The White Moonlight is So Scheming - Chapter 41

Her soft, long hair was simply tied back.

The apron strings cinched her already slender waist, making it even more pronounced.

Leaning against the doorframe, he gazed at her intently.

His eyes were filled with the gentle and serene image of Shen Tinghan, his moist almond-shaped eyes sparkling like stars.

He adored her.

This was his sister.

The next morning, the self-study session was unexpectedly replaced by a class meeting. The geography class representative returned empty-handed. As the morning bell rang, all the students handed in their homework and sat waiting at their desks, utterly clueless about what was happening.

Teacher Li walked into the classroom with a stern face and slammed his laptop onto the podium.

“Something very unpleasant happened yesterday, and I want to talk to everyone about it today especially the boys in this class. Put down whatever you’re doing!”

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked up at the homeroom teacher, except for Shen Tinghan in the corner, who lowered her head.

“A boy made jokes about a girl’s sanitary products during her period, and it even escalated into a physical altercation. Fortunately, no one was hurt.”

With that one sentence, the entire class turned to look at Shen Juexia and Gao Yixing. They all knew exactly which incident this referred to.

“Menstruation is a very private topic and a sensitive matter for girls. As boys, you should respect girls’ privacy and not joke about or mock them for it.”

What followed was a half-hour-long lecture, with his gaze occasionally lingering meaningfully on Gao Yixing, prompting the other students to keep glancing at him too.

Shen Juexia’s eyes wandered, her gray-blue gaze empty, as if she were looking at the teacher but also at no one in particular.

She often wore such an expression.

Finally, Teacher Li added, “If you don’t respect girls, no girl will ever like you once you enter society.”

This elicited a wave of snickers. Gao Yixing’s face flushed red, and he scoffed silently, shaking his leg as he averted his gaze.

After class, perhaps out of embarrassment, Gao Yixing stormed out of the classroom with a dark expression, leaving even his close friends unable to catch up.

Sun Zhizhi turned to Liu Qian on her right: “Why did we suddenly have a class meeting?”

Shen Juexia was also puzzled.

She didn’t know how the homeroom teacher had found out about the incident. Maybe the commotion had been too loud, and word had eventually reached Teacher Li’s ears.

“Isn’t a class meeting way better than a quiz?” Liu Qian said with a grin.

“The quizzes are already printed,” Yang Ke said, taking off her glasses and wiping the lenses. “If we don’t do them in the morning, they’ll become homework.”

Upon hearing this bad news, Liu Qian immediately changed her tune: “Seriously? Then we might as well not have had the meeting.”

Yao Qingyan’s eyes darted around before she patted Ma Youyou beside her. Ma Youyou, who was applying double eyelid tape, glanced at her and gave a knowing look.

Yao Qingyan raised her voice: “By the way, how did Big Potato find out?”

The air instantly grew quiet.

Students at the front of the classroom discreetly glanced toward the back row.

Without thinking, Liu Qian said, “Someone must’ve told her.” She hadn’t given it much thought. It was just her guess.

“Who?” Kong Wenlong asked foolishly.

Zhong Xiaoxiao clicked her tongue. “Are you pretending to be dumb or are you really that dumb?” She then shot a glance in the direction of the transfer student.

Kong Wenlong suddenly understood and let out a heavy sigh. “Was that really necessary?”

Yang Ke cut in, “Who cares who told? Can’t you boys just be decent and cut down on the crude jokes?”

“How is that a crude joke?” Kong Wenlong retorted indignantly.

Guan Yizhe walked into the classroom holding a geography quiz, casually tossing out a remark, “Seriously, is it that big of a deal?”

Yang Ke glared at him. “What?”

Seeing her hostile expression, Guan Yizhe was baffled. “So, what were you guys talking about?”

“…”

Shen Juexia appeared to be reviewing her lessons, but she had heard every word.

“I can’t stand snitches,” Deng Tingxuan said sarcastically, deliberately shifting closer to Shen Juexia’s direction.

