- Qi Juan stood in front of Yu Yue Sheng and said, “Laoshi, it seems like my key got lost inside the desk”
“No, we are in the second year of high school,” Qi Juan reluctantly responded, his thoughts already drifting towards Yu Yue Sheng, and he began to speculate about various things.
Did the Laoshi come to buy bread that day?
And then, he had just received bread and stomach medicine from Lao Yuan. What a coincidence!
“Oh, that must be quite challenging,” the uncle replied to Qi Juan’s previous question, sighing, “High school students nowadays face a lot of academic pressure, and the teachers are probably feeling the urgency too.”
“Uncle,” Qi Juan hurriedly asked him, “Does Laoshi have something else in his hand?”
The uncle pondered for a moment and said, “He’s holding a plastic bag.”
Qi Juan looked at him with great anticipation.
The uncle scratched his head and smiled gently, “It seems to be holding medicine; the things inside look like medicine boxes.”
Qi Juan was somewhat happy, his small dimple showing, “Really?”
“I remember now, it should be for you, and the bread probably too. Not bad. Your teacher is good.”
Qi Juan nodded, his eyes also curved, boasting, “Our homeroom teacher is the best in the world.”
Suddenly a heavy arm rested on Qi Juan’s shoulder.
“Hey? Qi Juan, what are you doing here?”
Qi Juan turned his head and saw the thin and tall figure from that day, the one who had helped Chen Geou. He was sitting in the empty seat next to Qi Juan.
The thin and tall guy raised his cola in his hand, took a big gulp, let out a satisfied burp, and grinned at the uncle, showing a silver tooth, “Hey, hello, uncle.”
“Oh, hello,” the uncle replied.
“Do I have any relationship with you?” Qi Juan frowned briefly.
He didn’t like being too familiar with strangers, especially when he could sense some strange vibes from the thin and tall guy’s tone.
“He’s your classmate, right?” the uncle said as he stood up, straightening his clothes, “You guys chat, I haven’t washed my bowl yet, so I’ll go do that first.”
“Uncle, the drink,” Qi Juan quickly added.
“No need, thank you, Xiao Tongxue,” the uncle replied with a kind smile, waving his hand. He responded to a greeting from one of the aunties at the food pick-up window and called out, “Coming! I’m coming!”
“What’s this? Are you still unwilling?” The thin and tall guy stood by, arms crossed, staring at Qi Juan.
Qi Juan reluctantly shifted his gaze back and pushed his arm away with disdain, saying, “It’s so hot. What do you want?”
“So, you don’t recognize me so soon?” The thin and tall guy muttered to himself, “Class 8 of the second year, Chen Qi, nice to meet you.”
“Chen Qi1The Chinese character 昊 (hào) means “vast,” “broad,” or “great.” ? Weren’t they calling you Hao Ge the last time?” Qi Juan said.
“Oh, you still remember. It’s just a nickname,” the other person said while lifting his leg onto a stool. “Rare to meet, let’s set up another fight. How about this weekend? Last time’s fight… tsk… didn’t satisfy me enough.”
Qi Juan shook his head, glanced at him indifferently, and said, “What’s the matter? Your tooth doesn’t hurt anymore?”
“Just got it fixed last night.” Chen Qi knocked on his fake teeth, showing them to him, and they appeared quite white.
Qi Juan smiled freely, “Not bad, commendable courage. But you’ve got the wrong person; I don’t have that kind of free time.”
“Are you afraid now?” Chen Qi shoved his shoulder, cursing and grumbling as he tried to pull him up, “Get up, let’s talk outside.”
The noon sun, not to mention, was extremely glaring. The large open space below the teaching building was filled with scorching sunlight, and the dry concrete ground seemed to have cracked with mottled marks.
Qi Juan reluctantly followed someone and walked out, standing under the sun, unable to help but squint his eyes. He kicked a few inconspicuous pieces of gravel under his feet and lazily said, “I’m busy this weekend; otherwise, we can find another time.”
“You’re just making excuses. All talk,” Chen Qi said.
“Okay, okay, it’s me making excuses,” Qi Juan said as he put his hands back into his pockets. Suddenly, he shouted behind Chen Qi, “Hello, Laoshi! What are you doing here?”
As he hurriedly turned around to make a run for it, his clothes were suddenly pulled tightly. Qi Juan looked down and saw that Chen Qi had already grabbed his clothes.
