Xu Zhi went to bed after finishing her English test paper, but for some unknown reason, the moment she fell asleep, she dreamt of the changing room.
The scenario in the dream was far more absurd than the memory in reality.
Qi Yaoyao, who should have been wearing a dress, was wearing a silk nightgown, the soft, smooth fabric clinging to her graceful curves.
And Xu Zhi was pressing Qi Yaoyao against the cabinet.
The changing room light was directly overhead, but Xu Zhi didn’t seem to be trying to remove the contact lenses. Instead, she was simply holding her captive in her arms.
A delicate fragrance wafted around her nostrils, like Qi Yaoyao’s natural body scent, yet also like the smell of bath wash after a shower.
Xu Zhi wanted to distinguish the smell clearly, so she lowered her head slightly. The scent confused her even more, making her feel dizzy with emotion.
She saw the thin straps hanging on Qi Yaoyao’s slender, beautiful shoulders, her round shoulders, and her flawless, jade-white arms.
Below the exquisite collarbones was a perfect figure beyond what was expected for her age…
“Zhizhi…”
Qi Yaoyao was calling her in a spoiled voice.
Completely unlike those deep, captivating dark eyes, Qi Yaoyao looked up with an anxious, cautious innocence. She whispered, “Are we having a secret affair?”
In an instant, Xu Zhi woke up, covered in a cold sweat!
The lights were off in the room.
Xu Zhi wiped the sweat from her forehead, breathing heavily. She turned on the bedside lamp, regulated her breathing, stayed awake for a while, and then got out of bed. She found a physics test paper in her bag and went to her desk to work.
She was hot all over.
Xu Zhi opened the window, letting the cool night air blow across her face.
She drew diagrams and wrote down various calculation formulas.
The clock hands on the desk went around and around.
When Xu Zhi’s mind was filled with various ‘forces,’ ‘energies,’ laws, and motion curves, she had quickly finished two physics test papers and felt much calmer.
Xu Zhi checked the time: 1:00 AM.
She packed up the papers and went back to bed to sleep.
But she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what.
Xu Zhi recalled Qi Yaoyao’s inexplicable persistence with her lately, remembering that the friendship started unpleasantly when Qi Yaoyao’s friend asked for her WeChat, and they were initially at loggerheads.
This seemed like an obvious trap.
What was Qi Yaoyao after?
Could it be that the hooligan who tried to assault Qi Yaoyao in the men’s restroom was part of the “trap” from the very beginning?
The night wind caused the curtains to flutter.
Xu Zhi couldn’t sleep and couldn’t stop her mind from racing, so she simply got up and found two chemistry test papers to work on.
Since she did Physics and Chemistry, she decided to do Biology as well, and then write an English essay.
Unconsciously, the sky began to lighten.
The morning glow streamed in from outside the curtains, falling onto her pen tip. Xu Zhi was slightly startled. She blinked her sore, sleepy eyes and looked up, realizing it was morning.
She massaged her stiff, aching shoulders.
Outside the bedroom, a faint door opening sound was heard. Soon, there was the whirring of the range hood in the kitchen.
Mom was up.
Xu Zhi yawned, stretched, tidied up the papers scattered across the desk, and dragged her slightly heavy body to wash up.
…
In the morning, the math teacher took personal leave and asked Xu Zhi to lead the class in discussing the test papers they had worked on over the past two days.
Xu Zhi had finished the papers, but having stayed up all night, her mind wasn’t clear. She had hoped to nap during the math class while the teacher lectured, but this arrangement messed up her plan.
She had to postpone her sleep until the later Chinese class.
The Chinese teacher usually handed out a test paper for students to work on, and the hour or two would pass quickly.
Xu Zhi forced herself to be energetic and went onto the stage to lecture on the test papers.
She checked the answers with the students, and for any incorrect questions, she concisely explained the common mistakes.
Although Lihai No. 1 High School claimed not to sort classes by scores, the students in Class 1 were essentially the top performers. Assuming no major issues, they could all typically get into a top 985 university, so there were naturally very few mistakes.
The first few major question types were discussed quickly, and only the final complex problem required more detail.
Qi Yaoyao had asked last night if the test papers at No. 1 High School were difficult.
Xu Zhi hadn’t answered, but the answer was obvious: as a key high school, the questions wouldn’t be easy.
The end-of-class bell rang. The board was covered with calculation steps, and the problem wasn’t finished yet.
Xu Zhi had never pulled an all-nighter before. She felt unwell all over, lethargic, and her head was heavy.
The end-of-class bell felt like a warning alarm that her body’s battery was depleted. She covered her mouth, yawned, and said, “Let’s take a break. We’ll continue the rest next class.”
