In the morning, Lin Jianzhi got out of bed at half past seven to buy breakfast.
She quietly ate her steamed bun stuffed with vegetables at the bus stop, waiting for the bus.
Soon, the bus came and she got on, swiping her card.
Sure enough, everything that happened yesterday was just a coincidence, just like two years ago.
She was nothing more than a speck of dust in Zhu Liheng's life, the most inconspicuous passerby.
Starting today, the two would continue as two parallel lines, with no intersection.
Lin Jianzhi could only look up to Zhu Liheng’s radiance and achievements from the shadows.
Walking through the gates of Jingyi No.1 Middle School, she followed the flow of people entering the school to her Senior 3 (Grade 2) classroom.
Lin Jianzhi’s heart gradually calmed down, and she also felt somewhat self-deprecating.
Those were all out of reach things. What was she hoping and fantasizing about?
But her classmates were clearly still not over the shock from yesterday. As soon as she entered the classroom, she was greeted with a chorus of shrieks.
Mu Yin even ran over in a flash, clamoring, "Lin Jianzhi! Zhu Liheng didn't give you a ride today?"
Lin Jianzhi put her books on the desk. "We're really just neighbors."
The class monitor, Lang Shu, rushed over. "WeChat! WeChat!"
Lin Jianzhi took out her phone and opened her WeChat contacts list. "Look, I really don't have him on WeChat."
The gathered classmates were all stunned, racking their brains but clueless.
Some calmer classmates felt it was inappropriate to make a fuss any further, so the crowd dispersed, returning to their seats to study.
Lin Jianzhi had been at her spot the whole time, but her math materials hadn’t turned a page for a long time.
She wanted to cry again.
That’s right!
Although it was a coincidence, it really hurt.
After a brief, sweet crush, one would unrealistically hope it could still be possessed.
She laid her head on the desk, without the heart to do test papers anymore.
In a daze, she passed the day and went home after school.
As soon as she opened the door, Lin's Father peeked out. “Xiao Jian’s home?”
“Yeah, Dad,” Lin Jianzhi replied listlessly.
Lin's Father pushed up his glasses. “Why is Xiao Jian so spiritless? Are you still going to your math tutoring session today?”
At the mention of tutoring, Lin Jianzhi's motions stuttered as she changed shoes. “Going. Where is the teacher's house?”
Although very dejected, studies had to go on. Otherwise, there would be no chance at all.
She couldn’t get into A University, but she could still go to a university in Yanjing, right?
With a total score of 600, she still had many options.
It was unrealistic to pine, but she still wanted to stay close to Zhu Liheng, even if just a little bit.
Lin's Father waved his hand. “Change your shoes and wash your hands first, then eat. The teacher will come pick you up later.”
Lin Jianzhi felt it was a bit odd but still changed her shoes and sat at the dinner table.
Lin's Mother had prepared a full table of dishes today, even cooking seafood, which was a bit extravagant.
Lin Jianzhi’s mood lifted slightly. Just as she was about to pick up a crab leg...
Slap!
Lin's Mother rapped her on the hand with chopsticks, scolding, “Still not everyone! What are you grabbing your chopsticks for? Go serve the rice!”
Stunned, Lin Jianzhi got up blankly. “Who else is here?”
Lin's Father said, “Your tutoring teacher.”
“Oh,” mumbled Lin Jianzhi as she obediently went to the kitchen to serve rice. She hadn’t eaten lunch today due to her bad mood, but since Lin's Mother had cooked such a feast to treat the tutor, she should eat more.
So she scooped herself a large bowlful!
Carrying a bowl piled high with rice towering over the rim by several centimeters, she still hadn’t reached the dinner table when the doorbell suddenly rang. Her parents warmly and enthusiastically welcomed a person in.
White shirt, long legs, handsome looks, brimming with the air of youth.
The corner of the boy’s mouth quirked up into a slight smile as he politely greeted, “Hello, uncle and auntie.”
Lin Jianzhi’s parents responded enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, Lin Jianzhi stood frozen in place, stunned speechless as she gawked at the scene.
