A Hushed Plea and Hidden Kindness

A string of questions tumbled out in a hushed tone, precisely to prevent Lin Ziyan, who stood by the doorway, from overhearing. Yet, Liu Yinuo’s words of concern failed to coax the girl into opening up. Instead, the girl merely lowered her head, her gaze darkening with a hint of gloom.

“She didn’t bully me. She merely helped me find these clothes. I’ll change out of them as soon as I get to school.”

“If she didn’t bully you, then why did she make you wear women’s clothes?”

Liu Yinuo’s brow furrowed in a deep frown.

As she observed the girl beside her, a thought struck her. Truthfully, the ensemble perfectly complemented the girl’s demeanor and fit her impeccably. Yet, this was hardly enough to assuage Liu Yinuo’s growing suspicions.

“I wanted to wear it myself…”

The meal was ready. She was meticulously scooping the dishes from the wok into serving bowls with a spatula.

“You’re lying again.”

Liu Yinuo’s gaze bore into the girl’s eyes, a sudden flash of anger igniting within her. ‘Why won’t you be honest with me?’ she thought. ‘I would always stand by you, always act in your best interest. Why can’t you just open your heart to me?’

“I didn’t…”

Once the dishes were served, the girl averted her eyes, unable to meet Liu Yinuo’s gaze. She quietly shifted her sight, turning her face away.

Yet, without warning, Liu Yinuo reached out and seized her wrist. The sudden touch made the girl’s hand jerk, nearly sending the dishes crashing to the floor.

“Did Lin Ziyan threaten you into silence? It’s fine, no matter what it is, I’ll help you. Please, tell me. You can still come to my house; my parents won’t bother you anymore. Remember our plan from yesterday? You’d cook for me, and I’d tutor you.”

The girl’s head remained bowed as Liu Yinuo edged closer. She fixed her gaze on the girl’s eyes, desperate to uncover the thoughts lurking behind those humble, rose-tinted pupils. Yet, all she found was an impenetrable haze, revealing nothing.

“Class Monitor…”

Steadying herself and securing her grip on the dishes, the girl’s voice held a note of entreaty.

“My sister is still watching…”

It was then that Liu Yinuo finally noticed Lin Ziyan, still standing silently by, observing them. Lin Ziyan’s gaze was icy, yet Liu Yinuo dismissed it with a shrug. She let out a dismissive huff, realizing that pressing Ye Xingmian further at this moment would be futile. With a determined stride, she exited the kitchen, deliberately brushing past Lin Ziyan.

“I skipped lunch. Mind if I join you for a meal?”

Lin Ziyan’s eyes remained fixed on her, tracking her every movement. As Liu Yinuo settled into a chair at the dining table, Lin Ziyan took a seat right beside her.

“If the Class Monitor desires, then naturally, there’s no issue.”

Lin Ziyan’s voice was utterly devoid of warmth.

Ye Xingmian emerged from the kitchen, carefully balancing the dishes. She cast a hesitant glance at the two, a strange unease settling over her. For some inexplicable reason, the air between them felt subtly wrong, a tension she couldn’t quite place.

‘It must be my own perception, surely,’ she mused.

The girl actually yearned to agree with Liu Yinuo, sensing a profound difference in her. The Class Monitor genuinely cared for her, truly wishing her well.

However, her current reality afforded no such luxury. If she were to visit the Class Monitor’s home again, and Lin Ziyan were to reveal her circumstances to her adoptive parents, she would be utterly cast out.

The most favorable outcome would be Liu Yinuo taking her in, yet a profound internal barrier prevented her from accepting. The Class Monitor was simply too radiant for her; they seemed to inhabit entirely different worlds. It was precisely this disparity that made her hesitant to accept the Class Monitor’s benevolence.

Perhaps, then, things were fine just as they were. In merely half a year, she would be free to leave this place, and all these convoluted matters would cease to concern her.

Though that brief afternoon at the Class Monitor’s house had brought her genuine comfort and joy, she couldn’t shake the feeling that such happiness wasn’t truly hers to claim.

Moreover, even if the Class Monitor could accept her, what about her parents? Surely, if they discovered she was a ‘freak’—a boy who wished to be a girl—they would reject her too, wouldn’t they?

A wave of melancholy washed over her. The girl quietly approached the dining table, setting the prepared dishes upon its surface.

“I’ll go get your rice.”

Picking up two bowls, she stepped back into the kitchen. From behind her, the murmur of their voices resumed, a hushed conversation she couldn’t quite decipher. It was clear they were deliberately keeping their tones low, talking about something she wasn’t meant to hear.

Her gaze darkened. She truly wished the Class Monitor wouldn’t focus so much on her; it weighed heavily on her spirit.

Unsolicited kindness always felt like an obligation, especially for someone as adrift as she was. She neither knew how to reciprocate the Class Monitor’s benevolence nor desired to be the reason for her displeasure.

Truth be told, she yearned for yesterday’s events to have never transpired, for them to remain two strangers sharing a classroom. The Class Monitor would continue to be the brilliant student, and she, the inconspicuous ‘little trash’ in the corner—their paths never meant to intersect.

Silently, she served the rice. This time, she added a few candied dates, deliberately placing several extra into the Class Monitor’s bowl, tucked beneath the grains.

Then, she returned to the living room, ready to set them on the table.

As anticipated, the moment she reappeared, their hushed conversation abruptly ceased. Lin Ziyan reclined in her chair, absorbed in her phone, while Liu Yinuo’s bright, eager eyes fixed upon her.

“Student Ye, your cooking is truly impressive! The dishes smell wonderful, and they look delightful. Do you usually prepare meals like this at home?”

“Mm…”

Unaccustomed to such effusive praise, the girl lowered her head, a blush creeping up her neck. She felt her humble cooking hardly deserved the Class Monitor’s grand compliments; it was merely simple home fare, something anyone could prepare.

She set the bowl of rice, carefully laden with extra dates, before the Class Monitor, and the other bowl in front of Lin Ziyan.

“You two go ahead and eat; I still have something to attend to.”

Reluctant to insert herself into the palpable tension between them, the girl wished to occupy herself elsewhere, planning to return only after they had finished their meal.

“Hm? Student Ye, aren’t you eating?”

“No… I still have something to do…”

“How can that be? Come, just sit right beside me.”

“Ah? Wouldn’t that be inappropriate…”

“Oh, what are you thinking? Just come on over.”

Ultimately, unable to resist the Class Monitor’s insistence, the girl hesitated briefly before settling into the seat beside Liu Yinuo.

“Here, you eat this bowl first. I’ll go get another for myself.”

The girl immediately began waving her hands.

“No… how can I?”

However, Liu Yinuo offered no room for refusal, smiling as she pushed the bowl towards her with a firm attitude.

“That’s settled. I’ll go get the rice; you start eating.”

Watching Liu Yinuo’s retreating figure, the girl looked somewhat dazed.

Now, only she and Lin Ziyan remained in the dining room.

She naturally found herself unable to eat, feeling an intense restlessness as she looked at Lin Ziyan across from her. A vague sense of guilt gnawed at her. After a long silence, she finally couldn’t bear the oppressive atmosphere any longer.

“Ziyan…”

Lin Ziyan lifted her head, her gaze icy as she looked at her.

“What is it?”

“No… nothing…”

It felt as if Lin Ziyan’s attitude towards her had suddenly reverted to how it was before yesterday, as if the morning’s events had been nothing but an illusion. The girl uneasily shook her head, ultimately remaining seated in silence, waiting for the Class Monitor to return with her rice.