After dinner, Quan Zhisui was called to the teacher's office. Her head teacher, Qian Ya, asked about what had happened at lunch and gave her some simple words of comfort before letting her go.
When it came to Zuo Zichen, the teachers seemed to turn a blind eye.
When Quan Zhisui returned to the classroom, Wei Shixu and Kong Mingze were not there.
She had just sat down when a girl from the front row walked over - the top student in the class. Quan Zhisui had seen her in the cafeteria before and quickly took the initiative to speak: "Thank you for just now in the cafeteria."
At the time, she had been surrounded by a group of troublemaking students while Ding Xing seemed to want to smooth things over. This girl had stood by her side, arguing back with reason.
"My name is Zhuge Ying. Nice to meet you, new classmate," she said, sitting down in Kong Mingze's seat next to her.
Quan Zhisui adjusted her sitting position to face her. "Nice to meet you, Zhuge Ying."
Zhuge Ying glanced around the classroom. "I saw you eating with Kong Mingze and Wei Shixu. Where did those two go?"
Quan Zhisui shook her head. "I don't know. I just came from the teacher's office."
"Oh," Zhuge Ying nodded her head, and then there was a long silence.
Quan Zhisui opened her mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say to continue the conversation. It was obvious that Zhuge Ying had something she wanted to tell her, but she didn't say it.
Or maybe she didn't know how to say it?
Zhuge Ying furrowed her brows for a long time before finally squeezing out: "You weren't too scared today, were you? Zuo Zichen is just a petty thug! If you have any more trouble, go find Kong Mingze. Although his grades are bad, he's kind-hearted and will definitely help."
Quan Zhisui went along with her words. "Mm, I'm not afraid of Zuo Zichen."
Zhuge Ying seemed to be struggling with something. She tentatively asked, "What do you think of Wei Shixu?"
Quan Zhisui answered sincerely, "He helped me. He's a good person."
Zhuge Ying asked again, "Do you think he's handsome? He's recognized as the school's top heartthrob. Many girls like him."
Quan Zhisui replied very honestly: "Handsome."
Zhuge Ying's frown grew even tighter as she hesitated over what to say next.
Just then, Kong Mingze's loud voice came from the doorway: "Wei Shixu, hurry up! The ice is melting in the milk tea!"
Zhuge Ying quickly glanced towards the door. As she got up, she said softly, "Appearances can be deceiving. I'll head back to my seat."
Quan Zhisui was taken aback but nodded and said "Okay."
Kong Mingze walked into the classroom with his arm around Wei Shixu's shoulders, immediately shouting towards the back corner upon entering: "Quan Zhisui! Have some milk tea!"
Then he strode over to her.
Wei Shixu broke free of Kong Mingze's hold and glanced lightly in Quan Zhisui's direction before sitting back down in his front row seat.
Kong Mingze swung three cups of milk tea in front of Quan Zhisui. "You pick first, we'll drink what's left."
Quan Zhisui exclaimed happily, "Thank you!"
She didn't stand on ceremony either, quickly taking a cup. Her martial arts senior brothers who had gone down the mountain would bring her milk tea before, so she knew it wasn't expensive.
Kong Mingze said, "Hey! Wei Shixu bought you lunch, so I'm buying you milk tea. You'll find time to teach me a move or two later?"
Quan Zhisui opened her milk tea and put it on the desk. "Sure, I'll treat you when I get some money too."
Kong Mingze immediately turned and shouted boastfully at Wei Shixu in the front row: "Quan Zhisui said she'll treat me to milk tea! Hurry up and come pick one, or I'll drink both!"
Just then, a classmate by the window called out, "Wei Shixu, someone's looking for you outside!"
Kong Mingze started jeering, "Ooh, the school hunk is so popular!"
Quan Zhisui looked outside and saw a sweet-looking girl standing in the hallway, holding a cup of milk tea.
Wei Shixu got up, but didn't head straight for the door. Instead, he took a staggered step, turned around, and strode directly towards the last row until he reached Quan Zhisui and Kong Mingze's seats. As he passed them...