Shen Juexia didn’t even glance at him, deeming it a waste of her attention. Since she had nothing to hide, she let the malicious assumptions roll off her back.

Four-Eyes grabbed a geography quiz and, before returning to his seat, shot a glare in Shen Juexia’s direction. He was half a head shorter than her and only dared to show attitude from a safe distance.

A strange tension hung over the entire classroom.

At their age, regardless of right or wrong, nothing was more irritating than the “teacher’s pet.”

Shen Tinghan sat in the far-right corner of the classroom, watching the discussion unfold. Several times, she seemed on the verge of speaking but held back.

Shen Juexia caught her expression out of the corner of her eye.

What does this girl want to say now?

Finally, Shen Tinghan spoke up.

“Was the teacher wrong? Making jokes about someone’s period is vulgar and offensive in itself.”

Kong Wenlong nodded eagerly, never missing a chance to cozy up to the class president.

“Right, right!”

Four-Eyes quickly picked up his pen to work on the quiz, adopting an attitude of “not my problem, not my concern.”

“Exactly!” Yang Ke planted her hands on her hips, puffing out her chest as she moved protectively beside Shen Tinghan. “Class Prez, how do you solve the last math problem from yesterday?”

The abrupt change of topic nearly made Shen Juexia laugh. The boy in front of her noticed her suppressed smile, his expression twisting with even greater disgust and surprise.

No one could understand how this girl could ever find anything amusing.

Especially someone who always wore such a stern face.

–

After school, Shen Juexia stayed behind in the classroom as usual.

Ever since discovering the benefits of leaving school during off-peak hours, she had made a habit of lingering until late. She just had to be careful not to get in the way of the students on duty.

No matter how many months passed, the others’ eyes still seemed glued to her.

Her messy room wasn’t conducive to studying, and neither was her lazy father at home.

The light outside the window was just right. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, casting a gentle glow on the pages that soothed her tired eyes.

Today’s duty students were Yang Ke and Zheng Wenjun. One was tall, the other short; one plump, the other slender; one dark-skinned, the other fair—their pairing created an oddly harmonious contrast.

Shen Tinghan had also stayed behind.

Normally, she left early, often packing her bag before the last class even ended. Today, for some reason, she had broken routine and remained in the classroom.

“If I’m in your way, just let me know, and I’ll go outside to study,” Shen Tinghan said to the two duty students.

Yang Ke and Zheng Wenjun naturally had no objections. In fact, they were delighted the class president was staying to keep them company.

Zheng Wenjun wiped the blackboard. Her tall frame allowed her to reach the top with ease. Yang Ke mopped the floor, her nimble movements ensuring no corner was left untouched.

“Class Prez, what’s the deal with methyl green and that other red dye again?” Yang Ke asked, ever the diligent study committee member.

Shen Tinghan, who had been writing furiously, didn’t seem annoyed by the interruption. She looked up patiently and explained, “The two reagents have different affinities for DNA and RNA. Methyl green turns DNA green, and pyronin turns RNA red. They’re used to show their distribution in cells.”

“What was that biuret reagent for again?” Yang Ke tossed out a question with every swipe of the mop, like an NPC in a game programmed with fixed behavioral logic.

“To detect proteins,” Shen Tinghan answered each one patiently.

Listening to their conversation, Shen Juexia silently reviewed the lesson material again. She completely understood why Yang Ke and the others always sought out Shen Tinghan for help. Who could be more patient or explain things more clearly than her?

“Damn, can you guys give us a break? Talking about this stuff even after school?” Zheng Wenjun complained.

Yang Ke laughed. “You don’t have to listen, you know.”

Before they realized it, their cleaning duty flew by. The setting sun dyed everything gold, and the unlit classroom sank into a dim, nostalgic glow.

Zheng Wenjun was the first to leave, heading off to meet her childhood friend from Class 8 to walk home together.

