After lunch, when Zhen Yu returned to the classroom, most of the classmates were already back.
As soon as she entered, Qian Duoduo looked over, but Zhen Yu returned her gaze expressionlessly and took her seat as if nothing had happened.
As soon as she sat down, Liu Ting turned her head and whispered, "Bring your own lunch tomorrow as usual. She probably can’t eat with you anymore."
"I know." Zhen Yu responded indifferently, showing no hint of emotional fluctuation.
Liu Ting scrutinized her profile but found nothing revealing, and so she sat up straight again.
The following day at lunch, Qian Duoduo didn’t come over, and the two of them, like the other classmates, sat at their own seats eating their own meals.
Neither Qian Duoduo nor Zhen Yu commented on the matter; they just naturally drifted apart.
Liu Ting observed coldly from the sidelines, finding the world of top students truly incomprehensible.
At the very least, if she were Zhen Yu, she would definitely be angry with Qian Duoduo.
They had started eating together because of Qian Duoduo, and now that they weren’t, how could Qian Duoduo not even say a word of farewell?
Shouldn’t she apologize to Zhen Yu?
Doesn’t Zhen Yu have any temper at all?
Seeing her interacting with Qian Duoduo in the classroom as usual, showing no signs of displeasure.
After Liu Ting went through a series of conjectures about the ’lunch incident,’ she had to reluctantly realize that the two of them simply didn’t follow the script she had in mind.
She had no choice but to switch her gossiping focus to something else, feeling uninterested.
In fact, Liu Ting didn’t know that Qian Duoduo had a big fight with her mother when she got home that evening.
But she could not go against her mother’s orders, as she couldn’t cook and had to eat whatever Mrs. Qian prepared for her.
Locked in her room alone that night, she secretly cried out of frustration.
Her feelings toward Zhen Yu became complicated after such an event.
On one hand, she felt guilty for not keeping the promise; on the other, she thought if it weren’t for Zhen Yu’s early romance being so indiscreet, her mother would not have discovered and stopped their interaction.
What’s with showing affection at someone else’s home? Isn’t early romance supposed to be hidden?
But these two! They brazenly flirted even at the teacher’s house!
The more Qian Duoduo thought about it, the angrier she became, punching her pillow and muttering, "Stupid Zhen Yu! Stinky Zhen Yu! It’s all your fault!"
"And to think, you should be thanking my mom! Lucky for you, she’s not a loudmouth, or else you’d be waiting for a parent-teacher conference!"
And there’s Han Mingyue!
Qian Duoduo’s feelings for him had also become complicated. Before this incident, she would occasionally secretly compare him to other boys she knew.
The more she compared, the more outstanding he seemed.
The only one who could match him was Lu Wei, who had been in the same class with her for six years during elementary school.
Lu Wei ranked just below her again in this midterm exam, both of them overshadowed by Zhen Yu.
And Han Mingyue was second in the grade, not only one rank above Lu Wei but also better looking.
Thinking of Lu Wei, then thinking of the six years they worked together as class leader and study committee, and now being in different classes, was quite upsetting.
Then again, she thought of Zhen Yu and Han Mingyue being childhood sweethearts, as well as Fu Yu in the same class, and the group of little buddies around her, supposedly all grew up together.
She couldn’t help feeling envious.
She and Lu Wei... could they be considered childhood sweethearts?
Qian Duoduo’s little head was bouncing from one thought to another, from east to west.
Soon enough, her thoughts tangled into a knot, and holding her head she shouted in exasperation, "Ah~~~~~~~~so annoying~~~~~"
In the middle of the month, Zhen Yu received a registered letter, and class leader Qiao Xian handed it to her while the whole class watched.
In such a small and isolated town, receiving a letter would become a rare event.
Zhen Yu didn’t show any intention of opening the letter and stuffed it directly into her backpack.
The classmates could only retract their gazes in disappointment.
When school let out in the evening, Fu Yu began pestering her incessantly for details.
No matter who asked, Zhen Yu always said she hadn’t seen it yet and didn’t know.
Bai Xue then egged her on, "School’s out now~ Hurry up and take it out to see!"
"No way!" Zhen Yu emphatically declared.
What a joke! If I showed you, you wouldn’t mock me? As if!
Zhen Yu had a premonition that the letter was the response to her submission to "Children’s Literature."
Considering that there had been no reaction from Han Mingyue’s end, Zhen Yu was more than 80% sure that this was a letter of rejection.
Therefore, it was absolutely essential that no one else see or know about it!
The little group of friends eventually backed down under Zhen Yu’s resolute gaze, and the matter was dropped.
As for what everyone was thinking, Zhen Yu had no way of knowing.
After dinner, Zhen Yan asked again without giving up, but Zhen Yu still refused to disclose the origin of the letter.
Thinking about his sister’s normally mature demeanor, Zhen Yan wondered what harm a letter could do to her.
Thus, Zhen Yan casually let go of his worries and curiosity and went off to do his homework obediently.
Right before bedtime, Zhen Yu sat on her kang bed and opened the letter.
In addition to the rejection, there was a letter from the editor which began with the ubiquitous "Thank you for supporting our magazine, we appreciate your submission."
The letter later stated, "Unfortunately, your work does not suit the style of our publication as it lacks childlike innocence, and we suggest you try submitting to other types of publications!"
"May your thoughts flow like a spring and your writing blossom."
After reading the letter carefully, Zhen Yu put it back into the envelope unchanged and placed it under her pillow.
Sitting with her knees hugged to her chest, Zhen Yu let out a soft sigh, "Ah... lacking childlike innocence, huh~"
She had finally taken her first step on the path of writing, and although she had stumbled at the start, she had indeed begun.
The first step is always the hardest, but she wasn’t scared!
After casually checking the system and then closing the interface, Zhen Yu murmured to herself: "My dumb little system~ my path to immortality is in your hands!"
She closed her eyes to sleep.
Similarly, after dinner, around six o’clock.
In the Han Family, in Han Mingyue’s room.
Han Mingyue sat upright at his desk with an exercise book spread out in front of him.
From behind, it looked like he was studying, but in reality, he was lost in thought.
The letter Fu Yu mentioned on the way home from school caught his attention, and it triggered his associations.
More than a month had passed since he mailed his manuscript, and it was a lie to say he wasn’t concerned.
At this critical juncture, Zhen Yu unexpectedly received a letter!
This stirred a hint of suspicion in Han Mingyue’s heart, but he couldn’t ask, nor did he dare to ask.
Because, if she had really submitted her work, why hadn’t she done it with him, instead of mailing it secretly?
If she hadn’t submitted anything, then his suspicions would upset her for sure.
This was an unsolvable problem, and after pondering for a bit, Han Mingyue gave up.
Whether the news she received was a pass or a rejection?
If she had passed, would she share the joy of victory with him?