CH 16.1

After the holiday break, the students of Class 18 excitedly shared the places they had been. Some students even brought gifts back. The classroom was lively and filled with a simple happiness. 

Xu Youyou was part of it as if she had really returned to the age of sixteen. Like she was still pure and hadn’t yet experienced the bitterness of life. 

“Youyou, this is for you.” Shen Lili walked towards Xu Youyou’s side and handed her a beautifully wrapped box. 

“For me?’ Xu Youyou was surprised. She never expected that she would also get a gift. 

“Thank you for taking our photos last time. Because of the pictures you took, I gained over ten thousand followers.” Shen Lili eagerly said. “Hongluo Town’s tourist account even shared my Weibo.” 

“I was just casually taking the photos. The main reason is because you are good looking.” Xu Youyou herself didn’t expect the photos she took to have such a good result. 

“I feel complicated being praised as ‘good looking’ by someone even more good looking than me.” Shen Lili said. 

“Is this business praise*?” 

“Wow, you even know how to use the phrase ‘business praise.’ Your Chinese is really improving.” 

“I keep seeing you guys use it in the group chat so I learned it.” Xu Youyou laughed. 

“Hurry and see the gift I got you. Check if you like it or not.” 

Xu Youyou followed her words and opened the box. Inside was a simple, yet exquisitely crafted hairpin with tiny beads hanging on the end. 

“It’s beautiful,” When Xu Youyou saw it, her eyes didn’t light up. 

“This is a hairpin made from one of my favorite antique shops. It’s said that it an exact replica of one worn by concubines during the Han Dynasty. During the holiday, I specifically went to their physical store to pick it.” Shen Lili introduced.  

“Thank you. Although, I won’t really have any suitable opportunities to wear it, I will definitely keep it safe.” Xu Youyou said in appreciation. 

“What do you mean you won’t have any opportunities to wear it? Even if you don’t enjoy wearing Hanfu like us, you can still use it to wear your hair up, like I am.” Shen Lili turned around as she talked, showing Xu Youyou her hairstyle. 

Shen Lili was a loyal fan of the ancient style. Outside of wearing the uniform for school, privately she would dress in the ancient style. Even though she was wearing the school uniform, she would always have an ancient element, typically it was in the form on a hairpin to tie up her hair. 

“How can you put it up?” Xu Youyou asked curiously. 

“I’ll teach you.” Shen Lili took the hairpin out of the box and her fingers skillfully helped Xu Youyou tie a half ponytail. The entire process took less than a minute. 

Xu Youyou curiously touched her tied up hair and shook her head. The hairpin remained unmoved on her head and not a single hair came loose: “It really won’t fall.” 

“I wasn’t lying, right?” Shen Lili smuggly smiled. 

“Can you put it up for me one more time? When you were doing it for me I could not see.” Xu Youyou became excited. 

“I’ll use my hairpin to show you. That way you can see it more clearly.” As she talked, Shen Lili pulled out her own hairpin and her long hair fell with the removal of the hairpin. Shen then used the hairpin gently to pick it back up and with a flip of her fingers she easily pinned it back up again. 

“It’s that simple?” Xu Youyou originally thought it would be hard. 

“It’s really easy.”

Xu Youyou was just about to try putting it up herself when the bell for class rang. Xu Youyou could only give up and quietly wait for class to start. 

After rebirth, Xu Youyou had no intention to study hard and get into a prestigious school, but her deskmate wanted to get into Qingbei. She only found out two days ago exactly how hard Qingbei was to get into. Although she did not know who Qiao Mu’s deskmate was in the previous life, she did not want him to not be admitted into Qingbei because she was his deskmate in this life. So even though Xu Youyou found the lectures boring, she still tried her best to be quiet and not bother Qiao Mu. 

In the blink of an eye, the classes were over. Qiao Mu had planned to go home with Xu Youyou: “The souvenirs Grandmother bought are at home, do you want to go pick them up?”

Originally he was going to bring them to school, but Grandmother insisted on giving it to Xu Youyou in person. In reality, it was to give Xu Youyou a chance to eat a free meal at their house. 

