Chapter 16

On Sunday morning, Lin Miaomiao and Wang Shengnan are fighting again.

Wang Shengnan knocks on the bathroom door. "Miaomiao, I told you to stop playing games while on the toilet." 

"I'm not playing," Lin Miaomiao said while holding her phone. She thought her mother would not make a fuss here.

"I thought you were done pooping; why are you pooping again? How many times will you poop?" 

"You said that poop is toxic and needs to be released. You can control the earth and the sky; how can you control when I go to the toilet?" Lin Miaomiao responded.

Lin Dawei, who is sitting on the sofa, can't help but reprimand Wang Shengnan. "Let the kid take a break. Do you have anything to do today? Why do you keep nagging her?" He stood up and knocked on the bathroom door. "Miaomiao, take it slowly; don't mind your mother."

...

Wang Shengnan carefully placed more food on Miaomiao's plate. "Eat up; after this meal, you'll be heading back to school. It'll be another week before we get to see each other again." Her tone carried a hint of sadness.

"Miaomiao, don't forget to eat more. Your mother put a lot of effort into making this delicious meal," Lin Dawei chimed in cheerfully.

"Of course, Dad, you eat too," Miaomiao replied with a smile.

But Wang Shengnan's expression turned stern as she directed her gaze at Lin Dawei. "How can you be so cheerful knowing you won't see your child for a week?"

Lin Dawei: "This is the 3rd Act."

Act 3: Bittersweet Farewell. As Sunday afternoon approaches, the atmosphere shifts once again. Lin Miaomiao begins packing her belongings, preparing to return to school for the week ahead. Wang Shengnan watches silently; her heart is heavy.

...

Lin Miaomiao is hugging her stuffed animal, 'Lin Haohao'. She was watching Wang Shengnan repack some food for Lin Miaomiao.

"Drink this yogurt every day. I washed the fruit, and you eat it directly. This is your dinner; eat it when you get to school. Be sure to clean this up; the lunch box last time became moldy." 

"Mom, I need pocket money."

"For what? You have everything you need. Lin Dawei, hurry up!" she shouted and went outside the door.

Lin Dawei secretly gives Lin Miaomiao pocket money. Lin Miaomiao was spoiled by his father.

...

Lin Dawei was driving the car when Wang Shengnan noticed Miaomiao's restlessness.

"You're just headed to school, not facing a life sentence. Why the long face?" she teased gently.

Lin Miaomiao's eyes were dull, and she said, full of bitterness, "There's a weekly exam tonight. It feels like I'm being summoned to my own grave."

Wang Shengnan turned around and said, "What is the point of being anxious now? Why are you not in a hurry when playing games? Also, you hung out with Ye Bai yesterday even though you know there was an upcoming exam. I'll have a word with that kid next time."

"It's not Ye Bai's fault; he actually encouraged me to study," Miaomiao defended. She doesn't want Ye Bai to get in trouble because of her work.

Wang Shengnan also understands Lin Miaomiao; this kid is really lazy, especially when studying. "Hmph, he may have tried, but you clearly didn't listen to his advice. You're in high school now, Miaomiao; time to start acting like it. Your school should keep us informed about these exams and assignments. I'll make sure to bring it up at the next parent-teacher meeting," Shengnan declared firmly.

Lin Miaomiao lies down on the backseat of the car. "Don't mention it, Mom! Can you please spare me?" she said bitterly.

... 

When they arrived, Lin Miaomiao hastily grabbed her food and ran towards the gate. "I'm leaving. Bye-bye!"

"Slow down," Lin Dawei called out.

"Don't run!" Wang Shengnan cautioned.

Once inside the campus, Wang Shengnan fell into a familiar sense of loneliness. "My heart is empty again."

Lin Dawei glanced at his wife. "When you're with your daughter, you pinch her; when she leaves, you miss her. You should be gentler with Miaomiao."

"Care leads to chaos. How can a mother be detached from her child?" Shengnan sighed, her gaze lingering on the school gates.

...

Every Sunday, this is the Lin Miaomiao routine. She ran quickly to her dorm room and closed the door fast. When Deng Xiaoqi saw this, "What are you doing?" 

Lin Miaomiao put the food on top of the table and took out the stuffed animal she was hiding inside her shirt. "Tada~ "

Deng Xiaoqi was surprised. "Wow, puppy!" She excitedly went to her bed and showed him a stuffed toy. "Wait a minute, we can be friends with my kitten." and show it to Miaomiao.

"Hello, my name is Lin Haohao," Miaomiao said.

