Chapter 27
Lin Xiaozhi regretted her teasing. Wei Zhuoning’s usual tough exterior had made her curious about her vulnerable side. Now, with tears welling up in Wei Zhuoning’s eyes, she felt a pang of guilt. She hadn’t meant to upset her so much. Her comment, intended to be playful, had clearly struck a nerve.
Seeing the tears streaming down Wei Zhuoning’s face, Lin Xiaozhi panicked. The other students in detention were starting to stare. Thankfully, they were sitting in a secluded corner, and Wei Zhuoning’s head was bowed low.
Lin Xiaozhi offered a tissue.
“I have my own,” Wei Zhuoning said, her voice trembling as she roughly wiped her tears, her hand moving so forcefully that she nearly rubbed the skin off her eyelids.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Lin Xiaozhi said, gently taking her hand and wiping away the remaining tears.
Wei Zhuoning, surprised by her unexpected gentleness, asked again, “Why are you here?”
To see you cry, of course, Lin Xiaozhi thought, but she couldn’t say that. Smiling sweetly, she cupped her hand around Wei Zhuoning’s ear and whispered, “I was worried about you. I wanted to stay and keep you company.”
Wei Zhuoning pulled away, pretending to be busy. “There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just detention. You can go.”
Just then, the math teacher arrived, checking attendance. He noticed Lin Xiaozhi.
“Why are you still here?”
“Sir, Wei Zhuoning didn’t do well on the exam. As class president, I’m worried about her. Can I stay and keep her company?”
“Of course,” the teacher said, pleased. “Having such a caring class president is a blessing for Class Six.”
Lin Xiaozhi’s plan had worked flawlessly.
“Teachers are so biased,” Wei Zhuoning muttered. “If it were a bad student, he would have kicked us out.”
“Being a good student has its perks,” Lin Xiaozhi said, smiling. “Want to try it sometime?”
Wei Zhuoning shook her head. “I can’t. I’m not capable of it.”
Lin Xiaozhi took her hand, their fingers interlacing. “You can’t do it alone. But now, you have me.”
…
Thirteen students from Class Six, the most from any class, had been kept for detention, all having scored below fifty on the math quiz.
The math teacher, though not prone to yelling, was a master of long, drawn-out lectures. He spent half an hour reviewing the quiz, then proceeded to deliver a motivational speech that lasted until well after dark.
When they were finally released, Wei Zhuoning was starving.
“Dinner’s on me. What do you want?” Lin Xiaozhi asked, walking behind her, playing with her hair. Wei Zhuoning’s hair, slightly overgrown and unruly, with its thick bangs and natural curls, often bounced around her face, earning her the nickname “flowerpot head” from Lin Xiaozhi.
“Stop it!” Wei Zhuoning said, turning around. “And I’m not letting you pay.”
“I made you cry. I’m making amends.”
“Don’t mention that again!” Wei Zhuoning said, her voice rising. “And I wasn’t crying because of you!”
“Because of someone else, then?” Lin Xiaozhi asked, her face falling. “I misunderstood. I was being presumptuous.”
Despite knowing Lin Xiaozhi’s manipulative tendencies, Wei Zhuoning couldn’t tell if she was genuinely hurt or just pretending.
“Don’t say that…” Wei Zhuoning said, fidgeting with her backpack straps. “I was… angry at myself.”
“Angry at yourself? For what?” Lin Xiaozhi asked, easily catching up.
“For… letting my emotions get the better of me…” Wei Zhuoning’s voice was barely a whisper. She avoided eye contact.
She actually admitted it, Lin Xiaozhi thought, amused. So easy to manipulate.
She put her arm around Wei Zhuoning’s shoulders. “I’m really worried about you, Zhuoning.”
“Worried about what?! And don’t touch me! And stop calling me that! It’s creepy!”
Lin Xiaozhi tightened her grip, ignoring her protests. “With your personality… when you go to college, when you enter the real world… what if you meet someone bad? You’ll be taken advantage of.”
