The Stinky Woman

Bai Yuyou walked with her head lowered, the bangs falling over her forehead slightly obscuring her eyes. She entered Class 3-A, and as soon as she stepped inside, the noisy chatter in the room quieted down a little. Many eyes turned toward her.

"Hey, the stinky girl looks cleaner today?"

"Who knows? Maybe she finally decided to take a bath."

"Hahaha, who would’ve thought? Maybe even the heavens couldn’t stand how filthy she was, so the rain washed her over the weekend."

The laughter and comments from those around her were loud and unapologetic, but for Bai Yuyou, this was just another ordinary day. She walked to the very back of the classroom, where a single desk stood isolated—starkly different from the pairs of desks arranged neatly for everyone else.

The desk was piled high with trash and random objects, and the chair was nowhere to be seen.

None of the mess belonged to Bai Yuyou. She carefully placed each item on the floor, then went to the corner of the classroom where the trash bins were kept and found a broken chair with a snapped leg.

Bai Yuyou didn’t understand why everyone treated her this way.

Did I do something wrong?

She had asked herself this countless times.

I must have done something wrong.

She had told herself this countless times.

"Hey, stinky girl, why’d you put my stuff on the floor?" A girl suddenly appeared beside Bai Yuyou’s desk and kicked it.

Bai Yuyou looked at the things she had just placed on the ground and hesitated. "Which… which one is yours?"

"Does it matter? Pick them all up!"

"I’m sorry…" Bai Yuyou silently gathered the scattered trash and placed it back on her desk.

"Hahaha, you actually picked up the trash! What an idiot." The girl burst into laughter, then suddenly remembered something. "Oh yeah, I’m on duty today… Stinky girl, you do it for me. And make sure you clean it properly."

With that, the girl returned to her seat.

"Wu Ya sure knows how to boss the stinky girl around," two boys commented from the other side of the classroom.

"Right?" One of them, Che, kept his gaze fixed on Bai Yuyou’s profile.

"Hey, Che, what’re you spacing out for?"

"Don’t you think Bai Yuyou is actually kind of pretty? Her skin’s really pale too," Che said.

"Who knows? She’s always got her head down and stinks like garbage. Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on her?"

"N-no way! Who’d like a dumb girl like her?"

"Hahaha, Che says he wants to date the stinky girl! Everyone, give him some encouragement!" the other boy suddenly shouted.

The entire class erupted in laughter, chanting, "Get together! Get together! Get together!"

Che immediately jumped to his feet, face red. "Shut the hell up! Who’d like her?!"

"Hahahahaha!"

Bai Yuyou lifted her eyes slightly at the commotion, looking confused, then lowered her head again and quietly waited for class to start.

Soon, the homeroom teacher walked in for the morning assembly. When he saw Bai Yuyou’s desk covered in trash, his expression darkened.

"Bai Yuyou, how many times have I warned you? Stop piling garbage on your desk. You’re an adult now—can’t you even clean up after yourself?"

Snickers spread through the classroom, but Bai Yuyou only stared blankly at her desk. After a few seconds, she murmured, "I’m sorry…"

"Trash suits the stinky girl best," someone giggled.

The teacher pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. He envied other homeroom teachers—his Class A was always causing trouble, and worst of all, he had to deal with a problem student like Bai Yuyou, who never seemed to understand anything.

The biggest problem? She didn’t even have a guardian. He couldn’t even call her parents to complain.

"Alright, quiet down. Let’s continue."

The last class before lunch was P.E., which meant changing into gym clothes. But Bai Yuyou was stopped at the locker room door.

"Stinky girl, don’t come in here. We don’t want to smell you," a girl declared firmly. "How many times do we have to tell you? You’re not allowed in!"

Bai Yuyou clutched her gym clothes and opened her mouth to speak, but the door slammed shut in her face with a loud bang.

Left with no choice, she quietly changed into her gym clothes right outside the locker room.

Other girls walking out saw her but didn’t react—it was common knowledge in their grade that Class A had a weirdo who didn’t wear a bra and always changed outside.

After P.E., while the rest of the students stampeded toward the cafeteria, Bai Yuyou silently made her way to the rooftop of the school building and sat down beside the safety railing.

During lunch breaks, the other students demanded she stay out of the classroom so she wouldn’t disturb their rest.

Why can’t I stay in the classroom?

Hugging her knees, Bai Yuyou gazed up at the sky with her beautiful eyes. She didn’t understand anything.

But more than that, she couldn’t ignore the gnawing hunger in her stomach. After P.E., the emptiness felt even worse.

Normally, she would drink as much water as she could from the water dispenser to stave off the hunger, but today, she didn’t.

Maybe it was because she remembered the person who had made her breakfast that morning—the warmth in their voice.

"I’m so hungry… so tired…" Without realizing it, Bai Yuyou’s vision blurred. A suffocating wave of sadness rose in her chest, and she buried her face in her knees.

"What should I do…?"

On the other side of the rooftop, hidden in the shadows of the building, Ye Shuang leaned against the wall, smoking a cigarette.

"Haah…"

He had seen everything that happened to Bai Yuyou. And knowing this was just her daily life—just the tip of the iceberg—left him at a loss for words.

Stubbing out his cigarette, Ye Shuang looked at the white meal card in his hand and walked straight toward Bai Yuyou.

Hearing footsteps, Bai Yuyou lifted her head and met a familiar pair of eyes.

As if doubting what she saw, she rubbed her reddened eyes.

"Why…?"

Ye Shuang crouched down in front of her and smiled. "I snuck in."

"Did I… do something wrong?"

"No. You didn’t do anything wrong."

"Really?"

"Really. Do you trust me?" Ye Shuang asked.

Bai Yuyou nodded seriously. "I trust you."

"Whenever you doubt yourself, remember what I’m telling you now." Ye Shuang’s voice was firm. "You didn’t do anything wrong. Trust your instincts."

He reached out and gently pinched her soft cheek. "As for the rest… I’ll take care of it for you."