Lin Qingle saw Xu Tingbai's chewing movements, her eyes lit up, and she quickly took another piece and put it into his mouth.
"It's actually not bad, right? Um... Have another piece."
Xu Tingbai couldn't see, but he could feel something against his lips.
"I won't eat it. If you want to eat it, eat it yourself."
Lin Qingle said: "But you need to supplement your nutrition. You are a little thin, so you need to eat more."
Her tone sounded like she was coaxing someone.
Xu Tingbai frowned: "Do you think I'm a child?"
"Children are easier to feed than you..." Lin Qingle murmured.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing!" Lin Qingle quickly put the plate of sliced apples in his hand, "Here you go, eat it yourself, I'm going to do my homework!"
"… "
Eat obediently... You really think he is a child.
There were a lot of papers to do over the weekend, and after Lin Qingle sat back down, he kept writing the questions.
The house is small, and if the door is not closed, Xu Tingbai can feel the movements of people in the living room.
The sound of the pen tip sliding across paper, the sparse sound of turning pages, and the frustrated and petty sound she made when she probably couldn't think of a question.
He felt that the sounds in his world were amplified many times because he couldn't see. When he was outside, he often felt uneasy and irritated because of the noise around him, so he rarely went out except to go to school.
The world is quiet when he is at home, so quiet that it is desolate and he can only feel himself.
Xu Tingbai put down the fruit plate in his hand and heard a strange sound as the chair rubbed against the ground because of the movement of the person sitting outside.
He frowned and told himself once again that she was also a little noisy.
He couldn't let her stay here, nor could he... leave her here.
—
At dinner time, Lin Qingle returned home.
When she got home, Lin Yufen had just prepared two dishes and invited her to come over for dinner.
"You guys are going to take midterm exams too, right?" Lin Yufen asked.
"Yeah, next week."
"How's your preparation? I hope you can keep up with the lessons."
Lin Yufen only attended primary school in the past, so all she could ask about her studies were superficial questions like “Can I keep up?” and “Can I understand?” Lin Qingle couldn’t tell her that “I can understand and keep up, but sometimes I just can’t solve the problems I encounter.”
"I think it's OK."
Lin Yufen put down her chopsticks and said earnestly: "Then you still have to review well in the next two days. You have to do well in the exam and get first place to show these people around you."
"Mom, it's not that easy to be the first..."
"So you have to work hard." Lin Yufen scoffed, "These people used to laugh at us, but now they are pretending to be affectionate. I don't know what they said behind our backs... You say that we are living a good life, but they have a lot of problems at home, and they don't think much of us? It's really funny."
Lin Qingle sullenly took a bite of rice and tried to comfort her: "Mom, we just need to take care of ourselves and not worry about others."
"But I just want to prove that I can take good care of you. It doesn't matter what kind of jerk your dad is! He will never be able to influence the two of us!"
When talking about her father, Lin Qingle would still see a resentful expression on her mother's face. She thought that Lin Yufen would always look like this when she mentioned him for the rest of her life.
She is used to it and doesn't think there is anything wrong with it.
Because she was the same. Whenever she thought of the murderer who had lost his soul, she felt anxious and full of resentment.
**
The midterm exam was divided into different classes. Lin Qingle and Jiang Shuyi were not in the same examination room. On the first day of the exam, after breakfast, they went their separate ways to find a classroom.
"Qingle, which class are you taking the exam in?" When going upstairs, I met Yu Jiayou.
Lin Qingle stopped at the stairs: "I'm in Class 7."
"What a coincidence, me too, let's go together."
Yu Jiayou is familiar with Jiang Shuyi, and Jiang Shuyi is the one she can talk to the most in the class. Over time, she and Yu Jiayou also became familiar with each other.
The two walked up the stairs, chatting as they walked.
"I memorized ancient poems all night yesterday, but I don't know which lines I'll be tested on. I don't like memorizing these things anyway." Yu Jiayou said with some distress.
Lin Qingle: "Me too... I'm not very good at politics and history."
"So you're going to choose science in the future, right?"
"Well, I might be more inclined towards science."
Yu Jiayou smiled: "You are really special. Most girls are better at liberal arts."
"Yeah."
"Yeah, look at the girls in our class, there are many—"
"elder brother."
