Chapter 2
Editor: Princess&Jodi
At this age, most boys had either just finished their voice-changing period or were still going through it, so their voices were often rough and unpleasant. However, his voice was unexpectedly soothing, and Yu Pei was caught in a daze for a few seconds before snapping back to reality. He buried his face deeper into his scarf and muttered softly, “It’s fine.”
Hearing this, his new desk mate didn’t say anything more, he just turned around and began writing something in his notebook.
While Yu Pei remembered that the homeroom teacher had told him that a new student would be joining the class and would be his new desk mate. Now, it seemed that this boy with striking blue eyes must be that new classmate.
People with blue eyes were rare in the country, and even more unusual was that he wasn’t a foreigner. Yu Pei’s curiosity got the better of him, and he sneaked a glance at his new desk mate.
Usually, whenever a new transfer student arrived, it would stir up a small buzz in the classroom. Yu Pei noticed that his new desk mate was quite handsome, and several of the girls in class were sneaking glances at him too. A few even found excuses to walk past their desks, however since the transfer student looked expressionless and cold, none of them dared to approach him for a chat.
Yu Pei wanted to know his new desk mate’s name but hesitated, unsure if he should break the ice given how distant he seemed. As he was mulling over ways to introduce himself, he caught a glimpse of the notebook lying on his desk. The cover was a deep blue, just like his eyes, and on the bottom right corner, three characters were written: Luo Changzhou.
The name sounded gentle, but the way it was written didn’t match that image at all. The strokes were firm and powerful, especially the final stroke of the “Zhou”, which trailed long and deep into the cover, almost carving a groove into it.
“I’m Luo Changzhou.” This sudden sentence caught Yu Pei off guard, and it took him a few seconds before he realized that it was his new desk mate who was speaking to him.
His eyes still fixed on the name in the notebook, Yu Pei’s eyelashes trembled slightly as he responded slowly, “Oh… I’m Yu Pei.”
Then worried that he might have sounded too cold, he looked up at Luo Changzhou quickly, only to find him staring back.
Yu Pei opened his mouth but hesitated, before finally managing to ask softly, “You’re new here, right?”
“Hmm.” Luo Changzhou replied, placing his textbook and notebook for the next class on the desk. “I just transferred this semester.”
Yu Pei watched him in a daze, still feeling a bit foggy from the lingering effects of his medication. His whole body ached in a dull, unshakable way. It wasn’t until Luo Changzhou handed him a pristine white notebook that he snapped back to attention.
He took the notebook, and saw that it was the same style as Luo Changzhou’s deep blue one, only in a different color. Both had names written in the bottom right corner.
Luo Changzhou’s voice was as cool and as clear as his expression, but his words were unexpectedly considerate: “Yu Pei, is your name written with the ‘yu’ that has an ear radical, like this?”
“Yes.” Yu Pei was a little surprised as he held the notebook. Luo Changzhou had written his name on the cover, and the stroke of his “Yu” trailed off in the same way as the “Zhou”, instantly making it so that one would know who had written it. “Is this… for me?”
“En, it’s a gift for my new desk mate.” Luo Changzhou answered, turning to face the front as the bell rang, signaling the start of class.
Making it so that when Yu Pei looked up, he could only see Luo Changzhou’s cold, expressionless profile. He lowered his gaze again, stared at the brand-new notebook in his hands, then silently turned to face the front as well.
The presence of a transfer student was always a big deal, especially one with striking blue eyes like Luo Changzhou’s, so during class, the math teacher asked him to introduce himself briefly.
“My name is Luo Changzhou, ‘Zhou’ as in the river. I just transferred today. I’m happy to be your classmate.”
Luo Changzhou’s self-introduction was very short, and in his usual cool tone, However he at least managed a smile, even though it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
As Luo Changzhou introduced himself, Yu Pei, like the rest of the class, looked up at him.
And although his smile was just as polite and surface-level as anyone else’s, for some reason, seeing Luo Changzhou force a smile made Yu Pei want to laugh, and he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips from beneath his scarf.
Their math teacher, Ms. Yang Lingzhi, a young woman, noticed his blue eyes and joked, “Luo Changzhou, your eyes are blue! Are you mixed-race?”
