Chapter 39

Zhou An: “？？？？？？”

So that’s how it was with good friends—they were just there to screw you over! Meng Bai didn’t even spare her a glance!

Keep making excuses, go on.

Zhou An rolled her eyes but said nothing.

What else could she do? She’d just have to take the blame.

Afterward, Meng Bai managed to muddle through, and Zhou Yizheng probably didn’t want to know the gory details anyway.

That math class dragged on forever, leaving Zhou An in absolute torment.

School finally let out, and as Zhou An packed her bag, she pointedly ignored Meng Bai. Meng Bai, in turn, launched into a frenzy of apologies.

“Zhou An, An’an! I was wrong, I was wrong! I’m so sorry!”

“Pfft!” Zhou An made a spitting motion from afar—no actual spit, but the dissatisfaction was palpable. She swiftly finished stuffing her bag and shot Meng Bai a look. “You think a simple ‘I was wrong’ fixes everything?”

Meng Bai’s bizarre behavior that day was utterly baffling.

“So what should I do then…”

“Tell me what happened just now! Why were you acting so weird, muttering like you were possessed or something!”

“Just now—” Meng Bai hesitated for a moment, but she couldn’t lie to Zhou An. She had to come clean. “Truth be told, Miao Bai showed up. But even if I told you, you wouldn’t believe me.”

Zhou An arched a brow. “Yeah, no, I don’t.”

Meng Bai shrugged. “See? I knew you wouldn’t. What’s the point of explaining?”

“You say she was here, but I didn’t see a thing.”

“Duh! That’s because Miao Bai can turn invisible!”

The words hung in the air, making the whole thing sound even more absurd.

Zhou An paused, clearly thrown by the odd claim.

But coming from Meng Bai, it didn’t seem quite so outlandish.

Zhou An: “…”

Meng Bai: “What? You still don’t believe me!”

It was one thing if others didn’t buy it, but Zhou An? No way.

Zhou An: “I believe you. But don’t go blabbing about this to anyone else—you’ll sound like a total lunatic!”

Xu Zhou overheard and sidled over. “Lunatic? Who’s the lunatic?”

Zhou An pinched her arm. “None of your business! Come on, let’s go!”

School was out, and everyone was buzzing with excitement.

Senior Year 3 was a grind—one day off a week was all they got.

The three of them walked side by side, Zhou An in the middle with one on each flank.

Meng Bai was a little lost in thought, wondering where Miao Bai had gone.

After that brief appearance, she’d gone completely quiet. Maybe she really had left.

Sigh.

Invisibility was the worst! You could touch her but not see her—who wanted to play hide-and-seek like that?

Zhou An, meanwhile, was all about food. “So, what’s the plan for tomorrow? Should we do something fun, like grab a bite…”

Meng Bai didn’t register a word.

“Meng Bai! Zone out one more time, and I’m ditching you! I’m serious—if you hang around that lunatic much longer, you’ll turn into one yourself!”

Zhou An unloaded without holding back, then added, “Haven’t you noticed? You’ve been spacing out way more lately!”

Meng Bai fell silent under the scolding.

She couldn’t argue—Zhou An was spot on. Lately, Miao Bai was always on her mind. Sometimes Zhou An had to repeat herself twice before Meng Bai even heard.

“I was just thinking. It won’t happen again.”

Zhou An frowned. “Thinking about that lunatic again. You’re beyond hope!”

With that, Meng Bai came to a sudden stop, gazing at Zhou An in confusion.

“I don’t get it either. Why can’t I stop thinking about her? She just pops into my head out of nowhere. It’s involuntary, like I have no control.”

Zhou An had no real explanation to offer. “Maybe she’s just… special. You’ve never met anyone like her—flying around, pulling stunts like that. Who wouldn’t be thrown?”

It was a vague answer.

But what kind of answer could you expect from Zhou An, who had zero experience with this sort of thing?

No solution in sight.

Before they knew it, they’d reached the first floor. A group of boys from the class across the hall came toward them, laughing and chattering noisily. A few wore strange smirks, clearly deep in some juicy discussion.

Zhou An, the ultimate gossip hound, couldn’t resist. She darted over to the boys. “What’s so ridiculous? Spill!”

One of them backed up a step at the sight of her and waved her off. “Some things girls shouldn’t hear!”

“Pfft, as if secrets care about gender! Come on, tell me!”

The boy hemmed and hawed, but just as Zhou An was getting impatient, two more chimed in with grins. “Zhang Ming, how’d it feel getting stared down in the bathroom today? Word is, the guy didn’t even blink! Dude, your package must be impressive!”

They glanced meaningfully at Zhang Ming’s crotch.

The innuendo was crystal clear.

Crude jokes like that were their specialty at this age—total obsession with anything sex-related.

Zhou An was a bit lost but pieced it together.

“Zhang Ming, someone checked you out? Who?”

Zhang Ming looked like he’d rather not say. “Nobody.”

“Guy or girl?”

“Guy!” one of his friends answered with a laugh. “The Fat Guy who delivered our lunchboxes at noon! Zhang Ming hit the bathroom after eating, and that Fat Guy stared right at his junk like he was trying to burn a hole through it!”

Zhou An: “He was staring at you? That’s wild.”

Meng Bai’s brow furrowed, a wave of unease washing over her. “How exactly was he looking? Like, with that sleazy vibe?”