Yang Ke, backpack slung over her shoulders, stared expectantly at Shen Tinghan.

Shen Tinghan had already packed up and was about to walk over when she suddenly stopped. She turned her head, looking at Shen Juexia, who remained motionless in her seat, head bowed.

“Want to walk together?”

Shen Juexia was lost in thought, staring blankly at the instantaneous power formula on her paper, and didn’t react to the question.

“Shen Juexia?” Shen Tinghan narrowed the call to her name.

Yang Ke, waiting by the door, squinted in confusion.

Shen Juexia startled. It had been a long time since anyone had called her name—especially her full name.

“Wh-what is it?”

Shen Tinghan repeated, “Want to walk together?”

Shen Juexia froze. It had been just as long since she’d been asked that question. She was about to accept, not wanting to reject the kindness, when she caught sight of Yang Ke glaring daggers at her from a distance.

“Together” probably meant the three of them. Shen Juexia’s courage faltered again. Ever since she’d unintentionally scared Yang Ke at the start of the semester, an inexplicable tension had lingered between them.

The P.E. teacher pressed the stopwatch, eyeing the numbers thoughtfully. “4 minutes, 23 seconds.”

Shen Juexia crouched on the ground, dizzy and disoriented. Worse than the physical discomfort was the unfamiliar sting of coming in last. Even during final exams last semester, she hadn’t been at the bottom of the class.

“Hahaha, she didn’t even pass,” came a familiar voice from behind. Shen Juexia couldn’t place who it belonged to.

Another voice snickered. “No idea what she was acting all high and mighty about earlier.”

“Remember when she asked me, ‘Is the 800-meter really that hard?’ Thought she was some kind of pro, turns out she’s a total noob.”

……

Dizzy and ears ringing, Shen Juexia couldn’t move, let alone retaliate. Even though the mid-March breeze carried a chill, the sun burned against her cheeks, her entire body feverish.

She wasn’t good at showing emotion.

To others, she just sat on the ground, propping up her face with one hand, frowning as if lost in deep thought. The sunlight cast shadows over her deep gray-blue eyes, making it impossible for anyone to discern what she was feeling.

No one could see her pain and she was glad they couldn’t. Otherwise, someone would surely seize on it to twist the knife deeper.

Then, a shadow fell over her, blocking the sun.

Shen Juexia forced herself to look up and saw Shen Tinghan crouching slowly in front of her, meeting her at eye level, hand outstretched.

“What?” Shen Juexia’s mind was mush.

Shen Tinghan’s voice was soft, so quiet only the two of them could hear. “Helping you up.”

Shen Juexia pressed her hand against the ground, struggling for a moment to no avail, and finally had no choice but to grasp Shen Tinghan’s hand.

It was her first-time touching Shen Tinghan’s hand even when she had been handed the rice ball before, their fingers hadn’t brushed. It was cool and smooth, and despite having just finished intense exercise, not a trace of sweat could be felt in her palm.

The strength from Shen Tinghan’s arm traveled through her fingers, and before Shen Juexia could react, she was yanked to her feet.

Shen Juexia was startled. She hadn’t expected someone who looked so slender to be this strong.

“Thank you.”

“No need.” Shen Tinghan’s expression and voice remained utterly unreadable.

Shen Tinghan hadn’t yet pulled down her pant leg, and Shen Juexia inadvertently caught another glimpse of the well-defined muscles on her calf offering a faint explanation for that earlier display of strength.

In those brief seconds, six or seven classmates had gathered around. Some gazed at Shen Tinghan with admiration and affection, while others whispered about Shen Juexia with mockery and resignation.

Having caught her breath a little, Shen Juexia’s hearing returned, and she picked up the unkind words carried by the breeze.

Shen Tinghan’s brows furrowed slightly as she looked straight into Shen Juexia’s eyes. “Skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar. Next time, eat something at noon. You won’t feel this terrible then.”

