Chapter 4: Poor Vision

A typical Monday morning.

The entire teaching building was lively between the third and fourth period, in the classroom.

“Let’s go to the canteen?” Huang Zhou tugged Lu Xi’s sweater hoodie, who was sleeping in the classroom.

Lu Xi frowned and straightened his upper body from the desk, “Wait a minute.” Without opening his eyes completely, he grabbed the water bottle and took a sip of cold water.

“What is this? Are you going to turn a new leaf?” Huang Zhou asked as he saw several folds of the notebook on the desktop, “memorising the words?”

“Yeah? Any comments?” Lu Xi chuckled.

If it weren’t for Zhou Si, would Xu Xuelin force him to memorize these words by threatening him with his pocket money?

He suddenly recalled the scene from yesterday afternoon’s make-up class. During the class he was too lazy to listen and didn’t cooperate with her yet she explained it again and again. It seemed like she didn’t have a temper at all…

Stop it.

Stop it quickly.

Lu Xi’s lip curled downwards. It was impossible for someone to possess such a good temper. She would definitely complain to his mother when she comes again.

“No comments.” Huang Zhou joked, “Congratulations on jumping into the sea of ​​study.”

Lu Xi didn’t give a shit about his stupid remarks. He pulled his short curly hair down, “Let’s go to the canteen.”

“Oh wait! Lu Xi, Lu Xi! “A female student with a low ponytail sitting in front shouted, “Bring me a bag of jujube yogurt!”

“Oh, okay.”

“Eh, don’t you need my meal card?”

Huang Zhou interrupted: “What meal card, I can treat you.”

“No.” The Low Ponytail refused. “No, please, Use my card.”

Lu Xi nodded, “Throw your card over.”

“Watch out oh-“

Raising his hand he caught the flying meal card and looked at it, “There is a lot of fancy stuff.”

“Take care of it!” The Low ponytail laughed as she scolded.

“Lu Xi! Wait, I want it too ”  Another female classmate, who was standing in the aisle and chatting with her friend, came over,  “Can you bring me a yolk cake?”

Lu Xi pointed to the side, “Let him take care of it.”

The female classmate’s cheeks bulged out, “Okay.”

“Let Huang Zhou help you to vent your grievances?” Huang Zhou pretended to be angry.

“No,” the female classmate handed him the meal card and smiled reluctantly, “Thank you.”

Huang Zhou was used to such “differential treatment” and didn’t care.

The corridor outside the classroom was spacious, and many students stood there chatting and laughing.

A male classmate rushed over, took Lu Xi and Huang Zhou’s shoulders, and went to the canteen with them.

“Yesterday, I levelled up to Starlight 4. See the speed?” The male student’s name was Pan De, nicknamed Panda. He was recently addicted to an esports game.

Huang Zhou interrupted, “I’m already Starlight 2. There is still a king here, isn’t it Axi?”

 Lu Xi raised an eyebrow, “Is it that hard to be the king?”

“Damn it, you’re so pretentious. Let’s go and kill the enemy together tonight.”

“Sure, nine o’clock in the evening.”

Pan De: “Axi won’t come?”

Lu Xi: “Of course I will play, and carry my two grandchildren with me.”

Huang Zhou and Pan De immediately said, “Fuck you.” “I am your grandfather.”

The concrete pavement was wet, and one or two drops of accumulated rainwater occasionally slipped from the treetops and branches on the top.

Lu Xi walked along with Pan De and talked about the technical points of playing a certain hero.

“Seven…Eight…”

“Nine, awesome.”

While crossing the teaching building, Pan De noticed Huang Zhou was talking to himself: “What are you mumbling?”

“Counting the number of girls who looked at Axi on the way to the canteen.” Huang Zhou was really serious.

Pan De said, “Axi’s face is very prominent and radiates a charm. I’m afraid you can’t count it.”

“I think I look like a light bulb.” Lu Xi pressed down the back of Panda’s head and turned to Huang Zhou, “Okay, don’t be so boring.”

The recorder Huang Zhou said: “Damn, add two more.”

Lu Xi silently wiped the water droplets on the corners of his lips with his thumb and looked up at the vibrant branches above his head.

“Ten, eleven, twelve.”

“This girl has been watching for a long time.”

“Thirteen. Wow, this girl is not bad,” Huang Zhou clicked his tongue, “Pure and temperament.”

Pan De: “Where? Where?”

Huang Zhou: “Five or six meters on the left, in a white coat. Axi look quickly.”

A girl with a high ponytail, naturally fragmented bangs, clear and beautiful features, like pure white jasmine in the morning mist.

Lu Xi had already seen her before he said this.

The “pure and temperamental” girl was none other than Zhou Sisi who had asked him for a lot of things.

  Pan De: “Hey, she’s nice.”

  Huang Zhou: “Yes, I’m right?”

  Pan De: “She looks like a senior sister?”

