Chapter 59: A Day at Taishan Senior High

Early morning.

Zhong Tian, having finished his morning routine and tidied his appearance, grabbed an extra clean school uniform before knocking on Su Linxi’s door.

“Come in,” a voice replied.

Zhong Tian opened the door to find Su Linxi sitting on the edge of the bed, meticulously combing her hair.

“Good morning,” he said. “I’ve left the uniform here for you. See if it fits…”

“Mm.”

Zhong Tian closed the door behind him and headed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

No sooner had Zhong Tian finished frying the eggs and warming the milk than Su Linxi emerged from her room.

Zhong Tian’s school uniform proved a little too large for her; the short-sleeved top felt like a mid-sleeve, and the long skirt, which typically reached Zhong Tian’s knees, now fell to Su Linxi’s calves.

The only part that seemed to fit well was the waistband. Su Linxi had initially planned to cinch it with a belt, but upon trying it on, she was surprised to find their waists were almost equally slender.

Despite Zhong Tian being considerably taller than her…

‘A faint sense of defeat stirred within her.’

Though such thoughts flickered through Su Linxi’s mind, she maintained a composed facade as she took her seat at the dining table.

Zhong Tian carried the breakfast to the table, his gaze sweeping over Su Linxi, who was now clad in his school uniform.

A curious novelty struck him.

“Linxi,” he inquired, “does it feel uncomfortable to wear?”

“No.”

“Alright then.”

As he observed her in the uniform, a question suddenly surfaced in Zhong Tian’s mind.

“Speaking of which, Linxi, how old are you this year?”

“Sixteen.”

Sixteen, he mused… Zhong Tian had always assumed she was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old middle schooler.

“Ahem, did you drop out of school to become a full-time novelist?”

“…” Su Linxi took a small bite of the fried egg, chewing it thoroughly before swallowing. “Something like that.”

‘Something like that?’

‘So there were other reasons, then.’

Zhong Tian felt a pang of curiosity, but if she was unwilling to speak, she undoubtedly had her reasons. While he could discern it through mind-reading, he ultimately decided against it.

He still had to cycle to school later, and he certainly didn’t want to be ambushed by any side effects. While falling himself wouldn’t be a major issue, it would be quite unfortunate if Su Linxi were to fall.

After they finished breakfast, Zhong Tian rose, covered his sister’s portion with a lid, and tapped on her door. Then, shouldering his canvas bag, he and Su Linxi mounted their bicycles and set off.

Zhong Tian cycled slower than usual, taking a full ten minutes or more to reach the school gates.

In the bicycle parking area near the school entrance, Li Jianren was waiting for them.

Two large cardboard boxes rested at his feet, and he held another in his arms.

Zhong Tian parked his bike and greeted Li Jianren.

“Good morning!”

Li Jianren also offered a casual greeting to Su Linxi. She simply nodded, taking her place beside Zhong Tian.

“Last night, I told the class president about you wanting to come into school,” Li Jianren explained. “So, after discussing it with her, we decided to use these large cardboard boxes as a disguise to get you through the gate.”

“Alright.”

Zhong Tian weighed one of the boxes. “You take this one; it’s empty.”

The box contained some baking ingredients Qin Dong had asked them to buy, not particularly heavy, but its considerable size was enough to fool people.

The trio, carrying the cardboard boxes, proceeded into the narrow student passage.

Li Jianren called out loudly towards the guardhouse, “Uncle, could you open the gate for us? We’re a bit inconvenienced here.”

The guard, an older uncle, seeing the three students in their uniforms, each carrying a large box, didn’t think much of it and simply opened the gate with his remote control.

“Need a hand?”

The guard uncle asked, speaking in dialect, a touch of concern in his voice.

“No thanks, Uncle Guard!”

With that, Li Jianren led the two behind him into the campus.

Peeking out from behind the large box, Su Linxi’s small head emerged as she walked, her gaze sweeping across the campus.

Taishan Senior High School wasn’t particularly large, so the buildings were designed to be quite compact. However, due to their staggered heights, it never felt cramped.

The campus also boasted excellent greenery, including several flowerbeds meticulously maintained by dedicated staff. These plants beautifully adorned the square, white school buildings, refreshing the air within the campus; merely walking through the grounds was incredibly pleasant.

‘It certainly brings back memories.’

Lost in thought, she mused.

The trio made their way into the teaching building, and upon reaching their classroom door, Zhong Tian felt his spirits lighten considerably.

“Surprisingly simple, actually…”

“It’s definitely easier during the Cultural Festival,” Li Jianren remarked. “On a normal day, the guard would have stopped us long ago.”

Zhong Tian took the items from the cardboard box and placed them on the classroom’s podium.

Qin Dong, dressed in a maid outfit, was preparing the morning snacks with a few classmates. Noticing Zhong Tian’s arrival, she looked up at Su Linxi, who stood behind him. “Is this the friend you mentioned, Zhong Tian?”

Zhong Tian nodded.

Those who saw Su Linxi for the first time were inwardly charmed by her cuteness. However, observing the same cool, detached aura she shared with Zhong Tian, they hesitated to approach her for conversation.

‘Zhong Tian’s friends are all as cool as her; it must be a case of like attracting like.’

‘Like attracting like… Oh right, Zhong Tian is also a lesbian…’

She subtly cast another glance at Su Linxi.

Zhong Tian paid no mind to Qin Dong’s expression—he generally avoided looking directly at the faces of people he didn’t know well. Turning to Su Linxi, he asked, “Shall I show you around?”

“Okay.”

Zhong Tian had no work today, so he intended to take Su Linxi on a tour of all the first and second-year classes.

Just as he was about to set off, several figures, clad in black and white, entered the classroom.

They were the butlers and maids assigned to duty for the day.

