Picked Up the Female Lead When She Was Young (GL) - Chapter 56

Gossip always spreads the fastest, and not even the winter cold or tightly closed classroom doors could stop it.

During evening self-study, Xia Wanshuang overheard students in her class discussing how the security guards had caught people fighting on the first floor.

“Seriously?” The student in the front row enthusiastically gossiped to his deskmate, who reacted with astonishment.

“Yeah, I heard there were four people doing the hitting. When Old Man Wei rushed in, all four tried to run, but Old Man Wei and the other guard grabbed two each. It was hilarious.”

The student, a boy, gestured vividly, as if he had witnessed the scene firsthand.

“Which class were they from?”

“Class 13.”

“As expected. Their homeroom teacher is pretty unlucky to have something like that happen.”

In the school system, classes were divided by academic performance, so there were naturally “good” and “bad” classes.

The “bad” classes were inevitably associated with trouble-makers; this was a fact of life.

Class 13 was the worst-performing class among the first-year students at No. 1 High School.

Xia Wanshuang listened for a bit, took a sip of hot water, and continued working on her physics problems.

Zhou Qinglang never looked up, blocking out everything except Xia Wanshuang, and burying herself in her homework with intense focus.

After finishing her assignments, she meticulously reviewed her wrong answers.

Zhou Qinglang was a highly driven, self-respecting person who cared about her image, especially after declaring to Xia Wanshuang that she would get first place—she was determined to achieve it.

With her good physical foundation, the basketball training wasn’t too strenuous.

After practice, a shower, and a meal, she rushed back to school for evening self-study and homework.

The basketball team members were exempt from evening self-study, and Lin Qiushui took advantage of this to skip whenever possible, but Zhou Qinglang always returned because Xia Wanshuang was there.

Xia Wanshuang had a few physics and chemistry problems she didn’t understand.

She waited until Zhou Qinglang finished her work before asking.

As a humanities student, facing physics and chemistry was like learning them from scratch, and it was a struggle.

Zhou Qinglang twirled her pen and used a blank sheet of paper to silently explain the problems to Xia Wanshuang, to avoid disturbing the surrounding students.

Zhou Qinglang wrote and wrote, Xia Wanshuang nodded, and then Zhou Qinglang continued writing.

The student in the front once laughed, saying the two of them were always acting out a silent movie behind him.

Zhou Qinglang shot him a glare, disagreeing entirely.

How could this be a silent movie?

Every time she tutored Xia Wanshuang, Zhou Qinglang felt it was an idol drama.

Every frame was in color and tasted sweet.

Zhou Qinglang stole glances seamlessly, quickly moving her eyes back to the scratch paper before Xia Wanshuang noticed.

Her gaze was much more subtle than the howling cold wind outside, silent like a tender bud quietly blooming on a branch in March.

Softly, so soft that the owner of the tree never even noticed it had been planted.

••••

Xia Wanshuang had merely helped a bullied student and had no intention of seeking attention for it.

In fact, the day she called, she used her scarf to cover most of her face when she went to look in the restroom.

It wasn’t because she was afraid of trouble; it was genuinely because she felt cold that day.

Xia Wanshuang truly didn’t think helping someone would cause her trouble.

After all, this was a school, the bullies were just students, and she didn’t think she would be recognized.

However, fate, as it happened, was quite coincidental.

Even though the weather was cold, the weekly ritual of raising the flag and the speech under the national flag still had to take place on Monday.

And of course, the self-criticism under the national flag was also a standard part of the procedure.

The four bullying girls had to go up to give their self-criticisms.

Someone also needed to give a speech to encourage the basketball team and the joint final exam.

The student selected to speak under the flag naturally had to have good grades, and excellent speaking skills were a bonus.

Xia Wanshuang’s public speaking ability was very good, and her speech was highly engaging, making her the perfect choice for the address.

The order of events was encouragement first, followed by the self-criticisms.

As Xia Wanshuang stepped off the stage, she brushed past a girl who was walking up, head down, to give her critique.

The girl suddenly looked up, staring at Xia Wanshuang’s back for a long time.

“What are you looking at?” asked the person standing next to her.

“That person looks so familiar. Who is that?”

“Who knows? A top student, probably.”

The girl behind her replied carelessly, yawning in the cold wind.

“I just feel like I’ve seen her somewhere.”

“She’s from Class 1 on the sixth floor, we’re on the second. Where would you have seen her? Maybe outside the school gate, or maybe she’s given a speech before. We have to go up for the self-criticism soon, and it’s so annoying.”

The voice of the other girl sounded drowsy and indifferent.

“No, it must have been recently, I really… I remember now!”

“Wang Miao, why are you so jumpy? The old man is telling us to go on stage.”

Wang Miao didn’t have time to say anything more.

She gritted her back teeth, looked at the person standing in the front row of Class 1, and became completely alert.

Xia Wanshuang didn’t notice the gaze cast her way from the stage.

Her passionate speech had left her a little thirsty, especially with the cold winter wind whistling into her mouth.

Zhou Qinglang stood in the back of the line, a mini-thermos in her pocket.

It contained hot water steeped with goji berries.

She asked the students in front of her to pass the cup forward, one by one.

The students watched the bottle pass to the front, all sharing the same thought: Did the government issue such a thoughtful little sister?

When Xia Wanshuang received the hot water, she looked back blankly for a moment but quickly realized who it was from, glancing toward the back of the line.

Unfortunately, the distance was too far, and she could only make out a blurred face.

