Chapter 27

Even though she said all that, two little cakes still appeared on their dinner table that evening.

One for Chen Nian and one for Fang Zhi, to celebrate their smooth start to the school year.

The next day, Chen Nian took Fang Zhi to school. The two of them squeezed onto the bus and swayed their way to campus. They entered the school building and then went their separate ways.

When Chen Nian walked into the classroom, Lin Tianyi kept craning his neck to peer behind her.

It soured her mood right from the start of the day.

“What are you staring at?” Chen Nian demanded, dropping her bag and glaring at him.

“I’m looking for Fang Zhi,” Lin Tianyi replied.

“That was a statement, not a question!” Chen Nian snapped.

Lin Tianyi raised a finger excitedly. “My mom taught me about this!”

What an idiot. Chen Nian scowled and ignored him.

Elementary school classes were dreadfully boring. First period was Chinese, second was math. During math class, Chen Nian simply finished her Chinese homework.

The math teacher called her up to the blackboard to solve a problem. Chen Nian sighed inwardly, dashed up, scribbled the answer, and hurried back down. True heroes never look back at double-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division.

The teacher marked her answer with a big red check and praised her smarts, saying she must have previewed the lesson ahead of time.

Chen Nian sat primly on her little stool, a smile on her face. Lin Tianyi turned his head to gaze at her, his expression full of envy.

After that class ended, recess lasted an extra five minutes, and a bunch of kids rushed downstairs to play.

Chen Nian didn’t budge. She slumped over her desk, utterly listless.

Lin Tianyi stood up. Chen Nian scooted her stool forward a bit, but he stayed put.

“Are you going or what?” she asked him.

“Aren’t you?” Lin Tianyi replied.

Chen Nian rapped on her desk. “Do I look like I’m going anywhere?”

“Aren’t you going to see Fang Zhi?”

Heart-stab tally: 2/10.

Chen Nian clenched her fists, her eyes practically shooting sparks. “Why would I go see Fang Zhi?”

“It’s her first day of school.”

“She must be really scared.”

“Her desk mate is Du Tiantian.”

Heart-stab tally: 5/10.

“She went to school before,” Chen Nian muttered, burying her head. “Not like you.”

Lin Tianyi fell silent. After a short while, he squeezed past Chen Nian’s stool and left.

He didn’t return to the classroom until the bell had rung once through.

By then, the teacher was already at the podium. Chen Nian eyed Lin Tianyi’s sweaty forehead and couldn’t help asking, “Where’d you go?”

“To see Fang Zhi.”

“…”

“Class is starting—no more talking! You had fifteen minutes at break and it wasn’t enough?” the teacher scolded.

Chen Nian fiddled with the little rabbit eraser on her pencil, her heart shattering into pieces.

To make matters worse, Lin Tianyi paid close attention during this lesson, showing no interest in whispering to her.

After suffering through more than twenty minutes, the teacher turned to copy problems on the blackboard. Chen Nian slid her notebook over.

【How’s Fang Zhi?】

Lin Tianyi glanced at her, grabbed his pencil, and scribbled a reply—but he wrote so slowly that by the time he pushed it back, it was just six words.

【Du Tiantian is playing with her.】

Chen Nian: 【Playing what?】

Lin Tianyi: 【Folding paper.】

Chen Nian: 【What paper? How do you fold it? How do you play? Why fold paper? Is Du Tiantian happy? What’s Fang Zhi’s expression?】

Too many questions. Lin Tianyi stared at the line of text, his eyes panicked.

The teacher finished copying and resumed lecturing. Lin Tianyi glanced at the teacher, then at Chen Nian’s notebook, but didn’t dare write anymore.

Seeing how spineless he was, Chen Nian yanked her notebook back and shoved it under her textbook.

She had never found an elementary school period to drag on so endlessly.

The moment the bell rang and the teacher stepped out, Chen Nian twisted toward him. “Spill it.”

He must have been mulling it over half the class, because Lin Tianyi’s answer came smoothly this time. “Activity class square paper, red ones. Fold in half first, then the corners like this and that, pull it open, and it turns into a little boat. I don’t know why they fold it. Lots of classmates gathered around them. Du Tiantian was really happy. Fang Zhi… her expression… you know, smile or cry? Smile.”

Infinite heart-stabs.

Chen Nian let out a long breath. “Third grade means writing essays.”

“Huh?”

“At your level, you’ll definitely fail.”

“Ah!”

Chen Nian slumped back down.

Lin Tianyi thought for a moment, then asked cautiously, “So what do I need to do to pass?”