Shen Juexia was puzzled at first, about to say she had eaten lunch, but then she grasped the underlying meaning of those words and silently nodded.

The jeering around her quieted.

She knew Shen Tinghan was making an excuse for her.

Shen Tinghan raised her voice. “Even if you have no appetite, you should eat. Once, I felt unwell too and ran on an empty stomach. I nearly fainted on the track.”

Shen Juexia didn’t know how to respond, an inexplicable lump forming in her throat.

Yang Ke seized the opportunity immediately, her petite and nimble figure sidling up to the beloved class monitor. “I finally beat you this time!”

“You’re amazing. I really couldn’t keep going at the end,” Shen Tinghan acknowledged. “I’m truly not good at endurance running.”

Yang Ke swayed her chin, basking in the praise as if those words had transformed into a warm hand patting her head.

Zheng Wenjun wailed dramatically, “A 2.39-meter long jump? Are you even human, you monster? I thought the full-score threshold was set ridiculously high.”

Shen Tinghan smiled but said nothing.

The sunlight burned.

It made people restless.

Seeing that smile, the familiar, unwelcome feeling surged back in Shen Juexia. She didn’t want to resent it, yet she couldn’t stop herself.

“Your complaints are always so unnecessary,” Liu Qian muttered as she drifted past. “Name one event the monster hasn’t aced.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

Silence quickly fell.

The lingering ache in her tongue, the weakness in her limbs. Her entire body felt submerged in a powerless dream.

Shen Juexia felt even smaller.

–

The day she learned she had to retake the physical fitness test, it happened to be raining. Outside the window, a fine drizzle blurred everything into a misty haze.

Shen Juexia shuffled out of the office step by step, head lowered, her school uniform clinging to her skin, cold and damp.

Only today had she discovered that not only had she failed the 800-meter run, but she had also failed the sit-ups two out of three events. She was, without a doubt, the most thoroughly unqualified failure.

The thought of Shen Tinghan made her inadequacies even more glaring. Shen Tinghan excelled at everything, even acing physical education, while she was good at nothing she could barely even make friends.

Back in the classroom, Shen Juexia seized every second to study as usual, pulling out her weakest subject biology and memorizing terms and concepts one by one.

Despite trying to study, she found it hard to concentrate, her ears constantly picking up Zheng Wenjun’s hearty laughter, Yao Qingyan’s sharp remarks, and the sound of boys roughhousing and knocking into desks.

From the front right, the hushed whispers of two girls were particularly distracting.

“Hey, do you have one?”

“Have what?”

“Ugh, you know… pads…”

“I didn’t bring any.”

In the noisy environment, the quieter voices somehow stood out more.

Shen Juexia looked up toward the sound.

Ma Youyou was going around borrowing sanitary pads. Unfortunately, most girls in the class were far from their periods, and after asking three people, Ma still hadn’t managed to get one.

“Damn, how come none of you have any?”

“Just go buy some from the convenience store,” Liu Qian said dismissively. “Or use toilet paper for now.”

Shen Juexia unzipped the side pocket of her backpack and pulled out a regular tampon. She happened to be on her period these days.

She didn’t want to meddle, but she’d overheard and just happened to have something that could help.

“Ma Youyou, here.” Shen Juexia held it out in her direction.

Hearing this unfamiliar voice from someone who usually kept to herself, Ma Youyou froze, her entire expression shifting.

Liu Qian also looked incredulous, raising an eyebrow.

When Ma Youyou saw the long, slender object, her pupils dilated in shock: “Huh?” Her expression clearly said, I’m on my period—I need a pad!

Shen Juexia frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Ma Youyou was flustered. “What is this?”

“A tampon…” Shen Juexia paused, searching her mind for the right term. “A menstrual tampon.”

Ma Youyou’s jaw stiffened. “H-how do you use this?”

Two or three more girls gathered around, all staring at the tampon in Shen Juexia’s hand.

