(1)
The rain outside had stopped, and golden sunlight flooded the entire classroom, glimmering faintly off the white walls.
It felt just like any bright afternoon at school, making An Jing feel a warm sense of familiarity.
Meanwhile, the nurse squatted beside her, gently tapping her knee with a small hammer, “Relax, relax.”
“Ah… I’ll try…” An Jing leaned back a little, and for a moment, it really did feel as if she were sitting in a classroom.
As the little hammer tapped down, her lower leg jerked upward involuntarily.
The nurse immediately checked off a box on her list. “Mm, knee jerk reflexes are symmetrical, motor neurons are undamaged. Give me your hand?”
“Here.” An Jing obediently stretched out her hand, only to feel something sharp touch her skin the next second. Startled, she jerked her hand back.
The nurse checked off another item. “Withdrawal reflex is normal.”
Before An Jing could ask what all these tests were for, a beam of strong light flashed before her eyes, making her squeeze them shut in a hurry.
When she opened them again, the nurse was putting down her flashlight and ticking another box. “No issues with photic reflex. By the way, are you thirsty? Want some water?”
“I’m okay…”
“Have some, the upcoming examinations are sure to make you thirsty.” “What exactly are these examinations?”
“There are a lot, too many to explain. Don’t worry, none of them will harm your body.” The nurse set her clipboard aside and stretched lazily. “I’m tired, let’s rest for a bit.”
“Hey, that’s way too slack!”
“What’s the problem? The team leader told me to take it easy today.” “You’re overdoing it…”
“It’s fine, there’s still plenty of time.” The nurse smiled softly, settling into the seat in front of An Jing and propping her chin up as she gazed at the sunlight outside. “So nostalgic, it feels like being in High School was a lifetime ago.”
“Nurse, you look really young.” “I’ve been out of University for over five years now, I’m twenty-nine.” “Huh? I honestly couldn’t tell, I thought you’d just graduated University…” “Sweet talker, aren’t you?”
“No, really, you look very young.”
“Don’t just keep calling me ‘Nurse’, I have a name.” She pointed to the badge pinned on her left chest. “Take a good look—Jiang Yujing.”
“Uh…”
“Can’t take your eyes off me?” Jiang Yujing puffed her chest a little. “Boys will be boys.”
“Ah… huh? I was just making sure I got your name right, okay?” “Oh~ is that so?”
“It’s true…” An Jing pouted, looking away. “Anyway, I’ve seen bigger than yours, okay? My Classmate, for example, she’s got a much better figure than you.”
“Wow, kids these days are really something. That’s a blow to my confidence.” Jiang Yujing sniffled in mock defeat. “If you don’t like water, do you want something else to drink?”
“Can I?”
“It’s fine.”
“Then… I want Milk Tea?”
“Milk Tea isn’t healthy at all.”
“But you just said anything!”
“I was just saying. Hold on, I’ll have someone send it over.” With that, Jiang Yujing picked up her walkie-talkie, pressed a few buttons, and said, “Hello? Snack Department? Please deliver a Milk Tea to the classroom. Sweet or salty…?”
“There’s a salty one?” An Jing stared in shock.
“Of course there is.”
“Uh… I’ll try… never mind, sweet’s better. With Coconut Jelly, no Pearls.”
“Sweet, with Coconut Jelly, no Pearls. Original flavor.” “Snack Department received.”
“Weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“It feels like a straight-faced comedy act. Isn’t this supposed to be an institute? Why do you even have a Snack Department?”
“You think the staff are immortals? If we can, of course we want to enjoy a little. A good mood makes work more efficient.”
“So this is the Public Servant’s life? So comfortable.” An Jing propped her chin up. “No wonder my dad gave up business to become a Public Servant.”
“Every job has its perks. Sure, it seems nice, but sometimes we don’t even get to go home once a year. Most of the time we live right here, even after work.”
“True. When you think about it, it’s a bit like prison.”
“Exactly. But I’m the go-with-the-flow type, so I actually like working here. At least my whole life is organized.” Jiang Yujing rested her hand on the Marble Windowsill and tapped it lightly. “By the way, do you have a girlfriend?”
“Cough!”
“Does she know?”
“Uh…”
“So she does.”
“Being a girl isn’t so bad, is it?”
