On one hand, Lu Mingxuan was happy that this troublesome spirit would stop bothering him, but on the other hand, he felt that the situation wasn't quite right.
Now? Silence.
Peace.
Bliss.
Or so he thought.
On the other hand, Lu Mingxuan couldn't help but feel... unsettled.
A little too quiet. A little too peaceful. Like when your annoying neighbor who always borrowed sugar suddenly stops knocking — not because they bought their own, but because they're planning something suspicious. Or dead.
It just didn't sit right with him.
Shouldn't she have come groveling back by now?
Shouldn't she have asked — whined, even — about why she was blacklisted?
But instead, she was memorizing ancient Chinese prose like it was some love letter from a celebrity crush, completely unfazed by his existence.
At some point, Lu Mingxuan started drumming his fingers on the table. Tap, tap, tap.
Still no reaction.
He exaggerated a yawn.
Nothing.
Then, very intentionally, he gave the loudest stretch known to man, complete with a dramatic groan and cracking knuckles, like an actor in a badly dubbed martial arts film.
Still.
Not even a glance.
Finally, when the test papers were handed out, Lu Mingxuan didn't even bother reading the first question.
He scribbled his name across the top of the page with all the effort of a dying artist signing his last masterpiece.
Then — flop. He fell forward onto his desk and went to sleep like he'd just completed a ten-hour shift as a coal miner.
***
The two days of the monthly examination passed very quickly.
After the last exam ended, Lu Qingyan watched as the students in the exam room who originally appeared sickly and lifeless suddenly resembled mentally ill patients that lost all restraints as they bounced spiritedly at a flying speed to hand in the test papers. The class immediately became very lively.
Lu Qingyan watched with a calm expression as the zombie-like students, moments ago slumped over their desks like corpses at a crime scene, suddenly sprang to life.
"LET'S GOOOOOO!" someone screamed as they launched out of their seat, their test paper flying dramatically into the air like a graduation cap.
"I'M FREE! I'M ALIVE!" another student shouted while doing the chicken dance on their way to the front.
When Lu Qingyan returned to her classroom to grab her bag, she happened to run into Peng Jianda.
"Xiao Yan, how was it?"
Lu Qingyan casually responded, "It was okay."
The nearby Tang Jie rolled his eyes.
***
Lately, she'd been cooking for herself since the helper auntie went on a break for surgery.
It wasn't that hard — a few burned eggs, a couple of overcooked noodles, and a tragic attempt at congee later, and she was officially surviving.
Speaking of it, she had already been in this world for quite some time, and not meeting the original host's father was understandable as they lived far apart, but she also hadn't seen a glimpse of the mother that lived with her. She'd only answered a few phone calls and responded to a few WeChat messages from her.
The woman's voice was cold and indifferent. She mostly asked about her academics and body, she didn't care about anything else.
But for some reason, Lu Qingyan always had a sense of familiarity when she listened to the voice messages sent in WeChat, as if she had heard it somewhere before.
She recently purposely wandered around campus and found a milk tea shop that couldn't be considered close or far. It was very suitable for doing homework.
Originally, she was attracted by the name of the milk tea shop. It was called "Harbor" and although the decorations of the shop were simple, it was clean. The shop had two small tables.
The shop owner was a very temperamental aunt. But Lu Qingyan had a sweet mouth, so she succeeded in befriending her.
Afterward, Lu Qingyan learned that this aunt's surname was Liu, so Lu Qingyan called her Sister Liu. And whenever Lu Qingyan called her that, Aunt Liu would laugh nonstop with her eyes squinted and mouth covered. The two had an easy time conversing.
Over time, Aunt Liu also liked to share some of her matters with Lu Qingyan.
"I have a nephew who is about your age and also in high school."
"He's around your age. Smart, but gloomy. Always locked in his head. Doesn't talk much. His parents are both successful professionals, so they expect him to be just like them."
Every time Aunt Liu talked about her nephew, her feelings of powerlessness seeped through her words despite her efforts of concealing it.
"Poor kid doesn't even have real friends."
Lu Qingyan leaned her cheek against her hand. "He must be under a lot of pressure."
Aunt Liu nodded. "If he could be as lively as you, I'd worry less. But he's like a little turtle hiding in a shell all day."
Finally, one day, Lu Qingyan couldn't help but said, "If we're the same age, then we should be able to talk well together."
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, Aunt Liu raised her eyes to look at her, the eyes were almost shining.
Seeing such an expectant gaze, Lu Qingyan added a few more words, "And my grades are pretty good. If he's at the same grade as me or one level lower, I can also discuss study topics with him. Not saying it will help him much, but he should be able to at least gain something."
Aunt Liu looked touched, but hesitated. "This boy... he doesn't know how to get along with others. Sometimes he says things without realizing how harsh they sound."
Lu Qingyan laughed. "That's nothing. Let me tell you, my seatmate is the most difficult person in the entire school. I'm not joking. I guarantee, if I can get along with him, I can get along with anyone."
Aunt Liu chuckled. "Really that bad?"
Lu Qingyan nodded seriously. She took a sip of her milk tea, then added with a smirk, "But I've managed to survive sitting next to him for weeks. Trust me, your nephew can't be worse."