But her gaze paused.
Twenty whole classes separated them, a huge distance spanning almost half the playground.
Yun Mi couldn't see clearly, but with just a glance at that familiar silhouette, she knew it was Chen Yiyang.
Her heart ached.
She used to know that Class 2 and Class 23 were far apart, but she never knew exactly how far.
Xie Yue saw Yun Mi's perfunctory attitude and frowned, glancing at Ding Yuan beside Yun Mi.
"..."
Xie Yue stood at the edge of Class 1's line, hesitating. He cursed, then hardened his resolve and said firmly, "Chen Yiyang is sick, you know? Stay away from him."
"What?" Yun Mi thought she misheard.
Xie Yue emphasized, "He's sick."
The girl's dazed expression faded. Her almond eyes widened, shocked and worried as she stared at him and asked, "Chen Yiyang is sick? A cold or fever?"
"No..." Xie Yue clicked his tongue, not knowing how to say it. He couldn't just say that your brother who will really become your family member likes you. He could only force himself and say, "Yes."
Hearing that "Yes," Yun Mi's heart skipped a beat.
The principal had already finished his speech. The教官 were leading students to disperse for the welcome party.
The twenty-three classes needed to gather into a huge circle around the playground.
Xie Yue was afraid that saying more would upset Yun Mi, but when he looked up, she was already gone.
-
Classmates were discussing that each class would perform a show, in order, with Class 1 going first.
Chen Yiyang saw at a glance that Zhou Shihui had brought a guitar.
He had one hand in his pocket, his expression cold and indifferent. Just as he was about to follow the crowd to the venue, he suddenly heard someone calling him from behind.
"Chen Yiyang!"
Yun Mi had run all the way. Her high ponytail swayed gently with each step. The camouflage military training uniform made her look neat and spirited.
Before Chen Yiyang could react, the girl lowered her head, frowned slightly, and carefully examined him from head to toe.
"Where do you feel unwell?" Her tone was anxious. "Do you need to go to the hospital? It's late, the school hospital would be empty already..."
What?
The students had already found their seats and were waiting for the performances. A few教官 were urging, "Hurry up!"
Yun Mi immediately stepped forward and said urgently to the young教官, "Instructor, this is my brother. His friend said he's not feeling well. I might need to take him to see a doctor."
Most of the instructors leading at Shanfu were military academy students. They were easygoing outside training hours. The instructor casually glanced at Chen Yiyang and nodded, "Alright, go ahead."
After the instructor walked away, Yun Mi stepped closer.
Chen Yiyang had already guessed most of it. He said flatly, "Xie Yue told you?"
Yun Mi was still slightly breathless from running. Seeing that his expression didn't seem too serious, she still frowned, "Yeah. He said you're unwell. Is it a cold or fever, or some old ailment? Why haven't I heard Aunt Qin or Aunt Wen mention it?"
Not far away, the chief instructor's welcome speech was coming to an end. Next, it was Zhou Shihui's turn to go on stage.
The boy set up a chair, tuned his guitar strings, and slowly scanned the dark crowd below with his eyes, as if looking for someone.
When the venue quieted down a bit, he spoke into the microphone. His clear voice carried a hint of barely noticeable nervousness: "Today, I want to sing this song for someone."
The boy's voice spread across the entire playground through the loudspeaker.
The crowd immediately erupted in jeers. Some students cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted, "Study god! Is it a boy or a girl—"
Zhou Shihui lowered his eyes slightly. His voice was very soft but clearly reached everyone's ears: "A girl."
With the two characters revealing the gender, the prelude began, and the whole venue instantly erupted into screaming and commotion, almost lifting the roof.
"I Like You."
This wasn't singing; it was a blatant confession.
In a cold corner of the playground, Chen Yiyang squinted.
He had originally wanted to deny it, but he said, "I have a fever."
His tone was flat. Chen Yiyang's thin eyelids drooped, just in time to see Yun Mi's worried amber eyes.
The boy's heart softened, but he felt he had no right to tell her not to go back.
Chen Yiyang's jawline was smooth and cold. His voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke casually, "Headache. If my head is burned out, how will I teach you to solve problems in the future? Yun Mi, why don't you take me to see..."
...
Yun Mi took Chen Yiyang to a small clinic outside the school.
The barefoot doctor mixed Chinese and Western medicine. After the consultation, he skeptically took Chen Yiyang's pulse, then paused and said, "Might as well put him on a glucose drip. Probably the weather is too hot, causing a temperature imbalance."
He scribbled an illegible prescription on the table, muttering in surprise, "These young men nowadays look strong but are useless. They seem to have muscles, yet their health is so poor."
Suddenly hearing a light cough from the person in front, the bespectacled doctor lifted his eyes to see Chen Yiyang's sharp, dark gaze.