Yu Jiayou was interrupted. He looked back and saw a familiar person: "Dai Rong, are you also at this level?"
"Well, I'm in Class 7, what about you?"
"I'm in Class 7, too."
Lin Qingle had already turned around when she heard the name from Yu Jiayou's mouth. Yan Dairong was different today than when she was at Xu Tingbai's door that day. That day she was wearing a white dress with long flowing hair. Today, she was the same as her, wearing the No. 4 Middle School uniform, with her long hair tied into a ponytail, looking youthful and upright.
When she turned around, Yan Dairong also saw her. When their eyes met, they naturally knew where they had met before.
"Let me introduce you. This is Lin Qingle from our class. Qingle's name is Yan Dairong, my cousin."
Yan Dairong stood in front of her: "Hello."
She had no intention of bringing up that day.
Lin Qingle nodded slightly: "Hello."
"Brother, your classmate is so cute. I've never seen her before." Yan Dairong said with a slight smile on his face.
Sometimes when you praise someone for being cute you just say that because you have no other words to praise them, but Lin Qingle is different.
Yu Jiayou glanced at her. Lin Qingle was cute and well-behaved, with big eyes, fair skin, and bangs. She looked like a doll in a window. She was really adorable.
"Ah... yes." Yu Jiayou retracted his gaze and coughed lightly, "Qingle transferred here midway through the semester, you have never seen normal."
Yan Dairong raised his eyebrows slightly.
Yu Jiayou glanced at his watch and said, "It's almost time. Stop standing here and go into the classroom."
"Okay." Yan Dairong said, "Oh, by the way, let's have lunch together at noon."
Yu Jiayou: "Whatever."
Yan Dairong paused, and suddenly said: "Then your classmates can come too, let's eat together."
Lin Qingle: “No need…”
Yan Dairong was enthusiastic: "It's okay, let's eat together and check the answers."
The three of them walked into the classroom as they were talking. Yan Dairong did not give her the space to refuse and turned around to find her own seat.
Lin Qingle glanced at her back, was silent for a moment, and did not refuse in his heart.
Because she felt that Yan Dairong might be the same type of person as her. Although Xu Tingbai said that day that they were not familiar with each other, it didn't seem to be the case.
Perhaps, she was also doing this for Xu Tingbai's own good.
At lunch time after the Chinese language exam, the group went to a restaurant near the school.
After sitting down, Lin Qingle sat next to Jiang Shuyi, who came to have dinner with her, and opposite them sat Yu Jiayou and Yan Dairong.
"Qingle, what do you like to eat? Order first." Yu Jiayou pushed the menu in front of her.
Lin Qingle: "It's okay, I'm fine with it, you guys order."
"So what do you avoid eating?"
"No."
"Okay, then I'll order some first." Yu Jiayou took the menu back.
Yan Dairong propped up his chin and jokingly said, "Brother, why don't you ask me but Qingle alone?"
Lin Qingle was slightly startled.
Yu Jiayou was also stunned for a moment. He glanced at Yan Dairong and said with a smile, "We are so familiar with each other. Don't I know what you want to eat? Besides, I will order some first, and you can follow our squad leader for the rest."
"oh."
"Dai Rong! Jiayou! What a coincidence, you are also eating here." Just then, the restaurant door was pushed open, and a very familiar and annoying voice came from behind.
Then Lin Qingle saw the chair next to him being pulled away, and a boy who was also in school uniform sat down.
"… "
Zhang Yikun poured himself a cup of lemon tea without any hesitation. After taking a sip, he turned around and found that the person sitting next to him was Lin Qingle.
"Hey you—" Zhang Yikun's eyes widened slightly, "Oh my god, Dai Rong, why are you two eating together?"
Yan Dairong sneered at Zhang Yikun, "Do I need your approval for who I want to eat with?"
“No, you are not…” Zhang Yikun almost blurted out the word “rival in love”, but he stopped in time, because he would never admit that Yan Dairong liked Xu Tingbai.
"Okay, okay, it's nothing." Zhang Yikun tilted his head and looked at Lin Qingle, "Hi classmate, long time no see."
Lin Qingle turned his head away and ignored him.
Yu Jiayou was dissatisfied and said, "Why don't you just go eat your own meal? What are you doing sitting here?"
