Zhao Youyue's new deskmate was none other than Jiang Qing, the class's arts committee member. Among the boys in the dormitory, when the late-night conversations drifted toward the names of various girls, Jiang Qing's name came up the most. If the boys held a vote for the title of class beauty, she would almost certainly win without much difficulty. Her presence in the room was far stronger than Zhao Youyue's, drawing eyes like a magnet whenever she moved.
In truth, Jiang Qing's grades weren't good. She ranked in the lower middle of the class, even below Zhao Youyue's middle-of-the-pack standing. However, her singing voice was genuinely beautiful, carrying a clear and resonant quality. During the New Year's celebration, she had worn an elegant hanfu styled in ancient fashion, the silk rustling softly as she performed the song "Half a Pot of Gauze." The performance stunned the entire audience into a hushed silence and instantly made her a representative figure of Class 1.3.
Everyone knew that this class had a girl who sang wonderfully and looked stunning in the spotlight. Of course, the most important detail, according to the whispered comments of the boys, was that Jiang Qing's chest was very impressive.
On the school forum, enthusiastic students had even created something called a "True Love Thread" dedicated to her. Many boys constantly bumped the thread with emojis and praise to show support for the goddess in their hearts. Rumors about Jiang Qing soon began spreading through the hallways like wildfire. Some said a handsome senior from the second year had taken an interest in her and planned to pursue her with grand gestures. Others claimed that love letters and small gifts frequently appeared inside the cabinet in the storage room behind their classroom, hidden among the dusty mops and buckets.
In short, not a single girl in the class was completely free from a prickle of jealousy toward her. She was simply too popular with the boys, and her radiance made others feel like shadows. Zhao Youyue, however, was an exception to this envy.
Her personality leaned toward a calm, almost icy indifference. She treated everyone with the same polite, distant courtesy. Besides, she had long grown used to being a background character in the grand play of high school life. Whether or not a girl like Jiang Qing existed, one of those "girls everyone chased after in those years," Zhao Youyue would still remain an unnoticed little extra in the corner.
How could anyone possibly pay attention to her? Sometimes she actually enjoyed this feeling of being ignored by the world. It allowed her to quietly do her own things without the weight of expectations. In other words, she could focus entirely on her phone. Entertaining herself alone was perfectly enjoyable, far better than the messy social politics of teenage girls.
The reason Jiang Qing became Zhao Youyue's deskmate was simple. She had fallen out with her previous deskmate, Tang Yan. As for the exact cause of their conflict, Zhao Youyue had no idea and sought none. As a day student who ignored the local gossip and focused entirely on the glowing screen of her phone, she simply didn't care about who was mad at whom.
In reality, Jiang Qing and Tang Yan even lived in the same dormitory room. Their relationship had been decent at first, built on shared snacks and late-night whispers. But as Jiang Qing's popularity grew brighter and brighter, the distance between them gradually widened. Small conflicts accumulated over time like dust.
Tang Yan often liked to take small advantages from her, such as using Jiang Qing's expensive shampoo or her floral-scented body wash during showers in the dormitory. Eventually, Jiang Qing couldn't tolerate the entitlement anymore, and the relationship finally broke apart in a flurry of cold stares.
Among the girls, Jiang Qing's popularity wasn't very good at all. After all, no one wanted to serve as a mere supporting leaf beneath someone else's brilliant flower. On top of that, Jiang Qing carried a bit of natural pride in her posture. As a result, her interpersonal relationships became rather strained and brittle. Her personality was actually cheerful and generous. Logically speaking, she should have been good at socializing with everyone. Yet many girls believed she was hypocritical. They thought the bright smile she always wore was nothing more than a carefully crafted mask.
Ironically, Zhao Youyue, one of the few day students who had initially stayed entirely outside the girls' social circle, slowly earned a better impression over time. The girls who interacted with her gradually felt that she was actually quite pleasant. Being around her felt relaxed and comfortable, like sitting in a quiet park. More importantly, no one had to worry about Zhao Youyue stealing the spotlight.
Before becoming Zhao Youyue's deskmate, Jiang Qing barely knew anything about her. In Jiang Qing's mind, Zhao Youyue was an extremely low-profile girl. She gave off a rule-abiding and ordinary impression that bordered on the bland. Her hairstyle and clothing were simple and plain. On Sundays, the school allowed students to stop wearing the ugly blue and white sports uniform, and many girls who cared about their appearance took the opportunity to dress up in stylish outfits.
