“Beep beep beep” Suddenly, my phone in my pocket rang. I pulled it out to see a message from an unknown number: Xiaoxiao, it’s Xia Wei, I have urgent matters and went to the countryside, please help me ask for a leave from Old Wen. I quickly called back, but in that brief moment, the phone was already off. Old Wen is our class teacher, Wen Qinghua. A man not yet forty but looking like he’s in his fifties, unkempt. Behind his back, Xia Wei and I always called him Old Wen. This should be the twelfth time I’ve lied to him, and the previous eleven times he easily believed me. But this time… he looked at me with suspicion: “Really?” I lowered my head and said, “Of course! Do you have any more questions? If not, I need to return to the classroom.” He picked up his large tea mug, took two big gulps, “Xiaoxiao, you’ve been distracted in class lately, is something wrong at home?” “Is there? Nothing’s wrong at home!” He pushed his glasses up, pretending not to care, “I’ve read your blog, some of it is very good.” I looked up in surprise, wow! This old geezer actually goes online. He went to my blog, he… he’s got some issues! “Don’t you think I’m in a puppy love?” I asked him, with a challenging tone. “You’re seventeen,” he said. “The school doesn’t allow students to date.” Am I supposed to be scared of you? Humph! I’ll say it proudly, I, Xiaoxiao, might not be pretty, but so what? My grades are always among the top in class. “I didn’t think you were dating!” He looked at me from above his glasses, looking quite comical. “On the contrary, that vague feeling, it’s subtle and beautiful.” OMG, I was speechless. “I’m going back to the classroom.” I didn’t want to waste time talking to him. “Wait. Xiaoxiao, I’ve always wanted to tell you, you’re a good girl, and reading your blog has proven that.” Should I be happy, being called a good girl by this old geezer? But I couldn’t be happy. How could a liar be a good girl? I stood there, unable to move. Wen Qinghua seemed oblivious to my change in mood, buried his head back into his grading, and waved at me to leave. I turned around and left.
After Xia Wei returned from the countryside, she seemed like a different person, often staring blankly into space for an entire self-study session. I didn’t ask her why she skipped class, nor did she mention it. Several times, I saw her drawing someone repeatedly on scrap paper, and it looked very much like Gu Nanxiang. “Xiaoxiao, you haven’t written about Gu Nanxiang on your blog for a while,” Xia Wei said, leaning over my desk and slurping her bubble tea. Ever since Wen Qinghua found my blog, I rarely went there to write. Just the thought of that unkempt old man reading my blog sent chills down my spine. “I want to turn over a new leaf and study hard,” I said. “Ah!” She exclaimed, her hand reaching for my forehead, “Even your personality has changed, are you still Xiaoxiao?” “Nonsense, of course, I’m still Xiaoxiao.” “Oh my God!” She clutched her head, “Can you please not use such positive words? If you hadn’t reminded me, I would’ve forgotten that we have an exam next month, and I know nothing, what if I fail?” “Are you scared of that? Are you still Xia Wei?” “I’m not Xia Wei, definitely not.” “Right.” “Then can you help me cheat?” “Give me a reason first.” “Xia Wei is a lazybones.”
