Early Spring, the drizzle was as fine as dust, and the faint fragrance scattered.
The hazy drizzle enveloped the entire city of Chucheng in a light mist. The branches and leaves on the treetops trembled gently, and the air carried the leftover chill from the passing winter. As she passed by a breakfast stall on the roadside, the warmth of the steam dissipated the cold.
Sheng Qingxi walked with her head lowered, most of her face buried in a soft scarf. Only her long, dense eyelashes and a small patch of porcelain-white skin were faintly visible.
It was still very early, and only a few scattered students walked the streets, all wearing the uniform of Chucheng No. 1 High School. Among them, Sheng Qingxi stood out, dressed in a plain white sweater, slender and quiet, blending into the crowd without a sound.
Others used their school cards to swipe into the school gates, but Sheng Qingxi held a transfer certificate. The thin paper hung from her pale fingers, fluttering in the cold wind.
A passing boy inadvertently caught a glimpse of her lifted face and suddenly froze—her delicate, fair face was framed by almond-shaped eyes, bright and moist, with a hint of softness in their sparkling depths. Below her delicate nose, her rosy lips stood out as the only vibrant color in the misty, overcast morning. She looked so well-behaved, like the little snow-white kitten that often sneaked in from the back gate of the school, obedient and beautiful.
The boy swallowed reflexively, and when he snapped back to reality, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Looking around, all he could see was the sea of blue and white school uniforms.
He scratched his head in confusion. “It’s too early… Was I not fully awake?”
—
Administrative Building, Disciplinary Office.
The dean of No. 1 High School was a woman in her forties, meticulous about her appearance. From her hair to her shoes, everything exuded a sense of refinement. A fresh bouquet sat in a vase on the desk, and a few plump, exquisite succulents lined the windowsill, giving the entire office an immaculate feel.
She was clearly someone who had a passion for life and paid attention to detail.
Sheng Qingxi withdrew her gaze quietly.
She pinched her fingertips, reminding herself that this habit needed to change.
Zhao Shuyue, the dean, lowered her head to look at Sheng Qingxi’s records.
After a while, she looked up at Sheng Qingxi. Her makeup was flawless, and her expression showed little emotion, but her tone was gentle. “My last name is Zhao. You can call me Teacher Zhao. I’ve gone through your records. Your academic performance, not just at No. 2 High School, would place you at the top no matter which school you go to. I know the principal has already approved your transfer, but I still want to ask, why do you want to come to No. 1 High School?”
Why do you want to come to No. 1 High School?
Sheng Qingxi quietly met Zhao Shuyue’s gaze. Her voice was soft and light, but the words she spoke left the experienced, weathered middle-aged woman momentarily stunned. Sheng Qingxi said—
“The person I like is at No. 1 High School.”
Before Zhao Shuyue could respond, there was a strange sound from the doorway, followed by a low curse, “Damn, you’re crushing me. Move, move, get away from me!”
Zhao Shuyue’s expression changed slightly. “Wait for me for a minute.”
With that, she bypassed Sheng Qingxi and headed straight for the door. Sheng Qingxi turned her head just as the door opened and locked eyes with two curious onlookers, but the door closed immediately after.
—
Outside the office.
Zhao Shuyue rubbed her temples, looking helplessly at the two troublemakers in front of her. She scolded without hesitation, “First day of the new term, and you’re already reporting to my office? What’s the matter this time?”
He Mo and Xie Zhen exchanged a quick glance.
He Mo nudged Xie Zhen with his elbow, urging him to speak up quickly.
Xie Zhen was a chubby boy, weighing close to two hundred pounds. When he was pushed like that, the fat on his body jiggled a bit. He cleared his throat and cautiously asked, “Teacher Zhao, didn’t you tell us at the end of last semester to find you at the start of the new term? Did you… forget?”
With Xie Zhen’s reminder, Zhao Shuyue suddenly remembered. She had been so stunned by the young girl inside that her mind had stopped working for a moment. Furrowing her brow in thought, she said, “Wait here for a bit. I’ll call you in later. If there’s no time, head back to class—can’t be late on the first day of the new term.”
Xie Zhen and He Mo quickly nodded, “You handle your work, Teacher.”
Only after Zhao Shuyue went back inside did the two of them huddle together, whispering.
“Mozi, did you see it just now? There’s a fairy inside!”
“I’m not blind!”
“Did you hear what the fairy said?”
“I’m not deaf!”
“Wow, that’s intense! Who do you think the fairy likes?”
“How would I know?”
While Xie Zhen and He Mo were noisily chatting, Zhao Shuyue returned to her seat. After being interrupted by those two, she had finally gathered herself. Looking at the beautiful young girl in front of her, she asked again, “So you came to No. 1 High for…?”
Sheng Qingxi softly explained, “I don’t plan to date in high school. It’s just that, for some reasons, I want to be closer to him. I’ll take responsibility for my own life and won’t cause any trouble for the school.”
Zhao Shuyue’s gaze sharpened slightly. She had reviewed Sheng Qingxi’s background. Given the kind of environment this girl had grown up in, it was clear that she was much more mature than her peers. It seemed that Sheng Qingxi had thought it through carefully and wasn’t acting on impulse. After all, what ordinary student would tell a teacher they were transferring schools because of someone they liked?
A subtle feeling stirred in Zhao Shuyue’s heart.
