Qingteng's Mind - Middle School Era

Chapter 1389 Nocturne
The lights in the stairwell flickered on and off, casting swaying shadows.

Zheng Yifan quickened his pace and moved closer to Geng Xinyu from behind.

The two walked out of the teaching building, one after the other.

The bright lights in the first-floor corridor allowed him to see Geng Xinyu's expression clearly—well, completely expressionless!
What is this expression?
Zheng Yifan stretched out his long legs and stepped to her right: "Classmate, you're walking a bit too fast."

Geng Xinyu glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"Your hearing has deteriorated quite a bit in the month I've been away," Zheng Yifan said with a smile, turning his head and raising his voice slightly, "Xiaoyu—"

The words had barely left his mouth when his voice changed, "Hiss—"

Kick him again! Zheng Yifan watched the figure leaving with her high ponytail swinging, and couldn't help but shake his calves. Ah, that familiar sore feeling, it's been so long!

"Hey, who's that?" "Wow, so handsome!" "He looks like Zheng Yifan." "Oh my god, isn't that Zheng Yifan?" "Oh my god, I haven't seen him in so long."

A murmur of conversation drifted into my ears on the wind.

Geng Xinyu didn't even bother to lift her eyelids and walked straight ahead.

Zheng Yifan looked around, smiled slightly, and strode forward. Behind him, there were continuous sighs of disapproval.

"Oh my god, he's so handsome." "It really is Zheng Yifan." "We finally saw him." "Why is he walking so fast?" "Uh, let's follow him and see."

Zheng Yifan paused, slowed down, waved his hands to the left and right, and lowered his voice: "Thank you all for your kindness, but I am not Zheng Yifan, please do not pay attention to me."

After saying that, he strode forward, so fast that he left those behind who hadn't even had time to react.

Geng Xinyu stared blankly at the person who strode past her and walked forward. What was wrong with this person now?
He quickened his pace, then slowed down again. He didn't care what the hell he did; he couldn't be bothered with him!
Stay away from him, and you'll stay away from disaster!

Geng Xinyu walked slowly forward, and as she crossed the small playground, the man's figure disappeared into the crowd heading north.

Looking at the shadowy figures ahead, Geng Xinyu suddenly remembered what he had said more than a month ago: to help her find thread-bound editions of Song Dynasty poems.

Could it be that we've found it?

Ha! The next second, Geng Xinyu couldn't help but snort. How could he possibly find him? Why should she believe him?

Is he the kind of person I can trust?!
Of course not!
As I passed through the leisure area, I saw someone standing in the shade of a tree by the roadside. Upon closer inspection, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

She knew he wouldn't leave so easily!
Zheng Yifan came over and walked beside him: "Two things."

Geng Xinyu remained silent.

"Are you really that bad at physics? You couldn't even get selected for a small competition? Didn't you look at the workbook I gave you?"

Geng Xinyu glanced at him: "I'm preparing for an essay competition."

Zheng Yifan stared at Geng Xinyu for a few moments, then smiled and said, "I see."

Geng Xinyu gave a soft chuckle and said nothing more.

"The second thing is about the thread-bound edition of Song Dynasty poetry," Zheng Yifan paused, "there was a slight mishap, but I keep my word and will send it to you."

Geng Xinyu glanced at him but didn't say anything; she didn't care at all.

Zheng Yifan smiled and didn't object, which meant he agreed.

"Oh my god! It's Zheng Yifan!"

"Isn't that Geng Xinyu next to him? The one from Class 5, Grade 11?"

"They're really together? What a perfect couple!"

Geng Xinyu, with her sharp ears, caught every word of the discussion, her cheeks flushing visibly. She abruptly tossed her head, her ponytail tracing a resolute arc in the air, and quickened her pace.

Zheng Yifan couldn't help but laugh as he watched the figure that was almost taking off.

On the third floor of the office building, in the chemistry office.

Yan Xu gestured excitedly: "Enter from the west gate, see the library first, then go around Mirror Lake, and finally meet in front of the School of Literature building. This route is absolutely perfect!"

Su Qingyi graded the homework without looking up, her red pen drawing elegant arcs on the paper: "I'll be leading the team tomorrow, you don't need to participate."

"Why?!" Yan Xu's voice suddenly rose, then quickly fell back down, glancing furtively out the window. "Wasn't this something we agreed on? Taking students to visit our alma mater together, what a great opportunity!"

