. This time, it didn’t take long; in less than a minute, the door opened.
Xu Tingbai stood behind it, his expression calm and unreadable.
“You didn’t go to school today?”
“Mm.”
“Why didn’t you leave the key outside?”
“I… forgot.”
“Well, make sure to leave it next time,” Qingle said. “Otherwise, Aunt Jiang will have trouble coming in. It’s not just for me; I mean Aunt Jiang—she’d be worried about you.”
Noticing this, Qingle’s spirits lifted a little as she slipped past him into the room.
“So, if you’re not at school today… what are you doing at home?”
Xu Tingbai would never admit that he was home because it was Saturday, her day off. Nor would he admit that deep down, he was hoping she might visit.
“…Nothing.”
“Oh.”
Lin Qingle fell silent after that, making the atmosphere between them slightly awkward. Her silence reminded Xu Tingbai of that night. He had tried to scare her then, acting harshly without holding back.
Seeing her so different today, Xu Tingbai wondered if she might finally be feeling the aftereffects of that night, perhaps even afraid to face him now.
“If you’re scared, then don’t come back,” he blurted out without thinking.
Qingle blinked in surprise, then said, “I’m not scared… are you talking about that night? It wasn’t that bad. The only thing is that my school uniform button got torn, but I fixed it.”
His voice tightened. “That’s it?”
“Well… my arm and neck hurt a bit too,” she admitted. “You were really rough…”
He’d been rough, careless, and even a bit forceful in his chaotic state, unsure if he’d touched somewhere inappropriate.
Feeling his fingers inexplicably heat up, Xu Tingbai took a breath, hesitated, and couldn’t help asking, “Was it really bad?”
Qingle paused, taken aback by his hidden concern, and her mood instantly lifted. All her worries about grades and pressure faded for a moment.
“Not too bad…” She trailed off, suddenly getting an idea, then corrected herself. “Actually, very bad! Really bad!”
Xu Tingbai frowned. “So, is it bad or not?”
“Very bad!” Qingle replied, then added, “So, as compensation, will you agree to a request?”
“What…?”
“It’s simple. I just want you to stop saying certain things whenever I visit you,” Qingle cleared her throat and mimicked him, “Why are you here again? When are you leaving?”
She mimicked his tone so precisely that she actually sounded like him, then burst into laughter.
“I’m tired of hearing it, Xu Tingbai. I don’t want to hear it again.”
He didn’t respond, feeling a warmth build in his chest, heating the air around them. He knew she was probably staring straight at him, which made him a little flustered. He turned toward the kitchen.
Qingle was surprised when he didn’t answer and just went about his own business. She watched as he reached for the kettle, steadied a cup, and poured water.
Following him, Qingle asked anxiously, “Will you promise?”
Facing away, Xu Tingbai took a sip of water, nearly choking due to his jumbled thoughts.
“Xu—”
“Whether I agree or not, you’d come anyway.”
“What?”
“Since you’d come regardless, does it really matter if I agree?”
Qingle insisted, “Of course, it matters.”
“…Alright.”
Alright, what?
For a moment, Qingle didn’t understand, glancing up at him.
He didn’t turn around, but after a second, he said quietly, “Then I won’t say it anymore.”
Author’s Note:
The price of a popped button had brought them a bit closer.