Don't Know Her
Yun Mi: Tell me... how can there be someone like this?
At three in the morning, Yun Mi burrowed into her soft covers, flipping over unhappily in bed.
Shancheng University Affiliated Middle School's math exams were famous throughout the city and even the country for being tricky, rigorous, and extremely difficult. Yun Mi's foundation was shaky, and she had just crammed her way through. As she struggled to apply formulas to the complex calculations on the test, it took a lot of effort.
She had finished the timed exam around two o'clock, but because it was so hard, she couldn't sleep afterward and ended up memorizing two more units of English vocabulary. When she flopped onto the bed, the friend she'd been messaging had also gone silent.
Her friend's last message: Mimi, even though what you said makes sense, and Chen Yiyang is a bit arrogant, but... he's handsome, gets good grades, has lots of friends, and his grandfather is a famous Chinese diplomat—that's Chen Lao. If I were him, I'd be even more arrogant. My tail would be sticking straight up.
Thinking of Chen Yiyang, Yun Mi frowned and muttered, "Whose side are you on anyway?"
Aunt Wen had asked Chen Yiyang to add her on WeChat for easier communication, but nothing had happened so far.
Yun Mi sighed.
Returning to her message screen, she saw only two people pinned at the top: one was her dad... and the other.
Yun Mi silently lowered her eyes. The girl's bright face finally showed a hint of sadness in the stillness of the night. She sent a new message.
[Tomorrow I'll officially transfer to Shanfu. Don't worry about me. Aunt Wen is very kind to me. She's gentle, beautiful, and confident, just like you. She even gave me a lot of pocket money... Of course, I won't spend it recklessly.
Everyone is nice.
The only one who isn't nice is Aunt Wen's son. He has a terrible temper, but I promise you, I won't get angry with him.
I also promise you—
I'll return to where I started and become your pride again. Mom.]
-
"What were you thinking, being late on your first day of transfer?"
Right after the first class ended, in the teachers' office, a group of teachers were trying to calm someone down.
Du Yun, the math teacher for Class 1 of Shanfu's high school first year, was forty-six, well-dressed, fashionable, and forward-thinking. Nicknamed "The Witch," she once single-handedly confiscated three phones in one class and charged into the girls' bathroom, creating an undefeated legend.
Yun Mi stood with her head down. The neatly-coiffed female teacher held her forehead, looking like she might faint from anger, and slammed the desk. "And this math... y-you this paper—"
"How can someone get eight big questions wrong in a row? Have you ever studied math? Do you recognize Arabic numerals?"
Yun Mi kept her head low, listening to the loud reprimand but saying nothing.
Inside, she was cursing Chen Yiyang.
She had gone to bed late last night. Though she woke up late this morning, she could have made it on time if she ran.
The key was that she knew where Class 1 was.
Aunt Wen had clearly told Chen Yiyang to take her to the classroom this morning, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Because of him, she was twenty minutes late.
Du Yun: "I'm asking you a question. Can you talk?"
Yun Mi defended herself: "...Of course I can."
"Backtalk?" Du Yun's chest heaved. She was about to explode when a faint "Report" came from the door. Seeing her prized student, Du Yun suppressed her anger, changed her expression, and waved him in. "Come in."
Chen Yiyang had come to return some competition-related documents.
The boy was wearing a simple dark blue school uniform, tall and lean, a natural clothes hanger.
Yun Mi watched him come in.
Seeming to notice her glare full of resentment, Chen Yiyang looked over.
Yun Mi abruptly turned her face away. What kind of person was he, not waiting for her?
Du Yun spoke pleasantly to Chen Yiyang for a few words, then coldly said to Yun Mi, "I need to contact your parents."
Yun Mi lowered her eyelashes, then after a while said, "I don't have parents. I only have an older brother."
She pointed and said, "This is my brother."
"..."
It was almost time for the long break.
Outside the office, it was noisy and bustling. Students were running around.
Du Yun's raging fury instantly turned into a dud. Following Yun Mi's pointing finger, she asked, "You're her brother?"
Du Yun laughed in anger. "Chen Yiyang, since when did you have a little sister?"
Yun Mi didn't look at him. Her heart was troubled, and the tips of her ears burned.
She stared intently at the red trash can in the corner of the office.
She just wanted to get back at him for not waiting for her.
She thought he would deny it, but the person next to her seemed to think for a few seconds.
His deep, magnetic voice had a metallic quality, as if it landed right on one's heart.
He said, "Just now."