Chapter 4: Lamentation Unrestrained

  Excessive

  I don't know when this cold war will end. Lan leaned against the window, looking outside, as if sitting next to Xiao Yi every day made her a failed sculpture that wasn't even worth a glance. Zhang Chongyu was okay, occasionally turning around and handing over a large pear from home when Xiao Yi wasn't there. Rubbing the smooth pear, she felt an inexplicable emotion floating in her heart. It seemed that except for the subtle changes in emotions between the three of them, everything else in this world was still developing normally - every day attending dull math classes, watching the class leader scold people with a stern face, frowning and finishing the newly distributed English test papers, or during physical education classes when boys played ball on the playground, girls gathered under the trees to watch the boys play ball. Simple yet fascinating life.

  Xiao Yi looked particularly lovely laughing among a group of girls. It was unclear what the girl next to her had whispered in her ear, but Xiao Yi blushed and smiled, also glancing unintentionally at Zhang Chongyu who was helping their physical education teacher record the results of the physical fitness test. Lan didn't like the very loud girl standing next to Xiao Yi. Originally, she thought Xiao Yi didn't like her either, but now they seemed just like conjoined twin sisters sticking together all day long.

  When Lan Caihe first arrived, one day at noon she was washing up in the bathroom when the water suddenly stopped. Later, it seemed like someone had come in from outside the door, and upon hearing a man's voice, she panicked. It seemed to be a school worker who had been sent to fix the pipes. Lan Caihe didn't have time to wipe off all the soap on her body before putting on her clothes. As soon as she walked out of the bathroom door, she saw that annoying girl staring at her with an expression of utter disbelief, covering her mouth. Then she opened her unusually large mouth and shouted down the hallway: "My god, she was actually taking a bath in front of an old man!" How could a young girl in puberty endure such humiliation? Her face turned bright red as she went up to reason with her.

  "Which eye of yours saw me bathing in front of him?! Don't spout nonsense!"

  "Who did it knows!"

  Blue was so angry that she grabbed the dirty clothes and slapped them in her face. The consequences were predictable. The girl shrieked and rushed over to pinch Blue's neck fiercely. At this time, Xiao Yi appeared, she pulled away the girl, glared at her fiercely, and said she hated noisy girls the most. The girl saw someone intervene and knew she was in the wrong, so she left.

  Xiao Yi once said that she hated noisy girls the most, and now that noisy girl is standing next to Xiao Yi, drinking the same drink as Xiao Yi, and chatting with Xiao Yi.

  After this series of events, Lan Zhan began to suspect that he might have done something wrong, but couldn't figure out what it was. Lan Zhan clenched the school bag in his hand, which contained Christmas gifts for Xiao Yi and Zhang Chongyu. Tomorrow was Christmas, yet he still hadn't given them out.

  In a few days, there will be a New Year's Eve party for the whole school, and each class needs to perform a program. Xiao Yi is the art committee member, and one time at a class meeting, she said that she would choose some cute girls to dance. When they heard this news, several outgoing and cute girls in the class were particularly excited, and as soon as the class was over, they pulled Xiao Yi's hand to ask about the party situation. Xiao Yi smiled and answered their questions one by one, and also encouraged them to participate actively. Those girls first screamed and declined, saying that they couldn't dance well, but later nodded in agreement under the persuasion of several boys beside them.

  Blue? C lowered her head and looked at herself. The oversized school uniform was wrapped around her slightly chubby body, puffed up like a balloon, with short hair stuck to her forehead, looking comical and disheveled. She smiled wryly, for the first time feeling ridiculed by herself.

