On Monday, after the second class, all students from the first and second year of high school went to the North Playground for the weekly flag-raising ceremony.
Class 9 was positioned directly in front of the flagpole, right in the middle of the playground. Boys formed one line and girls formed another, standing in order of height.
The summer sun was scorching, even though it was just past 10 o'clock. The sunlight fell on the exposed skin, causing everyone to break into a sweat.
According to the school regulations of Lin No.1 High School, students must wear their school uniforms when participating in the flag-raising ceremony. From afar, it looked like a sea of blue and white, except for the conspicuous group in the middle.
The group of boys at the end of the class line were wearing their own clothes instead of the school uniform.
Among the black, yellow, and red T-shirts, there were a few with unique colors, showcasing their alternative style.
Class 9 of Grade 12 was a very special presence in the school.
Inside, there were top-performing students who could rival the students from the experimental class, as well as second-generation rich kids who were at the bottom of the grade. The students in Class 9 were troublemakers, and the school had always turned a blind eye or remained indifferent towards their behavior. This had caused other students to view them with a sense of respect mixed with distance.
If the school couldn't control them, no one else could.
The head teacher had come once during his tenure and asked Xu Xingchun, who was standing at the front of the class, with restrained patience, "Why aren't the students in your class wearing school uniforms again?"
Xu Xingchun pursed his lips and answered mechanically, "Forgot to bring it."
"Forgetting again? How many times is this now?!"
Li Zhiping frowned and raised his voice, "Class 9, don't always try to be special within the grade. When you study in this school, you have to abide by the school rules!"
Xu Xingchun listened quietly, with an unchanged expression. His sharp eyebrows and calm eyes gave off a cool and composed vibe.
After giving some more advice, Li Zhiping hesitated to get angry directly at the boy in front of him, who was a top-performing student in the grade. He could only say, "Next time, remember to remind them in advance, but don't be too lenient."
After the headmaster left, the few girls at the front finally dared to exhale.
They whispered and murmured softly.
"Li Zhiping only dares to speak in front of the class monitor. If he's so brave, why doesn't he go to the back and talk to Xie Ci and his gang?"
"Hmph, what's the point of talking to those people? Will they listen?"
"Well, at least it's better than talking to the class monitor."
"Exactly, at least have the guts to go talk to those people at the back."
...
The conversations of the people nearby kept drifting into Ma Xuanrui's ears as she couldn't help but discreetly glance at the boy standing diagonally in front of her.
She looked for a while, her gaze perhaps too direct and intense. He noticed and turned his head to look back, casting a shadow on his profile in the sunlight.
She dared not continue looking and quickly lowered her head, but her heart was inexplicably flustered.
Ma Xuanrui and Xu Xingchun had been in the same class for two semesters, but they had spoken to each other very few times.
She knew he was good-looking and had excellent grades. Many girls in the class secretly admired him. After class, there would be girls deliberately approaching him with their homework, seeking his help. He would never be impatient, his expression always calm and polite.
If there really was a favorite of the heavens, it would be Xu Xingchun.
She was the kind of student that teachers in the faculty office would boast about to each other - a top-performing student with near-perfect scores in every subject, and impeccable looks.
She knew she was ordinary, inconspicuous among a group of glamorous girls. She had never even dared to confess her feelings to him.
But occasionally in class, she would daydream, filling her scrap paper with the three characters of Xu Xingchun's name.
During physical education class, she would secretly steal glances at him, knowing everything about his hobbies and even his grades by heart. She didn't dare to let anyone know about her admiration, afraid of being seen as delusional.
She could only steal glances at him.
Xu Xingchun, quiet and proud.
...
The flag-raising ceremony had reached its fifth item.
On the flag-raising platform, the host announced, "Now, We invite Qiu Qingqing from Class 8 of Grade 12 to deliver a speech under the national flag."
After finishing the announcement, the host stepped down.
The applause from below continued unabated, even mixed with cheers and whistles.
Xu Yan, who was originally looking down at the book in her hand, couldn't help but look up when she heard the commotion.
She saw a girl on the flag-raising platform from a distance, with a high ponytail, wearing a white school uniform and a pleated skirt. She exuded a confident aura from head to toe.
Qiu Qingqing.
Xu Yan recalled the name in her mind.
Oh.
She was the protagonist of the fight incident that happened during lunchtime that day.
Xu Yan regained her focus and continued reading her book.
As she lowered her head, she heard the casual conversation of two boys beside her.
"Hey, isn't that her? Didn't she just break up with Xie Ci recently?"
"When did that happen?"
"Last week, I think."
One of the boys answered nonchalantly.
Standing in front of Xu Yan, Fu Xueli couldn't help but roll her eyes and impatiently said to the two people beside her, "Fang Qicheng, you have a big mouth. It was clearly Xie Ci who broke up with Qiu Qingqing, I don't know who's spreading rumors."
Fang Qicheng raised his eyebrows innocently, smiling as he said, "Sister Xueli, I just heard it from others. Don't mind me."
He knew that Fu Xueli was close with Xie Ci and his group, so he decided to not say anything further.
Fu Xueli snorted through her nostrils and said, "Who's your sister?" After that, she closed her phone, looked around out of boredom, and her gaze landed on Xu Yan.
Her deskmate, wearing a blue and white autumn coat with a loose ponytail hanging over her shoulder, was quietly reading a book with her head lowered.
She felt out of place amidst the noisy atmosphere around her.
"What are you reading so seriously?" Fu Xueli slightly bent down, resting her head on Xu Yan's shoulder, and asked with lowered eyes.
"Oh, what?" Xu You tilted her head slightly, raising the book in her hand. "This?"
