### Chapter 219: Hit Me!
In the end, Xia Yu still had no homework to turn in. She could only stare out the window, hoping the English teacher would ignore her and spare her from any punishment.
And true enough…
After the teacher collected all the English dictation books and went through them, she didn’t say anything about Xia Yu’s lack of homework. Instead, she started class as usual. Xia Yu was pretty freaked out by the teacher’s lack of action; if the teacher had punished her, Xia Yu wouldn’t have complained—but geez, being let off like that would be quite embarrassing. Feeling a bit guilty, Xia Yu took this English lesson very seriously—no, she wasn’t great with grammar, but her intuition told her that writing down words was the right thing to do. With that, she somehow managed to survive through this uncomfortable class.
“Whoa, Xia Yu, I didn’t expect you’d go this hard. Did you know that the English teacher is really strict? And she didn’t even punish you?”
Highly impressed, Gao Xiaotian couldn’t help but talk to Xia Yu right after class. Honestly, Xia Yu, what can you say to that?
Since Xia Yu isn’t easily swayed by flattery, she couldn’t feel happy about Gao Xiaotian’s praise. In fact, she was worried about whether the English teacher had already marked her name on her little black book.
Just then, Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang, the two little girls, came over holding hands, asking, “Do you want to go to the toilet with us?”
Xia Yu didn’t feel like going, especially given her special status. However, before she could protest, her desk-mate, Li Jia, dragged her up excitedly and said, “Let’s go, Xia Yu! We’re going to the toilet together now.”
Xia Yu: “…”
She wondered why Xia Ling and Jiang Hanhang were dragging her along. It’s just a toilet, what’s the big deal?
Li Jia had never gone to the toilet with Xia Yu before, so she was extremely curious to see how other girls would react when Xia Yu walked into the girl’s restroom. She knew it must be hilarious.
Of course, thanks to Gao Xiaotian sitting outside as a barrier, Xia Yu couldn’t be dragged away, much to Li Jia’s frustration.
It finally dawned on Xia Ling that she should be surprised. Xia Yu didn’t seem like the type to make friends easily. Given how introverted Xia Yu was, it was indeed a positive sign.
But this made Xia Ling wonder about another issue—wouldn’t Jiang Kekai be upset?
Xia Ling knew well that Jiang Kekai didn’t want Xia Yu interacting with others, seeing it as a risk.
Yet, since it was Xia Yu’s business, Xia Ling could do nothing but hope Xia Yu was happy.
So, Xia Ling, Jiang Hanhang, Li Jia, Guo Yao, and Xia Yu set off for the toilet, leaving Gao Xiaotian behind at his original spot.
Gazing at Xia Yu’s retreating figure, Gao Xiaotian sighed enviously. He wished he could hang out like that too. “What’s wrong with you, Gao Xiaotian? Are you into your own deskmate? But she’s not a boy!”
His friend walked over upon hearing the voice.
Of course, it couldn’t be surprising. The classroom filled with students chatted and joked during breaks, and Gao Xiaotian’s friends were no exception.
He sighed again, “You’re the one who likes her. I’m just jealous because she can freely enter the girl’s restroom without anyone caring. It makes me so bitter.”
“What are you so bitter about? You could do the same. Just barge into the bathroom like Xia Yu used to, who knows? Maybe the school will give you the same perks.”
“Quit saying nonsense. I’m not delusional! I think Xia Yu is the weird one, causing such things to happen. There’s just everything under the sun, but I’m still bitter!”
Xia Ling’s arm was in a cast so she couldn’t take Xia Yu’s hand. Jiang Hanhang held the other arm, making it impossible for Xia Yu to hold hands either.
Considering Xia Yu as a boy, both Li Jia and Guo Yao were naturally uncomfortable with the idea. So, Xia Yu walked alone, feeling more awkward than ever.
Indeed, Xia Yu now regretted coming.
Without someone to hold hands, there was clearly less security. Xia Yu immediately thought of Xiao Ning, wishing she were here. But with no other choice, Xia Yu had to push through and enter the girl’s restroom with the others.
Even though it wasn’t the first time, Xia Yu couldn’t help but look down, feeling insecure. After all, her identity was different and people always looked at her strangely.
Sure enough, though the girls accepted Xia Yu’s presence in their restroom, they still gawked and whispered among themselves when she entered. They couldn’t help glancing and murmuring.
Xia Yu wasn’t deaf. She heard these whispers, but kept quiet. After all, letting them win meant giving her the power over her emotions. Quickly, Xia Yu found an empty stall and rushed inside, locking the door.
Only when isolated did Xia Yu feel a bit better. Otherwise, every moment felt uncomfortable. Then she froze…
Stains of vivid red bl**d appeared on her underwear, scaring her out of her wits. Thinking back, she hadn’t dealt with this situation in quite some time. This month she hadn’t had this before…
She recalled Xia Ling mentioning this happened monthly. Now, looking back, it made sense.
This sudden revelation left Xia Yu puzzled—after all, Xiao Ning planned to take her swimming later and Xia Yu didn’t want to disappoint her.
Lost in thought, the school bell interrupted.
Suddenly, the sound made Xia Yu realize she was still at school. She couldn’t stay there forever; waiting around wasn’t an option.
Reluctantly, Xia Yu pulled her underwear back on and stepped out nonchalantly.
As expected, Xia Ling, Jiang Hanhang, Li Jia, and Guo Yao waited outside, fully aware Xia Yu’s personality dictated she’d return eventually.
Soon enough, Xia Yu emerged, visibly troubled.
Li Jia’s sigh expressed her frustration. “Does it take so long for boys to use the bathroom? Xia Yu: ‘…'”
“Alright, alright, classes will start soon. Hurry if you don’t want to get in trouble.”
That was Jiang Hanhang speaking. Knowing Xia Yu’s health condition, she wasn’t surprised about the duration. Instead, she tried to distract herself with thoughts of class.
Neither Li Jia nor Guo Yao were bothered by these small details. Hearing Jiang Hanhang’s reminder, they hurried, realizing the second ring had passed.
“Oh no, our homeroom teacher is next! We need to run back.”
Li Jia wasted no time pulling Guo Yao along, their urgency evident.
Ironically, despite Jiang Hanhang’s alarm, she remained the calmest. She didn’t feel the pressure from their homeroom teacher. With her relaxed, Xia Yu and Xia Ling followed at a leisurely pace, returning to class.
Luckily, their homeroom teacher He Gongxing was delayed, avoiding any issues they might’ve faced reporting in.
Unsurprisingly, once Xia Yu took her seat, Gao Xiaotian reverted to his curious self. “Hey, why so long? Were you caught?”
Xia Yu: “”
Perhaps due to earlier events, Xia Yu had no desire to talk about it. Pacing beside her desk, she stared out the window, feeling lost. She was confused about her new identity, unsure if her life would ever feel normal again.
Despite Jiang Ke’ai offering her a secretary job, learning seemed impossibly difficult. Xia Yu didn’t want to disappoint Xiao Ning—her sister who believed in her.
Xia Yu thought deeply, yet sometimes she felt foolish compared to Xiao Ning. Yet, she was still a sharp kid.
The class passed swiftly, bringing lunchtime sooner than expected. Exactly on schedule, Jiang Hanhang arrived, as if she were the guardian picking her kids up.
A celebrity on China’s CCTV, her dedication to Jiang Hanhang touched other classmates who envied her kindness.
“How’s it going, Xia Yu? Ready to go swimming?”
Jiang Hanhang petted Xia Yu’s head affectionately. If Xia Yu were a typical kid, she’d probably feel excited, but no—Xia Yu was far from ordinary.
