BSS - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
The next second, Deng Chuan's voice was heard, "Is that so? Then here are a few more for you."
Wu Fuwu couldn't help but laugh.
Xu Wei had no intention of looking at Jiang Meng's expression. She just tapped lightly on Deng Chuan's desk.
"Student Deng Chuan. How is your recovery coming along?"
Deng Chuan's eyes widened slightly, as if she'd been startled. Xu Wei understood and took a small step back, steadying herself with a hand on Deng Chuan's desk.
"Thank you, Teacher. I'm fine now."
Xu Wei studied her face. "You can borrow notes and things from your classmates. You have a good foundation, so you won't have fallen too far behind."
Deng Chuan looked up at her and said, "I've already borrowed them from Student Jiang Meng."
Only then did Xu Wei glance at Jiang Meng. Jiang Meng was also looking at her, her expression normal. "That's good. If you feel unwell at all, be sure to report it right away."
Deng Chuan smiled faintly, looking exactly like she did in her ID photo. "Okay, I will. Thank you, Teacher."
Xu Wei nodded at Deng Chuan and turned to walk away. There were three classes in the afternoon for the third-year students, and today's last class was math.
Deng Chuan watched her elegant figure, her mind filled with the image of Xu Wei's hand on her desk just now-the slender, pale wrist, the faint blue veins, the small, protruding wrist bone that gave an impression of fragility.
Even though her presence felt so strong.
The thought flashed through her mind and was gone. Deng Chuan paid it no mind. Everyone around her quieted down to prepare for class, and she reopened her notebook, bowing her head slightly to write. Besides catching up on notes and organizing test papers, she also planned to create a new study schedule today. Time might be tight, but what needed to be done today must be done today. She couldn't delay any longer.
For the entire class, Xu Wei couldn't see Deng Chuan's face, only her focused profile. She didn't mind; self-disciplined students were the last ones who needed to be managed by group activities. She didn't care what Deng Chuan did during her class, because she knew the girl would have her own plans.
Deng Chuan's concentration lasted until the end of class. A moment later, seeing her put down her pen and flip through her notebook, Jiang Meng called out to her, "Chuan Chuan, let's go eat."
The classroom was already more than half empty, with test papers and books scattered haphazardly on the neatly arranged desks. Deng Chuan looked at Jiang Meng, unsure if she had waited for her on purpose or had also been busy until now. She agreed with a "Okay."
Neither of them brought any books. The dinner rush in the cafeteria had already passed. Deng Chuan didn't have much of an appetite, so she followed Jiang Meng and got in a line for food.
A boy was carrying a tray. The cafeteria lady hadn't been careful when serving, and the edge of the tray was covered in sticky soup. He tried to cut through the line, causing a stir as people shifted, afraid of getting stained. Jiang Meng, who was standing in front of Deng Chuan, leaned back to avoid the boy's oncoming tray.
Deng Chuan didn't think much of it, placing a hand lightly on Jiang Meng's waist to help her dodge. The boy passed by her side. Just as Deng Chuan lowered her hand, she heard Jiang Meng whisper something.
She didn't hear clearly, so she asked, "What?"
Jiang Meng was petite, about half a head shorter than her. Deng Chuan leaned down, and the warm, moist breath from Jiang Meng's words brushed against her ear.
Jiang Meng said, "You were in the hospital for so long. Did you miss us?"
Deng Chuan was confused. She felt the question was strange, but she couldn't pinpoint why. So she answered casually, "Yeah. Everything was fine at the hospital, just a little boring."
Jiang Meng bit her lip and fell silent. She didn't say another word until after they had gotten their food.
Although Deng Chuan noticed that something was off with Jiang Meng, she didn't pay too much attention to her mood swing. Besides, by the time they were eating, Jiang Meng had snapped out of her funk and started chatting with her as usual, her tone gentle. "Do you want some fish?"
"Mmm-" Deng Chuan shook her head, a chopstick between her teeth. "I don't eat fish."
"Alright then."
Returning the favor, Deng Chuan asked her, "Want some stir-fried pork?"