  Huang Zhou: “I guess she is. Axi, how is it? That girl is beautiful, right? “

Initially, Lu Xi was in a normal mood, “Not good.” But as soon as he saw her, his mood turned sour.

“Damn, you have a problem with your vision?” Huang Zhou couldn’t believe it. “Then what do you think Xiang Yinglan looks like?”

Xiang Yinglan was a female classmate who called Lu Xi to help buy her red jujube yogurt.

“She’s ok.” he said perfunctorily.

The senior sister in the corridor was not good, but Xiang Yinglan was okay? Huang Zhou said bluntly: “Your vision is really poor.”

“Plus one.” Pan De echoed, “I also think that the schoolgirl in the white coat on the corridor looks better.”

Huang Zhou: “Well then, Axi, which girl do you think is the best in our class…”

“Stop talking about other people’s looks.”He was getting impatient with this topic.

  ***

  Zhou Sisi went to the canteen to buy a few refills and returned to the classroom.

The monitor told her that the headteacher called her to the office.

“Report.”

“Come in.”

  The headteacher put down the unfinished teaching materials, “Sisi, have you been busy studying lately?”

 “It’s all right.” Zhou Si stood at the desk. 

  “Sit down.” The headteacher gestured to the empty chair next to her.

  “It’s okay,” she shook head, “I’ll just stand.”

  “Well, I’m here to talk about the recent speech contest. Did the English class representative show you the contest outline?”

  Zhou Sisi: “Yeah.”

  “Why didn’t you sign up?” The headteacher paused, “Your scores in all subjects, especially English, have always been best among the class, and your English accent is also excellent.”

  The subject taught by headteacher Wu Lan was English. When it came to English morning reading and homework during winter vacation, Zhou Sisi was the most punctual and attentive.

“This competition is at the provincial level, and the opportunity is pretty good.” Wu Lan hoped from the bottom of her heart that this outstanding student could participate.

Zhou Sisi knew the goodwill of the headteacher yet she answered, “…I don’t want to participate.”

“Do you have any concerns regarding not wanting to participate?” Wu Lan asked caringly, “You can talk to the teacher?”

Zhou Sisi stared at her toes, “I…I will become nervous.”

Talking in front of people always made her nervous. Even though she went to college in her past life, she never made her speech in crowded places and she didn’t like it either.

“Most people are nervous. If you are prepared, there is nothing to be afraid of. Why don’t you sign up and try?”  Wu Lan encouraged.

Zhou Sisi frowned, “I can’t.”

Just imagining the feeling of having to accept the unknown strangers’ gazes in front of her made Zhou Sisi feel terrible, she would definitely turn blank and speechless.

   There were many things to be dealt with, so Wu Lan didn’t have much time to persuade her, “Think about it for a few days. The registration will close on Friday afternoon. This competition is really good, and the award price is money. You can go back to class first.”

“Thank you, teacher.”

A light gray mist covered the sky.

During the eighth class of the afternoon, it began to rain.

Few minutes before the end of class Zhou Sisi’s deskmate Yi Ting whispered to her, 

“Have you brought an umbrella?”

“Yes.” Zhou Sisi closed the top student study case.

“Can you take me to the dormitory later?” Yi Ting blinked and asked, “I forgot to bring an umbrella.”

Zhou Sisi replied without hesitation: “Yes.”

“Sisi, you are so good!” Yi Ting rushed forward and hugged her hand.  

The school bell rang.

“Let go first.” Zhou Sisi chuckled helplessly, “Let me pack my things.”

Zhou Sisi didn’t live in the dormitory, she would go home after the class every afternoon.

“I envy you for being able to go home every day. I’m so envious.”

 “…Hmm.” 

After dropping Yi Ting, she walked alone in the rain with an umbrella.

… At this point, Chen Cui had already finished work.

In fact, she didn’t really yearn to go home.

Leaving the school gate and turning left, there were gradually fewer students on the road.

The wind was cool, the rain was still falling, and evening was yet to arrive.

The atmosphere was ideal for thinking about tangled thoughts.

During lunch she was dragged by the English class representative to see the notice of the English Speech Contest in the bulletin board.

The first, second and third prizes were awarded in addition to certificates.

It was quite an attraction to her.

But, standing alone on the stage and speaking, could she do it…

At this moment, a figure ran past her.

She looked up at the boy’s white sweater and jeans, and a pair of white sneakers stepped out of splashes.

“Lu Xi.” Zhou Sisi called his name.

The boy slowed down and looked back.

His nose was straight and his lips were red and moist.

His forehead was wet with water, and a few small strands placed on the eyebrows, and his eyes seemed to have been washed by rain, moist and fresh.

Raising his hand and wiping his face to see clearly who was calling him, Lu Xi turned his head and continued to run on.

  “Lu Xi,” Zhou Sisi shouted, “let’s go together, I have an umbrella.”

  “No.” Lu Xi’s refusal was hanging in the rain and mist.  

  “It’s not good to be in the rain, Lu Xi.”

   “Don’t get my notes wet.”