It's been a while since Huan Hei and Ya Nuo had attended school and they needed to catch up on school work. Their parents already explained to the school and the teachers excused their absences. Since they were the top scorers in their year, the teachers were lenient and didn't let the absences affect their final grades. They were given a week to study for their make-up midterm exam and then another three weeks to catch up on their schoolwork before the finals.
Like usual, Huan Hei was early to pick her up and she had just finished tying her shoes. "I'm leaving~" she hugged Hei's arm as they walked to school. She's in her male disguise, so others would often give them a few glances, but they didn't care.
Once they've reached the school area, she stopped hugging his arm. He sighed, "How great would it be if you could come to school in your female uniform and long hair down. This way, we could walk around while holding hands."
She let out a small laughter and patted his back, "College."
Right, he almost forgot that they were getting closer to graduating from high school. Once this year is over, they will officially be going off to college. Huan Hei didn't think of what major he is interested in and he never thought of asking Ya Nuo about it either. Since he was suddenly reminded of it, he asked, "Nuo, what do you want to study in College or University?"
She paused in her steps, "hmm... I don't know what I want to study, but I definitely know what to not study. No matter how great my grades are, I hate history and art. So... History is equivalent to hell. Art is equal to sending me to heaven. There you go. I need to see what I want to do first. Maybe I will take a year or two off and look for different jobs before going to college."
"Hahaha, I remember your funny expression during the history and art classes. Your artworks are not too bad, but it'll take you like five days to end up with one decent draft. Well, it's okay. You can take your time thinking about your studies. Besides, you no longer have to worry about your tuition fees now that you reunited with your family. They will support you," he nodded.
"Well, my parent's money is theirs. I want to go to school and do everything with my own hands. So, I will apply for many scholarships to waive my tuition costs and work as I study to earn my livings. Even though they dote on me, I don't want to become someone spoiled and always stretch my palm out to ask for money. They might have a lot of money, but it's not mine," she straightforwardly expressed her thoughts.
He rubbed the back of his head as if he had said something wrong, "Ah, sorry. I forgot that you are used to being independent. But you can always depend on them if you need help. Just remember that everyone is here to support you."
She noticed his averted gaze and softened her facial expression, "Hei, I might be independent, but you don't notice it when I depend on you. You are so used to being with me that you never realized how much I actually lean on you. I reunited with my family recently, and I'm still trying to adjust my lifestyle. Sometimes I wake up thinking that this is all a dream and that I'm really trapped in that awful cold attic. Therefore, I will try my best to act more demanding if that's what makes them and you feel better."
He smiled after hearing her thoughtful response, "Uh huh. We'll always be there for you."
They turned the corner of the hallway and met an old acquaintance, Hen Qing. As soon as he saw her, he stepped in front of Ya Nuo and acted as a human barrier, shielding Ya Nuo from her. Hen Qing revealed a cold smirk, appearing hurt and insulted, "You don't have to do that you know? What can I do to her when you're both conscious and we are standing in the middle of the hallway?"
Ya Nuo patted his shoulders signaling him to relax his tensed body, "It'll be alright. She won't be able to play any tricks here."
Hen Qing got closer to the couple and Huan Hei remained alert. He subconsciously held Ya Nuo's hand and pulled her behind his body as he protected her from every angle. Seeing this made Hen Qing feel envious, "Lucky girl. It could have been me behind him." She remarked and turned the corner, leaving the couple by themselves.
"She looked pretty hurt just now. Finally gave up on you probably."
"Who cares about what she thinks? I rejected her nicely once, and she planned against us. I wouldn't dare to date someone as scheming as her. Too low," he mercilessly commented, knowing that Hen Qing could clearly hear his response. He noticed the side of her sneakers sticking out from the side of the wall, which means that she was eavesdropping on them.
"Liking someone is not wrong, but her methods were indeed twisted. I can't say much about the shameful things that she has done. You should avoid contact with her in the future, so she could get over you quickly," Ya Nuo reminded him to not let his guards down even if she uses any tricks.
Meanwhile, Hen Qing heard what they said, and her hands crumbled the student handouts that she was holding, 'I pretend to not care so you would notice me, not add salt to my old wound. Why won't you notice me? Why only her? I should have been your girlfriend! How could you not feel pity for me? I already acted like a weakling and avoided saying more than a few words. Was it not convincing enough?'
Ya Nuo felt some chills down her spine while walking and shivered in response. "Sss..." she looked at the goosebumps on her arms. 'Something bad is going to happen... very soon. I have a bad feeling.'