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Chapter Eighty-Seven: Jiang Xue's Thoughts
Zhang Qiu and the Brothers stayed at the barbecue place until it was time to head to school in the afternoon. After finishing their beer, they switched to tea and chatted while snacking on sunflower seeds bought from a nearby supermarket. They only got up to walk to school when they noticed more students outside. At the school gate, Zhang Qiu and his friends said goodbye one by one to Yang Yu from the vocational school. Yang Yu smiled and said, "You guys are all doing well." Then he turned to Zhang Qiu and added, "Brother Qiu, I'll arrange for three people to come over later. I'll send you their contact information; if you need anything, just call them."
Zhang Qiu nodded, smiling as he patted Yang Yu on the shoulder, understanding everything without needing words.
When Zhang Qiu appeared at the classroom door with Gao Zhi, Zhao Pingchuan, Wang Zhengxiang, and Yao Yu, the previously quiet classroom erupted into noise, like water suddenly reaching a boiling point.
A few friends sitting in the back who usually got along well with Zhang Qiu stood up from their seats and applauded when they saw him return. The duty officer, who had been silent, smiled at Zhang Qiu and quietly said, "You did well this time."
Zhang Qiu responded with a smile and a nod; it felt really good. The enthusiastic applause drew more attention toward the classroom door. The most excited was Jiang Xue; she jumped up from her seat and ran toward Zhang Qiu, her surprised shout breaking through the classroom noise: "Zhang Qiu, you're back!"
Looking at Jiang Xue standing in front of him, Zhang Qiu said seriously, "I'm back."
Jiang Xue felt a lump in her throat and hugged Zhang Qiu without hesitation in front of everyone. She understood that a significant part of why Zhang Qiu had gone out that night was for her. When she learned that he was going home to reflect on things, she felt even sadder. Now that she saw him return safely, how could she not feel happy and excited?
Jiang Xue held onto Zhang Qiu tightly while their classmates looked on with mischievous smiles, especially Wang Zhengxiang and Gao Zhi, who exchanged knowing glances. Zhang Qiu stood frozen in place, his hands raised in the air unsure of where to put them.
Zhang Qiu had known Jiang Xue since their first year; they were classmates in sophomore year and senior year. Being single himself, he regarded Jiang Xue, who was also single, as his best female friend. They had reached a level where they could talk about anything. During breaks at home, they often hung out together. Occasionally holding hands or hugging each other had happened before. But this was the first time they hugged so tightly in public; Zhang Qiu felt his face heat up but was genuinely happy inside. Especially after noticing some envious glances from other boys, he felt even more pleased—how many people could say that such a beautiful girl took the initiative to hug them?
It was unclear who started it first, but soon everyone in class began chanting together: "Get together! Get together!" Amidst this rising tide of cheers, Zhang Qiu found himself back by that riverbank with Jiang Xue sitting beside him. She slowly closed her eyes as he leaned in to kiss her.
Realizing her impulsiveness, Jiang Xue hurriedly released Zhang Qiu and brushed her hair back while internally scolding herself for being rash. At the same time, she shyly lowered her head and murmured, "It's good that you're back; hurry up and review your studies. Don't cause any more trouble in the future."
Back in reality, before he could respond, the classroom door was pushed open forcefully. The homeroom teacher, Zhao Guohong, stormed into the classroom with an angry expression, slamming the History Textbook onto the podium, sending a cloud of chalk dust into the air. He shouted, "What are you all doing? Our class is the loudest in the entire grade!" He then pointed at the light blue round clock hanging at the front of the classroom and continued, "Is that clock just for decoration? Can't you see it's almost time for class? And you're all so noisy; do you not want to go to college?"
After venting his frustrations, he took a moment to observe the situation in the classroom. Everyone was sitting quietly, heads bowed as if they wanted to shrink into their desks. Only Zhang Qiu and Gao Zhi remained standing. Zhao Guohong's keen eyes quickly spotted Jiang Xue, who was almost pressed against Zhang Qiu. Based on his years of management experience, he sensed something was off.
Soon, Zhao Guohong recalled that Zhang Qiu and his friends were supposed to be reflecting at home. Why were they still here? "You all, come out!" Zhao Guohong shouted. Unaware of Zhang Qiu and the others returning to school, he assumed they were defying the school's decision.
With this shout, the already quiet classroom fell into an even deeper silence. No one dared to make a sound; who would risk getting into trouble at this moment? All eyes were focused on Zhang Qiu and his friends.
Zhang Qiu noticed Jiang Xue's unease and quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Let's go have dinner together tonight."
"Okay!" Jiang Xue nodded in agreement, having completely forgotten about her dinner plans with her best friend earlier.
In her heart, Jiang Xue had always considered Zhang Qiu her best friend, even more so than her female best friend. She had thought about dating Zhang Qiu because he was so considerate and kind, not to mention handsome; she had admired him for a long time. However, Jiang Xue was afraid—afraid that the tragedies of the previous generation would repeat themselves in her life. Because of this fear, she had suppressed her feelings and avoided dating during high school.
Usually, Jiang Xue and Zhang Qiu met frequently without any issues. But recently, after Zhang Qiu had been taken away by the police and gotten into a fight—two reflections in a short span of time—Jiang Xue realized that she had already come to regard Zhang Qiu as someone very important to her.
As Zhang Qiu walked toward the furious homeroom teacher under Jiang Xue's pitiful gaze, he reached the doorway when Zhao Guohong suddenly added, "Jiang Xue, you come out too!"
Zhang Qiu paused at the door and turned to look at Jiang Xue, their eyes meeting in a moment of panic. Seeing Zhang Qiu looking at her seemed to encourage Jiang Xue; she bravely walked toward the door. This scene did not escape Zhao Guohong's notice; a subtle smile appeared on his lips as he watched them. After Zhang Qiu and the others exited, he followed them out and closed the classroom door behind him.
Zhao Guohong did not lead them to the usual corner of the stairs but instead took them to the Director's Office. With only a few minutes left before class started and people bustling up and down the stairs, Zhao Guohong considered their dignity; since Director Zhao had not yet arrived at school, the empty Director's Office was perfect for their discussion.
Inside the Director's Office, the single iron door was tightly shut. Zhang Qiu, Jiang Xue, Gao Zhi, Wang Zhengxiang, Zhao Pingchuan, and others stood in a line against the wall but were not allowed to lean against it. Zhang Qiu was relatively calm; having been called out by teachers multiple times before had built up his mental resilience. He waited for the homeroom teacher's reprimand as if it were nothing serious. Jiang Xue was different; from Zhang Qiu's peripheral vision, he could see that she was trembling slightly in her loose-fitting school uniform pants.
Zhao Guohong stood in front of several people, her face pale with anger, glaring at them. Zhang Qiu and the others appeared before her like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.
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