Feeling the weight in his hands, Wan Youping inwardly cursed, 'What a beast!' But not wanting to lose face in front of the female students, he could only manage a stiff smile. "Rest assured, class president. I'll get the job done."
After watching the three male students enter the boys' dormitory, Xi Zirong finally turned to them. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Being watched so intently by a boy, Huang Feng suddenly felt embarrassed about why they had come.
Xu Su, on the other hand, didn't think it was a big deal. Looking at the academic ace, she said directly, "Class president, I need to ask for a leave of absence. I have menstrual cramps."
The boy froze for a second. An instant later, his ears began to visibly flush red. "Ah, okay."
Standing against the light, Xu Su couldn't quite make out his expression. When she heard him approve her request, she let out a small sigh of relief and thanked him with a smile. "In that case, I won't be reporting in this afternoon. Please don't mark me absent, Mr. Class President."
On the way back, Huang Feng's cheeks were practically smoking. She clung tightly to Xu Su's arm. "AHHH! You actually just came right out and said it!"
"..." Xu Su was a little speechless. "If I didn't say it directly, how else was I supposed to say it?"
"I thought you'd say you had a stomachache or give some other reason. It's so embarrassing to just say it!"
It was something most young women found difficult to talk about, but while Xu Su wasn't embarrassed, Huang Feng still hadn't recovered from the shock.
She truly couldn't believe Xu Su had just said "menstrual cramps" outright.
"It's a normal biological function. Every girl goes through it. What's there to be embarrassed about?" Xu Su linked her arm through Huang Feng's, leaning her head on her friend's shoulder as they walked. "My stomach is killing me," she said affectionately. "Let me lean on you for a bit."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the lunch break, Xu Su was the only one left in the dorm. She lay in bed for a little longer until around three o'clock, when she started to feel better. Then, she began packing her things to go home. Today was the last day of military training.
Teacher Wu had announced last night that after training concluded this afternoon, the day students could go home. Classes would officially begin tomorrow, September 1st.
Xu Su packed a large bag with her spare clothes, a thin blanket, a pillow, and the school-issued uniform. In her washbasin, she placed a bar of soap, mosquito coils, shampoo, and the cooling lotion—all the things Chen Shulan had reminded her several times to bring home if they weren't used up.
Lastly, she looked at the straw mat on her bed. It was the cheapest one she could find, and after ten days, it was already starting to fray. It would be useless at home, but she was afraid of getting an earful from Chen Shulan. After a moment's thought, she rolled it up and stuck it in the basin.
Just as she was about done packing, she heard a boisterous clamor erupt from downstairs.
The ten-day military training was finally over, and a horde of freshmen, now several shades tanner, rushed back to the dorms.
As one of only two day students in Room 215, Huang Feng was among the first to hurry back and pack her things.
The moment she walked in, she saw Xu Su, all packed and ready to leave school. She quickly stopped her. "It'll be such a pain to take the bus with all that stuff! Just wait. My brother is coming to pick me up, we can go together."
Xu Su shook her head, declining. "It's okay. Your place isn't on the way to mine. I can just take the bus. There's one that stops right at the school gate and goes to my neighborhood."
Ten days of military training had been plenty of time for the two of them to find out where the other lived.
Huang Feng lived in the New District, where many beautifully landscaped residential developments had been built in the last couple of years. Her family had just moved there recently.
Xu Su, however, lived in the Old Industrial Zone. One was in the south and the other in the north, a considerable distance apart. If she took a ride with Huang Chao, he would have to make a big detour.
Since they weren't related or particularly close, Xu Su was reluctant to trouble her friend's brother.
Besides, he was Zhou Mochen's assistant. In Xu Su's mind, that was all the more reason to keep her distance.
"It's fine. I'm worried about you going home alone looking like this. My brother's driving me anyway, so taking you along is no extra trouble. Tell you what, I'll call and ask if he has time. If he's busy, we'll just take the bus together."
Huang Feng took her phone out of her metal locker and dialed the number, leaving no room for argument.
"..." Xu Su silently pulled out a mirror to check her reflection. 'I look a little tanner and a bit haggard,' she thought, 'but that's all.'
'It's just my period, and on top of the long days of training, of course I look tired. Why is she making it sound like I'm so frail I might blow over...?'
Still, it was a kind offer from a friend, so Xu Su felt she couldn't just refuse outright again.
She secretly hoped Huang Chao wouldn't have time. Then she could just go with Huang Feng to take the bus home. Even though they'd be on different routes, they could at least walk to the bus stop together.
「Meanwhile, Huang Chao was driving.」
His phone was on silent, but the vibration of the incoming call was still distinct in the quiet car. Huang Chao glanced at the display and finally remembered his promise to pick up his little sister after her military training ended.
Huang Chao hesitated. He glanced cautiously at the back seat via the rearview mirror. His boss was in the car; he wouldn't dare answer a call while driving without permission.
Zhou Mochen glanced at the vibrating phone. His expression was neutral as he tilted his chin. "Answer it."
So as not to interfere with his driving, Huang Chao put the call on speaker.
The call connected, and Huang Feng's boisterous voice immediately filled the car. "Hey, Bro! My military training is over. Do you have time to come pick me up?"
The car was just passing through an intersection. Huang Chao flipped on the left turn signal and called back, "Yeah, I have time. Just wait at the school gate. I'll head over as soon as I'm done here."
Huang Feng knew Xu Su was worried about being a bother, so to put her at ease, she quickly added, "I have a classmate with me—you've met her before. She lives in the Old Industrial Zone up north and has a ton of stuff, so taking the bus would be a hassle. Bro, could you give her a ride, too?"
It was a small request, so Huang Chao readily agreed. "Just wait for me at the entrance to First High. I'll be there in about half an hour."
After the brief call ended, Huang Chao planned to drop off the big shot in the back seat at his destination and then go pick up his sister.
But just as the car was about to enter the underground garage of a high-end residential complex, the man in the back seat spoke.
"Don't go back just yet."
Huang Chao's right foot reacted instantly, hitting the brakes. He glanced back at the rear seat.
Zhou Mochen said, "Your sister just reminded me. I haven't been to see my grandfather these last few days. It's a good time to make a trip to the Old Industrial Zone and check on the progress of the factory relocations."
Zhou Mochen preferred his peace and quiet, so after arriving in Chang City, he had declined his maternal family's enthusiastic invitations and bought an apartment in Imperial Central instead.
The complex wasn't far from City No.1 High School's new campus, which was why Huang Chao had been able to say he'd be there in half an hour.
Back in the dorm, Huang Feng hung up and turned to Xu Su excitedly. "See? I told you my brother's a great guy. He'll drop you off first, and I'll get to enjoy the scenery."
Xu Su smiled. "Okay. You'd better hurry up and pack, then."
She knew Huang Feng was saying that so she wouldn't feel indebted for the favor. Xu Su was genuinely touched but was too embarrassed to say anything sappy.