Chapter 8: The Unexpected Problem of the New World

In the newly reconstructed world, mobile phones were by no means absent.

Indeed, the ‘new’ in question referred not to the pre-apocalyptic world, but rather to the ruins left in the wake of the ‘moment of apocalypse.’

Consequently, during the initial stages of reconstruction, the primary model for emulation was, ironically, the world before the cataclysm.

This led to the creation of numerous items that appeared identical and functioned similarly, yet possessed entirely different core mechanisms.

“Remember, at school, you absolutely, unequivocally must not take off Mama’s bracelet, alright?”

Standing by the entrance, Su Qingyao personally fastened a bracelet adorned with two ethereal green gemstones onto Su Muxue’s wrist.

“Okay,” Su Muxue replied obediently, standing before Su Qingyao.

Perhaps it was her first official outing.

With utmost diligence, Su Qingyao meticulously checked the girl’s schoolbag, uniform, and the pale blue butterfly hair clip nestled among her strands of hair.

Su Muxue quietly watched her mother, observing how her nimble fingers carefully smoothed out every wrinkle on her shirt and every stray thread on the hem of her skirt; she noted the unconscious tightening of her mother’s lips, a sign of her complete concentration, and the soft strands of hair that brushed against her cheek.

And in her mother’s eyes, she saw the reflection of her own vacant gaze.

Suddenly, Su Muxue softly inquired:

“If the bracelet were to break, would Mama be angry?”

Su Qingyao’s movements froze.

“Mama… would likely be very worried about you.”

As he spoke, Su Qingyao’s gaze drifted, meeting Su Muxue’s eyes.

Compared to the emptiness in Su Muxue’s gaze, Su Qingyao’s deep brown eyes were as clear as a polished mirror, yet also like a profound well, concealing hidden currents at its depths.

“But if a bad person were to bully you and break it…”

A gentle curve formed on Su Qingyao’s lips.

Yet, the depths of the well remained still.

“Mama would be very angry.”

“Very angry indeed.”

****

Su Muxue occasionally rode Booboo to school.

More often, however, she would take the bus or simply walk.

Today, Mama wanted to take Su Muxue on the bus.

So, Muxue rode the bus.

Mama seemed very happy on the bus, chatting with Muxue about many things.

Many of these things, Muxue couldn’t understand.

Topics like ‘further education’ and ‘college entrance exams’ were beyond her grasp.

‘How strange,’ she thought.

Yet, when Mama spoke of these things, she seemed lost in recollection, and Muxue guessed they must be stories from Mama’s youth.

‘Oh, how I wish I knew what Mama was like before.’

‘What kind of life did she lead?’

‘So many questions, so many more things I want to know.’

‘Su Muxue wanted to know all of it!’

But Mama looked so busy, so she didn’t want to trouble her further.

Last night, while sleeping in bed, the strange uncle—or perhaps he was Papa—spoke many incomprehensible words.

“Xiaoxue, make sure to study hard at school, alright?”

Mama stood at the school gate and said to me.

But after saying this, Mama crouched down, leaning close to my ear to whisper:

“If you get too tired, it’s okay to secretly slack off a little.”

Mama then smiled, a truly beautiful sight.

“Yes, I will study hard!”

‘As for that last sentence, I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear it.’

Su Muxue genuinely wanted to study hard.

For Mama was incredibly capable, and Papa had once said that if Su Muxue studied diligently, she could become as remarkable as Mama.

Imagining such a future, the corners of my lips involuntarily curved upwards.

Then, in my peripheral vision, other children passed by.

My classmates, chattering in groups, walked past Mama and me.

‘Ah, those are my classmates.’

As I watched them walk away, Mama inadvertently noticed my gaze.

“Mama, I’m going to school now.”

Before Mama could ask, I voluntarily released my grip on the corner of her clothes.

“Hmm? Oh, alright.”

Mama withdrew her gaze, turning back to look at me.

“Well then, Mama will be leaving now.”

Her warm hand stroked my head, and as if a switch had been flipped, a profound sense of sweetness and security welled up within my heart.

“Goodbye, Mama.”

