Daydreaming about Me

Chapter 11

Lin Yujing felt that she was a very calm and abstinent person with a very good temper. She could usually tolerate most things, self-regulate a bit, take a deep breath, recite a couple of Buddhist scriptures silently, and she wouldn’t get angry.

Life is like a play; we come together because of fate. So, why bother?

But when your life is filled with idiots, idiots, idiots, and a hundred frustrations, it becomes very hard to remain calm and composed.

Lin Yujing felt that she and this city were probably a bad match. Even eating rice noodles, she could run into idiots.

She always thought that such bullying tactics were something only middle school kids did.

She glanced at the three girls opposite her and felt a bit annoyed.

She really didn’t want to fight with girls.

It’s troublesome and very unsightly.

Shen Juan had no particular opinion on what to eat. He left it all to He Songnan and the others to decide. He Songnan had been craving the rice noodles from the shop near the school for quite a while. A large group of them walked over, and as they reached the rice noodle shop, He Songnan peeked inside: “Ah, no seats. Let’s go somewhere else.”

“Okay,” Shen Juan nodded and was about to keep walking when something caught his eye, making him pause.

“Let’s go get some fried rice noodles then? Hurry up, it’s already past twelve. After eating, I want to go back and take a nap,” He Songnan said as he walked ahead. After taking a few steps and not seeing the others following, he turned back.

Shen Juan was still standing outside the rice noodle shop, a cigarette between his teeth, unlit, staring inside without moving.

He Songnan walked back a few steps, following his gaze inside, but didn’t notice anything unusual: “What’s up? Someone you know?”

“Yeah,” Shen Juan, with the cigarette in his mouth, replied, “someone I know.”

He Songnan looked carefully again and recognized someone, pointing inside: “Hey, isn’t that Li Shiqi? Not easy, huh? You still remember her? I thought you’d forgotten long ago.”

Shen Juan turned his head, confused: “Who?”

“…The class beauty who was in your class before,” He Songnan said. “Come on, Juan Ye, don’t say that in front of her. She chased you for over a year.”

“Ah…” Shen Juan had no memory of her. He looked up and saw the girl pouring an entire bottle of vinegar into the bowl of the girl opposite her.

He Songnan saw it too, his eyes widening: “Isn’t that Xu Ruyi?” Shen Juan did remember the name Xu Ruyi.

Back when he was in Class Three, there was a little stutterer who sat behind him, spoke very little, and blushed easily. Shen Juan hardly ever brought pens to class during his first year of high school, always borrowing from her, which over a year had developed into a friendship where they could exchange a few words.

He later learned from idle chatter that the girl was from a rural area, with no money at home, but a top student brought in with a full scholarship and aid.

Inside the rice noodle shop, Li Shiqi and her two friends were slapping the table, laughing, pouring out the vinegar while Xu Ruyi sat there with her head down, silent.

The girls laughed even harder.

He Songnan, shocked, thought about going in when he heard a clear, pleasant female voice: “Are you brainless?”

Li Shiqi froze.

So did He Songnan. He tilted his head, looking at the girl who spoke. She had a beautiful and familiar profile, fair skin, simple high ponytail, neatly worn school uniform, with a glimpse of a white neck above the collar, the lines looking soft and slender.

He Songnan recognized her—absolutely unmistakable.

The one with “who do you think you are” written all over her face, Juan Ye’s queen.

The queen’s tone was sharp: “I’m your godfather. Either shut your mouth and eat quietly, or your godfather will teach you some manners and decency.”

Her words were enough to stir anyone to fight, filled with contempt, disdain, irritation, and a bit of “I’m your grandpa, you’re my grandson” arrogance.

This line was too smooth, clearly a well-traveled sister.

He Songnan couldn’t help but whistle, turning to look at Shen Juan beside him.

Juan Ye wasn’t looking at him, squinting, the unlit cigarette between his teeth, grinding his teeth.

Early September, the weather was still hot, the small shop packed with tables and people, making it even hotter. Lin Yujing sat with her back to the door, not seeing who was outside. The three girls opposite her were laughing in anger. One slapped the table and stood up, leaning in to look at her, glancing at her uniform sleeve: “Are you crazy? Chatting with my classmate and you act like this? Godfather, huh? You must be good at finding godfathers, huh? A high school sophomore—”

Lin Yujing didn’t say a word. She glanced at the table, the rice noodle pot just served, the soup boiling hot, which could cause burns if poured on the head.

She was measured. One hand pushed the pot away, and with the other, she pressed the girl’s head down onto the table with a bang.

The girl didn’t expect her to act directly, unable to react, her face hitting the greasy table. She screamed, struggling to lift her head, but was firmly held down.

“Watch your mouth, be kind,” Lin Yujing said, leaning in her ear, “or next time, I’ll press your head into the pot.”

The girl with the red string reacted, reaching out to grab her. Lin Yujing stood up, leaning back to dodge, not letting go of the girl’s head, grabbing the red string girl’s uniform collar with the other hand, kicking the plastic chair she had just sat on into the girl’s knee, and throwing her aside by the collar.

