Overgrown Grassland

31. Chapter 31

The autumn wind was very robust.

A younger Zhu Yun adopted her mom to high school.

It was registration day. Zhu Yun didn’t must take an advanced path; she was very conversant in the place. Her mom was a head trainer for the highschool college students. Her main college hadn’t been far-off, so she would typically watch for her mom to complete work and head residence collectively.

Her mom led her to the varsity gate. “Wait right here for me. I’m going to greet your head trainer.”

Zhu Yun obediently nodded.

Her mom was gone for fairly awhile. In her boredom, Zhu Yun regarded round, after which a determine immediately appeared in her line of sight. It was a woman, standing by the flower mattress in entrance of the varsity. Her head was lowered. A number of seconds later, as if sensing somebody was taking a look at her, she turned her head.

Zhu Yun shortly regarded away. After a second, Zhu Yun snuck a look over to seek out that the lady had lowered her head once more. So Zhu Yun saved taking a look at her.

The robust wind had swept away all of Zhu Yun’s ideas.

Round them, different college students walked round. Solely she and that lady stood quietly on the entrance gate. As if killing time, Zhu Yun saved trying over the opposite lady. Lastly, Zhu Yun was caught red-handed. Her coronary heart thumped. She was about to show away, when the lady waved to her.

?

Zhu Yun regarded round, after which pointed to herself. “…Me?”

The lady waved once more.

Seems to be prefer it was her.

The lady was a bit taller than Zhu Yun. She was skinny with medium size hair. Her pores and skin was very reasonable and her options delicate… Zhu Yun walked a bit nearer after which realized that the lady was carrying make-up.

Pale face, darkish black eyeliner, a slender and vivid purple flower petal in her mouth. It was the one coloration on her face. Zhu Yun stopped in her steps. It was her first time seeing a junior excessive pupil carrying make-up. It went fully towards the teachings she’d grown up with.

The lady grabbed one other bunch of petals from the flower mattress and handed them to Zhu Yun. She accepted them fastidiously in her palms. The lady raised her chin and quietly stated, “It’s candy.”

That was the primary time Zhu Yun met Liu Xiaoyan.

That they had solely been in a position to alternate names when Zhu Yun’s mom known as to her. Her mom’s complexion didn’t look good when she left the constructing. On their method residence, she muttered, “How do they assign lecturers? If there’s an opportunity to vary courses…”

Zhu Yun hadn’t understood on the time. When she began college, she noticed that her head trainer was a language trainer. She was a 30 one thing feminine, barely chubby, and really variety. It doesn’t matter what the scholars did unsuitable, she at all times spoke softly as a substitute of loudly critcizing.

Zhu Yun actually appreciated her.

At school, Zhu Yun met Liu Xiaoyan as soon as once more. After they made their self introductions, Liu Xiaoyan spoke very briefly. She completed and the category clapped, after which she returned to her seat. As she handed Zhu Yun’s desk, Liu Xiaoyan glanced down at her.

“Isn’t that lady too chilly?” the boy behind her requested. Zhu Yun forged a sidelong look. What was his identify… Fang Zhijing?

“Who’d have guessed her entrance rating was so excessive,” Fang Zhijing continued speaking to his deskmate.

That’s proper… Zhu Yun had additionally discovered it unusual. This was town’s finest junior excessive. Zhu Yun’s class was additionally a particular one, so for Liu Xiaoyan to rank third within the class from the doorway examination, was no small feat.

Within the days following although, Liu Xiaoyan didn’t give off a ‘good pupil’ aura in any respect. She by no means spoke at school, and she or he by no means requested the trainer questions after class. Whereas everybody else purchased additional apply books, she would cease learning when she completed her homework.

There was one class that she was extra devoted to although: English. Liu Xiaoyan was very diligent in English class. Each time Zhu Yun was on responsibility for the day and went to scrub Liu Xiaoyan’s seat, she at all times noticed the desk coated with English books. Perhaps she wished to go overseas?

Liu Xiaoyan additionally had a diary. Each time she had free time, she would write in it. Then she put it deep inside her desk.

After the primary day of sophistication, Zhu Yun hadn’t spoken to Liu Xiaoyan once more. To be sincere, nobody within the class actually spoke to her. Liu Xiaoyan was excessively individualistic. With simply that little bit of make-up, she grew to become like a very totally different species.

Zhu Yun’s mom caught wind of this uncommon pupil, and she or he was very sad with the truth that Liu Xiaoyan wore make-up to high school. Zhu Yun’s mom had requested their trainer to intervene a number of instances, however even to the top, Trainer Wang didn’t attempt to prohibit Liu Xiaoyan a lot.

The subsequent time Zhu Yun spoke to Liu Xiaoyan, they had been on the flower mattress once more. It was a free exercise interval, and Liu Xiaoyan was sitting on the steps, her head stuffed in her diary, writing one thing or different.

