Chapter 6. ☆ Grove.

The senior high school of C City No. 1 Middle School had the best teachers and teaching environment in the city. It was divided into day study and boarding.  

There was also an elite, ambitious class of thirty students in each grade, all of whom were top achievers or noble ‘golden shiners’ [1].  

He Yiyang transferred from the nationally renowned Mingde Private High School in H City to C City No. 1 High School. The teachers welcomed him and pushed him into the elite class.  

With a class of thirty students, one of them had to be dropped.  Li Yihang, who happened to be ranked thirtieth in his grade at the end of last semester, had just started school when he was told that he had been transferred to the second science class.

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He Yiyang inclined his head. His eyes were still glued to the bulletin board’s senior class announcement sheet, “Ruan Mengmeng, how bad are your grades? None of the four experimental classes has your name. ”  　　 

Ruan Mengmeng lowered her head in embarrassment. She tugged at her clothes, “Don’t look for me yet. There’s a boy over there who seems to be looking at you. ”  　　 

He Yiyang followed the direction of Ruan Mengmeng’s finger and looked over. Li Yihang met his eyes and took the lead in turning his head away.

 “Who is it?” Ruan Mengmeng tilted her head and asked.  　　  

“Who cares who he is?” He Yiyang pinched Ruan Mengmeng’s face and said, with a frown, “Stop eating it. Doesn’t it look dirty when you have the dark chocolate stuck in the corner of your mouth? It looks ugly with your peeling face! ”  　　 

Ruan Mengmeng took out a tissue and wiped it off, muttering in a low voice, “But you bought it for me.” 

 “Huh?”  　　

 Ruan Mengmeng conceded, “No no no, ha ha.”  

　

He Yiyang snorted coldly. When he finally found Ruan Mengmeng’s name, he was so angry that he pinched Ruan Mengmeng’s face again.  　　 

“How bad are you that you’re actually at the bottom of class eight’s hangers-on?!”  　　 

“Six, seven, and eight are all normal classes. There’s no ranking,” Ruan Mengmeng’s cheeks were pinched and it hurt a little, “maybe they are ranked by surname, brother. Let go. ”  　　 

He Yiyang didn’t let go, “Is that so? Then why is Zhang Xiaofang at the top of Class 8, eh? ”  　　 

“Brother,” Ruan Mengmeng blinked her watery eyes, “I’ll study hard in the future ……”   

After Ruan Mengmeng had taken her high school entrance examination, He Yiyang had sent her revision materials and a collection of her mistakes to help with her placement exams. Yet she still came out at the bottom. How stupid must she be?  

He knocked on Ruan Mengmeng’s head and leaned down to listen for water inside.  

Ruan Mengmeng was rubbing her face when she was knocked on the head, unexpectedly. She pouted aggrievedly, “It’s solid!”  　　 

“Pfft.”  　　 

He Yiyang was amused by this silly little fatty.  　　

“Wow, so handsome…” came the gasp from the side.  　　 

The girls who were watching the class listing did not leave after watching. They were all quietly glancing at the handsome He Yiyang. When they saw his cold expression suddenly reveal a smile, there was instant huffing and puffing. Several girls even took out their mobile phones.  He Yiyang was displeased and swept his sharp eyes over to the girls, who smiled awkwardly and hid their phones behind them.  

He hated it when girls chattered endlessly, so he patted Ruan Mengmeng’s shoulder and said, “Are you finished reading? Let’s go. ”  　　 

“Where’s Jiajia’s? I still want to see hers. ” Ruan Mengmeng didn’t want to go. She climbed onto He Yiyang’s arm and stood on tiptoe.  　　 

He Yiyang was about to take Ruan Mengmeng away by force when someone behind him shouted, “Mengmeng!”  　　 

Chen Linjia was standing by the flower bed, wearing a pair of black sunglasses that covered two-thirds of her face. She had her suitcase and two large bags beside her.  　　 

“Jiajia!” Ruan Mengmeng laughed and ran over. She stretched out her white fingers to poke her lenses, “The sun is setting. Aren’t you afraid of damaging your eyes? And you’re… planning to board? ”  　　 

Chen Linjia pushed her glasses up and coughed uncomfortably.  　　 

“Jiajia?” Ruan Mengmeng quizzically tilted her head.  　　 

“Let’s talk about it later. First, help me move my luggage to the dormitory, ” Chen Linjia looked at He Yiyang, who was sticking his hands in his pockets, and said, “Brother He, can you do me a favor?”   

He Yiyang’s cold face was indifferent. “I’m not familiar with you.”  　　 

F*ck! Didn’t know her well, my ass! Chen Linjia was caught off guard. She wanted to roll up her sleeves and punch He Yiyang in his cold face.  Ruan Mengmeng looked at their faces for a moment. He Yiyang and Chen Linjia had been at odds since they were kids, and they still were.  　　 

She quickly intervened and said, “Jiajia, I’ll help you.”  　　

Lifting a bag, Ruan Mengmeng puffed out her cheeks incredulously. What was in the bag? It was so heavy!  　　 She strained to hold on to the bag. Her face had turned red when a hand came up next to her and the bag hung in the air.  　　 