"Mmm- just a bite is fine."
Deng Chuan picked up a piece with her chopsticks and gave it to her.
"Mm, thanks."
After dinner, the two of them went to the supermarket to buy yogurt. Jiang Meng still had to go back to the dorm to shower. By the time Deng Chuan returned to the classroom by herself, the sky had completely darkened.
The incandescent lights in the classroom were very bright.
Deng Chuan sat down at her desk and took out the notes she hadn't finished organizing. She quickly entered a state of concentration, not even noticing when the student next to her sat down.
By the time she finished organizing her liberal arts notes from the past few weeks and let out a soft sigh as a short break, she realized the classroom was nearly full.
There was still half an hour until evening self-study.
The scent of soap and the feeling of steam from students who had just washed up filled the entire classroom. Deng Chuan frowned uncomfortably. The air, heavy with water vapor, made her chest feel tight, and her face felt a bit greasy.
She stood up and went to wash her face. In the mirror, water dripped from the tips of her eyebrows and the ends of her hair, but her eyes were still clear, showing no signs of laziness, fatigue, or dejection.
Deng Chuan faced the mirror, confirmed her state, and then returned to her seat. On her first day back at school after several weeks, she could tolerate her condition fluctuating within a range she could control.
She composed herself and pulled out a wet wipe to clean her face.
This was the scene Xu Wei walked in on.
Deng Chuan was wiping her face with a wet wipe, her eyes closed. Her thin eyebrows were sharp as blades, and her features held an unexpected, dashing quality. The wipe moved over the bridge of her nose. Her lips were slightly pursed, her lower lip full. Further down was her slender chin.
Her skin was fair, and after being wiped clean like this, it had a strangely purifying effect in Xu Wei's eyes. Her whole face seemed to glow under the incandescent lights.
All of this happened in just two or three seconds, and Xu Wei didn't let the thought linger in her mind. It was just a casual observation. She hugged her books and sat down at the teacher's desk. The bell for evening self-study rang, and the classroom quieted down, leaving only the rustling sounds of writing and pages turning.
Students who needed to recite material would voluntarily go outside, find an empty corner, and murmur their lines. This was permitted at No. 1 High School.
In fact, if you walked straight out of the classroom to the left and then turned right, you would find a long, wide corridor connecting the front and back academic buildings. The lamps were a bit old and not very bright. But at night, if students felt stuffy studying in the classroom, they could bring their own desk lamps and books to study here.
Deng Chuan kept her head slightly bowed. Unlike other students, she didn't unconsciously cross her legs or jiggle her feet. Her posture was so perfect it could have been on the cover of the Primary and Secondary School Student Code of Conduct. It was a bit warm in the classroom, so she had taken off her jacket. Her shoulders were straight, and the faint outline of her shoulder blades protruded from the back of her shirt. At a glance, she looked like a young tree that had just grown in spring.
Yu Xiao, the student at the desk in front, turned around and whispered, "Chuan! Take a look at this problem. I've calculated it several times, but my result is different from the answer."
Deng Chuan took the workbook. The problem was neatly copied onto the paper. It was a problem she hadn't done before.
She opened her scratch paper and heard Yu Xiao ask, "Do you guys want some cherry tomatoes?"
She pushed over a container of washed cherry tomatoes and also tapped on Jiang Meng's desk.
Jiang Meng ate one, but Deng Chuan gently shook her head. She quickly laid out the steps to solve the problem on her scratch paper, finishing it in one go. She frowned, reread the answer, and found the issue. It was a cleverly designed problem.
Deng Chuan handed over the scratch paper with the solution. "At the third step, you need to use substitution. If you substitute the original numbers, the error will affect the result." She asked, "Where is this problem from?"
Yu Xiao studied the scratch paper for a moment. "Oh, so that's how it is." Hearing the question, she didn't hide anything. "Teacher Xu gave me this problem. I went to her yesterday to analyze my test paper, and she gave me some extra practice."
"I see."
"Yep." Yu Xiao turned back around with her cherry tomatoes and scratch paper. "Thanks."
