Chapter 6 (1/2)

Chapter 6: Not Yet Lovers

Summer break was nearly over. He Luo’s aunt who worked as a cas.h.i.+er in a flax factory gave her a dress, a beige one mixed with some light brown. Mom really liked it, repeatedly saying it was delicate and elegant, and wanted He Luo to wear it when school reopened.

He Luo firmly refused to do so and nearly said that the dress was linen-made and was therefore unlucky. But Mom insisted, to the point of coercion, “Okay, you either wear this or you wash all your clothes in the future.” She had no choice but yield to Mom, putting on the dress depressingly.

Today, everyone decided to watch a movie before returning to the school to play basketball. He Luo thought, Look at the whiteness of your dress, its knee-length, it was totally out of place with basketball.

Zhang Yuan who was already zooming past her on his bike suddenly braked. He turned around and stared at her for a moment. With some surprise, he said, “He Luo, it really is you?”

“Of course.” She was shocked. “Did you forget me after one summer?”

“Why did you become all fragile and ladylike after one summer?” Zhang Yuan got down and pushed the bike on the pedestrian’s walkway.

“Probably because I’ve been babysitting,” He Luo began complaining. After the first of her relatives visited, everything s...o...b..lled. Every other day, there would be Dad’s friends, Mom’s cla.s.smates, a bunch of aunts and uncles sending their children to learn from her. In the eyes of relatives, He Luo was a good child even though they knew little of her hobbies and temperament. But what did it matter? She was a good student.

Being a good student was most parents’ only standard for being a good child.

“Just say you need to study.”

“I already said as much.” She sighed. “My dad shook his head and said a few days ago when he saw me reading comics and going out to play, I didn’t say I want to study.”

“No wonder I didn’t see you around to play with us.” Zhang Yuan raised his eyebrows and said, “Why didn’t anyone look for me? If it’s me, I would make them read comics with me, show them cartoons and wuxia novels. I bet in less than two days, there won’t be a single parent sending their child over.”

“Yes, yes, and you won’t see me ever again.” He Luo said, “If He family’s scholarly name is ruined in my hands, my dad would definitely break my bones.”

“My home is hosting summer school, not only is it free, it also comes with free lunch,” she concluded.

“En, I can see that.” Zhang Yuan’s smile was bright, showing a set of straight teeth. He was wearing a baseball cap, looking like he was in high spirits.

She had not seen him in a long time. During the break, her heart constantly felt empty. Even when she closed her eyes, or stared at the white wall, she would see his presence. At this moment, he really was in front of her, smiling. Instead it felt even more like a dream.

But Zhang Yuan never called her.

I’m only one of his many friends. It’s the same with or without me, she thought sadly. Naturally she would also not call him. What would she say? Asking questions about schoolwork fel

t too hypocritical. Should she just be honest and say that she missed him?

Yes, I miss you.

He Luo often thought that in that quiet summer night, she should have stopped, turned around, and said, “Being with you makes me really happy, too.”

Would his expression be joyful, surprise, or avoiding? He Luo had no way of knowing. Whatever it was, it wasn’t the expression he had now, looking like he couldn’t hold back his smile. “You’re dressed so solemnly today, from afar I thought you were Teacher Lin.”

Was this the reunion that she desperately looked forward too? What a failure.

They reached the entrance of the cinema. Zhang Yuan left to store his bike.

Li Yun Wei went to He Luo’s side. “Hey, hey, what a coincidence. Did you come together?”

“I only met him just now.”

“I thought since you’re dressed so femininely today and can’t take big steps, that guy purposely took you here on his bike.” Tian Xin also stood next to He Luo. “Yun Wei told me everything.”

“What tell you everything, what is there to talk about.” He Luo had never told anyone her thoughts.

“That my seatmate treats you very nicely.” Li Yun Wei smiled slyly. “Just to find out where you are, he even agreed to do labour.”

“Isn’t he nice to you all?” He Luo refuted. “Yun Wei, after you said the spare ribs his mom was good, he always brought enough for two and even gave everyone some. Tian Xin, he gave you the best position in the campus singing compet.i.tion line-up and went first. Didn’t you praise him for being a gentleman for an entire month?”

“When you put it that way, my seatmate seems like Jia Bao Yu [a character in Dreams of the Red Mansion].” Li Yun Wei waved her hand. “But I feel that you’re different.”

“Who said?”

“She has a woman’s sixth sense,” Tian Xin giggled.

“Might as well say she has the seventh sense, a little universe,” He Luo retorted.

“Why do you girls chatter non-stop as soon as you meet? You’re a bunch of sparrows.” Zhang Yuan grinned as he walked past them. “You all must have gone mad from holding back during the holidays. Are you exchanging new gossip?”

“What.” Li Yun Wei’s eyes turned into crescents from laughing. “We’re saying you’re good looking.”

“En, this sentence makes my ears grow callus.” Zhang Yuan pretended to look serious. “But I can still reward you each with ice cream.”

It was red bean ice cream again. He Luo frowned as she held the popsicle. Zhang Yuan had thoughtlessly grabbed the ice cream for her. But she actually wanted to eat ice cream sandwich today.

“You don’t want this?” Li Yun Wei asked. “My seatmate is quite stupid, he should have just bought ‘true love’.”

Tian Xin was slowly licking her ice cream. Apparently this way she could protect her vocal cords. “Who cares what is it, Zhang Yuan originally only wanted to buy He Luo ice cream. We’re the ones who basking in her light.”

“I think you should have bought ‘so funny’,” He Luo replied. But inside, it felt sweet.

*

After school reopened, the school board conducted their checks and the school demanded that every cla.s.sroom was clean. All the facilities were ready for use by the time they enrolled in the first year. Even now, in second year cla.s.s 6, they still have their curtains although it was faded. There was a cla.s.smate reading magazines while eating lunch. The cla.s.smate wiped his oil-stained hands on the curtain and continued to flip the pages.

Lin Shu Zhen did not know whether to cry or laugh. “Is there anyone who wipes their hand on the curtain? Aren’t you worried that someone has wiped their shoe there before?”