Jiang Wenpei was still a fresh-faced rookie in the teaching profession, and whenever she lectured someone, her voice would soften without her even realizing it.
Of all the teachers, the class was least afraid of Teacher Jiang.
So when Song Yunshen and Xu Zhuoyue were called outside, neither of them was in any hurry.
Listening to Teacher Jiang lecture them was just like listening to ASMR.
After giving them a talking-to, Jiang Wenpei saw Song Yunshen and Xu Zhuoyue standing with their heads lowered, looking as though they had recognized their mistakes and would mend their ways. Thinking her lecture had worked well, she nodded in satisfaction and waved a hand. "Go back. Pay more attention during morning study, understand?"
"Yes, Teacher Jiang."
Back in his seat, Xu Zhuoyue couldn't help murmuring, "Did you see? Teacher Jiang's legs are so pale."
"Pervert." Song Yunshen picked up his English textbook with an air of indifference, as though refusing to wallow in the mud with him.
"Damn! You fucking dare say you didn't look?"
"I haven't settled the score with you yet," Song Yunshen said with a chuckle. "Who was the moron shouting so loud just now?"
"It was all because of you, dumbass," Xu Zhuoyue said irritably. "You asked me out of nowhere if you were handsome. Is your brain full of water?"
"I was merely asking you to verify a fact."
"Heh."
After morning study, more than half the class lay on their desks for a nap. One look was enough to tell they had overworked their brains the night before.
Song Yunshen wanted to sleep too, but he had more important things to do today. He stood up, glanced in the direction of his target, then patted Xu Zhuoyue on the shoulder, signaling him to make way.
Xu Zhuoyue thought he was going to the bathroom and gave it no more thought. He stood up and said to the girl at the desk in front of them, "Sister Ping, can I borrow yesterday's English homework?"
"Oh." Kang Ping, who had thick bangs and thick glasses, answered and handed Xu Zhuoyue her English workbook.
By then, Song Yunshen had already reached the seat beside Xia Yunuo's deskmate. He reached out, patted Xia Yunuo on the shoulder, and leaned down slightly. "Xia Yunuo, can I borrow your English homework?"
Xia Yunuo clearly hadn't expected Song Yunshen to come over and seek her out. She froze for a moment, a little slow to react.
Her deskmate, Bai Feini, raised her eyebrows and teased with a smile, "What are you up to, Song Yunshen? Teacher Jiang doesn't even check homework, so why don't I ever see you borrowing English homework? Could it be..."
As she spoke, she looked from Song Yunshen to Xia Yunuo, as though she had discovered something.
Song Yunshen was exasperated by gossips like her. He couldn't be bothered with her and simply looked at Xia Yunuo. "Can I?"
By now, Xia Yunuo had recovered. Unable to find a reason to refuse, she pulled out her English workbook and handed it to Song Yunshen.
Having achieved his objective, Song Yunshen smiled faintly. "Thanks."
Xu Zhuoyue, who was just about to copy the homework, saw this and looked surprised. He watched his good bro return to his seat.
"Have you finally seen the light?" Xu Zhuoyue said with relief. "You're making the first move?"
"What are you trying to say?" Song Yunshen shot him a sideways glance.
"We've got Sister Ping looking after us. Who'd have nothing better to do than borrow homework from someone else?" Xu Zhuoyue said, exasperated.
Kang Ping was a top student who ranked in the top five in the class. She was equally good at every subject and always took her homework extremely seriously.
As a result, her workbooks had always been secret treasures the class's underachievers fought over.
Xia Yunuo's grades were good too, but English was the only subject where she really stood out. Teacher Jiang rarely checked English homework, so hardly anyone ever asked to borrow hers.
Besides, that was Xia Yunuo.
She was one of the few lone wolves in the class, and she was rarely seen being close to anyone.
Although quite a few boys had secret crushes on her, it was rare for one to approach her like Song Yunshen had.
Why did he ask to borrow my English homework?
Only then did the question belatedly occur to Xia Yunuo.
Song Yunshen heard it in his head, but he had no way to answer her.
"Can't I just think her handwriting is pretty?" Song Yunshen curled his lip.
"Sister Ping." Xu Zhuoyue patted Kang Ping on the shoulder. "Song Yunshen says your handwriting isn't pretty."
"Get lost!" Song Yunshen punched him.
Kang Ping didn't mind. She kept her head down and worked on her problems, showing no intention of joining their antics.
"Then why did you borrow English homework? Teacher Jiang doesn't check it anyway," Song Yunshen asked casually as he opened Xia Yunuo's workbook.
"Didn't we just get lectured?" Xu Zhuoyue said helplessly. "What if Peipei calls on me in class later? I'm just being prepared."
"You think you can call her Peipei?"
"That's my pet name for Teacher Jiang," Xu Zhuoyue said, his face full of affection.
"Sounds like a dog's name."
"...I'm telling the teacher!"
"Childish."
Song Yunshen ignored Xu Zhuoyue and lowered his head to study Xia Yunuo's handwriting carefully.
To be fair, at first glance, Xia Yunuo's handwriting really did look a little like it.
But her English handwriting might differ from her Chinese, so Song Yunshen flipped through the workbook, looking for Chinese translations Xia Yunuo had written in the margins and comparing them with the handwriting he remembered from the Future Diary.
Very similar.
But not quite the same...
Xia Yunuo's handwriting was delicate and graceful, but beneath its elegance, it had a touch of sharpness.
The handwriting in the Future Diary, by comparison, was more gentle and flowing. It felt far less aggressive and was a little softer to read.
So Xia Yunuo and the Future Diary's owner weren't the same person?
For some reason, after tentatively reaching that conclusion, Song Yunshen felt a little disappointed.
Alas... Looks like my future ex-girlfriend and lover isn't Xia Yunuo.
"Go on, copy it. Why'd you stop?" Seeing him stare at Xia Yunuo's workbook without putting pen to paper, Xu Zhuoyue asked suspiciously, "Don't tell me you really are admiring her handwriting?"
"You wouldn't understand." Song Yunshen put on a knowing look and didn't want to explain further. He turned and took a couple of looks at Xu Zhuoyue's and Kang Ping's handwriting, then breathed a sigh of relief.
"What's that about? You want to compare answers too?" Xu Zhuoyue was baffled by what he was doing.
"Nothing." Song Yunshen shook his head, feeling a little more at ease.
It wasn't Kang Ping, and it wasn't Xu Zhuoyue either.
Hmm... Kang Ping is a female grind queen, average-looking, and a good person.
As for Xu Zhuoyue, how could my good bro possibly be my future lover... Ahahaha...
But in any case, he had to be thorough. He was upholding the spirit of scientific inquiry, and there was absolutely nothing wrong with that!
But... if it isn't Xia Yunuo, who exactly wrote that Future Diary...?
Ningjiang Middle School wasn't all that big, but it wasn't small either.
Finding the Future Diary's owner among the school's two or three thousand students would be no different from fishing a needle out of the sea.
If only Xia Yunuo were my future girlfriend.
Song Yunshen considered himself a simple looks enthusiast. Xia Yunuo was the only girl in the class who could truly take his breath away at first sight.
But thoughts were one thing; for now, he had no plans to date in high school.
Just as Song Yunshen was thinking about these things, Xia Yunuo, seated in the third row in the middle of the classroom, suddenly whipped her head around to look at him, a faint blush rising to her cheeks.
If only Xia Yunuo were my future girlfriend.
What on earth is he thinking about while he copies homework?!