“We agreed,” Su Qingyi finally looked up, a sly glint in her eyes, “to keep our distance. Teacher Yan, we're just alumni.” Yan Xu deflated like a punctured balloon: “Then all my planning these past two days was for nothing?”

“It won’t be a waste of time.” Su Qingyi snatched the schedule from his hand and smiled sweetly. “It’s perfect for me to use.”

A soft chuckle suddenly came from outside the window, then stopped abruptly.

The two of them jolted awake at the same time and looked out the window in unison—only a round moon hung innocently in the night sky, as if saying, "It wasn't me, I didn't hear anything."

Yan Xu breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her voice, "Qingyi, do we really have to do this? Dating isn't illegal."

"It was agreed upon," Su Qingyi said seriously, tapping the table with her red pen. "This is a high school, not a university. Getting too close will affect the children."

"Them..." Yan Xu opened her mouth, but thinking of the pairs of bright eyes in the classroom, she finally shut her mouth and nodded reluctantly, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

He can't set a bad example and mislead those innocent children!
"That's more like it," Su Qingyi laughed. "One more month, let's cheer each other on!"

Yan Xu looked at his girlfriend's profile, which appeared particularly serious under the light, and nodded: "I'll do whatever you say."

However, having to find excuses to go to the chemistry office every day is really a brain drain—today I'm asking about essay grading standards, tomorrow I'm discussing class discipline, what excuse should I use the day after tomorrow?

"Aren't you leaving yet?" Su Qingyi raised an eyebrow. "The teacher on duty will be coming to patrol soon."

"Let's go right away, let's go right away." Yan Xu replied, but her feet seemed rooted to the ground. "Um... you're really not taking me tomorrow afternoon?"

"Without."

"We can always have lunch together, right?"

"Ms. Yan," Su Qingyi couldn't help but chuckle, "doesn't your reading comprehension skills, as a Chinese language teacher, need some work on?"

Yan Xu touched his neck and walked out of the office. He looked up at the night sky, looking thoughtful. After a moment, he smiled and walked eastward.

As soon as He Shiling stepped out of the teaching building, Wang Xinyi grabbed her arm.

"Little Lingzi, look! Ah Jie!" Wang Xinyi's voice trembled with excitement.

Not far away, a boy in a black shirt was walking from the south. He had short, center-parted hair, tanned skin, sharp eyebrows, and bright eyes; he appeared to be around 178 cm tall.

The streetlights cast a soft glow on him, and his composed demeanor did indeed resemble Ke Mengnan somewhat—of course, a lower-budget version.

"Really? What a coincidence!" Wang Xiaoxiao covered her mouth and chuckled. "Xiao Lingzi, you're so lucky."

Hearing this from the side, Ling Mengchu couldn't help but glare at Wang Xiaoxiao a few times.

“Him!” He Shiling looked at Ling Mengchu.

Ling Mengchu nodded: "Yes, isn't it somewhat similar?"

The man named "Ah Jie" seemed to notice their gazes, glanced at them, and then nodded as a greeting.

He Shiling laughed: "It's six parts similar."

Ling Mengchu was slightly taken aback; it was indeed very similar.

"Only six points?" Wang Xinyi couldn't help but grab He Shiling's arm and shake it. "Then how handsome must Anan be?"

He Shiling laughed: "It's not that they're particularly handsome, it's just that everyone has their own unique characteristics and beauty."

Wang Xiaoxiao nodded, tugged at Wang Xinyi, and winked at Ling Mengchu: "No wonder, she can't forget him and wants to find a replacement."

Ling Mengchu remained silent.

He Shiling smiled and said, "Let's go back to the dorm."

"I'm going to Jingyun Normal University tomorrow afternoon, will I run into any handsome guys?" Wang Xinyi suddenly asked.

“Yes, that makes sense,” Wang Xiaoxiao agreed. “Just look at Teacher Yan.”

He Shiling smiled and shook her head, listening to their incessant chatter.

The campus was quiet at night, and the shadows of the sycamore trees stretched long on the ground. This is probably what youth is like—there are those who don't have books yet, those who pretend to be strangers to each other, and those who play silly games of finding "substitutes".

Trivial, noisy, yet inexplicably precious.