There was nobody else round. Zhu Yun quietly walked up behind Liu Xiaoyan and watched her writing English in her diary. Her expert cursive handwriting was very fairly. Zhu Yun’s English was additionally fairly good, however as compared, she nonetheless had a methods to go.

Simply as Zhu Yun lastly made out the contents of the writing, Liu Xiaoyan circled.

As if on reflex, Zhu Yun grabbed some purple flower petals from the flower mattress and put them in her mouth. She regarded into the gap, in direction of the sports activities subject, pretending she was simply passing by, testing the festivity.

Why did this petal really feel so tingly? Zhu Yun felt it a bit odd however didn’t dare let it present on her face, lest she look unnatural. Liu Xiaoyan continued to look at her.

Don’t fear. Settle down. Zhu Yun brainwashed herself: I’m right here to eat the scarlet sage.

“I can’t imagine you’ll be able to eat that,” Liu Xiaoyan stated.

?

Zhu Yun felt somebody beside her, and she or he cautiously turned to face Liu Xiaoyan. Confused, Zhu Yun requested, “What’s it?”

A uncommon expression of awkwardness confirmed on Liu Xiaoyan’s face. “Hurry and take that out.”

Zhu Yun spit out the flower petals. It might have been higher if she hadn’t regarded, as a result of when she did, her hair all stood on finish. Overlaying the flower petals had been small ants. After being frightened, the ants began scattering away.

No marvel it felt so unusual on her tongue!!!

Zhu Yun tossed apart the flower petals, her physique trembling as she fell to the bottom.

Liu Xiaoyan couldn’t assist it as she began laughing from the aspect. Zhu Yun paused. It was the primary time she’d seen Liu Xiaoyan snicker like this. In that second, she’d even forgotten the ants in her mouth.

Neglect it. If she ate them, she ate them. They had been initially meals anyway.

After that day, the ladies grew to become associates. It was additionally then that Zhu Yun came upon that Liu Xiaoyan’s diary was stuffed with passages from the Bible. The textual content was a lot too tough for junior excessive Zhu Yun to learn. After flipping by means of it quite a few instances, she nonetheless couldn’t perceive.

“Do you imagine on this?” Zhu Yun requested Liu Xiaoyan.

“Not precisely.”

“When you don’t imagine it, why did you copy it down?”

“It’s not that I don’t imagine it both. He and I don’t have that sort of relationship.”

Zhu Yun didn’t actually perceive. However there was one thing that she knew—Liu Xiaoyan didn’t examine English as a result of she wished to go overseas or as a result of she wished to do effectively at school. It was for that God, whom she couldn’t precisely say she believed in or not.

Zhu Yun was extraordinarily intrigued by Liu Xiaoyan. This new lady had fully attracted her… Zhu Yun at all times sought out Liu Xiaoyan to play. They ate collectively, studied collectively, and sat on the steps consuming flowers collectively.

The remainder of the category appeared to have a false impression about Liu Xiaoyan. They discovered her smug and impolite, however Zhu Yun didn’t agree. Liu Xiaoyan was certainly smug, however she wasn’t mannerless. The truth is, she was very softhearted.

On one winter day, a blizzard got here and faculty set free early. Everybody left for residence, abandoning solely Zhu Yun who waited for her mom to get off work. She was watching the snowstorm outdoors the window when Liu Xiaoyan returned to the classroom. She’d introduced again a stick of sugar-coated hawthorn fruit.

They sat within the classroom collectively, zoning out. On this wintery chilly climate, the sky and floor each regarded bleak. Solely this candied fruit was a surprising purple amidst all of it.

Through the heavy blizzard, Liu Xiaoyan instructed Zhu Yun about herself.

Liu Xiaoyan’s mother and father had divorced, and she or he lived along with her (maternal) grandmother. Simply earlier than college began, her grandmother fell ailing. The sickness had come unexpectedly, as if a mountain had been to fall. The medical doctors instructed her, diplomatically however clearly, that the prospect for survival was slim. Later, the hospital not allowed her grandmother to remain there, so Liu Xiaoyan introduced her residence. Each night time, her grandmother was tortured with ache, and Liu Xiaoyan didn’t know what to do.

Often, she would pray to God.

“Truly, I begged every kind of deities,” Liu Xiaoyan stated. “I did all that I may, however He gave me the deepest impression. Perhaps it was as a result of the day after I prayed to Him, my grandmother’s situation significantly improved.”

“So that you began to imagine in Him?”

“It’s not that I believed.” She burdened, “Once I prayed to Him, I requested Him to assist my grandmother. I promised that if He did, I might stick with Him eternally. Since He did it, I needed to preserve my finish of the deal.”

