Chapter 102: Final Exams
"I'm doomed..."
During finals, all the students were anxiously reviewing and working through practice exams. But Chen Cheng, looking completely defeated, slumped over her desk, staring blankly at the back of the girl sitting in front of her.
Everyone was working hard, hoping to enjoy a good New Year’s break.
But her… well, her period had arrived.
Before, Chen Cheng never thought much about how much of an impact periods could have on someone. She couldn't understand or relate to the struggle. But now? She absolutely hated it.
And to make matters worse, no matter how careful she was, the cold winter weather still managed to get to her, making her cramps even worse.
Clutching a small heating pad, she rested her head to the side, waiting for the teacher to distribute the exam papers. Her whole body felt sluggish and drained from the cramps, her mind foggy, with nothing but a dull, constant pain twisting in her lower abdomen.
It wasn’t unbearable, but it was just enough to make her irritable and unable to focus.
What if this happens during the college entrance exam? What would she do then?
"Where's the homeroom teacher?" Pan Jie glanced toward the hallway, curious. The classroom, which had been quiet at first, was gradually becoming noisier due to the teacher’s absence. "Is she in a meeting?"
The bell had rung several minutes ago, but their homeroom teacher, who was in charge of the Chinese exam, was nowhere to be seen. Normally, she was always on time.
Chen Cheng figured it was probably because it was the end of the semester, teachers had tons of meetings around this time.
Nearly ten minutes later, the homeroom teacher finally rushed into the classroom, panting, with a stack of exam papers in her hands.
Her chest rose and fell as she tried to catch her breath, but her expression remained serious. She glanced around at the students, who immediately shrank in their seats like frightened quails.
"I purposely came late just to see what you’d do! It’s the final exam of your first semester in senior year, and instead of reviewing or doing practice problems, you’re all just chatting away? What do you think this is?"
"Are you studying for my sake? No! You’re doing it for yourselves!"
Seeing the students lower their heads in silence, the teacher secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Ugh, this weather... makes her desk feel so warm and cozy, just like a bed
She doesn't mind getting a lecture from the boss and writing a report, just don't cut her salary.
"Alright, get ready for the exam!"
With her hands clasped behind her back, the homeroom teacher slowly walked around the classroom, weaving between groups of students.
From time to time, she paused to glance at their answer sheets or looked out the window, wondering where she should take her child during the winter break.
Eventually, she strolled over to Chen Cheng's desk, and, reaching past Pan Jie, she peeked at the girl's exam.
She’s pretty, but her handwriting is terrible. It wasn’t delicate or elegant at all. It looked more like a boy’s messy scrawl.
Aside from English, which still needed improvement, her grades in other subjects were steadily going up. Probably thanks to dating An Yuan.
"Not feeling well?"
The teacher noticed the troubled expression on Chen Cheng’s face and how one arm remained tucked under the desk, pressing the heating pad against her stomach.
"Mm..."
Since Chen Cheng was both pretty and prone to severe cramps, the teacher had memorized her cycle by now. Understanding the situation, she nodded and said, "Come to my office after class to get some hot water. And wear something warmer."
"Okay~"
Still frowning slightly with concern, the teacher continued her slow-paced inspection of the class, stopping by Li Wanyi’s desk next.
This student’s grades have been slipping a lot lately… She looks like she’s going through a breakup or something. Always zoning out in class.
After glancing at Li Wanyi’s exam paper and shaking her head, she made her way behind An Yuan.
As for An Yuan… his grades were never a problem. It’s his impulsive behavior that gives me headaches.
A while back, he led a charge to take over the cafeteria. Two years ago, he fought off some bullies from another school. And even earlier, he reported the school for holding extra classes on holidays... If he keeps this rebellious attitude after entering the society, he's bound to suffer.
But, it was proven that in the future, An Yuan, weighed down by weddings, car and house loans, became a polished, adaptable person.
The homeroom teacher glanced at Chen Cheng from afar, wondering if she would receive an invitation to their wedding one day.
After all, she had played a big role in their relationship, right? If it weren’t for her covering things up, An Yuan might have already had his legs broken by his parents.
An Yuan noticed the teacher looking at him and nervously lowered his head to focus on his exam paper.
I haven’t caused any trouble these past few days, have I? Why is she staring at me?
He recalled everything he had done in the past few days. Apart from studying, it was either teasing Chen Cheng, being seduced by Chen Cheng, then getting mocked by her smug little expressions, grabbing her butt, sneaking a touch of her chest...
No way… Did Chen Cheng tell the homeroom teacher about this?
His mind raced through every bad thing he had done in this life and his past one. Just as he started to panic, the teacher finally moved on, and he let out a sigh of relief.
The bell rang, marking the end of the exam. Papers were collected.
Chen Cheng, looking half-dead, dragged herself over to An Yuan’s desk. Gao Dong, sitting next to him, silently got up and left.
“Ugh~ It’s over.”
Chen Cheng plopped down in Gao Dong’s seat and immediately leaned backward, collapsing into An Yuan’s arms.
“Didn't do well?”
“No, my stomach hurts.”
Chen Cheng grabbed An Yuan’s hand and placed it on her lower abdomen, completely ignoring the curious stares from their classmates. Her mind was still stuck on the exam. “How did you answer that last reading comprehension question?”
“Can’t remember.”
An Yuan's hand went inside her sweater, his warm hand pressing against Chen Cheng's flat belly.
This action crossed Chen Cheng's line of shame, making the girl nervously look around, “Don’t put your hand inside! Are you crazy?”
An Yuan smirked and playfully pinched a tiny fold of fat on her stomach.
“You’ve gotten chubby. Time to start dieting.”
“You’re the one who's fat! If you sit like this, you’ll have rolls too, at least two layers!”
Chen Cheng fired back without hesitation. Then, she hesitated and glanced down at her stomach.
...Had she really gained weight recently?
Some of her fitted pants were starting to be a bit difficult to put on...
“It’s your fault I got fat.”
She was actually quite self-conscious about it. In her past life, she had always kept her weight under 120 pounds. She was already slim, and the thought of gaining weight was unsettling.
“How is this my fault?”
“People say you gain weight after getting into a relationship. So obviously, it’s your fault.”
Just as she was blaming him, she suddenly felt An Yuan's hand moving around and quickly grabbed it through her clothes, looking up at An Yuan with a mix of embarrassment and anger.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“It’s soft and nice to touch.”
“Get lost!”
An Yuan knew full well that Chen Cheng was in a bad mood because of her period, but he just couldn’t resist teasing her. Watching her get all flustered and mad, like a little kitten baring its tiny claws, was too amusing.
That was the downside of being too pretty. Even when she was angry, it just made her look adorable.
Of course, he didn’t push it too far. Otherwise, Chen Cheng would really bite him.
“When’s your dad coming back? My dad’s coming home today for New Year’s break.”
“Probably before New Year’s, in about a week?”
“My mom is thinking about having both our families celebrate Chinese New Year’s Eve together. We just need to decide whether it’ll be at your place or mine.”
Chen Cheng was totally fine with that idea, but she wasn’t sure how her father felt about An Yuan yet. The last time he saw her sitting in An Yuan’s bike, his expression looked like he was ready to murder him.
“I’ll ask when I get home. But it’s not like we have to spend this year together. We’ll have plenty of chances in the future.”
“That’s what we said back in senior year when we pulled an all-nighter at the internet cafe after graduation. But then, we barely saw each other that whole year.” An Yuan reminded her.
“This time is different! We’re not just brothers anymore.”