PDLP Chapter 169: Seen Through Again
Chapter 169: Seen Through Again
The second period in the morning is Chinese class.
The Chinese teacher was full of passion on the podium.
"The passes and mountains are difficult to cross; who will mourn the lost traveler? We meet by chance, strangers in a foreign land."
She finished reading, turned around, and tapped the blackboard twice with the chalk.
"Class, what kind of emotion does this poem express? Who can answer?"
She looked down with anticipation.
The people below were all lying down.
Some people were resting their heads on their arms, some had their faces buried in their textbooks, and some had their eyes half-closed, still holding their pens, but no longer moving.
Zhao Qihang's mouth was open, and his breathing was heavy.
Chen Xu sat up straight, but his eyes were closed, and his head was nodding up and down like a chicken pecking at rice.
Song Huan lay face down on the table, her face turned toward the window.
The sunlight fell on my eyelids, a warm, orange-red hue.
My consciousness began to sink, like being soaked in warm water.
"Song Huan!"
He shuddered suddenly.
His shoulder jerked, his head lifted from his arm, his eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the podium.
The Chinese teacher stood on the podium, looking completely bewildered; it wasn't her who shouted.
Song Huan looked in the direction of the sound.
Lu Xu was standing at the back door.
His hands were behind his back, and he had a smile on his face.
Oh no! I got caught sleeping by the teacher.
Song Huan's heart tightened. Just as she was about to stand up, having already decided to stand outside as punishment, she felt a pang of anxiety.
Lu Xu spoke again, "Xiao Yunqing."
Xiao Yunqing, who had been listening attentively to the lecture, also stood up from her seat.
Song Huan breathed a sigh of relief.
It's not about sleeping.
Calling two people definitely isn't about sleeping.
The two people walked out of the classroom and stood in the corridor.
Sunlight streamed in through the windows, dividing the corridor into two halves of light and shadow.
Lu Xu stood on the other side of the screen, patted Song Huan on the shoulder, and smiled broadly.
"Reporters will be coming to interview you later, so you two should get ready."
Song Huan was stunned for a moment.
Xiao Yunqing was also taken aback.
The two stared at each other, wide-eyed and incredulous.
"A reporter?" Song Huan's voice rose a half octave.
"An interview?" Xiao Yunqing's voice rose a half octave.
Lu Xu pulled a newspaper out from behind his back.
Folded, then unfolded, the front page.
The title is in large black letters: The Spirit of Lei Feng in the New Era.
The accompanying picture is a photo taken last night.
Under the streetlights, two people bent down to pick up cardboard boxes, one on the left and one on the right.
The light was dim, but their faces were clearly visible; it was them.
Song Huan stared at the photo, her mouth slightly agape.
Where did these paparazzi come from to take these photos?
A long paragraph of text was written next to the photo.
Positive energy, the new era, the spirit of Lei Feng, role models for youth.
A bunch of fancy words piled up together, like a human pyramid.
Song Huan couldn't read more than two lines.
Holy crap, who is this? They're so good at making things up.
He shifted his gaze to the bottom right corner of the newspaper.
Editor-in-Chief: Song Wentao.
Song Huan's hand stopped on the newspaper.
He stared at those two words for three seconds.
His lips twitched, then twitched again.
Holy crap, this is ridiculous!
No, it's a disservice to his son!
Xiao Yunqing leaned closer and also saw Song Wentao's name.
She paused for a moment, then turned to look at Song Huan.
Song Huan folded the newspaper expressionlessly and handed it back to Lu Xu, saying, "Teacher, we understand."
As they went downstairs, Xiao Yunqing walked beside him, her pace slower than usual.
He gripped the hem of his school uniform, clenched it briefly, then let go.
"What should I do?" she whispered. "I'm a little nervous."
Song Huan put her hands in her pockets.
"I'm nervous too."
Xiao Yunqing turned to look at him.
He didn't look at her, but stared at the stairs ahead. "Don't ask me anymore, it's my first time too."
Xiao Yunqing turned back, her lips pursed, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would jump out of her chest.
A camera has already been set up downstairs.
Tripod, black cloth, and a cameraman squatting beside it adjusting the focus.
A female reporter stood to the side, holding a microphone, talking to someone.
The person was standing with their back to the stairs. They were not tall, their hair was neatly combed, and they were wearing a dark jacket.
Song Huan took another look and recognized him.
Wang Feng, the renowned senior year headmaster.
The third-in-command of the school has power second only to the principal and vice-principal.
It's not surprising that he's in charge of this matter.
Wang Feng is talking animatedly in front of the camera.
The reporter held the microphone in front of him.
"Director Wang, everyone knows that No. 1 Middle School is the best school in Jiangcheng. What would you like to say to the parents about this?"
Wang Feng coughed and his expression turned serious.
He faced the camera, his back straight, his chin slightly raised.
"Parents, please rest assured. You can have complete peace of mind when sending your children to our school."