“You can’t catch a sheep while trying to fleece it,” Qi Juan said helplessly.
Chen Qi tightly clenched a corner of what he was holding and stared at Qi Juan warily, saying, “What are you up to?! Don’t try to deceive me.”
“We really shouldn’t fight. We’re all grown-ups now; don’t be so childish,” Qi Juan shifted his gaze away, trying to divert the topic.
Chen Qi pointed his finger at Qi Juan, snorted in contempt, and rudely said, “Damn it. You’re just a coward. Wait for me this weekend; I’ll beat you so badly you won’t know southeast from northwest.
No need for that!
Even now I don’t recognize the southeast and the northwest.
Qi Juan thought to himself gloomily.
But as soon as Chen Qi’s words fell, almost instantly, his ear was twisted and lifted from behind. The patrolling security guard was tall and burly, and he gritted his teeth and lowly roared at Chen Qi’s ear, “Huh? Waiting for what? Fighting? Come over here and have a chat with me.”
With the burly figure standing against the light, he exuded a strong sense of oppression, and combined with Chen Qi’s tall and skinny appearance, he now looked more like a dejected little chick.
“No, it’s nothing.” Chen Qi grimaced, hesitating and not daring to say much.
“He seems to be waiting to pick a fight with me,” Qi Juan thought for a moment and added a fitting comment.
“You—” Chen Qi looked at Qi Juan, then at the security guard, and complained, “Oh, uncle, I really didn’t mean anything. I was just joking.”
“Let’s have a nice chat,” the security guard continued.
Qi Juan hid behind the security guard, squinted at Chen Qi, and smiled as if he was asking for trouble. When Chen Qi raised his fist to hit him, the security guard glared at him, making him back off again.
Chen Qi’s enthusiasm waned once more.
Seizing this opportunity, Qi Juan made his escape and quickly ran back to the teaching building. In his rush, he accidentally bumped into a food delivery guy.
Qi Juan quickly rubbed his forehead and took a step back, saying, “It’s okay, you go first.” Fortunately, just before the food delivery bag was about to spill, Qi Juan deftly caught it.
On the office windowsill, there was a potted lily, apparently nurtured by one of the teachers, giving the room a faint fragrance. It made people feel comfortable and refreshed on the inside.
“Laoshi ordered takeout, huh?” Qi Juan said as he brought the received food into the office.
“I ordered an extra portion, would you like some?” Yu Yue Sheng reached over the food delivery bag and started unpacking them one by one.
Qi Juan shook his head.
But Yu Yue Sheng still pushed the hot porridge towards him, as if he hadn’t noticed Qi Juan’s previous refusal. Thoughtfully, he uncovered the lid for him and also handed over a plastic spoon.
“Well, alright then,” Qi Juan grinned, and his eyes curved into a smile. “Since Laoshi offered, how can I not accept this kind gesture?”
For some reason, even though Yu Yue Sheng didn’t say a word, Qi Juan couldn’t help but take the plastic spoon and slowly stir the porridge in his bowl.
It’s just like when children encounter their elders giving out red envelopes during festivals, they would say they don’t want it, but their pockets are actually wide open.
In the end, they would still happily accept the red envelopes, tuck them into their pockets, and feel as sweet as if they were filled with honey.
The spoon gently stirs and swirls the porridge against the bowl’s edge, creating ripples. The sweet and delightful aroma fills the air, as if a thin mist is lingering between the two, gently warming up the chilly room with its low air conditioning.
As Qi Juan looked at Yu Yue Sheng, he scooped a spoonful of porridge and when he took a bite, it was still hot enough to make him gasp with a mouthful of cool air.
Yu Yue Sheng paused with his chopsticks and gave him a glance, saying, “Take your time.”
“This is the second time I’ve had a meal with my Laoshi,” Qi Juan, who had learned his lesson, scooped another spoonful of porridge and blew on it slowly. The soft and tender texture glided down his throat and settled warmly and comfortably in his stomach.
…
After slowly finishing the meal, Yu Yue Sheng wiped the table clean and took out a piece of scrap paper from the side, saying, “Let’s look at the exam papers.”
“Buzz, buzz.” His phone in the pocket vibrated.