The teacher cleared his throat, and Xia Wanshuang turned back, unscrewed the lid, and drank the goji berry-scented water.

••••

After school, Xia Wanshuang didn’t go out to eat.

Instead, she took her lunch boxes to the basketball court.

In the winter, several boys were running drills in single long-sleeved shirts, dribbling, passing, and practicing movements repeatedly.

Zhou Qinglang was the most conspicuous one.

Her movements were more efficient and decisive than the boys’.

A feint tricked the boy in front of her, and she leaped for a dunk, her short hair shaking slightly.

The vibrant energy of youth bursting from her slender body was unmistakable, growing with wild abandon.

While marveling at the child’s vitality, Xia Wanshuang felt an inexplicable sense of her own aging.

“Sister, why did you come over? It’s so cold here.”

Zhou Qinglang tossed the ball to Lin Qiushui and ran over, her face flushed from exercise.

Although she voiced concern, her expression couldn’t hide her happiness.

“Let’s eat together. I made extra for lunch, and I slow-cooked some soup this morning before leaving.”

“Let’s go to the sheltered area above to eat, so we don’t get cold.”

Next to the basketball court was a large set of spectator steps.

At the very top, there was a small room where the P.E. teachers rested during class.

It was mostly empty, only containing tables and chairs, so it wasn’t locked.

“Is there any of that good food for me?”

Lin Qiushui ran over with expectant eyes.

He was the least bundled up—others wore long sleeves, but he wore a T-shirt, which made Xia Wanshuang feel cold just looking at him.

“Eat what? This is for me and my sister. Go eat with Qian Lan.”

Zhou Qinglang drove him away with her hands. He wanted a share of just two lunch boxes? In his dreams.

“She and I…”

Lin Qiushui touched his sweat-damp hair, pausing before speaking.

“What’s wrong with that expression? Did you confess, and she rejected you?”

Zhou Qinglang raised an eyebrow.

She thought that shouldn’t be right.

At the arcade that day, the girl seemed happy and the atmosphere between them seemed quite good.

“She said she wanted to focus on her studies and only wanted to be good friends with me.” Lin Qiushui spread his hands, but he didn’t look overly sad.

“Aren’t you sad?”

Xia Wanshuang joined the conversation, asking out of curiosity.

This was, after all, Lin Qiushui’s failed first love, yet he hadn’t seemed particularly gloomy around them.

If Zhou Qinglang hadn’t asked, Xia Wanshuang wouldn’t have known things hadn’t worked out with Qian Lan.

She had assumed they were hitting it off.

“I was sad. I even diligently studied for a few days to see what was so appealing about this thing that outweighed me. And after a few days of studying, I found out it really is quite appealing.”

Lin Qiushui had a serious expression, but his two friends clearly thought he was joking.

“Qiushui, if you’re really sad, tell us. Don’t bottle it up.”

Lin Qiushui had been so happy when he mentioned Qian Lan.

Now that she had rejected him, it was impossible that he had healed himself with such a ridiculous-sounding reason.

“Then can I earn the right to eat with you two?”

Lin Qiushui asked humbly, only to be met with Zhou Qinglang’s merciless opposition.

“I’m not fooling you. I’m really not that sad. I’ll get over it. After all, it’s just a failure, not a breakup.”

Lin Qiushui was typically easy-going and light-hearted, very good at coaching himself.

Although he felt regret, he genuinely didn’t feel devastated.

The blow was less severe than the day Zhao Tianhang announced he was leaving.

Knowing Lin Qiushui wasn’t faking his cheerfulness, Zhou Qinglang waved her hand and sent him away.

Actually, the moment she heard the news, Zhou Qinglang wondered if she should tell Zhao Tianhang.

The simpleton you had a crush on doesn’t have a girlfriend anymore. Rejoice! But she decided against it.

It was Zhao Tianhang’s problem, not whether Lin Qiushui liked Qian Lan.

If it wasn’t Qian Lan, it would just be another girl.

There was no need to say anything.

Zhou Qinglang led Xia Wanshuang into the little room upstairs, which was fully furnished with tables and chairs.

Xia Wanshuang used a tissue to wipe down the tabletop and chairs before taking out the lunch boxes.

It wasn’t exactly two lunch boxes; one was a multi-tiered container holding rice and dishes, and the other round box contained pork rib soup.

The soup had been slow-cooked in a special rice cooker, tenderizing the meat so it melted in the mouth.

The broth wasn’t greasy, but sweet and refreshing.

For the dishes, Xia Wanshuang had made cashew shrimp, spicy diced chicken, and stir-fried lotus root.

The meat was mostly for Zhou Qinglang; Xia Wanshuang preferred vegetables.

“Is the pork rib soup good?”

Xia Wanshuang put a piece of shrimp in Zhou Qinglang’s bowl, thinking she could make it often if Zhou Qinglang liked it.

The child has been working hard with basketball and studying these past few days. She needs the nourishment.

“Delicious.”

Zhou Qinglang swallowed the soft, springy piece of shrimp, bit the tip of her chopsticks, and smiled at Xia Wanshuang.

“I love your cooking the most, Sister. It’s the best.”

Zhou Qinglang seized the opportunity to confess her love, gazing at Xia Wanshuang’s fair, rosy face.

She’s a feast for the eyes. I want to eat your food for the rest of my life.

But knowing she could look but not touch, Zhou Qinglang sighed inwardly with a hint of melancholy.

“You’re exaggerating.”

Xia Wanshuang smiled and shook her head, thinking to herself, Perhaps this is what a mother’s cooking tastes like.