School corridor.
"Drinking? No no no, my family would kill me if they found out." Upon hearing Bai Yuyou's suggestion, Tang Keke immediately waved her hands in refusal, her head shaking so vigorously that her oversized backpack swayed from side to side.
"At the very least, I’d have to wait until my fourth year. By then, I’d practically be a university student, and my parents would loosen up a bit."
Tang Keke had heard that Ye Shuang was planning to take Bai Yuyou out for drinks and had casually asked if she wanted to join. However, Ye Shuang’s message had only mentioned going for a drink himself and bringing Bai Yuyou along for food—he hadn’t actually said she’d be drinking. Truth be told, Ye Shuang would never let Bai Yuyou touch alcohol outside.
"Okay," Bai Yuyou nodded when Tang Keke declined.
The two walked side by side down the corridor. The afternoon breeze was pleasant, carrying the faint chirping of cicadas. Summer vacation was approaching, and in a southern coastal city like Haizhu, the temperature was steadily rising day by day.
As they walked, Tang Keke glanced at the scenery outside the corridor and mused, "I heard northern schools have enclosed hallways. Doesn’t that mean they miss out on a lot of the view?"
Yinshan Academy’s campus was vast—so much so that students in their fourth year and beyond had to take a campus shuttle just to get from the entrance to their classrooms. From Tang Keke’s vantage point, she could see not only the sports field but also a lake and distant mountains. It made her wonder what the view was like in northern schools.
Bai Yuyou tilted her head, trying but failing to picture what an enclosed hallway might look like. The two chatted idly as they walked, but just as they neared their classroom, Tang Keke suddenly stopped in her tracks, eyes widening.
"Ah! I left my hair clip in the lecture hall!"
"Wait for me!" With that, she turned and dashed off, grumbling under her breath, "Ugh, running is such a pain when I can’t even control my center of gravity. And I’ve been gaining weight too…"
Bai Yuyou, left behind: "?"
Seeing Tang Keke disappear around the corner, Bai Yuyou obediently stood still to wait. Her spot was in a high-traffic area of the hallway, and since Yinshan Academy had specialized classrooms for certain subjects, students constantly passed by. Her flawless appearance drew endless gazes.
Some students even discreetly snapped photos with their phones, whispering to their friends, "Which class is she from?"
But Bai Yuyou’s aura was so aloof that most didn’t dare approach, settling for stolen glances instead.
A few bold ones, however, seeing her standing there quietly, stepped forward with a smile. "Hey, waiting for someone?"
Bai Yuyou glanced at them and gave a slight nod.
"I’m from the Materials Science Department, Class 2, fourth year. Mind adding me on WeChat? We’re organizing a mixer—you should come!" Encouraged by her response, the boys pressed on eagerly.
Bai Yuyou didn’t know what a "mixer" was, but she replied, "No…"
"Alright, how about just adding me then? We can chat. We’re all classmates—it’d be great to exchange study tips!"
She shook her head again, but the boys, faced with such a stunning girl, weren’t ready to give up. Their materials chemistry program had barely any girls to begin with, let alone one as breathtaking as her.
"Hey, you’re blocking the way." A voice cut in from the side. The boys turned to see a short-haired girl standing nearby, hands in her pockets, wearing purple cat-ear headphones. She eyed them with undisguised disdain.
"The hallway’s plenty wide," one of them retorted, annoyed—though they quickly noticed the girl was rather cute herself and softened their tone. "You need something?"
"Not really. Just stop harassing my friend. She’s divorced with two kids, so move along." An Shiyu elbowed past them, grabbed Bai Yuyou’s hand, and pulled her away. "Let’s go, dummy."
Dummy?
Bai Yuyou blinked but let herself be led off without resistance.
The boys exchanged bewildered looks.
Divorced with two kids?!
Once they’d descended the stairs, An Shiyu shot Bai Yuyou a look. "You know that hallway’s mostly fourth-years, right? Bunch of guys constantly posting on confession boards. Some majors don’t even have girls. Standing there looking like that, you’re basically a piece of prime meat."
Bai Yuyou processed this for a few seconds before asking, "Prime meat? Is it tasty?"
An Shiyu: "…"
What kind of foodie is this?
"Probably. You’re a bit slow, but at least you’re pretty." An Shiyu smirked. "So, how many times has that old man ‘handled’ you?"
"Handled?"
"You know, slept with."
Bai Yuyou answered matter-of-factly, "Every night."
"Figures. With a girl like you, who wouldn’t?" An Shiyu stretched lazily. "Anyway, I’m off. Got things to do."
"Oh…"
Watching An Shiyu saunter away, Bai Yuyou turned just in time to spot Tang Keke returning.
"Keke…"
……
……
Infirmary.
With no patients in the afternoon, Ye Shuang skimmed through a medical textbook before drowsiness crept in.
"Tired… Too bad I can’t nap." Rubbing his stiff neck, he leaned back—only for his head to land against something soft.
Startled, he opened his eyes to find himself staring up at a pair of eyes. His head was resting against someone’s stomach.
"?!" Ye Shuang bolted upright, realizing a short-haired girl had materialized behind him. "Seriously, do you ever make noise when you walk?"
An Shiyu chewed her gum nonchalantly. "Old age must be catching up. Hearing loss is normal."
Ye Shuang sighed. "That’s a bit much, don’t you think?"
"Not at all."
He stood and stretched. "What were you up to this afternoon?"
"Why, curious?" She grinned.
"Not really." At this point, he’d given up trying to predict where this eccentric girl would pop up next.
Still groggy, Ye Shuang reached into his pocket for gum, only to find the pack empty. Noticing An Shiyu’s incessant chewing, he asked,
"Got any gum left?"
"Yep."
"Give me a piece."
"Open your mouth. I’ll spit it out for you."
"…"
No thanks.