Right! Shen Juexia suddenly remembered. Tampons weren’t commonly used here in China. You didn’t see them in bathroom trash cans, and they were rarely stocked in supermarkets.

Unfazed, Shen Juexia picked up the tampon and demonstrated. “You tear open the wrapper, pinch here, then push the applicator to insert it inside.”

“Stop!” Ma Youyou’s face flushed red.

“The blood won’t come into contact with air, so it’s more hygienic. Plus, the posterior third of the vagina has no nerve endings. You won’t feel a thing. You could try it,” Shen Juexia suggested earnestly.

The girls around them began whispering among themselves.

Ma Youyou’s face turned beet red, as if she’d heard some kind of curse, and she hurried away with her head down, looking like she was about to cry as she complained to her friends.

“She’s so nosy. I didn’t even ask her.”

“Who would want to shove that thing inside them? That’s just perverted,” Yao Qingyan seized the opportunity to talk trash, looking smug.

Mu Yulan agreed. “She’s always been a little weird.”

…

Most of the other girls were just curious, their eyes glued to the strange object in Shen Juexia’s hand.

Shen Juexia lowered her gaze and quietly put the tampon away.

Failed promotion.

But just before she tucked it into her bag, a voice came from her right: “Bet it feels amazing using that, huh?”

Shen Juexia withdrew her hand and slapped the tampon onto the desk, glaring at the speaker.

It was Gao Yixing, the boys’ P.E. monitor.

“Making dirty jokes about menstrual products?” Shen Juexia clenched her fists.

Now she understood why the girls in class always hid their pads, not wanting anyone to see.

Gao Yixing remained unrepentant. “Not a joke. Virgins can’t use this, right? How would you even get it in?”

Shen Tinghan had been sitting in the corner reading a book, but upon hearing the conversation, she set it down.

Shen Juexia’s emotions could no longer be described as mere disgust. An overwhelming revulsion rose to the tip of her tongue.

She stood up from her seat and took two steps forward. “What does it matter to you whether she’s a virgin or not? Even the word sounds filthy coming out of your mouth.”

“You’re so crude. Was that really necessary?” Gao Yixing taunted.

Shen Juexia deeply regretted ever thinking Gao Yixing was the most handsome guy in class. Though “handsome” only described his appearance, such a filthy soul didn’t even deserve to be called “ugly.”

“You fucking idiot, don’t you have any women in your family?” Shen Juexia slammed her hand on the table with a loud bang, no longer bothering to control her volume. “Even shoving this up your urethra would be too dirty for me!”

It was the first time she had ever cursed in Chinese.

She rarely swore, let alone in Chinese. But at this moment, no other words carried enough weight to express what she was feeling.

Gao Yixing was the boys’ P.E. representative—tall, broad, towering over Shen Juexia by half a head and twice her width. His eyes bulged with rage like an enraged bull as he stepped menacingly toward her.

“Say that again, bitch.”

Though Shen Juexia was taller than most boys, she seemed fragile and slight in the face of his hulking frame.

Four-Eyes, despite his usual friction with Shen Juexia, could only try to placate the situation when he saw the bear-like P.E. rep lose his temper. “Brother Xing, calm down, don’t take it out on a girl.”

Shen Juexia lifted her chin fearlessly, glaring straight back at him. “What, are you hard of hearing? Can’t even understand when someone’s insulting you?”

With her sharp, low-set brows, her glare alone was enough to intimidate.

“You—!” Gao Yixing raised his fist.

Thwack!

Shen Juexia shut her eyes and flinched, but when she opened them again, the fist had been blocked by a thick workbook.

The onlookers gasped.

The workbook was positioned perfectly in front of Shen Juexia’s face, absorbing the full force of the punch with room to spare.

Gao Yixing yanked his hand back, his knuckles reddened from the impact.

Shen Tinghan’s gaze pierced him like a blade, her words slow and deliberate. “Do you realize that punch could have blinded her?”

