The classroom grew lively during the break.
Some students took advantage of Teacher Xue being there to bring him questions;
Others went out onto the balcony for air, chatting and laughing on their way to the restroom;
More stayed in their seats, ignoring the noise as they worked through problems and studied;
Chen Shi'an walked ahead with his bag on his back, and Lin Meng Qiu followed with hers. They passed through the gradually dispersing crowd and reached the fourth row of the third group.
Yuan Xuan had already stood up. She was a little shorter than Lin Meng Qiu, looking about 165 centimeters tall, and wore a smile.
"Meng Qiu! Long time no see!"
Yuan Xuan's voice was clear, carrying a hint of unexpected delight. Her pen-holding hand kept rising and falling, as though she couldn't decide whether to offer a hug or a handshake. In the end, she made no particularly intimate gesture. Chen Shi'an could tell that the Class Monitor's old classmate was a little ill at ease too.
"Yuan Xuan... long time no see."
Lin Meng Qiu was hardly any calmer than she was. Her voice was perfectly steady, but her hands seemed equally unsure where to go. "I heard from Teacher Xue that exchange students from Yunqi No. 1 High School were coming to our class, but I never imagined it would really be you, Meng Qiu. Your grades are still so good."
"Thank you..."
With anyone else, Lin Meng Qiu would have ended the conversation at that thank-you. This time, though, she racked her brains to put together another sentence, visibly trying to keep the conversation going.
"...I didn't expect to find you here either. I saw your name on the Honor Roll this afternoon."
"You went to see the Honor Roll?"
"Yes."
"Have