Three

Oh. I responded foolishly, not knowing what to say.

Your ?

As a student of Class D, achieving the second rank in the grade spread throughout the school like the flu in this season This news quickly circulated in the following two or three days, and even when I went to the restroom, I could catch glimpses of people pointing and whispering about me However, I had long been immune to such behavior after all, my reputation had already spread among the group of girls chasing after Lu Mingyu

Meng Tian is taller than I am, so I am wearing her knitted vest and skirt, which makes me look empty and not at all vibrant and spirited like the other girls; instead, I resemble an underdeveloped middle school student

Since then, I have persisted in studying self-study at school every night, even if I am the only one in the class. Sometimes I would return home early, but that was always because Lu Mingyu insisted on it. He and his mother sometimes come back here to stay, and every time they do, they prepare a lot of delicious food and invite me to join them. I am very grateful to them, but being someone who is not good at expressing myself, I simply do not know how to thank them

I don't know if it was my expression that was too flustered, but Lu Mingyu suddenly laughed and reached out to ruffle my hair: "I knew that Little Star is the most loyal."

"It's nothing, if I said something wrong, then I said it wrong, who would dare to laugh at you?" He reached out, wanting to ruffle my hair, but his hand abruptly stopped in mid-air.

At that moment, he suddenly turned his face to the side and glanced at me

However, just as I had taken a breath, the audience suddenly became restless

"Not really, it depends on my mood." The aroma of the meat floss porridge stirred my appetite, and I wanted to sit up and eat it. Lu Mingyu saw me struggling to get up and effortlessly lifted me up with one hand.

It was a gaze that was difficult to articulate or define

"Does she always hit you?" he asked me with a furrowed brow, looking worried.

I could no longer hold back and suddenly burst into laughter at their ridiculousness

"Your sister doesn't resemble you much." I am speaking frankly. However, his sister possesses a unique charm. Her features are delicate and pleasing to the eye, and she appears to have more grace than other girls of the same age.

I kicked Lu Mingyu's chair, and this oblivious fellow completely failed to notice that the teacher's expression was gradually changing for the worse

Hearing this, I looked at him in astonishment. In my eyes, his sister is a beauty, and I cannot compare to her

As expected, the teacher, noticing his nonchalant attitude, somewhat displeased, threw the book onto the podium. Upon witnessing this scene, everyone gradually quieted down.

This time, I could no longer smile; I could only anxiously gaze in the direction he had departed. When I withdrew my gaze, I found that Chen Jialing's eyes had once again lingered on my face.

Do not speak recklessly, everyone be quiet

The protagonist in that stack of photos is a little girl who appears to be around eleven or twelve years old. She has shoulder-length hair without bangs, revealing a plain and clean little face, which is quite different from what I had imagined.

Lu Mingyu glanced at me, but I awkwardly lowered my head

At that moment, the principal's voice was heard, marking the official commencement of the award ceremony

Lu Mingyu hoarsely called out, then turned around and gently said: "I am fine, do not worry, quickly go back, it is already dark."

Pei Jixing is doing great, Pei Jixing will always be the number one in our hearts

However, the principal was displeased, as this incident interrupted the speech of his proud student. With an angry expression, he scolded, and the homeroom teacher in the audience turned pale, abruptly yanking Lu Mingyu's ear and leading him away

What are you looking for upon your return? I took three or four bites of the porridge and could eat no more, cleverly shifting the topic.

Lu Mingyu, do you have any sense of shame? Clearly, there are questions you can solve, yet you submit a blank paper, proudly declaring to the whole world that being in the bottom ten is an honor?

It was only then that I suddenly realized why his mother always looked at me with a loving gaze

Then you might as well not accept it, since you don't take it seriously after accepting it

I turned my head in a panic, relieved that my hair concealed my startled expression

He let out a long breath, feeling a sense of relief as he took off his hat: "That scared me to death"

I gazed at the empty seats ahead, unable to stop myself from drifting into a daze

"Are you still in the mood to laugh? Do you know that just now you were almost hit by your mother?" He picked up the chopsticks and tapped them on my head

The classroom that was supposed to be occupied only by Lu Mingyu is now filled with seven or eight people, several of whom I have never seen before. Some are sweeping the floor with brooms, some are wiping the blackboard, and others are consulting dictionaries, pointing out to Lu Mingyu, who is writing vigorously.

It was not until the bell for the next class rang that he pretended to return casually. His friends around him all inquired about his situation with concern, and he nonchalantly replied that there was nothing wrong, only that he had to write a self-reflection and clean the classroom alone after school today. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief for him. But only I knew that beneath Lu Mingyu's seemingly indifferent expression, his fragile self-esteem had cracked.

Lu Mingyu took a stack of photos from beside him and handed them to me

It must be said that the appearance of this homeroom teacher, who has a baby face, when she gets angry is quite frightening, so even though the students in class are usually mischievous, they still maintain a sense of propriety. She quietly gazed at Lu Mingyu, who awkwardly straightened his back and changed to a more honest sitting posture

After the class bell rang, the teacher did not, as usual, stay behind to explain the difficult points, but instead picked up the book and left. Lu Mingyu, without a second thought, followed the teacher out of the classroom

"Lying," he scoffed

The entire class witnessed this scene

I have already said I don't want it, yet they still insisted on pushing it on me, am I to blame for this?" He looked helpless, "Is it just because of this matter?"