However, since the principal had already approved it, she didn’t feel the need to probe further. She simply reminded, “You’re in Class 6 of Year 2, on the third floor, all the way to the right. Your homeroom teacher, Teacher Jiang, also teaches math. Go to his office to collect your uniform and textbooks—the office is right by the stairs.”
Sheng Qingxi thanked her softly, “Thank you.”
Zhao Shuyue nodded, “Go ahead. No need to close the door.”
Sheng Qingxi walked toward the door slowly. Her current body was young and tender, and she had spent some time adjusting her mindset, trying to act as much like her seventeen-year-old self as possible.
For Sheng Qingxi, the seventeen-year-old version of herself felt so distant.
As she opened the door, Sheng Qingxi walked past He Mo and Xie Zhen without even glancing at them, but her mind instinctively began analyzing their backgrounds and social relationships—not just now, but also their futures.
Sheng Qingxi pressed her lips together. For her present self, this wasn’t a good thing. Yet, some things had already become ingrained in her, deep into her bones. It was a professional habit that was hard to break.
Once she had walked some distance away, Sheng Qingxi quietly let out a breath of relief.
She wasn’t the only one relieved. Standing at the office door, He Mo and Xie Zhen finally allowed themselves to breathe normally again. When the “fairy” passed by earlier, they had instinctively held their breath.
He Mo smacked Xie Zhen, who was still staring after the girl’s retreating figure. “Snap out of it, she’s gone! Stop staring!”
Xie Zhen abruptly turned around and declared, “Mozi, this girl is even more impressive than our school’s top beauty. She’s so damn pure. I have to find out what grade and class this transfer student is in.”
He Mo rolled his eyes, “Come on, Sister Zhao is glaring at us.”
“Sister Zhao” was what students privately called Zhao Shuyue. Despite her tough appearance, she was actually quite approachable, and they all liked her.
Xie Zhen and He Mo strutted into the office one after the other, walking with exaggerated confidence.
Zhao Shuyue had long grown accustomed to the way they always walked around casually and didn’t bother reprimanding them. She went straight to the point, “What happened with Lin Ran last semester? Why did his performance suddenly take such a dive?”
The moment Lin Ran was mentioned, the two boys, who were usually full of chatter, instantly fell silent. They glanced at each other, but neither could manage to utter a single word.
A heavy silence spread through the office.
Zhao Shuyue wasn’t in a rush. She just waited them out, seeing who would break the silence first.
In the end, Xie Zhen couldn’t hold it in any longer. He forced an awkward expression onto his chubby face and said, “Teacher Zhao, you know we don’t dare ask about Brother Ran’s issues.”
He Mo gave Zhao Shuyue a pleading look, “You understand us, right, teacher?”
Zhao Shuyue: “…”
Understand what?!
Zhao Shuyue sighed and waved her hand dismissively. “Just head back to class. You’re surprisingly early today.”
Xie Zhen and He Mo quickly made their exit, even politely closing the door for her. They didn’t dare start talking again until they were a good distance from the office.
“Ah Zhen, has Brother Ran really spent the entire winter break hanging around your family’s auto shop?”
“Yeah, every day with that little girl, Yanyan. She’d be upstairs doing her homework while Brother Ran was downstairs working on his precious motorcycle. Every night, he’d go out racing with my brother.”
“Did he even go home for the New Year?”
“Nope, he had dinner at our place and left with Yanyan right after.”
“What’s going on with him? He was fine, and then suddenly, everything changed.”
“I have no idea. He started acting like this just before winter break.”
—
Outside the school gates.
*Screech*—A motorcycle came to a sharp stop, its tires screeching against the ground as they abruptly halted. From the ground up, the loose school pants wrapped around the boy’s long, lean legs, and his sneakers were as spotless as clouds floating softly in the sky.
He casually removed his helmet and shook his head, causing his black hair to scatter messily to one side. His sharp, chiseled features came into view—his eyes were deep and narrow, his pupils dark and emotionless, while his high nose and finely crafted angles looked like they were sculpted by a master artisan. The only thing that gave away his displeasure was his thin lips, pressed tightly together in a slight frown.
Lin Ran stretched out his long arm and gently lifted Lin Yanyan, who was perched on the backseat like a little chick.
Lin Yanyan was already used to her brother’s wild, fast riding. Once she landed on the ground, she obediently shouldered her small backpack and said goodbye to Lin Ran, “Brother, I’m here now. You should hurry to class.”
Lin Ran stared at the little girl for a while before saying, “If anything happens, call me. Got it? After school, wait in the classroom, and I’ll come pick you up.”
The boy’s voice was clear and low, his tone cold. But there was a hint of warmth in the way he looked at Lin Yanyan.
Lin Yanyan nodded, “Got it, brother.”
Lin Ran watched her walk away until she disappeared from sight, then rode off on his bike.
Chucheng No. 1 High School had two sections: the middle school and the high school, separated only by a sports field and a basketball court. Lin Ran was in the high school section, while Lin Yanyan was in the middle school. It took him less than thirty seconds to cross half the campus and recklessly park his motorcycle beside Zhao Shuyue’s car.
The school uniform hung loosely over Lin Ran’s shoulders, with the zipper only halfway up, and a black messenger bag slung across his body.
Hands in his pockets, his expression indifferent, Lin Ran made his way toward the third floor.
At the same time, Sheng Qingxi was walking out of the office, carrying her school uniform and textbooks.
One strode up the stairs.
One slowly turned the corner.