CHAPTER 16: CHAPTER 16: SWALLOWS ARRIVE, QING WU, JIANGNAN TO YU HANG

School, whether it’s middle school or high school, these two periods with heavy academic burdens, are filled with adolescent vigor and dark pains within their rectilinear spaces; countless students in uniforms always harbor their own colorful fantasies.

Some are about the future, some about the present, some about themselves, and some about others...

School belles and beaus, top students, second generation officials, and rich second generations—these identities stand at the pinnacle of fantasy.

Beauty, wealth, power—these are the microcosms of the social value system.

Class 2 of Grade 12 is no stranger to such microcosms.

Yhan Qingwu is the peak of their class.

From a wealthy yet mysterious family, with a gentle face as sorrowful as the moon, Qingwu possessed a slender figure, like a willowy green shoot or a softly fragrant orchid, yet she maintained a cold indifference. Such a girl, upon arrival, scored first place in the entire school with her stunningly solitary aura. Even in a big city, she would stand out among the crowd.

As both the school belle and academic ace, she was the very embodiment of faith within the whole of Second High School. Her every move could easily create tumultuous waves.

Even though she was currently so close to these classmates, within less than a year, she would spread her dazzling wings and fly into a much broader world, a stark contrast to the thirty percent of her classmates who wouldn’t make it to university.

Everyone would be left behind her, including these teachers.

Class 2 was notable solely because of her presence.

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"Hello..." Yhan Qingwu glanced at Sui Yi, slightly furrowed her brows in thought, recalling fragments about her.

Sui Yi, she seemed somewhat familiar.

Yhan Qingwu had transferred to the school during the last week of the previous year and barely made it for the final exam of Grade 11, securing her position in Second High School by achieving the most conspicuous first place in her grade.

This was poles apart from Sui Yi’s mediocre class ranking. By the way, the second-ranking student in Class 2 didn’t even make it into the top hundred for the entire Grade 11.

But that wasn’t important. What was important was that under such circumstances, Yhan Qingwu was not very familiar with Sui Yi, having met only a few times, so she still greeted Sui Yi.

This in itself showed she was very well-mannered.

"Hello"

Sui Yi responded as well, and then both of them went about their business, packing up.

However, to others, such a greeting was worse than none at all.

They were classmates who had been together for a week and also through a winter vacation. Meeting again at the start of school with just a "hello"—was this appropriate?

Sui Yi clearly didn’t think it inappropriate. She shoved all her books into her drawer and glanced at the clock on the wall.

The senior year was a nightmare. Classes ended at half-past eleven, and then they had to return for self-study after just an hour, which meant this hour was merely for having lunch.

If the teachers delayed class, lunch would be like going to battle! Perhaps keeping some bread on hand was an instinct for many students.

She might as well go to the cafeteria. It seemed her meal card would last her for half a month. After that, she’d have no money for food.

Sui Yi moved quickly, heading straight for The Gate. As others caught on, only those who lived nearby or were well-off enough to have a car to pick them up went home for lunch; most headed to the school cafeteria.

"Let’s go, school’s out. Lin Lan, let’s eat!"

"Let’s go!"

"Qing Wu, are you coming with us?"

Someone called out to Yhan Qingwu. Qing Wu shook her head softly, "No, thank you. You go ahead."

"Oh, then we’re off."

As they walked away, Qian Fengling tugged at the girl who had called out to Yhan Qingwu, speaking in irritation, "Why did you call her? Would someone like her eat in the school cafeteria?"

"Just giving it a try... My mom said it would be very beneficial for our grades to get along with her... Besides, she either takes the bus or rides a bike every day, she doesn’t seem that remarkable!"

Grades? Qian Fengling glanced sidelong at the baby-faced, pouty girl and sneered coldly.

Could an ordinary family raise a child with such an air about her? Could she really afford shirts worth hundreds to thousands like Sui Yi?

Truly, a bunch of naive and ignorant fools!

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When Yhan Qingwu stepped out of the classroom, she happened to witness a scene not far away, and her eyes momentarily brimmed with light.

Was that... the top student from the next class? With her desk mate... Sui Yi?

Sui Yi had left the classroom, followed by someone behind her. She turned her head to look at the person who caught up and stood in front of her.

"You seem to really like standing in front of people," Sui Yi passed by him, walking ahead.

"Hey, do you really not know who I am? We’ve met so many times,"

"Mm, I remember..."

"Then you still..."

"Having met doesn’t mean I know your name, nobody told me."

"I’m Yu Hang, my name is Yu Hang, now someone has told you!"

Yu Hang grinned, hands stuffed in his pockets, walking beside Sui Yi and stealing a glance at her face, "Are you going to the canteen, ah? Let’s go together,"

",....."

Sui Yi gave him a look but didn’t respond.

One after another, they entered the canteen, got their meals in succession and sat down facing each other before Sui Yi finally felt at leisure to look at Yu Hang; with her hands stacked on the table, she was silent for a while before she said, "Go on..."

Go on... about what? Yu Hang’s gaze flickered and he snapped back to reality, stirring his noodles with a fork and laughing, "I saw what happened to you on the bus."

He raised his fork high, poking at the air enthusiastically, "That move of yours was cool! You’ve trained, haven’t you?"

He seemed so certain.

Every youth has a martial arts dream. Did this kid think she was a master from the Martial Arts World? No wonder the usually arrogant person would condescend like this...

On any ordinary day, he would have surely scorned her by now, considering their lives belonged to completely different worlds.

Sui Yi found it both amusing and ridiculous, but without any ill feelings toward him, she took a sip of milk, soothing her somewhat upset stomach. Her slender and pale fingers touched the clear glass, looking translucent and pale.

"Do you think it’s appropriate to say that to someone who can’t even pass the 800 meters race each year?"

Sui Yi gently reminded him, causing Yu Hang to realize that indeed, Sui Yi was physically weak and often missed gym class.

"But you..."

"It was just a fluke,"

Sui Yi ignored him and continued to eat. Yu Hang, his face full, fixed his gaze on her, but he soon became puzzled,

Her graceful demeanor, eating slowly and quietly, was serene and soothing. Her cultured elegance flowed like water, a sight for sore eyes.

This Sui Yi’s background...

"Sui Yi, who taught you to eat like that?" Yu Hang was accustomed to asking whatever came to mind, and naturally, it was the same with Sui Yi.

Sui Yi didn’t answer until after she had finished eating and taken another sip of milk. She then pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth.

Replied: "Self-taught."

Self-taught? Yu Hang choked, "Self-taught? How could that be? Your way of eating..."

"Eating is a habit, mostly taught and nurtured by parents and family. But for those without parents or family, the only option is to teach themselves. If you’re very curious, you can consider that I taught myself quite well. I’m finished eating, please excuse me, you take your time."

Sui Yi was very sensitive, she had already noticed the many eyes looking her way, including one or two particularly sharp ones that seemed like they wanted to pierce her.

Having put down the napkin, she promptly left, leaving Yu Hang with a look of embarrassment.

Speaking of which, he had forgotten again that this person was an orphan.

(This story will also have some details about school life, which may be related to my feelings of nostalgia after being over two years out of school. I always feel that the most beautiful colors of life were hidden within that ivory tower, whether it’s the pure white of chalk, the light blue of the school uniform, or the black of late-night tutoring sessions, they all drenched the blooming years of the campus. After graduating, whenever I see high school students, I can’t help feeling sad, even though back then, I was just an ordinary student, as ordinary as one can be. Youth? What is that! Fate? The fates of others are decided from the start, but I hope Sui Yi’s fate will be one that soars to the heavens!)