* * * Continued from Part 2 * * * Morning.
First period.
“Hey, your fever still hasn’t subsided, why did you come to class! What if it gets more serious?!” Wei Guo Guo sat beside Xiao Mi, glaring at her. She really doesn’t get it, what’s with missing class. The doctor has already issued her medical leave, she shouldn’t be recorded for truancy.
Xiao Mi coughed lightly, and opened her book.
“The teacher supplements the class with a lot of additional material; reading the textbook by itself will miss out some knowledge.”
“Ha, is lessons more important, or your illness?”
Wei Guo Guo rolled her eyes.
“Please, does it matter if you learn well? You’ll definitely pass.”
Xiao Mi shook her head, smiling.
“Only those who work hard, and achieve excellent grades have the qualification to be an angel.”
“Angel?”
What’s that?
“Why do you want to be an angel?”
“Humans are in the company of other humans; flowers grow with flowers; birds flock with birds. Only an angel can be with another angel.” Xiao Mi explained as she read her book.
The more she explains, the more complicated it gets. Xiao Mi’s vision was in a blur.
The classroom door flew open!
The class’ attention flocked over in shock—
A languid face of indifference. Yi Tang Yao wore black fitting garments, with a huge NIKE bag slung over his shoulder, eyes expressionless. The door was swaying behind him.
“Him again, annoying! Why does he come to come to class everyday recently? Might as well skip class like before, it’s more peaceful for everyone.” Wei Guo Guo grumbled. The class door is always booted by him, it’s been fixed by the management office four, five times.
Yi Tang Yao stood there, his cold eyes sweeping through the class. His target found, he walked straight over. Wei Guo Guo’s eyes widened, stunned. What? He’s walking towards her and Xiao Mi!
“Xiao Mi!”
Wei Guo Guo growled. God, what does Yi Tang Yao want, hasn’t he hurt Xiao Mi enough?
In the instant Xiao Mi raised her head—
Yi Tang Yao arrived at Xiao Mi’s desk. The morning sunlight radiated round his back, his long shadow surrounding Xiao Mi.
“Why did you come?!”
His voice was harsh and unfeeling.
Xiao Mi started, and stood up, coughing. “Cough...... I came for class......”
“Yi Tang Yao, what’s with you shouting at Xiao Mi! Haven’t you harmed her enough, what are you going to do today to torment her! I’m telling you—“ Wei Guo Guo rattled off like a cannon. The class’ attention was on them.
“The doctor told you to rest!”
Yi Tang Yao paid no heed to Wei Guo Guo, who fumed in indignation. His voice remained fierce.
Xiao Mi was dazed.
Wei Guo Guo’s mouth gaped open, half-spoken words stuck in her throat. Her expression was almost comical.
Everyone was dumbfounded, and couldn’t comprehend the situation at the moment. That...... that Yi Tang Yao is showing concern for Xiao Mi?
&
ldquo;Don’t attend class, go back to the dormitory!” Yi Tang Yao lifted Xiao Mi’s bag off the desk, clumsily stuffing her books, notes and stationery into it. He didn’t even realise he had mistakenly placed Wei Guo Guo’s books inside as well.
“I...... I want to attend class......”
Xiao Mi grabbed her back, her voice in a whisper.
On the white bag were Yi Tang Yao’s hands, and Xiao Mi’s hands; they were barely 2cm apart. He tried to grab it away, yet she held on persistently.
Yi Tang Yao frowned, with an exasperated growl.
“Hey! You—“
Xiao Mi smiled at him.
Her eyes were crescent-like, and seemed to hold dew of a moonlit night. Her lips were pale, yet her smile was energized.
“...... I really don’t want to miss class......”
Yi Tang Yao glared at her for a long time.
Eventually—
He mumbled, disgruntled, “Whatever!” as he pushed her bag aside.
“Thanks.”
Xiao Mi’s voice was so light, it was like a whisper. Only Wei Guo Guo beside her could hear it, and only Wei Guo saw Yi Tang Yao’s face turn red for a moment.
