The bell ending evening self-study had barely broken the silence of the classroom building when Wen Zhixia straightened up behind her desk, piled high with books and test papers, and propped her arms on the desktop to rub her eyes.
She tilted her head and secretly removed the wireless earbud from her ear. Listening to music while studying during evening self-study had been her habit since Senior Year One.
The school certainly didn't allow it, but she wore it secretly, concealed beneath her shoulder-length hair so no one could tell. Even when teachers occasionally noticed, they wouldn't tell her off.
Finals were coming soon, and the pressure of revision had been enormous lately. Weariness still veiled Wen Zhixia's eyes as she stretched languidly, pulling wrinkles into her uniform sleeves and exposing a small length of fair wrist.
As for Xiao Yan beside her, she was already sprawled motionless over her desk like a salted fish.
"Aaah, Zhizhi-I'm exhausted-when will this ever end-"
The thought of having extra classes during winter break left Xiao Yan numb. She wished she could sleep straight through to next year and wake up to find that the college entrance exams were already over.
"Give me back my earbud-"
"Get it yourself. I don't have hands anymore-"
Wen Zhixia brushed aside Xiao Yan's hair and removed her other earbud from her ear, slipping her cool little hand inside her collar to give her a chill while she was at it.
"Ah-!"
Xiao Yan was sensitive to both tickling and cold. Wen Zhixia's icy touch against her neck nearly made her jump out of her seat.
But Wen Zhixia wouldn't stop, mischievously continuing to chill and tickle her, and for a while the two girls laughed and tussled without end.
"Time to go, time to go. Move