Green Tea Top Student Falls in Love with Me - Chapter 36

Today they were going to Teacher Wang’s house for tutoring, so both of them woke up early. Wen Youren rose early to cook, while Shi Wangui woke up early because she had forgotten to do the homework the teacher had assigned.

Regarding the events of the previous night, they might not have felt awkward in the moment, but upon waking up, both of their faces were flushed. When their eyes met, they instinctively looked away.

Shi Wangui was in the study and could not see into the kitchen, so her sense of hearing became exceptionally sharp. She listened intently to Wen Youren’s movements, and as she listened, her face turned red.

Wen Youren was not doing anything special; she was simply cooking in the kitchen. It was Shi Wangui whose thoughts were racing, dwelling on what had happened last night.

Were they officially together now?

It felt surreal.

Could two people who originally disliked each other truly be together? And did she really like Wen Youren?

Did she hate Wen Youren? No, she did not.

Did she like Wen Youren? Being together was quite happy and comfortable. If she had to separate from Wen Youren now, she would be reluctant and unwilling.

“Um, breakfast is ready,” Wen Youren said softly, tapping lightly on the door.

“Okay, coming,” Shi Wangui replied, her voice just as small.

In the past, they would occasionally fight over a dish at the dining table or bicker back and forth. Shi Wangui would say a dish tasted bad, and Wen Youren would say something was wrong with Shi Wangui’s sense of taste. Today, however, both were terrifyingly quiet.

Halfway through the meal, Wen Youren spoke up. “We are going to Teacher Wang’s for tutoring in a bit. I have some things to take care of this afternoon, so you will stay there to study by yourself, okay?”

The quiet atmosphere was broken. Shi Wangui poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks and whispered, “Okay.”

“Did you finish the homework?”

“Yes, I finished it.”

Wen Youren placed a piece of pickled radish in Shi Wangui’s bowl and smiled. “Good job.”

Shi Wangui’s face turned scarlet instantly. It was strange; she never used to be so thin-skinned. Then again, she never used to do her homework either. It turned out that finishing homework could actually earn her a compliment.

“You are blushing,” Wen Youren noted.

Shi Wangui was speechless. “Do you really think it is appropriate to say that out loud!”

Wen Youren laughed. It was as if the girl from last night had vanished; the fear had dissipated. “It is appropriate. But I still want to ask, did you mean what you said last night?”

Her voice grew smaller toward the end. She was terrified that Shi Wangui had only been comforting her last night and that she was overthinking everything. She was addicted to the touch and the embrace they had shared.

The things said last night. Shi Wangui searched her memory. They had said so much; which part was Wen Youren referring to?

“Which part?”

Wen Youren gripped her chopsticks tightly. “The part where you said, ‘I am willing’.”

“It was the truth,” Shi Wangui replied. “Besides, I am someone who takes responsibility for what I say. I would not lie to you. When I am with you, I feel at peace and happy. Plus, you are very beautiful.”

Wen Youren felt a wave of relief. “Good.”

Shi Wangui smiled as well. The deadlock was broken, and for the first time, both had truly opened their hearts to one another.

Teacher Wang had been waiting for them at home and gave them each an apple as soon as they arrived. “Eat these tonight. I wish you a life of peace and safety.”

As it turned out, today was Christmas Eve. People often used the “ping” in “pingguo” (apple) as a symbol for “ping’an” (peace). As winter grew colder, the ideal was for a family to huddle on a sofa under a blanket, each holding an apple, watching whatever happened to be on TV. The important part was being together.

“Wow, thank you, Teacher Wang.” Shi Wangui took the apples and even took Wen Youren’s for her before tossing it into Wen Youren’s hands with a playful wink.

Wen Youren smiled. “Thank you, Teacher.”

Teacher Wang was happy. At last, someone was eating apples with her this year. She planned to keep them for a while longer this evening. “Come over and start the lesson. You both did the homework I assigned, right?”

Wen Youren’s homework did not need checking; even if she had not done it, it would not be a big deal. She had already mastered the Grade 10 curriculum and was purely there to accompany Shi Wangui. Teacher Wang did not even look at Wen Youren’s work and went straight to Shi Wangui’s. She scanned it briefly. It was okay; an error rate of over fifty percent actually counted as progress for her.

This assignment was quite difficult and included some future material. Before they started, Teacher Wang had learned about their current situation: they had been out of school for nearly two months. The weather had turned cold abruptly. Last week they were dressed lightly, but this week they were bundled up tight.

“Shi Wangui, you need to study hard at home too. Youren told me you did not even open a book during your first month away. You did not study at school either, and you only rushed through this homework this morning. Work done in a rush is never as good as work done with careful thought. Look, I can tell at a glance that your accuracy is below fifty percent.”

Shi Wangui was stunned. Wen Youren, you jerk!

How could she tell the teacher everything? It was one thing to talk about the past, but why mention the morning study session?

Once Teacher Wang finished her lecture, Shi Wangui glared at Wen Youren. However, Wen Youren had anticipated this and lowered her head early, letting her hair cover her face. Out of sight, out of mind.

