We ordinary people also need to fall in love.

The rain finally stopped in the evening, but the dark clouds that had gathered in the sky did not dissipate. The whole school remained shrouded in a gray haze, as if it were encased in a giant glass jar, with murky and dull light.

Li Mubai put down his pen and let out a long breath. There was a ten-minute break between 6:30 and 7:00.

Small classes also have their advantages, such as the seats on the left and right sides being far apart, so you don't have to worry about people whispering and disturbing you.

But the downsides are equally obvious. The classroom is too spacious, and sitting inside feels like sitting in an exam room. There is an oppressive feeling of emptiness all around, and you don't even dare to breathe too loudly.

He was staring blankly out the window when something gently poked him in the back.

Li Mubai frowned slightly and turned around.

"Li Mubai, I don't quite understand this math homework problem. Can you help me take a look?" Lin Xinle held up her workbook, her pen tip pointing at a big problem, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"You can ask Zhang Hao; Zhang Hao is good at math too." Li Mubai glanced at the question but didn't answer.

Upon hearing this, Lin Xinle unconsciously turned her gaze to the side, where Zhang Hao was sitting upright with his ears slightly perked up and his lips pursed.

She lowered her head silently and said nothing more.

Li Mubai looked away and glanced down at his backpack. The zipper was open, and in the very center of the pile of books lay a copy of "The Little Prince."

He thought about it: how would Xie Shu feel if a random boy appeared next to him? The answer is self-evident.

So no matter what Lin Xinle's purpose is, or whether she simply wants the vice class monitor and the class monitor to have a good relationship, Li Mubai should maintain an appropriate distance.

The only exception is Chen Qiuhe, who is Xie Shu's friend and also his friend.

"Take out your weekly reports. We'll finish them during the first evening study session, and you can use the rest of the time for your homework." English teacher Ms. Li stood on the podium. "Also, you can come to me anytime during tonight's study session to memorize vocabulary."

As she finished speaking, her gaze finally settled on Li Mubai, who was bearing the brunt of the attack...

As soon as evening self-study ended, Teacher Li called Li Mubai to her office. She had a kind smile on her face, just like the aunt next door.

"How did you do on last week's diagnostic test?" she asked directly.

"It's alright, similar to last semester's final exam, there should be some fluctuation." Li Mubai answered truthfully.

Ms. Li treated him quite well, always paying attention to his English learning, and he didn't feel much pressure standing in her office.

The kind-looking woman in front of her didn't speak immediately; she thought for a moment and then said:

"Okay, go back and let your classmates study during the next evening self-study session. Then bring an English notebook. I'll give you an essay topic, and you write it down and show it to me right now."

"Okay, teacher."

He was very familiar with this process; he used to write and revise on the spot in the activity room...

"Okay, this essay can get 18 points if you correct it strictly, and maybe 20 points if you correct it leniently," Teacher Li said, holding a red pen.

"Thank you, Teacher Li." Li Mubai smiled modestly.

An English essay is worth 25 points, and 18 points is already a pretty good score.

"Li Mubai." Teacher Li put down her notebook, looked up at him, and said, "You've made great progress. Tell me, how did Xie Shu teach you?"

"It's all about practicing with simple sentences..." Li Mubai began to recount how Xie Shu taught him to write.

"That's right. Starting with the easy parts and gradually moving to the difficult ones makes it easier for students to grasp the concepts. This method is correct." Teacher Li listened attentively, nodding from time to time.

Indeed, he thought to himself, for someone like him who wasn't good at English, starting with simple sentences would be much better.

The office was silent for a few seconds.

"Li Mubai, are you with Xie Shu now?" Teacher Li suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Li Mubai was stunned for a moment, his mind racing for a while before he realized what he meant. "Uh—um—no... I don't think so."

He glanced at Teacher Li's expression; she wasn't stern, but rather looking at him kindly like an old mother.

"No? I saw you walking together in the cafeteria at noon today," Teacher Li said with a smile.

"Because I didn't bring an umbrella this week, Xie Shu was probably... more enthusiastic, so he shared an umbrella with me." Li Mubai offered an explanation that even he himself found far-fetched.

Teacher Li smiled, then stood up as if to get something.

"I'll give you my umbrella; I happen to have an extra one."

"No need, teacher, the rain has stopped, so we don't need an umbrella anymore."

Li Mubai quickly refused. Of course, if it rained, he could use Xie Shu's umbrella.

Teacher Li was just joking. She knew what the boys and girls were thinking. She sat back down and asked a few more questions about Li Mubai's studies.

"You're in Class 18 now, so you probably can't contact Xie Shu anytime, right? What's so difficult about studying English on your own?"

"Not at the moment." Li Mubai shook his head.

Rumbling--

A muffled rumble of thunder came from outside the window, and the rain, which had just stopped for a moment, seemed about to fall again.

Teacher Li glanced at the time; it was already late, and if they continued chatting, the second evening self-study session might end soon.

"Alright, go back to the classroom and continue studying. Tell your classmates I'll come back next evening study session." She handed me an umbrella. "Take this umbrella. Two people sharing one umbrella won't be enough. It's the rainy season this week."

After hesitating for a long time, Li Mubai finally accepted it under the urging of his teacher.

"You and Xie Shu shouldn't be so obvious at school. In your last year, you should focus more on your studies, improve your English, and try to get into a university," Teacher Li reminded her in the end.

Li Mubai paused for a moment, then nodded.

He finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the office. Although Teacher Li had been very kind to him, the fact that the teacher knew about his relationship with Xie Shu still made him nervous.

Is it obvious that he and Xie Shu...? And how many teachers know?

He stood in the corridor, looking out of the teaching building. A raindrop fell, followed by a light drizzle, a gentle, persistent rain. It was raining again…

He walked through the corridor. Class 18 was the last class. As he passed Class 16, he could still hear whispers coming from the classroom.

When I arrived at Class 18, it was as still as stagnant water.

"Their class has such good discipline," Li Mubai remarked as he entered the classroom, where the atmosphere seemed a bit heavy.

His gaze fell on his seat.

I sat down gently, then turned around and stuffed the English composition book into my open backpack, planning to look at it again when I got back to my dorm that night.

He was about to turn around when he vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Stab it!

A clap of thunder exploded, followed not by the sound of rain, but by a snap—all the lights in the classroom went out.

"ah--"

The girl's screams rang out in the darkness. The chaos lasted only two or three seconds before the lights came back on. The fluorescent tubes flickered twice and then returned to normal.

The previously dull atmosphere was suddenly broken by this unexpected event, and the classroom began to be filled with soft whispers, as if water had finally flowed beneath the broken ice.

Li Mubai looked down at his schoolbag; the zipper was still open, and his pencil case was still there.

But The Little Prince is gone.