Chapter 37

Yanagiumi Riko walked down the stairs with a knowing smile, looking at Natsukawa Yumemi, who asked in confusion, "Teacher, what is that look for? Are you making fun of me?" It could not be called mocking; rather, it was a mixture of fond affection and amusement. Yanagiumi Riko had witnessed everything that had just transpired between Yumemi and Yu Xingyue, and she decided to bring it up again to see how much the girl cared.

"Yumemi, I saw everything that happened between you and Yu Xingyue just now. There is no need to hide it deliberately. Xingyue-kun is still innocent and clueless when it comes to romantic feelings between men and women, but he is a good man. Once he gets through these next two years, he can go back and see his girlfriend." As soon as Yanagiumi Riko finished speaking, Natsukawa Yumemi stared at her in utter shock. Yu Xingyue had a girlfriend?

"Xingyue has a girlfriend? Why didn't he ever tell me about this?" Natsukawa Yumemi asked, puzzled.

"He's been too busy to remember that he even has a girlfriend," Yanagiumi Riko explained. "Haven't you noticed how busy he's been lately, with no time to call or text her? Xingyue is too busy to make the calls, but the other person takes the initiative."

"I see... Then I suppose I should wish them happiness," Natsukawa Yumemi said flatly, before refocusing on her work. Yanagiumi Riko was well aware of her feelings for Yu Xingyue—feelings that were far from deep, planted merely as the initial seeds of romance in Natsukawa Yumemi's heart, marking the very beginning of her emotional awakening.

Yanagiumi Riko continued, "You silly child, Xingyue and you are not the same kind of person. Xingyue is simply someone who understands nothing of the sort; how could he possibly have any real impact on you? Later on, I'll go have a talk with him and set him straight." By saying this, Yanagiumi Riko hoped to help Natsukawa Yumemi sever any romantic attachment she might be forming toward Yu Xingyue, framing whatever had happened between them as purely accidental.

"His personality isn't much to speak of, but his character is genuinely good," Natsukawa Yumemi evaluated Yu Xingyue. "I used to be someone who spoke very little, but ever since he arrived, I've changed a lot. Every time I see him, I always have a million questions, each one over twenty characters long, and he always blames it on force majeure factors."

Yanagiumi Riko smiled. "He really is quite humorous. Is that what charmed you about him?"

"Far more than just that. I feel like he still holds something back, refusing to let his true personality be exposed to others as a form of self-protection. He is extremely vigilant. I once heard him say that he refuses to make friends with scoundrels and fools—that's his personal rule for making friends. There wasn't really anything wrong with what he said, even if I didn't quite understand it at the time," Natsukawa Yumemi said.

"You only know a fraction of who he is," Yanagiumi Riko said seriously. "There is much more that we don't know. If we get along well in the days to come, perhaps we'll discover more. I'm also quite curious as to why this problem student is so precocious and possesses such a worldly, cynical gaze."

"A worldly gaze... Actually, I'd love to know what that feels like," Natsukawa Yumemi asked curiously.

Yanagiumi Riko replied sternly, "Seeing through the world is not as simple as you think. Unless you've been through hardships and pain far greater than what others experience, you won't develop that kind of perspective. Trust me, if you truly saw through the secular world, your mind would shatter and collapse. Xingyue-kun manages to force himself to remain calm so that he doesn't break down. Could you do that?"

Natsukawa Yumemi shook her head. "I can't do it now, but sooner or later, it's something I'll have to face. Once I step out into society and get beaten down by the harsh realities of the world, I'll understand just how ruthless society truly is. Besides, there are plenty of hoodlums out there who constantly harass women. If I were walking alone on the street and some man dragged me into a dark alley and did *that* to me, then I would finally understand what a merciless society this really is."

"Having that kind of awareness is good, but your top priority right now is your studies. If you do well on your exams, you'll be accepted into a prestigious university. You're a middle school student, and studying is the most important thing. This is my first time teaching, and whether you can get into a good university or not is something I can't guarantee."

"I promise I won't fall behind in any of my subjects," Natsukawa Yumemi vowed. "You gave me a new lease on life when I was struggling; how am I supposed to repay you? I'll repay you with my own intellect by getting into a good university. The moment I actually pass the entrance exams, you'll be the very first person I celebrate with."

"It's a deal, then. Don't go back on your word," Yanagiumi Riko said.

"Of course." Natsukawa Yumemi shook hands with Yanagiumi Riko. Since it was Yanagiumi Riko's first time as a teacher, she still lacked experience and worried whether her students would pass their university exams under her guidance. Natsukawa Yumemi's promise to study hard served not only to repay her teacher but also to give her peace of mind, easing her anxiety.