I waved my hand, then reluctantly turned and walked towards the school gate.

First, I walked straight ahead.

Then, I turned left at the first intersection, continued straight to the second intersection, and turned right.

The door on the right led to the side of the academic building, and Su Muxue’s classroom was the first one on the left inside that door.

Soon, the first class of the day would begin, and Su Muxue dutifully settled into her designated seat in the last row.

“Get your damn foot off my desk! Can’t you see you’re stepping on my eraser—!?”

‘Something extraordinary seemed to have happened.’

The student who had spoken loudly had one foot planted on someone else’s desk.

His face was fierce, and he seemed intent on overpowering the other person with sheer intimidation.

However, when he noticed me watching, his voice inexplicably softened.

“I’m sorry,” the boy with the buzz cut suddenly said, bowing to me.

“I won’t disturb you next time.”

‘His body was trembling.’

“?”

I tilted my head, feeling a pang of confusion.

‘What exactly had happened?’

‘Even today, I couldn’t fathom what my classmates were thinking.’

I shifted my gaze, noticing that the bullied student also had their head down, their body trembling.

“Ah, could you please sit down first?”

I tried to communicate politely with my classmates, only to inadvertently elicit a gasp of surprise from them.

“F-fine, no problem.”

Sighing inwardly, I continued to check my homework answers against the solutions on the blackboard.

‘Perhaps I truly am a bit scary.’

‘My unusual hair color, and my unfocused pupils.’

“Right, Booboo?”

I lowered my head and asked the plush dog in my schoolbag.

“Ugh, that ‘Witch’ is talking to ghosts again.”

“Shhh, do you want to make her angry and get cursed?”

Whispers from girls drifted from the side.

“Hmm… perhaps young miss could voice her questions next time, rather than keeping them bottled up.”

Even though its eyes were made of buttons, I still felt as if Booboo had just blinked.

“If you just ask ‘right?’, I don’t know how to answer.”

“However, if it’s about homework, I can certainly help with that.”

‘Booboo doing homework?’

I recalled the day I’d been lazy and let Booboo help me with my homework.

The result was a disastrous one-tenth of the answers correct when we checked them the next day.

Ultimately, I politely declined.

“Ding-a-ling-a-ling.”

The familiar bell rang, signaling the start of class.

I put away my perfectly checked homework and placed the textbook for the first class on top.

****

Unable to put his mind at ease, Mama stood silently outside the classroom’s back door, discreetly observing Su Muxue, who sat primly upright inside, through the window.

‘It seemed his daughter wasn’t at risk of being bullied?’

Su Qingyao had indeed been worried that his quiet, well-behaved daughter might become a target for bullying due to her reserved nature.

But this was an entirely different extreme!

Someone who had spent their own school days ‘duo-queuing with a trash can’ and enjoying the treatment of an ‘invisible person’ had never witnessed such a spectacle.

“You see, this is precisely the issue with Su Muxue.”

The homeroom teacher, a rather stern-looking middle-aged woman, already bore crow’s feet around her eyes, etched there by the demands of her busy life.

Yet, when discussing Su Muxue, a troubled expression crossed her face.

“From a teacher’s perspective, Su Muxue is an exemplary student: she listens attentively in class, answers questions enthusiastically, never shirks group activities, and diligently handles her class duties…”

“However, as you know, we also need to consider the development of students’ interpersonal relationships. If Su Muxue were being bullied, it would be straightforward; teachers would intervene wherever possible.”

“But the current problem is that everyone seems a bit ‘afraid’ of Su Muxue, and their reasons vary wildly. Some say her eyes are frightening, others mention her occasionally talking to herself.”

“This situation—frankly, it’s difficult for a teacher to intervene directly. Forcing the issue often has the opposite effect.”

“Ah, I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Teacher.”

Su Qingyao gazed at the somewhat solitary Su Muxue in the classroom, feeling a momentary helplessness.

“It’s no trouble at all, no trouble.”

After offering a few parting words like, ‘You could observe more,’ and ‘Perhaps chat with her during breaks,’ the homeroom teacher hurried back to her office.

‘Ah, what an unexpected problem this turned out to be.’