Could it be because she was shy, so she wanted to find a secluded place to talk with him?
Then… does she like him?
She was so nice to him in middle school, maybe… perhaps…
His heart began to swell with hope, until they reached the door of the Grade 1 group office.
“? What are you doing?” Was she going to tell the teacher?
Yu Tonglin’s pupils dilated, nervously trying to pull back his wrist as the romantic feelings that had just surged up vanished in an instant, leaving him feeling cold.
But Hua Jie held on firmly, without hesitation, and pushed open the office door.
“…” Yu Tonglin turned pale, staring at Hua Jie in disbelief.
Even if she didn’t like him, there was no need to tell the teacher, right? That seemed harsh…
He tried to pull his arm back, but Hua Jie turned around with a reassuring smile.
She could still smile? Yu Tonglin’s face was turning green.
The class teacher, Liang Ping, happened to look up and asked, “What’s going on?”
“…” Yu Tonglin’s face was ashen, resigned to his fate.
Taking advantage of the moment, Hua Jie dragged him in front of the teacher, smiling and saying:
“Teacher Liang, Yu Tonglin is grateful for your hard work these past two months, so he bought you flowers. He was too shy to give them himself, so I dragged him over.”
After saying this, she finally let go of his hand.
Liang Ping incredulously accepted the flowers, looked up at Yu Tonglin, and couldn’t help but laugh.
She really hadn’t expected that today’s kids were so thoughtful.
She had just criticized him in the office with other teachers, saying he was quite smart but always distracted during class.
She really didn’t see this coming…
“…” Yu Tonglin glanced at Hua Jie, his face turning beet red.
“From now on, you don’t need to do things like this, it’s a waste of money. Just focus on your studies, that’s what’s important. You have a good foundation and quick reactions, just don’t skip class, that’s better than anything,” Liang Ping said in a tone that seemed scolding but couldn’t hide her smile.
“Alright, it’s almost time for class, everyone go back,” said Liang Ping, patting Yu Tonglin’s arm affectionately.
“Goodbye, teacher.”
“Goodbye, teacher.”
The two said their goodbyes one after the other and left the office.
“Wow, Teacher Liang is quite popular,” joked the chemistry teacher from the next desk, his tone full of envy.
“Oh, our class students are usually quite mischievous, but it was really surprising that they even brought flowers, haha, such mischief,” Liang Ping said while looking around for a vase to put the flowers in.
“That boy’s last name is Yu, right? I remember his studies are quite good, above average?” asked the chemistry teacher.
“Yes, his name is Yu Tonglin. He’s just not focused. If he applied himself, he could be in the top five,” Liang Ping replied.
“The girl, I know her, Hua Jie, the one who painted the school wall, and she’s also a high school exercise leader,” the chemistry teacher sighed.
“It’s just a shame, her studies are not up to par. She scored only in the teens in the entrance exam for chemistry. My goodness, I’ve never encountered such extreme subject bias in my teaching career.”
“Sigh… It’s not just subject bias. She’s failing several subjects, leaving most of the math questions blank. I don’t even know how she managed to get admitted. She played too hard this last summer of junior high and forgot everything clean,” Liang Ping said, shaking her head.
“Oh, what good is being able to draw if she can’t do well in her academic subjects? She won’t be able to get into any decent university,” the chemistry teacher scoffed.
“But since the start of the school year, her homework has been improving. She’s had perfect scores in the last few weeks. Hopefully, she can keep it up,” Liang Ping said, pursing her lips. Though she said this, there was a trace of uncertainty in her heart.
I hope all that homework was done by Hua Jie herself. If she’s just riding on the coattails of her desk-mate Shen Mo, then…
“Homework is just about the attitude, whether it genuinely reflects effort or just appears to. I just hope she can pass chemistry this time,” the chemistry teacher said, picking up her teaching materials and books, and leaving the office first.
“…” Liang Ping sighed, but then her gaze fell on the flowers on the desk, and her smile returned.
What should I use to put the flowers in?
As she pondered, she saw the dean of students coming in with a big tea jar.