"I came here alone. It's a coincidence that we met. Let's eat together." Zhang Yikun took the menu from him. "It's okay for us to eat together, right? I can't have some people be so scared of me that they just walk away."
Yu Jiayou frowned and glanced at Lin Qingle. But Lin Qingle just tilted her head and talked to Jiang Shuyi beside her, and she didn't seem to have any emotions.
Yu Jiayou and Yan Dairong both knew how difficult Zhang Yikun was, so when they saw that he didn't do anything excessive, they didn't bother with him any more. If he wanted to sit down and eat, he could sit down and they just let him do it.
In short, the four of them just treated him as air. After the dishes came, everyone at the table chatted about the questions of today's Chinese test, one after another, and Zhang Yikun, who was not in the same grade as them, could not get a word in.
However, Zhang Yikun was obviously not someone who could be ignored. Seeing that everyone was intentionally ignoring him, he took a chance and deliberately said, "Dai Rong, I heard that you went to see Xu Tingbai a few days ago."
"… "
The table fell silent instantly.
Yan Dairong's smiling face suddenly fell: "When did I go to see Xu Tingbai? Stop imagining so much."
"You don't have to lie to me. I know it anyway." Zhang Yikun snorted coldly, "What are you going to do this time? Did that kid take your things again?"
"roll."
"Dai Rong, why can't you see clearly? Why should we sympathize with that blind man? I tell you, he didn't even admit that you gave him something in front of others. He is an ungrateful person."
Yan Dairong: "Zhang Yikun, I'm warning you! If you dare to follow me and ask about my affairs again, I—"
"I'm not asking about you. I'm just worried about you. I'm afraid you'll be cheated by Xu Tingbai." Zhang Yikun said, "Look, his parents went bankrupt by doing those sneaky things. How can he be a good person?"
Yan Dairong: “…”
"I just care about you. You are so outstanding and good, don't let that blind man bully you. Oh, you are just too kind, I tell you, you definitely don't understand him." Zhang Yikun leaned back like a master and said with disgust, "I don't know how many girls that boy has fooled into giving him gifts with his face. It's disgusting..."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Before Zhang Yikun could finish his words, a glass of ice water suddenly poured towards him, chilling him to the bone!
"Fuck!" He was so scared that he stood up from the chair immediately. After wiping his face, he looked at Lin Qingle who had splashed water on his face in disbelief, "You, you you—"
Lin Qingle's hand holding the cup was shaking slightly, but he had no intention of backing down: "What! I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense!"
“…!”
Zhang Yikun was so angry that he couldn't explain for a while, while Yu Jiayouhe and Jiang Shuyi were stunned.
For so long, Lin Qingle had always left them with the impression of being gentle and cute. She never spoke loudly, let alone... dared to splash other people's water.
"Little girl! You are so brave!" Zhang Yikun's face was covered with water stains and he was in a very embarrassed state. How could he just let it go? He raised his hand and was about to step forward. Yu Jiayou came to his senses and immediately grabbed him.
"Let me go!"
Yu Jiayou: "Zhang Yikun! Don't cause trouble at school!"
"I caused trouble? Are your eyes okay? She was the one who splashed water on me!"
Yu Jiayou pursed his lips and looked at Lin Qingle.
Jiang Shuyi pulled Lin Qingle back a bit, "You were the one who said that first! Don't blame Qingle!"
Zhang Yikun: "I didn't say her! I was talking about Xu Tingbai!"
"That's even worse!" Lin Qingle stared at him and said word by word, "You have no right to say that about him."
"you-"
Lin Qingle quickly picked up his schoolbag and said, "I'm full, you guys eat."
"Wait, wait, Qingle, I'll go with you." Jiang Shuyi glared at Zhang Yikun and hurried to follow.
When leaving the restaurant, Lin Qingle looked back. Zhang Yikun was held by Yu Jiayou, and it was unknown what the two were arguing about.
Yan Dairong sat in his seat and looked at her, expressionless, just looking at her coldly.
Lin Qingle bit her lip and looked away—
She thought she was wrong, Yan Dayong was different from her.
How could she allow Zhang Yikun to say that about Xu Tingbai? She couldn't, not even a word.