Yi Tang Yao turned away.
Suddenly, a deep breath. From his expression, it seemed like he was agonizing over something. A low curse, and he turned around again, lowering his NIKE bag from his shoulder. He took from within—
A bottle of medicine!
A packet of pills!
A box of tablets!
Another packet of pills!
At the end of it was a thermal flask!
Xiao Mi and Wei Guo Guo were bewildered, as they stared at the bottles and packets of medicine, of all sizes, that appeared on the desk like magic. They were completely taken aback, even the class was.
“Eat every single one of these!”
Yi Tang Yao instructed stiffly. He turned, and strode to the seat most isolated in the classroom.
All...... all of it?
Has Yi Tang Yao moved every flu medicine from the pharmacy here? To eat everything, it’ll cause problems.
Wei Guo Guo fell onto the desk, as she exploded into laughter.
Xiao Mi twisted the cap of the flask, with a bitter smile.
Steam rose.
Wei Guo Guo was stunned. “Oh, Yi Tang Yao could actually be considerate for once!”
Xiao Mi hugged the flask, and couldn’t help but turn her head towards Yi Tang Yao, who sat at the back of the class with a cold gaze towards the window outside. Her heart was soft, as if it was squashed by a heavy object.
The weather these few days were really abnormal.
The end of May should have been burning hot, yet the cold air has stayed for three, four days. The classroom felt cool and chilly.
The teacher was lecturing on the stand.
Xiao Mi paid close attention, scribing notes diligently. She felt cold, and had the urge to cough, yet she was afraid of disturbing the class.
“You don’t look okay.” Wei Guo Guo whispered.
Xiao Mi shook her head, smiling, forcing herself to look as if everything was all right. Since she herself decided to come to class, she can’t be disrupting the others because of a little flu.
Resisting the cough.
Suppressing the chill in her body.
Restraining the giddiness in her head.
The pen scribbled notes on the paper; sounds of scratching. Xiao Mi concentrated her energy on forgetting the discomfort, to listen to what Mr Qing was saying. But, because she was trying too hard not to cough, her lungs felt like they would explode. Her breathing quickened, as her face flushed crimson.
“Bam!”
The sound of a bag thrown on the desk.
The class turned their heads to see Yi Tang Yao standing with a straight face, his bag hanging on his shoulder. He extracted an mp3 from his jean pocket coolly, pressing down on its button; walked to the front of the stand and slammed it down on the desk. He verbalized to the teacher.
“Speak towards the mp3 all that content below, louder!”
The teacher was astonished. Before he could speak, all Yi Tang Yao left him was his shadow.
Yi Tang Yao walked to the front of Xiao Mi, his expression gloomy.
Xiao Mi wanted to say something, flustered. But his expression was so cold, she couldn’t think of what to tell him at that moment.
Yi Tang Yao said nothing as well.
He slightly bent down—
His left arm hooked under her knees, his right supporting her back. Like a hurricane, Xiao Mi was lifted in the air in his arms!
“What are you doing--?!”
Xiao Mi gasped, struggling vigorously in his embrace. Under anxiety and embarrassment, her coughs couldn’t be suppressed any longer. She flew into fits of coughs, choking in air, as her frail body shuddered.
“The clinic.” Yi Tang Yao’s lips curled, answering her as he walked. “It’s on record, it won’t affect your listening to class!”
“Cough! Cough, cough! Put me down! Quick......” Xiao Mi screamed in between coughs, trying to wriggle out of his arms.
“Shut up!”
Yi Tang Yao growled!
His left arm exerted strength, and her head landed hard against his chest with a ‘bam’! Ugh...... her face was buried in his clothes, in a death grip. Her lips were restrained; she couldn’t open them, couldn’t breathe, much less voice an objection against him.
The teacher, as well as the class were long stunned immobile.
Just like that—
Yi Tang Yao strode out of the class, with Xiao Mi in his arms, face void of expression.