Ah, this tea jar is so big, so deep, so perfect…
…
…
After leaving the office, Hua Jie glanced at Yu Tonglin’s flushed face and said earnestly:
“Giving me the flowers was a waste. I helped you give them to the teacher; she will take good care of you now. You should focus on your studies.”
“…” Yu Tonglin turned to look at her, his teeth grinding as he understood her stance: “…Thank you!”
Hua Jie couldn’t help but laugh as she watched his crestfallen expression.
The twenty-something-year-old soul living inside her just couldn’t take Yu Tonglin’s confession seriously.
Especially thinking back to how entitled he acted in middle school, and how he was influenced by Bian Ying to hurt her in her previous life, it all seemed so despicable.
He deserved to be put in his place, to realize that Hua Jie isn’t someone he can like just because he wants to. Humph!
And he brought a bunch of flowers?
What now?
Had his conscience suddenly kicked in?
Did he start to see her worth and find her attractive?
What about back in middle school?
Boys are all blockheads, pah!
“You still haven’t answered me.” As they reached the classroom door, Yu Tonglin stubbornly bumped her arm.
“If you rank first in the midterm exams across the whole grade, I’ll be your girlfriend,” Hua Jie turned her head, a serious expression on her face.
“…” Yu Tonglin stared in disbelief.
She might as well have just outright rejected him!
“What are you guys talking about?” Suddenly, a chilly male bass voice came from behind them.
Accompanied by an unfriendly tone, a large hand landed on Hua Jie’s head, pushing her to the side, moving her a dozen centimeters away from Yu Tonglin.
Then, Shen Mo, with his long legs, stepped between them.
He glared at Yu Tonglin and pushed Hua Jie back to her seat.
Once seated, Shen Mo glared at her:
“Who is that guy?”
“Yu Tonglin,” Hua Jie said.
“Did you forget he wrote you that nasty note?” Shen Mo scoffed.
Hua Jie didn’t want to talk about Yu Tonglin with him; she grinned cheekily at Shen Mo:
“Look at me, I am Hua Jie.”
“I know you’re Hua Jie,” he frowned.
“Look at my big eyes, I am Hua Jie,” she said, emphasizing by widening her eyes.
“…” Shen Mo’s eyes gradually narrowed.
“Look at my nose, how straight it is, look at the bridge, isn’t this curve beautiful?” She turned her face slightly, then said seriously:
“This is Hua Jie’s nose.”
“…” It’s all the same, doesn’t everyone have a nose bridge?
“Look at my mouth, my lower lip is thicker than my upper lip, and it’s a bit round when I’m not smiling.” After saying that, she smiled again, then pointed to the corner of her lips:
“There’s a dimple here, do you remember now? This is Hua Jie’s mouth.”
“…” He glared at her.
“Look at my face,” she said, cradling her face with both hands, “an egg-shaped face, a bit chubby now, but the baby fat will disappear in a couple of years. This is Hua Jie’s face.”
“Are you mocking me for being face-blind?” he asked, looking down at her askance.
“How could I? I’m just helping to reinforce your memory,” she said earnestly.
“Bring this up again, and I’ll hit you so hard the public will call the police.”
“Haha, what the heck is ‘the public will call the police’? Hahaha…” Hua Jie laughed merrily at his analogy.
Her eyebrows and eyes curved up as she laughed, not at all comfortably, revealing two rows of small teeth.
She always seemed so happy, even though she had developed dark circles from studying and painting, and even though she had exams the next day, she still found it easy to laugh heartily.
This is Hua Jie.
Hua Jie laughing heartily.
…
The first lesson in the afternoon was chemistry.
The second lesson, physical education, was commandeered by the class teacher, Liang Ping, for a math review session.
During the class, Liang Ping called on Yu Tonglin three times; he didn’t dare to sleep or read other books.
It was the most focused class of his academic career, but damn, he was under too much scrutiny…
…
…
On Tuesday night, Hua Jie didn’t schedule any studying.
She was going to paint all night. Having crammed enough for the earlier part of the day, today she needed a change of pace for her brain.
