She Can Also Be Gentle

“Nuan Nuan, come, this is your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs.”

Chi Qingchuan put the ribs into the bowl, and then changed his hands to pick the second piece. Chi Nuan protected the bowl: “Brother, I’m full. Eat more with sister-in-law.” The seventeen-year-old girl has a soft voice, but the sister-in-law Yue Yun who sits opposite her is very immune to this voice. Pick and choose.

“That’s OK.” Chi Qingchuan didn’t force her, and turned to other things: “You will be back to school tomorrow. Brother can’t take care of you. Do you know if you can take care of yourself?”

The chopsticks stuck to the bottom of the plate, Yue Yun simply pushed the bowl: “I have been told 800 times a day, and there are calluses in my ear, so annoying.” Chi Nuan looked at her: “…Well, I know.”

    After the meal, Yue Yun sat on the sofa. Watching TV, Chi’s brothers and sisters huddled in the kitchen, Chi Qingchuan said to Chi Nuan: “Your sister-in-law was a little bit angry after she was pregnant, and there is no other meaning”.

  Chi Nuan put the washed bowl on the shelf to drain, and turned her head to see that Chi Qingchuan was cutting the apples for Yue Yun, and she took it with ease.

    Her fingers are dexterous, and her strength is well controlled. After an apple is peeled, the apple skin is not broken at all.

    Cut the apple into pieces and arrange it on the plate, and she motioned Chi Qingchuan to send it to Yue Yun. Chi Qingchuan picked a big piece and stuffed it into Chi Nuan’s mouth, and asked, “Is it sweet?”

Chi Nuan said, “Sweet.”

…It was still in the first month, and the air was clean and crisp. The weather is chilly, and Yuncheng No. 1 High School[1] has started. Chi Nuan’s home is far away from the school, she started boarding in high school[2], and went to school early to clean the dormitory. The four-person dormitory was not too late to warm up, and Xu Dan, who was sleeping in the same bed, also arrived. Together with the parents who were sending off to school, three people, and one place of luggage filled the small dormitory.

“Chi Nuan! Happy new year.” Xu Dan kicked away her luggage to clear a way for Chi Nuan.

Chi Nuan greeted her and said, “Hello, uncle and aunt.”

Xu Dan’s father made Xu Dan’s bed on the upper bunk. Her mother grabbed a handful of nuts and stuffed into Chi Nuan’s hands: “Dandan, you are learning from your monitor. The grades are good, and the mouth is sweet.”

Xu Dan pouted: “Mom, you are like this again! Can this be compared? Chi Nuan looks good, why don’t you make me look good?” Chi Nuan’s complexion is fair, the eyes are clear, the corners of the mouth are slightly raised, obediently soft, beautiful and non-aggressive, very flattering. All three of the Xu family laughed, Chi Nuan also laughed, the corners of the nuts stuck in her palms, which hurt. Her parents are no longer there, and she still can’t remember what happened when she was four or five years old. It is the older brother Chi Qingchuan who has always been positive and optimistic to bring her up. …

Before going to bed that night, Chi Nuan hung the blue and white school uniforms to be worn the next day on the bed rails. Xu Dan grabbed the bedside and told Zhao Jingjing, who was sleeping on her lower berth, that the gossip she had just learned was that Cao Pinhui, a lieutenant colonel, was suspected of having sex with Xue Wen from the art class. In the warm upper bunk, Du Min, who was immersed in the e-book, caught a few words, and immediately: “Xue Wen! That’s cool! I saw her smoking in the toilet last time!” Xu Dan and Zhao Jingjing all turned to her inexplicably, Xu Dan said: “Can your ability to grasp the key points work? The handsome man is better than Cao Pinhui, and was taken by Xue Wen!” Du Min said in confusion: “Ah…they weren’t in the same group? People are inseparable all day long. It’s weird not to fall in love.”