However, students at No. 1 High School rarely took breaks. Aside from one or two going to the restroom, everyone shouted, “Class monitor, keep going! Finish these few questions.”
“I can’t… you guys look at it yourselves.” Xu Zhi said, placing the test paper on the lectern, and drifted back to her seat to slump down.
Xu Zhi’s deskmate, Hu Xiaohua, was born prematurely. Her health had never been great, and she was small and petite.
But her grades were excellent.
The two had been deskmates since the eleventh grade, and Xu Zhi usually took good care of her.
Hu Xiaohua had never seen Xu Zhi in this state. Seeing others approach the lectern with their papers, calling for the class monitor, she quickly raised a finger to her lips to shush them.
Hu Xiaohua whispered, “Isn’t her test paper already on the lectern?”
“The steps are too brief,” the classmate scratched his head and lowered his voice. “I couldn’t figure out the logic. Was that question a contest problem?”
“Sort of,” Xiaohua said. “The class monitor is asleep. Tell me where you got stuck, and I’ll help you look. That question was very difficult. It took me over an hour, but I solved it and the answer matches hers.”
“Alright, it’s about this moving point P and the inscribed circle…”
…
Xu Zhi slept until the next bell rang. She was vaguely pushed by the person beside her and forced herself to wake up.
Hu Xiaohua quietly reminded her, “Class is starting.”
“Oh.” Xu Zhi still thought she had to lecture on the math paper. She grabbed the paper beside her arm and got up to go to the stage.
The Chinese teacher who was sitting in class looked puzzled: “Xu Zhi, what’s wrong? Do you need something?”
Hu Xiaohua couldn’t stop her in time. If she said Xu Zhi was sleepy, her reaction was too fast. Xu Zhi didn’t wait for anyone to speak; she grabbed the paper and headed to the stage.
Xu Zhi became slightly more awake and realized she had slept through an entire math class and it was now Chinese class. She quickly apologized to the teacher and returned to her seat.
Time passed quickly, and the class ended.
Hu Xiaohua saw Xu Zhi propping up her forehead with her hand, her eyes barely slits, yet still managing to write down the translation of ancient Chinese sentences with her pen. She asked, “Xu Zhi, what exactly were you doing last night to be so sleepy?”
“Did test papers all night.”
“That’s too competitive!” Hu Xiaohua was shocked. “You’re trying to kill us! Did you finish all the test papers?”
Xu Zhi: “No…”
Xu Zhi yawned and put down her pen. “I should go wash my face.” To wake up. I can’t keep going like this.
When Xu Zhi returned, Hu Xiaohua gave her the cooling balm she used to refresh herself.
She managed to survive the morning and afternoon classes.
…
After school in the afternoon, Xu Zhi was called to the principal’s office.
They were short of one person for a physics competition and wanted her to fill the spot.
Normally, twelfth graders were busy preparing for the college entrance exam and shouldn’t participate in these.
However, the principal knew about Xu Zhi’s family situation and that her grades were good enough that participating wouldn’t affect them. Besides, the prize money this time was substantial.
Hearing that the prize money was two thousand eight hundred yuan, Xu Zhi, in her confused state, immediately agreed, asked for the time, and filled out the registration form.
After the form was filled out, the principal remembered that she had brought two pineapples to the office. She had only cut one and shared it with her colleagues, leaving one untouched. She insisted on cutting the remaining one now and asked Xu Zhi to take it home to eat with her mother.
Unable to decline the kind gesture, Xu Zhi could only stay and help.
At 5:30 PM, Xu Zhi went downstairs carrying a large bag of peeled pineapple chunks. She had walked down two flights of stairs when she suddenly realized what she had forgotten.
I was really drowsy all day!
She quickly ran down the stairs, almost tripping, and then checked her phone.
Qi Yaoyao had sent her a WeChat message at 5:00 PM asking if school was over.
And now, it was 5:45 PM.
They had agreed on a time before 6:00 PM.
Xu Zhi called Qi Yaoyao via voice call. It took over ten seconds to be answered.
Xu Zhi immediately apologized: “I’m sorry, I was delayed by something.”
“Hmph! What can I do! Of course, I’ll forgive you with great magnanimity!” Qi Yaoyao’s voice sounded mumbled and discontented, but she didn’t lose her temper. She only asked, “So, Xu Zhizhi, where are you now?”
“I’m about to leave the school gate. How about we eat another day? I have to go to the bar to work. Are your eyes better?”
“You only remember to care about my eyes now? I’ve gone blind already!”
As Xu Zhi listened to Qi Yaoyao’s voice, for some reason, even though it was close to her ear, it sounded blurred, as if through water. Trying to listen carefully made her temples throb violently.
Is my health really that bad? I only stayed up all night.
