The School Beauty from the Next Class Insisted I Confess - Chapter 36

The sunlight shone on the retro-style teaching building’s tiles at Weicheng No. 1 High School, casting a golden glow, but it was partially obscured by the morning mist.

As early winter approached, the weather grew colder. Although it hadn’t reached the point where breath turned white, it was enough for early risers to feel the chill, which quickly dispelled their drowsiness.

Xu Qingfeng woke up very early today and promptly nudged the nearly-falling-off-the-bed Gao Zhi awake.

“Gao Zhi, wake up.”

Gao Zhi squirmed but ignored her.

Xu Qingfeng looked at the sleepy Gao Zhi, feeling quite helpless.

She knew she shouldn’t have let her read ghost stories last night; Gao Zhi hadn’t dared to sleep until the latter half of the night.

It wasn’t until Xu Qingfeng forcibly tossed her phone onto the desk that Gao Zhi finally settled down. As for Xu Qingfeng, who was used to sleeping early, she immediately wrapped herself in her blanket and fell asleep.

Beside her, Gao Zhi curled up and wrapped herself in her blanket, watching the back of Xu Qingfeng’s head and counting sheep until she finally drifted off in the wee hours.

“Gao Zhi, Li Tian said she’s coming today.”

Every time Xu Qingfeng spoke to Gao Zhi about Li Tian, it was like the whisper of a demon, stimulating Gao Zhi.

Sure enough, Gao Zhi, who had squirmed until half her body was suspended in mid-air, was immediately startled awake.

“Ah, Tian Tian is coming!”

Gao Zhi’s eyes were still hazy with sleep as she looked at Xu Qingfeng next to her.

“Just kidding.” She immediately tried to lie back down.

Xu Qingfeng didn’t have the time to wait for her, so she pulled her up to change and wash.

They still had to pick up Xia Yiqiu later. As for Gao Zhi, she would drop her off at the school gate. Her home was in the opposite direction from Yiqiu’s, so it wouldn’t cause any delays.

After counting the numbers last night, Xia Yiqiu and Xu Qingfeng discussed the plan for half an hour, finalized the itinerary for the following day, reported back to Teacher Du, and confirmed the time with Dean Liang of the orphanage.

Fortunately, a message had been sent to the group chat at seven o’clock earlier, allowing for ample time to arrange everything, especially since everyone tended to be night owls.

They agreed that everyone would gather at the school gate at eight o’clock this morning. Liang Hao from the publicity department would first go to buy snacks and daily necessities for the children, which would be deducted from the club funds and could be reimbursed.

The club members also brought their own extra items, which were their personal tokens of affection, hoping the children would like them.

In reality, Xu Qingfeng dropped Gao Zhi off at the gate of Weicheng No. 1 High School at 7:30 a.m., handing over all the items she had brought to Gao Zhi before heading off to pick up Xia Yiqiu.

“Hey, Gao Zhi, are you still half-asleep?”

Han Feng looked at the drowsy Gao Zhi in front of him, clutching a bulging bag. Wouldn’t she trip?

The morning wind blew. “Hiss, it’s so cold,” Gao Zhi instantly sobered up.

She exchanged their usual playful banter with Han Feng.

A few minutes later, just as the sun finally broke through the thin mist and illuminated the earth, Xu Qingfeng rode over, carrying the beautiful girl from the neighboring class on her rear seat.

A maiden like a high-spirited warrior carrying her delicate and lovely princess, making an entrance straight out of an idol drama—that’s what happens on TV.

The reality was that Xia Yiqiu sat in the back, carrying a large bag of things. To maintain balance, she uncharacteristically sat astride, her legs wide apart.

Feng Xiaoxiao saw this, and a string of ellipses floated above her head.

Was this really the serious President Xia?

Regardless, their anchor had finally arrived.

Seeing that most people had arrived, Xu Qingfeng decided to take attendance. After the roll call, she found that almost everyone was present, except for the members who were shopping with Liang Hao. They had agreed to meet at the entrance of “Weicheng Sunshine” at nine o’clock.

