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The three of them traveled a winding path and finally arrived home. Song Ying had been waiting at the door with a bright smile, warmly welcoming them inside. Soon after, she served a table full of authentic Cantonese dishes to treat Zhuang Tunan. There was fragrant claypot rice, each grain of rice enveloped in golden crust, infused with the oils from the Chinese sausage and cured meat, glistening enticingly; and there were sweet and refreshing Water Chestnut Cakes, cut into neat squares, translucent and soft, with the unique sweetness of water chestnuts.
Zhuang Tunan spent a delightful week in this warm and laughter-filled home. Each day, they either strolled together through the ancient streets of Guangzhou, soaking in the Lingnan culture, or gathered around to share their stories and dreams. However, time flew by, and Zhuang Tunan was soon set to head to Shanghai to begin his studies. Before leaving, he took Lin Dongzhe's hand, his gaze sincere and resolute: "Lin Dongzhe, after I leave, you must focus on your studies. The competition in Shanghai will be fierce, but I believe you won't fall behind. Let's work hard together and meet at the peak in the future." Lin Dongzhe nodded earnestly, filled with gratitude and reluctance towards Zhuang Tunan, silently resolving to strive for academic success.
Before long, the transfer procedures were completed smoothly, and Lin Dongzhe and Lin Xiao Yu successfully enrolled in Guangzhou No. 1 Middle School. This school held a good reputation locally; although its overall educational standards differed slightly from those in Suzhou, it boasted excellent faculty and a conducive learning environment. The campus was lush with greenery, and modern teaching buildings were arranged harmoniously.
On their first day of school, when they stepped into their new classroom and met their classmates for the first time, the room fell silent for a few seconds before being filled with murmurs of surprise. All eyes were drawn to Lin Xiao Yu, who stood gracefully with an elegant demeanor; her delicate features exuded a cool and ethereal charm as if she had stepped out of a painting of Jiangnan beauty. Her unique Suzhou allure captivated everyone’s attention. Meanwhile, Lin Dongzhe stood beside her with a bright smile on his face, his eyes sparkling with friendliness—a stark contrast to Lin Xiao Yu.
The classmates greeted them enthusiastically in Cantonese: "Good morning! Welcome to our class!" Although Lin Dongzhe and Lin Xiao Yu were not yet fluent in Cantonese, they could genuinely feel the kindness and warmth from their peers, filling their hearts with gratitude. They smiled back and responded, making an effort to express their friendliness despite their imperfect pronunciation.
With a mix of anticipation and nervousness, Lin Xiao Yu was assigned her seat next to a boy who radiated a quiet and aloof aura. She pondered how to break the ice between them. After some thought, she decided to take the initiative.
Just as she was about to greet him, she noticed that he was fully engrossed in solving problems, his pen swiftly gliding across the paper. Not wanting to disturb him, Lin Xiao Yu gently took out a piece of paper and neatly wrote: "Hello, my name is Suzhou." Then she carefully slid the note towards the edge of his desk.
The boy seemed startled by this sudden interruption; he lifted his head slightly with an expression of surprise. His gaze flickered between the note and Lin Xiao Yu before his lips curled into a subtle smile as he softly replied: "My name is Lu Zean." His voice was low yet carried a unique steadiness. Lin Xiao Yu looked at him with curiosity blooming in her heart.
As the class bell rang, lessons officially began. The teacher at the podium delivered the entire lecture in Cantonese—a significant challenge for Lin Xiao Yu as a newcomer. She concentrated hard in an attempt to keep up with the teacher's pace; however, the unfamiliar pronunciation and unique vocabulary left her feeling lost as confusion and anxiety crept into her expression.
Lin Dongzhe sat not far away; thanks to watching numerous Cantonese shows beforehand, he could grasp the general content being taught. Meanwhile, Lu Zean keenly noticed Lin Xiao Yu's struggle. He slightly turned towards her and quietly explained in clear Mandarin what the teacher was discussing: "Here the teacher is talking about analyzing the domain of this function; in Cantonese, 'domain' is pronounced as 'dengyi,' which refers to the range of values that the independent variable can take." Following this guidance helped Lin Xiao Yu focus intently on what he was saying. She felt immense gratitude as she watched Lu Zean write down notes and steps on paper while nodding along.
With Lu Zean's help, Lin Xiao Yu gradually caught up with the class pace. She found herself growing fonder of her seemingly aloof yet warm-hearted desk mate.
As time flowed gently through their school days, Lu Zean and Lin Xiao Yu became increasingly familiar through frequent interactions. After class each day, they could often be seen sitting together on a bench in the campus courtyard where Lu Zean patiently taught Lin Xiao Yu how to pronounce words in Cantonese.
"This character is pronounced 'liang zai,' which means 'handsome guy.' Give it a try," Lu Zean said softly while looking intently at Lin Xiao Yu.
Lin Xiao Yu repeated after him: "Liang zai." Though her pronunciation still had some rough edges, it had improved significantly compared to before.
Classmates occasionally cast curious glances their way; after all, Lu Zean had always been perceived as quiet and indifferent towards others’ affairs. Now seeing him take such care with Lin Xiao Yu was indeed surprising. Whispers circulated among students fueled by gossiping curiosity as they speculated about why Lu Zean treated Lin Xiao Yu so differently. Various rumors began to spread within the class; however, Lu Zean and Lin Xiao Yu remained immersed in their world of learning and communication without paying much attention to external chatter.
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