On Monday, even before Lin Zhao entered the classroom, she could hear a commotion behind her.
Several boys were gathered around a tall, upright figure, their eyes fixed on the white bandage wrapped around his arm.
“Young Master Gu, what happened? Did you get into a fight?”
“If it’s a fight, just let your guys handle it. Why do it yourself?”
Gu Zhuoxiao furrowed his brows, the vein on his temple twitching slightly. He straightened his neck, teeth clenched, and growled:“What do you mean, what happened? I fell—so what if I did?”
Hearing his voice, Lin Zhao turned, her gaze immediately locking onto the bandage on his arm. She raised an eyebrow.
Gu Zhuoxiao looked up and caught her staring. He roared:“What are you looking at? Never seen someone get hurt?”
“Oh, Young Master Gu,” Lin Zhao leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, tapping her fingers lightly against her arm, teasing,“what happened here? You weren’t beaten up, were you? Look at this bandage—someone must have hit you pretty hard.”
“Shut the hell up!” Gu Zhuoxiao’s face instantly flushed red, his eyes glaring fiercely at her, voice rising a few decibels.“I fell by accident! And what I do is none of your business. Don’t gloat here!”
Lin Zhao snorted and stepped forward two paces, lowering her voice:“Did the bandage wrap around your brain too?”
“Get out of my way! Don’t block my sight!” Gu Zhuoxiao growled, humiliated and angry.
Lin Zhao took half a step back, muttering under her breath:“Should have ripped that mouth of yours off a long time ago.”
“What did you just say?” Gu Zhuoxiao’s sharp ears picked up her words immediately. He spun around.“Lin Zhao, I dare you to say that again!”
Lin Zhao shrugged innocently, blinking:“Nothing… I said get well soon.”
“You’d be that kind-hearted?” Gu Zhuoxiao didn’t believe it for a second, eyeing her suspiciously.
Lin Zhao rolled her eyes, no longer bothering to argue, and turned away, tossing over a casual remark:“Crazy.”
“Who’s crazy?” Gu Zhuoxiao shouted behind her, stomping his foot against the wall in frustration. His followers quickly stepped forward to calm him, but he waved them off irritably, strode into the classroom, and plopped into his seat.
..
By noon, Xu Ning was in line at the cafeteria with her meal card, picking up some vegetables and rice. She carefully avoided the crowd, hoping to find a quiet corner to sit.
She never liked being in busy areas—one wrong step and trouble would find her.
But after just a few steps, a figure blocked her path.
Xu Ning froze, heart sinking, slowly raising her head to meet the disdainful gaze of Xia Qi.
Xia Qi’s bright red hair stood out in the crowd, and behind her were two flashy girls. The three formed a triangle, cornering Xu Ning in the middle.
Other students slowed down as they noticed the scene, but no one dared to intervene.
Xu Ning instinctively stepped back, her back nearly against the wall, her tray wobbling.
She edged toward the tray and quietly asked,“What do you want?”
“What do I want?” Xia Qi sneered and stepped forward, scanning Xu Ning up and down.“Impressive, Xu Ning. Not only are you cozying up to Gu Zhuoxiao, now you’ve got close to Lin Zhao too? How does a simple country bumpkin like you have so much charm?”
Before she finished, Xia Qi reached out and yanked at Xu Ning’s hair. Xu Ning dodged just in time, narrowly avoiding it.
Xia Qi’s hand grasped nothing, and her expression darkened.
“You dare dodge me?” Xia Qi’s voice shrilled.“Let’s see who will help you this time!”
She shoved Xu Ning with all her strength.
Xu Ning, already unsteady, lost her balance. Her tray slipped from her hands, clattering to the floor.
She closed her eyes, expecting pain—but instead, her back pressed against a warm body, with a faint, comforting scent.
She blinked, turning her head to see Lin Zhao standing behind her, one hand steadying her waist, eyes cold as ice, staring down Xia Qi.
“Are you okay?” Lin Zhao’s voice was soft.
Xu Ning shook her head.“I’m fine. Thank you.”
Xia Qi’s face darkened further at the arrival, but she forced a sneer.“Lin Zhao, it’s you again. Why do you always meddle?”
“Indeed,” Lin Zhao steadied Xu Ning, looked at Xia Qi, a faint curve at the corner of her lips, her soft voice deadly:“Seeing you makes me lose my appetite.”
“Lin Zhao!” Xia Qi turned pale with anger.“You’re a lady of status! How can you walk with a country bumpkin like her? Don’t you feel ashamed?”