The conversation had gone there, so Zhang Ming had no choice but to open up.

“It wasn’t a big deal. He didn’t touch me or anything. I was just peeing, and he kept staring. His eyes had this creepy, lecherous glint, you know?”

“Huh?” Zhou An was baffled. “But you’re a guy.”

Meng Bai: “Perverts don’t care about gender. Just watch yourself—don’t get caught alone with him.”

Zhang Ming nodded, though he still seemed unfazed.

A towering 1.8-meter guy like him? Afraid of the Fat Guy?

They reached the school gates, where two buses idled, waiting.

Everyone lined up and boarded one by one. The driver revved the engine with a rumble, and they set off at a leisurely pace.

First tutoring session.

Nothing eventful.

~~~

The ride home stretched into evening. The autumn sun kissed the horizon, its fiery glow swiftly swallowed by the earth.

Outside the window, the sky darkened bit by bit.

Meng Bai leaned back, lost in thought, her mind refusing to unwind.

One moment she dwelled on this, the next on that, but it all circled back to Miao Bai…

That story Grandma Zhou An had mentioned.

In stark contrast to Meng Bai’s unease, the atmosphere inside the bus was cheerful.

The girls clustered together, chattering animatedly, fragments of their conversation drifting into her ears—some dissecting exam questions, others gossiping about celebrities, a few humming tunes under their breath.

Meng Bai closed her eyes and let out a long sigh, tilting her head to rest on Zhou An’s shoulder.

“Zhou An?”

“What’s up, Meng the Little Lunatic?”

“Do you think we’ll get into the same university?”

Zhou An flashed a grin. “Of course we will. Even if it’s not the exact same school, we’ll pick the same city. We already promised, remember?”

Meng Bai nodded, then murmured, “What will we be like when we’re grown up? Will we be happier than we are now?”

It was less a question for Zhou An’s answer and more a dazed soliloquy.

Meng Bai had no idea what life beyond the Small Town would hold.

She had lived here far too long; every sight and sound was etched deep into her bones.

Before meeting Miao Bai, she had yearned to break free from the town’s stifling grip.

Yet now, a part of her was reluctant to go.

Strange—she had only known Miao Bai a short while, so there was no reason for it.

“Once I’m grown up, I’ll leave this place for good,” Zhou An declared.

Meng Bai looked up. Zhou An’s bright eyes gleamed with resolve.

Meng Bai figured Zhou An must hate the Small Town.

But she didn’t.

She couldn’t bear parting from Meng Xingzhong, or Lin Li… or Miao Bai.

People were such odd creatures, always bracing for sorrows yet to come.

Stranger still, these days just thinking of Miao Bai filled Meng Bai with sorrow.

She suspected it stemmed from the story Zhou An had shared that afternoon.

Miss Miao’s tale was heartbreaking.

“After graduation, we’ll bust our asses at work,” Zhou An said. “Once we’re loaded, we’ll buy a huge house! A massive car!”

Meng Bai’s lashes curved in a smile. “Deal—the biggest ones.”

Zhou An snapped back to the moment. “Oh, and no getting married! We’ll be old nuns, earning and spending our own cash!”

Meng Bai nodded, smiling. “You got it.”

Xu Zhou stayed silent, listening quietly.

She thought their bond was enviable.

The bus jolted along the road until Meng Bai finally dozed off.

When she awoke, it had pulled over to the roadside.

Nearly seven in the evening—still early.

They disembarked one by one, waving farewells and grouping up to ensure no one walked alone.

Zhou An asked if she wanted to grab a bite; Meng Bai shook her head.

“I’m not hungry. Just feeling off.”

Zhou An rubbed her stomach. “But I’m famished!”

“Tell you what—you two go ahead tonight. I’ll treat next time. I’m really carsick, on the verge of hurling. I just want to head home.”

It was only a couple hundred meters. If Meng Bai wanted to go straight home, Zhou An wouldn’t stand in her way.

“Fair enough. Xu Zhou, you hungry?”

Xu Zhou nodded furiously. “Starving!”

Zhou An grinned. “Sweet—fried potatoes on me!”

“Yes! Fried potatoes!”

Cheap and tasty, fried potatoes were Zhou An’s absolute favorite.

Xu Zhou was the perfect sidekick, always backing Zhou An without question. Potatoes might be meh to her, but if Zhou An loved them, they tasted like heaven.

“Alright, Meng Bai, get home and rest if you’re under the weather. Catch you tomorrow!”

“Tomorrow.”

The three said their goodbyes.

Bracing against the chill of the autumn night wind, Meng Bai stood watching them go.

The pair meshed perfectly.

Zhou An was handsy as ever, fidgeting and poking Xu Zhou the whole way instead of walking straight.

They bantered and shoved playfully until they faded from view…

The area emptied out, the wind turning desolate.

Meng Bai turned toward home, her steps quick at first, then quicker still—a hundred meters out, she broke into a sprint.

Carsick? Unwell? All excuses.

Wind rushed past her ears.

She dashed along the field paths, ankle throbbing faintly from last night’s snakebite.

She paid it no mind.

Only one thought drove her: find Miao Bai.

She had two questions. Why had she vanished that afternoon? And was Miao Bai truly Miss Miao?

By then, Meng Bai had drawn a deep breath.

If Miao Bai was Miss Miao… did that mean she had died years ago?