Daydreaming about Me

Chapter 33

Lin Yujing didn’t think there was anything wrong when she said this.

“Can outsiders enter the sports event?”

“They can, but they need to wear a school uniform.”

“Can I borrow your uniform?”

Logically speaking, there wasn’t a problem with this.

But when Shen Juan asked the question, she suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable.

She didn’t know why, but Lin Yujing’s mind wandered to a scenario where a woman tearfully accuses her boyfriend, “You love fraud! Haven’t I treated you well? I work hard every day to earn money, and you spend my money on other women! Break up!”

Lin Yujing was startled by the scene she imagined in her mind. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t speak for a long time.

Shen Juan didn’t seem to intend to let her off. He moved a bit closer, resting his elbow on his leg, and looked up at her, “Hmm? Is that what you mean?”

He had arrived early today, even before the start of morning self-study. The classroom was only half full, with most students busy finishing their homework.

Shen Juan had a very clean scent. Sometimes, when they talked closely, Lin Yujing would smell it. She had once guessed if it was his body wash or laundry detergent, but now she knew it was his shampoo.

Because she had taken a shower at his place yesterday and used his shampoo and body wash. Now her hair had the same smell.

The forest-scented shampoo mixed with an indescribable smell that belonged to him.

He smoked, so there was a faint smell of tobacco on him, but it was very light, suggesting he wasn’t addicted.

Shen Juan still maintained a safe distance, at least compared to last night when their noses almost touched, their breaths mingling. This distance could now be considered very safe. They usually whispered closer than this during class.

But for the first time, as Lin Yujing watched him move closer, looking straight at her with raised eyes, she felt an inexplicable pressure.

She also felt a bit like she was being seduced.

Lin Yujing cleared her throat, “If you don’t want to lend it, then don’t. No need to be so stingy.” She looked away, feeling like a virtuous sage.

She turned her head and called out to her classmate who was furiously battling math homework, “Li Lin—”

Li Lin, without looking up, responded casually, “Huh? What’s up?”

Before Lin Yujing could say anything, Shen Juan clicked his tongue in displeasure. He placed a hand on her head, turning her back to face him, “I didn’t say no. Why are you asking someone else?”

Blinking, Lin Yujing replied, “I thought you didn’t want to.” Handsome guys often have quirks, and Lin Yujing understood that.

“I don’t really want to,” Shen Juan said lazily, “but if you beg me and call me nicely, I’ll give it to you.”

His voice had a slight, playful lilt, low and teasing, making her ears tingle and heat up. “…”

Lin Yujing swallowed and unconsciously leaned back, feeling her heart race, beating faster than usual.

She had become quite familiar with Shen Juan over the past two months. As desk mates, they spent a lot of time together and occasionally had physical contact. But this clear sense of something different was a first.

What was the reason?

Was it because she had just realized last night how attractive Shen Juan actually was?

She subconsciously touched her seemingly warm ears and found it wasn’t an illusion.

Where did her shield against handsome guys go?

Feeling frustrated, Lin Yujing silently scolded herself for being weak and quickly covered her ears, hiding any traces before Shen Juan noticed.

Lin Yujing felt like her reaction was that of a naive girl being flirted with by a seasoned player.

In the end, Shen Juan lent her a school uniform jacket.

The school’s uniform policy usually provided two sets for convenience. Shen Juan, having taken a year off, originally wore the senior year uniform but later received two sets of junior year uniforms, so he had two extra jackets.

The day he brought the jacket for Lin Yujing, Cheng Yi sent her a message: [Dear daughter, dad is coming with his beloved son Lu Jiaheng.]

Lin Yujing didn’t have a bad relationship with Lu Jiaheng, but like two tigers on a mountain, she would never back down regardless of the other’s gender. Lu Jiaheng didn’t care if she was a girl; he was always gentle with girls, but with her, he wasn’t. They had fought for the leader position for years, and somehow, despite their constant battles, they had grown closer.

Cheng Yi was the one who patched things up between them, forming an unbreakable trio. Lin Yujing coldly replied with three words: [Tell him to leave.]

After replying, she turned to look at Shen Juan, staring at him motionlessly for a long time.

Shen Juan was leaning over his desk with a chemistry book propped up, looking so relaxed he seemed ready to fall asleep. It was doubtful if he was even reading the book. Noticing her gaze, he turned his head.

“What’s wrong?” Shen Juan asked.

Lin Yujing continued to look at him, her fox-like eyes blinking, long lashes fluttering, her gaze soft.

