Volume 1 / Chapter 31: A School Morning with No One Around
Giving up outright had never been Mò XuÄyĂĄoâs style.
At the very least, she should try to find a way in?
With that thought, she began checking the corridor windows one by one.
She remembered how, back in middle school, there was always one classroom window that either couldnât shut properly or was left open on purpose. That way, someone locked out could still climb in through it.
Unfortunately, the last person to leave the classroom every day at YÇkĹng High was LÇ WÇnyĂĄn. And she wouldâve double-checked every window before leaving. Sure enough, each window facing the hallway was shut tight. Not a single one had been missed.
Still unwilling to give up, Mò XuÄyĂĄo grabbed one and started shaking it.
The metal frames rattled loudlyâclank, clankâthe noise echoing through the otherwise silent school building.
She remembered back in middle school, shaking the latch hard enough could sometimes get it to pop open on its own.
Sadly, the windows at YÇkĹng High were much sturdier. No amount of shaking did the trick. After trying every one and still coming up empty, she could only let out a defeated sigh.
âAhhh⌠where should I go eat, thenâŚâ
She still couldnât stop thinking about the fried noodles in her backpack. If she didnât eat them soon, theyâd get cold.
And cold fried noodles just didnât taste the same.
Leaning against the hallway windowsill, she peered out toward the sports field.
YÇkĹng High had a large field, complete with a wide variety of athletic equipment. Along the edge of the field, near the bushes, stood several wooden benchesâjust like the ones youâd find in a park.
Well⌠maybe not actual wood. More likely just plastic made to look like wood.
They didnât have tables, but they were still good enough to sit on.
Decision made, Mò XuÄyĂĄo hurried off.
Her rushed footsteps echoed through the empty corridor, injecting a bit of life and energy into the silent campus.
The morning sun was slowly rising, casting soft golden rays that warmed her face.
She plopped down onto a benchâthen instantly jumped up again with a gasp.
âSo cold!â she muttered, rubbing her bottom. This time, she gathered her skirt beneath her before easing down slowly. The chill was still there, but at least it wasnât as shocking.
Even though her thigh-high socks covered most of her legs, she could still clearly feel the icy surface beneath her.
Shivering slightly, she gave a little shake and didnât bother waiting for the seat to warm up. She quickly opened her backpack and took out the fried noodles and savory tofu pudding.
âThank goodness itâs still hot,â she said to herself in relief. She unwrapped the two layers of plastic bags, ripped open the disposable chopsticks with one hand, flipped open the foam containerâand immediately began eating.
Breakfast at home usually consisted of plain congee, pickled vegetables, and a bit of Meigan cai âpreserved mustard greens with pork belly.
Technically, the dish included pork, but nobody at home was willing to eat it. The meat was there more for the scent. Only when someone couldnât resist anymore would they steal a bite.
Compared to that, this box of fried noodles felt like a feast.
It had slices of pork loin, bits of sausage, green vegetables, cabbage, bean sprouts, and carrots. Each ingredient was tasty on its own, and when combined, the flavor was heavenly.
Because her family wasn't well-off, Mò XuÄyĂĄo had learned to truly savor her food.
Unless it was something sheâd eaten so much that she was sick of it, she always made a point to focus on the tasteâlet the happiness of good food flow through every inch of her body like warm blood.
She didnât eat large portions, but she ate quickly. Within five or six minutes, the entire box of noodles was gone. Only then did she remember she still had a cup of savory tofu pudding left.
She packed the empty container back into the bag and set it aside. Then, piercing the plastic lid of the tofu cup with a straw, she took a small sip.
âMmm⌠so warm⌠so comfortingâŚâ she murmured, eyes half-closed, basking in the calm of this quiet morning.
For a brief moment, it felt like this entire school belonged to her and her alone.
And then, an unfamiliar school bell began to ring.
It wasnât the usual bell. It started softly, grew louder, and had a sort of airy, melodic quality to itâalmost like it was designed to gently wake people up.
Moments later, the dormitory building erupted into chaos.
The previously quiet campus suddenly came to life.
On closer listening, it wasnât that many voices, actuallyâjust enough to shatter the silence.
Roughly ten minutes later, the same bell sounded again.
Yè Rån, the P.E. teacher, came out of the dorm building and blew his whistle, the sound sharp and commanding.
A small group of around 20 to 30 students stumbled out after him. One of them yawned, triggering a chain reaction of yawns from the rest.
These were the schoolâs boarders.
YÇkĹng High didnât require students to live on campus. Only those who lived far awayâtoo far to commute easilyâcould apply for a dorm room.
So, not many students lived on campus.