Teacher Wang did not have much to do at home these days except occasionally answer questions from former students. She treated these two like her own children, and no parent is lenient with their own child.

True to form, after the afternoon nap, two exams were scheduled. Wen Youren had asked for leave in advance and was already gone by the time Shi Wangui woke up.

Shi Wangui rubbed her eyes and sat down for the test. There were no cameras in the living room, but Teacher Wang’s eyes were the most effective surveillance.

“Teacher, are we not waiting for the others to test together?” Shi Wangui asked.

She felt she should not be the only one suffering while the other three escaped.

Teacher Wang tapped the exam papers on the table. “Wen Youren does not need to take this, and the other two are only coming on Saturday. You will all have an exam then. Besides, they are still in school and technically studying. I cannot let you fall behind. Stop overthinking and start the test.”

Shi Wangui sighed. “Okay.” Then she asked, “Where did Wen Youren go?”

She had been too shy to ask in the morning, too busy during the lesson, and too sleepy before her nap. Now it finally occurred to her to wonder what Wen Youren was up to.

Teacher Wang scrolled through her phone. She was getting older and could not remember everything. Wen Youren had sent her a long string of messages yesterday, and she only remembered that the girl would be absent in the afternoon.

Adjusting her glasses, she said, “She took the afternoon off and went straight home. She asked me to make sure you get on the bus. She said you know the way and will not get lost, but she insisted I walk you to the bus stop anyway because she is afraid you might.”

Shi Wangui felt insulted. She would not get lost; it was impossible. Was that how Wen Youren described her to others?

Teacher Wang was amused. She lowered her glasses and teased, “Do you think Youren made a grammatical error? Are you someone who gets lost or someone who does not?”

Shi Wangui picked up her pen. “Teacher, it is time for the exam!”

“Right, right. You take your test; I will not disturb you. We will do the English exam in two hours. Remember to manage your time.”

Shi Wangui was speechless. She was sixteen years old; how could she possibly get lost? She was a youth of the new era, a rising sun. She would never do something so embarrassing.

However, the test was very hard. She was stuck by the third question. But then she thought about how she used to get stuck on the first question. Reaching the third was progress, a step closer to a top university. She was a genius.

By the time the two exams were over, Wen Youren still had not returned. It was nearly six o’clock, and the last bus was about to depart. Teacher Wang hurriedly took Shi Wangui to the station on her electric scooter. Before leaving, she reminded her, “Do not forget to eat your apple.”

Shi Wangui looked at the apples in her hand. There were two. Wen Youren had not taken hers, so they were in the bag together. Looking at the bright red fruit, she suddenly remembered that on every previous birthday, Sun Yi and Wang Hu would give her an apple with the word “peace” on it along with a gift.

That was right! Today was her birthday!

In previous years, she would spend it with Sun Yi and Wang Hu. Since today was a weekday, they would probably send her birthday wishes after their evening self-study session. It seemed no one would be with her for her birthday this year.

The last bus swayed along. There were very few people on board, and it was pitch black outside. Shi Wangui drifted off to sleep without realizing it.

When she woke up again, they were nearing the village entrance. It was dark outside the window, and only she and the driver were left on the bus. She quickly checked the time and her surroundings. Fortunately, she had not missed her stop. A gust of wind blew, making her shrink her neck. She pulled up the hood of her padded jacket to cover her ears.

When the bus reached the stop, the village entrance was also shrouded in darkness. The few houses near the entrance had their doors shut, leaving only faint glimmers of light. A cold wind moaned, making her heart tighten. She closed her eyes and began to mutter to herself, “It is okay, it is okay. There is nothing there. I will be home soon, I will be home soon.”

With her eyes closed, she could not see the path ahead and had to rely on memory to move forward. After only a few steps, she bumped into something.

“Ah! Do not kill me!” Shi Wangui screamed, crouching down and refusing to open her eyes.

“You really are afraid,” Wen Youren’s soft, chuckling voice drifted over. “I came to take you home.”

Shi Wangui opened one eye and looked up. Once she saw Wen Youren’s face, she immediately stood up and said crossly, “Where did you go? Why did you leave me to come back alone? Do you not know I am afraid of the dark?”

Wen Youren took her hand. “I really did not know before, but I know now. I will not let you walk home in the dark alone again.”

Shi Wangui calmed down, though her cheeks were still puffed out in anger. She was still upset. It was one thing to leave her alone for the exam, but Wen Youren had let her take the bus alone and almost let her walk home alone!

It was winter now, and it got dark so early. It felt like Wen Youren did not care about her at all!

“Alright, alright, stop being angry. Look at this,” Wen Youren said, pulling something from behind her back.

Shi Wangui looked closely. “Candied haws!”

“That is right,” Wen Youren said. “Did you not say a few days ago that you wanted candied haws? I bought several sticks for you today. I put the rest in the fridge; you can eat them whenever you want.”

Shi Wangui took the candied haws and tried one. It was sweet and tart. “Fine, I forgive you.”

“Much obliged.”

Shi Wangui smiled and even reached out to feed one to Wen Youren. The two of them walked home side by side.

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