He reached out and took the cup of milk tea on Quan Zhisui's desk.
Quan Zhisui: "???"
Kong Mingze: "???"
Right after, Wei Shixu turned back around and walked towards the door, raising the milk tea in his hand at the girl outside as he went. "Got it already."
He hadn't even stepped out of the classroom. His actions were baffling.
The other students in the class were shocked speechless. All their eyes were glued on Quan Zhisui, staring as if they wanted to see right through her.
Kong Mingze had no idea what to say. He shoved the remaining two cups of milk tea onto Quan Zhisui's desk. "He's crazy, ignore him. Mine's for you too."
Quan Zhisui's feelings were complicated as she pushed one cup back. "One is enough for me, thanks."
Outside in the hallway, Zhou Chun's face was pale white. She looked deeply at Quan Zhisui, eyes reddening as she ran off.
Kong Mingze was in a pretty bad mood after that commotion. The milk tea remained untouched on the table.
After a while, Zhuge Ying walked over. "Kong Mingze, you were late this morning and didn't hand in your homework."
Kong Mingze made a pained expression. "Ah, Class Rep, you know I never do my homework. Why do you ask me the same thing every day?"
Zhuge Ying: "Just routine."
Kong Mingze: "How come you don't ask Quan Zhisui for homework?"
Zhuge Ying looked at him like he was an idiot. "It's her first day transferring in."
Kong Mingze pushed the milk tea into her arms. "Have this milk tea and give me a break today!"
"Deal," Zhuge Ying took the milk tea and left, very readily.
Kong Mingze was dumbfounded, then extremely delighted. "Why didn't you say earlier you wanted milk tea? I'll buy it for you every day from now on. Don't ask me for homework anymore!"
Zhuge Ying waved her hand without turning back.
Kong Mingze's mood instantly lifted as he started playing on his phone.
Quan Zhisui watched Zhuge Ying's retreating back, then looked at Kong Mingze, lost in thought.
...
In the afternoon classes, Quan Zhisui still couldn't understand and was learning in fits and starts. She was in low spirits as she packed up her schoolbag after the final bell.
Kong Mingze, on the other hand, was fully rejuvenated. "Quan Zhisui, let's go eat dinner at the cafeteria together. Bring Wei Shixu along too."
Quan Zhisui shook her head. "I'm going home to eat. There's dinner at the cafeteria too?"
Kong Mingze said, "There are boarding students, like Wei Shixu. They have evening self-study too. We day students can come and go freely, but once we hit senior year, everyone has to attend evening self-study compulsorily."
Quan Zhisui glanced over at Wei Shixu, a little surprised that he was a boarder. This explained why he had so much money on his meal card.
Unable to get Quan Zhisui to join him, Kong Mingze went straight to Wei Shixu. He hooked an arm around the other's neck and dragged him towards the door. "Keep me company for dinner! Cafeteria or eat out, you pick!"
Wei Shixu pushed his hand away. "You're so annoying."
...
Quan Zhisui walked out of the school gate alone and headed to the bus stop.
She didn't have a cell phone, and the incident that morning meant she hadn't seen the family driver either. But in all likelihood, no one would be coming to pick her up after school anyway.
Quan Zhisui was very clear that she didn't have any expectations of the Zuo family.
There were many people at the bus stop going home after school, and the platform was crowded.
While waiting for the bus, she overheard some girls behind her talking about what had happened at lunch.
"I saw with my own eyes Zuo Zichen about to hit that girl, and Teacher Ding was biased. Wei Shixu came in holding evidence and shielded her!"
"Wei Shixu held her hand too!"
"That's not all... You know what happened in Class 3 this afternoon with Zhou Chun looking for Wei Shixu?"
"What what?"
"Wei Shixu shared a cup of milk tea with a girl from their class!"
"Really? Zhou Chun said that?"
"Zhou Chun was crying when she came back."
"The same girl? Milk tea and cafeteria, it was the same person?"
"I guess so..."
"Oh my gosh! I thought Wei Shixu would end up with Zhou Chun for sure!"