“Laoshi, wait a moment, I’ll reply to a message real quick.” Qi Juan casually threw the empty plastic container into the garbage bag, then took out his phone that had been vibrating for a while, and glanced at it.
On the screen, Zuo Ziming: [Ahh, it’s so difficult to wait and squat. Chi Yin didn’t show up, and the person ran away. He even blocked my number.]
Qi Juan usually likes to smoke after meals. He wanted to flick the cigarette ash, but then realized he had nothing in his hand. He curled his fingers, and when he retrieved his hand, he replied: [Why are you still looking for him?]
Not receiving a timely response, he felt a bit uneasy and added: [Don’t bother with Chi Yin. It’s a waste of time.] Then he put the phone back into his pocket.
“It’s done,” Qi Juan said.
“Okay. The exam papers.”
“Here you go.” Qi Juan pushed the test paper that was pressed against his elbow toward Yu Yue Sheng.
“The cell membrane and other biological membranes are selective membranes that allow water molecules to pass freely…” Yu Yue Sheng drew the diagram on the scrap paper, marking the key points step by step with a red pen. “Now, do you understand this question?”
“I don’t quite understand why you drew it like this,” Qi Juan said as he pointed with his finger.
Before Yu Yue Sheng could retract his hand, Qi Juan’s backhand lightly touched his fingertips, sending a tingling sensation like an electric current through him.
!
It felt icy cold.
He looked back at Qi Juan.
The child had a fair and cold complexion, with slender and long fingers, and a hint of tender pink at the joints.
As he raised his head, he collided with his pure black, lazy and languid eyes.
Yu Yue Sheng coughed softly a few times, his back stiffened, and he said, “Cell membranes belong to active transport and require energy consumption.”
Watching as Qi Juan quickly moved his hand away as if escaping, he lightly chuckled and said, “I think I understand now, thank you, Laoshi.”
While speaking, he turned his pen, capped it, and neatly arranged the exam papers. He added, “And also thank you for the porridge you treated me to, it was delicious.”
”En.”
“Oh, by the way,” Qi Juan suddenly remembered something, “There’s a new hotpot restaurant near my house that’s opening this weekend. Let’s go together, Laoshi.”
“Invite your friends,” Yu Yue Sheng evaded.
“Please, don’t. It’s my birthday that day,” Qi Juan stared at Yu Yue Sheng, pursing his lips, “My friends are all busy on weekends, and my aunt will be working overtime too. If you don’t come, I’ll be all alone. Who goes to eat hotpot alone? It just feels so lonely—”
He dragged his words, deliberately putting on a pitiful puppy-like expression as he looked at Yu Yue Sheng, almost trying to fake some tears of loneliness and sadness.
Yu Yue Sheng rubbed his throbbing temple and reluctantly interrupted him, “Where is the address?”
In the restless afternoon of summer, cicadas chirped intermittently. Lao Yuan was lecturing on the podium, speaking in a rambling manner, and the microphone occasionally screeched as he raised his voice:
“Do you all know these key points? They will be on the exam! You need to memorize the texts we covered in these lessons, and tomorrow I will come to check…”
The top students in the front row sat upright, while a certain individual with the surname Qi was hiding behind a stack of textbooks and assignments, leaning on the desk like a small pile of mountains, completely immersed in the ocean of gaming, looking just like a cartilaginous creature.
“YES!” After achieving a pentakill in the King’s Canyon, the glimmer in his eyes recovered some shine, and he couldn’t help but excitedly exclaim.
TLN : “King’s Canyon” is a popular map in the video game “Apex Legends.”
“Lower your voice,” Han Xiao nudged Qi Juan with his elbow, signaling him to be careful of the teacher, and whispered, “I feel like Lao Yuan has noticed you.”
“It’s fine,” Qi Juan waved his hand, not even lifting his head, “If I don’t look at him, he won’t look at me.”
Han Xiao sighed helplessly, “Paradox, it’s a paradox.”
Qi Juan continued to be leisurely, pinching his fingers together, “The mountains are high, the waters are far. If it’s destined, we’ll meet in the canyon.”
As time passed, Qi Juan played his game from the beginning of one class until the end of the next class, and even continued playing until the new class bell rang.
Han Xiao couldn’t help but ask him, “It’s been two classes already, buddy. I’m going crazy waiting for you to come out of your ‘canyon’.”