  After school was the peak of human traffic, Lan Zhan stood at the staircase entrance with a bit of tension. Some things still had to be faced. Really couldn't take Xiao Yi's every day treating herself like a sculpture. Took the initiative to say okay to Lan Zhan, no matter what you care about this friend, right? Just after giving himself a boost, Xiao Yi walked down with the crowd. It was unexpected that Zhang Chongyu wasn't following behind her today. Xiao Yi walked by expressionlessly, even the fragrance of her long hair could be smelled. Lan Zhan felt a bit awkward walking up to grab the small pendant on her backpack, which was the Winnie the Pooh given to her last birthday. As expected, Xiao Yi's face turned around with anger, but after seeing it was Lan Zhan, the anger turned into calmness. She opened her mouth but didn't speak. Lan Zhan quickly opened the zipper of his backpack and took out the Christmas gift he had prepared for a long time to give to her: "Xiao Yi, Merry Christmas!"

  Xiao Yi looked at her with a strange expression and glanced at the Christmas tree in her hand, but didn't reach out to take it. "No need, you can keep it yourself."

  "But..."

  "Blue?" Blue turned around and glared at Du Hongyi who was running over, today he had changed into a new set of clothes and his hair was dyed back to black, making him look exceptionally handsome.

  "What are you two sisters doing again, being mushy and affectionate as always?" Du Hongyi said to himself, but when he saw the small Christmas tree in Lan's hand, he grinned and snatched it away, "Give it to me! Thanks!"

  "Give it back! This is what I prepared for Xiao Yi." Du Hong handed the Christmas tree to Xiao Yi with a smirk, "This is the heartfelt gift from Lan Cai Xiao Tong Xue!"

  Xiao Yi hesitated for a moment before taking over the Christmas tree, "Then I'll accept it, thank you Blue."

  "What about me?" Du Hong's deep eyes narrowed menacingly, and Lan couldn't help but shiver. He reached into his backpack and pulled out something he had originally prepared for Zhang Chongyu, "Here, don't say I'm not impartial."

  Du Hongyi's originally tense face immediately became like an iceberg meeting hot water, and soon warmed up. His expression was a bit embarrassed and somewhat pretending to be reckless, "Looks so ugly, really childish."

  "Don't return it to me, what's with all the nonsense!"

  "Hey," Du Hong sidled over to shield the small Christmas tree, a sly grin spreading across his face: "I may be disgusted, but I didn't say no."

  Lan Yu glared at him with a bad temper, then realized Xiao Yi standing beside him and hurriedly smiled at Xiao Yi, "Do you like it?"

  "Uh-huh, I like it. Blue? C, you and Du Hong have fun, I'm leaving first."

  "Hey, where's Zhang Chongyu? Why didn't he come with you? It's not safe for you to be alone." Lan Yu looked around the empty corridor and said thoughtfully.

  "He......" Xiao Yi's face showed a bit of embarrassment.

  "Then let's send her home together." Du Hong comfortingly patted Lan'er's shoulder.

  "Alright alright, let's go home together." Lan Yu walked over with expectation and held onto Xiao Yi's hand.

  "Is this okay?" Xiao Yi bit her lip and looked at Du Hongyi with some hesitation.

  "No big deal! Lan's friends are my friends." Du Hong replied with a smile, then looked down at the silly-looking Lan and said, "Come on, idiot, what are you spacing out for?"

  After that, Lan C and Xiao Yi inexplicably made up, with Xiao Yi acting as if nothing had happened, pulling Lan C's hand and walking around the campus with a swagger.

  Of course, Zhang Chongyu was still following them. He seemed to be a bit surprised that the two had suddenly become as close as sisters, especially on the morning of their reconciliation. When Zhang Chongyu walked into the classroom as usual without saying a word, he saw Lan and Xiao Yi eating from the same bowl of noodles. His mouth opened wider than the bowl in an instant, but the joy on his face was palpable. He sat down at his seat, staring, unable to utter a word for half a day. Later, it was Xiao Yi who spoke up, saying, "Do you have to be so surprised? We were originally as close as sisters!"

  Zhang Chongyu scratched his head and revealed a long-lost smile. Lan Zhan still carefully discovered that he had a moment of relief and let out a gentle sigh. It seemed like everything had returned to the past. Looking at the two people who were fooling around, Lan Zhan felt a warm current surging in his heart, wishing it could stay this way forever.