The Youthful You Who Was So Beautiful (translated)

chapter 16

"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. How do we translate this quote by Oscar Wilde?" The English teacher stood behind the podium, his sharp, bespectacled eyes sweeping across the classroom. "Can someone volunteer to translate this sentence? What about Chen Nian?"

Chen Nian was about to rise from her seat when the English teacher waved his hand at her, "You may remain seated."

Chen Nian replied softly, "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

"That's absolutely correct. We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." The English teacher repeated the translation once more, and pushed his spectacles up before continuing, "Next question."

It was the fourth day after the stabbing incident. Everything was as per normal.

Wei Cai never sought Chen Nian out for revenge.

As the rainy season neared its end, the weather gradually grew hotter and hotter. Bei Ye purchased a small electric fan for Chen Nian. Chen Nian hung it underneath her desk, the electric fan whirring silently as it provided her with much-needed comfort.

The English teacher was still going through the questions on the worksheet when a familiar figure appeared at the entrance of the classroom. On seeing the form teacher's skinny figure, Chen Nian's heart skipped a beat – only to hear him announce, "Zeng Hao, could you excuse yourself for a minute?"

Zeng Hao left the classroom.

Chen Nian redirected her attention to the English teacher. Not long after, Zeng Hao returned to the classroom, hints of delight barely concealed beneath her mask of normalcy.

After class, Xiao Mi poked Zeng Hao's back, "Zeng Hao."

"Yes?" Zeng Hao turned back to look at Xiao Mi.

"Why did the form teacher look for you? Did something good happen to you?"

Chen Nian opened a packet of Pocky biscuits.

"May I have some?" Zeng Hao reached over and grabbed a single Pocky stick. Xiao Mi reached for a Pocky stick as well, commenting as she munched on the Pocky stick, "Nian, you seem to have plenty of snacks recently."

Several classmates began to gather round Chen Nian's table, each grabbing a Pocky stick from her. Before long, the packet of Pocky was depleted.

"Wei Cai's missing." Zeng Hao shrugged her shoulders as she nibbled on her biscuit, unable to hide her gleeful expression from her face.

Surprised, Xiao Mi continued asking, "Why would the form teacher look for you if Wei Cai is missing?"

Zeng Hao rolled her eyes, "They're just going through the motions and asking me about her whereabouts as a symbolic step – after all, everybody knew that I was a victim of the bullying Wei Cai and her friends inflicted on me. At that time, they all persuaded me not to overcomplicate matters, and to simply think of it as a prank between classmates. Now, seeing that I'm the first one to be questioned by them, they must have reversed their viewpoint on the incident." Zeng Hao let out a cold, short laugh before continuing, "I'm not the only one who had been targeted by Wei Cai – students from neighbouring schools have been targets of her bullying as well! Am I the only one who hates her? In any event, I can't be bothered about what happened to her – she deserves to be missing."

Chen Nian raised her head, and warned Zeng Hao, "Don't be so sure about that. What if, she had simply gone away for a short recreational trip? She might return, after a few days."

Zeng Hao pouted, "I hope she never returns. Ever."

Xiao Mi chimed in, "Ah, our form teacher is going to have a head full of white hair soon."