“I get it,” Zhu Yun mumbled. “Slightly than believing, you’re returning a favor. Proper? My (maternal) grandma believes in Buddha, and she or he typically lights incense to redeem her vows.”

Liu Xiaoyan thought for a second, after which she nodded. “It’s one thing like that.”

The solar had set when her mom got here to select her up. On the way in which residence, her mom urged her for the 2 hundredth time to keep away from Liu Xiaoyan. Zhu Yun was recalling the style of the hawthorn fruit as she gave a halfhearted reply.

“Appearing so unorthodox at such a younger age, believing in such nonsense…” her mom grumbled. “And that trainer of yours, Zhu Yun, apart from what she says at school, don’t hearken to that nonsense she has to say.”

Zhu Yun was startled. It was true that Trainer Wang would share heat and significant phrases with the category after they had a break. However that was similar to small discuss. She didn’t perceive why her mom would particularly convey it up.

Afterward, as the category’ research grew extra intensive, the scholars’ English comprehension additionally elevated decently. And since Liu Xiaoyan didn’t attempt to cover it, everybody progressively got here to know Liu Xiaoyan’s story.

She was too totally different from everybody else. Her solely buddy was Zhu Yun.

Fortuitously, their head trainer, Trainer Wang was very open-minded. Zhu Yun knew that Trainer Wang typically spoke up for Liu Xiaoyan. Although another lecturers and oldsters remained disgruntled, Liu Xiaoyan’s scores hadn’t fallen, and she or he was as a substitute one of many high college students. So the principal simply continued on his method, one eye open and the opposite eye closed.

On Christmas, Zhu Yun skipped class. It was a really significant factor for her; it was the primary time in her life in any case.

Liu Xiaoyan took Zhu Yun purchasing, and the entire time, Zhu Yun had been scared witless and but exhilarated. Whereas they sat within the sq. consuming roasted candy potatoes, Zhu Yun nervously introduced out the current she’d ready for Liu Xiaoyan.

“Immediately’s essential, proper?” Zhu Yun requested quietly. “I regarded up some data.”

Liu Xiaoyan didn’t communicate as she opened the current.

Zhu Yun spoke nervously, “…I’m unsure should you’ll prefer it. It wasn’t very costly.” She hadn’t had ample purpose to ask her mother and father for cash, so she may solely save up every week of allowance to purchase the current.

Liu Xiaoyan circled and lifted up her hair. “Assist me put it on.”

Zhu Yun’s fingers shook as she helped placed on the necklace. It wasn’t even that chilly out. Liu Xiaoyan’s neck was very pale and fairly.

“It’s executed…” Zhu Yun whispered.

Liu Xiaoyan turned again round and gave Zhu Yun a kiss on the cheek. Zhu Yun didn’t dare to maneuver. Liu Xiaoyan laughed and stated, “I prefer it loads. Thanks.”

Zhu Yun’s spirits rose. Whereas they chatted, Zhu Yun stated, “It’s nearly the top of the semester.”

“Mmh.” Liu Xiaoyan didn’t sound very .

“Let’s work arduous to close all of them up.”

Liu Xiaoyan turned to her. “Shut who up?”

“The youngsters who sit behind me.”

Fang Zhijing and his boys had been at all times gossipping about Liu Xiaoyan.

“They’re at all times speaking about you. Don’t you get offended?”

“Indignant about what? He says that everybody has unique sin.” Liu Xiaoyan hooked a finger across the cross necklace that Zhu Yun had given her. With out a lot care, she stated, “In the event that they wish to make me offended, they should have the power first. Would you imagine me if I stated that Fang Zhijing gained’t be capable to beat me in a single examination for this semester’s finals?”

Zhu Yun smiled at her.

Liu Xiaoyan slid over and requested, “What, you don’t imagine me?”

Zhu Yun shook her head. “I imagine you.”

She appreciated taking a look at Liu Xiaoyan. Fairly and proud, like a peacock.

You’ll beat them…

Zhu Yun instructed her this, silently.

Afterward, they did certainly beat the boys on the ultimate exams. After which, the subsequent semester, the ladies beat them once more… If not for that incident, the ladies in all probability would have beat them on all the ultimate exams after that as effectively.

The autumn of their second 12 months of junior excessive (grade 8), a horrifying and surprising terrorist assault, that shook your complete world, occurred throughout the ocean. All of the media reported about it, day and night time, nonstop, and your complete world grew to become shrouded in ominous clouds.

As a junior excessive pupil, Zhu Yun hadn’t payed a lot consideration to the information. It was all too distant from herself. In comparison with her, Liu Xiaoyan was rather more within the unfolding occasions. By the information, Zhu Yun had discovered that this horrifying terror assault was associated to non secular beliefs. Throughout these few days, Liu Xiaoyan’s phrases grew shorter.

