After the meal, amidst the cacophony of the torrential rain violently pelting against the car windows, Yang Haoran and Yaoyao were driven to school by Liu Ruoxi.
โIf it’s still raining when school ends, Mom will come pick you up early. Don’t get soaked.โ
In the school parking lot, Liu Ruoxi took out two umbrellas she had prepared in advance from the car and handed them to the siblings. From the parking lot to the teaching building, there was still a distance of over a hundred meters that the siblings had to walk.
โMom, why didnโt I just ask for a day off earlier? The rain is getting heavier and heavier. Itโll be such a hassle for you to make another trip to pick us up after school.โ
Yang Haoran muttered as he took the umbrella, causing Liu Ruoxi to not even want to acknowledge him. She instead turned to Yaoyao andๅฎๅฑ (told) her to keep an eye on her brother.
โMom, drive safely.โ
Watching her mother return to the driver’s seat, Yang Mengyao waved her hand. Yang Haoran, struck by a sudden inspiration,ๆจกไปฟ (imitated) Yaoyao and said, โMother, drive safely.โ
Liu Ruoxi gave a slight nod to the siblings and drove the black BMW gradually into the curtain of rain.
โHeyโฆ Yaoyao, do you think your brotherโs behavior is that bad? Why does Mom seem to dislike me?โ
Yang Mengyao, who knew the hidden circumstances between her brother and mother, also didnโt understand. She pursed her lips and said, โMaybe because you act too cheeky in front of Mom. Mom pays the most attention to you and just wants to keep you in line.โ
โAs expected of our Class President, your words always make so much sense.โ
Yang Haoran gave Yaoyao a thumbs-up and said with a smile, โCheeky? Next time, remember to add โand needing a spankingโ after that? Brother would feel much more comfortable hearing it that way.โ
โBrotherโฆ no wonder Mom wants to hit you.โ
Yang Mengyao was amused.
The siblings chatted and laughed all the way under their umbrellas; the violent stormไผผไน (seemingly) insufficient to disrupt the warm atmosphere between them.
Just before reaching the teaching building, Yang Haoran suddenly remembered they were at school. If classmates saw him and Yaoyao so close together, Yaoyaoโs reputation could be ruined!
So, Yang Haoran let Yaoyao go upstairs first. After she left, he stood by the corridor, shook the water off his umbrella, and closed it.
He looked up at the dark sky, occasionally torn open by lightning, followed by the deafening rumble of thunder after the momentary flash of white light.
Beside him, many students were watching the heavy rain, discussing animatedly. Theๅๆ (chaotic) chatter was drowned out by the thunder and howling wind, seeming close yetๆจก็ณไธๆธ (indistinct).
โThis is practically no different from a typhoon,โ Yang Haoran muttered, unable to suppress his worry about his motherโs safety on the road.
It was morning, yet the sky looked no different from dusk. Thick, dark clouds blotted out the sunlight, not allowing a single ray through. The flowers, plants, and trees on campus were blown into disarray, a complete mess.
The rain brought the fragrance of earth, but it was mixed with a chill. Yang Haoran shrank his body slightly and turned to walk up the stairs.
Inside the classroom, it was also noisy, with many seats empty, mostly those of day students.
Most students couldnโt concentrate, frequently glancing out the window and discussing with their neighbors.
The lights were on in the classroom. Yang Haoranโs eyes immediately found Ji Youxi. Even within the class, she was dazzling and impossible to ignore.
She was like a delicate, enchanting flower. Her exquisitely beautiful face was flawless, herๆฐ่ดจ (demeanor) graceful as an orchid, and she sat at her seat with a serene expression. She happened to look up at him and waved him over.
Yang Haoran quickened his pace, returned to his seat, and sat down. The seat behind him, belonging to Wei Ming, was emptyโclearly, he hadnโt arrived yet. It was uncertain if he would come; this weather seemed a reasonable excuse for taking leave.