The space was cramped. The girl couldn’t stand firm, the impact causing her to fall sideways, knocking over a stack of blue plastic chairs.

The shop was in chaos, with girls screaming and chairs toppling. The shop owner rushed out from the kitchen, and the marshmallow girl beside Lin Yujing was scared stiff, tears still on her face, stretching out a trembling hand to pull Lin Yujing’s uniform: “Don’t… don’t fight, don’t, fighting, plea… plea…”

Lin Yujing looked down at her, the marshmallow girl shrinking into a ball, crying, her shoulders shaking.

She grabbed her hand and pulled her up, walking outside.

Little Marshmallow stumbled but obediently followed her. As they reached the door, a few people were standing there. Lin Yujing didn’t even lift her head, brushed past them, and led the girl across the street, turning onto another road.

This street had fewer restaurants, and there was a convenience store nearby. Lin Yujing glanced at the girl beside her, walked into the store, and bought a handful of lollipops, handing her a strawberry-flavored one.

The girl had stopped crying and was sitting on the steps outside the convenience store, wiping her eyes, looking pitiful.

Lin Yujing sighed and sat next to her. “Why are you crying? If someone bullies you, you should fight back. After a couple of beatings, they’ll stop. Crying won’t make them stop bullying you in the future. The easier you are to bully, the more they’ll bully you.”

The girl clutched the lollipop, her eyes red, and said, “I can’t fight back.”

“If you can’t fight, then curse. If that doesn’t work, use tricks,” Lin Yujing said, picking up a lychee-flavored lollipop, unwrapping it, and putting it in her mouth. “Use whatever’s around you to hit them in the face. In a fight, strike first. Stun them before they can react, then go to the teacher and cry, just like you did earlier. Tell them they bullied you and hit you.”

Little Marshmallow was stunned, staring at her blankly.

Lin Yujing smiled, her pretty eyes curved, looking at her. “Don’t you think I’m making sense?”

Marshmallow’s face turned red. She stammered for a while but couldn’t get a word out. Finally, she managed to say, “Th-thank you…”

Her lunch was completely disrupted. There wasn’t enough time to eat anything else, so Lin Yujing ended up buying two buns from the school cafeteria, eating them in the classroom while playing on her phone.

After the lunch break, Shen Juan returned just in time. When he arrived, Lin Yujing was already asleep, head resting on the desk. Her school uniform jacket was oversized, making her look even smaller and thinner.

Shen Juan didn’t wake her. He didn’t rush to go in, instead leaning against the front door, watching for a few seconds. He suddenly felt like laughing.

Just outside the rice noodle shop earlier, she hadn’t even glanced at him. When Li Shiqi and her friends realized what had happened and cursed, chasing after her, he was the one who stopped them.

Shen Juan understood Lin Yujing’s approach. When she fought, she was clean and decisive, not holding back, yet she knew her limits, and her mind was clear.

The class bell rang, and Lin Yujing frowned, slowly getting up. When she opened her eyes, she saw her deskmate standing at the door, looking at her.

The girl looked displeased, her face showing she hadn’t had enough sleep. She frowned, staring at him drowsily, slowly raising her hand to rub her eyes with long, fluffy eyelashes.

Shen Juan’s eyelid twitched.

After a few seconds, Lin Yujing finally reacted and stood up to give him space.

Shen Juan sat down, and no one spoke. Lin Yujing was still in a half-awake state, sitting there with teary eyes, yawning.

The first class in the afternoon was chemistry, the teacher’s first class. Shen Juan pulled out the brand-new chemistry book from a stack of books and signed his name on the first page.

Lin Yujing noticed that her deskmate loved to sign his name, just like a kid writing their name on the first page of a new book. He signed every subject and every book, with his flamboyant “Shen Juan” taking up half the page, as arrogant as he was.

Shen Juan noticed her gaze and turned to her.

Lin Yujing blinked, feeling caught, awkwardly looking away.

The boy seemed comfortable, tilting his head slightly to look at his deskmate. “What did you say to her when you fought?”

Lin Yujing paused, her brain stalling for two seconds. The remaining sleepiness was scared away.

Lin Yujing: “Wh-what?”

“When you pressed her head down and whispered in her ear,” Shen Juan said.

Lin Yujing went from shocked to confused, then looked at him expressionlessly, as if wondering if she could get away with murder.

Lin Yujing: “You saw.” “Yeah,” Shen Juan said openly.

Lin Yujing recalled the small rice noodle shop, not seeing any classmates: “I didn’t see you.”

“Just passing by, at the door,” Shen Juan was a bit curious. He saw her whisper something in the girl’s ear, making her stop struggling immediately. “So, what did you say?”

Lin Yujing looked at him, then suddenly smiled innocently.

Shen Juan saw her smile for the first time. Her features were very delicate, her eyes curving when she smiled, looking pure and innocent, like a naive little fox.

Shen Juan was stunned, his eyelid twitching again.

“I said I have someone backing me,” the little fox said slowly, “My big brother Shen Juan was right at the door watching. If she moved, I would call him.”

Shen Juan: “…”

Author’s note:

Lin Yujing’s words sealed her fate, deciding her future happiness (?).