“…”

Chi Nuan laid the quilt and said to the three girls who were sleeping together before going to bed: “I turn off the light?” “Turn it off. —— Huh? Nuan Nuan, do you know Xue Wen?” Xu Dan remembered, “I seemed to see you talking to her in the music classroom at the end of last semester?” Chi Nuan replied: “ I’m not familiar.” Du Min: “Is it true that it is said that’Chenglan Tower’ was donated by Xue Wen’s family to the school?” Zhao Jingjing said “Wow” and put her head under the quilt: “Okay, stop it, go to bed, sleep, don’t say anything.”

Xu Dan and Du Min laughed. Cao Pinhui is Zhao Jingjing’s male god. In fact, Cao Pinhui is the male god of many girls in Yuncheng No. 1 Middle School. This kind of domineering, stubborn, bad and handsome boy always becomes the focus wherever he goes.

……

After returning to school, the pace of learning accelerated. With a blink of an eye, it’s been more than a week since school started. After the first class this morning, Chi Nuan, as the monitor and representative of the Chinese class, was conscientiously urging homework one by one.

Xu Dan ran in from outside the classroom, a little excited, and grabbed Chi Nuan’s crooked ponytail: “Squad leader, He Liwen is looking for you!” He Liwen is the class teacher of the second and sixth class, teaching Chinese. Class 6 is on the far right side of the second floor, Chi Nuan walks to the language group office on the far left. Although the temperature is not high yet, because it is a sunny day and a lot of late warmth, the wind is not cold at all. Bathed in sunlight, she quickly walked into the office, knocked on the door and asked: “Teacher He, are you looking for me?” He Liwen was standing at the desk, talking to a girl in a white coat. Hearing the movement, she turned her head and said, “Oh, Chi Nuan , come in.” He Liwen picked up an A4 paper and handed it to Chi Nuan across the desk: “The new semester has begun, and the blackboard newspaper will be published again. This is the school. Please follow the arrangements.”

“Okay.” Chi Nuan took the paper and scanned it roughly. He Liwen said again: “This is Gu Ningzi. This semester is transferred to our sixth class. Chi Nuan, you are Squad leader, take care of your new classmate in normal times.” Chi Nuan looked over after hearing this and found that she was standing next to her new classmate, with her head reaching only to the other’s shoulder.

“…..”

As a girl, the new classmate is so tall. Chi Nuan greeted her: “Gu Ningzi, hello.” Gu Ningzi turned sideways slightly, looking down, thin lips and long eyes, her eyes thick and deep, reflecting the corners of Chi Nuan’s smiling mouth. “Yeah,” she said. Chi Nuan : “…” He Liwen still has something to tell Gu Ningzi, Chi Nuan returns to the classroom first. The class bell rang. This is He Liwen’s class. The class is still noisy if the teacher does not come. Chi Nuan sat down and looked around: “Class is in, everyone be quiet!” The monitor’s words were as deterrent as before. Even Xu Dan, who was sitting next to her, came to join in the fun: “Did you see that girl in Awen’s[3] office?” Chi Nuan nodded, and Xu Dan exaggerated: “Tsk, I just glanced at her at the door of the office. After that, the entire portrait was struck by lightning, and my mind was empty!-How do you think she grows? How can she look good Such an excellent person?”

Xu Dan took out a small mirror from her pocket and looked at her face left and right: “If I don’t have freckles, I can barely get a pass… You said that?” Chi Nuan’s thoughts returned to just now. Language class. The sunlight rushed in through the window, and there were countless small dusts floating in the air. The new classmate is thin and tall, with hair over the shoulders, and the white coat is open, revealing the low-necked sweater inside. And the looming collarbone. “…Fuck! Why did she come to class with Awen!?” Xu Dan’s mouth opened into an O shape unconsciously, and Chi Nuan raised her head. He Liwen walked in from outside the classroom, Gu Ningzi behind her, and the two stopped on the podium together. He Liwen waved her hand to quiet the class: “Students, this is a new classmate who has just transferred to our class. Let’s ask the new classmate to give you a brief introduction!” Dozens of eyes in the class stared at the podium. The boy made a strange noise secretly. Chi Nuan was sitting upright in her position, just like everyone else, observing Gu Ningzi curiously. She couldn’t see that Gu Ningzi had the emotions such as nervousness and excitement that she had just arrived. She seemed to be completing a boring task. Her voice was so flat that she was almost alienated: “Gu Ningzi.” He Liwen waited for a few seconds before confirming her new classmate. After the “brief” self-introduction was really only so brief, she took the lead and applauded: “Okay, let’s welcome the new student.”

