The elevator's arrival chime rang, but Ji Nian didn’t head toward it. Instead, she stepped out and glanced around, spotting the familiar green mobile trash bin nearby.
She walked over, hopped onto the flower bed’s edge, and pulled the trash bin toward the school building.
It took a great deal of effort to drag the bin inside.
After everything was settled, Ji Nian let out a long sigh of relief and finally took the elevator.
As class time approached, the lobby filled with students, but by the time the first bell rang, it was nearly empty.
The cleaning lady hurried over and, upon seeing the trash bin in the corner, exclaimed, “Huh?”
She was sure she had left it in the hallway. How did it end up here?
Could it have been a student?
Just as she was pondering this, the hallway door suddenly swung open, and a slender student walked out. The moment their eyes met, the student quickly looked away.
Upon closer inspection, the student’s eyes were slightly swollen, with tears clinging to their dark lashes.
Seemingly caught off guard by someone being outside, the student’s pale lips pressed tightly together.
“Classmate, what are you doing here? The pre-bell has already rung,” the cleaning lady said.
Hearing this, the student finally snapped out of their daze and hurried toward the elevator, muttering a soft “Thank you, ma’am” as they passed.
The cleaning lady watched as the student entered the elevator, then turned back, only to spot another trash bin in the hallway.
“Huh? Huh?”
She glanced back and forth between the two bins.
Then she recalled the student’s expression earlier.
Could the person who moved this bin have known someone was crying inside and brought a new one to prevent others from disturbing them?
Realizing her thoughts were running wild, she shook her head and chuckled.
Kids this age wouldn’t be so thoughtful.
...
Before the pre-bell rang, Ji Nian lay on her desk, sending a message to Shen Qingtang on her smartwatch.
: Are you there yet?
: How’s it going?
Shen Qingtang didn’t reply—probably hadn’t seen the message yet.
Ji Nian then turned to pester Ji Tingzhou instead.
To her surprise, Ji Tingzhou replied instantly.
Dad: Aren’t you in class?
Seeing how quickly her dad responded, Ji Nian’s fingers flew across the screen.
: Almost, almost. Dad, are you there yet? How’s Shen Qingtang? Did she meet her grandparents?
Dad: Yep.
A single word, so typical of Ji Tingzhou.
Ji Nian wanted to say more, but the pre-bell rang, so she turned off her watch.
As the teacher entered the classroom, a small figure followed closely behind.
Since the class bell hadn’t rung yet, the teacher glanced over briefly before turning away.
Ji Nian’s eyes swept past the scene, and she quickly focused on her textbook.
During the break, Ji Nian went to refill her water bottle and happened to see the usual troublemakers gathered around He Xiang’s desk.
She watched as He Xiang pulled a few homework notebooks from his bag and handed them over, while the others placed five- or ten-yuan bills on his desk.
Perhaps her gaze was too obvious, because He Xiang suddenly looked up and met her eyes through the gap.
His dark, bright eyes locked with Ji Nian’s slightly surprised emerald-green ones, but he quickly averted his gaze, as if burned.
His hand gripping the money tightened, crumpling the corner of a bill.
Ji Nian didn’t mean anything by it—she was just curious who had inspired the quiet boy to start doing homework for others.
As she turned to leave, she suddenly heard a shout: “Watch out!”
Ji Nian instinctively paused, but the person in front of her didn’t react in time and barreled straight into her.
The steaming hot water in their hand—likely for making milk tea—fogged up their panicked expression.
Just as the two were about to collide, someone grabbed Ji Nian’s arm and yanked her out of the way.
The cup of water missed her and smashed onto the floor, splashing droplets onto Ji Nian’s shoes.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you! Are you okay?”
The other person quickly apologized.
Ji Nian looked down at the water spilled on the floor.
If someone hadn’t pulled her aside, the angle suggested the water might have splashed onto her shoulder or face.
Thinking of the scene in the original story where ‘Ji Nian’ was disfigured, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of fear.
“Just be more careful next time. It’s fine.”
The person hadn’t meant any harm, so Ji Nian didn’t make a fuss. She then turned to thank the person who had pulled her aside.
To her surprise, it was He Xiang.
Realizing what he’d done, He Xiang awkwardly lowered his head.
“Thank you. If you hadn’t pulled me, I might’ve gotten burned.”
Hearing Ji Nian’s gratitude, He Xiang looked up, meeting her eyes, which resembled the deep green of a hometown pond.
“…No need.”
He reverted to his usual quiet demeanor, a stark contrast to his earlier boldness.
Just then, someone called out to Ji Nian.
“Ji Nian, someone’s looking for you.”
Ji Nian stepped outside to find a group of kids from Class 5, led by Yang Xinyu, shouting in unison: “Boss!”
The other students nearby stared in shock.
Ji Nian: “……”
“What’s up?”
“We have P.E. with Class 1 this afternoon. Can we come hang out with you, Boss?”
Ji Nian wanted to refuse, but after a moment’s thought, she nodded. “Come find me during free time.”
As if following some script, the kids stomped their feet and thumped their chests with their fists.
Ji Nian: “……”
The gesture felt oddly familiar, like something she’d seen in Shen Qingtang’s room, filled with anime posters.
During P.E. class, Ji Nian played basketball for a while before stepping aside to check her smartwatch. Shen Qingtang had replied to her morning messages ten minutes ago.
: We’re here!
: My grandparents are great, but they cried a lot when they saw me. Uncle Ji talked with them for a long time, and they calmed down afterward.
: We’ve agreed to visit the place where my dad is buried together when we get back. Grandma let me try her homemade peach blossom pastries—they’re delicious! I told her I wanted you to try them too, and she said she’d pack some for me to bring back.
: Grandpa even said he’d carve me a little wooden horse. He has so many beautiful wooden carvings!!
It was clear Shen Qingtang was overjoyed, sending so many messages in one go.
Ji Nian replied to each one.
She was glad Shen Qingtang’s family was treating her well, though she couldn’t help but wonder if the grandparents, having met their son’s daughter, might try to keep Shen Qingtang with them.
As she pondered this, Ji Nian noticed someone collecting empty bottles from the trash bins where students had tossed them after drinking.
Ji Nian checked the time and decisively walked over.
“He Xiang, are you collecting bottles?”
Hearing Ji Nian’s voice, He Xiang stiffened, glancing at her briefly before muttering, “Yeah.”
He seemed nervous that Ji Nian might ask if he was doing this to earn money.
But Ji Nian didn’t pry.
Instead, she pulled a fresh bag from He Xiang’s half-open backpack.
“Let me help you.”
“And thank you for saving me this morning.”
She used the word “saving,” a weighty term.
