You Like The Smart Ones? You Should Have Said So Sooner! - Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Tissues

Because it was class time, the lights in the restroom were off, making it very dark and gloomy. Jiang Mengqian didn’t turn them on; she simply walked straight in.

Ding Zi’s words had no effect on her because her heart was entirely consumed by anxiety and fear.

“593? You can’t even break 600—what use is there in raising you?!”

“You don’t want to repeat the year? With these trashy grades, which undergraduate program would even take you?!”

“We work ourselves to the bone earning money outside just to pay for all your tutoring classes. Is this how you repay us?!”

“Cry, cry, cry! That’s all you know how to do! What use is crying? Can crying raise your grades?!”

Just touching upon these fragments of memory made Jiang Mengqian’s nose sting. Endless grievance surged into her heart instantly.

The choice of Physics-Chemistry-Biology wasn’t what she wanted. Repeating the year wasn’t what she wanted. Performing poorly wasn’t intentional. Yet, she was the one who had to bear all the blame and vitriol. She was trying her best to study subjects she didn’t like, but she simply wasn’t built for them.

How could a heart filled with anxiety raise its score in just one month? Having only scored in the 570s this time, Jiang Mengqian had no idea how to face her parents when she went home tonight.

She didn’t know when it started, but the word that once represented warmth and family had become the source of her terror. She crouched on the floor, sobbing and venting the pain in her heart, allowing the surrounding darkness to envelop her.

After an unknown amount of time, a familiar voice suddenly rang out in the dim environment.

“Who’s there!” Qin Mian gritted his teeth, approaching with his heart in his throat.

He had been using the restroom when he suddenly heard a girl crying, which gave him quite a fright. Truth be told, Qin Mian wasn’t afraid of much, but he was terrified of ghosts and the supernatural. He had heard rumors that No. 2 High was built on an old graveyard.

Qin Mian’s scalp tingled: Damn it, please don’t tell me those rumors are true…

Despite his doubts, he edged closer to the source of the sound. Suddenly, a dark shadow enlarged in front of him, nearly causing him to break out in a cold sweat. But he quickly realized it was a girl.

Jiang Mengqian also realized she had scared someone and quickly apologized: “S-sorry.”

“Are you… okay?” Qin Mian heard the sob in her voice and asked hesitantly, “Why are you crying here alone?”

Jiang Mengqian shook her head frantically and tried to run out.

Qin Mian stopped her: “Hey!”

She paused, unsure of what he wanted. She had already recognized the boy as Qin Mian, and the shame of being seen in such a pathetic state only intensified her panic.

In the next second, she saw Qin Mian hand her a small pack of tissues.

“Wipe your tears. Class is almost over.”

The voice was a bit cool, yet very gentle. Once she took them, the boy left, seemingly giving her space to pull herself together. Jiang Mengqian clutched the pack of tissues, struggling to suppress the urge to cry again.

Taking that palm-sized pack of tissues out of her desk drawer, Jiang Mengqian’s eyes dimmed. She exited the WeChat chat with Qin Mian, put her phone back in her desk, and buried her head in her problems.

Qin Mian found a moment to check his WeChat, but there were no messages. He frowned; he clearly remembered his phone lighting up earlier with a notification. He glanced toward Jiang Mengqian and saw her working diligently. The notification profile picture had looked like hers.

However, these things were merely small interludes in the life of a Grade 12 student. Their status as repeaters dictated that the tone of their year would be tedious, arduous, and desperate.

The end of one monthly exam meant the arrival of the next big test. Teachers of every subject assigned papers like crazy. The cycle of solving, grading, and explaining repeated day after day. Qin Mian and Song Ying were no exception; in fact, they were given “special attention” by the teachers, resulting in even more homework.

On a sweltering night in the quiet classroom, the sound of turning pages felt hypnotic. After marking the last red checkmark, Qin Mian slumped back against his chair in exhaustion, pinching the bridge of his nose. The sheer volume of work was giving him a headache.

Song Ying’s pen paused. He could feel that Qin Mian had stopped writing. Turning his head, he met Qin Mian’s tired gaze. Whether it was the desire to catch up to him or the drive to surpass himself, Song Ying had seen all of Qin Mian’s desperate effort lately.

Qin Mian didn’t have the energy to speak; he just raised an eyebrow as if asking what was up. The hum of the AC continued, and the croaking of frogs could be heard through the window glass. Looking at the exhausted Qin Mian, an idea suddenly formed in Song Ying’s mind.

He turned, picked up his phone, and sent Qin Mian a message.

Song Ying: Want to go for a stroll?

Qin Mian glanced at the time. 8:20 PM. There were still thirty minutes until class ended.

Q: Now?

Song Ying: Yeah, right now.

Qin Mian licked the corner of his lip. He had a vague idea of what Song Ying was up to. He was tempted.

Q: Have you lost it? Class isn’t over.

Song Ying: I know.

Song Ying: But I’m tired, and I want the handsome Great Qin to accompany me to the playground.

Song Ying: Pretty please? Bunny holding paws.jpg

Qin Mian stared at that familiar bunny, and his heart began to race again. Clearly, he was the one who was tired, yet Song Ying was pulling this stunt. It was truly… heart-fluttering.

Qin Mian exhaled casually.

[Q: Then let’s go.

Song Ying smiled slightly, tucked his phone into his pocket, and shared a look with Qin Mian. Then, they both hunched over and slipped out of the classroom together.

Yu Canxing’s pupils shook with shock. ??? Where the heck are you two going? No one cared to answer, leaving her only with the sight of two cool figures walking away.

There were patrolling teachers in the hallways from time to time. Qin Mian and Song Ying kept low, their footsteps light and fast as they ducked and wove through the shadows. Relying on their top-tier movement skills, they successfully avoided detection.

The lights on the playground were off; only the distant buildings provided faint, dotted lights. It was very quiet. Qin Mian and Song Ying walked side-by-side along the outer track, letting the breeze brush against their tired faces and blow away the stale air.

Qin Mian let out a long breath. “I feel alive again.”

“I never thought an ‘Academic God’ would skip class too,” Qin Mian couldn’t help but tease as soon as he regained his energy.

Song Ying had adapted well to Qin Mian’s impulsive nicknames, as he often did the same. “When I got tired of studying before, I’d sneak out with Ji Chenxiang to relax,” Song Ying said slowly. “But we were almost always caught by Teacher Mo.”

Qin Mian looked up with interest. “Then you didn’t get scolded?”

Song Ying chuckled. “Usually, only Ji Chenxiang got scolded.”