Monday, the rain was continuous and drizzling.

Just before the first class of the afternoon ended, Pan Tingting walked in through the back door of the classroom with large bags. After being gone for several days, she had cut her long hair. Now, it was only ear-length, paired with her sharp eyebrows, making her look quite dashing.

She showed no signs of road weariness, winked a greeting at Ruan Mian, and as soon as her butt hit the chair, one hand couldn’t resist reaching into her bag. After a rustling sound, she quickly pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds, tore open the seal…

Amidst the chorus of students reading aloud, a soft, continuous cracking sound of seeds was stealthily added.

Ruan Mian smiled and shook her head, returning her focus to the textbook.

By the time the pile of seed shells in Pan Tingting’s drawer was the size of a fist, the end-of-class bell rang. She turned her head with a swoosh and tossed a bag of pickled pepper chicken feet onto both their desks.

Zeng Yushu glanced at it, showed no interest, and slumped lazily back onto his desk.

Ruan Mian, however, rarely ate such snacks. She picked it up curiously and looked at it.

Pan Tingting encouraged her, “This is super delicious!”

Ruan Mian half-believingly tore open the bag, took a piece and put it in her mouth. After one bite, it was so spicy her eyes watered, and she quickly spat it out.

Pan Tingting only knew she was soft-natured and thin-skinned, but hadn’t expected her to be so sensitive to spice. She was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter that shook the entire desk.

Zeng Yushu reacted quickly, unscrewing her water bottle and handing it over.

Ruan Mian gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, finally calming down somewhat. She raised the water bottle, her voice slightly hoarse, and said, “Thank you.”

The girl’s eyes were glistening with moisture. Her cheeks and lips were flushed with a charming redness. Zeng Yushu watched, his heart also tingling. He awkwardly fiddled with his hair, trying to hide his burning red ears. “Ahem, just lending a hand.”

After the brief interlude, Pan Tingting remembered the real business. “Soft Cotton, there’s a parents’ meeting this Saturday. Who’s coming from your family?”

“Parents’ meeting?” Ruan Mian’s heart dropped.

“Didn’t your parents get the school notice?”

Under the desk, Ruan Mian’s nails dug into her palm.

Fortunately, Pan Tingting didn’t notice her abnormality and continued talking to herself. “My dad happens to be in City Z on business this week, so he definitely can’t escape it this time. On the way back, he nagged me until my ears were numb. After the parents’ meeting, won’t he and my mom tag-team me? Sigh, I really wish he wouldn’t come…”

“Is your dad coming, too?”

Ruan Mian gently smoothed the creases of her school uniform skirt, a bitter smile pursing her lips. “I don’t know.”

The real answer was: No.

No one would ever come to her parents’ meeting again.

“What about your mom…” Pan Tingting tried to ask more, but her chair was suddenly kicked hard by the person behind her. She glared back furiously. “What are you doing, you scared me to death!”

Zeng Yushu defiantly crossed his arms, not even bothering to lift his eyelids. “Cheep, cheep, cheep. So annoying.”

Pan Tingting was not to be outdone. She slammed her hand on his desk. “You scoundrel!”

The two were uncomfortable if they didn’t fight at least once a day. Ruan Mian was used to it. She took the opportunity to stand up, intending to go find Teacher Zhao in the office.

After she left, Zeng Yushu slanted a cool glance at Pan Tingting. “Don’t mention her mother in front of her again.”

“Why?”

“Her mother is gone.”

Pan Tingting covered her mouth in shock. “How do you know that?!”

“Why so many questions,” Zeng Yushu also stood up. “Eat your seeds.”

He walked out, his gaze following the slender figure. Only when she entered the office did he withdraw his attention and walk into the men’s restroom on the left.

“Ruan Mian.”

Teacher Zhao was standing by the window drinking water. He looked up and saw her immediately, his full attention drawn to the object in her hands. “Finished the painting?”

Ruan Mian’s soft “Mm” was completely drowned out by the sudden ringing of the bell. Class was starting. It was the homeroom teacher’s class, and he was already in the classroom when she arrived.

She didn’t dare to linger for a moment, simply nodded again at Teacher Zhao, placed the painting on his desk, and turned to leave.

