Give Me Another Smile

Tang Yu was swarmed by a group of little girls as soon as class ended. The girls all wore looks of disbelief, and they incessantly uttered praises and exclamations for Tang Yu.

"Tang Yu, so you were actually this good at mathematics?"

"I nearly forgot you were in our class because you rarely speak."

"Tang Yu, Tang Yu, can you teach me? I—"

"Hey, hey! Move aside! Move aside!"

Suddenly, a sharp voice interrupted the little girls' inquiries. Then, a pair of fair and tender hands started pulling the girls surrounding Tang Yu away one after another.

Once the girls surrounding Tang Yu were pulled aside, a girl with a short stature appeared before Tang Yu. The girl's hairstyle strictly adhered to the school rules, her hair staying above the shoulders and her bangs staying above her eyebrows. The girl had big and spirited eyes, and under her pretty nose was a pair of cherry-red lips. The girl wore a shawl dress and exuded a feeling of extravagance just by standing still without speaking.

This familiar face…

"Tang Yu is normally so quiet, so there's no way she will know any of you! Why are you all acting chummy with her all of a sudden?" the short girl said to the crowd of peeved girls. Then, she turned to Tang Yu and extended her hand, introducing herself, "Hello, Tang Yu! My name is Fang Ling!"

Fang Ling…

Tang Yu recalled that Fang Ling should have appeared in her life during second grade. Yet, now, they were already nearing the end of fifth grade. She didn't think her reincarnation would warp the timeline to such an extent.

Regardless, it was fortunate she didn't lose this precious friend.

"Hello, my name is Tang Yu," Tang Yu introduced herself as she shook Fang Ling's hand, her own hand trembling slightly from the various emotions that had surfaced in her heart.

Fang Ling did not pick up on the feelings of appreciation and nostalgia flowing out of Tang Yu's eyes. Instead, she proudly raised her eyebrows and looked at the surrounding girls as if to flaunt her friend-making capabilities.

The girls walked away while muttering words of annoyance. Of course, none of them meant any ill will. Fang Ling had a very likable personality. Even though she was from a wealthy family, she could get along well with almost anyone and everyone. In fact, she was friends with almost everyone in the classroom, including the girls who had just left.

The only flaw Fang Ling had was her love for bragging. Moreover, it wasn't the inadvertent kind of bragging. Instead, it was the deliberate kind. For example...

"Let me tell you! My family is super rich! My father is even a major shareholder in our school!" Fang Ling said as she squeezed into the same chair as Tang Yu. "Although my family is rich, my big brother doesn't want me to talk about it. But who cares about him? So what if we're rich? Does being rich make us amazing? Or is being rich a crime? What's wrong with talking about it?

"Hey, come to me if you need anything in the future. I'll definitely be able to help you!

"But..." Fang Yu paused, a slight frown forming on her face. Then, she muttered, "What did I come to you for again..."

Before Tang Yu could even wrap her head around Fang Ling's rapid babbling, she heard the little girl saying, "Oh! I remember now!"

Then, revealing a pitiful look, Fang Ling grabbed Tang Yu's arm and said, "Teach me how to do math problems!"

This isn't how the plot is supposed to go... Tang Yu's eyes twitched when she heard Fang Ling's request. Then, she hesitantly said, "You can get a tutor..."

"Aw, don't say that~ We're the same age, so we'll have more topics to talk about! Tutors always treat us as little kids. They don't know how to cater to our thought processes when teaching. Just look at what my tutor has done for me; I didn't even get a passing mark on this test! So, come on, just help me~"

Although Tang Yu had long experienced Fang Ling's trademark socializer capabilities, she still couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed. She also had a very strong urge to deliver a punch into Fang Ling's face.

"...F-Fine." Tang Yu reluctantly agreed to take on the demanding task as she turned slightly to the side and slowly pulled out her arm from Fang Ling's embrace.

Fang Ling was overjoyed when she heard Tang Yu's answer. Though, amidst her joy, she didn't forget to diss a certain someone, saying, "Even though a certain someone has also scored full marks, she's as proud as a peacock and constantly wears a stinky face. So what if she's a little rich? Does she think she's very great? Hmph!"

Tang Yu's heart shuddered when she heard Fang Ling's provocation. My little ancestor! That's enough from you!

Fang Ling did not bother to lower her voice. So, many people in the classroom heard her bold provocation, and they couldn't help but perk up their ears as they waited for the upcoming drama.

Originally, Tang Yu also thought that Du Yuqing would explode and start a fight with Fang Ling. However, surprisingly, Fang Ling merely cast an indifferent glance at Fang Ling without saying anything.

Tang Yu couldn't help but be shocked when she saw Du Yuqing's behavior and the darkness buried in those eyes. Just how much did an 11-year-old have to experience to have such a calm personality and extraordinary mental fortitude?

Dangerous! Incredibly dangerous!

Immediately, Tang Yu made an even bigger mental note of Du Yuqing in her mind, marking the other party as a person to stay as far away as possible.

Class was about to start again, so Fang Ling returned to her seat after leaving behind a "Let's walk home together" to Tang Yu. At the same time as Fang Ling left, Tang Yu sensed a bone-chilling gaze locking onto her.

Suddenly tired of living, Tang Yu covered her face with her palms. When she noticed how familiar Du Yuqing's gaze felt, she realized that, unbeknownst to her, Du Yuqing had been monitoring her for several years already...

However, Tang Yu couldn't help but be confused. Just what kind of grudge did Du Yuqing have against her to target her in both her past and present lives?

Sure enough, the culprit must be Yin Zhao-an, right?

...

After school, Tang Yu picked up her bag and ran out of the classroom without hesitation. Fang Ling hurriedly stuffed her books into her schoolbag when she saw this, not even bothering to tidy things up before she ran after Tang Yu.

"Why are you running so quickly? Wait for me!"