letter paper

A seat change brought Wang Jiaoyang, a typical troublemaker, to sit behind Chi Tang. He was often late, skipped classes, and engaged in fights, ranking near the bottom in grades. Despite teachers insisting he cut his hair, it remained unchanged.

Previously, sitting one seat apart, he would frequently swap places to talk to her. Now, sitting directly behind her, he would poke her with a pen or lean in to shout in her ear, intentionally bumping into her during playful moments with friends.

It was obvious to everyone around that Wang Jiaoyang had feelings for her, and while Chi Tang recognized this, it only annoyed her. Each time her peers teased, she felt a nauseating discomfort.

One day at the campus convenience store, she encountered him playing basketball with his friends. He approached her with a smile, asking for a bottle of water. Chi Tang retorted, "Get it yourself if you want it."

His friends laughed, and he cheekily asked her for help. Chi Tang could sense their misunderstanding of her refusal, which frustrated her even more. When she finally stated that she truly didn't want to, it silenced the laughter.

Later, word spread among the boys that Chi Tang was too proud and difficult, urging Wang Jiaoyang to pursue someone else. He became slightly colder but still occasionally teased her.

In the dorm, while other girls chatted at night, Chi Tang typically kept to herself, listening to music. Occasionally, dorm leader Song Fangcao would include her in conversations, but Chi Tang's responses were always nonchalant.

One night, Luo Zhengli, who usually ignored her, asked if Wang Jiaoyang liked her after overhearing others call her "sister-in-law." Chi Tang sarcastically replied that Wang Jiaoyang's family ran a civil affairs bureau, implying marriages could happen without the parties knowing.

During PE class, the atmosphere shifted. The teacher was lenient, and after a brief run, allowed free time. But during the run, Chi Tang experienced pain, falling to the back of the line. Boys, including Wang Jiaoyang, were racing, and he made a show of slapping his hands near her ear, startling her.

Feeling overwhelmed, Chi Tang struggled with her discomfort. She noticed her diligent roommate, You Yu, running attentively without shedding her school uniform. Chi Tang bought an ice-cold drink, seeking relief despite her pain.

That evening, after a rough day, You Yu surprised her by offering hot water. Chi Tang, startled, declined the offer, thinking of how no one had ever done such a thing for her during painful moments.

When exams results came out, You Yu excelled once more, leaving everyone in awe. In the back of the classroom, Wang Jiaoyang received a love letter addressed to You Yu. He jokingly teased her, claiming it was from her, igniting laughter among classmates.

Amidst the noise, Chi Tang stepped up, took the letter from Wang Jiaoyang, and returned it to Luo Zhengli, confronting her about the deceit. Luo Zhengli, embarrassed, fled the classroom, leaving Chi Tang to reclaim her space among the chaos.Luo Zhengli was persuaded back to class by her friends, her eyes still red and swollen as she buried her face in her arms, looking utterly wronged. As soon as class ended, the other girls gathered around her, patting her shoulder and offering comfort.

"It's okay, it's not a big deal, just a joke."

"Chi Tang was also out of line, butting in for no reason."

The more they consoled her, the more Luo Zhengli cried, portraying herself as the biggest victim in the situation.

Chi Tang found the crying unbearable, especially with Wang Jiaoyang behind her poking her shoulder and talking.

"Hey, were you jealous just now?"

"Do you not like me getting love letters, or do you not like others liking me?"

"If you'd be my girlfriend…"

Chi Tang, unable to tolerate it any longer, stood up and went to find the homeroom teacher.

At this age, students typically avoided seeking help from teachers. Anyone who did was seen as betraying their peers, but Chi Tang didn't care about such things. She had ignored it all before, but her annoyance had built up to an intolerable level.

She had never liked to force herself to endure discomfort, and with this level of irritation, she had to take action.

"Teacher, I want to change my seat; I can't see the blackboard from the back," she provided a reasonable excuse.

Mr. Fang, the homeroom teacher, looked surprised but didn't make a fuss, instead smiling, "I've been saying you should sit closer to the front. You see, sitting at the back with those who don't study will affect your grades. Your score on this month's exam was lower than last time. You should take it seriously and aim to improve, okay?"

Like many teachers, Mr. Fang liked to share motivational platitudes, but to students, such words often felt unconvincing. At this age, trivial emotions, annoying rainy days, and the gossip of classmates mattered much more than academics.

Mr. Fang glanced at the seating chart and asked, "Luo Qingqing is in your dorm, right?"

Luo Qingqing and Luo Zhengli were bunkmates and best friends; she was also You Yu's desk mate.

"Luo Qingqing mentioned she didn't want to sit with You Yu," Mr. Fang sighed, then looked at Chi Tang and asked, "How about you sitting with You Yu instead?"

He seemed aware that You Yu didn't get along with other girls.

Chi Tang nodded slightly, "Sure."

For her, just getting away from the annoying Wang Jiaoyang was a relief, and sitting at the front was acceptable.

The next class happened to be Mr. Fang's language lesson, where he rearranged the seating. Chi Tang moved to the third row and became You Yu's desk mate, while a boy took her old seat. Luo Zhengli moved back, and her new desk mate was Luo Qingqing.

The one most unhappy with the arrangement was Wang Jiaoyang. As Chi Tang moved her desk, he swung his legs from his chair and asked, "What's the meaning of this? Why are you moving to the front?"

Chi Tang replied curtly, "Because you're annoying."

His "masculine pride" seemed wounded; he turned away, sulking and chatting with others instead of pursuing her further.

Chi Tang didn't want to deal with the petty drama and directly set her desk next to You Yu.

There were eight rows in total, and their two rows were by the window. Previously, there had been a significant gap between Luo Qingqing and You Yu's desks, creating a clear boundary. Chi Tang found such behavior childish and unnecessary, so she moved her desk flush against You Yu's.

Without the incessant harassment from behind, the atmosphere felt much calmer. Chi Tang exhaled slowly. Her new desk mate was quiet and focused on her studies, unlike the previous one who loved to chat.

Chi Tang already knew You Yu was diligent, but sitting next to her revealed just how dedicated she truly was. As soon as Chi Tang had moved, You Yu had barely glanced up before diving into note-taking and problem-solving, filling her notebook with formulas and solutions that Chi Tang couldn't even understand.

With this change, the classroom felt significantly quieter, and Chi Tang felt her mood improving slightly.

Outside, the rain pattered against the leaves of the old ginkgo tree. Even with the rain, the temperature remained hot and humid. The classroom fan barely circulated any air, and Chi Tang rolled up her sleeves, resting her arms on the cool desk.

Mr. Fang lectured on two poems, one of which was "Rain Alley," discussing a girl wandering alone in a long, lonely rain-drenched path.

In his youth, Mr. Fang was probably a romantic, passionately reading the poem, but Chi Tang found herself growing drowsy. As he analyzed the poem's symbolism and the author's emotions, her sleepiness intensified.

The drowsiness that had been waiting for the right moment finally surged at this inopportune time.

The class bell rang, jolting the sleepy students into activity. Chairs scraped, some rushed to the restroom, others to get water or chat, and the hallway echoed with footsteps and chatter.

Chi Tang leaned on her arm, feeling weary.

Lately, she had been having chaotic dreams each night, waking to forget all the disarray but still carrying a lingering fatigue into reality, affecting her mood.

With her eyes closed, she heard the soft scratching sound nearby.

It was a steady, rhythmic noise: You Yu writing.

A pen was set down, and pages turned quietly.