Among them was Yu Naixi.

Entering the room in her maid uniform, she spotted Zhong Tian, offered her characteristic half-smile, and stopped directly in front of him.

“Good morning, Xiao Zhong~”

“Good morning.”

Hearing her informal address, Zhong Tian subtly furrowed his brow but replied politely.

Yu Naixi’s gaze darted quickly between Zhong Tian and Su Linxi. She hadn’t initially noticed Su Linxi, but the intensity of the other girl’s stare had drawn Yu Naixi’s attention.

‘Brown hair, blue eyes… A mixed-race individual? Or perhaps…’

She tilted her head slightly, meeting Su Linxi’s gaze.

Su Linxi immediately averted her eyes.

Yet, even in that fleeting moment of eye contact, Yu Naixi instantly perceived the fear hidden in Su Linxi’s gaze.

‘…Fear?’

‘Afraid of me? Why would she be afraid of me?’

The beautiful girl tugged lightly on Zhong Tian’s sleeve, whispering, “Let’s go.”

“Okay.”

Zhong Tian, observing her expression intently for a moment, nodded in agreement.

Watching the two leave the classroom, a thoughtful Yu Naixi quickly followed, reaching out to place a hand on Zhong Tian’s shoulder.

Yu Naixi felt Zhong Tian’s entire body tense, clearly startled by her touch.

“Xiao Zhong,” she murmured, leaning close to his ear, “I almost forgot to tell you… you won’t need the male attire tonight. Save it for next time~”

Zhong Tian turned back, his face seemingly etched with the word “confused.”

“I have plans tonight,” she said, still wearing her half-smile. “Or perhaps you wanted to wear it for me? That wouldn’t be out of the question…”

“Next time, then.”

“Alright, well then…” She glanced once more at Su Linxi’s expression, then offered an even brighter smile. “Have fun, both of you.”

“We will. Goodbye.”

****

Once they were a good distance from Class Three, Zhong Tian lowered his gaze again, looking at Su Linxi, whose eyes still held a trace of unease. “Linxi, do you… know Yu Naixi?”

Just now, Zhong Tian had also perceived Su Linxi’s agitation; he had never seen her display such an expression before. And her emotional shift had been triggered by Yu Naixi, someone she was supposedly meeting for the first time.

Filled with both curiosity and a touch of concern, he probed with a question.

Su Linxi remained silent, simply walking beside him.

‘She doesn’t want to talk about it.’

‘…’

‘Forget it. It’s probably not a big deal. For now, it’s better to just enjoy exploring with her.’

He had only agreed to bring her to school because he thought she might be bored staying home all day. Discussing potentially heavy topics now would surely defeat the purpose.

“Let’s go sit in Class Four’s café for a bit.”

After receiving Su Linxi’s affirmative response, he led her into the Class Four classroom.

The layout of the Class Four classroom was similar to Class Three’s, appearing largely indistinguishable from the outside.

No sooner had they entered than a maid stepped forward, greeting Zhong Tian with a smile.

“Teacher, welcome.”

It was Chu Lenghu.

The maid uniforms in Class Four were designed similarly to Class Three’s, though the skirts were shorter, revealing legs clad in black over-the-knee socks, giving them a more lithe and energetic appearance than those in Class Three.

Zhong Tian personally felt that this style of maid uniform didn’t quite suit Chu Lenghu’s temperament. However, her inherent beauty was undeniable, making it a case of the person enhancing the outfit rather than the other way around.

“Good morning.”

Chu Lenghu gestured for them to follow, leading Zhong Tian and Su Linxi to a small table where they took their seats.

“What can I get for you?”

Zhong Tian handed the slender menu to Su Linxi. She took it, scanned it briefly, and stated, “I’ll have pudding.”

“Alright, two puddings then,” Zhong Tian said.

“Very good,” Chu Lenghu noted. “Would you like coffee?”

Su Linxi shook her head.

“I’m not particularly fond of coffee; just the pudding will be fine,” Zhong Tian replied, setting the menu aside.

Chu Lenghu went to the podium to place the order and soon returned with two servings of pudding.

Class Four’s pudding presentation was slightly less refined than Class Three’s—understandable, given that Class Three had their homeroom teacher, Wang Changgeng, a professional, assisting them. Nevertheless, the taste was quite good.

Zhong Tian scooped up another small spoonful and savored it.

Chu Lenghu remained standing by the table, observing Su Linxi with a hint of curiosity.

“Teacher, this is…”

Hearing Chu Lenghu’s question, Zhong Tian withdrew the small spoon from his mouth. “Oh, this is Su Linxi. She’s my friend.”

“Mm, hello.”

She offered a friendly smile to Su Linxi. Though Su Linxi’s expression remained unchanged, she nodded and quietly responded, “Nice to meet you.”

Su Linxi’s somewhat halting speech made Chu Lenghu pause. She glanced at Zhong Tian, then seemed to grasp the situation, adding, “Your voice is really cute.”

Witnessing Chu Lenghu’s almost childlike indulgence, Zhong Tian suddenly felt a chuckle bubble up. He scooped another generous spoonful of pudding and popped it into his mouth.

“Thank you.”

Su Linxi replied, then resumed eating her pudding.

She seemed to quite enjoy the pudding, eating considerably faster than Zhong Tian, finishing a cup-sized portion in just a few quick bites.

“Would you like to order another?”

Chu Lenghu asked, seeing how happily she ate.

Su Linxi took a tissue from the box on the table, dabbed her mouth, and shook her head.

“Not for me either,” Zhong Tian stated, glancing at the now bustling corridor. “We plan to visit every class, so we shouldn’t linger. It’s time to make way for other guests.”

“Then goodbye for now.”

“Yes, Teacher, take care.”