On Monday, during the flag-raising ceremony.
William arrived at the sports field just in time.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't go," Mr. Anderson pushed his glasses and said to William, "Why aren't you wearing a school uniform?"
"Washed it."
"Why don't you wash yourself? I've told you many times, you must wear a school uniform on Monday for the flag-raising ceremony. Why can't you remember? Go back and write an 800-word self-criticism and give it to me."
William replied, "Got it." He stood at the back of the class.
Mr. Anderson was speaking passionately on the podium, having spoken for thirty minutes without any intention of stopping.
Daniel said, "Mr. Anderson is as stable as ever in his performance."
Hao Ming replied, "Who says not?"
William looked indifferent and didn't speak.
It was time for the outstanding student representative from last semester to speak, thanking the teachers and parents for their cultivation. Daniel had heard these words so many times that he was almost tired of them. After a long speech, it finally ended.
On Monday morning, a large number of students in the class were dozing off.
Mr. Anderson somehow slipped from outside to the front of the podium. Seeing the students dozing off, he knocked on the table and said, "You are in the prime of your youth, how can you sleep every day?"
Someone below weakly replied, "Tired."
"Spring drowsiness, autumn fatigue, and summer naps; as long as you are lazy, there is no time when you are not tired. Don't make excuses for yourself, understand? There will be an exam this Friday, you can start reviewing. Stop sleeping. Don't just be a giant in thought, but take action. If I remember correctly, your class ranked last in the last exam, right? Work hard, and some students in senior three can still get into university. I don't want to see some students in your class scavenging for food in the dump in the future."
Daniel replied, "Mr. Anderson, it's not to the extent of scavenging for food in the dump, is it?"
Mr. Anderson said, "If you don't study well, you can only go to the vegetable market to pick up leftover vegetables to eat in the future."
Daniel: "..."
Mr. Anderson talked for a long time until the class bell rang. He smiled at the teacher outside and then left. Standing outside, he said to the class, "No more sleeping." He saw William sitting at the back and said, "Remember to give me the self-criticism."
"Got it," William responded.
"What self-criticism?" someone asked.
William lifted his eyelids and said in a light voice, "For not wearing a school uniform."
"Alright."
Ellie watched William take out a piece of paper from his drawer and wrote the word "self-criticism" in half a class period.
"Today, I did not wear a school uniform, seriously violating school rules and discipline. I have now deeply realized my mistake, and I promise..."
Listening to the voice beside her, William glanced at Ellie and wrote down what she said, then asked, "Why do you seem so skilled at this?"
Ellie replied, "I've never written one, but isn't that roughly how a self-criticism is written?"
William was silent for a while and said, "Thanks, little classmate." He managed to piece together the self-criticism through most of the class, and turned his head to find Ellie still working on math problems.
Good students really study all the time.
——
After lunch.
William heard someone in the class say that someone was looking for him outside. As soon as he went out, he saw Scarlett waiting outside.
"William."
William glanced at Scarlett, pulled her to the side, and said, "Are you done? You said you just wanted to see me, and you've seen me. Can you stop disturbing my life? Please?"
Scarlett held something in her hand and said, "I didn't mean anything else, I just thought you might not eat well, so I came to bring you food."
"First, I don't need what you bring. Second, I'm doing fine and don't need you to disturb me. Third, don't appear in front of me again." William finished speaking and left.
...
Most of the class had already started their noon break, but William didn't go back. He went to the restroom to wash his face.
He looked a bit agitated and even more fierce. He leaned against the railing outside, his gaze unfocused.
He had made it clear, and he had tried hard not to care about these things.
Why did she keep disturbing his life?
Why?
Those things were like scars on his body. They had scabbed over, but Scarlett's constant appearances kept tearing open his scars, reminding him over and over what had happened before.
He could not forgive Scarlett, nor could he forgive Xu Yanyu.
His heart struggled repeatedly.
Little voices kept jumping out and telling him.
She is your mother, no matter what, she is your mother.
The blood in your veins is hers.
But he always remembered the day Scarlett resolutely told him, "I don't want to drag along a burden."
She had said she didn't want him, and he had barely accepted this fact. Why did she come back to find him and break his peaceful life?
And Pearl was still talking about Xiao Yu before she died, even so, she didn't wait for Philip to come back.
No matter what he did, Philip never gave him a smile. After Pearl left, his relationship with Philip dropped to an all-time low.
He later found out that Philip didn't come back in time because Scarlett had a fever, and Philip had rushed to see her out of town.
Pale and slender fingers reached over, and William looked up to meet Ellie's gaze. Her apricot eyes were filled with laughter, clear as a deer in the forest. Her eyelashes were still wet, having just washed her face as well.
Her hand opened, revealing a piece of candy in her palm, wrapped in pink and white paper, strawberry flavored.
"Why give me candy?"
"I feel you're not very happy. Eating candy can make you happy."
William's clear black and white eyes finally focused as he took the candy from her hand and said hoarsely, "Thank you."
The candy was strawberry flavored, sweet in his mouth.
Ellie stood beside him and said, "Although I don't know why you're unhappy, eating something sweet will always make you happier."
William looked at her and heard her continue, "Every time I was unhappy before, I would eat a lot of candy, almost ruining my teeth, but I was indeed happier."
"If someone who left you before, would you forgive her?"
Ellie thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "No, why should I force myself to accept someone who made me sad and make myself even more unhappy?"
"You're right."
Ellie stared at him for a while, then handed him a piece of paper, saying, "Class is about to start, I'll go back first."
Although William usually looks fierce, and he looks fierce now, Ellie saw a bit of loneliness and unhappiness on him as he stood there.
William took the paper and watched the slender figure slowly leave. He looked down at the paper in his hand.