As mentioned earlier, Ling Ling was only an intern music teacher, so she didn’t have to supervise evening study hall.

So...

Evenings always seemed to drag.

Ling Ling usually finished her evening run around eight thirty and returned to the teachers’ dormitory. Every so often, she’d spend ages on the phone with her college best friend, Qin Man. They could talk about pretty much anything.

Qin Man knew how Ling Ling felt about Cao Zijin, and was always telling her to let it go. “Ugh, you silly girl. You’ve grown up without ever getting a taste of what a man’s like, and you’re still hung up on Cao Zijin? She’s got a new girlfriend again, you know. Don’t you think it’s time to move on?”

But then...

At those words, the image of a boy flashed through Ling Ling’s mind. Feeling indignant, she said, “I’m not hung up on Cao Zijin anymore! And… you’re the one who’s never gotten a taste of what a man’s like… I’ve at least smelled one up close…”

But as soon as she said that...

Ling Ling felt awkward—almost as if she’d said something indecent—and suddenly couldn’t continue.

Qin Man caught a whiff of something foxlike and teased her. “Ooh~ You’ve smelled a man up close, huh…? You silly girl, spill it! Did you have a little romance in that southern town!?”

Her name, Ling Ling, sounded like “zero-zero,” with the implication of getting zero points.

Qin Man was always calling her a silly girl.

Ling Ling had finished her run and showered. Wearing a silky nightdress, she sprawled across the bed and hugged a pillow. She took a deep breath, as if she could smell the sunshine on the boy, then, inexplicably shy, rolled over on the bed.

Then she said into her headset, “There’s no one…”

The more Qin Man heard, the more suspicious she got. “Is he a teacher at your school?”

“I told you, there’s no one… Manman, listen. Life here’s been really hard. I’m all alone, and those male teachers are practically starving for attention—they’re always trying to butter me up. The female teachers like me less and less. They say I’m setting a bad example… I don’t even dare wear anything that shows my arms or legs anymore. I can’t wear makeup or jewelry, either…”

That part was true.

After all, Ling Ling was just a college senior. She had no idea how nasty people could be, or how much harm gossip could do.

She hadn’t done a thing, yet this huge accusation had landed on her.

Poor Ling Ling was just a lovesick girl. She’d never even been in a relationship. How could she possibly be flirting around and setting a bad example?

Qin Man felt a little sorry for her. “You’re the one who ran off to some faraway little town. Why not come back and look for another internship? You can always admit defeat to your parents.”

“I don’t want to come back just yet…”

“Why not? It’s no big deal to admit defeat to your parents. You’re not even the kind of person who cares that much about saving face…”

“It’s not because I’m afraid of losing face…”

“Then why!?”

Ling Ling bit her lip and rolled over on the bed again. A little awkwardly, she said, “There are a few things I really care about… I want to stay a little longer.”

Ling Ling didn’t know what had gotten into her. She thought about Lin Zishen almost every day. During music class, whenever it was time to ask questions...

She’d blurt out without thinking, “Lin Zishen, why don’t you answer this one?”

As it happened...

Ling Ling’s music class wasn’t like math, Chinese, English, physics, chemistry, or biology. Those classes sometimes got silence when the teacher asked a question. Her music class never did. Whenever she asked something, a whole bunch of students would raise their hands.

Especially the boys.

Especially one boy named Song Zhi… Dong… Ling Ling couldn’t quite remember his name. She only remembered that he raised his hand every time.

A few days earlier...

It was probably early November.

During music class with Senior Two, Class Three, Ling Ling asked a question, and a whole bunch of boys raised their hands. Song Zhidong—actually, Song Zhiqiu—was especially eager, calling out, “Me! Me! Me!”

Only Lin Zishen sat daydreaming in the corner, completely unresponsive.

She called on him directly. “Lin Zishen, would you come up with an answer to this question?”

Lin Zishen froze. He stood up, but he hadn’t been listening and had no idea what the teacher had asked. He made up an answer on the spot, making the whole class burst out laughing.

Five minutes later...

Ling Ling asked another question. Song Zhiqiu was calling out “Me! Me! Me!” again, but she still called on Lin Zishen.

Lin Zishen was completely baffled. He felt like this teacher was picking on him, but he couldn’t exactly say anything, so he made up another answer.

Ten minutes later...

Ling Ling asked yet another question. Song Zhiqiu was calling out “Me! Me! Me!” again, but she still called on Lin Zishen.

Fifteen minutes later...

Ling Ling asked again. Song Zhiqiu was still calling out “Me! Me! Me!” and she still called on Lin Zishen.

Twenty minutes later...

Ling Ling asked yet again. Neither Song Zhiqiu nor any of the other students reacted anymore. Everyone quietly turned to look at Lin Zishen.

The funniest part was, Ling Ling accidentally let it slip. She said, “Next, I’ll pick on… no… ask a question to one of you.”

Even funnier, Lin Zishen stood up on his own, his forehead practically covered in stress lines. He said helplessly, “Uh, Teacher Ling, no need to call on me. I’ll volunteer.”

The class burst into laughter again.

Ling Ling was taken aback at first, then she laughed too, her whole body shaking. She looked lovely.

Afterward, Lin Zishen kept wondering what he’d done wrong to offend this beautiful new teacher.

The other students didn’t think much of it. They simply figured Lin Zishen hadn’t been paying attention in class, so Teacher Ling wanted to teach him a lesson.

The truth was...

Even though Ling Ling often thought of Lin Zishen, and even deliberately interacted with him, she didn’t read anything into it. She didn’t think she had feelings for the boy at all. She just thought it was fun.

Don’t think that sounds far-fetched.

Ling Ling was twenty-one. She’d only ever liked one boy in her life, and she was especially slow when it came to romance. Besides, Lin Zishen was only sixteen or seventeen, and he was her student.

She really hadn’t thought of him that way. At least, not up to this point. Not at all.

Even the times she’d let her thoughts run wild before, she’d blamed it on being single her whole life and never having been around male hormones. Nothing more.

……

Late November.

If she remembered right, it was the day after Lin Zishen’s Senior Two sports meet. Ling Ling didn’t have classes or a shift in the school infirmary, and she was bored. Then she happened to see Ai Guo and the other members of the Street Dance Club saying in their group chat, “Let’s go watch Lin Zishen’s 200-meter final!”

She wandered over without thinking and found herself beside the flagpole above the track. Leaning against the railing with one hand propping up her chin, she quietly watched the boy below.

Speaking of...

Lin Zishen was wearing running shorts and spikes that day, showing off his strong thighs. Ling Ling saw them and covered her mouth, murmuring, “Whoa, that guy… is so thick…”

As soon as she said it, her cheeks turned red. She glanced around, relieved that none of the students nearby had heard.