Chapter 11

That day at the cinema, the two nearly parted on bad terms.

Bai Xunyin returned the practice book to Yu Luoyin and didn't go to that library again for the remaining half month of the summer vacation. She stayed cooped up at home, silently yet clearly expressing her attitude.

She didn't know what Yu Luoyin thought, but she had no intention of playing those ambiguous games with him.

'You are students, and you should be doing what students are supposed to do.'—this old cliché sounded ordinary and trivial, but it was the plain truth.

Bai Xunyin deliberately tried to forget the days she spent with Yu Luoyin. If she had to repay a favor, she had repaid it enough.

Though she understood it rationally, emotionally she couldn't help but feel a bit lost and empty at times.

Even Amo could see that her mood had been low lately.

"Yinyin, school starts in two days. Aren't you going out to play?" Amo came to visit Bai Xunyin at her house, idly playing with the trinkets on her desk, and asked, "Why have you been staying at home all the time? You seem to be in a bad mood."

Really? Bai Xunyin's long eyelashes fluttered slightly. She lowered her eyes and remained silent.

Her slender fingers gripped a pen, the tip hovering over the blank paper for a long time, unsure of what to write.

Amo didn't understand that she was actually afraid to go out.

Once outside, Bai Xunyin would see the bus stop at the entrance of her community and think of the times she used to take the bus to meet Yu Luoyin.

She always remembered those warm afternoons at the library, the pine wood grid tables and chairs, their study sessions, and their WeChat exchanges.

This summer, Linlan rarely had any rain. Every day was dry and warm.

Unfortunately, their WeChat conversation, once full of lively discussions about topics, had stopped a week ago.

The last message was from Yu Luoyin, a person usually so distant and lazy, now sounding somewhat restrained and angry: [Bai Xunyin, why are you avoiding me?]

She didn't reply, and this message lay there like old wood shavings.

Bai Xunyin didn't know how to respond because she wasn't completely innocent—she knew she was deliberately avoiding Yu Luoyin.

Because of his ambiguous words and actions, and because she was afraid of being 'tempted'.

Yu Luoyin was the dream of every girl in the school, like the forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden—she longed for it but didn't dare to reach out.

Lost in thought, Bai Xunyin didn't answer Amo's question. Fortunately, Amo was a talkative and open-minded girl who soon started chatting about other things.

But the questions still struck a chord: "By the way, Yinyin, you once said you met someone special. Who was it?"

Amo really knew how to press the wrong buttons.

Bai Xunyin frowned and childishly covered her ears.

I won't listen, I won't listen.

Since she could remember, Bai Xunyin, like other children, had a sense of reluctance to go to school after the holidays.

Even later, when she was bullied at San Zhong, she never had the thought of 'not wanting to go to school'.

This was the first time.

After this summer vacation, Bai Xunyin for the first time didn't want to go to school—she was a little afraid of seeing Yu Luoyin there.

She felt inexplicably guilty.

So, she dawdled when getting dressed and eating breakfast, until Amo was calling for her downstairs, and Bai Xunyin finally went down under the somewhat surprised urging of Ji Huiying.

"Yinyin, hurry up! Why are you so slow today?" Amo hurriedly pulled her to the bus, chattering away, "Usually, you're the one rushing me. Today, it's my turn to rush you!"

Luckily, Amo's chattering alleviated some of her anxiety.

Bai Xunyin found herself odd—she hadn't done anything wrong, yet she felt uneasy.

"Yinyin, by the way." On the short walk from the bus to the school, Amo dropped another 'bomb,' whispering to Bai Xunyin, "I heard we might be reshuffling classes in our senior year."

Amo seemed to have some distant relative working at San Zhong, capable of getting some 'insider news.'

Bai Xunyin was taken aback and looked over in surprise, her eyes seeming to ask: Is it true?

"Apparently, it is." Amo pretended to be mysterious, nodding and swaying, "It seems they want to create two advanced classes aiming for top 10 universities... you know what I mean."

Top-tier elite classes for senior year students—a common practice in many schools.

But San Zhong had never mentioned it before, and now they were going to do it?

Bai Xunyin frowned, thinking it over but feeling indifferent. In fact, she even thought it was good—if they reshuffled classes, she wouldn't have to be in the same class as Sheng Churan.

However, if it were an elite class... would she end up in the same class as Yu Luoyin?

Involuntarily thinking about this, Bai Xunyin bit her lip, feeling conflicted. After a while, she thought it was pointless to worry.