Xu Zhi forgot she had the window open and wore a thin short-sleeved shirt, facing the cold wind for six or seven hours.
She vaguely thought that she couldn’t go to work in this state; making a mistake during work would be even more troublesome.
Xu Zhi massaged her temples and said, “Don’t be angry. Let’s make it another day. I’m not going to the bar today; I want to ask for leave.”
Qi Yaoyao looked out the car window at the majestic, historic, yet simple school gate of Lihai No. 1 High School. Just as she was about to ask Xu Zhi why she was suddenly taking leave, she heard a soft female voice coming from the other end of the phone—”Xu Zhi! Xu Zhi!”
Xu Zhi turned around and saw Hu Xiaohua, a little confused. “Why haven’t you gone home yet?”
“I was worried about you, wasn’t I?” Hu Xiaohua was pushing her bicycle. Seeing that Xu Zhi’s face looked red, she tiptoed and reached out to touch her forehead. “Wow, are you running a fever? Your face is so hot!”
Hearing this, Xu Zhi also felt the symptoms were similar. She said, “I’ll go back and take my temperature and some medicine.”
“How will you get back then?” Hu Xiaohua suggested, “Take my bike. I’ll take you home.”
—”Damn it! Xu Zhizhi, how dare you!”
The sudden voice startled Hu Xiaohua. She looked around, but there was no one except students leaving late.
Even though it was thirty degrees Celsius, Hu Xiaohua felt a chilly wind and was terrified.
She asked, “Who, who is talking?”
Qi Yaoyao angrily opened the car door and got out. Seeing Xu Zhi talking to another small girl standing far from the school gate, she immediately hung up the voice call and ran over quickly.
However, the school uniform she was wearing was clearly not that of a student from this school.
The guard mercilessly stopped her.
Xu Zhi looked at her phone and saw that the WeChat call had been hung up.
Is she angry?
Xu Zhi’s reaction was slow, and her head was splitting. She told Hu Xiaohua, “I was on the phone with a friend. I’m fine, I can get home myself. You go home too.”
“Can you really make it yourself?” Hu Xiaohua looked at her worriedly.
“Mm.” Xu Zhi saw her looking at her, remembered something, and opened the bag containing the pineapple chunks. “The principal gave it to me. Try some.”
Hu Xiaohua didn’t stand on ceremony. She poked a chunk of fruit with a small skewer inside. While eating, she said, “Old Zhu is too good to you. You’re practically his own daughter.”
“No, it was just a coincidence,” Xu Zhi said. “See you tomorrow then.”
Hu Xiaohua nodded. “Mm-hmm, see you tomorrow. Send me a WeChat message when you get home, so I can confirm you’re safe.”
Xu Zhi couldn’t help but smile slightly. “Mm.”
Watching Hu Xiaohua leave, Xu Zhi continued to push her bicycle. But she hadn’t gone far when she saw a pair of gleaming leather shoes and white scrunched-up socks.
She had never seen an outfit other than the school uniform on campus.
Xu Zhi looked up.
It was the furious Qi Yaoyao.
Xu Zhi gripped the brakes, stunned in place.
The sun was setting.
Qi Yaoyao’s shadow stretched long, extending to the wheels of Xu Zhi’s bicycle.
Xu Zhi looked at the person who shouldn’t be in front of her right now, wondering if she was severely ill and hallucinating.
“Yaoyao?” Xu Zhi asked uncertainly.
“It is me! You jerk [渣女]!” Qi Yaoyao defined Xu Zhi in a fit of pique. She put one hand on her hip and pointed at Xu Zhi with the other. “I waited bitterly for you outside for ages, and you were here being sweet and inseparable with another girl! And you even fed her pineapple?”
“It’s not pineapple.”
“Is that the point!!”
Xu Zhi’s headache worsened from her shouting. She asked, “Why are you here?”
Qi Yaoyao immediately felt wronged. “Since you wouldn’t come find me, I had to come find you myself! I’ve been waiting for you at school for so long, Xu Zhizhi…”
Xu Zhi knew she was at fault. “I apologize. I’m not in a good state today.”
Qi Yaoyao: “I know, you’re sick.”
As her words fell, Xu Zhi suddenly felt a flash before her eyes, followed by a cool touch on her cheek.
Her dizziness and headache seemed to instantly lessen significantly.
Xu Zhi was in a daze. She lowered her gaze and saw the person in front of her blinking her deep, captivating fox eyes, looking concerned. A gesture from the sleeve of her English-style Western school uniform released a long-lasting fragrance into the wind.
“Cool…” Xu Zhi stared at Qi Yaoyao. Instinctively seeking comfort, she actively lowered her head, leaning into that cool palm.