While she was lost in thought, someone sat down in the empty seat across from her. It was the male protagonist of the recent rumor, Shan Chen. He appeared here out of pure curiosity about how she would handle the rumor. Since that night, he had become inexplicably interested in her – who was she really? What was the story behind the scar on her wrist that she had carefully concealed?
He stared at Xia Qianyi, who was deep in thought. The wound on her forehead had healed, leaving a faint pink trace that could be easily covered with a bit of foundation. However, she seemed to care nothing about her appearance, allowing the light mark to be exposed in the sunlight. He had been waiting for her to notice him for a long time, only to realize she was treating him like he was invisible. Unable to bear it, he called out: “Teacher Xia!”
His voice echoed loudly in the empty cafeteria, startling her. She finally noticed Shan Chen sitting across from her and smiled mechanically, nodding: “Hello.”
He looked at her formulaic smile, observing how she smiled at everyone daily, like wearing a smiling mask. Despite her good concealment, he could see the sadness hidden beneath her smile. A person’s eyes cannot lie. He said, “Teacher, isn’t your smile a bit too fake?”
Her smile froze on her face: “What did you say?”
Shan Chen said disdainfully: “I said you’re hypocritical. You clearly don’t want to smile but force yourself to smile at everyone. Aren’t you living miserably?”
In the crowd, a pair of gloomy eyes stared at the handshake between Dan Cheng and Xia Qianchi. In a secluded tree-lined spot, he finally let her go, her hand still holding that photograph.
“Hey! Are you okay?” Dan Cheng called out worriedly. She still had no reaction, her gaze scattered, her breathing shallow. Suddenly, a sharp class bell pierced the sky. She woke up. Seeing Dan Cheng in front of her, her consciousness gradually cleared. Seeming to realize her own state, she swallowed hard, her voice hoarse: “Go back to class.”
Dan Cheng stared at her face, which changed in an instant, hesitantly saying: “You…”
“Go back to class.” She repeated, this time clear and brooking no argument.
