I realized then that Chen Qiao Luo was right—I was luckier than most people.
But Chen Qiao Luo still didn’t return to school. Without him, I felt powerless. His name hadn’t lit up on my phone in a long time. Whenever I passed by his classroom, all I saw was his empty seat.
Time flew, and June arrived. I stopped skipping classes, but I spent most of my time sleeping on my desk. My desk mate, Li Zi, often signaled me when teachers gave me warning looks. I was genuinely grateful to her.
Sometimes, she chatted with me about her favorite new manga or other things she enjoyed.
My life seemed completely different from before, and I began to wonder if Chen Qiao Luo had been nothing more than a dream—a sad, bitter dream.
I met Tong Xiao Tian one day after school. Just as I was leaving the school gate, I saw him pestering Li Zi. Seeing her timid expression, the gratitude I felt for her earlier care surged up, and I quickly approached them.
“What are you doing?” I shouted at Tong Xiao Tian.
Apparently not expecting anyone to intervene, he froze for a moment before sneering at me. “Who are you? Didn’t your mom teach you not to stick your nose into other people’s business?”
Already irritated by everything involving Chen Qiao Luo, his words struck a nerve. I shoved him aside and stood protectively in front of Li Zi, snapping, “Who do you think you are? Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you? How shameless can you be? If you don’t leave, I’ll call for help.”
“Hmph, fine, you win,” he spat, glaring at me before walking away, turning back every few steps as if unwilling to concede.
Once his figure disappeared into the crowd, I turned to Li Zi. “Are you okay?”
“I-I’m fine,” she stammered, still shaken. After a moment, she looked at me gratefully. “Zhu Yun Hao, thank you. If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I would’ve done.”
“It’s nothing. You’ve helped me a lot before, too,” I said, then asked curiously, “That guy doesn’t seem to go to our school. How did he find you?”
At the mention of him, Li Zi’s expression darkened. After a long pause, she bit her lip and said, “His name is Tong Xiao Tian. He’s from Chongming High next door. A few days ago, I went there to visit an old classmate, and somehow he started bothering me.”
“Bothering you?” I frowned in confusion.
Her face flushed, and after a moment of hesitation, she said, “He said he likes me and insists I be his girlfriend.”
Before I could respond, Li Zi looked at me almost pleadingly and said, “Zhu Yun Hao, can you walk home with me from now on? I’m afraid Tong Xiao Tian will come looking for me again.”
And so, because of Tong Xiao Tian, Li Zi and I became after-school companions. Every time he showed up, I would mock and drive him away with sharp words. After several encounters, I began to grow weary of it all.
That Tong Xiao Tian—whether it was persistence or plain madness, he was like a piece of stubborn chewing gum that just wouldn’t go away.
That day, as usual, I was walking with Li Zi. When we reached the school gate, I suddenly remembered I had left my keys in my desk drawer. Scanning the area and not seeing any sign of Tong Xiao Tian, I asked Li Zi to wait for me while I went back to get them. But when I returned to the gate, Tong Xiao Tian had somehow appeared out of nowhere.
As soon as he saw me, he instinctively looked at me with a guarded expression.
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