After finishing the hotpot, Xu Dan was probably drunk from those few cans of beer. She clung to a streetlamp outside the hotpot restaurant and kept saying, “Class Monitor! Come on, hang out with us! It’s my birthday today, I’m so happy, let’s go, let’s go play!”
Chi Nuan: “……”
Du Min burst out laughing. “Xu… Xu Dan, are you dumb? That’s clearly Zhao Jingjing, hahaha! The Class Monitor… she’s right here!”
Du Min’s eyes were glazed over as she spun in place, then pounced onto Xue Wen.
Xue Wen: “……”
Zhao Jingjing rolled her eyes dramatically. “Two drunks.”
Xue Wen had actually planned to take them out to play, but seeing Xu Dan and Du Min this wasted, she gave up. “I’ll send you all back to school.”
Her car was parked nearby. After making a call, the driver pulled up in just a few minutes. The roads were clear, and in about twenty minutes, they arrived at the gates of No. 1 Middle School.
Xu Dan pressed her face against the car window, chattering nonstop at Xue Wen inside the car. “Xue… Xue Wen, let’s hang out again next time… Ah… Urp…”
Zhao Jingjing immediately panicked and hauled Xu Dan away.
Chi Nuan supported Du Min, and the two of them stood swaying unsteadily. She waved goodbye to Xue Wen with difficulty. “Thank you.”
Xue Wen reminded them, “Get some early rest, all of you.”
……
They somehow managed to drag Xu Dan and Du Min back to the dorm. Du Min collapsed onto her bed and fell asleep immediately. Xu Dan’s legs were too weak to climb to the upper bunk, so Chi Nuan let her sleep in her own bed.
Zhao Jingjing sat gasping for breath. Chi Nuan had still felt a bit groggy earlier, but now she was wide awake from all the hassle.
She fetched some warm water to wipe Xu Dan and Du Min’s hands and faces. Then, Chi Nuan’s mobile phone rang from inside her bag.
It was a call from an unknown number. Chi Nuan answered, and Xue Wen’s voice came through. “Chi Nuan, whose wallet got left in the car? It has a Chibi Maruko-chan avatar on it.”
Chi Nuan exclaimed, “Oh, that’s Xu Dan’s. Sorry about that, Xue Wen.”
Xue Wen said, “Are you free to come down and get it? The car’s back at the school gates.”
Chi Nuan hung up and ran down to retrieve Xu Dan’s wallet.
The car’s interior light was on. Xue Wen lowered the window and handed over the wallet. Casually, she asked Chi Nuan, “Holiday tomorrow—what are your plans?”
Chi Nuan replied, “We usually go home.”
Xue Wen nodded. “Alright, see you next week.”
Chi Nuan waved goodbye to her.
……
The streetlamps at No. 1 Middle School were spaced far apart, hidden among dense tree canopies. As Chi Nuan walked through the school gate, she saw a figure pass under the nearest lamp.
The light fell like drizzling spring rain, illuminating a small patch of ground.
Gu Ningzi stood tall and straight, her sweat-dampened black hair bound with a white headband. She carried a sports bag slung over her shoulder, and as she walked, her left foot dragged slightly.
……Dragging?
Stunned for a moment, Gu Ningzi had already stepped out of the light.
“Gu Ningzi!” Chi Nuan immediately changed direction. “What happened to your foot?”
Gu Ningzi stopped. Under the dim sky, it took her two seconds to reply, “Nothing.”
She clearly looked like she’d just finished exercising. Chi Nuan thought of how she’d signed up for the track meet herself—had she gotten hurt practicing?
Chi Nuan asked, “Is it bad?”
Gu Ningzi: “Not bad.”
Chi Nuan: “Should we go to the hospital?”
Gu Ningzi: “No need.”
The surroundings were pitch black, and Gu Ningzi’s figure was shadowy and indistinct. Chi Nuan fell silent for a moment, then suggested, “Wait for me here. I’ll drop Xu Dan’s wallet back at the dorm and come down to walk you home, okay?”
Gu Ningzi considered briefly and didn’t refuse.
Chi Nuan ran back to the dorm, set down the wallet, and briefly explained to Zhao Jingjing.
Zhao Jingjing was surprised. “Gu Ningzi seems so unapproachable, but her sense of collective honor is off the charts! Look at the time— it’s so late. It’s just a sports meet; no need to push so hard. Tell her to take it easy.”
Chi Nuan said, “Her home’s close to school. I’ll walk her back first.”
“No problem, go ahead.” Zhao Jingjing sighed. “Being Class Monitor is really tough…”
Chi Nuan: “……”
A wind had picked up outside. Gu Ningzi stood in the open space by the dorm entrance, tilting her head slightly upward. As Chi Nuan emerged from the doorway, she asked, “What floor do you live on?”
Chi Nuan pointed to a lit window on the fourth floor. “That one.”
Gu Ningzi said, “Oh.”
Chi Nuan asked, “Does your foot still hurt?”
Gu Ningzi replied, “It doesn’t hurt.”
She was limping but insisted it didn’t hurt— so stubborn.
Chi Nuan offered to take her bag, but Gu Ningzi refused. “Just the spiked shoes. It’s not heavy.”
Chi Nuan insisted, “Give it to me.”
Gu Ningzi frowned awkwardly but finally unslung the bag and handed it over.
……
Gu Ningzi couldn’t walk fast, so Chi Nuan occasionally supported her. The two slowly made their way south along the sidewalk outside No. 1 Middle School.
“How did you get hurt?”
“Practicing starts— bumped into someone, got my foot stepped on.”
“……”
They arrived at Gu Ningzi’s home. Gu Ningzi casually yanked off her headband. She ruffled her hair messily and headed to the fridge, pulling out two bottles of water and handing one to Chi Nuan.
Chi Nuan wasn’t visiting for the first time. She naturally set down the bag, drank some water, and played with the blue cat.
Gu Ningzi took a few sips, grabbed some loungewear, and went to shower. Before leaving, she turned on the living room TV for Chi Nuan.
