A Cold and Aloof Top Student Is Relied Upon - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Like A

◎Migratory Bird◎

The interlude during morning reading was at least entertaining. When the regular classes started, Lin Qingmei announced at the end of Chinese class that the date for the monthly exam was set for the end of the month. Afterward, they would have a short holiday for the Dragon Boat Festival. She said the class schedule might be slightly adjusted and hoped everyone would prepare for the test in advance.

The class groaned and slumped in despair. This was the last monthly exam of the semester, followed by the final exams in July. But no matter when it was, exams were always a source of sorrow and stress.

Gu Zhu calmly turned a page in her textbook. She had already caught up on everything she missed during the competition, and she had even finished her practice work ahead of time. All she needed to do was review the key points.

Compared to her leisurely pace, her deskmate looked like a half-dead zombie, her neatly tied-up hair disheveled from her frantic hands. “You think Old Luo is crazy? He forced me to be in a pure science class. I’m a humanities person. My strong points are being able to pull out good phrases and being pretty good at rote memorization. Now look at me. I could’ve been a student for Peking or Tsinghua University, but now there’s a good chance I won’t even get into college.”

Since the new college entrance exam policy came out, students could choose one primary subject from either Physics or History, and then two other subjects, in addition to the compulsory Chinese, Math, and English.

So, the old pure science track was no longer mandatory, but some from the older generation hadn’t changed their ways and still clung to the old mindset of “if you’re good at physics and chemistry, you have nothing to fear.”

In their entire year level, from Class 1 to Class 3, all the classes were pure science, and the subject choices weren’t balanced.

“Bamboo, this is too hard. Save me! Waaah!”

Luo Minmin’s mournful cry was almost a wail. As she was about to lean on Gu Zhu, her path was blocked by a book. Her shoulder was then gently but firmly pressed down.

Hmm? She opened one eye suspiciously. Gu Zhu had set up a book. But who was pressing on her shoulder?

She twisted her head to look back and saw Bai Tan smiling sweetly, her teeth showing, with a look that was inexplicably mischievous. She shivered and sat back in her seat. “What’s up, student Bai?”

Seeing that she had put some distance between herself and Gu Zhu, Bai Tan was secretly pleased. She reined in her personal feelings and adjusted her tone to be comforting. “Don’t be sad. If it’s really not working out, you can apply to switch classes next semester. Experience is the best teacher. Once your family sees that you’re really not cut out for this, they’ll naturally reconsider.”

What she said made a lot of sense. Gu Zhu couldn’t help but glance at her.

Luo Minmin’s eyes instantly lit up, but she then hesitated. “But I’ve already wasted a semester. Can I catch up? Plus, I’ll miss our class, and I’ll miss Bamboo…”

Bai Tan didn’t try to persuade her further. She just shrugged and left it at that. “Then think about it carefully. You still have a little less than half a semester.”

Gu Zhu saw the look on Luo Minmin’s face and knew she was wavering. Ever since the classes were rearranged in the second year, Luo Minmin’s grades had noticeably dropped. She had been in the middle-to-upper range in her first year, but now with three science subjects pulling her down, she was constantly at the bottom of the class. Her stress was clearly overwhelming. Gu Zhu put down her book, nodded slightly to her, and said, “Yes, if you decide, you can catch up over the summer break.”

Both of them turned to look at her in unison. Luo Minmin started to say, “Bamboo… waaah, I’m so touched!” and tried to lean in for a hug, but Bai Tan grabbed her arms from behind.

“Hey, hey, hey! I’m the one who came up with the idea, how come you’re not thanking me?!”

Luo Minmin was quick on the uptake. She turned to hug Bai Tan. They were both beautiful girls, so it didn’t matter who she hugged. Good classmates should be close and affectionate!

Bai Tan quickly held her forehead to keep her at bay. “Student Luo, not only are boys and girls not supposed to hug, but girls and girls should be careful too.”

“Tsk, don’t be so sensitive. It’s totally normal for classmates to hug. Look at our class, boys and boys are always wrestling around. And in our dorm, we shower and sleep together all the time.”

Bai Tan was suddenly at a loss for words. How could she explain that there were such things as queer people in the world? Even though she might not be, since she had never dated, her old school did have girls who pretended to be straight to get hugs, kisses, and touches, only to later talk about people’s looks and bodies. This small town had a very simple atmosphere, and she didn’t want to ruin it. She looked at Gu Zhu, who had gone back to reading and writing, and finally found an excuse. “But some people have boundaries. Look at Gu Zhu. You should at least ask for her opinion, right?”

“You have a point. Bamboo doesn’t really like physical contact. But if you get to hug her even once, you’ve hit the jackpot! You have no idea how many people in the entire year want to hug our super student just to get some good luck for their exams!”

Gu Zhu’s pen stopped at these words. Only then did she realize the truth. No wonder people would always bump into her during exams. She had always been confused, wondering how someone could come flying out of the corner when she was already walking on the side.

The truth was so absurd.

Someone else also found it absurd. Bai Tan had caught on to some incredible information. “Who did you say was the ‘super student’?”

“Bamboo, of course! She’s consistently number one and dominates the honor roll. Our super genius student, Gu Zhu!”