Her usually expressionless face was trembling—her brows, the corners of her lips.

Gao Yixing sobered slightly and lowered his head without a word.

Shen Juexia stood frozen, unsure of what to say. Anger and gratitude tangled in her throat, rendering her immobile. It was the first time she had ever seen Shen Tinghan angry, and the sheer force of it was incomparable to anyone else.

The most terrifying form of fury was that of someone who was always gentle.

Shen Tinghan shot him a cold glare before turning to Shen Juexia. Expecting icy disdain, Shen Juexia was instead met with the same smiling peach-blossom eyes as always.

“Can I borrow one?” In the dimly lit classroom, Shen Tinghan’s face looked especially pale, her smile and exhaustion all the more pronounced.

For a moment, Shen Juexia didn’t understand, staring back at her in confusion.

The girls watching all widened their eyes.

Shen Tinghan was serious. “I want to try it.”

“Oh—okay.” Shen Juexia immediately bent down, picked up the tampon from the desk, and handed it to Shen Tinghan.

Her fingertips brushed against Shen Tinghan’s palm for the second time; still so cold, still so soft.

“Thank you.” Shen Tinghan smiled and left the classroom in the blink of an eye, leaving half the class in stunned silence.

No one noticed that after stepping out, Shen Tinghan took a detour by the water dispenser and headed toward the English office near the stairwell.

Shen Juexia offered an apologetic smile. “I’ll stay a little longer.”

Whether it was just an illusion or not, Yang Ke also seemed to let out a quiet sigh of relief.

Shen Tinghan hesitated before asking, “Wait for you for a bit?”

Shen Juexia quickly replied, “No!” Just hearing the word “wait” was already stressing her out.

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Yang Ke, upon hearing the firm refusal, was quite happy and tugged at Shen Tinghan’s sleeve.

“Alright, bye-bye.”

Shen Tinghan and Yang Ke disappeared outside the classroom door.

Shen Juexia sat at her seat, waiting until the last echo of footsteps faded in the hallway. She then leaned against the window to look outside, making sure they were truly gone before slowly packing her things.

Night was approaching, the warmth of the day giving way to coolness. As she walked out of the quiet campus, regret began to creep in.

She had wasted a good opportunity.

She had never seen Shen Tinghan actively invite someone before, yet she had refused. How ungrateful.

Shen Juexia lifted her head, her eyes emerging from the shadows of their sockets, her gray-blue irises shimmering with light.

Why?

Everyone liked Shen Tinghan. Yang Ke had clearly been waiting for her at the door. There was no reason for her to extend that invitation.

Unless…

She pitied me.

The realization struck Shen Juexia suddenly, bringing clarity along with a stinging, swelling sensation in her eyes.

She understood now.

Even that textbook held up in front of her face had been nothing more than an act of righteousness and pity.

The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt. She didn’t want to cry, so she put on her headphones, letting music drown out her thoughts.

At least the weather was nice today, wasn’t it?

“Why aren’t you saying anything now that we’re downstairs?” Shen Tinghan shot her an amused glance as she tried, unsuccessfully, to untie her apron behind her back.

Shen Juexia quickly lifted her phone, her fingers subtly switching apps in the background. Thank goodness, the first thing the platform recommended was a silly meme video.

Stealthily exhaling in relief, she turned the screen toward Shen Tinghan and cheerfully said, “It’s this cat, haha, look, sis! It can actually do somersaults.”

What the hell!

Even though she’d prepared an escape route in advance, why did she feel even more guilty when facing her sister?

Frowning, Shen Tinghan glanced at the chubby silver tabby on the screen, still wanting to press further.

Her dark lashes fluttered nervously.

Like a wary rabbit on guard, Shen Juexia kept observing Shen Tinghan’s expression.

Seeing that she was about to speak, Shen Juexia pulled her phone back and spoke first: “Sis, actually, I also have a gift prepared for you. Want to see?”