“You won’t let it go?” He Yiyang said, “Wouldn’t you call me if you can’t lift it?”  　　 

Ruan Mengmeng let go of the bag. Her palm was covered with red marks. She looked at He Yiyang with a smile, “Brother is so nice.”  

He Yiyang glanced at her and didn’t say anything.  

Today was the reporting day for freshmen in high school. Those of the opposite sex who followed the female students were allowed to enter the girls’ dormitory building.  

He Yiyang’s face was expressionless, and the ogling eyes of the girls coming and going irritated him.  When he arrived at the dormitory, He Yiyang dropped the bag and left, “Mengmeng, you have ten minutes. I’ll wait for you at the door. ”  　　 

“Okay.”  　　 

Chen Linjia took off her glasses and Ruan Mengmeng let out a gasp, “Jiajia, why are your eyes swollen into little steamed buns?”  　　 

“Huang Lili and I have completely fallen out.” 

 “What?” Ruan Mengmeng pulled Chen Linjia’s arm over in surprise, “Auntie is very caring. She’s kind, soft-hearted, and easy to talk to. How could you have a fight? ”  　　 

Chen Linjia tossed her glasses in annoyance and gave a sneering tsk.  　　 

“Mengmeng, she’s changed! When my dad was still alive, Huang Lili spoke softly to me. Now that she’s remarried, how could she genuinely be nice to her ex-husband’s daughter? ”   

It won’t happen! Ruan Mengmeng wanted to retort, but seeing the loss and coolness in Chen Linjia’s eyes, she shut her mouth.  This was the stage where no one could persuade her, and Ruan Mengmeng did not want to upset her best friend by saying more.  　　 

Huang Lili married Chen Linjia’s father when she was six years old. She was a woman as gentle as water who treated Chen Linjia as if she were her own.  　　 

When she was a child, there was a time when Ruan Mengmeng used to run upstairs to play with her best friend. She wasn’t envious of Chen Linjia’s new princess dress, but of her ability to loosen her hair and have it brushed by Huang Lili after playing around. She had a pair of warm motherly hands.  　　 

So Ruan Mengmeng did not believe that Huang Lili would leave her daughter alone just because Chen Linjia’s father had died of cancer.  　　 

“Then even if you quarrelled, why do you need accommodation? You can walk to school in fifteen minutes, right? ” Ruan Mengmeng shook Chen Linjia’s arm, “Don’t you want to go to and from school with me?”  　　 

Chen Linjia looked at her askance, “Now He Yiyang lives across the street from you. You have him with you.”  　　 

“No, no, my brother doesn’t like that I’m slow. He won’t even walk with me. ” said Ruan Mengmeng 

“That’s true. You’re as slow as a turtle. ” Chen Linjia said.   

“Jiajia ……,” Ruan Mengmeng looked at her best friend and pouted, “Don’t stay in the dormitory, okay? How could the dormitory be as good as home? ”  　　 

“It’s worth it,” Chen Linjia couldn’t stand her like this. She puffed out a breath and said gloomily, “Mengmeng, I’m the only one left in that house called home. Sometimes I feel empty. Can you understand the desolation in my heart? ”  　　 

“Jiajia ……” Ruan Mengmeng lowered her head and her fingers uneasily picked at Chen Linjia’s clothes.  　　 “Well, we’re in the same class. We can be together during the day,” Chen Linjia reassured Ruan Mengmeng in turn, “you’re so clingy. Is it a big deal to tell the class teacher we’ll be at the same table? ”  　　 

Ruan Mengmeng knew Chen Linjia didn’t want to talk too much, so she said, “Can we be tablemates?”

“Let’s try.”  　　 

Chen Linjia smiled, “Hurry up and go down, that cold b*tch is waiting for you.”  　　 

“Leng Bi[1]?” Ruan Mengmeng looked confused.  　　 

Chen Linjia rolled her eyes, “He Yiyang, ah. The high-cold b*tch.”  　　 

“……”  　　 

Ruan Mengmeng looked around the dormitory once, “Talk to me if you’re missing anything, and I’ll bring it to you.”  　　 

“Hahahaha, I know. I can’t forget that my Mengmeng runs a supermarket. ”  　　 

Chen Linjia waved her hand and waited for Ruan Mengmeng to leave before gathering her smile and climbing into bed to bury her head in the pillow.  

Ruan Mengmeng ran downstairs. She turned around twice at the door and blinked. Where was He Yiyang, who had promised to wait for her?  He must have gone home first, right?

She picked up her mobile phone and dialed the number.  

As soon as the call was answered, He Yiyang said, coldly and stiffly, “Come to the grove.”  

And he hung up.  

Ruan Mengmeng looked at the black screen of her phone, unable to react.  

The grove? The feng shui sanctuary for confessions in Middle School!  

What was she going to do?    

[1] Golden shiners – referring to the fact that they were the top of the top.

[2] She was confused because Linjia used Leng Bî as an insult, which translates rather vulgarly in her meaning, but it could also mean “cold wall” , “cold force” etc.