It was rather late when Zhou Li returned to the classroom.
His deskmate, Li Nan, strolled into the classroom nonchalantly just before class was about to start. She tossed her black shoulder bag onto the desk. It landed with a thud, like a hammer striking the tabletop.
Then, as usual, she greeted Zhou Li—
Accompanied by a delicate hiccup.
During the English evening self-study session, Zhou Li disliked English. He couldn't concentrate on his textbook, his eyes involuntarily wandering.
There were forty-seven students in the class, seated in a two-four-two arrangement, with one empty seat in the sixth row. The seat arrangement was based on a complex mix of factors: height and eyesight, students' personal preferences, and, of course, the teacher's input. In any case, it was much better than the neighboring class's rule of choosing seats based on academic performance.
Because Zhou Li was tall and had good eyesight, he sat in the last row, in the aisle seat of the rightmost window column.
The homeroom teacher had initially decreed that seats must be shifted every two weeks to ensure each student had a chance to sit by the window. However, for the past two months, everyone had been too lazy to move, so the arrangement had more or less become fixed.
Zhou Li quite liked this spot. He could see the playground outside the window, enjoy the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves, and from his vantage point, he could also see the entire classroom.
Unfortunately, he wasn't sitting right next to the window but next to the aisle; his deskmate's cowlick separated him from the window.
In the afternoon, everyone was full of energy, and many were wrestling and joking around. At the desk in front, Chen Guohua and Zhang Xiuhua were sneak-attacking each other, their attempts often targeting places too embarrassing to mention.
A few boys who had just returned from playing basketball lifted their shirts to wipe off sweat, revealing the faint outlines of their abdominal muscles.
Every five to ten seconds, a hiccup from Li Nan would ring out beside him.
Outside the window, twilight was ending. A few clouds, light as feathers, drifted by, tinged gold by the sunset. The black cloud directly overhead also had a golden edge, its outline resembling a dog. Only a few people were leisurely making their way towards the academic building across the playground. From a distance, Zhou Li could see *that individual* standing by a tree. His bulky frame was conspicuous, yet he remained as still as a statue.
That individual had been at the school for a very long time, at least longer than Zhou Li.
He often stayed in the grove. This place could be considered the school's backyard, where only abandoned teachers' dormitories stood, attracting very few visitors. Zhou Li guessed he must live there. However, this individual didn't have a small house, a cave, or any similar shelter. Zhou Li had never seen how he spent his nights either, only once witnessing him duck into an abandoned dormitory during a heavy downpour.
The rain had been particularly heavy that day; it seemed even he couldn't endure it.
Normally, like others of his kind, he wouldn't interact with ordinary people unless there were special circumstances. If they happened to meet, he would actively avoid them. Zhou Li felt there must be something restraining them.
Having gained some experience in dealing with such beings since childhood, Zhou Li consciously avoided him. As a result, the first few months of his first year of high school passed peacefully. However, during a sports meet, the individual accidentally discovered that Zhou Li could see him. Thus, Zhou Li was removed from the list of ordinary people.
Zhou Li felt that he might have become his 'plaything.' After that, the individual always sought Zhou Li out. Treating him like a small pet, he caused Zhou Li considerable trouble.
"What are you looking at... ERP!"
An inquiry ending with a hiccup startled Zhou Li, and he turned his head to see Li Nan's curious expression.
"Nothing." Zhou Li's gaze involuntarily shifted upward again.
"Just wait until Mother Zhao comes," Li Nan sighed. "If she sees you spacing out, she'll definitely pull a long face and then say I'm distracting you from your studies."
"That won't happen." Zhou Li could always spot Mother Zhao before she arrived.
"Oh." Li Nan thought for a moment. Indeed, she seemed to have never heard Mother Zhao scolding Zhou Li. But she didn't really care. Her topic of conversation quickly jumped to something else. "I'm so stuffed."
"How much did you eat?"
"So much! My folks' cooking is amazing... It's a pity you've only ever had the noodles from our place. Actually, my parents are great cooks when it comes to other dishes too!"
"Hmm." Zhou Li nodded in response.
He noticed that Li Nan's cowlick also twitched when she hiccuped.
Li Nan's family ran a noodle shop, a renowned old establishment in Yan City. Since it was close to the school, Zhou Li had been a regular customer since middle school. However, they only truly got to know each other after subject streaming in high school.
They had only been deskmates for a month now.
During the second period of evening self-study, Mother Zhao came to the classroom entrance. After surveying the area, she called Zhou Li out.
Mother Zhao had been frequently calling students out for talks lately, so Zhou Li wasn't nervous. He put his book down and left the classroom.
"Has Li Nan been affecting your studies?" Mother Zhao asked.
"No." Zhou Li shook his head.
"That's good to hear." Mother Zhao nodded. With a reflective tone, she said, "Li Nan has such a flighty personality—the kind who won't listen or change, no matter what you say or do. Sometimes she gives me a real headache! But other times, I find a fool like her quite amusing. You, on the other hand, are completely different. You're too quiet. Boys your age shouldn't be like that!"
"Hmm." Zhou Li nodded.
"It's the last month, so it might be a bit late to say this, but I think you should really learn from Brother Nan sometimes. Talk more with your classmates, go out to the playground and exercise. Don't be afraid!" Mother Zhao didn't touch upon Zhou Li's mental state, instead repeatedly emphasizing one point. "Be brave. I understand there are things you're unwilling to face, but you can't be afraid of them. Face them courageously. Try more things. Just like Brother Nan—if you make a mistake, so be it. The worst that can happen is you suffer a little... Just don't be as foolish as her."
"Of course, concentrating on your studies is still the main goal for this last month, and I'm not worried about you there. But when you get to university, you absolutely cannot be the same as you were in high school! You need to step out of your shell. Understand?"
Zhou Li had taken her words to heart.
Mother Zhao pursed her lips, then added, "At the same time, I hope you can guide her a bit. You have a solid academic foundation; it would be great if you could help her! Her grades are just too erratic. With the college entrance exams so close, I don't know how she can be so unconcerned!"
Not knowing what to say, Zhou Li continued to nod.
Mother Zhao then waved him back inside.
Afterward, she called Li Nan out.
Zhou Li didn't need to press his ear to the back door to eavesdrop; his senses were extremely sharp. With a little concentration, he could easily isolate Mother Zhao's and Li Nan's voices from the surrounding din.
Blissfully unaware of the critical discussion about her that had just concluded, Li Nan was still hiccuping. Seeing this, Mother Zhao couldn't resist teasing, "Yo, Brother Nan had a good meal tonight, huh!"
Li Nan laughed sheepishly.
Inside, Zhou Li also smiled. He then picked up his book to memorize an essay, no longer paying attention to the conversation outside.
It wasn't long before Li Nan returned to the classroom.
A few classmates cast curious glances at her.
She nudged Zhou Li with her elbow, leaned in close, and said, "Hey, Mother Zhao just called you out to say..."
The deadly gaze from outside the window made Li Nan behave.
Gradually, the sky outside began to change.