Chapter Five: Do I Know You?

Winter evenings always come in a hurry, but for students, this is something to be glad about, since it means they can go home earlier. Even those who board at school can return to their dorms for a rest. At Chuangxin High School, there are no compulsory evening study sessions, but there is a dedicated study room. Any students who wish to study at night can go there, and the room stays open until ten o’clock. Most day students simply go home to study on their own, and many have private tutors at home.

“Alright, that’s it for this class. Dismissed,” the English teacher said, and the classroom burst into cheers. They were finally free!

“Hey, Yuqing, you’re staying at your uncle’s place, right? Where exactly does your uncle live?” Tan Linlin asked as she packed up her things, glancing over at Wang Yuqing.

“Yeah, I’m living at my uncle’s. He’s at Building 15, Apartment 502, Jinxiu Community! Hehe, I haven’t even told him I’m coming yet—I hope he doesn’t get a fright when I show up today,” Wang Yuqing replied mischievously.

“What? He doesn’t know you’re coming?” Tan Linlin stared at her in shock.

“I was supposed to come next week, but I arrived early… so, yeah…”

Tan Linlin shook her head helplessly at Yuqing’s playful expression.

“Hey, Chubby, are you done packing? Let’s go, or we’ll miss the number 2 bus!” Xu Tong called out.

“Xu Tong, you’re hopeless. From now on, you can go home by yourself. I’m going with Yuqing instead,” Tan Linlin huffed, turning her nose up at him.

Xu Tong let out a wail of despair.

“Um, Linlin, do we go the same way?” Wang Yuqing asked, a little confused.

“Oh, your uncle’s place is just four stops from my community. We can ride together.”

“Ah, okay, great!” Wang Yuqing smiled sweetly.

At this moment, Lin Xudong walked over to Xiao Lin’s desk and tapped it gently.

“Boss Xiao, wake up. Time for dinner.”

Xiao Lin blinked open his drowsy eyes. “School’s over?” The classroom was empty except for the four of them; everyone else had already left.

Lin Xudong rolled his eyes. Such a sleeping god.

Meanwhile, Wang Yuqing caught sight of Xiao Lin’s sleepy, lazy demeanor and unconsciously furrowed her delicate brows.

“Yuqing, are you ready? Let’s go!” Tan Linlin called out boisterously.

“Oh, just a second!” Wang Yuqing replied, then turned and walked over to Xiao Lin’s desk, her little legs moving purposefully.

“Xiao Lin, can I speak with you privately for a moment?” she asked, her cheeks tinged with pink.

“Huh?” This exclamation came not from Xiao Lin, but from Tan Linlin and Lin Xudong.

Xiao Lin looked at the pretty girl before him, her head lowered in shyness, and couldn’t help but wonder curiously what she wanted. Earlier she’d tried to sit next to him, and now she wanted a private word.

“Sorry, I’m busy. Lin Xudong, let’s go eat!” Despite his curiosity, Xiao Lin had no intention of wasting time on such things. In his mind, there was nothing to say to someone he didn’t know. Without a second glance at Wang Yuqing, he got up and headed for the cafeteria.

Wang Yuqing hadn’t expected such a response. Her lovely face was full of shock—no one had ever spoken to her that way before. She froze for a moment, and as she saw Xiao Lin about to leave the classroom, she couldn’t help but call out anxiously, “Xiao Lin, I’m from Donghai City too!”

“So what? There are plenty of people from Donghai City at this school.”

Hearing this, Xiao Lin paused for a moment, but didn’t turn back.

Seeing this, Wang Yuqing quickly added, “I went to Donghai Affiliated Middle School for junior high. We were at the same school.”

At these words, Xiao Lin finally turned around, walked up to her, and studied her closely. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall ever having seen her before.

“Do I know you?”

Wang Yuqing gazed at the boy before her—the one she’d thought about for three years. He still had that handsome face, but in his deep eyes, there was only indifference. Her heart ached with grievance, her nose stinging with the urge to cry. She touched the red string around her neck, opened her mouth as if to say something, but her throat felt blocked and no words came out.

Xiao Lin looked at her pitiful expression, but felt not the slightest bit of sympathy. He curled his lip in disdain.

“You girls are all the same, always pretending to know people. As if I don’t know exactly what you’re thinking! It’s incredibly boring.”

With that, Xiao Lin shoved his hands into his pockets and strode out of the classroom with an air of indifference. Lin Xudong gave Tan Linlin a look, then followed him out.

Tan Linlin walked over to Wang Yuqing, handed her a tissue, and said nothing. She knew there were times when nothing should be asked.

Wang Yuqing silently took the tissue and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, her mouth full of bitterness as she watched Xiao Lin’s retreating figure.

“Have you really forgotten me completely?”

After a long pause, Wang Yuqing murmured, “Let’s go, Linlin.” Linlin glanced at her, eyes still red, and managed to hold back her questions. Suppressing her curiosity, she quietly followed Wang Yuqing out.

In the cafeteria, students crowded around in long lines, resembling a swarm of ants. The cafeteria at Chuangxin High was small, with only one floor, and every meal meant a long wait.

“Hey, have you heard? There’s a stunning new girl in Class One—honestly, she looks like a fairy descended to earth.”

“Yeah, I caught a glimpse after class. That figure, that face—she’s a real heartbreaker.”

A few students in line chatted excitedly about Wang Yuqing.

Lin Xudong, standing in line at another window, overheard them. He turned to look at Xiao Lin behind him, saying nothing but simply staring.

The stare gave Xiao Lin the creeps. “What are you looking at?”

“I just think you were a bit harsh to Wang Yuqing back there,” Lin Xudong said with some disapproval.

“What’s wrong with what I did?” Xiao Lin replied, rubbing his nose. “Let me tell you, some girls are like that—pretend they know you, claim to be from your hometown, ask you to look after them. It’s so annoying.”

“I don’t think so. Wang Yuqing doesn’t seem like that at all. Maybe she really does know you.”

“Whatever, just hurry up and get your food. I don’t know her, end of story.” Xiao Lin gave Lin Xudong a shove, looking thoroughly impatient.

Lin Xudong shrugged and dropped the subject.