What Zhu Yun had failed to note was that, apart from Liu Xiaoyan, there was one other individual of their class who’d grown quiet.

Zhu Yun remembered clearly that it had been a Thursday. Liu Xiaoyan hadn’t proven as much as that afternoon’s bodily schooling class, so Fang Zhijing, because the PE class consultant, went again to the classroom to get her. Liu Xiaoyan hadn’t observed his calls, after which the 2 bought into an altercation. Later that night, after dinner, Liu Xiaoyan had returned to the classroom to seek out that somebody had gone by means of her desk. And inside, there was a darkish pile of one thing.

Liu Xiaoyan pulled it out and unwrapped it with shaking palms. It was a black gown, and inside was her pocket book, all torn up. She regarded over at Fang Zhijing, who regarded again at her.

“Because you like God a lot, you need to die with them. You’ll be capable to see Him while you’re useless.”

On the time, Zhu Yun’s mom had known as her in to the trainer’s workplace to go over her examination. When she returned, Liu Xiaoyan had already made her transfer.

The scholars within the classroom had all cleared an area to look at the battle. Nobody wished to get entangled, and nobody wished to assist. Liu Xiaoyan had at all times been a bit chilly and proud, and there have been many college students who hated her.

It was the primary time she’d gotten this offended. She grabbed her English dictionary from her desk and began violently smacking Fang Zhijing’s head. However Liu Xiaoyan was a woman, and her power couldn’t beat Fang Zhijing’s. He pressed her towards the desk and used the black gown to cowl her face.

On the similar time, Zhu Yun was following Trainer Wang again to the classroom. Her face regarded exhausted. However then, the second that she stepped into the classroom and noticed the scene earlier than her, she ran ahead to cease it. She pulled the children aside, and after seeing how Fang Zhijing had overwhelmed Liu Xiaoyan, how he’d wrapped the gown round her face, the nice and cozy and delicate Trainer Wang immediately fell aside. She slapped Fang Zhijing and shouted, “Are you loopy?! Have you ever gone insane?!”

Their courses had been placed on maintain, and the folks concerned had been known as into the principal’s workplace. Everybody else sat within the classroom, chatting excitedly.

“Didn’t you all know? Trainer Wang believes in that too.”

“She believes in what the hijackers imagine, proper?”

“Yeah. The 2 of them are from rival teams.”

“That is so fascinating!”

“How did you discover that out?”

“Haven’t you watched TV?”

“……”

Zhu Yun didn’t communicate a phrase. She checked out Liu Xiaoyan’s empty seat. What was that on the bottom? Zhu Yun walked over and noticed the necklace she’d despatched her.

Maybe it had fallen off of their battle. Zhu Yun picked it up, wanting to assist Liu Xiaoyan put it again on later. However Liu Xiaoyan didn’t come again.

She by no means returned to class after that. Zhu Yun heard from her mom that she’d transferred colleges. On the similar time, Trainer Wang stopped being their head trainer. As a substitute, a really strict male trainer led their class from then on.

Zhu Yun by no means regarded for Liu Xiaoyan. The night of the incident, on her method residence from college, she noticed Fang Zhijing returning a black plastic bag to her mom.

The younger and ignorant Zhu Yun nonetheless had many issues she didn’t fairly perceive. She simply had a faint feeling—For the remainder of her life, she would by no means once more see that lady who had as soon as eaten scarlet sage along with her.

“Hey…”

“Hey.”

“Hey!”

Zhu Yun was known as again by a shout.

She turned and noticed an impatient trying High Rating Li. He was holding the certificates he’d simply acquired.

“What are you eager about? You didn’t even hear after I was speaking to you.”

She turned again ahead to see that Fang Zhijing had additionally acquired his award already. He didn’t return although, and was as a substitute enthusiastically chatting with the organizers of the occasion.

Li Xun leaned towards his chair, and casually stated, “We’re lastly executed. After we pack our issues later, I’ll take you someplace enjoyable.”

Zhu Yun appeared to not have heard, and his phrases slipped previous her. As a substitute, Zhu Yun pushed previous Li Xun and grabbed Gao Jianhong. “Are you collaborating?”

Gao Jianhong didn’t perceive. “What?”

“The competitors.” Zhu Yun checked out him suspiciously, “Didn’t you say earlier than that you simply wished to take part within the competitors. Do you continue to wish to?”

Gao Jianhong lastly understood. “Yeah, however didn’t you say—”

“I modified my thoughts.” Zhu Yun grabbed tightly to his arm. “Let’s work collectively. We’ll work on it this semester, okay?”

Gao Jianhong’s eyes slowly lit up. “Sounds good!”

Leaning towards his chair, the bored High Rating Li lastly appeared to react. Expressionless as Zhu Yun leaned over his legs, he requested ominously, “What did you say?”