138: Chapter 137 Winter Break Ends, School Starts

The last few days of winter break passed quickly.

Chu Yi spent every day curled up on the sofa scrolling through her phone, occasionally dragged out by Chu Xiang for shopping, returning with bags full of items.

Getting all dressed up and ready for the start of the semester.

Lin Qiaoyou spent most of her time locked in her room painting, occasionally coming out for water or snacks, wearing that milky white loungewear, her hair messy like a cat that just woke up.

Su Bai sometimes went to the Gym, sometimes to the company, and sometimes stayed home without going anywhere.

Life was quite comfortable and fulfilling.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, the group ate yuanxiao together.

Chu Yi cooked them, but broke the rice balls, causing the filling to spill into the pot; the black sesame paste in the soup looked like ink.

Chu Xiang: "You can't even cook rice balls properly?"

Chu Yi: "They taste better when broken. The filling is all in the soup, so drinking the soup is the same as eating the filling."

Luo Ying shook her head with a smile, served a bowl, took a sip of the soup, and it was indeed quite sweet.

Lin Qiaoyou ate in small bites, with a bit of black sesame on the corner of her mouth.

Song Qian sat opposite Su Bai, eating the rice balls in her bowl, occasionally looking up at him before lowering her head again.

Su Bai felt very comfortable living this stimulating and pleasant life.

After the Lantern Festival, the New Year was considered over.

School started on a Monday.

Su Bai got up early, put on his school uniform, and looked in the mirror. His hair had grown a bit; he would need to get it cut in a few days.

By the way, he had no uncle.

When he walked out of his room, Song Qian was already in the kitchen.

She was wearing a white shirt, dark trousers, and her hair was tied in a low ponytail.

"Morning." She heard the movement but didn't turn her head.

Su Bai gave a hum and walked to the dining table to sit down.

There were two breakfasts on the table—fried eggs, toast, and milk.

Song Qian carried her portion over and sat opposite him. The two ate in silence, neither speaking.

Su Bai finished eating, stood up, and picked up his schoolbag.

"I'm off to school."

Song Qian nodded, knelt down to help him put on his shoes.

"Take care, Master."

The school gate of Jingzhou School finally welcomed the long-lost hustle and bustle.

Students flooded in from all directions, some riding bicycles, some walking, others getting out of private cars.

The school uniforms were a uniform blue and white; from a distance, it looked like a moving ocean.

Su Bai walked into the school gate with his backpack. When passing the guard room, the security guard took a look at him and nodded.

He still remembered this super handsome boy.

Walking into the teaching building, the hallway was full of people.

Having not seen each other for the whole winter break, everyone had endless things to talk about. Some were huddling together looking at phones, some were walking arm-in-arm laughing, some were catching up on homework—lying on the hallway windowsill, pens flying, heads not even lifted.

When Su Bai passed by, some people glanced at him, some whispered something, and some nodded at him.

Entering the classroom, most people had arrived.

Liu Hao was sitting in front of him, talking to a boy. Seeing Su Bai come in, his eyes lit up.

"Su Bai! Over here!" He patted Su Bai's desk.

Su Bai walked over, put down his bag, and sat down.

Liu Hao turned around, leaned on the back of the chair, and pushed up his glasses.

"How was your winter break?"

Su Bai thought for a moment.

"It was alright."

"Alright?" Liu Hao widened his eyes. "Do you know how bored I was over the break? I played games at home every day until I felt sick."

Su Bai laughed.

"So are you happy school started?"

Liu Hao thought for a while and smiled bitterly.

"Doesn't seem like it, either."

Mu Qing walked in from the classroom door.

She was wearing a white down jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she had nothing on her face—clean and simple. When she saw Su Bai, she smiled, walked over, and stopped beside his desk.

"Su Bai, hand in your winter break homework." Her tone was very formal, like she was really collecting homework.

Su Bai looked at her.

"I didn't do it."

Mu Qing blinked.

"Then I'll mark you down."

She turned and left, but after two steps, she turned back, winked at him, and mouthed something.

Li Longyu walked in from the classroom door.