Jiang Qing, who loved beauty and fashion, was naturally one of them. Zhao Youyue, however, showed absolutely no interest in that freedom. She still wore her perfectly clean, somewhat baggy school uniform. Because of that, Jiang Qing had assumed she was the kind of rigid, obedient girl who followed every rule without question. She believed they would probably have nothing in common as deskmates. She even worried Zhao Youyue might secretly resent her and deliberately make things difficult during class.
After her fallout with Tang Yan, Jiang Qing didn't smile as easily as before. She had come to deeply realize the difference between the relative innocence of middle school and the sharp edges of high school. Yet on the very first day they sat together, Jiang Qing suddenly noticed something surprising.
Zhao Youyue was actually very cute.
If she grew her hair longer and put in even a little effort, she could easily become a goddess-level beauty. Her skin was especially good, the texture so fine and fair that the phrase "skin like snow" truly fit. With looks like that, she shouldn't have been so lacking in presence. Why had Jiang Qing never noticed her before?
Still, on their first day as deskmates, Zhao Youyue greeted her with a smile that felt completely natural. "Hello, Jiang Qing. Your singing is amazing. I really admire you."
In the past, Jiang Qing would have accepted the compliment happily. After all, it was a simple truth. But now she had learned to read the expressions of people carefully. Only after confirming that Zhao Youyue's eyes held no mockery did she smile faintly. "Hello. Thank you for the compliment."
At the beginning of their arrangement, Jiang Qing maintained a somewhat cold, guarded attitude. She already knew her reputation among the girls wasn't very good. Some acted friendly on the surface but spoke maliciously behind her back. Otherwise, she would never have fallen out with Tang Yan, someone she once considered a friend. The small advantage Tang Yan took with the soap was merely the trigger. The real problem was the two-faced behavior. That kind of thing was disgusting to her.
Zhao Youyue didn't mind Jiang Qing's cool attitude at all. She treated everyone the same way, like a serene sage sitting above the clouds and watching the world below. Before long, the cold and distant Jiang Qing had completely been conquered by this hidden powerhouse of a deskmate.
Her deskmate was truly, undeniably rich.
Zhao Youyue never intentionally showed off her wealth. Yet small details slipped out from time to time like crumbs. Jiang Qing, who had some knowledge of luxury brands, quickly realized the truth behind Zhao Youyue's casual items and felt thoroughly impressed. She even used the opportunity of praising Zhao Youyue's beautiful skin to start chatting about the skincare products used by girls. Zhao Youyue answered every question freely and spoke with a confident ease about high-end toners and serums, immediately overwhelming Jiang Qing with her expertise.
But why could someone like her remain so low-key despite such resources? Jiang Qing still couldn't understand it. That didn't stop her from giving Zhao Youyue a nickname, however. She began calling her "Young Lady Zhao," and the name rolled off her tongue naturally after a few days.
Following the Zhao family's young lady clearly came with many benefits for a deskmate. Jiang Qing could often eat expensive, imported snacks that she normally wouldn't dare buy for herself. Of course, she didn't dare to eat them openly during class for fear of being caught by the teachers.
But Zhao Youyue did.
Sneaking snacks during class seemed completely natural for her. Her presence was so faint that the teachers rarely called on her to answer questions, even when she was clearly chewing. There were other advantages to the friendship too. From then on, Jiang Qing's phone charging problem was solved. She simply handed her phone to Zhao Youyue to charge at home. For someone as easygoing as Young Lady Zhao, such small favors were never refused.
At the same time, Jiang Qing gained all kinds of impressive knowledge she could show off in other circles. She could also borrow Zhao Youyue's random reading materials, including thick fashion magazines that smelled of expensive perfume. When she shared bits of that information back in the dormitory, the other girls were completely stunned by her sudden insight. Showing off like that felt amazing.
Clinging to the thigh of the Zhao family's young lady made school life feel wonderfully comfortable. After all, there was plenty of time ahead in the semester. Soon Jiang Qing discovered another truth about her new friend. Her deskmate only appeared obedient on the surface.
In reality, Zhao Youyue completely slacked off in her studies. She was hopelessly addicted to her phone, the screen often hidden beneath a textbook. Yet Jiang Qing willingly kept watch for her, her eyes always paying attention to the teachers' movements in the hallways.
Zhao Youyue couldn't be more satisfied with her new deskmate. Lao Qiu truly was a responsible homeroom teacher. He clearly understood what kind of deskmate she needed and had delivered little angel Jiang Qing right to her side.
At the same time, inside the studio of the extremely popular manga artist Su Li, a fierce argument had finally erupted between the artist and her editor. The air was thick with the scent of ink and the tension of a looming deadline. The topic of the argument, of course, was the ending of Pure Love.