“Read more books.”

“Memorize the lessons?”

“Buy a composition book and memorize it.”

“Okay.”

Chen Nian stared at the pencil case in front of her, lost in thought.

She wondered exactly how to fold that paper, exactly how Fang Zhi had smiled, and whether this Du Tiantian was good or bad.

But really… how bad could a seven- or eight-year-old girl be? No matter how much she overthought it, it all boiled down to the girl just wanting to hog Fang Zhi all to herself.

Chen Nian let out another long sigh.

Lin Tianyi asked her, “Chen Nian, are you in a bad mood?”

Chen Nian replied, “What does a kid like you know about moods?”

Lin Tianyi said, “I do know. When my mom’s in a bad mood, I cheer her up.”

Chen Nian tugged at the corner of her mouth. “Then try cheering your big sister up.”

Lin Tianyi stood up. “I’ll go see Fang Zhi.”

Chen Nian: “…”

Chen Nian yanked him back. “See what? Class is about to start!”

Lin Tianyi blinked blankly. “Oh.”

Chen Nian said, “We’ll be done with this class and then it’s time to go home.”

Lin Tianyi: “Yeah!”

Chen Nian: “I’ll watch her myself.”

The fourth period was art class. The art teacher was a young woman with a soft, gentle voice. She taught everyone how to blow ink to paint flowers, and the classmates all had a blast playing around with it.

Chen Nian didn’t bother with plum blossoms. Instead, she puffed out her cheeks and carefully blew out a rose garden. To an adult’s eye, it looked pretty ugly, but compared to her classmates’ childish scribbles, it stood out brilliantly—beautiful enough to refresh the soul.

The teacher wandered around the classroom, grading everyone’s work. When she reached Chen Nian’s desk, she gasped in amazement. She held up Chen Nian’s notebook to show the class, then reached for her pen to scrawl a big fat 100 on it.

Chen Nian shot to her feet. “Teacher, wait!”

Teacher: “Huh?”

Classmates: “Huh? Huh? Huh?”

Chen Nian straightened up, furrowed her brows in a show of utmost seriousness, and said, “Teacher, I don’t think this painting is good enough. I have a better idea in mind. I’d like to paint another one as my homework.”

Homework could be finished in class or taken home.

At Chen Nian’s excuse, the teacher’s face lit up with delight, and the classmates gasped in awe.

What kind of genius was this? Everyone was thrilled with her work, but she wasn’t satisfied!

The teacher started clapping. “Let’s all learn from Chen Nian!”

The classmates burst into applause, the sound thunderous, their faces full of envy.

Amid all the adoring stares, Chen Nian took back her notebook, let it dry carefully, and tucked it into her bag.

The bell finally rang. Chen Nian shouldered her backpack and bolted for the door.

Lin Tianyi shouted from behind for her to wait, but she ignored him and charged straight to the stairwell—then slammed on the brakes.

If she followed her impulses, she’d rush right to the door of Class 1.

But reason told her that after-school mingling was important too. Like yesterday—if she hadn’t stepped in, Fang Zhi might have made some friends by now.

Chen Nian twisted her foot against the floor, anchoring herself in place.

A flood of students surged past from behind, and another from ahead.

Everyone was rushing home for lunch, swept up in the flow.

Only Chen Nian stood like a needle in the stream, staring fixedly toward Class 1.

She waited a long time as the crowd thinned. Finally, Fang Zhi appeared in her line of sight.

Lin Tianyi yelled from behind her, “Fang Zhi!” Only then did Chen Nian realize there were two needles in the crowd.

She couldn’t even have the waiting to herself. Chen Nian pouted.

A classmate Chen Nian didn’t recognize was walking with Fang Zhi.

The classmate was chatting with her when Fang Zhi looked up and met Chen Nian’s gaze.

Chen Nian didn’t budge. Lin Tianyi came pounding over. “Fang Zhi, why’d you take so long?”

“Mm,” Fang Zhi said. “Something came up.”

Lin Tianyi asked, “What was your last class?”

The classmate answered, “Moral Education.”

Lin Tianyi: “Is your Moral Education teacher Teacher Wang?”

Classmate: “I don’t know his surname…”

The two started chatting away. Fang Zhi reached Chen Nian and paused. Chen Nian’s sulky expression vanished, replaced by a bright smile.

“Let’s go home,” she said.

Fang Zhi nodded.

The four of them left school together. Lin Tianyi and the classmate chattered nonstop, while Chen Nian stayed unusually quiet the whole way.