She was wearing a black down jacket with her school uniform underneath. The zipper was pulled all the way up, and the collar was turned up, covering half her face.

She kept her head down, walked to her seat, put down her bag, and sat down without looking at Su Bai or speaking.

Su Bai glanced at her. She sensed it and lowered her head even further. Su Bai withdrew his gaze and opened his textbook.

The homeroom teacher, Teacher Song Jiang, walked in, and the classroom went quiet.

He stood on the podium, scanned the room, his gaze resting on Su Bai for a moment before moving away.

"Students, the new semester has begun. In these last few months, everyone should seize the time and study hard."

He said a few words of encouragement, asked everyone to hand in their winter break homework, and mentioned the time for the start-of-term exams.

After speaking, he left.

The first class was math.

The math teacher walked in, didn't lecture, but handed out a set of test papers, saying it was a start-of-term test, to be done in class and handed in immediately.

A groan erupted in the classroom.

Su Bai picked up his pen and started answering the questions.

He worked very quickly, going through the multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions almost without hesitation.

Li Longyu, sitting next to him, was also working quickly; her pen tip scratched across the paper.

At noon, Su Bai went to the cafeteria to eat.

After getting his food, he carried his tray to a corner and sat down.

Just after a few bites, someone sat opposite him.

Mu Qing carried a bowl of noodles with a lot of chili, the soup was red.

She picked up her chopsticks, lifted a mouthful of noodles, blew on them, put them into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"Did you miss me?"

Su Bai was eating.

"Honestly, I didn't."

Mu Qing looked at him for a few seconds, then said poutingly,

"Hmph, I don't care if you missed me or not, anyway I missed you!"

She lowered her head and continued eating the noodles, eating very quickly, sweating from the spice on her forehead.

Su Bai pulled a tissue from the table and handed it to her. She took it, wiped her sweat, and continued eating.

"Su Bai," she said while eating, "do you think we will still be in contact after we graduate?"

Su Bai thought for a moment.

"Probably."

Mu Qing nodded and didn't ask again.

She finished her noodles, cleared her bowl, and stood up.

"I'm going."

Su Bai hummed in response.

The last period in the afternoon was a self-study session.

Su Bai was doing physics problems, and Li Longyu was reading a book beside him.

The classroom was very quiet, with only the rustling sound of turning pages and writing.

Su Bai finished a problem, put down his pen, and stretched his wrists.

Li Longyu turned a page of her book.

Su Bai turned to look at her.

She had her head down, eyelashes drooping, lips pursed, her expression very focused, as if she were really reading.

But Su Bai noticed that her book was upside down.

He didn't expose her, turned back, and continued doing problems.

The bell for the end of the school day rang.

Su Bai packed his bag and stood up.

Li Longyu also stood up, put on her bag, and walked out with her head down.

Su Bai followed behind her. The two walked out of the classroom one after another, went down the stairs, and walked out of the teaching building.

There were many people on campus, and there was talking and laughter everywhere.

Li Longyu walked in front, her pace fast, as if fleeing from something.

Su Bai walked behind, his pace neither fast nor slow, always keeping a distance of a few steps.

When they reached the school gate, Li Longyu paused.

She didn't look back, standing there as if thinking about something.

Su Bai walked over and stood beside her.

The two stood side by side, watching the people coming and going at the school gate.

"That night," Li Longyu started, her voice very soft, "thank you."

Su Bai knew she was talking about the day of the "Xunxiang Banquet".

"You're welcome."

Li Longyu was silent for a while.

"I quit my job."

Su Bai turned to look at her. She was looking ahead, not at him, the collar of her school uniform turned up, covering half her face.

"That's good."

Li Longyu nodded.

She turned and looked at him.

Her eyes were very bright, filled with the light of the setting sun, the figures of people coming and going at the school gate, and him.

The corners of Li Longyu's mouth curled up slightly.

The arc was very small, so small it was almost invisible.

She turned and left, her pace neither fast nor slow, her school uniform glowing blue and white in the sunset, her ponytail swaying gently behind her head.