Chapter 15: A New Day Begins

Such feelings could only be recalled in retrospect; at the time, I was already lost and bewildered.
I couldn’t help but think of Li Shangyin’s “The Brocade Zither.” Yes, all those beautiful things and years can only remain in memory now…

When I returned home, my mother had already prepared dinner and was waiting for me to eat.
There were spicy shredded potatoes, my favorite dish—home really is the best.
My father brought home the monthly exam papers from school and, after dinner, hurried to continue grading them.
I also took out the practice test I hadn’t finished at school and started working on it.
Our family, warm and busy.

Yes, my mother is an elementary school teacher, and she was also my homeroom teacher from fourth to sixth grade. Back then, homeroom teachers taught both Chinese and math, so my mother was both my Chinese and math teacher.
My father is a middle school math teacher, and he taught me geometry in eighth and ninth grade.
When I was in elementary school, after class I would do my homework in my mother’s office. Sometimes, when the teachers had meetings, she would bring me along, and after work we’d go home together.
In middle school, my father would take me to school by bicycle, and after class, he’d ride with me back home.
I am blessed.

Perhaps I was too exhausted today; I slept dreamlessly through the night.
The next morning, I was a brand new me, riding my bicycle along the familiar road to school.
The weather was fine, the sky a clear blue, and the roads were shaded by rows of green trees.
As I neared the school, someone called out behind me, “Ye Lingyin!”

Caught off guard, I saw someone biking past me, almost brushing against my side. Not only that, but he waved at me and gave me a goofy grin.

Well, to be fair, it was probably a charming smile—but to me, it looked a bit silly.

Ah, it was Wei Yucheng.

I steered with one hand and waved back with the other.
He looked even sillier as he smiled…

It’s been a while since I last saw him. Although he’s at No. 1 Middle School too, we rarely meet.

Wei Yucheng greeted me, then sped off on his bike.
Still the same personality. If I had to describe it in one word, it would be “sunny.”

Wei Yucheng was my first desk mate in middle school. He’s very handsome, with big eyes and a pleasant voice. He’s our class monitor and the most popular boy in class, admired by many girls.

Sitting next to him is probably every girl’s dream, but for me it was rather troublesome.

There’s a beautiful girl in our class named Qi Lili. Apparently, she was Wei Yucheng’s classmate in elementary school, so they get along well.
From my perspective, they’re just ordinary friends—both outgoing, cheerful, and as class officers, they often work together.

Three girls in class always stick together, each with her own distinctive beauty—calling them “the three sisters” wouldn’t be far-fetched.
All three like Wei Yucheng, so they treat Qi Lili as a rival in love, sometimes telling me bad things about her.

Just because I’m Wei Yucheng’s desk mate? Sigh, I really don’t see how it concerns me.

Luckily, I’m not pretty. Otherwise, just sitting beside Wei Yucheng would have made me the target of all three.

It’s tough for me.

Wei Yucheng is the class monitor, but he’s also very mischievous.

I remember once, he forgot to bring his English textbook and secretly took the cover off mine, then placed my book on his desk.
When I looked for my textbook, it was nowhere to be found. I distinctly remembered taking it out of my bag, but couldn’t find it even after turning my bag inside out.
He acted generously, saying, “Let me lend you mine!”
I foolishly thanked him.

After class, he pulled out the hidden cover and waved it in front of me, proudly declaring, “Haha, this is your book!”

I was nearly driven mad.

Another time, before a class meeting, he whispered, “Get ready—I’ll have you speak later!”
It startled me so much that I didn’t dare look up for the entire meeting.

In truth, he was just teasing me; he never called on me to speak. Yet, every time he said something, I always believed him.

Oh, and Wei Yucheng has a nickname—“Starry Sky.” It sounds beautiful and poetic, doesn’t it?
Actually, it’s because he has a few dark moles on his face.

Thinking of this, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Yes, I’m in a good mood this morning. I hope today will be a happy one.