Chapter 10

Monday mornings always felt a little stiff, like my mind needed extra time to catch up with the rest of the world. Even so, I reached school earlier than usual. The building was still cool from the night air, and the halls weren't crowded yet.

When I slid into my seat, I opened my book without thinking. Reading helped settle my thoughts before everything became noisy. Sunlight poured across my desk, warm but soft.

For a while, everything was peaceful.

Then the classroom gradually filled.
Xia plopped into the seat beside me, her voice bright as always.

"Good morning, Yiyi! You look unusually calm today."

"I'm always calm," I said.

"That's true," she laughed.

A few minutes later, Tang Yuan walked in.
I didn't pay attention at first — I rarely did — but out of the corner of my eye, I saw him pause slightly, as if checking the room before heading to his seat.

He didn't say anything.
He never did, really.
He was quiet in a way that blended into the background... except, somehow, I noticed him this morning.

Just a moment.
Nothing special.

Xia didn't seem to notice. She was too busy chatting with another girl about weekend photos.

When our teacher mentioned the joint activity with Class 2-B, the room burst with whispers.

"Mixed groups? I hope we get fun partners."
"Maybe we'll get paired with Rui's class!"
"Or the girls from 2-B, they're all so pretty!"

Xia leaned closer to me.
"Yiyi, I hope we're in the same group again~ It'll be fun."

"I don't mind," I replied.

Then she smirked. "What if we get grouped with Rui?"

I looked at her flatly. "Xia."

"What? He likes you!"

I sighed. "It's just a rumor."

"It's not a rumor if he keeps trying to talk to you."

I didn't answer.
Not because I agreed — I just didn't know what to say.

******

The cafeteria was already warm and crowded when Xia and I arrived. We found seats near some girls in our class, and before I even opened my lunchbox, someone nudged me.

"Yiyi, Rui's here."

I looked up just as Rui approached our table, tray in hand. His steps slowed whenever he got close to me; it was impossible not to notice.

"H–Hi, Zhao Yiyi," he said, his voice unsteady. "You... uh... played well in P.E. last week."

I blinked. "We didn't play P.E. last week."

"Oh—right. I meant before that. I mean—"

Xia giggled. I didn't.

I gave a small nod. "Thank you."

He looked relieved, mumbled something about "group project" and "see you later," then escaped back to his seat. His friends teased him so loudly that the whole cafeteria heard.

Xia leaned over and whispered, "He's cute when he panics."

I ignored her.

When I glanced across the room, purely by coincidence, I noticed four students sitting together:

Tang Yuan.
His friend Liu Cheng.
Ye Ling.
And Cai Qing.

They were talking — not loudly — just normal conversation.

Ling said something, and Yuan nodded calmly as if they were already used to speaking to each other.

Something about the sight made me pause.
Not in a bad way.
Just... pause.

Cheng was animatedly talking to Cai Qing.
Ling seemed composed as always.
Yuan listened more than he talked — I could tell even from across the room.

Xia followed my gaze.

"Ohh, that's Class 2-B's Ling and Cai Qing," she whispered. "They said Ling's really smart... and popular among the boys."

I didn't respond.

Not because I disagreed.
Just because I didn't know why I was looking in the first place.

When we walked back to the classroom, Xia was still chatting about the joint project rumors. I listened quietly.

But then something happened.

Ling stepped into our classroom, holding papers for the teacher.
She greeted a few students politely — and when her eyes reached Tang Yuan, she nodded.

"Good afternoon, Tang Yuan."

He answered with the same calm tone as always.

"Good afternoon."

Some students whispered.
Xia raised an eyebrow.
I opened my notebook to pretend I wasn't paying attention...

...but I did hear it.

And for the first time today, I looked at Tang Yuan properly.

He wasn't reacting much.
He rarely did.
It was just a greeting.

But somehow, the atmosphere around the room shifted.

Not loudly.
Not dramatically.

Just enough to make me wonder:

Since when do they know each other?

The thought floated into my mind before I could stop it.

Afternoon classes always felt a little slower, especially on Mondays.
The sunlight coming in through the windows softened into a warm gold, and the room took on a quieter rhythm — pages turning, pencils tapping, the occasional yawn from the back row.

I tried to focus on my textbook, but for some reason, my attention drifted more than usual.

Maybe it was because of everything that happened during lunch.
Rumors.
The joint project announcement.
Rui's awkward attempt to talk to me.
Ling greeting Tang Yuan so casually...

It was a lot for one morning.

Our math teacher wrote formulas across the board at a pace only he understood. Some students gave up halfway and doodled in their notebooks.

I kept up, writing neatly, but my mind wandered when I glanced sideways.

Tang Yuan sat near the back, his posture straight, eyes fixed on the board. He always looked calm, as if nothing around him could bother him.
Even when Cheng whispered something to him, Yuan didn't react much — he just shook his head lightly.

I wasn't sure why that caught my attention.

