Green Tea Top Student Falls in Love with Me - Chapter 57

A few days after they returned, Shi Qin and the others came back. Shi Qin bought a residence for Wen Youren near No. 7 High School and arranged for a male driver. She was no longer allowed to live on campus, and the same applied to Shi Wangui.

They weren’t even permitted to spend the entirety of their first New Year together.

On the day of registration, Sun Yi looked at the preoccupied Shi Wangui and asked with concern, “Is it really impossible for Wen Youren to come back?”

Wen Youren had originally been a transfer student, and technically, high school transcripts aren’t easily moved, but her previous school was too far away. Shi Qin worried there would be places beyond his surveillance. It was better to move her to another high school within the city; under his nose, she wouldn’t be able to stir up any trouble.

“She said… she would come to find me every week,” Shi Wangui said, though her voice lacked conviction.

Both of them felt like they were under constant supervision, with dedicated drivers picking them up and dropping them off. The drivers waited at the gates until they entered. Even if she climbed the back wall, she didn’t know if she would actually be able to see Wen Youren.

Regardless, she had made up her mind: if she didn’t see Wen Youren within the next two weeks, she would scale the school’s back wall and find her way to No. 7 High School, no matter what.

Wang Hu said indignantly, “Your father is being too much. And her mother, too. Wen Youren’s grades are so good, yet they sent her to No. 7 High. No one cares about anything there. What if her grades drop?”

Shi Wangui felt a wave of irritation and kept her eyes fixed out the window. It had been so hard to find someone who loved her wholeheartedly, yet Shi Qin was determined to take that away. Sometimes she truly wanted to ask herself why she couldn’t resist more effectively.

Shi Wangui had run away once before, the winter her mother died. Shi Qin had hit her because he was in a bad mood, so she ran and even called the police. But the result was a dismissed case of a child being “naughty”—the police simply sent her back, defining it as a “family dispute.”

After she was returned, Shi Qin locked both the outer and inner doors, leaving Shi Wangui alone in the courtyard. In the dead of winter, without heavy clothes and being too small to climb the wall, she stayed there until the next day. Only when she was nearly frozen to death did Shi Qin let her back inside.

“I believe in her,” Shi Wangui said quietly. “She’s still going to University A.”

…And so am I.

Shi Wangui’s life returned to its previous routine: sitting alone, going home with a driver, living alone.

Yet, it felt different. She no longer slept in class, she didn’t skip school on a whim, she didn’t get into fights, and most importantly, she didn’t give up on herself.

School started on a Monday. Wen Youren had promised to visit once a week, so Shi Wangui waited. By Friday, there was still no word. Shi Qin hadn’t confiscated their phones; Wen Youren helped her with homework every night and checked in on her. They were like a long-distance couple separated by a single wall.

Saturday was the day Shi Wangui anticipated most. She sent a message in the morning, but Wen Youren didn’t reply. Shi Wangui sat by the windowsill, waiting from dawn until dusk. As the lack of a reply dragged on, exhaustion eventually took over.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, her phone vibrated. She snapped awake instantly. It was a message from Wen Youren.

Wen Youren: I’m coming to your school to see you tomorrow. Is there anything you want to eat?

Shi Wangui’s tired eyes brightened, her smile curving like a crescent moon.

Shi Wangui: I heard there’s a Tanghulu (candied fruit) stall near your school that’s very famous. I want to eat that.

Wen Youren: Okay. What flavor?

Shi Wangui: Strawberry. It looks like it might rain tomorrow, though. If it’s inconvenient, you can come next week instead.

While discussing the meeting, Shi Wangui had checked the weather forecast. The heavens weren’t cooperating; it predicted rain.

Wen Youren: It’s fine, I’ll be there. Meet me at the pavilion at 7:30. I’ll make it. It’s late, get some sleep. Goodnight.

Getting a definite answer made Shi Wangui smile involuntarily.

Shi Wangui: Goodnight!

Shi Wangui arrived at the classroom at 4:00 PM. Shi Qin was home today, and she would rather skip dinner than spend a single moment looking at him.

Wang Hu and Sun Yi arrived early too. Being deskmates, neither had recorded the math homework, only realizing at 2:00 PM that there was a test paper due.

Sun Yi looked at Shi Wangui like she was a savior. “Wangui, why are you here so early? Did you finish the math paper?”

Shi Wangui pulled the paper from her bag and tossed it to the front row. “I thought you said you weren’t going to copy homework anymore?”

“It’s only because I have an unreliable deskmate,” Sun Yi grumbled.