Shen Juan had learned from experience that this expression usually meant she was trying to please him. It indicated she wanted something from him, something she thought he might not be happy about, so she would soften up first.

Sure enough, in the next moment—

“Can I also borrow your other senior year uniform? I have a friend…” Lin Yujing said. “…”

With a “thud,” the chemistry book on Shen Juan’s desk fell over.

He straightened up, expressionless, and asked, “How many friends do you have?”

“No more,” Lin Yujing swore, “I only have these two friends.”

Shen Juan remained calm, nodding slightly, his dark eyes unreadable.

He didn’t speak, so Lin Yujing leaned closer and added, “Now I have you too.” Finally, Shen Juan reacted, his eyelashes fluttered, and he looked up.

For some reason, Lin Yujing felt that he didn’t seem very happy with this.

She was a bit moved herself.

I consider you my brother!

I, Lin Yujing, who only became close to Cheng Yi and Lu Jiaheng after two years, already feel this close to you after just two months!

What rapid progress is this?

At this rate, won’t we be booking neighborhood houses for graduation?

Stop. That’s enough. Hold it. Are you starting to drool over Shen again?

Lin Yujing felt her thoughts drifting too far, silently cursed herself, and leaned in, “Classmate Shen? Is that okay?”

Cheng Yi mentioned they were coming over, and Lin Yujing was quite looking forward to it.

Although she had been in City A for two months, she still hadn’t felt a sense of belonging. In such an unfamiliar environment, seeing old friends could bring a great deal of comfort and security.

Unconsciously, it was already Thursday when Liu Fujiang found Lin Yujing a few days early, asking her to carry the class sign.

For each class during the sports meet, a girl would carry the class sign. In Class Ten, there were fewer girls than boys. Science classes typically had a higher ratio of boys to girls. When Liu Fujiang approached Lin Yujing, she initially refused.

Standing at the front of the team and enjoying the attention of the entire school wasn’t something she was enthusiastic about.

The sports meet usually started in the morning, with the opening ceremony at dawn, even earlier than the usual class time.

However, given the monotony of campus life, the sports meet, a two-day event without classes or studies, was something everyone was excited about, enough to counteract any reluctance about getting up early. Even the notorious latecomers who often slept in class and got punished by standing in the hallway were eager.

The PE committee said to gather on the playground at 6:30. Except for a few who complained about getting up, almost everyone agreed.

Cheng Yi dragged Lu Jiaheng to the student council to get two leave slips from acquaintances. After confirming the exact time with Lin Yujing several times, he booked the plane tickets.

Cheng Yi said they would take the morning flight and should arrive around noon. He mentioned he would call her then to pick them up at the school gate.

Lin Yujing didn’t doubt him. On Thursday morning, she arrived at the sports field and found her class’s spot.

As a boarding student, she thought she was relatively early, but when she arrived, half the class was already there. Song Zhiming had somehow procured a big red drum, placing it on a platform in front of their class’s area.

A large banner hung on the railing with red background and yellow letters, displaying their class motto.

• “Tiger in the mountains! Dragon in the water! Sophomore Class Ten! Hidden dragons and crouching tigers!”
  

  A bit cheesy.

  
  

  This motto was created by Li Lin, showcasing his talent for writing headlines like “Spring and Autumn, please drink chrysanthemum tea for clearing heat and detoxifying fire.” Initially, Lin Yujing didn’t accept it. Then, she saw Song Zhiming raise his hand and loudly and proudly read his creation.

• “Passionate burning years! No one in Class Ten can surpass us!”
  
  

  After reading, Song Zhiming confidently asked, “How about it? Isn’t it youthful?”

  
  

  “…”

  
  

  Without another word, Lin Yujing went to Liu Fujiang, volunteering to carry the class sign.

  
  

  Carrying the sign just meant holding it in front and walking expressionlessly, not needing to chant those silly mottos.

  
  

  Song Zhiming, holding two drumsticks, started beating the drum impressively, outshining other classes’ hand-clapping and makeshift instruments with bottles filled with beans.

Seeing her, Song Zhiming greeted, “Don’t you think I have a bit of a rock band drummer vibe?”

He said this while playing a rapid drumbeat.

Lin Yujing, amused, stood at the foot of the platform stairs holding the class sign, when a girl’s annoyed voice came from behind, “Move, will you?”

She quickly stepped aside, apologizing as she turned. The girl gave her a glare and brushed past her shoulder, even bumping into her.

