Chapter 23

Before Su Xiaoxiao, Jin Qishan had no friends, no deskmate, no one to talk to. After meeting Su Xiaoxiao, he had only her. And Su Xiaoxiao, too, was closest to him.
But everything changed the moment Shen Hua appeared.
Ever since Su Xiaoxiao started sitting next to Shen Hua, the two had become inseparable, so close they were practically joined at the hip.
That weekend, Jin Qishan asked Su Xiaoxiao to go with him to the bookstore to buy study guides. As they were walking out of the neighborhood and passing the bus stop, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly said, “Wait a minute.”
A few minutes later, a bus pulled up. From the back door stepped Shen Hua, dressed in a flowing white dress.
Jin Qishan’s brows furrowed the instant he saw her. Why is she here?
Su Xiaoxiao waved both arms enthusiastically. “Hua Hua! Over here!”
Shen Hua spotted her and lifted her skirt slightly as she ran toward them.
As soon as she arrived, Su Xiaoxiao began laying on the compliments. “Hua Hua, even the way you run is adorable, lifting your skirt like that!”
Jin Qishan scowled. “Su Xiaoxiao, can you stop gushing already? Are we going or not?”
“Going, going!” she said quickly.
Then Jin Qishan noticed Shen Hua didn’t have a bike. “What about her?” he asked.
“She can sit on mine, of course.” Su Xiaoxiao patted the back seat proudly.
He eyed her skinny arms and legs, a little worried. “How about Shen Hua rides and you sit instead?”
Shen Hua shrank back, nervous. “I... I don’t know how to ride a bike.”
Jin Qishan pressed his lips together for a moment, then said, “Come here. I’ll take you.”
Shen Hua hesitated, but Su Xiaoxiao gave her a gentle push. “Go on! Qishan’s really nice once you get to know him, cold outside, warm inside.”
So Shen Hua climbed onto the back seat, clutching the hem of his shirt instead of holding his waist.
Su Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up with sparkles. This! This is straight out of a school romance drama, the boy biking the girl home,
Ahhh! How romantic!
Shen Yi, my dear future son, please don’t blame your mom for letting your wife ride behind another guy,
Jin Qishan pedaled a few meters ahead, then turned to see Su Xiaoxiao still standing there, grinning like an idiot. “Su Xiaoxiao, are you coming or not?” he called.
One look at his face, and the dreamy drama filter shattered instantly.
Oh, Qishan, you’ve still got a long way to go.
Friendships in middle school were far more complicated than in primary school. One day two girls were best friends; the next, they weren’t speaking.
For three whole years, Jin Qishan prayed daily for Su Xiaoxiao and Shen Hua’s friendship to fall apart.
But while other girls’ friendships were as fragile as plastic, theirs was solid as iron.
Even Zhang Dongshan sighed one day, saying, “Man, the two prettiest girls in our class are also the best of friends.”
Hearing that, Jin Qishan’s hand froze on his pen. He lifted his eyes and said flatly, “What’s pretty about them?”
Zhang Dongshan blinked. “You mean Su Xiaoxiao? Are you blind or something? Or maybe you’ve known her so long you’re immune to her looks?”
Jin Qishan set his pen down, deadly serious. “No, you’re the blind one. If your brain’s broken, go get it checked.”
He hadn’t meant Su Xiaoxiao, he’d meant Shen Hua. The only one truly beautiful in his eyes had always been Su Xiaoxiao.
Zhang Dongshan slung an arm around his shoulders and teased, “Oh-ho, anyone ever tell you that you’ve got a real tsundere attitude?”
Jin Qishan hooked his arm around Zhang Dongshan’s neck. “Keep talking and I’ll strangle you.”
When Su Xiaoxiao turned around, she saw Jin Qishan holding Zhang Dongshan in a mock headlock, the other boy blushing and leaning against him in exaggerated coyness.
She stared. So this is what happens when he stops sitting with me? He goes completely feral?
She quickly tossed the freshly washed grapes onto Jin Qishan’s desk and muttered, “These are for you two,” before turning back around, pretending she’d seen nothing.
Jin Qishan immediately shoved Zhang Dongshan away and grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s sleeve. “Hey, turn around. Let me explain”
But Su Xiaoxiao just buried her face in her arms, giggling silently.
Zhang Dongshan scratched his head. Uh, pretty sure this is a huge misunderstanding.
After school, Su Xiaoxiao called out to Jin Qishan to walk home together. Since first-years didn’t have evening study sessions, they got out at 5.30.
Jin Qishan slung his backpack over one shoulder. “You go ahead. I’m playing basketball with Dongshan for a bit.”
“Oh~” Su Xiaoxiao dragged out the sound meaningfully, glancing toward the window where Zhang Dongshan was waiting, a knowing grin on her face.
Outside, Zhang Dongshan had no idea what they’d been talking about. When he saw Su Xiaoxiao smiling at him, he grinned back and waved enthusiastically.
As she walked past, Su Xiaoxiao clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m leaving Qishan in your care.”
Zhang Dongshan, thinking she meant basketball, thumped his chest. “No problem!”
Jin Qishan came over, taking Su Xiaoxiao’s bag. “I’ll walk you to the bike shed.”
“No need, I can find it myself.” She smiled and took the bag back.
The basketball court was near the school gate. Jin Qishan dropped his bag beside the court but kept glancing toward the entrance.
Zhang Dongshan called, “Qishan, what are you looking at? Come play!”
With his back to him, Jin Qishan said, “You guys go ahead. I’m taking a break.”
