Going Home Together
"Ding Yuan, Du Yun wants you to go over."
"Hey? Yun Mi, you're here too. Old Qi wants you."
As soon as Yun Mi returned to the classroom and sat down, a female classmate called her to the office.
The class was still buzzing about the bet. Yun Mi wanted to say "thank you" to Chen Yiyang and also tell him, "I didn't let you down." But she scanned the room and saw no sign of him. She replied, "Oh."
Yun Mi walked to the office building with Ding Yuan. Ding Yuan went in first. As soon as she entered, Yun Mi heard a scolding: "Ding Yuan, what is this mess you've done on the exam?"
Yun Mi stood still.
Du Yun's tone was almost a roar: "And what about the people in your school celebration event? Their scores are a disaster! Some of you, originally ranked in the thirties or forties in the class, have dropped to the bottom—even failing to outscore the newly transferred sports student! I'm telling you, Ding Yuan, anyone whose math scores declined this time is absolutely prohibited from participating."
In the math office, the girl who had cheered for her just moments ago suddenly lifted her head, eyes wide with disbelief, a wet glint of grievance welling up. "Teacher Du, I... our program is really important..."
Du Yun sneered, "You what you?"
Just as Yun Mi was about to step into the math office, a gentle male voice interrupted.
"Yun Mi?"
Homeroom teacher Old Qi, clad in a jacket that screamed old-school cadre, spoke at a measured pace, yet his tone seemed hesitant. "I heard you did well this time."
Yun Mi had improved quickly, basically catching up with the main group.
Old Qi led the girl toward his office, which was quieter with fewer people. He pulled over a chair for her to sit, sighed softly, as if something was troubling him.
Yun Mi keenly sensed the teacher's mood. "What's wrong, Teacher Qi?"
Old Qi poured Yun Mi a cup of hot water, hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Your father called the school."
Father?
Yun Guanlan called the school?
Yun Mi, who had just sat down, abruptly stood up, unable to suppress a smile. "What did he say?"
Did he know she had improved?
She was a little hopeful. "Did he... praise me?"
Old Qi frowned slightly, his lips moving as he lowered his voice: "Your father is sick, high fever. He wants to book a flight back to Shanghai for treatment, but tickets aren't available right now."
...
"Yun Mi, weren't you looking for Chen Yiyang? I just saw him."
"Thanks, Ni Yue, but I won't look for him for now."
The news that Jiang Wenshao had apologized to Yun Mi had spread throughout the grade.
Back in the classroom, it was still buzzing with a "victory" atmosphere.
"Chen Yiyang did exceptionally well this time. Many of his liberal arts subjects used to be below average, but this time he scored above average in all of them."
"No way, didn't he always look down on memorizing those detailed outlines?"
Yun Mi was still thinking about Yun Guanlan; she couldn't take in the chatter. But when the classmates behind her discussed Chen Yiyang's report card, she lowered her head, unconsciously fidgeting with her fingers.
What did that mean?
She didn't get it.
Yun Mi's mind was a mess. Suddenly, she heard a "Zzzz—"
She looked up and saw Ding Yuan coming out of the math office. The girl looked dejected, her nose red from crying, clutching her math test paper as she slumped into her seat.
Ding Yuan was sobbing into her desk.
Yun Mi comforted her: "Yuan Yuan, don't be sad."
She only then learned that Ding Yuan had done poorly. Ding Yuan hadn't shown any sign while looking at the grade list earlier, just to avoid making Yun Mi nervous.
Ding Yuan wiped her tears. "It's not about the grades... It's the program. We agreed this program would raise money for Xu Zhiyu. Before I could even tell her... it's dead. Du Yun said we can never perform that program."
Ding Yuan was devastated.
Not only had the program involved the hard work and dedication of several close friends, but she also wanted to help Xu Zhiyu. Xu Zhiyu's grandmother had surgery yesterday and hadn't woken up yet.
Xu Zhiyu still owed Chen Yiyang forty thousand yuan.
Yun Mi saw the tears on her friend's cheeks. "It's okay."
Ding Yuan, still in a state of shock, gave up and slumped onto the desk. "How can it be okay?"
After every formal exam, Shanfu would release one evening self-study session.
Ding Yuan's parents came to pick her up. Seeing their daughter crying so much, they exclaimed, "Oh my! Yuan, what are you crying about?"
Ding Yuan had managed to hold back her tears, but now she couldn't help letting them fall.
Ding Yuan's mother, in standard office lady attire, pulled the child into her arms, saying, "My baby is the best in the world," and comforted, "Is it because you didn't do well? Teacher Du told me. It's okay, the teacher was just anxious. Our Xiao Yuan is the best, right?"
Yun Mi stood there.
Ding Yuan said goodbye to Yun Mi, and the roadside was left with only Yun Mi.