Lin Yujing vaguely remembered her name might be Hui, the literature class representative. They hadn’t spoken before, so she didn’t understand the hostility.

Song Zhiming noticed too. After the girl passed, he came over, “Hey, you okay?” Lin Yujing shook her head, “I’m fine. What’s her name again?”

Gripping the railing, Song Zhiming chuckled and whispered, “Wen Zihui. She’s been glaring at you for days, and you don’t even know her name?”

“I sit in the front row. How would I know she’s looking at me?” Lin Yujing felt innocent, “Why is she glaring at me?”

Song Zhiming tapped the class sign in her hand, “Because of this, sis. Before you came, Wen Zihui was the class belle. Last year, she carried the class sign at the sports meet. But now that you’re here, it’s you instead.”

Carrying the sign is usually done by the most attractive student in the class, officially marking them as the class belle.

Song Zhiming continued, “You tell me, walking around the field in a dress versus standing silently in the formation, which one is more eye-catching? It’s a rare non- uniform day, and pretty girls all want to show off their legs.”

“…”

The opening ceremony starts at 7 o’clock. All classes have to stand on the playground in front of the podium. First, they hold signs and shout slogans as they walk around, then they stand in their designated spots, one class per area, to listen to speeches from the host, a sports student representative, and the principal. The flag-raising ceremony is at 7:30, marking the official start.

Shen Juan arrived at 7:20, precisely timed to avoid the embarrassing marching activities but still in time for the flag-raising ceremony. When he arrived, the principal was speaking. The entire stadium was filled only on the central playground, with dense, orderly formations of students. The principal stood there, passionately spitting as he spoke.

The young man lazily entered through Gate 3, scanning the scene from the entrance. Shen Juan had planned to find his class by looking at the signs but unexpectedly spotted Lin Yujing at the front of her class at first glance. The girls holding the class signs were wearing white shirts and red skirts issued by the school, white sneakers, and their hair in high ponytails. The extreme requirement was no socks to maintain uniformity in appearance.

In the sports meeting formation, boys stood in one row and girls in another. The girls holding the signs stood separately at the front, with their skirts an inch above their knees, exposing their slender white legs, creating a visually pleasing sight.

Shen Juan walked across the empty orange-red track, ignoring Liu Fujian’s urging to hurry up. He slowly approached, seeing Lin Yujing standing motionless with the class sign. Her whole body was trembling.

In the cool, damp morning air of late October and early November, Lin Yujing, already not used to the cold here, moved her toes slightly, rubbed her knees together, and shrank her neck. Shen Juan quietly stood at the back of the line.

After half an hour, the flag-raising ceremony ended, and the classes returned to their positions. As soon as Lin Yujing reached the platform, she curled up, stomping her feet to warm up. The class sign was a bit heavy, making her arms sore. She walked to the back row of the platform, placed the sign in an empty spot, secured it with a nylon rope, and turned to leave.

She wanted to go back to her spot to put on her uniform. She hadn’t brought any clothes to change into, only two uniforms borrowed from Shen Juan stuffed in her backpack, planning to wear one until the lunch break when she could change in the dormitory.

She hurried down the steps, head down, watching her steps, while many classmates were still coming up. Lin Yujing walked along the edge. Suddenly, Wen Zihui, walking up,

stopped and blocked her path. Lin Yujing, about to step down, looked up to avoid colliding, but her foot landed on a round plastic bottle lying on the ground, likely belonging to a classmate sitting at the edge. Her quick reflexes couldn’t prevent her from stepping on the bottle, causing her to slip, bump heavily into the girl, and fall backward. She instinctively raised her hands to cushion the fall but still ended up tumbling down two steps.

Lin Yujing felt her ankle scrape against the concrete edge and vaguely heard a ripping sound, like fabric tearing. She didn’t cry out; instead, Wen Zihui screamed, startling Lin Yujing and stopping her own cry of surprise. Most of the impact had been absorbed by her hands, leaving them numb and her palms in pain. She tried to stand up, but her ankle throbbed sharply.

Voices buzzed around her, with Wen Zihui’s long, sharp scream. Someone asked if she was okay. Amidst the chaos, Lin Yujing sat on the ground, her red skirt hiked up, exposing her pale skin to the cold morning air.

The next moment, a large uniform jacket covered her completely. Someone squatted in front of her, wrapping the jacket around her, brushing her forehead gently with his chin. Lin Yujing looked up to see Shen Juan’s sharp jawline close to her, with a faint smell of tobacco lingering around him. He must have sneaked off to smoke, Lin Yujing thought.