C2 – Childish
Qi Ning returned to his seat and gently touched his cheek.
“Are you okay?” asked his desk mate, a girl who excelled academically and was quite introverted.
Due to her family’s financial struggles, she seed to wear the sa clothes all year round. Her school uniform, in particular, had faded to a pale white from frequent washing, and it didn’t fit her well.
”I’m fine,” Qi Ning reassured her with a smile. “Have they been leaving you alone lately?”
Despite the outcry against it, campus violence persisted because the repercussions were minimal. The usual targets were students with poor grades or those from disadvantaged backgrounds who were also shy.
“No,” she replied, her voice tinged with anxiety.
Qi Ning noticed bruises on her body, hidden beneath her clothes. Her bullies were cunning, striking where it wouldn’t be easily seen.
Pang Yuejuan’s complexion was pale, a sign of her fear of the school violence and her poor nutrition. Qi Ning was sowhat familiar with her family situation. Her parents were laid-off workers; her father now labored in a factory in Sigu City, and her mother was a sanitation worker. Together, they earned less than 5000 yuan. After rent, Pang Yuejuan’s school fees, and other essentials, there was barely a thousand yuan left for food each month.
“These people are just too much,” Qi Ning comnted.
Pang Yuejuan simply nodded, her silence speaking volus.
As the day’s classes ca to a swift close, Qi Ning looked out at the sunset, feeling a sense of anticipation. When the bell rang, he was the first to dash out of the classroom and head for the school gates. After scanning the area for about five minutes, his face lit up with happiness.
Not far away stood an exceptionally attractive girl who seed to stand out from her surroundings. Her maturity was beyond her years, and she was dressed in a school uniform paired with jeans. Her cheeks were adorned with bold makeup, but her beauty was such that it seed perfectly natural on her.
”Yuejuan,” he said as he approached the girl, a joyful smile spreading across his face.
Yuejuan gave Qi Ning a disdainful glance and asked, “What do you want?”
Unfazed by Yuejuan’s scorn, Qi Ning replied with a grin, “Rember, we planned to catch a movie this weekend? I’ve got the tickets all sorted out.”
Taking the movie ticket from Qi Ning, Yuejuan looked at it and remarked icily, “You’re still into animated films? How childish.”
Without another word, she turned on her heel and strode toward the school’s exit.
Qi Ning was left speechless.
Yet, as soon as Yuejuan stepped beyond the school gates, the icy deanor lted away, and a smile of genuine happiness graced her face.
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