Yuluo lied to Xia Dahao that night: “I’ll be studying late at school, not getting out until 9:30 pm.”
“No need! I have classmates on the way; I can come back by myself!”
Secretly watching you
Working and studying, days so busy they’re unbearable.
The restaurant work was simple – serving dishes, washing plates, cleaning tables – Yuluo could handle it all. What she couldn’t handle were the annoying men, whose eyes constantly roamed over her, asking her to pour drinks or trying to chat her up.
When encountering such people, Yuluo would usually retreat to the back. But if the boss was around, he’d push her: “Go serve customers up front. What did I hire you for!”
Fortunately, most men just looked. Only a few were touchy. Once, when a customer grabbed her hand while she was pouring drinks, she used force and spilled the entire drink on him. The boss intervened, saying, “It’s not easy for a young girl working her way through school—” which made the man grumble and back off.
Afterward, the boss scolded her: “What are you doing? Can’t someone touch you? I’ll dock ten yuan from your pay!”
Xia Yuluo finally understood how hard it was to make a living. She was young and hot-tempered, wanting to shout “I quit!” But thinking of the five hundred yuan monthly income, she swallowed her anger.
Her earnings plus Xia Dahao’s pocket money were quite substantial. She had to endure, for her mother, and to leave this place someday.
At school, Yuluo used all her time studying, even rushing to the bathroom. The only time she’d allow herself a break was when Fang Yuzhe was playing basketball on the playground.
Yuluo knew Fang Yuzhe was the basketball team captain, who had held the provincial basketball league championship since transferring to Xuyang.
Xiao Lin Yingzi was rumored to have handed him a love letter, but it went unanswered.
Fang Yuzhe was immune to girls, never showing interest. Though always polite, he maintained the same cool distance with everyone.
Yuluo would hide in an inconspicuous spot on the playground during his training, watching for ten or fifteen minutes before returning to study. Without those minutes, her mood would plummet, losing her appetite.
Xia Yuluo’s daily life was simply three things: studying, working, watching Fang Yuzhe play basketball.