"Let's hide it before Hongying sees it." They hurriedly hide it under their pillows.

...

Ye Bai walks tiredly as he explores his phone all night. Initially, he intended to watch a few movies on his browser, but soon found himself fascinated by the differences between Earth and Bluestar. Some earthly creations were absent in Bluestar, captivating Ye Bai's attention to the point of forgetting about sleep. When he found out that it was already morning, he hurriedly tidied up his things for the upcoming week.

When Jiang Tianhao saw Ye Bai's condition, he teased, "Don't overdo it. We are growing teenagers, and it's bad for our bodies. Take it easy."

When Ye Bai heard what Jiang Tianhao said, "I just overworked from reviewing the lesson; you know there is an upcoming exam and I slept late," Lying came naturally to him, a skill honed through his acting career. Sometimes, believing in something you don't truly believe becomes necessary.

"Oh, I thought. Hehe." Jiang Tianhao scratched his head. 

"Let me catch a quick nap. Tianhaozi, wake me up when you leave," Ye Bai requested before directly lying on his bed.

...

By the time Ye Bai and Jiang Tianhao arrived in the classroom, Zhang Rongbao was already sitting in the front. 

Many students were flipping through their notes, trying to cram in some last-minute keywords. Ye Bai couldn't help but chuckle when he noticed Lin Miaomiao intensely studying her notes, looking like she wanted to devour them with her eyes.

~Bell~

The sound of the bell ringing snapped Miaomiao out of her concentration and sighed in resignation.

Zhang Rongbao started handing out the test papers. "Alright, everyone, put away your notes and textbooks. Let's see what you've learned last week. I expect everyone to take this exam seriously."

Ye Bai excitedly scanned the exam and found that he could answer the question quickly. Every time he reads and opens his memory, his mind is like a search engine. As he thinks about the keyword of the question, some textbook will find its way into his mind and show the right answer.

In the classroom, only two students stood out among the rest: Ye Bai, who was happily answering the exam, and Qian Sanyi, who looked thoroughly bored.

...

Lin Miaomiao lay on her desk, hopeless. Deng Xiaoqi is giving her a hand massage. "My brain is burned out."

Miaomiao turned around and, noticing Ye Bai's fatigued expression, couldn't resist asking, "Xiaobai, what happened to your eyes?"

"I stayed up a bit late reviewing last night," Ye Bai lied. He lays his head on the table and tries to take a power nap.

"That explains it. You kind of resembled Zhang Rongbao when I first saw you," Miaomiao remarked, nodding knowingly.

Deng Xiaoqi giggled, and even Qian Sanyi, seated at the back near Miaomiao, cracked a smile.

When Ye Bai heard Miaomiao teasing, he sat up. "Seriously, I might need to call Auntie and share your grade after this exam. She'd probably be thrilled," he teased, as if struck by a brilliant idea.

Miaomiao was taken aback. "Xiaobai, I was just joking. You're the most handsome Zhang Rongbao I've ever seen," she said, attempting to flatter him. Wang Shengnan is her mortal enemy in studying more than her teachers.

"Cut it out! I know I'm handsome; I don't need your flattery," Ye Bai retorted with a grin. "Right, Sanyi?"

Sanyi unconsciously nodded in agreement, leaving Miaomiao and Deng Xiaoqi stunned.

Curious, Miaomiao asked, "Since when did you two become close?" She didn't see these to communicate here in the school.

Ye Bai: "Sanyi is my neighbor; we live in the same apartment."

Lin Miaomiao glanced at Qian Sanyi, choosing to ignore him.

...

Sports Field

All the students changed their clothes. Blue pants and a blue jacket—this is the uniform for physical education. 

The teacher started pairing the students. Maybe because they are both handsome and their heights are not far apart. "Ye Bai and Qian Sanyi, you will be partners. Help your partner with the physical fitness exam." Teacher, look at all the students. "All the boys will go to the soccer field; the girls will stay here at the playground."

Miaomiao and Xiaoqi are partnered, and they started to take their statistics. After that, they will do the physical exercise. 

Ye Bai was helping Qian Sanyi do sit-ups. Qian Sanyi looks at Ye Bai and asks, "Why are you absent-minded? I already finished my task, and you are still holding my feet."

Ye Bai woke up and tried to find a particular person: "Did you see Jiang Tianhao?" 

Qian Sanyi: "I saw him running to the vending machine; maybe he was thirsty."

Ye Bai quickly stood up and ran to the playground, where the females did their physical exam.

...