chapter 9 - A Secret Crush? Lao Lin's Rant
Bai Tingzhi didn't like adding complications to his life, but since the topic was on the table, he had to respond.
"When is it, roughly?"
"The Friday afternoon of the week after the sports meet holiday. It conflicts with your classes, but the performance should be over before the end of the school day, so you won't get home too late."
He recalled that the classes on Friday afternoon seemed to be all core subjects. They weren't strictly enforced, but they were definitely boring.
"I'll... think about it."
The class bell rang at that exact moment, and he still needed time to get back to the classroom.
"Alright, you head back to class first. Tomorrow's a holiday, so just let me know when you get back next week."
"Okay."
Lin Yunian saw Bai Tingzhi rushing back just outside the classroom door; he must have been held up. Fortunately, his seat was in the back two rows, so he slipped in quietly through the rear door without disturbing the class.
Bai Tingzhi didn't hear much of the lecture that followed.
He had actually wanted to agree right there in the office, but he felt that would make him seem too eager to skip class, which didn't feel right.
"Hey, do you think I should do the art performance?"
Lin Yunian stared at him for a long moment before speaking. "If you want to, then go. If it's just playing the piano, you probably don't even need much practice. Are you sick?"
"Why do you ask?" Bai Tingzhi didn't understand. Now two people who knew him well had said something similar, and he was starting to wonder himself.
"Nothing, you just seem... off."
"He told me it's scheduled for Friday afternoon. If I go, I get to skip all those classes!"
"Perfect for you, then. As if you actually want to be in class," Lao Lin chuckled. "By the way, how are things going with you and Gu Junzhu? I've seen her looking for you the past couple of days."
Bai Tingzhi threw up his hands, a hint of helplessness at the corners of his mouth. "There's nothing going on with us. I guess you could call us friends, but I have no idea what she's thinking."
"If you like her, pursue it. If you don't, be decisive." Lin Yunian's approach to these things was far more resolute than his.
But...
"I already turned her down, didn't I? I just felt too awkward to refuse being friends..."
"Then who do you like? Lu Tianshu?" he asked, not beating around the bush in the slightest.
Lu Tianshu was Bai Tingzhi's junior high classmate. At the time, Lin Yunian had been in the class next door, so while he didn't know all the details, he had a general idea of the situation.
"Isn't that... a bit inappropriate? I don't ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) know her that well. Besides, at this age... it's just not right. It's the kind of thing the editor of a story wouldn't allow..." [1]
"You said it yourself, you don't know her that well. You two barely talk, so how are you supposed to get any closer? Or do you just enjoy the feeling of having a secret crush?"
Bai Tingzhi scratched his head in embarrassment.
In Lin Yunian's memory, Lu Tianshu wasn't particularly remarkable. To be honest, she was less impressive than Gu Junzhu, whom they had only met in high school. His only real memory of her was from when their two classes shared a teacher; she seemed like a rather reliable person. Her appearance was decent enough, but not particularly distinctive.
The memory was so vague that he couldn't recall specifics. Xiaobai had never even said what he liked about her. Was it really just a secret crush?
Now that they were in high school, Lu Tianshu happened to be at the same school, so it wasn't like Xiaobai didn't have a chance.
But Xiaobai...
Lin Yunian studied Bai Tingzhi carefully. He didn't know when it had started, but Xiaobai's frame had become more slender, his shoulders less broad. He looked like someone who needed protecting.
He was only half a head shorter than him, so he wasn't short. His face was also delicate—a little too delicate, in fact, not much like a boy's. He kept his hair so well-groomed that the teachers responsible for appearance checks usually overlooked him, mistaking him for a girl.
As far as he was concerned, unless Lu Tianshu was into girls, he couldn't see how Bai Tingzhi could possibly attract her attention.
Bai Tingzhi had practiced piano for many years, but he couldn't exactly carry a piano around with him.
If anything was going to happen between them, they needed to get to know each other better, which seemed difficult given the current situation. He thought it would be great if Xiaobai liked Gu Junzhu instead. She was outstanding, seemed to have a good family background, and most importantly, she actually liked him.
Pursuing a relationship would be easy.
It was a pity Xiaobai was so dense in that department; otherwise, how could there be zero progress?
