02

Class 9, Grade 12, was known for its lackluster academic performance. Compared to the classes upstairs, where students clung to every second of study time and you could barely hear a whisper during breaks, Class 9 was a haven of carefree chaos. Every recess was filled with lively chatter, snacks, games, and the general vibe of students who had given up trying.

Amidst the crowd of students chatting, reading novels, gaming, and munching on snacks, one person stood out—Zai Ye, lounging by the window, absorbed in his phone.

He was playing a newly released game. Of course, for Boss Zai, who had traveled back from more than a decade in the future, this was already a nostalgic relic of the past.

Qian, perched on his lap, watched him play for a bit before quickly losing interest. She hopped down and began toddling around the classroom on her short legs.

Zai Ye was too immersed in the game to notice her wandering off. When he finally snapped back to reality, he looked up just in time to see Qian pulling an already opened bottle of yogurt from a classmate’s desk across the aisle.

“Daddy, look! They have White Rabbit Yogurt here!” she shouted excitedly.

It was Qian’s favorite yogurt. Since transferring to this school, Zai Ye had scoured several large supermarkets but hadn’t been able to find it anywhere. Every time he offered her a different brand, she would sigh dramatically, her little face filled with disappointment.

No one else could see Qian, so to everyone else, it looked like a bottle of yogurt had floated out of a desk and was now hovering mid-air.

Zai Ye lunged forward and snatched the yogurt out of the air, whispering urgently, “Don’t mess around! Someone might see you!”

Just as he said that, Xiao Di, who had been chatting with someone and had just turned back, caught sight of Zai Ye holding her yogurt, looking confused.

Zai Ye: “…”

“It fell out. I picked it up for you,” Zai Ye said coolly, salvaging a shred of dignity as he placed the yogurt back on her desk.

“Oh, hahaha, thanks! Want some? It’s actually pretty good. I’ve got two more bottles,” Xiao Di said cheerfully, placing another yogurt on Zai Ye’s desk and scooting her chair closer. “Hey, you’re playing Thunder X Gun too? How are you at it? We’re short one for our team—wanna join?”

The students in Class 9 had been curious about the handsome, aloof transfer student for a while. Especially those seated near him—they’d wanted to talk to him, but his aura was so intimidating no one dared approach.

But thanks to a bottle of yogurt breaking the ice, Zai Ye’s defenses were breached. A group of rowdy boys pulled him into their gaming squad.

Sitting calmly in the middle of a boisterous crowd of teenage boys, Zai Ye played the game with practiced ease. After just two rounds, he’d already been promoted to “Bro Ye.” All around him were cries of “Bro Ye, you’re a legend!” “Bro Ye, save me!” “Bro Ye, carry me! I wanna be strapped to your belt forever!”

It had been a long time since anyone called him Bro Ye. Back in the day, because of illness and other reasons, he started school two years later than his peers. By the time he reached high school, he was the oldest in the class. The younger boys loved trailing after him, calling him Bro Ye like he was their big brother.

Between game rounds, Zai Ye noticed his mischievous daughter circling the yogurt on the desk like a cat, clearly wanting a sip but too afraid of being seen. With a sigh, he reached over and stuck a straw into the bottle.

Qian let out a gleeful cheer and, when no one was looking, darted in for a sip.

Having helped her ancient old dad blend in with the youth crowd using a single bottle of yogurt, Qian happily finished the drink, then crouched beside the desk, eyes sparkling as she stared at the remaining bottles.

Zai Ye glanced at her again and again. Honestly, had she no shame? It’s not like he ever starved her. Just this morning, she’d had a whole basket of soup dumplings, a cup of soy milk, and two hot dogs. During class, she’d even gnawed through three lollipops.

Noticing that their newly recruited Bro Ye kept glancing toward her desk, Xiao Di looked over and was surprised to see that the yogurt she’d given him was already gone.

When did he drink it? Who would've thought this cool, aloof guy actually liked yogurt?

“Bro Ye, I’ve got two more bottles! All yours!” Xiao Di offered them up generously. Just the other day, someone had been complaining that Bro Ye was too stuck-up. But come on—someone who loves yogurt can’t be arrogant. Our Bro Ye is just introverted! Deep down, he’s got a childlike heart!

Zai Ye wanted to refuse, but Qian had already snatched the two bottles up into her arms.

Zai Ye: “…Thanks. Where did you buy this yogurt?”

And just like that, the entire class now knew: Bro Ye loved White Rabbit Yogurt.

Meanwhile, in Class 3, Grade 11, Zhang Qinghe’s deskmate Jiemei closed her romance novel halfway through and turned to look at her.

Zhang Qinghe was a top student, always ranked number one in class and hovering in the top three of the entire grade. While Jiemei struggled to understand the basic lessons, Qinghe not only kept up but also had energy left to do extra assignments her older brother gave her.

