Chapter 280

It's easy to go from extravagance to frugality, but difficult. She didn't know when it started, but even her body had become accustomed to not wearing a hoodie and mask. However, for her, now wasn't the best time to completely shed this identity. Or perhaps even Hua Xin herself didn't know what the best time was. She subconsciously turned her head, only to find the seat beside her still empty, devoid of that familiar figure. The chair had been pushed into the table, signifying that the seat was unoccupied. Xia Yan still hadn't returned. It was the very beginning of her sophomore year. Hua Xin wasn't particularly saddened by this; after all, she and Xia Yan would occasionally contact each other and chat, and she had already discussed the matter. Xia Yan had said he would be back soon...soon...but this was yet another almost two months without seeing Xia Yan. People often say that the more you're exposed to habits in life, the longer it takes, the more you forget some of your past habits, thus forming new ones and changing some of your previous lifestyle. Whether it's correcting bad habits or trying to forget certain people, given enough time, everything will gradually erode and blur, like the marks on a stone worn away by the wind, until only faint, recognizable traces remain. At that point, it won't matter as much as it did at the beginning. The saying "time heals all wounds" is common, and Hua Xin has certainly experienced this firsthand. Just like how many unforgettable things from childhood seem insignificant as adults, merely a few hardships. But Xia Yan is different. No matter how long he's been gone, Hua Xin thinks about him every day. How to put it... she's probably become accustomed to Xia Yan's presence. Even when he's not around, Hua Xin subconsciously thinks about what would happen if Xia Yan were here, how he would handle things, what he would say. It's as if she's imagining an AI Xia Yan by her side. Hua Xin didn't think she was sick; it was just that after her heart palpitations subsided, this situation had arisen. She wasn't that fragile; she could handle this sudden situation, right, Lao Xia? The girl patted the empty chair gently with a look of satisfaction, as if she were patting Xia Yan's shoulder. "Lao Hua, you've really gotten stronger! I want to be your little brother!" A faint, transparent image of Xia Yan floated beside the girl like a spirit, giving Hua Xin two thumbs-up with an admiring look, his tone full of longing. "So-so, sit down and study hard." Hua Xin waved her hand modestly, her face full of pride... "Alright, students, do you have any other questions?" The slightly gentle voice on the podium slowly stopped, then gently asked the students. Obviously, the students, who had just finished their holiday, didn't like sitting there so awkwardly; a series of "No problem" echoed in the classroom. Sitting in the last row near the door, Hua Xin didn't speak, but silently agreed in her heart. At the counselor's instruction, the restless boys and girls didn't hesitate, exchanging greetings and leaving the classroom one after another. Seeing this, Hua Xin slowly stood up, waiting for everyone to leave before she did. Having been in school for so long, she was already used to this routine. Leaving after everyone else had left gave her a feeling of being the queen of the world. The last person left wasn't some abandoned loser, but the final guardian of the empty classroom! The queen of the whole world! The girl's face hardened, and she patted the empty seat beside her again, but she didn't realize she was still patting thin air. "Lao Xia ...you've often walked out of this empty classroom with me, haven't you?" "As long as you and I, brothers, work together, there's no empire we can't conquer, no wealth we can't enjoy..." "Hua Xin?" "I've heard Xia Yan mention you. I also have some things I need to discuss with you." That gentle voice rang out, echoing in the empty classroom. Hua Xin, in a state of magical absorption, snapped out of her reverie, her eyes glazed as she looked at the not-so-tall, somewhat thin woman still standing on the platform... What happened? Why is there still someone in the classroom? Wasn't she and Xia Yan just about to team up...? Hua Xin turned to look around. Not to mention Xia Yan, there wasn't even anyone breathing. "Hua Xin?" Teacher Li called her name again, somewhat curiously, thinking she hadn't heard. "Oh, oh, oh, I'm here, I'm here..." Hua Xin quickly stood up straight, her heart pounding. She was too ashamed to speak. "What little brother, what getting stronger..." "Well, I've already taken care of the changes to your student registration information." "Come with me to the office to sign some papers, okay?" Although the curiosity in Teacher Li's eyes hadn't diminished, her words carried a more deliberate, cautious gentleness. After all, she was the one who knew about Hua Xin first, and she had been mediating the actions and suggestions made by Xia Yan, the Class Monitor, such as only needing to attend classes two days a week... various activities... mediation by the teachers of different subjects... It's always better for the school to provide more convenience and assistance. She didn't want the idea that rules are rigid and people are flexible. Everyone has their own special circumstances; people are different, and you can't use the same standards to constrain those with special circumstances. She also hoped that this child could happily finish university life, instead of leaving behind only resentment and conflict. Thinking of this, Teacher Li blinked: "Is that okay?" "Beautiful Hua?" Although she really wanted to say "Miss Hua" just now... she clearly wasn't sure if this joke would be acceptable to the child. It's hard to imagine that such a blunder as misidentifying gender still happens in this day and age... But think about it from another angle. Has this child never been acknowledged as a girl for over a decade? Is that why she wraps herself up in clothes and a mask, unwilling to face the world, afraid of misunderstandings arising from misunderstandings? Gender confusion might seem insignificant compared to her numerous medical conditions, but it's something Teacher Li is particularly concerned about after learning about the situation. People always need a sense of belonging. She hadn't spoken with Hua Xin and didn't know what kind of past and sorrows Hua Xin had experienced. But in this matter, she was willing to be perhaps the first, perhaps the second, or perhaps the last person to acknowledge Hua Xin. "Is... is it possible..." The girl's voice was somewhat choked. But it was different from the tone and voice she used in this school, in this campus; it was her own voice, her true self. Not the one that needed...