“Is there anyone worse than you?”
Lin Xiaozhi, pleased by the implied compliment, considered this for a moment. “Probably not.”
“You’re self-aware, at least.”
“But what if there is? Want to consider marrying me? It would save you a lot of trouble.”
“Save me trouble? Or lead me straight into your trap?”
They both laughed, the sound echoing in the empty hallway.
Wei Zhuoning stopped struggling. She knew from experience that once Lin Xiaozhi latched onto someone, it was impossible to shake her off. She might as well let her hug her.
They walked down the stairs instead of taking the elevator, their conversation continuing in hushed tones.
On the fourth floor, they heard voices.
Wei Zhuoning pulled away from Lin Xiaozhi.
“Why are you so nervous? We weren’t doing anything,” Lin Xiaozhi said.
“Shhh,” Wei Zhuoning whispered, hearing Chi Lin’s name mentioned.
…
“I got the pictures, but they’re blurry.”
“What do you expect? Over a hundred meters away, in the pouring rain, through a car window? This is the best I could do.”
“But we can’t see the ‘dry sister’s’ face.”
“We can see Chi Lin’s face. That’s what matters. As long as we can identify her, it’s proof!”
“You’re right.”
“That’ll show those people who defended her on the forum. Let’s see what they say now.”
…
Wei Zhuoning and Lin Xiaozhi, a floor below, had only heard snippets of the conversation. The two people continued talking as they walked towards the elevators.
“People are taking pictures of us at school? Are those the anonymous posters on the forum?” Wei Zhuoning asked.
“I don’t really use the school forum,” Lin Xiaozhi replied.
Wei Zhuoning, recalling the numerous gossip threads about her and Tan Luo, thought, She probably avoids it to protect her sanity.
“Those voices sound familiar,” Wei Zhuoning said. “Have we heard them before?”
“You can’t even recognize your own classmates?”
“What?!”
“Xu Yifang and Jiao Minxuan.”
“Holy crap, you’re right!”
Lin Xiaozhi looked at her with amusement.
“So… they took pictures of Chi Lin and her ‘dry sister’? Seriously?”
“They’re probably exaggerating. Chi Lin’s family situation is complicated. She has a sister, but it’s not a ‘dry sister’ relationship. Probably a stepsister or something.”
Wei Zhuoning, remembering seeing Chi Lin getting out of a luxury car with a beautiful woman, described the incident to Lin Xiaozhi, hoping for some insight.
“Was she prettier than me?” Lin Xiaozhi asked.
What a strange question…
…
Lou Mi and Chi Lin arrived at their grandparents’ house before Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan. The apartment complex was old, built in the early 2000s.
As they walked towards the elevator, Lou Mi said, “Remember what you did last time you were here? My grandparents might be forgiving, but they haven’t forgotten. Behave yourself. Don’t embarrass your mother.”
Chi Lin had no memory of the incident, having arrived in this era afterward. But the original Chi Lin had bragged about swapping her father’s gift of fresh fish with the grandparents’ pet fish, causing chaos in their aquarium. Lou Mi had nearly throttled her. ”If everyone hates me, I’ll give them a reason to hate me even more,” the original Chi Lin had declared.
At the door, Lou Mi, sensing Chi Lin’s nervousness, said, “Don’t worry. It’s just dinner. If you’re feeling anxious, you don’t have to talk. I’ll find you a book. You can just read quietly.”
“Is it appropriate to read during a family birthday dinner?” Chi Lin asked.
She actually wants to participate? “Just don’t give my grandparents another heart attack, and you can do whatever you want.”
Chi Lin had always been good with older people. She was confident she could charm Lou Mi’s grandparents.
“Coming!”
The door opened, revealing a plump, white-haired woman with a cheerful smile.
“Grandma! I missed you so much!” Lou Mi hugged her and kissed her cheek.