The watercolor reproduction was complete, and she had already painted 50 marbles.
In the next few days, she planned to finish painting the remaining 150 marbles.
When she seriously studied and practiced her painting techniques, she didn’t even allow herself to get distracted by her English studies; she focused entirely on mastering the watercolor techniques, carefully tracing each stroke.
Through painting up to this day, she had fully understood the thoughtful intentions behind Shen Jiaru’s teaching methods.
Completing that still life reproduction and then using different techniques to paint 200 differently colored marbles, she had not only repeatedly honed her skills but also gained a lot of experience through continuous experimentation.
Her familiarity with the techniques gradually became second nature, and her coordination between hand and brush improved.
She had also gained a significant understanding of the most crucial aspect of watercolor painting: controlling the water.
Now, when painting marbles, she almost never encountered issues with too much or too little water, or with the paper being too wet or too dry.
Moreover, because she used to paint with gouache, accustomed to thick layers, starting with darker colors, and only then adding lighter colors for highlights. Sometimes, she even painted from dark to light.
Watercolor paint, however, is transparent and must be applied from light to dark, a sequence that is contrary to her usual practice.
During these days of painting, whenever her attention wavered, she would revert to her gouache techniques, resulting in muddy watercolor work.
But the process of copying the still life and painting the marbles, where a single mistake meant starting over, was grueling.
A page of marbles, even if she was on the last one, required a complete redo if any errors were made.
This painful and rigorous process made her like a little mouse that gets shocked every time it makes a mistake, etching the unique methods of watercolor deeply into her brain.
Now, even if she became momentarily distracted, she would never find herself completely off track in her painting technique.
Watching two colors merge in the water on the marble, transforming the once monotonous colors into something rich and full of variation, she smiled.
Another one completed.
When she put down her brush to rest, she picked up the previously completed still life watercolor and the 60 marbles.
The watercolor paintings were so beautiful, so clean. Each marble was clear and moist; she loved them.
She truly adored watercolor paintings, as poetic as they were!
Glancing down, she inadvertently saw a pile of discarded drawings on the floor—
She couldn’t believe she had wasted so many, having gone through so much practice.
She squatted down and patted the stack, her smile growing larger on her face.
These discarded drawings represented her gradual progress.
The thicker the pile of discarded drawings, the greater her improvement!
Painting is a lonely journey; no one knows how many moments of breakdown and helplessness she silently endured in her room.
But as long as she kept painting, over and over, she could see changes in the darkness of repetition, gradually enduring until the storm passed and the skies cleared.
By 10 p.m., Hua Jie put away her brushes and paints, and began to organize her backpack, pencils, and eraser to ensure she was ready for the exam the next day.
Then she washed up and prepared to go to bed.
Her father came into the room to drink water, preparing to go back out to continue painting. Seeing his daughter coming out from brushing her teeth and washing her face, he raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clock, “Going to bed so early today?”
“To conserve energy for the exam tomorrow,” Hua Jie replied, pulling off her hair tie and letting her short hair fall around her ears.
“Ah, right, the midterms are tomorrow. No pressure, just do your best.”
“I will make it into the top ten of my class!” Hua Jie declared, standing at the bathroom door with a look of determination.
“Is that so? Good luck,” her father said, leaving the house again. Although he said “good luck,” he didn’t really believe she could make the top ten.
Her best ranking in middle school had been around fifteenth in her class.
But it’s good to have some spirit; those who aim high at least achieve something in the middle.
Back in the yard, he immersed himself in his carpentry work, nearly finishing a set of furniture.
…
In the house, Hua Jie took a deep breath, pursed her lips, and then turned back to her room to turn off the light and go to bed.
She gradually drifted off to sleep.
In her dream, she entered the exam room and completed a stack of papers as thick as her pile of discarded drawings.
It overwhelmed her.
When she woke up the next day, she was still dazed.
It wasn’t until breakfast that she snapped back to reality.
Damn, an exam in her sleep, and upon waking up, she had to face another real one.
So exhausting!!!