Happy Valentine! Also, thank you Paprika for your generous support! In total, there will be 8 updates (but only 5 updates today), and I’ll spread it into 2 DITF (4 chapters)+ 3 SVWL + 3 DPPM. Enjoy these updates, dear!
Zhu Tong took another sick leave, reportedly due to feeling unwell.
Recently, the weather in Gongshui County has been consistently bad for the past two days. Not only is there significant temperature fluctuation, but it’s also unpredictable. At noon, the sky is still partly cloudy, but in the afternoon, dark clouds gather densely in the sky.
Perhaps due to the weather, the atmosphere in Class 3 classroom was also a little moody.
“Did you hear? There was a serious stabbing incident today outside the coffee shop across from Xinxin Plaza, where someone directly attacked others with a knife.”
“My aunt and her family live over there, and it seems like they witnessed a suspect being detained by the police, eventually taken away in handcuffs. Sis, I’ve lived for so long, never thought our small county town would witness the police arresting suspects.”
“True, true, this is too scary, isn’t it?”
“Do you have any photos? I have to take that road home later. I hope I won’t be targeted.”
“It’s strange, someone actually took photos, but those pics disappeared in a flash. Maybe the police didn’t want them to be leaked, and kept it all hush-hush.”
“…”
Without direct evidence, hearsay news did not travel far among students.
Soon someone noticed an empty seat in the classroom all afternoon, and that the absent student’s deskmate was all alone again.
“Zhu Tong seems to have been absent from school recently. Study God looks very worried, he looks rather… wilted, don’t you think?”
“What do you mean wilted? Isn’t everything okay?”
“Where’s the ‘everything’s okay’? The former Study God, with a phone in hand, either plays with it or uses the phone case as a mirror… Oh wait, it was a mirror all along, that’s not important. What’s important is when have you ever seen him studying this seriously?”
“It seems too… But what happened to Zhu Tong? He didn’t come all afternoon.”
“I don’t know, maybe the weather was too bad recently, and he caught a cold? He’s a sick beauty, isn’t that the routine? Haha.”
It’s dinner time after the afternoon classes, but Shao Ming didn’t go to eat. He stayed in the classroom writing something.
Luo Suo and Lu Zheyu went to the cafeteria for dinner and came back. They went straight to the corner of the classroom by the window, leaned over, and glanced at what Shao Ming was doing. Luo Suo was shocked and said, “Are you… taking class notes? But you’ve never done this before?”
Shao Ming replied without raising his head, “I promised to take it for him.”
Luo Suo: “…”
For a while, there was no sound beside him, and he was blocking Shao Ming’s light source. After writing for a while, Shao Ming couldn’t continue. He looked up and asked, “Is there something wrong?”
Seeing that a certain someone finally agreed to share his attention, Luo Suo pulled the chair at Zhu Tong’s seat and was about to sit down. Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong and looked up to meet that someone’s unfriendly gaze.
“…”
‘Even his seat has become so precious?’
Luo Suo was speechless. All he could do was to put the seat back and move to sit at the class monitor’s seat on the front.
He turned his head to look at the classroom door, confirming that the class monitor wouldn’t be back for a while. Then he lowered his voice and asked, “Between you and Zhu Tong… just what’s going on?”
Shao Ming continued to write class notes. “What’s going on?”
Luo Suo elaborated, “I saw… what happened in the hospital examination room at noon.”
“…”
Shao Ming paused, then said, “It is just as you saw.”
Luo Suo: “…”
Just as he saw it? What did he see?
Why is he so calm?
Luo Suo stared in shock, and after a while he asked, “You don’t doubt him now?”
Shao Ming looked at him silently.
Luo Suo continued, “Yeah, he definitely has nothing to do with that side, but his family, they’re from A City. There must be connections between his family and that side. Have you… have you thought about the future? That person wouldn’t even spare the interests of a minor like you. If he finds out about your relationship with Zhu Tong, then he…”
Shao Ming remained silent.
Luo Suo gritted his teeth, but still asked, “The person at the entrance of the cafe at noon is from A City, right?”
Thinking of the person who said they would help him deal with Qiu Shaoping but showed no reaction when Qiu Shaoping appeared, Shao Ming finally showed some emotion in his eyes. He smirked slightly and said, “Yes.”
The reason why that person was indifferent is that he was waiting for him to ask for help, right?
Or, to wait until he’s injured before offering favors?
Or perhaps, it’s because the terms weren’t negotiated, so even if he died, that person wouldn’t act?
Luo Suo and Shao Ming have been friends for about six years. He could understand the other youth’s mixed emotions. With a slightly stern tone, Luo Suo asked, “Are you going back to A City?”
Shao Ming raised his eyebrows and said, “Go back?”
Luo Suo immediately changed his phrasing, “Go visit.”
Shao Ming replied, “Sooner or later I will go.”
Luo Suo: “…”
Luo Suo stopped talking.
Sooner or later… so, it shouldn’t be so early, right?
Who knows how long Zhu Tong will stay in this school?
After a period of silence, Luo Suo expressed his confusion again, “But why did Zhu Tong, with such a powerful family background, come to our school? He has so many issues, how did he adapt…”
“Many issues?” Shao Ming interjected softly.
Luo Suo hesitated, “I’m the one who has many issues. Alright, let’s drop it.”
Like an old hen protecting her cubs, I can’t even say it.
Being so protective without principles.