From the neighboring court, Yao Yuan laughed. “Taking a break before you’ve even started? Hah, your friend’s hilarious.”
A few minutes later, a familiar figure appeared in the distance, a girl with a high ponytail, a pastel-pink backpack, and a pink bicycle.
Jin Qishan’s lips curved upward. He mimed a shooting motion with his hand, then turned and said, grinning, “She’s here.”
After that day, everyone knew Jin Qishan had a strange habit, he’d always rest for a while at the side of the basketball court before playing.
The others often teased him for being too “delicate.”
…
When Su Xiaoxiao got home, Grandma Su was in the kitchen cooking. Looking up through the window, she saw her granddaughter riding home alone. She frowned in confusion. Why didn’t Qishan come back with her today?
Then it happened again. And again. For several days in a row, Su Xiaoxiao came home by herself.
Grandma Su began to worry. Could it be, the two kids had a fight?
Over dinner, she finally asked, “Xiaoxiao, did you and Qishan have a disagreement?”
Su Xiaoxiao blinked, puzzled at how Grandma had reached that conclusion.
“No, why?”
“I haven’t seen you two come home together these days. If it’s not a fight, what is it?”
Su Xiaoxiao laughed. “He stays after school to play basketball, so I come home first.”
“Oh, as long as you’re not fighting.” Grandma Su relaxed, smiling. “Invite him over this weekend. I’ll make pork rib soup for him.”
After retiring from the army, Jin Yongzhong had used his savings to start a business, but years later, it still hadn’t taken off. His wife, Dong Xiaohong, spent most of her salary on cosmetics and clothes, so the Jin family lived frugally.
…
Many girls in the class have already had their periods, but Su Xiaoxiao and Shen Huan haven't yet.
During P.E., girls on their period didn’t have to run laps. Shen Hua dreaded the 400 meters and secretly wished her period would come soon. To her surprise, it wasn’t hers that arrived first, it was Su Xiaoxiao’s.
That afternoon, during the last music class, Su Xiaoxiao suddenly felt something damp between her legs. Her heart skipped a beat. Oh no, it’s here. Aunt Flo has really come.
She squirmed uncomfortably on the stool, realizing she was wearing light-colored pants. They must already be stained, how was she supposed to get home like this?
Leaning toward Shen Hua’s ear, she whispered, “Hua Hua, I think my period started. Can you go to the little shop later and buy me a pack of pads?”
“What? It really came?” Shen Hua gasped, startled, and then nervous. “But, I’ve never bought those before. What should I say?”
Su Xiaoxiao whispered, “Just tell the lady at the counter to give you a pack of sanitary pads, any kind.”
Shen Hua hesitated. “What if someone overhears me?”
Su Xiaoxiao smiled gently. “It’s fine. Buying pads isn’t something to be ashamed of.”
“I know, but I’m still scared,” Shen Hua said timidly.
Su Xiaoxiao sighed. “Alright, never mind. I’ll just go myself.”
“Can you? Does your stomach hurt?”
“It’s okay. I’m fine.”
Then Su Xiaoxiao turned around and said quietly to Jin Qishan, “Qishan, lend me your jacket.”
He obediently took it off and handed it to her. “Why do you need it?”
“You’ll see.”
Even Shen Hua was confused. “Why do you need his jacket?”
Su Xiaoxiao whispered back, embarrassed, “I stained my pants. I’m going to tie the jacket around my waist.”
She was wearing a short white blouse with a Peter Pan collar, too short and too sheer to cover anything.
Just then, the bell rang. The class ended, and everyone began packing up to go home. Su Xiaoxiao stayed seated, waiting for the others to leave.
Jin Qishan paused on his way out. “Why aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll wait a bit. You guys go first.”
He gave her a curious look but didn’t press. Holding his basketball, he headed off toward the court.
Within minutes, the classroom emptied out until only Su Xiaoxiao and Shen Hua remained.
When Su Xiaoxiao finally stood, Shen Hua’s eyes widened, there was a bright red patch on her light pants.
Su Xiaoxiao quickly tied Jin Qishan’s jacket around her waist to cover it.
Seeing how bad the stain was, Shen Hua said firmly, “I’ll go buy it for you after all.”
“Are you sure?” Su Xiaoxiao asked, doubtful.
Shen Hua nodded hard. “Yes.”

Meanwhile, Jin Qishan had just reached the ground floor when something about Su Xiaoxiao’s behavior replayed in his mind, borrowing his jacket, refusing to leave with everyone else. Something wasn’t right.
He told Zhang Dongshan to go ahead and turned back upstairs.
As he reached the corridor, he saw Shen Hua hurrying out of the classroom, flustered, before darting down the opposite staircase. What’s going on?
He walked toward the classroom and found Su Xiaoxiao sitting alone at her desk.
Leaning against the window, he asked, “Su Xiaoxiao, what’s wrong?”
Her mood had sunk the moment her period started, and now of all times, Jin Qishan had to show up again. The embarrassment was unbearable.
“Nothing,” she muttered. “Go away.”
“Did you and Shen Hua fight? Did she upset you? I just saw her running off.”
Su Xiaoxiao snapped, “You’re so annoying! Why do you ask so many questions? She’s helping me buy something, and you’re the one making me mad!”
Jin Qishan, half-pushed out the door, was still uneasy. What was Shen Hua buying for her?
His feet carried him to the small shop almost automatically. There, in a corner, he spotted Shen Hua, eyes red and flustered, frozen in front of the counter.