"What about you, then? No one you like?" Bai Tingzhi retorted, trying to muster some confidence.
Lin Yunian replied with a deadpan expression, "Nope. No one."
"Tch..." Bai Tingzhi grumbled, unconvinced but with no real comeback.
"What are you two talking about?" A lovely figure strode cheerfully through the back door of the classroom and stopped in front of them.
Bai Tingzhi was too shy to speak to Xia Gu'an, so Lin Yunian spoke first. "My birthday's coming up. Are you coming?"
"Birthday?" Xia Gu'an tilted her head, suddenly interested. "When? Hmm, I'll think about it. Humph~"
"Before the sports meet."
"But they probably won't give us a holiday for that..." Xia Gu'an puffed out her cheeks, feigning distress.
"You could ask for a leave of absence."
"In that case, I'll have to ask our dear Classmate Xiaobai to find a suitable excuse for me."
Bai Tingzhi was momentarily speechless, slightly confused as to why Lao Lin would suddenly bring this up the moment Xia Gu'an appeared.
Xia Gu'an stopped teasing Bai Tingzhi and gestured to the pile of new workbooks in her arms.
"How about this? I brought you the new English homework. And I tore out the answer keys myself!" [2]
...
Seeing that neither of them was speaking, Xia Gu'an felt a little embarrassed.
"Class monitor, that's not very nice of you..."
"You can't blame me for this. They were going to be torn out sooner or later."
"If I remember correctly, no high school teacher has ever collected the answer keys, have they?" Bai Tingzhi said, not wanting to press the issue.
Xia Gu'an's cheeks flushed slightly. She said hurriedly, "Okay, okay, I was going to give them to you eventually anyway. Maybe I just had them bound separately for convenience. Let's get noodles for lunch, my treat!"
"So generous?" Lin Yunian asked with a smile.
"Well, I won't get the chance to celebrate your birthday at your house, right? Just consider this an early celebration." She was back to her usual cheerful self, the little awkward moment already forgotten.
"Works for me."
"I've got to run," Xia Gu'an said before heading off.
Bai Tingzhi and Lin Yunian looked at each other and shrugged in unison.
"I might be away for the next couple of days. Remember to do your homework."
"Huh?!" Bai Tingzhi didn't register it for a second. "Why so sudden?"
"I was already out yesterday, wasn't I? Getting back from a competition isn't instant; it takes some time."
"Oh..."
Bai Tingzhi, who had wanted to motivate himself to start training again today, was suddenly deflated. Forget it. I'll just wait for Lao Lin to get back.
"You can't just play games all the time. What are you going to talk about when you hang out with people?"
"I have special skills, you know!"
"Piano? Or your ability to sleep fifteen hours a day during vacation? Or your gaming skills, which are so bad even you can't stand to watch them? Which of those do you think anyone is interested in?"
"Hey, it's not like we've found any common interests yet..."
The look in Lin Yunian's eyes suggested that, for the first time, he felt his best friend was an absolute idiot who must have been dropped on his head.
His eyes lit up with a sudden idea. "Hey, isn't my birthday coming up?"
"Yeah, so?"
"So, you're going to use it as an excuse to give her a piece of cake."
"Me? Give Lu Tianshu cake for your birthday?"
"Exactly. Think about it. We've both met her, but you were her classmate for three years. It makes more sense for you to go up to her than for me. Who else should do it?"
"But isn't it weird to give her a cake for your birthday if we're not close?"
"That's just an excuse! The whole point is to get closer to her! You're so dense." Lin Yunian looked at the hopeless Bai Tingzhi, gritting his teeth. He was so exasperated he could have screamed.
"It's a shame this kid isn't a girl."
TL Notes:
[1] 4th wall break by the author... That's what I think atlest.
[2] Students often use the answer keys to cheat or copy homework. By tearing them out, she's teasingly "helping" them focus on doing the work themselves. It’s like saying, "I've removed the temptation for you!" She's presenting it as a favor, but it's really a playful jab. Bai Tingzhi's response ("no teacher has ever collected the answer keys") is him pointing out that her "favor" is pointless because they never had to turn in the answers anyway, which is why she gets embarrassed.