Teacher Zhao walked to his desk and looked down, unable to stop a helpless smile.

The little girl truly didn’t want to paint. Did she think she could fool him with a ready-made photo like this?

He shook his head, preparing to put the “photo” away. His fingertip touched the surface of the paper, and he sensitively noticed something unusual. This feeling… paint?

He couldn’t believe it. He even doubted his innate intuition for art. He picked up the “photo” and held it to his nose, sniffing it

He was completely stunned. The familiar scent of paint threaded its way from his nose into his bloodstream, circulating back to his violently beating heart, making his blood boil. Yet, for a moment, he felt as if he had lost his voice…

This wasn’t a photograph!

This was a painting, more real than a photo!

A vast, boundless deep blue night sky, densely covered with stars, mysterious and profound, seemingly capable of sucking a person’s entire soul into it.

Teacher Zhao sat stunned in his chair. He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with a tissue. Only after a long while did he let out a lengthy sigh. He hadn’t been so overcome since his father’s death.

He took a stack of sticky notes from his drawer, tore off one, and wrote: Submission No. 386, Title: Starry Night, Artist: Ruan Mian, Z High Class 17.

After writing it, he pinned the note and the painting together and solemnly placed it on top of the pile of submissions for the city painting competition.

Almost simultaneously, the nanny led a plasterer upstairs. They pushed open the door to Ruan Mian’s room, and a rush of deep blue clarity made both of them stop dead in their tracks.

A vast starry sky, the stars like blooming flowers. Some were fully open, others half-hidden like buds, flickering in and out of view.

The stars that could previously only be gazed upon were now seemingly plucked and embedded in the wall, within reach.

Ying Minghui followed his mother, his small mouth open in surprise. Blue light shimmered faintly in his clear eyes. The stars twinkled like little lanterns. He reached out to grab one, but Wang Jiaxin quickly pulled him back.

The nanny recovered and said with a dry laugh to the plasterer, “Ahem, this wall was badly burnt at the time. She was probably scared, so she covered it up with this. But this isn’t a long-term solution. It’s better to repaint.”

With that, she went to lift the “eyesore” picture, but as soon as her hand touched the wall, she recoiled as if shocked, a look of extreme bewilderment on her face.

Wang Jiaxin quickly asked, “What is it?”

“Madam,” the nanny gasped, her tongue stumbling. “This isn’t a picture hung up! It’s a painting on the wall!”

The plasterer also walked over, stroking his chin, staring at it repeatedly. He nodded profusely, then shook his head. “This must be an oil painting, right? But how does it look so much like a photograph? In all my life, this is the first time I’ve encountered something so bizarre.” He looked at Wang Jiaxin. “Madam, you are truly blessed. Your daughter is remarkable! She will definitely become a great artist in the future!”

His words made Wang Jiaxin’s face instantly darken. Her narrow, phoenix-like eyes seemed to carry a cold light. Her voice was chillingly calm. “Paint over it.”

The nanny hesitated, about to speak, but finally couldn’t help but say, “Madam, do you really want to paint over it? It’s such a pity…”

Though she was from the countryside and illiterate, she also thought the painting was incredibly beautiful. Looking at it, she remembered summer nights, sitting by the well, looking up at the stars. She could almost smell the faint scent of stone orchid flowers from outside the yard.

“Yes, Madam,” the plasterer also tried to persuade her. “Let’s keep it. This is a work of art…”

He couldn’t bear to do it. Painting over such a beautiful work was simply a waste of natural genius.

Wang Jiaxin repeated the same words. “Paint over it.”

Her lips were tightly set, but her heart was already surging with distress. The painting sent chills down her spine. Those stars, they looked like the eyes of the former mistress of the house.

And one more thing: she could not let her husband, who was already growing colder towards her, have a chance to know about this painting’s existence. Even more, she couldn’t let him know that his daughter possessed such talent for painting…

“Paint. It. Over,” she said coldly, syllable by syllable.

Since the mistress of the house insisted, the plasterer reluctantly nodded, rolled up his sleeves, and started working.