They boarded the bus, but now it was just Chen Nian and Fang Zhi. Peak hour meant the vehicle was packed, leaving no room to talk.

So they waited until they got off. The bus stopped at the Family Courtyard entrance.

Fang Zhi slowed down. Chen Nian had already taken several steps ahead when she suddenly whipped around.

“Zhizhi, what’s wrong?” Chen Nian hurried back to her side.

Fang Zhi: “Nothing.”

Chen Nian: “Did you understand the lessons?”

Fang Zhi: “I did.”

“Does the teacher assign a lot of homework?” Chen Nian asked.

“Not much,” Fang Zhi replied.

Chen Nian smiled. “Are you hungry?”

Fang Zhi glanced at her. “No.”

“I’m hungry.” Chen Nian grabbed her wrist and quickened her pace. “I’m practically starving to death. I wonder what Mom made for dinner today…”

The sun shone down on Chen Nian’s head, dazzling Fang Zhi’s eyes.

Chen Nian walked quickly, and by the time they reached the bottom of the building, she broke into a run. Fang Zhi had to focus every ounce of her attention on not tripping over her own feet.

They dashed all the way up to the fifth floor, panting for breath.

Chen Nian fumbled in her pocket for her keys, released Fang Zhi’s hand, rushed inside, dumped her schoolbag, and bolted straight into the kitchen.

“Mom! Is that braised pork? It smells amazing!” Chen Nian called out from the kitchen.

Fang Zhi set down her bag and slowly changed into her slippers.

Chen Junjie was reading the newspaper in the living room. Hearing her arrive, he looked up. “Zhizhi, how was school today?”

Almost everyone asked her that question, and she always gave the same answer. “Pretty good.”

Chen Junjie patted the seat beside him, inviting her to sit. Then he asked the exact same questions Chen Nian had: “Did you understand the lessons? Did the teacher give a lot of homework? Are you hungry?”

It wasn’t until the food was on the table and the four of them sat down to eat that Liu Chunhua posed a fresh question.

“Zhizhi, how are you getting along with your classmates? Have you made any new friends?”

Chen Nian’s chopsticks paused midway as she was picking up a piece of meat. Fang Zhi glanced at her.

Chen Nian placed the meat in Fang Zhi’s bowl. “Zhizhi, you have to try this. Mom’s braised pork is pretty good.”

Liu Chunhua raised an eyebrow. “Just pretty good?”

Chen Nian burst into a grin. “It’s incredible!!!”

Everyone laughed, and Fang Zhi’s lips curved up slightly too.

When Liu Chunhua’s gaze turned back to her, Fang Zhi said, “The classmates are all great. They’ve helped me a lot.”

Chen Nian put on an air of exaggerated maturity. “That’s good, that’s good. You have to get along well with your classmates, Fang Zhi.”

Everyone laughed again. Fang Zhi lowered her head, wrapped the piece of braised pork in a mound of rice, and shoved a big bite into her mouth.

After dinner, Chen Nian followed her mom into the kitchen to help with a few easy chores.

Fang Zhi stood just outside with the broom, listening to their chatter. Chen Nian told her mom about who had been late to class that day, who had gotten scolded by the teacher, and how she had shown off during math and art class…

She listened through it all without hearing a single word about herself.

Fang Zhi swept up the trash and turned around. “Uncle, I’d like to take a nap.”

Chen Junjie responded at once. “Tired? Go ahead and rest. Don’t worry about the time—Niannian will wake you up later.”

Fang Zhi nodded and headed into the bedroom.

By the time Chen Nian emerged from the kitchen, she was just about to speak when her dad stopped her.

“Zhizhi’s sleeping…” Chen Junjie whispered. “Call her when it’s time to head back to school.”

“Oh, okay.” Chen Nian nodded and lightened her footsteps.

She shuffled over to her schoolbag and pulled out her art notebook.

Liu Chunhua came over, wiping her hands on a towel. “Is this your class-shocking masterpiece?”

Chen Nian clutched the notebook to her chest. “Tsk, rarity makes it valuable. I can’t just show it to anyone.”

Chen Junjie chuckled. “Niannian, you’re using that phrase wrong…”

Chen Nian crept up to the door of Fang Zhi’s bedroom, peeking inside.

The door was ajar, giving her a clear view of the room.

Fang Zhi was indeed asleep, curled up on her little bed with the quilt tucked tightly around her, her head facing the wall.

Chen Nian tiptoed inside and quietly set the notebook down on Fang Zhi’s desk.