He was quiet.
He usually blended into the background.
But today, he seemed... a little more noticeable.

Maybe because other people noticed him.

Maybe because Ling greeted him so openly.

Maybe because—

I stopped the thought before it finished.

It wasn't important.

I forced myself to focus back on the formulas.

Our literature teacher assigned reading groups for the day. Not group work — just small reading aloud sections.

Xia tugged my sleeve when we rearranged seats.
"Yiyi, did you notice all the whispers earlier? About Ling and Tang Yuan?"

I stiffened slightly. "...I heard them."

She leaned closer.
"I didn't know they knew each other."

"Me neither."

Xia gave me a curious look.
I kept my eyes on my book.

We read a passage from a short story about changing seasons — quiet, understated, the kind of story where emotions are hidden under simple words.

I liked it.
It felt familiar in a way.

When I turned the page, my gaze drifted forward again.
Tang Yuan was reading too, expression calm, brow slightly furrowed in concentration.

He didn't seem affected by the rumors at all.

That was... just like him.

By the last class of the day, everyone was tired. The teacher reviewed something for next week, and most students zoned out. Xia poked my arm twice before giving up and resting her chin on her desk.

I kept writing notes, but my thoughts moved on their own.

Joint-class project next week.

That meant working with Class 2-B.
With students like Rui... and Ling... and Cai Qing.

Xia whispered, "If we get mixed groups... who do you want to be with?"

"I don't know," I said honestly.

She smiled knowingly.
"Not Rui, I bet."

I bit the inside of my cheek. "Xia..."

"I'm kidding... mostly."

Then, after a pause, her tone softened:
"But you looked... thoughtful today."

I wasn't sure how to respond.

Thoughtful?
About what?

I wasn't even sure myself.

The bell finally rang, ending the final period.

As students packed up noisily, I closed my notebook with a quiet sigh.

For the first time in a while, a normal school day felt strangely... full.
Not uncomfortable — just heavy with things I didn't quite understand yet.

And it all happened so quietly.

When the final bell rang, everyone rushed out of the classroom as if they'd been waiting the entire day.
Xia stretched with a loud yawn and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Yiyi, let's go home together," she said, grabbing my sleeve before I could answer. "I need fresh air after all those formulas."

"I wasn't going to leave without you."

"Good. Because if you did, I'd haunt you."

I shook my head, but couldn't help smiling a little.

We stepped out into the hallway, where students from both classes were spilling out, talking loudly about everything from homework to the upcoming joint-class activity. It was noisy... but that was normal.

Once we reached the school gate, the sound softened enough for us to walk side by side comfortably.

The sun was low, painting the buildings in warm orange.
A crisp breeze passed between us, rustling the leaves above.

Xia kicked a pebble along the sidewalk.
"So! About today."

I knew that tone.
Here it comes.

"I don't want to talk about Rui," I said preemptively.

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "But did you see his face? He was so red it looked like he ran ten laps."

"I saw."

"And you didn't say anything? You're truly... brutal."

"I said thank you," I protested softly.

"That's not enough for poor Rui— but fine, fine. Next topic!"

I glanced sideways. "...There's another topic?"

"Oh yes." Xia grinned like a fox.

I mentally braced myself.

"Ling greeting Tang Yuan in front of our class."

I slowed down half a step. "That's... not important."

"It's interesting," she corrected. "People from 2-B don't come into our classroom often."

"She was just delivering papers."

"And she greeted him. Polite too. And he replied calmly. I didn't even know they talked."

"...I didn't either."

Xia watched me for a moment — not teasing this time, but curious.

"It surprised you, didn't it?"

"...A little."

"Why?"

I opened my mouth... then closed it again.

Why?
I honestly didn't know.
Maybe because it was unexpected.
Maybe because he never really stood out before.
Maybe because he seemed... different today.

But I didn't have an answer I felt comfortable saying aloud.

Xia didn't push.
That was one of her good traits — she knew exactly when to stop teasing and when to let silence do the work.

We continued walking quietly.

We stopped at the red light.
Students crossed in groups around us, laughing and talking.

Xia nudged me lightly.

"You were a little more observant today. That's all I'm saying."

"I wasn't," I said quietly.

"You were," she insisted. "But in a good way."

The light turned green.
We walked again.

Our paths split a block before my house.
Xia tightened her grip on her bag straps.

"Yiyi, about the joint project next week... I hope we're in the same group. Really."

Her tone softened, losing all its teasing.

I nodded. "Me too."

She stepped onto her street and waved.
"See you tomorrow! And don't overthink stuff!"

"I'm not overthinking."

"Sure you aren't!"

Her voice faded as she jogged off.

On my way home, the orange light slowly dimmed, leaving behind a softer glow.
Everything around me felt normal — people returning from work, children running with backpacks, shop signs flickering on.

Yet inside, something felt... slightly different.

Not heavy.
Not confusing.

Just... something new.

A quiet shift.

Small, but real.

I wasn't sure what it meant yet.

But I could feel it.