Gu Zhu pushed up her glasses and silently stacked her textbooks, not wanting to hear such exaggerated praise. It was too embarrassing.

Bai Tan recalled all her own assumptions. Her imagined relationship: a bad student and a bad student. Was it actually a good student and a bad student?

“Then why isn’t Gu Zhu’s name on the honor roll downstairs?” she asked, confused.

“Because last month she was in the city-level chemistry competition qualifiers and didn’t participate in the monthly exam. Pretty impressive, right, Bai Tan?” Luo Minmin said, feeling a sense of pride.

Bai Tan was glad she had only guessed in secret. Otherwise, it would have been a huge embarrassment. She had been thinking that it would be an honor for them both to be at the bottom of the rankings this month. After all, the young lady really didn’t like to study. Her childhood dream was to be a landlady who collected rent, a dream she still held.

But now, she pictured Gu Zhu’s name at the top, shining brightly, while she was at the very bottom. The distance between them was so great that it was difficult to even draw a line. Bai Tan felt as if she could hear the thread of fate snapping.

“Gu Zhu, how about you help me too! Please! Save me!” she cried out tragically, tears welling up in her eyes.

Luo Minmin: …

Where’s the person who just told me not to be so sad?!

Gu Zhu: …

So the young lady is a bad student. That’s a new one.

Just then, the class bell rang. The students settled into their seats. The teacher also mentioned the upcoming monthly exam. Gu Zhu hadn’t felt anything, but hearing the simultaneous sighs from the people behind and beside her, she also felt a certain kind of pressure.

…

When the morning classes were over, Gu Zhu finally let out a sigh of relief. She didn’t rush to the cafeteria like everyone else as soon as the bell rang. When she was a day student, she would use her pass to go home for lunch and a short nap before returning for classes. So for the first few days of living on campus, she hadn’t quite gotten into the rhythm and was left staring blankly at the meager leftovers in the cafeteria.

But Gu Zhu still couldn’t outrun the seasoned runners, and she didn’t like being in overly crowded places. So she decided to go to the convenience store to buy something to eat, only to discover a few packed lunchboxes on the owner’s counter.

Gu Zhu stared at the lunchboxes and locked eyes with the owner. After a silent standoff, the owner surrendered. It wasn’t hard to get along with someone and get two lunchboxes from the teacher’s cafeteria window. From then on, her lunch was taken care of.

Now, for a short time, she had one more person to feed.

When most of the students had gone, Gu Zhu took Bai Tan to the convenience store. The tree-lined path cast dappled sunlight on the ground. Gu Zhu’s back was straight, her uniform clinging to her thin back, outlining her slender waist.

Bai Tan walked a few steps behind her, her gaze unconsciously fixed on the person in front of her. She felt that Gu Zhu had a very contradictory aura. She seemed so well-behaved, but the things she did were not quite conventional.

For example, she would agree with the idea of Luo Minmin changing classes. At this age, most students would find it hard to step outside the box and challenge authority.

Another example was her lunch. Other students would faithfully fight for food in the cafeteria, or the bolder ones would climb the fence to get delivery. It was rare for someone like Gu Zhu to find a unique path, like having the owner bring her food.

“Can I ask you a question?” Gu Zhu suddenly stopped and turned to her, posing a question as Bai Tan was still lost in thought.

“Go ahead.”

“Why did you think of suggesting that Minmin change classes?” Gu Zhu was genuinely curious. It was a very new way of thinking. Everyone seemed to think that after they chose their classes, they had to stick with that path forever. No one had ever considered that there might be other opportunities.

She hadn’t thought of it either; she would have only silently offered support or encouragement.

Bai Tan thought, I guess I’m not the only one who’s curious; Gu Zhu is also curious about me. She shifted her weight on her feet. “Probably because I’m not the type to hit my head against a brick wall. I’m afraid of pain, you see. So instead of working hard and then regretting it later, it’s easier to give up now.”

Gu Zhu stared at her for several seconds. In that moment, the young lady finally showed a bit of her willful side. Probably because she had so much, she wasn’t afraid to lose it. Gu Zhu nodded and turned to continue walking. “Oh, then you shouldn’t care about your grades at all.”

Bai Tan’s foot, which had been tapping, suddenly stopped. For some reason, she had a gut feeling that this was a dangerous question. She trotted to catch up, stepping on the fallen leaves. “How can I not? If I don’t do well this time, my dad might just break my legs. Gu Zhu, I desperately need you to save me!”

“Again?” Gu Zhu asked, puzzled.

“Mmm-hmm!” Bai Tan looked pitiful, squeezing out a tiny bit of tears. “He always says he’ll use my beautiful long legs to command the world.”

“Oh.” So he was probably just talking big. Gu Zhu felt no emotion.

“How about this, Gu Zhu? You help me with my homework, and I’ll help you practice your English!”

Gu Zhu didn’t say yes or no right away. The sound of a bird, a “Summer Bird” that had migrated back after spring, chirped from the trees. The end of May meant the arrival of the vibrant summer.

In that moment, she felt that Bai Tan was like a migratory bird that had unexpectedly found a home here: beautiful, charming, with a melodic voice, but in need of a warm climate.

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