At five-thirty in the morning, the sky was still dark. It was gloomy and overcast, and not even the morning star was visible.
A van was parked at the entrance of the guesthouse in the provincial capital. A short while later, Li Mei boarded it with a dozen or so students.
They couldn't afford a bigger van, so while Li Mei took the passenger seat, the students had to squeeze in together.
Qin Jiao got on first and took a window seat in the back row. A moment later, Shen Yi boarded as well.
And squeezed in right next to her!
Qin Jiao was a little annoyed. She didn't want to be so close to him, so she whispered, "Could you scoot over a bit?"
"Afraid not. The back is meant for eight people, but there are fifteen of us in total. We have to squeeze in one way or another."
"..."
After he said that, Shen Yi reverted to his usual cool, aloof self. He crossed his arms and immediately tried to sleep.
Because the two of them were sitting together, the other students couldn't resist whispering among themselves. Li Mei glanced back, and her eyes flew wide. "Qin Jiao! How did you end up pressed against Shen Yi again? Now! Get over here and sit on the engine cover!"
This van had enough space on the engine cover between the driver and passenger seats to squeeze in two people, but no one wanted to sit there.
The engine was right below it; sitting there in the middle of summer would feel like being in a sauna.
Besides...
Qin Jiao gave a cool smile. "Can't you see, Teacher? I'm in the innermost seat. I can't squeeze past everyone."
The van was moving now and everyone was settled in, so it wasn't a good time to change seats.
After glaring at her a few more times, Li Mei ultimately said nothing.
However, three hours later, when they pulled into a rest area for a bathroom break, Li Mei looked around for Qin Jiao. She planned to make her sit on the engine cover, but couldn't spot her.
Li Mei frowned and asked the other students, "Where's Qin Jiao?"
"Probably in the restroom."
Li Mei thought for a moment. 'Fine, I'll just wait for that brat to get back on the van and deal with her then!'
But as Qin Jiao was returning from the restroom, Li Mei was suddenly struck by a stomachache and had to go herself.
She saw the front passenger seat was empty and, without hesitation, sat in it.
The driver was a simple, honest-looking man who just glanced at her without a word.
When Li Mei returned from the restroom, however, she saw Qin Jiao in the passenger seat and raged, "What are you doing in that seat? Get out of it this instant!"
Qin Jiao wasn't the least bit intimidated by her. With a completely serious expression, she said, "Teacher Li, I feel like you were absolutely right! We're young and should be focusing on our studies, especially since the college entrance exams are next year. Therefore, I've decided to stay far, far away from Shen Yi. Apart from the driver's seat, this spot here is the safest. If I were to sit on the engine cover, what would happen if I looked up and accidentally started making eyes at Shen Yi?"
Li Mei was speechless.
Qin Jiao calmly settled into the passenger seat and pretended to doze off.
As it happened, Shen Yi was just getting back on the van and overheard this. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.
Since they couldn't afford any more delays, Li Mei had no choice but to sit in the back. The other students, of course, made sure not to crowd her, squeezing themselves even further toward the rear.
Lin Nian was in the back, pressed tightly against the tall and handsome Chen Feng. Normally, her heart would be pounding and she'd be blushing, putting on a shy and demure act in front of him.
This time, however, she was somewhat absent-minded, glancing toward Qin Jiao in the front from time to time.
Lin Nian knew Qin Jiao had gone out the night before. Upon her return, she had claimed she'd just gone to the restroom.
But she didn't believe it for a second!
After another four-plus hours of driving, the van finally returned to the main gate of Pingan Middle School in Ping'an Town. Teacher Li had led this group of a dozen or so students to the provincial capital for a math competition, and since final exams had just ended, the students were dismissed to go home.
Li Mei said coldly to Qin Jiao, "Don't you go anywhere, Qin Jiao. Call your guardian to come here, then follow me to the principal's office!"
Some of the students who hadn't left yet were gloating, while others were simply curious.
Qin Jiao's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering on a guilty-looking Lin Nian. She then turned back to Li Mei, a smirk playing on her lips. "Teacher, it's getting late. It'll be even later by the time my guardian arrives. Surely you're not planning to treat my family to dinner and a stay at a guesthouse?"