“Then let’s go!”

President Xia stamped the decision.

Everyone split up to head to the “Weicheng Sunshine” orphanage. Those who didn’t want to walk could take the bus. Although “Weicheng Sunshine” was far from Xu Qingfeng’s home, it was less than half an hour from Weicheng No. 1 High School. Since there was still an hour until the meeting time, they could definitely make it.

Gao Zhi chose to take the bus with Han Feng. Due to her lack of sleep, she was…

Tired, and words couldn’t express it.

Xu Qingfeng and Xia Yiqiu decided to continue cycling there.

There were no traffic jams or other delays on the road. The bicycles had strong mobility and flexibility, and the two of them reached the designated location in ten minutes.

Looking at “Weicheng Sunshine,” which was some distance away from the road, Xu Qingfeng and Xia Yiqiu decided to wait there for the main group, as it was better to enter together.

Xu Qingfeng looked at the roadside weeds, the farmland, and the nearby stream, finding the place quite refreshing.

After parking their bikes, Xia Yiqiu was finally able to rest for a while, placing the large bag she had brought on the back seat. Inside were snacks, toys, and some books.

Liang Hao and her group would purchase daily necessities and candies.

The sun was just right today. Xu Qingfeng and Xia Yiqiu leaned against a ruined wall, the remnants of an abandoned house.

The sun shone on them but wasn’t hot. The relatively low temperature made the sun feel quite comfortable. Bathed in the sunlight, their exposed skin appeared pale, and their features looked clearer and brighter.

Passersby might have thought they were shooting a campus photo-shoot.

“Yiqiu, do you think this place is beautiful?”

Xu Qingfeng felt they had returned to that day when they visited Li Hua’s home, leaning against a wall just like this.

Only, unlike the oppression of that time, this place was filled with sunshine and hope, and they could even hear the sound of children playing. What was the same was that the person beside her was still the same.

“Very beautiful, I like it a lot.”

Xia Yiqiu wore a faint smile. Without looking at the person next to her, she gazed at the passing cars and the stream ruffled by the wind, finding the scene peaceful and serene.

Xu Qingfeng glanced at the smiling Xia Yiqiu.

Pity she couldn’t see her dimples.

While this place lacked breathtaking scenery, compared to the world of steel and concrete, it was so vibrant, embracing true nature and true life.

The location chosen for “Weicheng Sunshine” was ideal, allowing the children to live in a place untouched by restlessness.

Less than ten minutes later, Gao Zhi and Han Feng arrived with the main group. Most people had chosen the bus, and the rest had their own cars. Since it was the weekend and not too crowded, all thirty-plus people were able to fit.

“Gao Zhi, over there.”

Han Feng pointed to Xu Qingfeng’s location.

The crowd gathered by the wall. Unbeknownst to outsiders, they looked like refugees, each carrying a large bag. After taking attendance, they realized only Liang Hao’s group was missing.

Xia Yiqiu called Liang Hao to ask how long they would take.

“Hey, this stuff is really heavy! Liang Jie, we’ll be there soon!”

Five or six people appeared in the distance, each carrying a bag of rice and a box of milk, with several large bags of daily necessities in their hands.

“Ooh, la la,” Han Feng exclaimed. Liang Hao and her group were quite earnest. Luckily, he saw they had hired a car, otherwise, the journey would have been quite arduous.

“Liang Hao, come here.”

Xia Yiqiu stepped forward to help Liang Hao with the items.

They needed to take a picture before entering. Since it was a club activity, they had to keep a souvenir and materials.

Since the success of the drama performance last time, Han Feng had become even more convinced of his talent as a director. He had bought his own camera with the New Year’s money he had saved over the years, along with a host of lenses and accessories. Now, he finally got to use it.

Now, taking attendance again, everyone was present.

