A Failed Mediation

In the end, I hadn’t figured out how to ease the tension between Xiao Lu and Ling Yan before class started. After all, I had no idea what had happened between them, so I was at a complete loss.

Feeling a bit anxious, I kept glancing at Xiao Lu and Ling Yan during class. Ling Yan was as attentive as ever, listening to the teacher and taking notes, while Xiao Lu rested her chin on her hand, twirling her pen absentmindedly—clearly distracted.

Damn, this was physics class, and the teacher was notoriously strict.

I wanted to warn Xiao Lu, but she was an aisle away and diagonally in front of me. She probably couldn’t see my gestures, so I was helpless.

“…Xuan Xiao Lu, please stand and answer this question.”

Sure enough, the teacher soon noticed Xiao Lu’s distraction and shot her a sharp glare.

“Ah, um…”

Startled, Xiao Lu dropped her pen with a clatter on the desk and scrambled to her feet, flustered.

“Well… I don’t know.”

Her face flushed bright red as she stammered, staring at her book before finally giving up.

“If you don’t know, you need to pay attention. Don’t zone out again. Sit down.”

The teacher walked over, lightly tapped her head with a rolled-up book, and after a brief lecture, returned to the podium. Xiao Lu obediently sat down and began focusing on the lesson.

I was a bit surprised. The usually strict physics teacher was surprisingly lenient with Xiao Lu. I remembered a student who had been harshly criticized for daydreaming in his class before.

But at least it worked out. Seeing Xiao Lu settle down, I breathed a small sigh of relief and turned my attention back to the lesson, no longer glancing at Ling Yan or Xiao Lu.

Time slipped by, and a class period always passed quickly. Before I knew it, the bell rang, signaling the end.

The chatter and laughter in the classroom gradually grew louder, and in this lively atmosphere, the awkward silence among the three of us—me, Ling Yan, and Xiao Lu—stood out starkly.

“Xiao Lu, what happened during class? That’s the first time we’ve seen you distracted. Are you okay?”

Just as I was thinking of breaking the ice, a few girls who were usually close to Xiao Lu came over, looking concerned. They glanced at me deliberately, as if blaming me.

My heart sank. (This isn’t my fault. Glaring at me won’t help.)

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Sorry for worrying everyone. I didn’t sleep well at lunch today, so I got a bit drowsy.”

Xiao Lu quickly waved her hand, looking apologetic.

“Is that so? Well, okay then. We’ll go now. But Xiao Lu, if there’s something you’re not comfortable discussing with Ling Yan, you can always talk to us.”

The girls still seemed skeptical, but since Xiao Lu said so, they didn’t press further. They said goodbye and returned to their seats, but not before throwing one last fierce glare at me.

(They’re definitely convinced I caused this.) I sighed inwardly.

Those girls had seemed hostile toward me for a while, though they never bothered me. But the moment Xiao Lu was upset, they immediately pointed fingers at me.

Xiao Lu was well-liked in class. Before she and I became close, she had already built good relationships with many classmates, especially those girls. They used to hang out together, but for some reason, they rarely played together anymore—just occasional chats. Most of Xiao Lu’s time was now spent with Ling Yan and me.

Still, their interruption broke the awkwardness, and I suddenly thought of a topic that could lighten the mood.

“Xiao Lu, can you explain these problems to me?”

I picked up my textbook and walked over to her, pointing at several concepts I had marked as unclear.

“Chenzi, you’re so dumb! What don’t you get this time?”

Xiao Lu had been looking down at her book, but at the sound of my voice, she looked up with a delighted expression and reached for my textbook.

That’s right—my plan was to discuss the problems with Ling Yan and Xiao Lu together. Although it was supposedly a discussion, they usually ended up explaining things to me. But my real goal wasn’t just to ask questions; I wanted to get Xiao Lu and Ling Yan talking again, like before.

“Zhou Chen, show me what you don’t understand.”

Just as Xiao Lu was about to grab the book, Ling Yan suddenly stood up and snatched it away.

“Huh? Well, then, let Little Yan take a look, haha…”

Xiao Lu froze for a second, then awkwardly laughed and withdrew her hand that was hovering in the air.

Standing beside Xiao Lu, I looked at her—head down and silent—then at Ling Yan, who was intently studying the problems. I didn’t know what to do.

Usually, when I asked questions, Ling Yan would quietly listen until Xiao Lu addressed her or she thought of an alternative solution. She had never been so assertive before.

“Hey, Ling Yan, has Xiao Lu done something to upset you? You seem kind of hostile toward her.”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer and asked Ling Yan directly.

“Do you really want me to say it?”

Ling Yan lifted her gaze from the textbook, not at me, but at Xiao Lu.

“No! Chenzi, why do you have to ask so many questions? Little Yan is smarter than me, so she’s obviously better at explaining. Just drop it.”

Xiao Lu shuddered at Ling Yan’s words, then turned to glare at me, before switching to a pitiful expression aimed at Ling Yan. Her face changed so fast she could’ve been in a Sichuan opera.

I was left speechless. (Seriously? I was sticking up for you!)

“Zhou Chen, these problems are quite simple. Move your chair over here, and I’ll explain them to you.”

Ling Yan ignored Xiao Lu, scooted her chair aside, and sat down. Xiao Lu visibly relaxed, then rested her head on the desk, silently watching Ling Yan and me.

“Uh, well, Ling Yan, I think I’ll just stand and listen.”

Seeing that Ling Yan wanted me to sit next to her, I quickly refused, forgetting about Xiao Lu for the moment.

If I sat beside Ling Yan, there was no way I could focus on the explanation.

But Ling Yan didn’t say anything—she just stared at me. In the end, I had no choice but to obediently move my chair over.

Once I sat down, the desk was so small that Ling Yan and I were almost pressed together. A soft, gentle aura enveloped me, making my mind go blank.

As a result, even though Ling Yan explained the problems thoroughly and in simple terms, I couldn’t remember a thing.

“…So, Zhou Chen, do you understand?”

Ling Yan finished and looked at me.

“Uh, more or less.”

I scratched my head awkwardly, not daring to admit that I hadn’t remembered a single point.

“Alright. Class is about to start. You should go back.”

“Okay.”

In the end, my plan was a complete failure.