Today was a rare sight—Qinghe wasn’t buried in textbooks but was flipping through a different book. Curious, Jiemei leaned over and asked, “Hehe, what are you reading? A novel?”

One glance at the dense, dark text and the plain formatting made Jiemei’s head spin. She didn’t even need to read the details to know—it definitely wasn’t a novel.

She looked at the cover. A plain red background with bold, unadorned characters: *Principles of Marxist Philosophy*. Jiemei was utterly baffled.

“Hehe, why are you reading this?”

Zhang Qinghe didn’t even look up, her expression serious. “It gives me a sense of security.”

Jiemei: I don’t get it.

Jiemei’s attitude toward life mirrored her approach to school: if she didn’t understand something, she just let it go. When the time came, she’d get it eventually.

“Hehe, let’s go to the bathroom!” she suggested.

Going to the bathroom together was a time-honored tradition of schoolgirl friendship. Even Zhang Qinghe couldn’t escape it.

“Alright.” She closed the book and walked out with Jiemei.

Jiemei glanced at the book in her hand and asked after a moment of silence, “Why are you bringing that book to the bathroom?”

Zhang Qinghe replied, “For self-defense.”

Jiemei: Still don’t get it.

Lately, her deskmate had become really hard to understand.

After they returned from the bathroom, Jiemei had already forgotten about Qinghe’s odd behavior and eagerly launched into a discussion about the novel she’d been reading.

“It’s an office romance! The male lead is the CEO of a big company—cold and domineering. The female lead is his secretary. They secretly date behind their coworkers’ backs. So sweet!”

Zhang Qinghe gave her verdict: “Why would anyone want to date their boss? You get exploited at work, then have to go home and see your boss’s face again. If you accidentally wake up in the middle of the night and see your boss lying next to you, it’d be a nightmare.”

To Zhang Qinghe, work was work and marriage was something else entirely. Dating your boss? That’s just asking for trouble.

Jiemei wasn’t offended. She was used to Qinghe’s lack of romantic flair.

“If you don’t like office romances, what do you like? School stories? Oh! I just read one about a school tyrant. The cold, aloof bad boy fights for the female lead and only ever smiles at her. So sweet! I totally imagined him as Zai Ye from Grade 12 while reading it, hehe!”

Zhang Qinghe instantly felt her hair stand on end. She stopped her deskmate from continuing and clutched her Marxist Philosophy book tightly. “Go on, tell me more about that CEO and his secretary.”

During the large afternoon PE class, students from Grade 10, 11, and 12 shared the field. It was divided into three sections, but once free activity time began, everyone quickly mingled together.

Zhang Qinghe sat under the shade of a tree, scribbling in a math workbook.

Qian had come to PE class with her dad, but he’d been roped into a basketball game by his new buddies. Spotting her mom sitting alone at the edge of the field, Qian instantly forgot her dad’s warnings and ran toward Zhang Qinghe with little pattering footsteps.

The moment Zhang Qinghe sensed someone approaching and saw Qian, her heart clenched. The blood drained from her already pale face.

Still, her expression remained calm. Her gaze swept past Qian without a flicker of recognition, and she lowered her head to continue working on the problem.

Only now, the pen that had been moving swiftly slowed down. As Qian leaned in to peek, she saw the blank space on the page dotted with a dozen tiny black marks, but no further writing. It was as if Zhang Qinghe were deep in thought, figuring out how to solve the problem.

Qian squatted in front of her, resting her chin in her hands, and sighed as she stared at her mother’s youthful face. Why couldn’t Mom see her?

Zhang Qinghe put down the math workbook and picked up her ever-present Marxist Philosophy book, flipping it open.

Qian, tired of squatting, got up and sat beside her. Their clothes brushed against each other.

Zhang Qinghe took a deep breath.

She pulled out her phone, opened her music app, and hit play.

*March of the Volunteers*

*The Yellow River Cantata*

…

Zhang Qinghe listened as the little ghost girl beside her not only showed no fear, but even started singing along, swaying her head and kicking her feet to the rhythm. Her skirt brushed against Zhang Qinghe with every movement.

Zhang Qinghe switched to the next track.

A Taoist chant for guiding lost souls.

A Buddhist monk reciting sutras.

…

Yeah, none of it worked.

Qian was oblivious. She just thought the songs her mom had liked as a teenager were really weird.

Zai Ye had been playing basketball for a while when he glanced toward the edge of the field and noticed that the child who was supposed to be sitting quietly was nowhere to be seen. His eyelid twitched. He tossed the ball to someone else and headed off to look.

He didn’t have to search long. There they were—Zhang Qinghe and Qian, sitting side by side under the trees.

Zai Ye strode over in big steps.