“En, my grandmother is British.” Luo Changzhou answered shortly before falling silent, making it clear he wasn’t interested in continuing the conversation.
Ms. Yang, sensing his coolness, felt a little awkward. Then when her gaze landed on Yu Pei, sitting next to him, she smiled again. “And what about the student next to Luo Changzhou? Are you also new? Why don’t you introduce yourself?”
Caught off guard by being called out, Yu Pei’s smile froze. He stood up, was silent for a few seconds then tugged down his scarf to reveal his face, muttering softly, “Ms. Yang, I’m not a transfer student. I’m Yu Pei…”
His pale face peeked out from the deep blue scarf, and his nose was a little red from illness. His eyes, unlike most people’s dark brown, were a light tea color, unusually clear in the soft morning sunlight. Ms. Yang stared at him for a moment, struggling to match this delicate, unfamiliar face with the memory of the fat student from half a year ago. Then it clicked, and she stammered, “Oh… you’re Yu Pei.”
But she quickly regained her composure and smiled. “Wow, you’ve lost so much weight! I almost didn’t recognize you. I heard you were sick last semester. Are you feeling better now?”
As Ms. Yang spoke, almost everyone in class turned to look at Yu Pei. In high school, gossip spread fast, and people could spend hours discussing who was dating whom, who was the prettiest, and who was the ugliest or the fattest. Everyone had been curious about how the formerly fat boy had changed. And now, thanks to Ms. Yang, they all had the chance to see for themselves.
Yu Pei could feel their stares, but the one gaze that made him feel the most uncomfortable came from Qi Wenqiang. While he didn’t mind the others, Qi Wenqiang’s attention made him squirm. He lowered his head even further, his voice barely audible. “Yeah, I’m much better now. Thank you for asking, Ms. Yang.”
“Alright, then. Sit down. If you’re still feeling unwell, just let me know.” Ms. Yang waved him down before starting the lesson, “Now, let’s begin. Everyone, please open your books to page seven…”
Yu Pei exhaled in relief and sat back down. And as his tension eased, he felt even more drained and exhausted. Oddly enough though, the once-dull math class didn’t seem as boring as usual. He figured it was probably because Luo Changzhou was paying such close attention, making him feel guilty about dozing off. Even though his eyes burned with tiredness, Yu Pei fought the urge to sleep, though he didn’t absorb much of the lesson.
When the bell finally rang, signaling the end of class, he slumped over his desk immediately, closing his eyes for a quick nap. But before he could drift off, Tan Qiming, who sat in front of him, pulled him back up.
“Yu Pei, you actually managed to lose weight? I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Even though Yu Pei was exhausted and feeling unwell, he had to force himself to respond. “En, I lost a lot of weight.”
“How did you do it?” Tan Qiming asked again.
How did he do it?
Yu Pei’s mind drifted at the question, his thoughts becoming hazy. His eyes unfocused as he stayed silent.
Seeing that Yu Pei wasn’t answering, Tan Qiming switched topics. “What were you trying to say to me last class?”
This question snapped Yu Pei out of his trance. He pulled out a small notebook from his desk and placed it in front of Tan Qiming. “Can you give me your contact information?”
Tan Qiming probably wasn’t expecting this, because he blinked in surprise before scribbling down his phone number, QQ, and even his WeChat on the notebook.
However, Yu Pei barely glanced at it before closing the notebook and murmuring, “Thank you.”
Perhaps because everyone had realized how much better-looking Yu Pei had become after losing weight, many of his classmates gathered around him, which also gave them the perfect excuse to also get a closer look at the cold, blue-eyed transfer student. This also conveniently allowed Yu Pei to ask for their contact information.
His behavior wasn’t odd. As graduation neared, most students started exchanging contact details to keep in touch after high school. Yu Pei collected contact info from most of his classmates but never once asked his new desk mate.
It was because he felt that his new desk mate was far too distant and serious, the type of person who wouldn’t be easy to get along with. He was afraid that if he asked for Luo Changzhou’s contact information, all he would get in return was a cold, “No.”
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