โI thought you werenโt coming,โ Ji Youxi opened, making Yang Haoran not know whether to laugh or cry. โIโm a model student. Skipping class really isnโt my style.โ
โLook around the class; nearly half the seats are empty,โ Ji Youxi turned to indicate. Yang Haoran scanned the classroom. The usually full seats were indeed sparse, almost all empty ones belonging to day studentsโabout half were absent. Xiao Shaowan wasnโt here, nor was Wenting, Yaoyaoโs deskmate. Shiwen was also missing, Zhao Junโฆ and so on.
However, Yang Haoran knew that Wannu would probably have asked for leave even without this weather.
The lights in the classroom dispelled the darkness inside, but outside the windows, it was pitch black like ink. Hail-like heavy rainๆฒๆ (pounded) against the glass windows with aๅผ้ๅๅฆ (pitter-patter). The view outside wasๆฆๆฆ่ง่ง (blurry).
The rain seemed to be falling harder and harder, with no sign of stopping. The howling wind sounded like ghosts wailing and wolvesๅ (howling), sobbing and moaning.
If it had been like this earlier, Mom would probably have agreed to let me take the day off, Yang Haoran thought to himself. He turned to Ji Youxi and said, โI feel like I came for nothing. Itโs still questionable whether weโll even have classes today.โ
Ji Youxi rolled her eyes at him, her moist, red cherry lips parting slightly: โEven if there are no classes, coming to keep me company isnโt good enough?โ
โGood, good, goodโฆโ Yang Haoran said with a laugh. โBefore, I came to school to study. After you arrived, it became to see you!โ
โSmooth talkerโฆ youโre learning more and more,โ Ji Youxiโs lips curved into a beautiful arc, a hint of a smile playing on them.
โI dare not claim that. Itโs all thanks to my teacherโs excellent guidance,โ Yang Haoran met Ji Youxiโs beautiful eyes, feigningๆถๆ (apprehension). The next moment, both of them laughed.
โDo you want a reward?โ
โWhat reward?โ
โYouโll find out next week.โ
Ji Youxiโs mysterious reply left Yang Haoran baffled. Having learned his lesson, he็ดขๆง (simply) stopped pressing and chatted with her about other topics.
After chatting for a while, the class time approached, but only four or five more students had arrived.
Yang Haoran took out his phone, looked down, and sent Wei Ming a message on WeChat. As expected, Xiao Mingzi had asked for leave.
Noticing that Shiwen also hadnโt come, Yang Haoran felt strange and tried sending a message to ask about the situation.
Zhou Shiwen: โMy mom wonโt let me go. She asked for leave for me. Whatโs the situation in class now?โ
Reading this message, Yang Haoran felt like crying before he could even speak. Auntie Shen, is it too late to call you Mom now? He inwardly wailed, then briefly explained the situation to Shiwen before ending the conversation้้ท็ (dejectedly).
He felt quite unlucky. During breakfast, it was just heavy rain, but by the time he got to school, it had intensified, looking no less fierce than a typhoon.
After the class bell rang, it wasnโt long before Gu Qingying, wearing black silk stockings and high heels, her tall and็ซ่พฃ (fiery) figure like a swaying rose, clicked her way into the classroom. She swept a glance over the sparse number of students, seemingly unsurprised.
Standing on the podium, Gu Qingying addressed the class with a school notice: โStudents, you have a half-day holiday this afternoon. This morning, you will self-study.โ
โGiven the weather conditions, your teachers are pleased that you could make it. But since you are here, donโt waste your time. Review your lessons. Pay attention to safety during breaks. Firstโฆโ
Gu Qingying listed safety precautions from the podium. In such circumstances, many day students had asked for leave. Without these students, proceeding with normal lessons would leave many behind.
Furthermore, safety was a concern. The school worried about students wandering around. Outside was pitch black, the rain made the roads slippery, and the wind was strong. An accident would be terrible, so the routine safety lecture was essential.