A Game in the Classroom in the Middle of a Storm

01.
Going to an Empty School to Finish the Assignment

In order to complete the group assignment handed out by their demonic Teacher Li, Zan You’er — in her capacity as the group leader — had to ask her four other group members to come to school to discuss their work.

Why hadn’t she picked a cafe or another location? Because two of her group members were particularly noisy and also happened to be the two most talkative people in their class.

Ever since the last time they had gone to KFC and wound up having the big sister at their neighboring table stare at them in bafflement, You’er did not dare to meet up with her group members in any places of recreation, regardless of whether it was a KTV or a dinner party.
One had to know that her face was particularly thin,1 not to mention the fact that it was bad conduct to disturb others.

After pondering over the matter, it seemed as though the classroom during the weekend was the most suitable for completing the task.
After informing the four other members one day in advance, You’er headed out early the next day so that she could prepare the materials.

Their group assignment this time was to observe an ant nest.
She had already ordered an ant ecology box through the internet, but all four of the others had never joined her to work on the project on the basis of not having time, so the initial observations were all completed by herself.

Nevertheless, it was impossible for her to write down their entire group’s observation result by herself.
After placing the ant ecology box on top of the podium, she gave water and food to the ants before sitting down at her desk and waiting for the rest of the group members to arrive.

After feeling that some time had passed, Zan You’er wanted to take out her phone and check the time, however, she was unable to find it.

“Where did my phone go aaahhh! It can’t be that I lost it…”

She placed her school bag on her lap and opened it before rummaging through the contents, throwing everything in disorder.

’

You’er clutched her head as she muttered resentfully before smacking her head against the table a few times in frustration.
In the end, she decided to retrace her steps and check whether she had dropped it somewhere on her way to the class.

The classroom was on the third floor.
As soon as she reached the second floor, she caught sight of Song Luan and Ke Hongming arguing about something at the corner of the stairs.
Both of their expressions were extremely fierce, and it seemed as though they could come to blows in the next second.

Zan You’er sighed helplessly.
Although these two people were in the same group, the both of them were at odds with each other and had frequent conflicts for all sorts of reasons, leaving her responsible for mediating the relationship between the two.
She was so tired that she wanted to give up.

“Did you two make me wait so long in the classroom by myself so that you could quarrel intimately over here?”

She leaned against the wall and amplified her voice to speak to the two men who had already clenched their fists.
Hearing her voice, Song Luan was the first to turn towards her:

“You’er, why did you come down?”

His expression became warm and gentle in an instant, as though the guy who had been scowling with his body full of hostility just now was merely an illusion.

After witnessing his rapid face changing act, Zan You’er did not react at all.
She squatted down on the steps and held her small face in both hands as she frowned gently:

“I came to look for my phone, I think I might have dropped it on my way…”

’

“Your panties are showing, idiot.”

Ke Hongming folded his arms in front of his chest and leaned against the wall as he glanced lightly at Zan You’er and spoke disdainfully;

“How come you run over every time I’m about to beat this guy? Did you put a camera on me?”

“I’d rather put a camera at the back door of the school and watch people smoke all day, I don’t want to look at you.
Putting on such a stinky face every day, so ugly.”

The ears of You’er who got up quickly were a little red, but she had no good feelings for Ke Hongming, this poison tongued guy.
It only took her a few seconds to restore her calm and she refuted him, tit-for-tat.

“Yes, I’m ugly.
You can just look at Song Luan’s beautiful little white face,2 I’m going to take this stinky face to the classroom first and go to sleep.”

After speaking, Ke Hongming slipped his hands inside his pockets and walked past the two of them, walking lazily towards the classroom on the third floor.
When he passed by Song Luan, their eyes met, as if they were emitting sparks.

He deliberately bumped into Zan You’er, his eyes filled with threats.

“It’s me who should be angry, why is he the one that’s angry…”

Holding on to her shoulder, Zan You’er turned and glanced at Ke Hongming’s back before turning back and muttering with discontent.

’

“His temper has always been like that, ignore him, why bother? I’ll help you look for the phone You’er.”

Ke Hongming’s figure disappeared around the corner, and Song Luan’s eyes curved up as he glanced at You’er with a gentle gaze and proposed to help her look for the phone.

“Okay, anyway, you’ll only quarrel with that guy if you go to the classroom, let’s go… How did that Ke Hongming grow up to this day without getting beaten to death, I’m so pissed off!”

“You interfere every time I’m about to fight him, so maybe you’re the one to blame.”

“Umm… It’s still not good for students to fight.
Once he goes out into society, there will be no lack of people itching to teach him a lesson, hmph!”

The two of them walked downstairs as they talked, their voices slowly dissipating from the corridor, with only a few echoes proving that they had been there.

Ke Hongming, who had just said that he was going to the classroom first, came out from behind the wall.
His face was hidden in the shadows as he looked down at the stairs with a complicated gaze.
After standing there for a few seconds, he turned back around and left.

Following the route back from the classroom all the way to the school gate, they didn’t find so much as a trace of the mobile phone.
Zan You’er clutched her forehead in distress as she thought about where she had kept it, however, she was unable to recall.

“You’er, maybe your phone is at home and you didn’t bring it with you.
You’re always losing something or another, aren’t you?”

’

Song Luan stroked You’er’s head as he gently teased her.
She was obviously good with her studies, but she was particularly talented when it came to losing her things.

“I don’t remember leaving it at home… Oh yeah, what time is it now, Song Luan?”

After racking her brains for three minutes, You’er suddenly remembered their purpose behind coming to school.
It seemed as though the time they had agreed upon had already passed long ago.
Was it that those two guys still hadn’t arrived? Did they not want to do their homework?

“Hmm… It’s around 3:30 in the afternoon, why don’t we go back to the classroom first? Maybe it’s in the classroom.”

Raising his arm to look at the watch on his wrist, Song Luan informed You’er of the time before persuading her to go back to the classroom and finish their assignment first.

“That’s right, or else I might not even be able to eat dinner later, hurry up, let’s go~”

You’er grabbed Song Luan’s hand and ran back towards the teaching building.
Anyway, it was no big deal even if she lost her mobile phone.
At most, some of her selfies may be seen by others, nothing more.
She could just buy another one.
The top priority right now was to finish their assignment.

Song Luan was a bit surprised when You’er took his hand and pulled him away.
He narrowed his eyes and smiled with a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
Then, he followed behind You’er’s footsteps as he held onto her hand and ran back towards the classroom.

As in, she gets embarrassed easily. (小白脸 – xiǎo bái liǎn) – literally little white face.
Used to refer to a gigolo, boytoy, or a pretty boy in a derogatory manner.