Chi Lin was surprised. You can… kiss your grandmother?
“Mimi, have you lost weight? Let me see you.” Her grandmother held her hands, examining her face. “Are you still not sleeping well?”
“I’m sleeping great! Look, my face is even rounder now.”
“Don’t lie to your old grandma. You’re all skin and bones. Take care of yourself, dear. Don’t work too hard.”
Then, noticing Chi Lin, she asked, “Is this your friend? Here for your grandpa’s birthday?”
Lou Mi burst out laughing. “You were doing so well, and then you messed up. Look closely. Does she look like my friend?”
Her grandmother, recognizing Chi Lin, gasped. “Is that… Xiao Chi Lin?”
Chi Lin bowed respectfully, presenting her gift. “Good evening, Grandma. A birthday gift for Grandpa.”
Her grandmother, still stunned, accepted the gift. Her grandfather, holding a spatula, emerged from the kitchen. “You’re here! Come in, come in!”
Chi Lin performed a formal greeting and then recited a birthday poem in a clear, resonant voice:
“May your jade-green tree of life flourish for a thousand years, your steps firm and steady through the ages. May your moonlit pond bloom with lotus flowers, your fishing line cast long shadows under the sun and moon. Happy birthday, Grandpa!”
Her grandfather, taken aback by her eloquent greeting, stared at her, speechless. Her grandmother was equally stunned. They stood frozen in the doorway like two statues.
Silence.
Did I overdo it? Chi Lin wondered. She had refrained from the traditional kowtow, opting for a simple bow and a poem, assuming it would be appreciated in this era of literary appreciation and televised poetry contests.
Lou Mi, clutching the doorframe, was struggling to contain her laughter. Her grandfather, finally recovering, thanked Chi Lin and invited them in.
“She’s grown up so much… so mature… even writing poetry now…” her grandmother said, leading Chi Lin inside. Her grandfather returned to the kitchen.
Lou Mi closed the door and called out, “Grandpa, why are you cooking? Is the kitchen AI broken?”
“It’s not broken,” he replied. “But I wanted to make something myself. It tastes better, more… human.”
“Be careful not to inhale too much smoke,” Lou Mi said.
“That’s how we did things in my time. Everyone cooked their own meals. Not like you youngsters, relying on robots.”
Lou Mi chatted with her grandfather for a while, then went to the living room and messaged her father.
“Where are you two? Grandpa’s cooking. Don’t make the birthday boy wait.”
“We’re almost there! Just getting out of the car!” her father replied instantly.
Lou Mi looked up from her phone and saw Chi Lin and her grandmother standing face-to-face in the living room, their expressions tense.
What happened?! She had only been gone for a few minutes! How did they manage to start a fight already? They seemed fine earlier. That little brat…
Just as she was about to intervene, they began circling each other, their voices rising in a rhythmic exchange of… operatic singing!
Lou Mi nearly tripped. They’re not fighting… they’re singing opera?!
Their voices, strong and clear, filled the room, their performance growing more animated with each line.
Lou Lixing and Peng Ziyuan, arriving with their arms full of shopping bags, heard the singing. It sounded live, not like a recording.
“Did Dad hire some opera singers for his birthday?” Lou Lixing asked.
Entering the apartment, they saw not professional singers, but their father, having finished cooking, joining Chi Lin and his wife in a full-blown opera performance, his booming voice nearly shaking the walls. Chi Lin matched their every note, drawing enthusiastic applause from her grandparents.
Lou Mi sat on the side, playing the erhu, a two-stringed instrument her grandfather had forced her to learn as a child, her face expressionless.
“You’re here! Sit down and enjoy the show,” she said to her parents.
They stared, speechless.
“Since when does Xiao Lin know how to sing opera?” Peng Ziyuan asked. And such a rare and obscure opera, at that. As her mother, she should know, but she didn’t. Chi Lin had always been tone-deaf, her singing a constant source of amusement and occasional ear pain.
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