Chapter 7

By mid-June, the weather had become hot.

It was unclear whether it was to attract the boys back to class to read more, but Ms. Qian, who taught politics, changed into a pencil skirt and black stockings. For this outfit, Bian Xuedao didn't have much of a reaction, nor did he find it particularly special, but the boys in the class swore that they had never seen Ms. Qian dress like this in the past two years.

There are many universal truths in this world, and one of them is that bad news travels fast.

Within a few days, the rumor spread among the students that Ms. Qian and a grade head in the school had an affair in the office during evening self-study, and her husband, who was a teacher at another high school in the city, found out. After a big argument, they began a cold war, living separately and planning to divorce.

By the time the story reached this point, it was clear that it couldn't end well.

Ignoring the intense, meaningful gazes of the boys below, Ms. Qian, wearing her pencil skirt and stockings, sat confidently on the platform. Occasionally, a few girls would come up to ask questions, and she would explain and analyze them in detail, watching the students' facial expressions to see if they understood. When she saw that they really understood, she would nod gently. When no one came to ask questions, she would slowly flip through the book in her hands.

Having seen too many reports and glimpsed the myriad aspects of life through the internet and newspapers, Bian Xuedao, with the soul of an adult, could sense the volcano-like emotions suppressed within Ms. Qian.

At the very least, she was likely just a substitute teacher, not on the permanent staff. Her title, housing, treatment, income, and evaluation—all these things for a female teacher of Ms. Qian's age were in the hands of others, and she needed to find ways to fight for them.

The bell rang, and Ms. Qian slowly got up, tidied up the books on the platform, and walked out of the classroom. In a blue top, black pencil skirt, and black stockings, years later, Bian Xuedao still remembered the side view of Ms. Qian as she left the classroom, as if it carried a unique and resolute beauty.

Dong Xue came over and sat down again, this time she had chased Guo Dong to her own seat. After writing a few problems, she tilted her head to look at Bian Xuedao, who smiled and met her gaze. Dong Xue was the first to look away.

Up close, Bian Xuedao could already be certain that when this girl went to college, with time to groom herself and learn to dress up, and with a bit of refinement in her demeanor, she would surely undergo a transformation.

Looking down, uh... the zipper of her outer jacket was open, revealing a tight T-shirt underneath, with a noticeable bulge. Using the life experience of a middle-aged man, Bian Xuedao seriously estimated that this was at least a D, and possibly an E.

Bian Xuedao was a bit at a loss. I just looked at you to relieve my boredom, and we didn't even exchange a word. How did I end up attracting you? It seems like a high school twilight romance could happen, and it would be in the last few minutes.

But Bian Xuedao had a mental barrier. He knew that his true love was Xu Shangxiu, and she was an excellent woman in every way. Basically, as long as he did well on the college entrance exam, he would see her in Songjiang City in three months. As for other women, they were just passing through.

Bian Xuedao even wondered if holding hands, kissing, or touching her chest with Dong Xue would count as cheating.

Thinking of Xu Shangxiu and looking at the countdown on the blackboard, Bian Xuedao resisted the urge to daydream and continued to study. Having participated in the college entrance exam, university exams, and countless workplace exams, Bian Xuedao knew that all exams revolved around the textbook, especially the college entrance exam, which emphasized basic knowledge. The questions were all variations of the textbook content, and mastering the textbook could help him handle any changes.

Dong Xue was very sad.

The boy next to her seemed to have a strange kind of magic, especially when sitting next to him. Dong Xue could vaguely sense the confidence, steadiness, and a heavy sense of maturity emanating from Bian Xuedao. Yes, it was a sense of maturity. This feeling had a strong appeal to some 18- or 19-year-old girls. This was probably the first time Dong Xue had felt an active desire to approach a boy, and she was a bit at a loss, but the brave gene in her character made her take the unprecedented step of changing seats.

In the final days of senior year, the class's tolerance greatly increased, and almost any behavior could be explained as a way to relieve the pressure of the college entrance exam. As long as it wasn't too over the line, the teachers wouldn't investigate too deeply. If contact between the sexes could alleviate pre-exam anxiety, as long as it was consensual, sitting together wasn't out of the question. Besides, with only about 20 days left, how much could you really accomplish in a new relationship?

One day at lunch, Zhou Hang asked Bian Xuedao about Dong Xue. High school students were still quite innocent, and as long as they felt close, there weren't many taboo topics.

Bian Xuedao skillfully deflected the question and subtly flattered Zhou Hang, "Dong Xue actually wanted to ask you, but she was a bit afraid because you always seem so serious. She saw me asking you questions often, so she came to me. Actually, I don't understand much of it either. The questions I've been asking you these past few days, several of them were from her."

Zhou Hang sensed something was off, but he still appreciated Bian Xuedao's explanation.

In the first class of the afternoon, which was politics, Bian Xuedao followed his review plan and busied himself. His desk partner, Guo Dong, suddenly nudged him with his elbow. When Bian Xuedao looked up, Guo Dong's eyes gestured toward Dong Xue.

Bian Xuedao looked over, a bit confused, and then looked at Guo Dong, who made a helpless expression and gestured to his chest. Bian Xuedao looked again and saw that Dong Xue had taken off her outer jacket, revealing a white blouse, and inside the white blouse was... a black bra.

Clearly, the boys in the back row had also noticed, and some of the underperforming students who were just passing the time were "shushing" each other, then their eyes, like searchlights discovering an enemy, focused on Dong Xue's back.

In the eyes of these boys, who had zero experience with women, Dong Xue's black bra was more alluring than Ms. Qian's black stockings on the platform.

Sitting behind Dong Xue, Bian Xuedao could see from the changes in her facial expression that she was uncomfortable.

Actually, Bian Xuedao had some thoughts. In his eyes, the behavior of these classmates was full of the freshness of youth, finding everything new and even blushing at the attention of others. Many of these original and simple qualities would disappear from these children's faces and life dictionaries in the years to come, turning them into people they themselves would hardly recognize.

Before evening self-study, Dong Xue came to Bian Xuedao and told him to wait for her at the school gate after class. She then returned to her seat.

In the eyes of some students, the final days of high school were like a long desert journey, monotonous, anxious, and hopeless. For some, it was the first strict social stratification in their lives, with some destined to fall behind others. But in Bian Xuedao's eyes, the time that seemed sufficient at first was like an accelerated hourglass, and the more he got into the role, the more he realized how much he lacked, even causing him a bit of panic.

At this moment, Dong Xue approached him. Like a curious little animal, driven by nature, she was drawn to Bian Xuedao. Although in his eyes, Dong Xue was more of a little girl than a classmate, the attention from the opposite sex still gave him considerable encouragement and strength.

At first, when Dong Xue sat down, he would be slightly distracted. Later, smelling the fragrance of the young girl, he felt enveloped by a strange force field, and his mind became calm and his efficiency incredibly high.

Out of respect for the girl's dignity, Bian Xuedao had no reason to break his promise.

Bian Xuedao leaned against his bicycle and waited at the school gate for a while. When most of the students had left, Dong Xue came out, pushing her bike.

Stopping in front of Bian Xuedao, Dong Xue handed him a small iron box and said, "This is your reward. Now take me home."

Handing the box to Bian Xuedao, Dong Xue got on her bike and turned right at the school gate. Putting the small iron box away, Bian Xuedao got on his bike and followed in the direction Dong Xue had gone.