The classmates applauded and welcomed her with face. When the applause stopped, He Liwen said, “Who…, Zhou Damao, you move your things to your desk, Gu Ningzi, sit there first…. Now we start the class. Ah.” He Liwen arranged the seat, and remembered something, and faced Chi Nuan’s sitting direction: “Gu Ningzi hasn’t received the school uniform and teaching materials. The monitor will take her to get it after class.” Chi Nuan nodded and said yes. Xu Dan covered her mouth and chuckled, “I’m going to change positions with Zhao Jingjing in a while. Hey, you will give me the class communication book.” Zhao Jingjing sat in the front seat of Zhou Damao. After the Chinese get out of class, Chi Nuan walked up to the podium to convey the school’s instructions on publishing a blackboard newspaper. Zhou Damao braced her arm and laughed lazily: “Squad leader, this job is the same as before. You are qualified to do the job alone. You can do more.” Others: “Zhou Damao! Shut up! You are spilling the truth!” … Chi Nuan got down from the podium as usual and walked straight to Gu Ningzi’s table. Gu Ningzi sat quietly with her hands in her trouser pockets, watching her. Chi Nuan asked, “Should I get the book?” The school broadcast was broken, and I hadn’t done morning exercises for two days, and there was still time to go to the textbook section during the big break.

 “Okay.” Gu Ningzi said, and got up from the chair.

    She was much taller than Chi Nuan. Chi Nuan only felt that she was covered by the whole child. The pressure on her height made her subconsciously take two steps back.

    In the textbook section, Gu Ningzi leaned against the wall, looking at all the textbooks for the second year of high school after Chi Nuan went around.

    Thanks to the teacher of the textbook subject, Chi Nuan bent over to hold the textbook, but was stopped by a white palm.

    The palm of her hand was pressed on the uppermost language book, her fingers were slender, nails were clean, and the back of her hand showed light blue blood vessels.

    Gu Ningzi took a step and held the textbook into her arms.

    “These are heavy, let me help you.” Chi Nuan wanted to take away a few books, but Gu Ningzi avoided: “No.” The two went to the classroom together, and Chi Nuan proposed to help Gu Ningzi hold the book midway. Gu Ningzi still said: “No.”

    Seeing her persistence, Chi Nuan had no choice but to give up, telling her about the school uniform: “It’s too late to get it. I’ll accompany you after school. You wear 170? “

    Gu Ning :” 175 “

    Gu Ning postures without a word.

“You are quite tall”, it seems that there is really no need to answer… Chi Nuan put her hands in her pockets, and came up with a new topic: “Gu Ningzi, where did you transfer from?”

    Gu Ning Zi: “North.”

    Chi Nuan: “Then you are not from Yuncheng?”

    Gu Ningzi: “That’s right.”

    Chi Nuan: “Oh.”

    …

    Chi Nuan took a breath and continued: “…Our sixth class, all of my classmates are pretty good, and you’ll know when you are familiar with it…. Anyway, you are welcome to be one of us.”

    Gu Ningzi: “Oh.”

    Chi Nuan: “…”

 Forget it, that’s it. It seems that everyone is not very good at chatting.

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[1]- there are two tiers in the secondary education in China. The first one, normally three years (7-9) are 初中, the second tier (10-12) is 高中, and combined they are 中学. And schools with both tiers are simply called High School too. So basically this school offers both levels of education. In the raws its refered to as Middle school, I will use High School for the sake of convenience cuz she is in the high school division.

[2]- High school refers to the second tier of secondary education. To sum it up, she is in the last 3 years of school, in the second semester.

[3]- Awen refers to He Liwen. In China adding ‘A’ to names is a more affectionate and casual way of calling.