Although the school was a bit out of the way, it was still within Hangzhouâs urban area. Most students could get to school within 40 minutes, whether by bike or bus.
The ones who did board all lived over an hour away. They ranged from first-years to seniors, with both boys and girls among themâthough there did seem to be slightly more girls.
Maybe boys didnât like the restrictions of dorm life. Given the choice, they probably preferred a longer commute.
Under Yè RĂĄnâs whistle-blowing, the students lined up and began jogging around the field.
Yes⌠this was morning exercise. Only for the boarding students.
And when winter came, theyâd have to run again during morning assembliesâtwice in one day.
That was the price of living on campus.
Although, arguably, it was a healthier lifestyle.
By the way, boarding at YÇkĹng High was completely free. So the teachers who supervised them were basically doing it out of goodwill.
The students jogged past Mò XuÄyĂĄo in small, scattered groups. Many looked curiously at her.
After all, aside from the boarders, no one else should be here this early.
And if she were a boarder, sheâd be out there running too.
âOne-two, one-two! No slacking! Keep moving!â Yè RĂĄn jogged behind the students, blowing his whistle. âÄn RuòsĂš , donât run so fast! Just a light jog is enough in the morning. Save your energy!â
Mò XuÄyĂĄo looked at the boy he was yelling at.
His back looked⌠kind of familiar.
Had she seen him somewhere recently?
She furrowed her brow, trying to rememberâbut just as she was on the verge of figuring it out, Yè RĂĄn interrupted her thoughts.
âMorning! What are you doing here so early?â he waved at her cheerfully. âWant to join the run?â
Maybe he didnât recognize herâor heâd forgotten she wasnât allowed to do strenuous exercise.
Either way, he sounded genuinely enthusiastic.
But she definitely didnât want to join in, and quickly shook her head like a rattle drum.
âMorning exercise is good for your health,â he said.
âI did exercise this morning⌠rode my bike for half an hour to get here,â she mumbled.
âHalf an hour on a bike? Thatâs a decent distance.â Yè RĂĄn stretched lazily and jogged off again.
Before she could respond, he had already caught up to the last boy in the group and clapped him hard on the back. âHey! Wake up! Falling asleep while jogging? Thatâs a new one.â
âSooo sleepyâŚâ the boy muttered, yawning again and again.
Meanwhile, the boy named Än RuòsĂš had already finished another lapâpassing by Mò XuÄyĂĄo again.
This time, she finally remembered who he was.
He was⌠her deskmate.
The boy who sat in the second row by the window.
He looked like he was about 170 cm tall. Not buff like some sporty guysâjust lean and well-proportioned. Clearly built for running.
In 1999, 170 cm was a respectable height for a high school boy.
To Mò XuÄyĂĄo, it was perfect.
Back when she was still a boy, she had dreamed of reaching 170 cm.
Now she was 158 cm.
Still holding out hope for a sudden growth spurt that might shoot her up to that ideal height.
But 170 cm might be asking a bit much.
She blamed her mother for holding her back.
Her dad was 172 cmâbut her mom didnât even hit 150.
So being 158 cm was already thanks to her dadâs genes!
After finishing two and a half laps, Än RuòsĂšâs body was steaming with sweat. He stopped, exhaling deeply.
âAlright, Än RuòsĂš, you can go do your own thing now!â Yè RĂĄn called out.
He nodded and strolled toward the school gate, still looking surprisingly fresh.
The school cafeteria didnât serve breakfast.
So he was probably heading out to buy food.
There were plenty of breakfast stalls near the school.
Having seen enough, Mò XuÄyĂĄo downed the rest of her tofu pudding in one goâeven scooping out the last bits of pickled mustardâand let out a satisfied burp. Then she tossed the trash into a large bin.
She had planned to walk around the campus a bit more before heading back to class, but then she spotted LÇ WÇnyĂĄn entering the school gates.
Change of planâshe headed back to the classroom.
It was only around 5:30 a.m.
LÇ WÇnyĂĄn wasnât usually this early.
Even 6:30 wouldâve been plenty of time for her. Yet she had arrived this early for two days in a row now.
When LÇ WÇnyĂĄn unlocked the classroom door, Mò XuÄyĂĄo crept up behind her.
Then gave a soft cough.
She had originally wanted to play a little prank.
But then she thought of the class repâs stern face⌠and chickened out.
The cough wasnât meant to scare her, but LÇ WÇnyĂĄn flinched slightly and turned around somewhat frantically. When she saw it was Mò XuÄyĂĄo, her calm composure quickly returned.
ButâŚ
Something was off.
Were those⌠bruises under her eyes?
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