“I don’t,” Lin Zhao replied calmly.“Besides, talking to you is not only embarrassing, it’s beneath me.”
The surrounding students chuckled.
Xia Qi’s face flushed and paled, trembling with anger. She dared not confront Lin Zhao directly, so she vented her frustration on Xu Ning, hissing:“I heard you like Gu Zhuoxiao, but this bumpkin has been cozying up to him behind your back! People like her—innocent on the surface—are the most dangerous. Don’t be fooled by her!”
She thought she could drive a wedge between Lin Zhao and Xu Ning.
Lin Zhao merely raised an eyebrow and said lightly:“Jealous? Fine, if you want him so badly, that idiot is all yours.”
She didn’t even look at Xia Qi’s darkened face, wrapping Xu Ning’s shoulder, and walked away.
After a few steps, she stopped and called out to a cleaning lady nearby:“Auntie, can you come over and clean up the trash here? Thank you!”
Outside the cafeteria, Lin Zhao held Xu Ning’s hand. Passing students all turned to look. Xu Ning wriggled her wrist and asked:“Why are you here?”
Lin Zhao paused and glanced at her.“Why do you ask that?”
Xu Ning pursed her lips, looking down, her fingers curling slightly as she stared at their hands.
“I’m just passing by, do you believe me?”
“No.” Xu Ning didn’t hesitate.
Lin Zhao exaggeratedly sighed and rubbed her chest, feigning injury:“You don’t believe me? We’ve been classmates all this time, and you still don’t trust me?”
“Lin Zhao,” Xu Ning stopped, looked at her seriously, brows furrowed,“I’m not joking.”
Lin Zhao felt a little awkward under her gaze and looked away.“I already told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”
Xu Ning bit her lip, took a deep breath, and softly asked:“You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
Lin Zhao turned to meet Xu Ning’s eyes and admitted boldly:“Yes. I did it on purpose.”
“Shameless.” Xu Ning muttered, looking at her without a trace of guilt.
Lin Zhao didn’t get mad; she laughed softly:“My dear classmate, is it your first day knowing me? That doesn’t even faze me.”
She reached for Xu Ning’s wrist again:“Enough talk. I’ll take you to get something delicious to eat.”
“I don’t need it.” Xu Ning tried to pull her hand back, but Lin Zhao gripped it tighter.
“You say you don’t need it? Look at your skinny little arm—like a stick! Come on, let’s go.”
After school, Lin Zhao played with her phone, occasionally swiping the screen. Pei Lezhi followed, holding a bottle of milk. She glanced at Lin Zhao and broke the silence:“I heard you got into an argument in the cafeteria today?”
Lin Zhao didn’t look up.“How did you know it was a person’s fault? I didn’t argue—she was barking alone.”
Pei Lezhi sighed helplessly:“Be careful. How many eyes are watching in school? If Uncle Lin hears about it, you’re done for.”
Lin Zhao snorted:“I don’t care.”
She had learned not to care since she was a child. Growing up in an orphanage, alone in the world, she had nothing to lose. Caring would have killed her a long time ago.
Pei Lezhi raised an eyebrow, a teasing tone in her voice:“You seem pretty carefree.”
Lin Zhao stepped on a small stone, which rolled into the grass. She looked up at the evening sky, smiled wryly, and muttered:“If I couldn’t let go, I’d be dead eight hundred times by now.”
Pei Lezhi looked at her profile, usually sharp and playful, yet her eyes were unusually soft. She wanted to say something, but didn’t know what.
Lin Zhao pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the sky.
Pei Lezhi blinked:“Don’t you dislike taking pictures?”
Lin Zhao looked at the sunset on her screen, almost talking to herself:“Beautiful things, if not captured, might never be seen again.”
Sunsets fade, autumn ends, and some people and things disappear in an instant.
Pei Lezhi felt a strange, unexplainable emotion. At that moment, she realized Lin Zhao had truly changed.
They fell into a brief silence. Lin Zhao suddenly asked:“By the way, you said Gu Zhuoxiao keeps sending you annoying messages. Why is that?”
Pei Lezhi sipped her milk:“I don’t know. I’ve barely talked to him—less than ten sentences in total.”
She and Gu Zhuoxiao were childhood acquaintances. Their families had business ties and occasionally attended banquets together.
But she had never liked his arrogant, spoiled behavior, thinking the world revolved around him.
After studying abroad, they hardly had any contact.