Qi Juan casually picked up the water cup from the table, held it in his hand, and raised it to take a sip while tilting his head back. He quickly licked the water droplets at the corner of his lips and calmly uttered, “You don’t understand.”
“Fine. I don’t understand.” Han Xiao went to play with someone else and stopped paying attention to Qi Juan.
Qi Juan kept staring at the account on the screen, watching it level up bit by bit. It was his first time playing someone else’s account, and surprisingly, he felt happy when winning and upset when losing. All of this effort was just to earn some money to treat Yu Yue Sheng to hot pot, and it felt even more satisfying than having a good meal for himself.
The evening glow seeped through the classroom window, like slowly flowing sweetness. And there stood Yu Yue Sheng in this fine and clear weather that had gathered the day’s heat, with the rosy light falling on his eyebrows and eyelashes, filling his light-colored eyes with a shimmering charm.
Looking at Yu Yue Sheng standing in front of him, even when he turned his back to write on the blackboard, it felt particularly comforting.
The lines of his shirt were exquisite, reflecting his slender and well-toned figure.
The strange thing was, Qi Juan’s troublesome stomach didn’t bother him much in other classes, but when he met Yu Yue Sheng, it became particularly sensitive. It hid inside him, twitching faster than the little deer in his heart.
Perhaps it was because school was almost over, and his stomach was already empty.
Qi Juan was afraid of being noticed by Yu Yue Sheng, so he didn’t dare to continue playing the game. In the first half of the class, he could still rest his chin on his hand, nodding occasionally as if he understood, and interjecting a few remarks with a smile while leaning on the legs of his chair.
As the class progressed, he couldn’t focus on anything else and could only bend down to concentrate on holding his stomach.
His little hand desperately prodded his stomach. Poke, poke, poke.
“The class is over,” Yu Yue Sheng said as he collected his teaching materials.
When the bell rang, Qi Juan weakly raised his eyes, absentmindedly looking at the stack of papers under his cheek.
Earlier, he had even prepared some questions to ask Yu Yue Sheng with enthusiasm, but now, with his stomach hurting so badly, he probably wouldn’t be able to go and ask him.
After the sparse sound of dragging chairs and tables, the classroom also emptied quite a bit. “You’re not eating? Are you okay?” Han Xiao patted him, expressing concern.
“I’m fine, stop fussing. You should go eat quickly,” Qi Juan urged his good desk mate. Unable to play the game, he remained hunched over the desk.
While the classroom was empty, he pressed both hands against his upper abdomen, using his fingertips to apply pressure to the painful area.
With his head buried down, he typed a message in Laoshi’s WeChat chatbox: [Wuwuwuwu QAQ.]
After a moment’s thought, he quickly deleted it and resigned himself to lying still, not daring to move around too much.
The cold air from the air conditioning blew from behind, chilling the thin sweat on Qi Juan’s back, causing him to shiver with cold.
Inside his stomach, it felt like small cuts were being made, and it opened its little mouth to swallow the irritating gastric acid. With each spasm, it felt like being doused with a piercing pain.
“Hello, hello! Welcome to Yuming Middle School’s evening song request time. The first song for today is—” The loudspeaker in the classroom and the one on the nearby playground both started blaring, creating a noisy cacophony.
“Damn. Here it comes again.” Qi Juan closed his eyes and clenched his fist, using his knuckles to press hard on his upper abdomen, hunching his body even deeper in discomfort.
The unpleasant smell of ink on the table seemed to claw its way up to his nostrils, assaulting him directly. He couldn’t help but let out a strong sneeze.
Qi Juan lowered his head and reached out, blindly feeling around the tabletop as if he had found a pen. He tightly grasped the pen and pressed it against the most painful area on his upper abdomen, trying to suppress the sudden spasm. If the pen cap were sharper, he felt like he could stab himself straight through.
Who the hell knows who it was, but they started playing a rap song. On top of that, the school’s loudspeaker quality wasn’t very good, making the lyrics sound unclear and “sizzling” in the background.
Damn it, can they stop with this annoying noise? It’s irritating to listen to, yet the song sounds so jubilant.
A wave of dizziness swept over him, and as he heard footsteps approaching, Qi Juan finally withdrew the pen and instead wrapped his arm around himself. Slowly, he raised his head from behind the towering pile of books.
“Hey? Didn’t you go to have dinner?” a returning classmate asked.