Xia Yiqiu ushered everyone to the entrance of “Weicheng Sunshine.” Dean Liang, having heard the commotion, was already waiting at the gate. A little girl had also come out, accompanied by a slightly taller child. The rest of the children were still inside.

The little girl, Gu Qiqi, had her hair in pigtails today, and those bright, sparkling eyes completely melted the hearts of the club members present.

“Sister Xu, Sister Xia, you’re finally here.”

The smiling Qiqi held their hands tightly, one hand for each of them, and wouldn’t let go.

“Sorry, Qiqi, for taking so long to come.”

Xu Qingfeng watched Xia Yiqiu bend down and apologize to the little girl. Although she was still a child, they had broken their promise by being late.

“It’s okay, I’m already very happy that the sisters could come.”

Qiqi hadn’t had many friends since childhood. Because she was pretty but introverted, she had suffered a lot of bullying from other children.

Even though Dean Liang always treated every child fairly and justly, the number of children was simply too many, and there were times when she couldn’t pay attention to everyone. Qiqi longed to have friends, especially these two beautiful older sisters.

Since the last time the older sisters played with her, little Miss Gu had learned to proactively make friends herself. Recently, she had been playing very well with another little girl and was gradually becoming more lively.

“Sister, this is my friend, Xiaoshu.” Qiqi let go and brought her good friend over.

The girl was named Gu Wenfu. Dean Liang told everyone about her on the side. Xu Qingfeng thought it was strange, as the name didn’t sound like that of an abandoned child.

“Hello, Xiaoshu.”

Xu Qingfeng saw Xia Yiqiu greeting her.

“Hello.”

The girl wasn’t as shy as Qiqi had initially been, but rather cool, following closely behind Qiqi.

Gao Zhi reached out to touch the little girl’s head, but the girl quickly dodged, leaving Gao Zhi to awkwardly touch her own head instead.

“Haha, Gao Zhi, serves you right for being so meddlesome,” Han Feng laughed at her from the side.

Xu Qingfeng felt that the time was about right. She gathered everyone to line up at the entrance: tall people in the back, short people squatting in the front. Dean Liang and the two children were in the middle of the first row, forming three full rows.

Han Feng set up the tripod and set the timer, then quickly ran back into the line.

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

Everyone counted down together, laughing. The moment was frozen in time.

As for why they didn’t call all the children out for the photo, aside from the large number, some children had mobility issues.

In this day and age, parents were very protective of their children. Normal parents would not abandon their children unless they couldn’t accept their child’s congenital disability or due to the malicious acts of criminals.

The members of the Psychology Club were all dressed in sportswear today. They weren’t just here to bring warmth; they were also here to work.

Fortunately, even though Gao Zhi hadn’t gone home, she usually wore sportswear.

As soon as the members entered, they found many children engaged in their own activities. They, too, were busy, carrying their large bags and going to chat with the children.

They’d spot one and call out, “Little friend, do you want this toy?”

They’d see another and say, “Here, cute baby, have this date cake.”

The most boisterous one there was Gao Zhi.

More than half of the snacks in Xu Qingfeng’s large bag were hers. After confirming she would attend yesterday, the wealthy Gao Zhi had stayed up all night to order various foods on an app and had them delivered to Xu Qingfeng’s apartment complex gate.

Poor little Gao even braved the cold wind in her pajamas to retrieve them. She felt too embarrassed to bother the security guard at the gate, only the silly Gao Zhi forgot to put on a jacket.

The atmosphere was harmonious. Gu Wenshu said nothing and took nothing.

Gao Zhi hadn’t given up on this aloof little friend.

A stinker of a kid, and so pretty, the combination was doubly adorable.

What if the little friend didn’t respond? Gao Zhi would just take the initiative herself.

Gao Zhi took out a popular “White Pear” candy among the children and asked the girl if she wanted one.

“No.” Just as concise as her earlier “hello.”

That was right. Xu Qingfeng, watching from a distance, had never stopped observing this child since their first meeting.

She seemed out of place here.

This thought surfaced in Xu Qingfeng’s mind.

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