Chapter 11: The Boy Behind

Zhong Yuxiu was a good girl.

Under her mother’s guidance, she realized that the isolating behavior of her classmates could inflict immeasurable harm on Lin You.

A childhood trauma can take a lifetime to heal.

The kind-hearted girl didn’t want to be a bystander. She wanted to become friends with Lin You, to help and heal this unique boy.

However, when faced with Zhong Yuxiu’s active goodwill, Lin You rejected the friendship that was right within his grasp.

It was precisely because she was a good girl that Lin You didn’t want a freak like himself to drag her down.

‘She’s so popular with the other students; she doesn’t need a friend like me at all.’

Lin You reminded himself over and over in his heart not to fall for it.

Friendship was an extravagant hope for him. Ninety-nine percent of his peers would look at him with strange eyes.

‘Sigh, how can I become friends with him? It’s so hard…’

Even after being rejected once, Zhong Yuxiu didn’t give up. She propped her chin on her small hand, looking adorable as she pondered.

The boy and the girl, each with their own thoughts, were both thinking of each other.

Ring ring ring

The bell for class rang.

A small half of the students in the classroom hadn’t come to school, likely having thrown a tantrum to stay at home.

The first period was math.

The math teacher was a kind middle-aged man with glasses, looking gentle and refined.

His temper was very mild, and the students quickly accepted this new teacher on their first day.

“Class, turn to the first page of your textbooks…”

Following the teacher’s words, Lin You subconsciously glanced at his deskmate and copied her action of turning the page.

Having never been formally educated before, the boy was particularly unconfident in this area, afraid he would do something wrong.

His deskmate, Zhong Yuxiu, on the other hand, always looked self-assured in class. Her confident posture made Lin You subconsciously admire her.

He wished he could be like his deskmate, not nervous in class, and even proactively raising his hand to answer the teacher’s questions.

“I’m going to ask you a few simple math problems. Students who want to answer, please raise your hands.”

As soon as the teacher’s words fell, the somewhat rowdy classroom immediately fell silent.

On the first day of school, even the most extroverted students lacked that kind of courage and ability.

Lin You, naturally, didn’t dare to raise his hand and was staring down at his desk.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his deskmate raise her right hand.

She was the only one in the class who dared to raise her hand. Without a doubt, the teacher chose her to answer the question.

“The answer is…”

The girl spoke articulately and without a trace of nervousness, easily giving the answer.

“Excellent, excellent! Everyone, please give Classmate Yuxiu a round of applause.”

The teacher looked at this bold and intelligent girl with new eyes. He walked to her desk, noted the name she had written on the cover of her textbook, and took the lead in applauding.

Clap clap!

Sporadic applause sounded in the classroom. Lin You greatly admired his deskmate. He placed his hands under the desk and clapped very hard.

In just one class, the outstanding children had already adapted and were beginning to show their talents. Zhong Yuxiu was the most active one.

In contrast, Lin You was like transparent air. He listened attentively but would never take the initiative to expose himself to his classmates’ view.

Like a green leaf, silently accentuating the beauty of the flower.

‘I’m so dumb. There are so many things I don’t understand.’

Most first-graders had attended kindergarten or preschool, and their families had taught them simple knowledge. They all had some foundation. Lin You was different. He and his grandmother depended on each other, and his grandmother wasn’t well-educated, completely unable to provide the boy with a good environment.

On his very first day of school, the boy found that he was already falling behind, unable to keep up with everyone else’s pace.

He was completely lost when it came to knowledge that many of his classmates already understood.

This discovery made Lin You anxious. He had entered the school with his grandmother’s expectations and absolutely could not let her down.

The bell for the end of class rang.

The elementary school students were liberated. They shouted and played, went to buy snacks in groups, and held hands to go to the bathroom… The only thing no one did was stay at their desks.

“Yuxiu, let’s go buy some drinks!”

The few friends Zhong Yuxiu had just made came over to find her. In their circle of friends, she had invisibly become something of a “big sister” figure.

“My mom won’t let me buy snacks at school. She didn’t even give me any pocket money. You guys go ahead.”

The girl shook her head, declining her friends’ invitation with a hint of distance.

Before starting school, she had wanted to make many, many friends and be surrounded by a lively crowd, just like the female protagonist in a cartoon.

Until she met Lin You.

Not only did he not have a single friend, but everyone also spoke ill of him behind his back, and even to his face.

If this had happened to Zhong Yuxiu, she probably would have cried and even complained to her mother.

But Lin You didn’t. He just quietly endured it all. Even when people called him nasty nicknames to his face, he didn’t get angry or lose his temper.

A truly strong person is not just defined by a strong body, but more importantly, by a strong heart.

This was what her mother had said, and the girl felt that her seemingly frail deskmate was exactly that kind of person.

So, Zhong Yuxiu’s desire to be friends with Lin You also stemmed from discovering his shining qualities, not simply because she pitied him.

“Classmate Lin, I know all the first-grade math. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.”

After her “friends” left in disappointment, Zhong Yuxiu and Lin You became the only pair of students left in their seats.

The girl noticed that Lin You was concentrating on his textbook, his brow occasionally furrowing in frustration, clearly having encountered a problem.

Thus, the girl proactively extended a helping hand, hoping to establish a friendship by helping the boy with his studies.

“No need.”

At this moment, Lin You felt even more strongly that he and his deskmate were not from the same world.

She was so brilliant, understood everything, and was so good-looking, while he was ugly and dumb.

The little boy’s thoughts were all twisted up. He clearly knew it was a kind offer, but he dodged it because it felt unreal.

The main reason was that in the morning, Zhong Yuxiu had considered neglecting Lin You because of her “friends'” comments.

Coupled with Lin You’s ability to observe others’ colors, he was able to perceive Zhong Yuxiu’s psychological shift more directly.

With this precedent, Lin You was afraid that Zhong Yuxiu’s green would quickly turn back to white.

He didn’t want to drag her down, nor did he want to be deceived.

While his peers were still thinking about snacks or worrying about homework, the things Lin You was considering were on a completely different level.

“Are you sure you don’t need help? You look like you’re having a hard time.”

Her kindness was rejected, but it wasn’t the first time. Zhong Yuxiu wasn’t discouraged. On the contrary, her fighting spirit grew, and she still hadn’t given up.

A challenge often stimulates a person’s competitive spirit.

Lin You’s defensiveness made Zhong Yuxiu want to win him over even more.

Sometimes, a child’s mind can be even more stubborn than an adult’s.