“I already ate,” Qi Juan casually replied, retracting his somewhat disappointed gaze. His stomach pain became increasingly intense at an inconvenient time, and he bit his lip tightly, drawing blood from his mouth.
Qi Juan struggled for quite a while, pretending to sleep on the table for a long time, until finally, evening self-study began.
“Laoshi…” A girl raised her hand and walked towards the podium, muttering a few words to Yu Yue Sheng, who was supervising the self-study.
Qi Juan stole a glance at the girl; her complexion was really bad, with a wax-like yellowish skin, thin arms, and legs as if they could easily be broken by the wind.
Yu Yue Sheng nodded and let the girl go.
Sometimes, Qi Juan was quite glad he wasn’t a girl. He didn’t have to endure torment every month. However, with his frequent stomach pains and aches, it seemed like he wasn’t doing much better either. He couldn’t help but force a bitter smile.
“What are you laughing at? Isn’t it painful to endure? Should I ask for a leave for you?” Han Xiao whispered.
“Nah, I can bear with it,” Qi Juan shook his head.
He really felt embarrassed to ask Yu Yue Sheng for leave, especially when he would be following after a girl. It would be quite embarrassing.
Since Yu Yue Sheng was still busy writing something with his head down, Qi Juan decided to just lie down on the table. He randomly picked two pills from the medicine box on the desk and chewed on them.
Accompanied by the gentle breeze that lifted his ink-black hair, there was the soft sound of a pen touching paper. If it weren’t for the stomach pain, this evening would have been quite pleasant.
“Ah!!!—”
Suddenly, a sharp scream shattered the tranquility, and Qi Juan felt as if a drill had fiercely bored into his brain. His fair face scrunched up impatiently.
Among the rows of students near the door, several girls stood up in panic, and some even left their seats and hurriedly ran to other seats. Desks and chairs were knocked over, creating a noisy and chaotic scene in the classroom.
“Meow!!” Following that, a cat’s meow could be heard, somewhat mournful but also sounding startled.
Was there a cat?
Qi Juan couldn’t be bothered to move and simply ignored the commotion.
However, his ankle suddenly felt warm.
When he lowered his head to look, there was a small black kitten that seemed to have suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was now nestled against his thin ankle, sticking out its little pink tongue, and gently rubbing against him.
“Ah, ah, ah, it ran over to Qi Juan!”
“Ah, ah, ah, where? Where?”
“…”
Their classroom was on the third floor, and they had no idea how the little cat managed to get up there. Some of the girls were still screaming, and if they kept shouting, they might end up having to call the principal.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” The person who had everyone’s attention slowly spoke up, “Isn’t it quite cute? Right, little kitty?”
Qi Juan lifted his hand and tenderly stroked the kitten’s back, one stroke after another.
“Meow~” The narrow and thin bones were hiding among the soft and fine fur. The little black cat’s body was still trembling from the fright, and with a slight touch, one could feel its heart pounding like a heavy rain.
But in fact, this little black cat was very well-behaved and had no intention of harming humans.
After thinking of something, Qi Juan searched inside his desk and found a piece of bread, which he squeezed into a small ball and fed to the little cat.
Watching the little kitty hesitantly reach out its paw and then finally daringly snatch the bread crumbs, it wolfed them down eagerly.
Qi Juan couldn’t help but smile, and his little beauty spot slightly lifted. He continued to gently groom the little cat’s soft and comfortable fur.
“Qi Juan, why don’t you take it downstairs?” Yu Yue Sheng walked over, his expression unclear as he stared at the remaining half piece of bread in Qi Juan’s hand. Somehow, he suddenly thought, can this kid not even finish a piece of bread? Did he not eat well during the day?
“Downstairs?” Qi Juan squinted his eyes and raised his head, but his complexion always had that pale and weak look.
“Below the teaching building. It doesn’t look like a stray cat, so it should be able to find its way back on its own.” Yu Yue Sheng stepped aside to make way.
Qi Juan carried the little cat and walked to the bottom of the stairs, then carefully placed it on a grass heap in the open area.
“Meow meow meow. Meow meow.” Qi Juan gently patted the small and round head of the little cat, and spontaneously created a style of Qi Cat Language, strangely communicating “friendlily” with the little cat for a while.
