Chapter 8: Life is but a first meeting

  One time, I was face to face with the class representative discussing the abnormal virtual mood tense, after the bell rang for class to start, I was about to turn back when I suddenly saw out of the corner of my eye that He Mochen was looking over here. I glared back at him sideways, not willing to show weakness. He was taken aback, then immediately expressionlessly shifted his gaze away.

  I snorted inwardly, it was truly inexplicable.

  It's not the first time he's done this, from the beginning when I was enthusiastically pursuing the class representative, I often noticed his gaze in my spare vision. It's not that I wasn't listening attentively enough, but that gaze really stings, every time it seems like it just came out of icy water, and I think it's hard to ignore.

  Although it's annoying to be looked at like that by He Mochen, I've thought about kindly asking him if he needs treatment for his misfiring neurons several times. But then he would turn around and chat with the boys he gets along with. Thinking again, he seems to have been indifferent to other girls recently, and now looking at me with a gaze that's more bewildered than anything else, my heart suddenly doesn't feel so tangled up anymore.

  "But why should I care about his views on other girls? Could it be that I'm really intimidated by him?" I muttered to myself unintentionally.

  The little Yu beside me who was concentrating on writing didn't pay attention to me.

  Ever since I started working hard, she no longer had a partner to slack off with in class. After being lonely for three days, she was deeply influenced by me and finally started working hard too.

  I wiped the sweat that seeped out of my palms with a tissue, and turned to look out the window. At that time, it was mid-November, but the temperature in B City was still very high.

  The lotus leaves in the pond are lush and green, covering more than half of the water surface with their high and low layers. The thin film on the surface shimmers with a silver glow under the sunlight. The lotus flowers hidden among the leaves have not yet wilted, still proudly displaying their pink or white petals. However, most of the lotus pods have completely lost their moisture, drying up like objects in an ink painting. But as soon as there is even the slightest movement, the black and withered lotus seeds will rotate inside their equally withered shells.

  That July, Xiaoyu was still complaining, saying why the school didn't pick the lotus pods and distribute them to students as a welfare, but instead let them go to waste. I sighed deeply and said "The abnormality of the school is something that we girls in puberty can never understand", she suddenly realized and praised me for being enlightened.

  The nearby Haiying had a subtle expression, watching us two smiling and flattering each other for half a day, before magnanimously revealing the truth: that lotus seed was to be kept for planting next year.

  A warm breeze blows, causing the slender branches to sway gently, and the unique fragrance of lotus leaves wafts in, refreshing and invigorating, making people feel extremely joyful.

  That feeling is like it's still summer in high school sophomore year.

  How great it would be if time could stay at that moment. We were still carefree students, relying on our own conditions and small means to get by in school like fish in water, without worrying about the future college entrance exams, nor considering anyone's gaze, simply living a happy and free campus life.

  Of course, then I wouldn't have met He Mochen in senior high school either.

  The mid-term exam at the end of the month is approaching quickly, and it will be over before you know it.

  The last subject was English, and I felt pretty good during the exam. After finishing it, I felt even better, and my heart was still gleefully thinking that maybe this time's single-subject score could squeeze into the top ten. But when I raised my head to see that there were almost ten minutes left before submitting the paper, I suddenly became uncool.

  In the past, every time I took an English test, I would always drag on for another half minute when the time was up. But what's going on now? Have I gone crazy? Has my personality exploded? I'm not stupid enough to think that it's because this month has been tough and I've been clinging to Buddha's feet, so I performed exceptionally well in the mid-term exam, am I a prodigy or have I become senile?!

  Logically, I should go back and review the multiple-choice questions carefully, but people always say that the most important thing for multiple-choice questions is the first impression. Because after struggling with a sea of questions for over an hour, the thinking in my brain is no longer as clear as it was at the beginning, even if English elites re-examine the original questions again, they will still make mistakes by changing the correct answers to incorrect ones.

  I hesitated for a moment, and I'm not an English elite in my daily life. Before that, I had never tried to spend more time on it, so at this time, I couldn't grasp whether I should follow the fate or go against the sky. Roughly scanning the answer sheet, there was no omission or extra filling. Thinking again, He Mochen, who is said to be super good at English...

  Alright, today I'll be naive once and believe that I really did perform above my level.

  Then waited anxiously for two more days, finally waiting for the big red list of mid-term exams - just like the big-character posters posted during the land reform.

  Our class teacher, with her chin up in the air, told us very proudly: "This is for a good start in the college entrance examination."

  Xiao Yu saw that her ranking had actually moved into the top ten, and she was so emotional on the spot that her voice choked with sobs: "It's really worth it for me to have such a pure black eye circle in history!"

  I was originally looking up from the middle, and as a result, I looked for half a day before seeing the three words "Bai Yao Yao", next to which was third place. But before I could jump up to express my inner excitement, the name above me had turned into a basin of frozen water, instantly drenching me in cold sweat.

  I covered my chest with one hand, and pointed at the list with the other, stuttering out words: "Damn it, I was only seven points behind in total score, just seven points..."

  "Comfort yourself, you've made great contributions. Look at how close the rankings are among us five this time, it's really glorious." Mu Mu comforted me and whispered in my ear, "Actually, you should be happy that Hai Ying wasn't defeated by He Mo Tian."

  Xiao Yu also followed up by saying: "Yes, as long as the great mountain of Haiying is still here, He Mochen will never be able to climb over her and get on our heads."

  "I resentfully muttered: 'That's different, I want that pervert...'"

  "Who is a pervert?" A low, magnetic voice suddenly came from behind him.

  Xiaoyu and Momo simultaneously gasped in unison, I froze stiffly.

  Is this considered as speaking ill of someone behind their back at a critical moment and then getting caught red-handed on the spot?

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