Chapter 3

He explained it in great detail, and I nodded repeatedly. Once I understood, I thanked him, “That was a great explanation, thanks.”

Back at my seat, my deskmate wrapped an arm around my neck:

“You rascal, you scared the hell out of me.”

Hearing his deliberately exaggerated tone, I said, “What’s wrong? I think he’s pretty good. Look, how detailed his explanation was.”

“That’s because you provoked him.”

“I provoked him, I’ll duck-provoke you! Go suck on your cold noodles.” I pushed him away.

But my deskmate was unusually serious: “I’m serious. Don’t you think his cold face is terrifying? I always feel he’s a bit… unfeeling.”

I rolled my eyes: “Is he going to eat you or something? Come on, I think he’s a good guy.”

Later, I often discussed studies with him, though most of the time it was me asking and him answering.

He didn’t like physical education class. I guessed he disliked sweating, and it seemed the teacher didn’t mind.

Sometimes I’d come back a little early and bring him an ice cream.

“You really should go out and get some sun,” I said, sitting in front of him, watching him eat the ice cream and do his homework. The veins on his wrist were clearly visible. “Look how pale you are, you’re practically reflective.”

Suddenly, he asked, “I’m so difficult to get along with. Why are you approaching me?

“Instead of currying favor with me, you should go curry favor with my good younger brother. What you’re doing now is just wasting time.”

He said this without looking up, but I noticed that from the moment he started speaking, he hadn’t moved his pen.

The atmosphere fell into a brief silence.

“Jian Yu, how much does that ice cream in your hand cost?”

Our eyes met. Uncharacteristically, he looked confused.

I answered, “One yuan fifty cents a stick. It’s even cheaper outside school.”

I found popsicles weren’t thirst-quenching, so I usually only bought this kind.

By saying this, my meaning was obvious:

If a yuan fifty cents is all it takes to gain your favor, then you’re pretty easy to please.

To be honest, at first, I really did approach him with an agenda.

But as we spent time together, my rosy glasses shattered.

What kind of overpowered protagonist? He was just an ordinary kid, a very introverted one at that.

After a moment of thought, I added, “Jian Yu, you don’t… have any friends, do you?”

He pursed his lips. I couldn’t tell if it was displeasure or embarrassment.

“Hey, hey, it’s dripping, it’s dripping!” Just as the situation grew awkward, I pointed at the ice cream in his hand and exclaimed.

Jian Yu froze, seemingly not having reacted either.

I quickly instructed, “Suck it from the bottom.”

He did as told.

We finished the ice cream before our classmates returned.

After tossing the stick, I said, “Jian Yu, you should come to P.E. class too. I’ll be in your group.

“If you don’t, the teacher will get sick and there won’t be P.E. anymore.”

I heard him softly “hmm” in response.

Jian Yu never had a deskmate. One time when seats were rearranged, we happened to sit together.

It seems like from that time on, we never sat apart again.