The light from the street lamp in front of the teaching building was not very bright, and there were quite a few mosquitoes buzzing around below. Qi Juan raised his hand to press on his painful upper abdomen, supported himself with one hand on the ground, and squatted next to the little cat for a while.
“Meow~” The little cat rubbed against him obediently.
The fur of the little cat was so soft, lightly rubbing against him, it felt like touching a piece of sweet and sticky marshmallow.
Qi Juan didn’t feel like going back to the classroom for self-study anymore.
The evening breeze blew on his face, a bit hot and stuffy. After playing with the little cat for a while, Qi Juan was about to stand up and go back, but suddenly, his vision went dark.
“Pa!”
Suddenly, there were screams and cheers coming from behind.
Qi Juan turned around and saw that all the lights in the entire teaching building had gone out, and layer upon layer of emergency lights with small green signs were shining brightly.
Many classrooms also had flashlight beams shining or flickering warm yellow candlelight.
Just as Qi Juan stood still, he saw someone coming towards him holding a flashlight on their phone, walking quickly from the corridor.
In theory, when one’s eyes encounter a strong light and are in a state of dizziness and blurred vision, it’s difficult to distinguish who the person is.
But Qi Juan still recognized him at a glance: “Laoshi, is there a power outage?”
Yu Yue Sheng nodded, “Hmm, the air conditioning and freezer in the biology laboratory probably stopped working. We need to go and salvage them. Come with me.” As he spoke, he quickly waved the flashlight in front of Qi Juan’s face, “—What are you staring at?”
When the key turned the lock, there was still some cool air from the air conditioning remaining in the room, but immediately after, a pungent smell of formalin rushed in.
“It smells really bad.” Qi Juan felt a moment of suffocation and waved his hand in front of him before catching up with Yu Yue Sheng.
Yu Yue Sheng turned his phone over and placed it on the table.
The flashlight beam passed through the shelves, illuminating the various peculiar-shaped insect specimens inside the transparent bottles and jars, instantly dividing them into blocks of light and shadow.
Qi Juan furrowed his brow, feeling the acidic water in his stomach rising. He quickly turned on the flashlight on his phone and pointed it towards Yu Yue Sheng’s direction.
The teacher seemed to be using aluminum sheets and various fabrics to make boxes, and he didn’t even have time to lift his head, but he remembered to call out, “Qi Juan, first move those things on the shelves over here.”
The shelves… the shelves…
Qi Juan’s scalp tingled, and he fixed his gaze on the horrifying specimens inside the glass bottles, which had congealed at some unknown time.
He inexplicably felt that as long as his fingertips lightly touched the glass bottle, the insects inside would immediately come back to life, their antennae moving and their mouths spewing fresh red blood.
“This stuff is so disgusting, it feels like it’s about to dissolve.” Qi Juan dry heaved silently, clutching his stomach, and his body leaned over.
He raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead and then frowned, picking up a glass bottle.
When he looked down, the insects were floating in the liquid, and from time to time, there was only a thin layer of glass separating them from his palm. In his mind, words of desperation were about to burst out.
Qi Juan, feeling as if he were holding a hot potato, slammed the jar in front of Yu Yue Sheng with a “clang,” and the bottom of the bottle even spun half a turn before he quickly stabilized it.
“Um, I didn’t hold it steadily,” Qi Juan chuckled.
Yu Yue Sheng raised his eyes and looked at Qi Juan with an ambiguous expression, “Stop messing around, go sit over there.”
“Alright.” Qi Juan finally felt relieved and slipped to the side, sitting down and propping his chin up as he watched Yu Yue Sheng busy, curiously asking, “Laoshi, what are you doing?”
“A makeshift refrigerator,” Yu Yue Sheng replied.
In no time, he quickly made a simple box, then fetched half a bucket of water from the laboratory sink and poured it into the box. After that, he started moving the bottles and jars inside.
“Is this thing useful?” Qi Juan muttered, waving his hand over the box.
It didn’t seem to make any difference.
As he just put his hand inside to check, his tone suddenly lifted, “Fuck, it’s cool!”
Yu Yue Sheng frowned, “Don’t use foul language.”
“That’s amazing! How long can this last?” Qi Juan said incredulously.
“About two weeks,” Yu Yue Sheng replied.
“Wow, that’s great! If you were my physics teacher, I wouldn’t fail for sure,” Qi Juan said.
