The morning bell echoed through the hallways of Haidong No.1 High School, its sharp clang pulling yawns from half-asleep students. Lin Xinya—slipped into the classroom, clutching her faded canvas bag close. Her body still ached from the late-night shift at the milk tea shop, and the sweet scent of sugar and cream clung stubbornly to her sleeves. She kept her eyes down, praying to slip unnoticed into her seat.
Everybody was already settled in their places.
When Xinya was about to be seated three girls came up to her .
These girls were the popular bullies of haidong number 1 high school who always picked on Xinya .
"Everybody say hello to our part-time princess " said bully (1) while snorting
Her face was full of pride .
Everybody at the back row started laughing.
"Hey , be careful she might charge you 20 yuans for talking to her " said bully (2) while grinning
While boys near the window chuckled while others whispered among themselves " she works part-time every night , no wonder she always looks her dead "
Bully (3) leaned forward and plucked xinya's notebook from her desk and dropped it on the floor with a smirk on her face and said " Oops "
Xinya bent slowly, picked up her notebook, and brushed the dust off the cover. She placed it back on the desk, flipping it open with the same steady calmness, her face blank, her fingers unhurried.
"Tch! ignoring us again, think you are better than everyone ? " Remarked bully (1)
" She is so weird , she doesn't even fight back " whispered bully (2)
The bullies went back to their seats upon hearing the footsteps of the teacher.
Xinya sat tall, pen in hand, her composure unshaken—like their words had never touched her at all.
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the classroom windows, warm and lazy, painting the desks in shades of gold. Miss Zhang droned on about equations, her voice steady but unchanging, like the ticking of a clock.
At the back of the classroom Lin Xinya rested her chin on her palm trying to stay awake. Her eyelids drooped despite her effort to sit upright, and a faint yawn escaped before she could stop it. She barely glanced at the board, her mind wandering as she fought the urge to doze off.
Time passed by , Miss Zhang still writing the formulas on the board . Half the class furiously scribbled notes; the other half stared blankly
Finally, the sharp clang of the bell cut through the air.
" Class dismissed" declared Miss Zhang
Xinya packed her notebook quickly and left the classroom without a glance at anyone else.
Like always, she was the first one out, leaving the room buzzing with quiet whispers from her classmates.
"She's always like that—last to arrive, first to leave," one girl murmured.
" Maybe she is leaving quickly for her part time job " replied another girl
" God knows how many part time job she does " another added .
Across the classroom, Zhou Yichen collected his things casually, paying little attention to the chatter around him. He exited the classroom later, not noticing Xinya rushing ahead, their paths never crossing.
By evening Xinya was already in her work uniform , balancing trays at a busy coffee shop .
The work was tiring and not too well paying yet she did it because it was keeping her focused and away from too many thoughts.
Thoughts about her family . Thoughts about how her life used to be .
When her shift ended, she checked her phone. A supermarket alert blinked on the screen: limited stock on meat at a nearby store.
She had enquired earlier this week with the staff of supermarket that there is going to be a 70% discount.
She hurried toward the store without wasting a second.
Meanwhile, Yichen had changed into casual clothes and was walking down the street when his phone buzzed.
His dad had called
Yichen answered his phone right away
"Zhou Yichen, buy some meat on your way back" said his dad
"Got it," he replied, slipping his hands into his pockets as he headed toward the nearest supermarket.
Inside, the store was bustling with families, students, and elderly shoppers all rushing to grab bargains. Yichen pushed his cart slowly, scanning the shelves until he reached the meat section. There—under a bright yellow sticker—sat the very last box of fresh meat, marked 70% off.
He stretched out his hand, casual and unhurried, but before he could pick it up—
Snatch!
Another hand darted in, faster and more determined than his.
The box was gone.
Yichen blinked, surprised. The girl hugged the pack tightly and darted toward the counter.
"Thank god," she whispered, breathless, though loud enough for him to hear. "I made it in time… the last piece, and seventy percent off."
She placed it on the counter, exhaling in relief as the cashier scanned it. Her lips curved into a small, victorious smile.
She was finally going to have some meat after weeks .
If it wasn't for the 70% discount she couldn't afford it .
Meanwhile
Yichen froze, still holding his cart handle. That voice, that movement, even the way she looked—something tugged at his memory.
Wait… isn't that…
His eyes narrowed. Lin Xinya.
The quiet girl from the back of his classroom. The one who always slipped in just before attendance and vanished the moment class ended.
And now here she was, clinging to a discounted piece of meat like it was the most precious thing in the world.
"…She's really in my class?" he murmured under his breath, while she collected her bag and hurried out of the store without noticing him.
Zhou yichen also left this supermarket and went to another one to buy meat for his father.
Zhou yichen told himself that he is going to confirm whether it was really Xinya or not "
Will this event strike up the first interaction between our female lead and male lead ?
Stay tuned to find out
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