CH 5.1

That night, Xu Youyou could not sleep well. 

The first half of the night was because she had slept during the day so she couldn’t fall asleep. The second half of the night, when she finally got tired, would constantly be woken up due to the cold. Thinking about how it would be morning and she could go to school and see Qiao Mu, she decided not to sleep. She wrapped herself up in blankets on her bed, and played on her phone all night. She planned to make up the lost sleep the next day at school. Her lack of sleep was so extremely that when she walked into the classroom, it was as if the color that had taken so long to appear in her face was never there and she was just as 

Beside Qiao Mu, the only person Xu Youyou knew was Bai Yi who had helped her get water yesterday. When Bai Yi saw Xu Youyou expression as if one foot was in the grave, he was shocked, “Are you okay? Why is your face so pale?”

“I didn’t sleep well.” Xu Youyou sat down and asked about Qiao Mu, “Did Qiao Mu arrive yet?”

“Not yet, Qiao Mu always arrives just in time.” Bai Yi looked to the back of the classroom at the clock hanging on the wall and said, “There’s still ten minutes.”

Is arriving just in time what the student in charge of the class’ studies is supposed to do? It was a shame she arrived to school so early. 

“Bai Yi, did you do yesterday’s chemistry homework? Can I borrow and copy it?” A classmate from another group came to ask for Bai Yi’s homework booklet.

“Then you lend me your math booklet.” Bai Yi quickly brought out his homework booklet and stated his own request. 

That classmate also came prepared, bringing out a homework booklet for Bai Yi. It seemed these two have been in cahoots for a while. 

“I’ll copy the homework, we’ll exchange it later during the morning study period,” Bai Yi said as he leaned forward on his desk and began copying. 

Qiao Mu still hadn’t arrived and Xu Youyou was freezing. When a gust of wind blew through the door and into the class, she was so cold her head hurt. But she couldn’t run and close the door, after all while she was cold, the other classmates were hot. 

Xu Youyou felt extremely uncomfortable. She pulled her sweatshirt’s hoodie over her head just to feel a bit better. She sat like this until who knows how long when her body slowly warmed up. Xu Youyou’s heart lept and she turned towards the door. 

At the door, Qiao Mu carried his backpack on one shoulder and stepped in just as the bell rang for class. 

The younger Qiao Mu looked like a chubby youth with an average height and was not very eye-catching. However, at this moment, Xu Youyou felt like he was tall beyond compare and against the light walked towards her carrying all the warmth in the world. 

He had finally arrived. 

“Good morning.” Xu Youyou energetically waved her hand, her watery eyes were like an afternoon lake with gleaming reflections of sunlight. 

The girl’s joyful expressed was a bit too direct and stunned Qiao Mu. He didn’t know how to react. 

“Sit down, the study period has started.” Xu Youyou got up to let him get past. 

Qiao Mu sulkily made a sound in response and sat down in his seat. He mechanically brought out the books he took home yesterday one by one. 

The morning study period had started. Each subject’s representative began to collect homework, each one came to Xu Youyou side and was responded with the same “I didn’t do it.” The subject representatives were not close with Xu Youyou and left without saying anything. 

Even Qiao Mu who was also the math representative did not push for her to turn in her homework booklet. 

“I just finished copying it, here.” Bai Yi didn’t even try to cover it up and boldly in broad daylight turned around to give Qiao Mu the homework.

Qiao Mu didn’t say anything and silently retrieved the booklet, stacking it together and putting it to the side. He was planning to wait for the other two students who had not turned it in before delivering it to Teacher Song. 

“Hey, why is there a language book here?” Bai Yi picked up a book from the ground and flipped through it. He turned around and asked Xu Youyou, “This language book is yours, right?”

Xu Youyou took it and flipped through it, and responded unsure, “It should be.” 

“What do you mean ‘it should be?’ You can’t recognize your own book?”  In all the years that Bai Yi has studied, he had seen hundreds if not thousands of slacker students, but this was the first time he had seen one not recognize their own book. 

“I only got them yesterday, I have gotten the chance to look through them.”

“That’s true, your books are the only ones in the class that are completely new. But how come you haven’t written your name?” Bai Yi asked. 

“You guys write your names?”

“Of course, everyone’s book is the same. If they get mixed up that would be bad. Why? Do you guys not have this habit abroad?” Bai Yi thought Xu Youyou didn’t understand, and gladly helped her flip open the book. He wanted to tell her where to write her name, but his fingertip accidentally touched Xu Youyou’s hand and said in suprise, “Why are your hands so cold? Do you need to the nurse’s office?”

On such a hot day, who would have such a cold hand? No wonder she wore so much. He had wanted to ask her yesterday, but since they just got to know each other he felt it wouldn’t be right. 

“I’m fine. I just came back from abroad, so I’m accustomed to the new environment yet.” Xu Youyou randomly found an excuse. 

“New environments can cause this type of symptoms?” 

“It’s different for each person.” Xu Youyou didn’t want to continue this topic, “So, I write my name here?”

“Yes,” Bai Yi nodded his head. 

“I’ll write it, you can study.” Xu Youyou picked up pen and dismissed Bai Yi. She unconsciously began writing her English name, but as soon as she wrote the first letter she stopped. After hesitating, she shifted over an inch and began writing her Chinese name. 

She was now in China, of course she should write her name in Chinese. 

She wrote her name one stroke at a time, and was very concentrated. But when Xu Youyou’s three characters were finished, she wanted to cry from how ugly they were. 

It was so ugly looking!