After a pause, Luo Suo added, “I’m not saying anything bad about him. Actually, I admire him. Despite his poor health, he works so hard. Despite his wealthy family background, he remains so low-key. If my family were rich, I would have gone abroad to have fun a long time ago. I wouldn’t have stayed cooped up in this rundown school. So, I’ve always been puzzled by why he transferred to this backwater school.”
Shao Ming was slightly absent-minded. But suddenly, he smiled. “Maybe because there’s me here?”
Luo Suo: “…”
Narcissism is a disease that needs to be cured.
‘He most likely didn’t even know who you were before he transferred, okay?’ Luo Suo inwardly complained.
Seeing that someone had already started being delusional, Luo Suo shook his head slightly and woke him up. “You just… didn’t go back to check on him?”
Shao Ming returned to his senses. “No, Uncle Liu is guarding him.”
‘Uncle Liu…’ Luo Suo’s impression of that person is that he’s a down-to-earth and mysterious boss.
Suddenly thinking of something, he smiled meanly, “What are you two? The Cowherd and Weaver Girl, who get separated by the Milky Way and can’t see each other anymore?”
Shao Ming turned to look at him and smiled. “Indeed, how about you help me build a magpie bridge to connect us?”
“…”
Luo Suo: “Ming-ge, I was wrong.”
“Actually, I think he might be bored staying at home alone. He doesn’t like playing games. He has an injury on his back and can’t move around. Tsk, if I was him, I’d be bored to death.”
Shao Ming paused and asked, “How do you know he doesn’t like playing games?”
Luo Suo said, “I asked at the milk tea shop last time.”
“…”
After another moment of Shao Ming’s silence, he suddenly closed his notebook and got up.
Luo Suo was surprised. “Ming-ge, what are you doing?”
“I think what you said makes sense.” Shao Ming said, “Go back and build the magpie bridge. Also, help me get a leave permit.”
Luo Suo: “…”
Looking at the figure walking away towards the corridor, Luo Suo shook his head.
He also got up and went back to his seat, and patted Lu Zheyu on the shoulder when he passed by, “Lao Er, work hard this month, you will be ranked first next month.”
Lu Zheyu: “…”
Shao Ming returned to the homestay, and Uncle Liu didn’t actually separate them like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl; after all, Shao Ming was the main tenant of the homestay.
When entering the courtyard, Uncle Liu was coming out of the private suite. When he saw Shao Ming appearing in the courtyard, he didn’t ask anything.
He had a cell phone in his hand, as if he was about to answer someone’s call.
Shao Ming nodded to him, Uncle Liu went directly back to his single private suite, while Shao Ming went back to his own suite.
His sudden return wasn’t because Luo Suo mentioned that Zhu Tong didn’t like playing games. Even without playing games, there could be other ways to pass the time, so it wouldn’t be too boring.
What he was worried about was Zhu Tong’s character.
Last time when he injured his leg and had difficulty moving around, he clearly said that he could be called upon if needed. However, although he grew up in a wealthy and noble family, he didn’t seem to know how to give orders. He had never been called upon after going to bed at night.
He doesn’t seem to like bothering others.
This time the injury was on the back, and if he didn’t want to call someone, he might do it himself.
What to do if the wound got affected?
But when he entered the room, the youth was surprisingly calm.
The door to the room wasn’t closed, just left slightly ajar.
Zhu Tong was lying on the bed, with a tall pillow in front of him. He had his head tilted against it, sleeping.
During the two days that Shao Ming went home, he didn’t sleep well. So Uncle Liu insisted he didn’t go to class. Zhu Tong didn’t hesitate and decided to catch up on some sleep instead.
However, with an injury on his back, he couldn’t lie flat, and lying on his side would strain the wound. He could only sleep on his stomach, but this position didn’t provide him with a restful sleep.
As soon as Shao Ming walked into the room, he woke up. He thought it was Uncle Liu, but when he opened his eyes, it was an unexpected person.
“Why did you come back?”
Zhu Tong was slightly surprised, a glint of something passing through his eyes that he hadn’t even noticed himself. He was about to prop himself up to get out of bed when the person sitting by the bed pressed him back down.
Shao Ming said, “I’m afraid you’ll be bored at home, so I’ll accompany you at home… Does it still hurt?”
“As long as I don’t move unnecessarily, it won’t hurt.” Zhu Tong explained, then he added, “I’m not a three years old brat. There’s no need for you to accompany me.”
Shao Ming said calmly, “But I want to come back to accompany you.”
“…”
Zhu Tong was choked by his words.
After a while, he asked, “Is the afternoon class boring?”
Otherwise, why would Shao Ming want to come back?
Shao Ming sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him with deep eyes and a faint smile. “You are the only one who would find high school courses interesting.”
Zhu Tong: “…”
What does he mean? Compliment him or insult him?
Forget it, it doesn’t matter.
He remembered something and eagerly asked, “By the way, did you make the notes I asked you to help me with?”
Shao Ming had the notebook in his hand, but he suddenly regretted taking it back.
With this class note around, the young master no longer has him in his eyes.
But Young Master Zhu had sharp eyes, and he didn’t have time to hide it, so Zhu Tong had already seen what was in his hand.
After all, he was lying on the bed now, and the most conspicuous thing in this current head-up view was Shao Ming’s hand – simply put, it was hard not to see it.
Shao Ming reluctantly handed him the notes, but lying down made it difficult to handle them. He then asked, “Do you want to sit up?”
Zhu Tong: “…”