"No problem." Deng Chuan didn't think much of it, but she silently marveled: This teacher is quite skilled. After the first monthly exam, she could go find her for an analysis too.
By the end of the first evening self-study session, Deng Chuan had finished organizing her notes from the beginning of the school year, sorting them by key concepts, difficult topics, and her own weak points. It served as a way to check and structure her learning progress. She had always believed that the point of taking notes wasn't memorization, but the process of taking them.
She noticed the water cup on her desk was empty, so she stood up to get some water from the dispenser.
Seeing this, Jiang Meng, who was in the middle of a problem, also picked up her cup. "Thanks, Chuan Chuan~"
Deng Chuan took it. "Hot or cold?"
Jiang Meng looked at her. "Warm. Half hot, half cold."
Wu Fuwu chuckled and handed over his cup. "Me too."
Deng Chuan nodded, took the three cups, and turned to leave.
There was no one near the water dispenser. Deng Chuan methodically filled the three cups. Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see Su Mian grinning at her. She smiled back.
Su Mian had cut her long hair short for her third year of high school. She had a pair of striking phoenix eyes, but now she had the look of a Japanese-style pretty boy. She was about the same height as Deng Chuan. The two had been classmates from elementary school through high school, and their families were close.
"You just got back this afternoon?"
"Yeah."
"Feeling okay?"
"It's alright."
"Alright then, I'm heading off."
Good friends didn't need to waste time catching up. Su Mian helped Deng Chuan arrange the three water bottles in her arms and then turned to walk back to the classroom next door.
The three full water bottles were a bit heavy. Deng Chuan held one in each hand and cradled the third in her arms, propping it up with her chin.
She used her chin to hold the bottle in place, which forced her head down and partially obstructed her view. Students were coming and going in the hallway and classrooms, but all of Deng Chuan's attention was focused on the water bottles.
Her shoulder was gently touched.
"Be careful." The woman's voice was gentle. Her fingertips rested on Deng Chuan's shoulder, and through the fabric of her clothes, they felt cool, like a snowflake melting in the palm of a hand.
The voice was somewhat familiar.
Deng Chuan turned her head and saw Xu Wei, who was a bit shorter than her. Her fair face was right at Deng Chuan's eye level. She must have showered and changed as well, as a faint, fresh scent emanated from her.
Xu Wei's hand touched and immediately pulled away, a picture of restrained politeness. She lowered her eyelids slightly, her gaze sweeping over Deng Chuan's face as she said softly, "Class is about to start. Go on in."
As if to echo her words, the class bell rang at that very moment. Deng Chuan had never noticed before how loud the school bell was; it made her heart pound.
Deng Chuan came to her senses and smiled, her lips pressed together. "Thank you, Teacher."
Xu Wei gave her an almost imperceptible nod and walked toward a student who was waiting for her in the hallway with a test paper.
What had just happened was merely a small interlude.
Deng Chuan returned to her seat and buried her head in her workbooks and textbooks.
She was so focused that she lost track of time until the bell signaling the end of evening self-study rang. Deng Chuan finished her last calculation, didn't linger, and tidied her desk, ready to head back to the dorm. Seeing her get up, Jiang Meng asked, "I'm so hungry. Are you hungry? Want to go get a late-night snack?"
Deng Chuan hesitated for a moment. "No, thanks. You guys go ahead."
The moonlight tonight was exceptionally bright, and the wind rustled through the ginkgo trees along the school path. The night sky was high above, with no stars in sight. The clamor of students heading back to their dorms after class filled her ears. Deng Chuan suddenly thought that if you classified the sound of the crowd as part of the environment, the campus at this moment must be exceptionally quiet.
She also suddenly felt a little lonely.
After washing up, she lay in bed and closed her eyes to review the day. This was her usual habit; a pre-sleep brainstorm helped her better organize and grasp her actions and academic progress.
Today. The long-missed campus life, the familiar yet strange classmates and teachers. A rare sense of unease. A faint restlessness.
Her roommates climbed into their beds one by one. The fan hummed overhead.
With her eyes closed, Deng Chuan drifted off to sleep before she knew it.
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