Yu Yue Sheng glanced at him and said, “Heh. But you failed biology.”
Qi Juan swung his legs on the chair and said, “That’s because I hadn’t met you before.”
“It’s not what I think,” Yu Yue Sheng brushed off the dust from his hands and changed the topic, “I came across it online before and happened to remember it.”
“That’s impressive too. Let me give you a thumbs-up for that.” Qi Juan praised his dear teacher Yu Yue Sheng. He definitely had to keep up with him.
At this moment, sharp and ear-piercing whistles could be heard clearly coming from the other side of the teaching building. It was a custom at Yuming Middle School; when the school bell malfunctioned, they used whistles instead.
Immediately after, a rumbling sound echoed like rolling thunder all around.
“Is it time to go home?” Qi Juan muttered.
“Yes, I’m done here too,” Yu Yue Sheng rubbed his hands to get rid of the powder, “Let’s go.”
“Finally, it’s over.” Qi Juan took a deep breath and followed him out of the laboratory.
Step by step, he felt his stomach becoming increasingly unsettled. He focused on the beam of light from the flashlight ahead, but his mind was filled with images of those eerie and venomous insects.
Qi Juan covered his mouth and hurriedly rushed into the nearest restroom, unable to hold back the sour water churning in his stomach any longer.
With each heave, his stomach ached even more intensely, and it seemed to convulse and squeeze out anything it could.
…
After emptying his stomach, he felt completely drained and weak. The nausea had subsided somewhat, and he scooped up some running tap water to rinse his mouth.
“Are you okay?” Yu Yue Sheng stood in the darkness, unable to see his expression clearly.
“I’m fine, let’s go home.” Qi Juan clenched his upper abdomen tightly.
However, just as they arrived at the entrance of the laboratory building, Qi Juan couldn’t bear it and stumbled, sitting down on the steps.
Qi Juan kept his head low, curling up into a ball. He mumbled a few words from between his arms, “Let’s… wait for a moment, my stomach suddenly started hurting.”
“…”
“It’s because I’m too weak.” His tone was low, as if apologizing.
The dim moonlight gently spilled around them, and the chirping of cicadas mixed in the nearby bushes. Yu Yue Sheng squatted down beside Qi Juan, and a few other students ran past them, playing and laughing.
He felt a bit unsure about what to say or do at that moment, so he simply silently stayed with Qi Juan.
Looking at Qi Juan curled up like a stubborn little stone growing there.
The moonlight flowed for a long time, and the wind blew for a long time.
“Wait for me a moment,” Yu Yue Sheng couldn’t help but stand up.
As he left, the surroundings felt empty. Even though Yu Yue Sheng had been silent before, now it seemed as if all signs of life had vanished. Only the chilly evening breeze swept through, biting into the heart.
Qi Juan furrowed his brow, pressing his fingers firmly against his abdomen, his stomach twisted into a knot, as if it were being mercilessly tightened by a large hand. Thin beads of sweat trickled down his spine, and with each gust of wind, they turned cold as ice.
Not long after, a warm orange light suddenly burst into their line of sight. When Qi Juan looked up, he saw Yu Yue Sheng driving the car over.
At that moment, the lights seemed particularly gentle, condensing in the cold air, resembling the swirling hues of a sunset that could disperse clouds and fog.
“I’ll drive you back,” Yu Yue Sheng said, helping Qi Juan up.
The wind was swirling in the hallway, and Qi Juan wrapped his clothes tightly, coughing softly a few times. Standing in front of his house’s door, he looked up and saw the motion-sensor light in the hallway flicker before illuminating the area.
Suddenly, he remembered a dreadful concern— he didn’t know if Chi Yin had come. What should he do if they come face to face?
Qi Juan lazily rested his arm on the armrest, blocking Yu Yue Sheng’s way, and wearily said, “Laoshi, it seems like I dropped my keys inside the desk… Shouldn’t the school gate be locked by now?”
The hidden implication was: I can’t go home. Laoshi, can you take me to your place? Or maybe find a hotel to throw me into.
Yu Yue Sheng looked at him and calmly took out his phone, saying, “I know a locksmith, and I can guarantee that it will be opened…”
Huh?
![Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/529280897e9ecfdd9f221749897bd3c6.jpeg "Poor Little Thing Reborn as a Spoiled Child [ABO]")
