"Has Xie Yue replied to you yet?"
"I'm really going crazy. That damn Xie Yue... said Chen Yiyang scolded him today, so he wants to get revenge. He'll only participate if Chen Yiyang does. Yun Mi..."
Ding Yuan was about to cry. "There are only thirty hours until the celebration. What am I going to do?"
At the mention of Chen Yiyang, Yun Mi couldn't help but glance toward the back of the classroom. Chen Yiyang wasn't in his seat. The boy's figure was tall and upright, his jawline sharp and clean. He was leaning against the back door, talking to a cool figure—Xu Zhiyu.
Yun Mi's gaze returned to Chen Yiyang. Yesterday, he had held an umbrella for her and given her his jacket, getting soaked himself.
He was probably a decent person, right?
Yun Mi gritted her teeth and said to Ding Yuan, "Maybe I can ask him for you?"
Ding Yuan looked up expressionlessly. "Ask who?"
Yun Mi's mind flashed back to the way Chen Yiyang and Xu Zhiyu had been talking just now. The girl's eyes were curved, as if there was good news. Yun Mi looked down, unable to suppress a hint of jealousy. "Who else? Xu Zhiyu's ex-boyfriend, the one who has to join before Xie Yue will, the cold, heartless, stinky, cheating, big idiot—Chen Yiyang."
"..."
Ding Yuan's expression froze instantly.
She watched as the boy Yun Mi was badmouthing stood not far away, arms crossed, raising an eyebrow with a hint of arrogance and disdain.
Chen Yiyang wasn't feeling well today—dizzy. He was about to speak but happened to overhear Yun Mi's righteous rant. A cold, amused glint flickered in his dark eyes.
Ding Yuan anxiously poked Yun Mi's arm and whispered, "Mimi."
"Huh?" Yun Mi hadn't reacted yet.
Ding Yuan, desperate to salvage the situation, felt that when asking for a favor, she should say something nice. She braced herself and tried to improve Yun Mi's image: "Actually... I don't think Chen Yiyang is that bad?"
Yun Mi looked confused: "???"
Under Chen Yiyang's icy stare, Ding Yuan forced herself to continue: "I think Chen Yiyang has high EQ and speaks really nicely!"
Yun Mi suspected Ding Yuan was possessed by a ghost. She laughed derisively and criticized, "When we first met, you said, 'Better to offend a villain than Chen Yiyang.'"
Ding Yuan felt doomed. She looked out at the blue sky and white clouds: "Really? I forgot."
Seeing him turn and walk away, Ding Yuan dejectedly pointed at the nearby spot.
Yun Mi suddenly turned and saw the person not far away.
Her heart sank to the bottom.
Chen Yiyang had returned to his original position. He sat down, propping his chin on his hand. His cold, fair skin was pale, and his distinct dark eyes coldly stared at his homework.
Yun Mi turned back.
A bit terrifying.
She lowered her eyes and whispered to Ding Yuan, "Why did you point at Chen Yiyang?"
Ding Yuan remained silent. The eerie silence was like a warning signal. Yun Mi's heart was dead, a sense of foreboding surging. She asked, "Did Chen Yiyang... hear what I said?"
Ding Yuan wished she could swear on three fingers. She lowered her voice, tinged with guilt: "I can testify—"
Yun Mi clung to a last shred of hope: "?"
The next second, that hope was shattered by Ding Yuan's tearful words: "Basically... he heard everything."
Yun Mi's face instantly fell.
-
During the long break, Yun Mi finally got through to her father's side. Her father's colleague said Yun Guanlan's fever had broken.
Yun Mi finally felt relieved and asked, "That's great. Can I go see him in Shanghai during summer vacation?"
On the phone, the tone was troubled: "He'll probably go back to Africa after recovering. There are many patients here. Xiao Mi, you know what your father is like..."
Uncle Zeng's tone was affectionate, as if Yun Mi and her own father were strangers.
Yun Mi softly replied, "Mm," interrupting the rest. "It's okay, Uncle Zeng. Thank you for taking care of my father."
Uncle Zeng sighed. "Your father is still asleep, hasn't woken up. He had a high fever these days but didn't take it seriously. He never says when he's uncomfortable. How are we supposed to know? He was just listless, moping around without joking with us, and suddenly collapsed straight down. Scared us to death. Your father... he's just too strong-willed."
Her father was like that.
His eyes only had his career and patients.
Listening to Uncle Zeng's description, Yun Mi felt a pang of worry and suddenly thought of someone.
Chen Yiyang had seemed listless today too.
Yun Mi couldn't help but search for the boy's figure.
Chen Yiyang was already in the line, his face indifferent, eyelids drooping.
He seemed to have slept through both math classes.
Ding Yuan came to call her to the playground. Yun Mi said, "Ding Yuan, wait for me!"
She waved at her friend, turned, and quickly ran downstairs in the opposite direction from the playground.
-
After the monthly exam, the long break was for the principal's learning summary. The principal had just received his speech script. All smiles, he was on his way to the stage when he caught Yun Mi. His face darkened: "Daring to be late for your first long break? You're asking for it!"