“Hey, you can’t push all the blame on me,” Wang Hu protested.

“Whatever,” Sun Yi dismissed him, then turned back to Shi Wangui. “Wangui, let’s sit together. I heard a new girl is transferring in, so I’ll just move to your desk.”

Shi Wangui cleared the books from the empty desk beside her. “Come on over. You’re more than welcome.”

When Sun Yi mentioned a new girl transferring in, Shi Wangui felt a pang of memory from when she first met Wen Youren. Back then, they were rivals; she had even intentionally poured water on Wen Youren’s chair. Thinking about it now, it was a bit childish.

“Let me finish copying this first,” Sun Yi said, “then I’ll talk to the teacher. It’s just switching rows; he won’t say no.”

“Okay,” Shi Wangui smiled. “But make sure it’s settled before the evening self-study session. I need to go out after it starts.”

“Oho!” Sun Yi saw the uncontainable smile on Shi Wangui’s face, just like last semester. “Is Wen Youren coming?”

“Hehe,” Shi Wangui gave a playful wink. “You guessed right.”

The first class of the evening was a self-study session. The atmosphere in the class was restless. Shi Wangui kept her eyes on the clock, waiting for the familiar bell.

As soon as it rang, she told Sun Yi, “If the teacher asks where I am, tell him I went to the restroom.”

“Hurry back,” Sun Yi warned. “The head teacher is in charge tonight.”

“I’ll try to be back before the end of the first break.”

Outside, a light rain had begun to fall. The drops felt cold and sharp against her skin. Shi Wangui began to worry whether Wen Youren had brought an umbrella. The pavilion wasn’t empty; other students and couples were there chatting about studies, movies, or novels.

The bell for the start of class rang. Wen Youren hadn’t arrived yet. The people around her gradually filtered back to their classrooms. Shi Wangui found a secluded spot so that she wouldn’t be spotted unless a teacher walked right into the pavilion.

She didn’t know how long she waited. She hadn’t brought her phone, so she couldn’t check the time. The rain was getting heavier. Perhaps they wouldn’t see each other today. It was fine—it was only a week. If they could endure another two and a half years, they would be free.

Shi Wangui took off her school jacket and covered her face with it, preparing to run back to class.

The jacket blocked her vision, but she relied on her memory of the path. She lowered her head and started to run out, only to collide into someone’s embrace the next second.

A familiar scent, a soft embrace, and a hint of sweetness.

“Wen Youren!” Shi Wangui looked up sharply, her jacket slipping off her head. Fortunately, Wen Youren caught it in time. “You’re here!”

They hadn’t seen each other for nearly a month. Days spent in semi-confinement were hard; days spent without seeing each other were harder.

“I’m sorry,” Wen Youren said. “They won’t give me any time alone. I took a leave of absence today and then climbed out of a window to get away. The person watching me left a bit late, so I’m behind schedule.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here. If it’s too hard to come, we can video chat more. You don’t have to come all the time.”

Wen Youren pulled Shi Wangui into a hug. “If there’s a chance, I’ll tell you and come find you. We’re going to University A together, okay?”

“Mhm, University A together.”

Wen Youren pulled a strawberry Tanghulu from inside her coat. “The one you wanted.”

Shi Wangui took it with a proud tilt of her head, then bit into it. It was very sweet. She held it up. “Let’s eat it together.”

“Okay.” Wen Youren didn’t refuse.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the period. Shi Wangui had truly skipped an entire class with the head teacher.

“Go back,” Wen Youren said. “I’ll find another chance to see you.”

“Wait for the summer break,” Shi Wangui suggested. “Shi Qin isn’t that free. He’s only doing this now out of some twisted psychological need for control. By summer, he’ll lose interest.”

She had originally wanted to break away from Shi Qin entirely to run away to a place where no one knew them and live a simple life. But both Wen Youren and her aunt had disagreed, so she dropped the idea.

Wen Youren knew what Shi Qin was planning. He wouldn’t let go easily. He had approached her recently, asking her to work for him in the future as a “daughter of the Shi family.” Wen Youren hadn’t agreed or refused; she just hadn’t given an answer. The more useful she became to him, the better it would be for Shi Wangui.

“Okay.”

When it was time to part, Shi Wangui walked away first, but after a few steps, she ran back, panting. “We haven’t seen each other in so long… aren’t you going to kiss me?”

Wen Youren smiled. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to Shi Wangui’s cheek. “Wait for me for one more year.”

Shi Wangui turned and ran, only stopping once she was far enough away that they were just silhouettes, but close enough to be heard. She called back, “Okay!”

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