Lately, just the sight of Tong Xiao Tian irritated me. As I wondered if there was a way to deal with him once and for all, I noticed the disciplinary teacher walking out with some papers.
My mind raced, and I seized the opportunity. I called out loudly to Tong Xiao Tian, “Tong Xiao Tian, why are you, a student from Chongming High, always hanging around our school? I know you like Li Zi, but she doesn’t like you! You’re pestering her so much she can’t even focus on her studies anymore.”
I didn’t shout, but my voice was loud enough for the disciplinary teacher to hear. From the corner of my eye, I saw him pause and look in our direction.
Li Zi, not understanding why I was saying such things, timidly tugged at my arm.
Tong Xiao Tian, on the other hand, didn’t seem to think much of it. He immediately shouted back, “Zhu Yun Hao, you’re so annoying! What does it matter to you if I like Li Zi? Can’t you stop getting in the way?”
Perfect. Tong Xiao Tian, you absolute fool.
I smirked internally as I watched the disciplinary teacher stride over, his face dark with anger.
“Which school are you from?” the teacher barked at Tong Xiao Tian. “Instead of going home after class, you’re loitering at our school to chase girls? Do you want me to call your principal and have them take you back?”
Clearly, Tong Xiao Tian hadn’t anticipated the disciplinary teacher’s presence. He stood there stunned for a moment before glaring at me and shouting, “Zhu Yun Hao, you set me up!” Then, without another word, he bolted.
The disciplinary teacher gave chase, leaving me laughing uncontrollably at the sight of Tong Xiao Tian fleeing in panic. I doubted we’d see him near our school again anytime soon.
Just as I was feeling smug about my little trick, I suddenly sensed someone’s gaze on me. Turning around, I saw Gu Yu standing not far away.
The setting sun bathed him in a soft, golden glow, making him look as if he were surrounded by a halo of light.
He was beautiful.
That thought flitted through my mind briefly, but the awkwardness from his previous rejection quickly took over. Feigning composure, I turned away and said to Li Zi, “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” she replied.
It wasn’t until we were far from the school that I dared to glance back, but Gu Yu was nowhere in sight.
I never realized how small School No. 12 was until after that encounter. Ever since seeing Gu Yu at the gate, it seemed like I couldn’t step out of the classroom without running into him—on the way to the restroom, at the snack shop, or even in the cafeteria during lunch.
We didn’t exchange a single word, as if his quiet “Sorry” from before had severed all possibilities between us. Occasionally, I still felt a pang of sadness, but it was fleeting.
The last time had hurt too much, and it had taken me a long time to move on.
I’ve always been someone who values my pride. Since Gu Yu wasn’t interested, I wouldn’t pursue him further.
I wasn’t like Tong Xiao Tian—I couldn’t shamelessly persist. No matter how much I liked someone, once they rejected me, I wouldn’t look back.
To me, nothing was more important than my dignity.
Still, there were moments when I caught sight of his retreating figure, and a faint sense of loss would rise in my heart. But that feeling was never strong enough to make me abandon the last shreds of my self-respect.
As for Chen Qiao Luo, it was as if he had completely vanished from my life. No one mentioned him, and I only thought of him occasionally.
By late June, when I wrote the answer to the final question on my exam, my second year of high school officially ended. By then, A City had already issued a heatwave warning. After staying home for a week, I resigned myself to returning to school for pre-senior year summer classes.
Everything seemed calm, as if life were moving forward without incident.
But none of us knew when the storm would suddenly descend.
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