It was just a baseless rumor, yet she had already let her mind wander so much.

Sometimes, the adage "think of the devil and he appears" seems eerily accurate. Just as Bai Xunyin was uncontrollably thinking of "Yu Luoyin," she heard Amo's surprised voice—

"Ah, you're that guy from the amusement park! What a coincidence!"

Bai Xunyin froze and looked up to see Yu Luoyin and Li Yuan standing at the school gate, wearing armbands that indicated they were on duty for the weekly student inspection.

The morning sun in Linlan shone brightly, filtering through the dappled leaves and casting a delicate glow on the boys. Yu Luoyin's black hair was a bit shorter than before, his bangs still falling casually over his ivory forehead. His deep black eyes, expressionless as they swept over her, made Bai Xunyin feel almost breathless.

He only said three words, in a soft and indifferent voice, "Student ID."

Bai Xunyin snapped out of her daze and hurriedly lowered her head, bringing her backpack to the front to search for her student ID, fumbling a bit in her nervousness.

Seeing Yu Luoyin again after nearly half a month was so sudden that Bai Xunyin couldn't help but feel anxious.

How could she know that the boy standing there had already taken a thorough look inside her bag? Books, a water bottle, nothing extra—simple and clean, just like her.

Finally finding her student ID hidden in a compartment, Bai Xunyin quickly handed it to him.

Yu Luoyin glanced at it and frowned, "The cover is damaged?"

Huh? Bai Xunyin was stunned. The student ID did have a small damaged corner from her previous carelessness, but...

"A damaged ID is unacceptable. I'll confiscate it," Yu Luoyin said, taking the ID from her white fingertips and finding an excuse, "I'll get you a new one."

Li Yuan stood quietly by, watching his friend act all high and mighty, smiling without a word.

"Alright." Yu Luoyin finally looked Bai Xunyin over, her uniform, and nodded, "You can go in."

Bai Xunyin, unable to maintain her composure, felt her face heat up and quickly walked away without looking back.

Maybe it was Yu Luoyin's gaze that felt so invasive. He was supposed to be checking if her uniform was worn correctly, but with a squint...

Bai Xunyin felt as if his sharp eyes could unzip her uniform and see everything.

Even Amo sensed something was off between them. Once inside the school gates, she eagerly asked, "Yinyin, that student just now was the guy we met at the amusement park, right? The one who gave us five hundred yuan!"

"Wow, he's really handsome. Yinyin, why did he confiscate your student ID? Does he like you?"

For high school students, the most ambiguous and thrilling question is, "Does he like you?"

Hearing this, one's mind couldn't help but wander, especially if the person in question was Yu Luoyin.

With her ears burning, Bai Xunyin couldn't take it anymore and turned to cover Amo's mouth.

Finally, the world was quiet.

"Yu Ge, I have to say, that's not how you chase a girl. You're really not likable like this!"

After the first class break, on their way back to their classroom, Li Yuan couldn't help but lecture Yu Luoyin, "Why did you confiscate her student ID? That's really not charming. Bai Xunyin is the kind of girl who makes you want to protect her..."

A single look from Yu Luoyin silenced Li Yuan, making him feel inexplicably cold.

What? Was it wrong to say Bai Xunyin elicited a protective instinct?

"Yu Ge, you specifically asked the class teacher to assign you this duty today because of the mute girl, right?" Li Yuan scratched his head in confusion, "Then why didn't you tell her?"

Instead, you acted all fierce. They say women's hearts are like needles at the bottom of the sea, but I think your heart is the real mystery.

Yu Luoyin ignored him, lowering his gaze to take out the student ID he had 'confiscated' from his school uniform pocket.

He opened it, and Bai Xunyin's photo was affixed inside.

The student ID photos were taken when they first entered school. Bai Xunyin was only fifteen or sixteen then, looking even more youthful than now. She wore a slightly oversized uniform, the loose collar exposing her slender neck.

Her small, delicate face, with a ponytail, was white and pure, looking both refined and exquisite.

The most basic background and photography techniques couldn't mask her natural beauty.

Bai Xunyin had a pair of exceptionally beautiful eyes, large but not overly so, with soft and delicate lines, the corners carrying a hint of charm, yet her gaze remained innocent and pure.

In the photo, her eyes had a strange sense of fragility, as if covered with a thin layer of mist.

Yu Luoyin looked at it for a while, then took out his phone to snap a picture of the ID photo.

At that moment, it was just a whim, but he didn't know that for many years to come, he would often be sleepless, gazing at this simple photo.

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