He paused, then emphasized, "Our No. 1 High School has strict discipline and an excellent school spirit, a strong academic atmosphere, and harmonious teacher-student relationships. Especially on the issue of early romantic relationships."
He raised his voice by half an octave.
"I can assure you with certainty that there is absolutely no early romantic relationship at our school! Here, students only need to focus on their studies; they don't need to worry about anything else. Parents, please rest assured!"
The reporter smiled and nodded.
The cameraman picked up the camera and changed the angle.
Lu Xu led Song Huan and Xiao Yunqing out from the stairwell.
The two stood on the steps, looking somewhat restrained.
Song Huan stood upright with his hands in his pockets, but his shoulders were tense.
Xiao Yunqing stood next to him, her hands hanging at her sides, unsure of where to put them, and quietly clenched her trouser leg.
The reporter turned around, saw them, and his eyes lit up.
She walked over, raised the microphone, and the cameraman followed behind, the camera pointed at the two of them.
"Don't be nervous, you two," the reporter smiled, her voice gentle. "We're just chatting for a bit."
Song Huan nodded, and Xiao Yunqing nodded as well.
The reporter asked the first question, about what happened last night.
Song Huan answered, her voice not loud, but clear.
He glanced at Lu Xu halfway through his sentence.
Lu Xu stood beside him and winked at him.
The look in his eyes was complex, conveying a mix of "speak politely," "don't say anything useless," and "don't forget to praise the school."
Song Huan understood, her lips twitched, and she said a few more words, including mentioning the school.
"The school usually emphasizes moral education, and we just did what we were supposed to do."
The reporter smiled and nodded, then asked Xiao Yunqing a few more questions.
Xiao Yunqing's voice was a little soft at first, and she answered slowly, as if she had to chew each word in her mouth before spitting it out.
The reporter didn't urge them; they just waited, smiling.
As Xiao Yunqing spoke, her voice grew louder and her pace quickened.
When she finished speaking, she pointed to the Youth League emblem on her chest.
Her movements were exactly the same as Song Huan's last night, even the curve of her fingers was the same.
"Because we are members!"
The reporter laughed, and the cameraman laughed too.
Lu Xu stood to the side and nodded in satisfaction.
Song Huan turned her head and glanced at Xiao Yunqing. She was facing the camera, her face slightly flushed, but her eyes were bright.
The interview is over.
The reporter put away the microphone, and the cameraman took the camera off the tripod.
After exchanging a few polite words, the reporter and cameraman walked toward the school gate.
Lu Xu followed behind to see them off.
Song Huan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to go upstairs.
"Song Huan, Xiao Yunqing." Wang Feng's voice came from behind.
The two people stopped and turned around.
Wang Feng walked over and stood in front of them.
He wasn't tall, but standing close by, he was a bit intimidating.
His gaze moved from Song Huan's face to Xiao Yunqing's face, and then back again.
"You two did a fantastic job today."
He nodded. "This demonstrates the spirit of our No. 1 Middle School students and deserves praise."
Just as Song Huan was about to say "Thank you, teacher," Wang Feng changed the subject.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two men with a scrutinizing look.
"But..." he paused, "you two, a single man and a single woman, spending the night together, are you two dating?"
Song Huan's eyes widened.
Uh oh, I've been seen through again...
Holy crap, did this guy fire him?
No wonder he's the class monitor for the senior year; he's a real couple-breaker.
Xiao Yunqing's face flushed red instantly.
It turned red very quickly, from the neck to the ears, as if someone had splashed a basin of red paint on it.
She quickly waved her hand, her movements swift, as if shooing away a fly.
"No, no, no!" her voice was urgent and crisp. "We just happened to run into him. We saw the old man needed help, so..."
Wang Feng glanced at her.
That glance wasn't long, but Xiao Yunqing's words caught in her throat; her mouth was open, and she didn't say anything more.
Wang Feng withdrew his gaze and glanced at Song Huan again.
Song Huan stood still, her face expressionless. "We live close by, so we always go home together after school."
Wang Feng put his hands behind his back.
After all, they weren't in their final year of high school yet, and they had just done a good deed and brought honor to the school, so he didn't want to interfere too much.
He clapped his hands.
"Alright, let's go back to class."
Song Huan nodded and turned to walk upstairs.
Xiao Yunqing followed behind.
Two footsteps echoed on the stairs, one in front of the other.
He turned his head, wanting to say something to Xiao Yunqing.
Xiao Yunqing stood beside him, patted her chest, and let out a long breath.
He exhaled heavily, and his shoulders slumped down.
Her thoughts drifted over, so close and clear, like whispering in his ear.
[Luckily, I almost got caught.]
Song Huan stopped in her tracks.
He stood on the stairs, staring blankly at her.
Xiao Yunqing didn't notice, still patting her chest, her ponytail hanging down her shoulders, the ends sticking up.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, falling on her face and clearly illuminating the lingering smile on her lips.
Song Huan looked at her, blinked once, then blinked again.
What?