Zhu Liheng?!
Her math tutoring teacher was Zhu Liheng?!
Seeing her unmoving, Lin's irritated Mother scolded, “What’s Xiao Jian doing? Hurry and greet your teacher!”
Equally displeased, Lin's Father demanded, “No manners! Quickly, say hello to teacher!”
At this time, Lin Jianzhi had no mind to greet anyone. She lowered her head to look at her bowl of rice.
She had scooped too much!
Would it scare Zhu Liheng?
Ah! She was going crazy!
What girl ate that much in one meal?
A pig?
It was over, her image was ruined!
Lin Jianzhi really wished a chasm would open up in the ground for her to burrow into!
But her enthusiastic parents clearly paid no heed to her embarrassment, dragging her over to the dinner table and pushing her down into her seat.
That bowl of overly-generous rice portions was placed right in front of her—one big bowl!
Glancing left, then right, her parents’ bowls only contained half as much rice as hers.
Looking across, Zhu Liheng’s portion was also normal.
Lin Jianzhi really felt she was losing her mind!
Lin's Father heartily heaped dishes onto Zhu Liheng’s bowl. “Eat more, Teacher Zhu.”
Very politely, Zhu Liheng cupped his bowl with both hands to receive. “Uncle, no need to be so courteous. Just call me Little Zhu.”
On the spot, Lin's Mother began to sing his praises. “Little Zhu is truly outstanding, not like our family’s Xiao Jian who fails at everything!”
Lin's Father also took the chance to say, “Little Zhu, our Xiao Jian is so bad at math, it’s really such an imposition on you.”
After thinking for a bit, Zhu Liheng replied, “Learning math is actually very reliant on methods. Xiao Jian herself is smart, so no issues.”
Delighted, Lin Jianzhi’s father guffawed loudly while her mother was also very happy.
Only Lin Jianzhi herself remained numb throughout, staring blankly at the rice in her bowl at a loss over what to do.
Eat—she wouldn’t seem like a lady!
Not eat—she would surely leave Zhu Liheng with the impression she wasted food.
Wah! This was too difficult!
In the end, she still ate, clearing her bowl squeaky clean.
In front of Zhu Liheng, she shoveled mouthfuls of white rice into herself like a starving piglet.
Because lingering any longer would bring scoldings from Lin's parents.
She had to hurry up and eat, then leave for tutoring!
Lin Jianzhi really felt like weeping. The time, location, people—everything had been ruined by her one bowl of rice.
After the meal, Lin Jianzhi’s parents busied themselves with washing dishes and cleaning up while shooing their daughter away.
Bang!
The big door shut. Still hugging her book bag, Lin Jianzhi woodenly looked ahead.
Amusement glimmered in Zhu Liheng’s eyes as he regarded her. “You brought your practice papers, right?”
Once again, Lin Jianzhi’s face flushed red. She hurriedly lowered her head and gave a tiny “Mm” in reply.
Although it was just downstairs, only one floor apart, to Lin Jianzhi it seemed like an endless expanse of a hundred thousand and eighty thousand li, leaving her breathless with every step nearer.
Her brain was also beyond her control, endlessly running wild with thoughts.
What would she do when she met his parents later?
How to greet them?
Would she give anything away about herself?
Just how did things develop to this point? Why was she suddenly going over to Zhu Liheng’s home?
Arriving downstairs, Zhu Liheng opened the door. The extremely simple décor gave a neat, refreshing feel.
Lin Jianzhi’s heart thundered rapidly!
“No one’s home,” Zhu Liheng suddenly said, easing the tense atmosphere. “My parents went out of town on a business trip.”
Lin Jianzhi’s entire being relaxed, finally able to gulp big mouthfuls of air.
Click!
The door closed. Zhu Liheng brought her house slippers.
His house was very tidy and quiet. So quiet that even breathing sounded deafening.
Lin Jianzhi had just changed into the slippers when she gave a violent jolt!
No one home?
It would be just her and Zhu Liheng alone together in a room?
Ahhhhh!
She was going mad again!
