Chapter 22

I stood by the railing on the corridor, looking down at the teaching building with interest when the person next to me poked my arm, signaling me to inconspicuously observe a girl walking over carrying a stack of homework books.
Girls described in this tone were usually pretty, right?
I thought somewhat helplessly, but still cooperatively turned around, glanced at that much-discussed face, then averted my gaze.
Sure enough, it was Luo Zhuowei.
Back then, we had just been divided into classes. Most people couldn't match names to classmates yet, but Luo Zhuowei was memorable. Not because of her name, but because she was too memorable—you could remember her with just one look.
"She's very pretty." I patted my companion's back, hoping he would quickly retract his eyes that were about to stick to her back: "She doesn't lack boys who like her. Tone down your gaze a bit."
The facts proved Luo Zhuowei was really popular with boys.
In this era of incredibly powerful electronic communication tools, her locker always had several clearly handwritten letters, with crooked handwriting asking her to meet at various places around school to confess.
The boys in our class, following the principle of "don't let good water flow to outsiders," were strictly guarding. They were actually somewhat comforted by Luo Zhuowei's equal treatment of everyone.
However, sometimes her overly polite attitude wasn't good either—it could be taken as a signal that one could push further.
"You should refuse to accept them next time, right?"
I took off my school uniform jacket, wrapped Luo Zhuowei's messy pile of harassing chocolates in it, tied it up, and carried it. I walked with Luo Zhuowei toward the garbage collection area not far from school.
The topic might have been a bit abrupt. After silently allowing me to help her deal with this pile of trash gifts, Luo Zhuowei, who had been silent, was somewhat slow to react: "What?"
"These things." I lifted them and shook them in front of her. One accidentally fell out, and I quickly caught it with my free hand.
And accepting them had another downside: Boys easily got the wrong idea. I swallowed back the unfinished half-sentence, since saying it would include myself in the criticism.
"They just stuffed them into my locker." Luo Zhuowei answered expressionlessly. Her originally naturally relaxed right hand rested on her left arm, gently pinching the crook of her elbow through her shirt: "And some gave them to me directly."
Not easy. I scratched my nose and efficiently helped Luo Zhuowei deal with all the chocolates, then casually draped the school uniform jacket over my arm: "Walking back together seems weird. You go first?"
"It's fine." Luo Zhuowei hesitated: "Let's walk together."
This time, she didn't follow far behind me like when we came. Instead: "Chen Hang."
"Why did you help me?"
Luo Zhuowei looked at me. Her eyes were very beautiful, appearing focused when looking at people. This might count as the first time I seriously observed her eyes. Usually, she didn't like having too much contact with the opposite sex.
She was clearly very aware of how boys usually behaved: "You should..."
"I should?"
The strange burden in her heart was heavier than I imagined. I somewhat helplessly scratched the hair on the back of my head, lowered my head, and looked directly into her eyes, trying to lighten the atmosphere with a half-joking tone: "Helping a classmate isn't a bad thing, right?"
But this didn't seem to be the right answer. After Luo Zhuowei heard it, she lowered her eyes and repeated it as if chewing on the words: "Helping a classmate..."
She wouldn't think I had ulterior motives, would she...
My older sister's unreasonable lectures since childhood flashed through my mind. I belatedly realized my actions could be interpreted another way. I hurriedly wanted to clarify to Luo Zhuowei: "Really! I don't have other thoughts. I just thought you looked—"
Luo Zhuowei smiled.
That was the first time I saw her smile. I somewhat awkwardly quietly finished the words that had gotten stuck because of her smile: "I just thought you looked like you needed someone to help you..."
"Thank you, Chen Hang."
She also seemed unused to smiling like this in front of others. She quickly stopped laughing and eased into her usual expressionless but gentle expression.
I saw my own reflection in her soft brown pupils: "Then, can I treat you to a drink as thanks?"
Different from the "help" she usually received from other boys—not the kind described as "no material thanks needed" kind of small favor—this made her feel at ease.
I didn't know what Luo Zhuowei was thinking, but she looked very nervous. I smiled and agreed: "Of course, that's fine."
"Getting treated to a drink by a girl feels like I'm winning."
"The drinks I buy are the same price as regular drinks."
"Really? Others say the convenience store owner gives pretty girls discounts."
"No, when I go, it's the normal price too."
"Haha, I didn't expect Luo Zhuowei to be so good at joking."
#36
A "thunk" came from the vending machine's delivery slot. Chen Hang bent down and took out two bottles of mineral water, directly unscrewed one, then handed it to Luo Zhuowei: "Here."
Luo Zhuowei said thanks, took it, drank a small sip or two, then lowered her head and screwed the cap back on. The atmosphere was somewhat awkwardly silent for a moment.
Compared to those couples nearby who looked like they were having a good conversation, Chen Hang and Luo Zhuowei looked really innocent. When they had nothing to say, they both quietly watched the fish swimming in the tank.
Actually, she wasn't really watching the fish. Luo Zhuowei pretended to seriously watch a ray swimming past the glass panel in front of her, but her gaze was faintly falling on the shallow reflection in the glass panel.
Chen Hang's profile reflected in the glass looked somewhat unreal. His appearance, from temperament to looks, resembled a puppy. The way he lowered his eyelashes and stayed silent made Luo Zhuowei inexplicably feel a strange flutter.
What should I say?
Chen Hang, who was about to stare through the glass at a bottom-feeder digging in the sand, was thinking the same question.
The couples around them, gathered in twos and threes watching fish, were constantly chatting, looking like they had endless things to say. But he and Luo Zhuowei were just watching those beautiful fish swim around with nothing to say. Their conversation length probably wasn't even as long as a long dialogue in English listening.
Yet in class, he and Luo Zhuowei could chat very naturally.
Luo Zhuowei opened the guide pamphlet she had picked up before entering. She looked up, following the pamphlet's introduction, searching for the whale shark in the enormous tank, while trying hard to recall how she had naturally talked with Chen Hang in class.
The artificial seawater seen through the glass panel was calm and gentle. The surface of the huge artificial tank, viewed from the bottom, also gave a vague sense of being in the deep sea. The aquarium's lighting was always dim, only the tanks emitting faint light. The fish swimming inside also seemed to be shimmering.
Not far away, a huge whale shark slowly swam.