…

Ruan Mian returned home after school. Walking into the house, she was surprised to see the staircase splashed with a large amount of white paint, stretching like a waterfall of milk, gleaming with a soft orange light in the dusk filtering from outside the window.

She didn’t think much of it and went upstairs to her room.

She sat on her chair for a while, remembered something, took out her phone, opened the contact named “a,” and began writing a message

“You must have received the notice about the parents’ meeting, right?… I forgot to tell you that this number is also linked to my school communication system. You should probably cancel it. It deducts money every month.”

Unconsciously, she had changed from using the formal “you” (您) to the informal “you” (你). Subconsciously, she felt the person should be a young man, or at least… his voice sounded quite young.

Message sent successfully.

Ruan Mian put away her phone and sat quietly at her small desk, working on her homework. The sky slowly darkened. She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed to turn on the light.

Opposite her, the night sky was serenely beautiful. The stars covering the entire wall slowly bloomed in the soft light.

Ruan Mian finished her English homework and picked up a math paper. Thanks to privately reviewing reference books, she had a good grasp of the foundational knowledge and the problems were going smoothly. But she didn’t know

Three hours ago, in this very room, someone had pointed at the star wall and said, “Paint over it.”

She also didn’t know

A small boy, Ying Minghui, had used all his strength to snatch a heavy bucket of wall paint from the plasterer, stumbled out of her room, and accidentally fell at the staircase landing…

She also didn’t know that there was a boy who, like a little man, had helped her protect this painting.

Saturday arrived quickly.

Because of the parents’ meeting, high school seniors were given the day off from supplementary classes.

However, Ruan Mian still went to school as usual. She walked past the rows of bauhinia trees and went to the library to study alone.

Today was the little mute child’s birthday. She had overheard them discussing how to celebrate at the dinner table two days ago… She simply couldn’t stand being home and, not knowing where else to go, returned to school.

She was listening to an English listening comprehension test on her MP3 when someone suddenly patted her shoulder. Ruan Mian jumped. The “c” she was writing turned into a “0.” She turned back in surprise and saw a female classmate, who had stayed to help, standing behind her, her face flushed red and gasping for breath, holding her waist.

“I finally found you! I thought I saw your shadow flash by upstairs!” The girl said, helping her pack her things. “Hurry, hurry! Your parent is here, and the homeroom teacher sent me to find you.”

Ruan Mian couldn’t believe her ears. “My parent… is here?”

“Yes!” The girl nodded frantically. “He’s so handsome! Girls from other classes are even coming to our classroom to look at him!” She took a few steps, saw Ruan Mian rooted to the spot, and came back to pull her out.

“But, Ruan Mian, who is he? He looks so young…”

Ruan Mian wanted the answer more than she did.

Why would anyone come to her parents’ meeting?

And a young man? Who on earth could it be?

Back at the classroom, Ruan Mian realized the girl hadn’t exaggerated at all. A crowd of girls from other classes was gathered at the door, and several faces were pressed against the windows. Some, who were too far away, had jumped onto chairs and were craning their necks to look…

She tried to go in, but the surrounding girls were packed tight like lotus leaves, making it impossible to push through. Instead, they pushed her back with annoyed expressions…

Just then, someone shouted, “Ruan Mian is here!”

Nearly everyone’s gaze simultaneously darted toward her. Some even started whispering loudly.

Ruan Mian suddenly felt nervous, but her gaze shot straight and determinedly through the crowd, successfully locking onto the clean-cut figure sitting in her seat.

Among the parents, most of whom were in their forties or fifties, he looked too young, too out of place.

White shirt, black trousers, handsome and dignified, possessing an aura all his own.

How could it be him!

How could it be him?

How could it be him!?

The man was talking to the slightly overweight, middle-aged man sitting in Zeng Yushu’s seat (who had a receding hairline). As if sensing something, he turned his head and looked over, once again precisely catching her gaze. His narrow peach blossom eyes curved upward slightly, a hint of a smile visible at the corners of his brow.

As their eyes met, Ruan Mian heard her heart pounding as if trying to burst through her chest.

It simultaneously brought forth countless moments of surprise and joy that had been unexpectedly hidden deep in her heart…