“Really? Does that mean I can eat at your house again?” Xu Youyou said surprised.

“Yes.” Qiao Mu nodded his head. 

It had to be said that in some way, the two had a tacit understanding. 

“Then what are you waiting for? Let’s hurry up.” Xu Youyou efficiently packed up her backpack and pulled Qiao Mu as she ran out the classroom. The two of them sat on the bus and got off ten minutes later in the ancient town. 

From the bus stop and through the alleys, it took another seven to eight minutes to arrive at Qiao Mu’s house. The two walked side by side, because it had just rained heavily, green moss had grown between the limestone slabs and the ground was a bit slippery. As she walked, Xu Youyou fiddled with her hair that had gotten messed up in the bus ride and accidentally slipped. 

“Be careful.” Qiao Mu quickly helped her up. 

“Thank you.” Xu Youyou quickly stabilized herself. 

“What are you doing not walking properly?” Qiao Mu asked

“Earlier when we were getting off the bus, my hair got messed up. I want to put it up again.” Xu Youyou said as she grabbed her backpack off her shoulder and handed it to Qiao Mu. The backpack was too heavy and her hands didn’t have the strength, “Help me hold it for now, I am going to put it up again.” 

Xu Youyou quite liked this new hairstyle, especially the chain of beads that hung at the end of the hairpin. As she walked it shook, it was very unique. 

Qiao Mu held the backpack and stood in place as he waited for the girl to tie up her hair. However, it seemed that Xu Youyou didn’t quite know how and tried many times, but her hair would still end up a mess. The hairpin just wouldn’t stay in. It was embarrassing. 

“That’s weird. This is clearly how Shen Lili did it. Could it be that I remembered it wrong?” Xu Youyou was very annoyed, her actions demonstrated the phrase “the eyes understand but the hands don’t.” 

Qiao Mu patiently waited seven to eight minutes as he watched Xu Youyou try countless times without giving up, before he finally couldn’t take it and said: “Why don’t you wait till tomorrow and have Shen Lili teach you?” 

“I don’t believe that I can’t do it.” Xu Youyou suddenly became angry and her expression was one of determination as if she would not give up until she figured it out. 

Qiao Mu was stunned for a moment and continued waiting with a good temperament. But time slowly passed and he watched as she continued. It seemed Xu Youyou would go crazy to the point where she wouldn’t even be in the mood to eat a free meal. Finally he could not watch any longer and placed his own backpack on the green stone boards, carrying only Xu Youyou’s backpack on his shoulders. He then held the unruly hair atop the girl’s head. 

“You stick it in here with the hair, then do this, then this. Twirl it twice and stick it in again.” Qiao Mu guided the girl’s hand to help her put up her hair. 

After it was finished, Xu Youyou tried shaking her head and found that the hair really did not fall out. She turned in surprise towards Qiao Mu: “How do you know how to do it?” 

“When Shen Lili was teaching you, I saw it for a moment.” When Shen Lili was teaching Xu Youyou, he was sitting right beside them. Not seeing them would have been hard.

“You only saw it for a moment?” 

Qiao Mu suddenly felt a little guilty and looked away. He mumbled a sound of acknowledgement. 

“You are so impressive.” Xu Youyou excitedly punched Qiao Mu’s shoulder. “Then later can you teach me?” 

Qiao Mu awkwardly made a “ke” sound and didn’t agree. He just gave Xu Youyou’s backpack to her: “Let’s eat first, Grandmother is probably waiting for us.” 

“Oh right. Grandmother made delicious food and is waiting for me.” Thinking of the good food, Xu Youyou grabbed her backpack and hurriedly walked. 

Qiao Mu let out a breath of relief before grabbing his own backpack and patting away the slight damp moss on it. 

“Hurry up, didn’t you say Grandmother was waiting for us?” Xu Youyou ran towards the alley’s entrance and saw that Qiao Mu was still behind her. She could not help but rush him. 

“I’m coming.” Qiao Mu smiled and quickened his steps.

———————–Translator’s Note ————————–

*Internet word