The students of Class 1 immediately noticed that Chu Lian seemed different today. It wasn't her appearance, but the aura she exuded.
Before, even though she was known as a somewhat famous literary girl, she had appeared on the surface to be a typical quiet student with a passion for literature.
Aside from the surprise her arrival brought on the first day, she barely spoke throughout the day unless the teacher called on her. She always wore a polite smile, yet gave off a distant vibe that kept others at bay. Many students who initially wanted to talk to her ended up backing off. By the afternoon, she was no longer the center of attention.
Among those who still paid close attention to her were Wang Tingsi, Cai Ya, and the slightly chubby boy. But Chu Lian's behavior had been so unremarkable that even Cai Ya had begun to lose interest.
The chubby boy and Wang Tingsi simply felt that seeing someone they liked was enough. So they didn't pay much attention to her other qualities.
But today, from the moment Chu Lian stepped into the classroom, she wore a gentle smile and greeted everyone warmly. It gave others the refreshing feeling of a spring breeze.
Her pure and clean aura, while not dazzling among the group of students, still clearly set her apart from the average crowd.
For the girls, her change was subtle. They just felt she was especially approachable today, no longer politely distant.
But for the boys, the change was even more apparent. If not for the fact that she wasn't dressed in all white, they might have thought she was an angel who had fallen to the mortal world. Maybe it was the hairstyle and accessories, but she looked even more beautiful than before. When she smiled at them, they couldn't help but feel their hearts skip a beat.
Such a dramatic transformation left Wang Tingsi and Cai Ya both surprised and thrilled. For the former, it was a mix of worry and affection. For the latter, it was the excitement of finally meeting a worthy rival.
Only the chubby boy felt a faint bitterness at her change. If she were still the quiet Chu Lian from before, he and she might still be from the same world. But now, with just a change in her aura and demeanor, he felt like she had become someone from a different realm entirely.
He watched her walk to her seat and smile as she greeted the people around her. When she turned his way, he quickly lowered his head, not daring to look at her again. He pulled out a diary from his drawer, chose a 0.5mm black gel pen, flipped through a few pages to a blank one, and gently began to write:
"She changed so much today. If when I first met her, I felt like she and I were the same kind of person, from the same world, someone I could reach and maybe even get close to—"
"Then today, she's become a princess adored by all, transforming from an ordinary literary girl to a dazzlingly brilliant prodigy. The feeling is like me walking along a modern path with a collapsing umbrella, only to see her emerge with a paper umbrella and flowing garments from an old Jiangnan alley."
"There's a narrow river between us, yet it feels like a chasm spanning worlds. What separates us isn't just distance, but a thousand years of time."
Just as he finished writing, the light before his eyes dimmed. He looked up to see her warm smile.
Stunned, he didn't know how to react. Then she spoke:
"I didn't really get to meet everyone properly last week, so today I'm here to make up for that. My name is Chu Lian. Try to remember it, okay?"
She extended her right hand, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. Somehow, he couldn't help but reach out and shake her hand. Then he quickly pulled back, adjusted his glasses as if nothing had happened, lowered his head, and softly replied:
"Hello, I'm Zhang Feng..."
A glimmer of amusement flashed through Chu Lian's eyes. Of course she knew what the chubby boy had just been doing and could guess most of what he was feeling. But she didn't expose him. Instead, she waved her hand lightly and said, "Well, now we know each other, Zhang Feng. Let's get along from now on." Zhang Feng still kept his head down and only let out a quiet hum in response.
With both hands clasped behind her back, she returned to her seat and finally greeted the girl she had intentionally saved for last: "Cai Ya, I've heard so much about you..."
Seeing Chu Lian say this with a playful smile, Cai Ya understood she was using it as a light-hearted greeting. Being the last one to be greeted probably meant she had something to discuss.
But whatever she planned to do, Cai Ya wasn't about to give her the upper hand. She came from a well-off family and had received exceptional etiquette training from a young age. It kicked in automatically at this moment as she smiled gracefully and responded, "Chu Lian, I've heard about you too—Sucheng's genius literary girl."
"Ah, not bad! You guessed I had something to say and tried to seize control of the conversation. But you're still too green, you know."
Chu Lian immediately saw through her thoughts. Before Cai Ya could finish her sentence, she interrupted smoothly, "Oh, not at all. I've only published one collection of fairy tales, so I'm hardly a genius. But you, you sang on the Spring Festival Gala at such a young age! Even in our class, you have plenty of fans. Look..." she said, pointing to a few boys.
Cai Ya instinctively followed her finger and saw those boys quickly avert their gazes. The next second, she realized she'd been tricked. Sighing to herself that her poise wasn't quite enough, she decided to listen to what Chu Lian really wanted to say.
Retracting her gaze and meeting Chu Lian's, she saw eyes pure as the sky and radiant like stars—now gleaming with a teasing expression. Cai Ya turned slightly and leaned in a little. In a soft voice, she asked, "What did you want to say to me?"
Chu Lian smiled brightly at her for a moment before leaning in just as closely and whispering, "I'm here at this school to study seriously. I don't want to become anyone's prey or rival. So don't hold any weird expectations of me, or else I'll have to punish you..."
When she said the word "punish," she was struck with a mischievous impulse and leaned even closer to blow gently against Cai Ya's ear. Instantly, Cai Ya's cheeks flushed red.
With her prank a success, Chu Lian giggled softly and straightened up, pulling out her textbook and beginning to read, leaving Cai Ya sitting there with a reddened face. Internally, Cai Ya was fuming: "Damn Chu Lian, how dare she do that to me..."
Those secretly watching them—boys and girls alike—felt utterly dazed by the scene.
In the boys' minds echoed a voice: "So beautiful... so beautiful... Cai Ya's blushing, Chu Lian's mischievous tease... and they're both girls..."
A strange interest began to blossom within them.
The girls, on the other hand, thought: "Why do I suddenly want to be one of them?" It was as if the scene had awakened some hidden yuri soul within them.
You couldn't blame them. In today's world, access to all kinds of information and knowledge was easier than ever. Even understanding odd terms and taboos came naturally.
Plus, they were just a bunch of kids who'd only entered middle school within the past year. Their hearts were still quite pure, easily drawn into associations and fascinated by unusual things.
But the real reason lay in the charm that both Chu Lian and Cai Ya exuded. Chu Lian's occasional impishness amid her innocence, and Cai Ya's shyness hidden beneath her elegance, combined to create a dazzling display of beauty. It was utterly captivating.
Riiing ring ring... The class bell rang just in time, breaking everyone's trance and bringing Chu Lian back to her senses. Class time already?
It was a beautiful season. The peach blossoms had fallen, green waves danced in the breeze, spring was reaching its peak, and in that unguarded moment when Chu Lian turned to look out the window, Sucheng in late April appeared in her eyes in a blaze of color.