Chapter 12

I took the leave slip and put it in my jacket pocket: "That's fine."
Looking at the diagnosis on the leave slip, the confirmed diagnosis made me feel the heat caused by this condition more and more clearly. Plus, I really didn't want to go back to the classroom, so after leaving the clinic, I gave the leave slip to the homeroom teacher, then left school and took a taxi directly to the hospital.
Looking at the street scenes quickly passing outside the car window, the window reflected half my face propped against the window. I closed my eyes with a headache, feeling extremely guilty and ashamed about this sudden fever.
Because I understood this probably wasn't a normal flu.
...It was just physiological heat.
#18
The seat in front was empty.
From when Chen Hang left the classroom until nearly the end of school, Luo Zhuowei hadn't seen Chen Hang return.
Actually, only about three periods had passed, but once she realized the back that had deliberately hunched during class to help her see the blackboard was missing from her view, Luo Zhuowei felt an unavoidable sense of unfamiliarity and a small bit of loss.
She looked up at the homeroom teacher, who was passionately explaining math problems. The teacher noticed her gaze and immediately enthusiastically called on this trustworthy good student to come up to the blackboard and solve the problem.
Luo Zhuowei obediently went forward, picked up the chalk, and smoothly wrote out the solution process.
Her face didn't show much emotion, but her mind had subtly wandered: From the teacher's attitude of treating Chen Hang's empty seat as if it didn't exist, Chen Hang probably hadn't skipped class.
Was he sick?
She remembered his wet, somewhat dazed eyes after she woke him.
Luo Zhuowei gently put down the chalk and lowered her eyes.
So his reddened eyes and gaze that looked like they'd been soaked in water were all signs of illness. But at that time, she had been completely immersed in that seemingly intimate distance and atmosphere. She had even felt a flutter at observing a small tear mole under his left eye.
Why hadn't she noticed it immediately?
She thought regretfully: If only I had asked one more question then.
Before school ended, the class monitor carried a stack of homework papers to the podium, counted them, then distributed them row by row.
"Chen Hang took leave, right?" The class monitor's relationship with Luo Zhuowei was pretty good, so after handing her the papers, she casually chatted: "This set of papers is quite important. The teacher said tomorrow we'll focus on explaining them."
Luo Zhuowei's gaze unconsciously fell on Chen Hang's desk.
The class monitor didn't care if Luo Zhuowei answered. She continued: "His friend should help bring them to him."
"But probably only that Lin Haoyuan knows where he lives, right?" Probably thinking of that handsome guy from Class 7's face, the class monitor's gaze suddenly flickered a bit. She smiled somewhat awkwardly and quickly changed the topic: "Too bad that kind of person isn't someone everyone can contact."
Luo Zhuowei's hand helping distribute papers suddenly paused.
"Sorry, I just remembered I have something to do..."
Luo Zhuowei hurriedly grabbed her backpack, which she had packed in advance, nodded to the class monitor, casually picked up the set of papers on Chen Hang's desk, and quickly walked toward Class 7, ignoring the class monitor's somewhat surprised call of her name behind her.
She knew her current action was actually incorrect, abrupt, even rash, but she suddenly wanted to take this gamble.
And how this decision, which had used up almost all her reserve and courage, would ultimately turn out depended on Lin Haoyuan.
It was probably heaven's favor. When she arrived at Class 7's door, she happened to see Lin Haoyuan chatting and laughing with a girl in the hallway outside the classroom.
She stopped, maintaining a polite distance, glanced at the girl who was almost leaning into Lin Haoyuan's arms, then averted her gaze and looked at the person she wanted to find: "Lin Haoyuan."
"Hi." Lin Haoyuan didn't seem surprised by Luo Zhuowei's action, as if she weren't the girl who had been cold to him last week, even only giving him a cold nod in response to his greeting.
He just showed his usual somewhat playful smile: "Not easy. Have I finally entered our highland flower's good graces?"
He was doing it on purpose.
Almost the moment she saw Lin Haoyuan's smile, Luo Zhuowei realized she would probably be mercilessly humiliated next.
So she also smiled, a completely social, polite smile. Even those beautiful eyes didn't really curve: "I came to give you this."
She extended the so-called important homework papers to Lin Haoyuan, looking directly into his eyes: "The teacher emphasized we must go over this in class tomorrow, so please take it to Chen Hang."
Luo Zhuowei's face still showed that coldness unique to the highland flower. Her overly beautiful appearance made her look very imposing when serious, with an unapproachable beauty.
"What kind of logic is it to make a sick student do papers..." Luo Zhuowei's excuse made Lin Haoyuan click his tongue with amusement. He stared at her, the calculation in those peach blossom eyes that had charmed almost all the girls at Nan High nearly overflowing. "But of course, I'd be happy to help you."
But unexpectedly, he also extended his hand toward her, making a gesture to take the papers.
Luo Zhuowei watched his action, feeling a mixed sense of relief and... regret.
Then she watched as Lin Haoyuan's extended hand was only to hook the shoulder of that girl they had almost ignored, firmly pulling that instantly blushing, flustered girl into his arms: "But."
"As you can see, I'm tied up right now." He looked satisfied at Luo Zhuowei's stunned expression, starting to tell bald-faced lies with a straight face, a skill he was first-rate at: "This girl is completely clinging to me. I can't go find Chen Hang after school."
This guy!
Even Luo Zhuowei, who had long been able to remain calm in the face of unreasonable boys, almost couldn't control the anger surging in her chest at Lin Haoyuan's behavior. She frowned and was about to turn and leave, not planning to continue dealing with Lin Haoyuan.
"Leaving already?"
"I think you'd better chat with me a bit more." Lin Haoyuan, who had anticipated her reaction, smiled like a cat that had stolen fish, deliberately raising his voice at her back: "I was originally going to owe our highland flower a favor and trouble her to help me deliver these papers—to Chen Hang's apartment."
Luo Zhuowei coldly turned back to look at Lin Haoyuan.
...I didn't expect to be seen through.
The brief recollection ended. Luo Zhuowei stood quietly before the dark door, stepped back slightly, and looked at the number on the door: 513.