Through this simple conversation, the bond between the two deepened, washing away the secrecy that had previously stood between them. Affection and trust needed time to cultivate slowly, and before long, they would reach a point where they could talk about anything without reservation.

***

Upstairs, Yu Xingyue was still talking in his sleep, rambling utter nonsense. If Natsukawa Yumemi downstairs were to hear any of it, she would undoubtedly give him a severe beating.

The following comprised Yu Xingyue's dream mutterings:

"Mhm... so big... so soft..."

"If only... it were a body pillow... how perfect... that would be."

"Zimo... let me tell you... I'm actually... quite despicable... I'm drooling over your body... It's my fault, I'm... a scum." These were not things Yu Xingyue actually meant to say, but rather the incoherent babbling born of alcohol-induced dreams. Yu Xingyue had not quite reached the level of a scumbag yet.

...

The messages in the group chat were buzzing with activity. Aside from Yu Xingyue and Xiao Jian, who had fallen fast asleep, Lin Ling who had never joined the group, and Wang Tianqi who had left it, everyone else was present. They were all discussing the exact same topic: Yuli's debut.

Previously, Yuli had worked behind the scenes as a stunt double and action coordinator, until the director cast her in a significant supporting role that only required a single appearance. When the film hit theaters, she unexpectedly garnered a massive wave of fans. Yuli herself was completely bewildered as to how someone who appeared on screen only once could attract such a following.

In the chat group...

Yuli: "I never expected anyone to actually like a mute girl like me. In the movie, I was just someone holding up paper to write things. [Sigh]"

Lin Zimo: "Isn't this wonderful? Don't you have a ton of fans now?"

Yuli: "It's nice, but my private life has been completely turned upside down."

Huang Feifan: "So Yuli, how much longer are you going to keep up the act? You can speak now, you know."

Lin Zimo: "Illegal Feifan, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Yi: "Zimo, you didn't know? Yuli actually spoke in the movie."

Lin Zimo: "Stop pulling my leg. That definitely had to be a voice actress."

Chen Siyu: "Are you out of your mind? That was Yuli's real voice. Everyone knew Yuli could actually speak except for you, Yu Xingyue, and Wang Tianqi. She had her reasons for keeping quiet."

Lin Zimo: "Reasons? You don't mean that sweet voice in the movie was..."

***

Yuli: "It was me. What could I do? I'd played the mute for so long that I almost forgot how to talk properly."

Zhang Yi: "Well, it's just that she didn't talk much. People rarely listen to a young girl anyway, so Yuli simply chose not to speak and played the mute. It's actually a good thing. If people had found out she has a mature older sister's voice, you'd know how exaggerated the reaction would be, Zimo."

Huang Feifan: "So now we have to protect Yuli. Some people already know she's with the Tianyuan Team. If Yuli shows her face, won't there be thousands of people waiting outside?"

Chen Siyu: "Oh please, Feifan, you're exaggerating a bit. Yuli only appeared once—just how high is her popularity? What would paparazzi even want with a teenage girl?"

Lin Zimo: "Siyu is right. Has anyone considered that after this movie airs, Yuli might start receiving invitations from all sorts of agencies? Will she end up leaving us?"

Yuli: "Zimo-jiejie, I would never. Even if that somehow happened, I wouldn't leave the Tianyuan Team. That's my true home, and all of you are there."

Chen Siyu: "Little Raindrop is growing up now. Without Tianqi around, the atmosphere feels a bit..."

Zhang Yi: "Don't mention her. She's probably living it up in Japan right now, thrilled to have gotten away from us."

Huang Feifan: "I just hope she doesn't go around stirring up trouble out there. When she comes back, I still owe her an apology; I went way too far."

Yuli: "As for Tianqi, I always felt she was just a bit too tsundere. I've never heard of anyone whose life was ruined by being tsundere, though I don't know if that's actually true."

Lin Zimo: "That only happens in Japanese anime, not in China, let alone in real life."

Chen Siyu: "Are you guys aware that you've completely derailed from the topic?"

Zhang Yi: "If there really were a tsundere girl in the real world, I'd give her a good thrashing. Giving people dirty looks and holding grudges against everyone for no reason?"

Huang Feifan: "I wouldn't like it either. I agree with Zhang Yi."

Chen Siyu: "I'm done chatting. You guys have strayed so far off course I don't even know what to say. I'm logging off."

Your friend Missing You Like Rain has gone offline. This was Chen Siyu's online screen name, though for convenience sake her real name was used, and everyone else's screen names would be displayed shortly.