Chapter Thirty-Four: Absent

Ye Mian lowered her eyes, hiding the awkwardness beneath them, but her face still bloomed with a sweet smile. “Then, let’s save it for next time.”

Jiang Chen’s hand paused. “Mm.”

The girl walked away, holding the lighter and the wet wipes.

The cold autumn wind brushed against the boy. He picked up his phone; it was filled with calls urging him to teach.

His tired brows lowered, and he turned away from the old quarter.

—

When she returned home, Ye Mian handed the lighter to Jiang Yuan and hurried into the kitchen. Before going out, she had boiled a pot of water but hadn't managed to turn off the stove.

She needed the water to make ginger tea; in the cold autumn, ginger tea was perfect.

Fortunately, the pot hadn't dried out. Ye Mian added another spoonful and stood quietly watching.

Through the window, Jiang Yuan pointed to her own face and laughed, “Little Ye Mian, your face looks just like a flower cat!”

Ye Mian vaguely saw something smeared across her own face. She reached out and gently touched it, feeling a thin layer of dirt.

…

She raised her hand to look at the pack of floral-printed wet wipes.

…

At that moment, Ye Mian felt utterly mortified.

Why was she always at her most disheveled in front of him?

She still wanted to leave a good impression on Jiang Chen!

Jiang Yuan was still outside, so Ye Mian maintained her composure, finished brewing the ginger tea, and immediately joined Jiang Yuan to start the fire. The wet wipes were tossed into her room.

It didn’t matter anymore—it was already dirty!

Soon they’d be even messier eating sweet potatoes.

She’d simply shower later!

The mud on her face could be washed away, but the face she’d lost—could she ever recover it?

The two girls dug pits, turned over soil, gathered branches, and after much deliberation, figured out the technique: once the wood burned to charcoal, they buried the sweet potatoes in the embers.

Outside, the cold wind whistled and leaves thickly carpeted the street.

The sweet potatoes, roasted until black, seemed to merge with the charcoal, their skins tinged with crimson fire spots.

They used tongs to fish out the sweet potatoes. When torn open, the flesh inside was a brilliant golden yellow, exuding a sweet aroma that drifted through the little courtyard.

Ye Mian grabbed some paper, wrapped the bottom peel, and split the sweet potato in two, handing half to Jiang Yuan.

“Thank you, Mian Mian.” Jiang Yuan took it with a bright smile, eating happily.

In the chilly autumn, this was the sweetest flavor of all.

Sweet potatoes roasted over charcoal tasted even better than those sold on the street.

They roasted plenty. With Jiang Yuan’s permission, Ye Mian took a palm-sized sweet potato, wrapped it tightly in paper, and put it in a paper bag.

She would deliver it to Jiang Chen later.

Instinctively, she wanted to share this warmth with Jiang Chen.

Otherwise, he seemed too lonely this autumn.

Jiang Yuan divided the remainder in two, planning to take it home.

After finishing their sweet potatoes, the two girls went inside. Jiang Yuan sprawled across Ye Mian’s bed and laughed, “That sweet potato is for Jiang Chen, isn’t it?”

Ye Mian saw no reason to hide it, and earnestly nodded. “Yes.”

Jiang Yuan suddenly sat up, rubbing Ye Mian’s face in excitement. “My darling, I understand you! Jiang Chen is so handsome. When he joined our class, all the girls became extra proper and the boys stopped talking out of embarrassment. The class was unusually quiet.”

Ye Mian smiled gently.

Jiang Chen had that kind of magic.

Class One had always been rather quiet.

He was so aloof; just looking into his eyes made people fall silent.

The two sat together from morning until afternoon. Jiang Yuan received a phone call from her parents, prompting her to leave in haste.

They hugged, reluctant to part.

It was a rare, leisurely weekend spent with a friend—time seemed to fly by.

After putting Jiang Yuan on the bus, Ye Mian thought for a moment and took a detour to West Street.

Whom was she avoiding?

She was cautious of Zhong Qian’s father, Old Zhong. Since Zhong Qian had been detained, Old Zhong hadn’t shown his face.

It was said Old Zhong was a proud man; after such an incident, with no one else aware, he’d have no face to go out and shout.

But Ye Mian still feared running into trouble.

Luckily, the way was safe.

Ye Mian arrived outside the small building where Jiang Chen lived; the door was tightly locked.

She knocked, but no one answered.

After lingering awhile, she gently hung the roasted sweet potato on his door.

Wrapped in paper, it still radiated a gentle warmth.

In such cold weather, it would soon cool.

She wondered if Jiang Chen would find it warm.

A little dove on the branch cocked its head, its round eyes watching the girl walk away, chirped twice, and flew off.

—

November.

Winter had not yet arrived in River City.

The third monthly exam at River City No. 1 High School was upon them.

Ye Mian sat in the exam hall, gazing at the clouds slowly drifting across the sky, her expression relaxed.

No one in Class One mentioned those rumors anymore; Jiang Chen would soon return.

Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, the sky reflected in her watery eyes. Those lively apricot eyes sparkled, the corners gently curved with a smile, making her look enchanting.

In recent days, she had been studying Jiang Chen's notes, and her grades had improved greatly.

She quickly finished her exam and began anticipating her results.

Thinking of the college entrance exam next June, she dared not slack off, her nerves as tense as ever.

In fact, she was even more cautious.

The college entrance exam—truly the cogs that change one’s fate.

She wondered, where lay the gears of Jiang Chen’s destiny? Now that she had come back, could she change his outcome?

With this uneasy thought, Ye Mian felt anxious.

She had a nagging premonition that something bad was about to happen.

And on the day grades were released, Ye Mian was truly stunned.

Jiang Chen had missed the exam.

Looking at his name at the very bottom of the school's list, Ye Mian’s mind went blank in waves.

She stared for a couple of seconds, then turned to Class Two. A student told her the homeroom teacher had called Jiang Chen away.

Without hesitation, she headed for the office.

She needed to know why Jiang Chen had missed the exam, and whether he could return to Class One.

After all, this was the last monthly exam.

If Jiang Chen couldn’t return to Class One—

It meant he would never again be in Class One.

Perhaps for a student like Jiang Chen, who aced every subject, it made little difference.

But Ye Mian couldn’t help feeling bitter.

In her previous life, Jiang Chen had always been in Class One; it was her choices that had triggered these events.

Anxiously, she reached the office door.

Before she could approach, Jiang Chen happened to come out.

Ye Mian squeezed her fingers and walked over, worried. “Jiang Chen.”

The boy paused in his steps, his eyes lifting slightly. Seeing the girl standing before him, panting, his clear features inscrutable, he asked in a steady tone, “Looking for me?”

Near the teachers’ office, the surroundings were very quiet.

After two seconds of eye contact, Ye Mian sniffed, the cold wind whisking through the corridor and brushing her clothes. She asked softly, “Why did you miss the exam? Can you still return to Class One?”