"Yeah," Fu Xueli replied.
Xu Yan closed the page and showed her the cover, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "It's a book by Long Yingtai."
Fu Xueli paused for a moment and asked, "Who is Long Yingtai?"
This time, Xu Yan found herself at a loss for words.
"Hahaha." After teasing Xu Yan, Fu Xueli asked, "Why do you always wear your school uniform? Don't you think it's ugly?"
She had been wanting to ask for a while why Xu Yan always wore her school uniform as an outer layer. In Fu Xueli's impression, even when it was hot, Xu Yan would only roll up her sleeves and never take it off.
"Isn't it required by school regulations?" Xu Yan was taken aback again, and earnestly asked in response.
Fu Xueli a joke, "What's the big deal about school rules? I've never heard of them since I was little."
"..."
Soon, the flag-raising ceremony came to an end.
The disciplinary committee member of the grade gave a speech, first summarizing the hygiene situation and late arrivals of each class last week. Then, as usual, the school announcement and criticism came through the loudspeaker:
Xie Ci, Song Yifan, Li Qing, and Fu Yishun, along with other students in the school, organized a fight on xxth of xx month. The impact was extremely negative, and it seriously violated the school rules and regulations. After the school's decision, the four of them were given a public criticism and placed on probation to be observed within the school.
We hope that other classmates can take it as a warning, study diligently, and abide by various school rules and regulations.
Before the criticism was even finished, there were sighs coming from below.
The students expressed that they have heard this type of public criticism countless times, and Class 9 has almost become a unique feature of the flag-raising ceremony at Lin No.1 High School.
The students in their class are probably the sum total of all the students who have been placed on probation in the entire school.
...
After basking in the sun for half an hour, the flag-raising ceremony finally ended.
The teams from each class dispersed, and Xu Yan and Fu Xueli blended into the crowd, moving towards the direction of the teaching building.
After walking for a while, Fu Xueli grabbed Xu Yan's arm and asked her earnestly in a low voice, "Have you ever forcefully kissed someone or been forcefully kissed?"
Xu Yan was dumbfounded for a moment, and then clearly couldn't handle such a question. She waved her hand and said, "That's too strange. We're still high school students."
"Tsk." Fu Xueli forcefully kicked a pebble by her feet, her mood seemingly suddenly gloomy.
She grumbled and muttered, still uttering shocking words, "High school students can already have babies, damn it."
Xu Yan remained silent.
Before she could say anything, two people walked by her, a male and a female.
The two seemed to be engrossed in conversation, and the female almost brushed against Xu Yan's shoulder as she passed by.
She looked up and met the gaze of the male who happened to turn his face towards her.
However, he didn't look at Xu Yan, his eyes slid past the person next to Xu Yan with indifference.
Fu Xueli continued to bow her head, oblivious, kicking the stones on the ground and cursing under her breath, "Damn it, damn it, damn that Xu Xingchun."
Xu Yan quickly pulled at her clothes, nervously saying, "Xueli, lower your voice."
The male protagonist whom her deskmate was cursing was only a few meters away from them.
As Xu Xingchun glanced in their direction as if by chance.
When the two people in front had walked far away, Xu Yan anxiously explained to Fu Xueli, "You just cursed the class monitor, he might have heard you."
Fu Xueli glanced at her and said, "If he heard it, then heard it. I've cursed him more than once."
After returning to the classroom from the playground, the fourth period class started immediately.
Xu Yan sat at her desk, organizing her books. The vertical air conditioner behind her was blowing cold air, and the air outlet was right towards her, giving her goosebumps.
The cool breeze kept blowing.
Her fingertips were icy cold, and as soon as she took out her pen to write, she felt a surge of warmth rushing down her lower abdomen.
Oh no.
This month has been busy with transferring schools, and I even forgot the date for my period.
Xu Yan felt frustrated as she rummaged through her school bag and pulled out a sanitary pad, stuffing it into her coat pocket as she checked the time.
"Xueli, how much time is left before class starts?" Xu Yan asked Fu Xueli.
Fu Xueli looked at her with a puzzled expression and replied, "There are five minutes left, what's wrong?"
Xu Yan nodded, bit her lip, and quickly headed towards the restroom.
By the time she came out after resolving the issue, there weren't many people in the hallway, and the corridor was quiet.
Worried about being late, Xu Yan couldn't help but quicken her pace and jog towards the classroom.
Class 9's classroom was located on the middle section of the third floor, near the back door where there was a staircase.
As she approached the corner of the staircase near the classroom, her footsteps suddenly froze.
She stood there, stunned.
There were two people kissing not far away.
A girl stood on the stairs, holding onto the boy's neck, tiptoeing to reach him, pressing her chest against his.
The boy didn't make any move, lazily leaning against the wall, allowing the girl to kiss him.
From her angle, Xu Yan could see the boy's face clearly.
It was Xie Ci.
Upon realizing this, Xu Yan couldn't help but be astonished.
What should they do in front of all the teachers passing by?
She stood rooted to the spot, unsure of what to do.
If she walked past them like this, it would definitely be awkward, but if she didn't, she would be late for class.
As she hesitated, her shy gaze wandered around, her cheeks flushed with a blush.
Then a thick and deep gaze locked onto her.
Xie Ci noticed her. There was an indescribable meaning in the depths of his dark and bright pupils, and his eyebrows raised.
Xu Yan's cheeks turned slightly red as she lowered her head, feeling extremely embarrassed. She wanted to pretend she hadn't seen anything and quickly walk past.
As she hurriedly accelerated her pace, she heard a playful male voice from beside her, "Xu classmate, seen enough?"