Fang Zhi slept deeply this time, lost in a jumble of disjointed dreams. When someone called her name, she woke up groggy and disoriented.

“Hurry up and get up, or we’ll be late!” Chen Nian shouted right in her ear.

“Mm.” Fang Zhi mumbled in response, rolled out of bed, and stumbled toward the bathroom on unsteady feet. She splashed water on her face, slung her schoolbag over her shoulder, and floated out the door alongside Chen Nian. They climbed into the car.

The bus was still packed. Chen Nian shoved and shifted to carve out a tiny space for her, making it a bit more comfortable to stand.

Halfway through the ride, an auntie stood up to get off and called out to her, “Little girl, come sit here.”

There was only one seat. Fang Zhi shook her head. “Thank you, but no need.”

They arrived at school just as the first bell was ringing. The two of them raced up the stairs. Chen Nian waved goodbye. “See you after school!”

Fang Zhi watched her dash off before slipping into her classroom.

See you after school—only after school.

Class 1 and Class 3 were just a few steps apart. They had so many periods in a day, with breaks in between every class, and yet the only time they could see each other was after school.

Fang Zhi set down her backpack and took her seat. Her deskmate, Du Tiantian, whispered to her, “Why are you so late?”

“Traffic,” Fang Zhi said.

“Ride home with my dad after school,” Du Tiantian suggested. “He’s super fast.”

“…”

Du Tiantian talked a lot, and she was always so enthusiastic.

She’d tell Fang Zhi where to find things, warn her about which teachers were strict and which ones checked homework every day.

After the bell, she’d invite Fang Zhi to the bathroom together, rope her into skipping rope during PE, and offer her a ride home in her dad’s car.

She reminded Fang Zhi a little of Chen Nian—but only a little. They were completely different.

First period was reading class. The lesson was “My Friend.” The teacher called on Du Tiantian to read the passage aloud, and she delivered it with plenty of feeling and flair. Once she sat back down, she slipped Fang Zhi a little note.

【I want to be friends with you. Would you be my friend?】

Fang Zhi stared at the note for a long time before scribbling back: 【Why?】

The question left Du Tiantian stumped. She doodled and scratched out words on the paper but couldn’t come up with a proper reply.

After class, Du Tiantian asked, “Do you have any friends right now?”

Fang Zhi nodded. “Yes.”

“Are they in our class?”

Fang Zhi shook her head.

“Then I’ll be your first friend in our class,” Du Tiantian declared. “I want to be your first friend here.”

“Oh,” Fang Zhi said.

Lin Tianyi came running over again, eager to play with the boys in the back row.

Du Tiantian pulled out some origami paper. “Do you know how to fold a little boat? Next period’s activity class.”

Fang Zhi shook her head. Du Tiantian started folding as she explained the steps, but Fang Zhi kept glancing out the window.

Right before the bell, the activity class teacher walked in and told the class monitor to head to the office for some supplies.

Du Tiantian grabbed Fang Zhi to come along, drawing envious stares from the rest of the class.

After the bell rang three times, the hallways emptied out. Striding through the deserted campus felt like a special privilege, a glow of honor all around them.

Du Tiantian didn’t hurry. As they walked, she pointed things out. “Chinese office is that way, math office over there, other teachers’ offices on this side. I’ve been tons of times—I know exactly where everything’s kept.”

She lifted her chin proudly toward Fang Zhi. “Next time the teacher sends me, I’ll bring you.”

Fang Zhi didn’t reply. Du Tiantian added, “I’m really good to my friends.”

Fang Zhi stopped walking.

They were passing the playground, where a few classes were out for PE. Fang Zhi spotted Chen Nian.

In that crowd of people, her eyes went straight to Chen Nian. There was something so familiar about her, an aura that made it feel inevitable, like Fang Zhi was supposed to see her right then.

Chen Nian was kicking a shuttlecock, clumsy at it. It dropped after just a couple of tries. But she didn’t get upset—instead, she threw her head back and laughed.

A bunch of kids surrounded her, boys and girls alike. They laughed with her as she booted the shuttlecock right onto Lin Tianyi’s back.

The PE teacher blew the whistle, and the group shuffled into line. Chen Nian wove through them, tugging at several girls’ ponytails along the way. One girl even jumped onto her back, slid down laughing, and hooked her arm through Chen Nian’s.

Fang Zhi turned to Du Tiantian. “How many friends do you have?”

Du Tiantian blinked, tearing her gaze away from the playground. “I have… lots of friends.”

Fang Zhi started walking again. “Then I don’t want to be friends with you.”