“Says who? I’d rather date her as a guy. Sigh… but if I were a guy, maybe I wouldn’t have ended up with her.”
“Yeah, social pressure is tough. Your parents probably accept you dating a girl because of your situation, but what about her parents?”
“That’s for the future. I’ll think about it later.”
“But time goes by quickly. Haven’t you thought about being with your girlfriend forever?” “O-of course I have!”
“Then you have to think ahead. Don’t avoid it just because you’re still a kid. Or, you could find someone whose parents don’t care whether their child dates a boy or a girl?” “The key is the person, not their family background or conditions.”
Jiang Yujing smiled faintly without saying more, but An Jing could sense she thought she was being naïve.
“What’s the thing girls hate most?”
“Periods, obviously. That’s the worst.” “Do you think you could ever fall for a guy?”
“No way.” An Jing scrunched up her face in disgust. “The thought of it makes me sick.”
“Then—”
Knock knock.
“Oh, the Milk Tea’s here!”
Though it was freshly made, the Milk Tea’s temperature was just right, not too hot—perfect for a sunny spring day.
An Jing sipped her Milk Tea as Jiang Yujing rummaged through the desk drawer and pulled out a few magazines, acting more like an older girl than an adult, playing magazine quiz games with her.
It was simple: read a question, pick an answer, skip to another question, and so on, until you reached the end and got your result.
It wasn’t particularly rigorous, but An Jing still tried to pick the answers that popped into her mind first.
Instinctive responses had to be a bit more accurate, right?
“Are these Psychological Tests for me?” An Jing asked doubtfully.
“Of course not.” Jiang Yujing closed the last magazine. “The real test isn’t the result, but your state during the process. Seems like your mental health is pretty good and you know yourself well.”
“I see…”
“Feels a lot easier to play while getting checked, right?”
“It’s a lot better than lying still in bed like before. At least I don’t feel like a lab rat anymore.” An Jing muttered, nodding as she sucked up the last Coconut Jelly bits from her Milk Tea.
“So, next, you need to lie on the desk. I’m going to do some other Physical Examination now.” “Uh… right here?”
“Yeah, haven’t you ever had those Physical Examinations at school? You lie on a table, and the doctor comes and presses all over you.” “Yeah…”
“It’s basically the same. Come on, lie down.” Jiang Yujing laughed, patting the desk. “It should be just your size.”
“Uh… like this?” An Jing lay down, feeling uneasy. Even though she was fully dressed, she still felt like she was completely exposed. Instinctively, she tried to cover herself, but couldn’t decide where to put her hands…
“All right, let’s start.”
“Pfft! That tickles!”
“Don’t squirm. Lie still.” “Ow, so sore.”
“Kinda numb, isn’t it?”
“Mm… n-no, not there! I’m gonna pee!” “Seriously? You just finished your Milk Tea and you need the bathroom already?” “It was a big cup…” An Jing explained, blushing.
“Your bladder’s not in great shape.” “…A-aren’t all girls like that?”
“Of course not. Do you even wash properly in the shower?”
“Huh? I rinse off…”
“Be more thorough.” “I-it’s a little awkward, though?”
“That’s exactly why you’re prone to infections if you don’t wash well.” “D-does it really matter?”
“Of course it does, girls are prone to that.” Jiang Yujing flicked An Jing’s forehead lightly. “Okay, turn over.”
“Oh… ow… that hurts…”
“Hang in there. This is a massage. Because you don’t pay attention to posture, your body doesn’t relax into the right shape. I’m correcting you and helping your muscles loosen up.”
“You hit there and it makes me feel like I need to pee.” “You’re not really gonna wet yourself, are you?”
“N-no! It’s only because you hit me there!” “Relax a little more.” “But it hurts.”
“If it’s too much, just shout.” “It’s fine. I can take it…”
“Boys really do like to act tough.” “How?”
“Always—showing off!” “Ahhhh—!! It hurts, it hurts!!”
“Your sitting posture’s definitely off. Not a big deal now, but if you keep this up, you’ll end up slouching.”
“…Is this part of the checkup too?”
“Of course. Sitting, walking, standing—if you do them right, you’ll be healthier. To put it simply, your blood circulation will be smoother.”
“Ugh…”
“How are you feeling now?”
“Like my bones are falling apart…” “But it’s kind of nice, isn’t it?”
“…A little, yeah…”