Walking back to the classroom once again, Liu Yinuo felt significantly more confident. After all, she had just done Ye Xingmian a huge favor. Theoretically, this was the perfect opportunity to strike while the girl was feeling grateful and coax some information out of her.
“Ye, don’t you have anything you want to say?” She tilted her head, a smile on her face.
However, Ye Xingmian’s expression remained wooden. As she slowly lifted her head, Liu Yinuo saw a deep gloom lurking in the girl’s eyes.
“Class Monitor… thank you…”
Her voice was somewhat raspy and muffled. It didn’t carry much of a thankful tone; instead, it was heavy with guilt. Only then did Liu Yinuo notice that the girl’s eyes were slightly red, as if she had just finished crying.
“Ye… is something on your mind?” Liu Yinuo’s heart suddenly constricted. Although the girl rarely smiled and usually looked as miserable as a little sourpuss, she felt that this time was very different. Yet, she couldn’t quite put her finger on what exactly had changed.
She could sense that the gaze the girl directed at her was complicated, mixed with emotions she had never seen before.
“It’s nothing, Class Monitor. If there’s nothing else, I’ll head back first…”
Even though she phrased it as a question, the girl hurried away before Liu Yinuo could even open her mouth. Her retreating figure was frantic, as if she were escaping from a monster.
Watching her leave, Liu Yinuo froze.
It wasn’t an illusion; she really was avoiding her.
But why? What on earth had she done wrong? Everything she had done so far was for the girl’s own good. So why?
No, she had to get a clear answer.
***
Throughout the entire afternoon, Liu Yinuo tried to get close to the girl. However, every attempt yielded little result.
She tried to approach her after class under the pretext of helping with homework, but the girl used the bathroom as an excuse to flee. She didn’t actually go to the bathroom, though; instead, she hid in some unfindable corner and didn’t return until the bell rang for the next period. Liu Yinuo tried passing her a note during self-study, but the girl acted as if she hadn’t received it, showing no reaction at all. For the whole afternoon, she fruitlessly engaged in these meaningless efforts, to the point where many classmates started to find it strange. Why was the Class Monitor so focused on that little nobody in the corner today?
The sun gradually dipped toward the west, dyeing the sky in a desolate, reddish-gold hue. The magnificent sunset clouds were scattered by the cold wind, dissolving into a lonely void.
The temperature began to drop. The snow on the side of the road had not melted; instead, the soft flakes were freezing into hard piles of ice under the sunlight. Before she knew it, school was over for the day, and Liu Yinuo still hadn’t made any progress.
Her mood grew increasingly irritable. As she stared at the sunset, her tea-colored eyes were coated with a layer of loneliness by the blood-red light.
She knew this was her last chance today.
It was impossible to expect Ye Xingmian to take the initiative to tell her the reason; her only option was to take the offensive. However, she couldn’t understand what the girl was thinking. Ye Xingmian was constantly dodging her. Even if she caught her, it was useless; the girl would just flee in silence without saying a word.
This was absolutely not the way to handle things. Even if she had to use force or some other method, she had to make Ye Xingmian speak the truth. If the reason wasn’t brought to light, the problem could never be solved.
Inside the classroom after school, the crowd left noisily, leaving only a few people assigned to cleaning duty. Those leaving included her seatmate surnamed Lin. Clearly, waiting around wasn’t her style, and for once, she didn’t make Ye Xingmian carry her schoolbag on the way home.
“Class Monitor, aren’t you going home yet?” A girl who was on good terms with Liu Yinuo walked over. It was her turn for duty today, and seeing that Liu Yinuo had unusually stayed behind for so long, she walked over with a frown to ask.
Liu Yinuo offered a smile.
“No, I’m waiting for someone.”
“Waiting for someone?”
Hearing this, the girl’s frown deepened.
She leaned in closer, her expression turning serious as she whispered, “Hey, Class Monitor, you’re not waiting for that Ye Xingmian, are you?”
She glanced at the girl sitting in the corner as she spoke, her tone sounding a bit strange.
“Yeah…” There was nothing to deny. Hiding it at this point would only make it look more suspicious. Liu Yinuo admitted to her guess decisively. At the same time, she cast an intentional glance toward that corner. Although the other party had her head down, Liu Yinuo coincidentally met those somewhat cowering eyes. She was waiting for the girl to leave first so she could chase after her and demand answers. But apparently, the girl had the same idea, creating a sort of stalemate between them.
“Tsk, I thought you were acting weird today. Class Monitor, you don’t… have a thing for that person, do you?”
“Huh?” Liu Yinuo looked back, startled, her gaze filled with confusion.
“Why would you say that?”
“Oh, come on, Class Monitor. You didn’t think people wouldn’t notice? You’re speaking up for them, passing notes, and running over there every chance you get. If that isn’t ‘having a thing’ for someone, then what is?” The girl spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, the fires of gossip clearly burning in her heart. “Hey, Class Monitor, I didn’t see that coming. You actually like that type? How’s the progress? For a boy to be lucky enough to be chased by our Class Monitor, he should have surrendered immediately, right?”
Liu Yinuo was silent for a while before turning her head away.
“It’s not like that. We’re just ordinary classmates. I’m just a bit concerned about her.”
“Oh, still denying it? Do you even believe that yourself?”
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” She put on her backpack and stood up. She knew that now was not the time to defend herself; it would only make the rumors worse. The more you argued, the more it looked like the truth to others. To avoid further questioning, she had no choice but to abandon her original plan and leave first.
“Tsk, I really don’t know what’s so good about that guy, or what exactly attracted you.”
The girl’s slightly bitter voice drifted from behind her. Her body stiffened for a split second, but she ultimately left with a composed face.
After hearing the girl’s words, she felt a bit lost. Did she like that girl? Was she actually a lesbian? From beginning to end, she had believed she was helping Ye Xingmian out of sympathy, but now, she was starting to feel confused. Had many of her actions and thoughts already crossed the line of just ‘helping’? Had some things deviated from the normal range?
She didn’t know. She only felt as if her mind were a mess. Her original plan felt like it had been tangled into a knot. she was forced to re-examine her own motives and her own goals.
It felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. Her previously anxious heart seemed to cool down instantly. She walked downstairs in silence, heading toward a secluded spot.