When Lu Mingyu heard these stern words, his shoulders visibly trembled. He stood up, wanting to explain: "Teacher—"

In fact, I couldn't be bothered to listen to what he said at all, as I kept silently reciting the speech I had prepared in advance. Finally, after the third place speaker finished, it was my turn. Fortunately, I recited those lines I had long prepared without missing a word, receiving a round of mechanical applause from the audience

Watching his back, my heart also felt stifled, as if I were the one being scolded by the teacher, remaining gloomy throughout the entire class

Oh, looking for a photo

In fact, contrary to my expectations, before I even stepped into the classroom, I heard the sound of laughter coming from inside.

Coco fell ill and left; these photos are what she left behind

What happened? Why do you look so wronged? The award ceremony is later, you should be happy

I raised my head and met his gaze, which resembled a deep pool filled with stars

The teacher's tone is always淡淡的, yet possesses a unique lethality. As an unrelated person listening, I cannot help but feel a sense of discomfort.

What do you want me to do? I cannot take it myself either

"We have fallen behind, hurry up." I dared not look at him and turned to jog back to the group

I don't know if it's my inferiority complex acting up, but before the conference started, I felt completely down. Just as we were walking to the auditorium with the whole class, Lu Mingyu, who was originally with his group of friends, suddenly came to my side. He tapped my drooping head and gently called out to me, "Little Star."

This seam is so light and shallow that he does not want anyone to see it

When I woke up, I was lying on the soft and comfortable sofa in Lu Mingyu's home. In front of me on the coffee table was a bowl of steaming shredded meat congee, and he was looking at me with a concerned expression as I groggily opened my eyes

"Yes, they are actually a pair of twins, a boy and a girl." He casually said while brushing his bangs, but I could see a faint sorrow in his eyes

"Hey, the little star is here!" Meng Tian was the first to notice me, waving enthusiastically with one hand while nudging Lu Mingyu with the other

At that moment, Chen Jialing turned her head and looked at me with a gaze so cold it could freeze shards of ice.

The next class was led by the homeroom teacher. When she entered, I could clearly sense the exuberance radiating from her. Sure enough, as soon as she came in, she praised me and had the entire class applaud for me, which made me blush uncontrollably. Then she shifted the topic to Lu Mingyu, whom she held in high regard, thus her tone carried a hint of disappointment for not meeting expectations.

It belongs to my younger sister

I stood lightly at the center of the stage, gazing at the densely packed students in the auditorium, taking a deep breath. Unintentionally, a familiar face came into view. He had cold brows and eyes, a high nose, and a tall figure. He wore the same uniform as I did, silently standing beside me, occupying the position that belonged to the top of the grade.

On the first day you moved in, my mother noticed you. She told me at that time that the girl from downstairs looked too much like Keke. His eyes sparkled with laughter, as if he was lost in memories

The white mist he exhaled lingered around me before vanishing without a trace

In just a few seconds, he swallowed three or four pieces. He looked at me with a gaze that seemed to say, "This should be enough, right?"

Therefore, I made a decision to stay after school to help him. I didn't dare to be too direct, as the teacher was present, so I could only walk to the school gate and confirm that the teacher was not in the classroom before turning back. I thought that Lu Mingyu might be very excited to see me, after all, I am quite skilled at doing housework, and helping him clean up would be a trivial matter. I could also help him think about how to write the reflection, since I used to be the deskmate of "Reflection King" Lu Xiaoxiao, haven't I seen a pig run after eating pork?

But I am still angry with her

Look at you, sitting behind such a diligent student; why don't you learn from them properly

I... I dropped something

After a prolonged silence, he suddenly seemed to recall something and asked irritably, "Hey, I haven't asked you yet, why have you been sulking with me these past few days? Did I offend you?"

According to the school's tradition, a grade-level meeting is held after the final exams of each semester, where the top ten students in the entire school receive certificates and are commended by the principal

"Oh, teacher, on my honor, I submitted half blank and still improved by five places!" he said with a grin, causing the whole class to burst into laughter

"Ah, Pei Jixing, do you know that you are just like a hedgehog? You look small, soft, and cute, but touching you can be deadly." He shook his head and sighed in a manner that suggested he was convinced by my words. Then, he took out a beautifully packaged box of chocolates from behind him, as if it were specifically for me to see, opened the box, and stuffed the largest piece of chocolate into his mouth.

In stark contrast to my feelings of disappointment, the entire class erupted in excitement upon learning that I had secured second place in the grade by a mere twenty-point difference. Even Lu Mingyu, who was originally playing basketball with friends, immediately abandoned them, not even taking the time to put on his jacket, and rushed to the leaderboard to take a look. After confirming that I was indeed the second place winner, he was so overjoyed that he lifted me up, causing me to scream in surprise. The students in Class D cheered along, while students from other classes looked on in astonishment. After confirming that I was indeed the second place winner, he was so overjoyed that he lifted me up, causing me to scream in surprise. The students in Class D cheered along, while students from other classes looked on in astonishment

It looks much more beautiful this way. He leaned in and scrutinized me closely

Teacher Ke did not seem interested in hearing his explanation and said, "Turn to page 50 of the exercise book; we will continue discussing the difficult points we did not cover in the last class"

That night, after I returned home, I stayed in my room and did not come out. Chen Meihua seemed a bit guilty and secretly stuffed some pocket money into my bag, which I only discovered the next day

The smooth black hair brushed against my ears in the wind, and I gently placed my hand on my burning cheeks, my lips curving upward in a peculiar arc, rising uncontrollably.