Lin Miao’s mother reconsidered it and decided to let Lin Miao try the sports school. She could rearrange her schooling if it doesn’t work out for her.
Sometimes, crucial decisions are made on a whim.
Lin Miao was transferring schools again. This time, to a boarding school.
It wasn’t hard for Lin Miao to adjust to her new school. Her roommate was even younger than her. Lin Miao was nine, and her roommate Tan Jing was only seven. She had a cute, round little face and cries when the lights were switched off.
(Note: Tan Jing corresponds to 谭静 in Chinese. Apparently a celebrity under the same name exists in real life, however there’s probably no connection between the two)
“I’m a bit scared, wanna sleep together?” Lin Miao asked her in the darkness.
“Sure… I’m… I’m… also scared of the dark… My mom… always sleeps… with me… at home…” Tan Jing choked out as she sniffled.
Lin Miao wasn’t actually scared of the dark. How could someone from the countryside be scared of darkness? She even walked home alone during the night.
But she climbed onto Tan Jing’s bed with her quilt anyway. It was great to sleep with someone else, they could even double up on the quilts.
Lin Miao spread her quilt on top and then snuggled in with Tan Jing.
“So warm~ Your quilt is so much warmer than mine.”
Tan Jing had stopped crying. “My mom bought this comforter for me… hic…”
Lin Miao turned her head around, “No wonder it’s so warm.” She didn’t know what a comforter was, but she knew that her response was appropriate.
The two soon dozed off to sleep after chatting some more.
The next day, Lin Miao realized that Tan Jing was her assigned partner.
Tan Jing was also very talented at the game. It was Lin Miao’s first time seeing someone else her height play so well.
Hitting the birdie back and forth, it felt great!
She mainly played with her gym teacher at her old school, and she couldn’t win a single time.
Her friends didn’t quite know the game, so it was boring playing with them.
But it was a whole different story with Tan Jing. They were about the same height, so there were both wins and losses!
Coach Li, the one who invited her to the school, was her coach.
Lin Miao was too scared of the coach to be concerned about the Young Master, however, she still liked the coach because he was strict to everyone, unlike her old teacher, who only picked on her.
During the weekend, Lin Miao invited Tan Jing to her home for a meal as her parents were unavailable.
Lin Miao’s mother was busy, so she couldn’t take her to the Young Master.
Tan Jing dragged Lin Miao to the school’s telephone booth when they returned to the school. She was going to call her mother.
The school had public phones.
Lin Miao just realized that the school had shared telephones.
So, they both bought a twenty yuan phone card which had a hundred minutes in them.
And then they headed towards the telephones.
The two both dialed the numbers in, following the instructions on the backs of the phone cards. Lin Miao soon heard the ringtones from the telephone.
A moment later, she heard her older brother’s voice, “Hello?”
“Gege!!”
Lin Miao’s jolly voice reached the other side, delighting the Young Master. Seeing that it was a landline number, he initially thought it was an advertisement and was going to ignore it, “Shuishui?”
“Gege, I switched schools!” Lin Miao said the most important thing first.
“Where did you transfer to?” The Young Master was surprised.
“Shancha Badminton Academy!” Lin Miao was pretty satisfied with her school, especially the cafeteria. The food was excellent and satisfying.
The Young Master paused, “Why are you going to a sports school?”
Then, he realized that the school wasn’t very far. It was only one hour away by car whereas it would take an entire morning when Lin Miao was in the town.
So the Young Master picked up his phone and made his way towards the school as Lin Miao told everything to her older brother.
The Young Master didn’t know what to say.
He saw Lin Miao in her sports uniform at the school gate. Her shoulder-long hair had been cut short again, and she looked thinner.
Her large eyes were still watery. He felt that they were no different from those of a pampered little princess every time he looked into that pair of eyes.
Tan Jing was still on the phone, so Lin Miao greeted the Young Master alone.
The Young Master brought two bags of snacks, “Tired?”
Lin Miao led the Young Master aside to a bench, “No, my coach says that I was born for this. My classmates were all crying from the training, but I didn’t feel much myself.”
Two of her classmates have already dropped out.
She really didn’t feel anything. She was the type that would rarely feel exhausted.
The Young Master thought about her carrying him back in the mansion. He originally wanted to comment that being an athlete was very tiring, but he decided against it, seeing her how happy she was.
The Young Master also bought a crate of milk, “You can drink it before you sleep.”
The Young Master was wondering if he could find someone to deliver it to her dorm when he saw Lin Miao lift it with one hand, “Okay!”
The Young Master came to visit every week and realized that she was falling behind on her literacy classes, so he took the time to tutor her again.
The Young Master thought it would be beneficial for Lin Miao to have a backup plan in case she doesn’t like her athlete career.
The Young Master also had some friends in his school. They always wanted to organize a basketball game over the weekends, but they were never able to get the Young Master to join.
It was now May 1st, Labour Day. The Young Master and his friends were walking out of their school.
Lin Ye, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed someone in another school’s uniform… a girl?
(Note: Lin Ye is 林夜, he is not related to Lin Miao despite having the same “Lin” Chinese character)
“Look at that girl, her hair’s so short, and her…” He wanted to roast her outdated backpack.
The Young Master turned his head and said coldly, “That’s my younger sister.”
Lin Ye quickly turned his sentence around, “She’s so energetic and bright!”
The Young Master ignored him and hurried to Lin Miao, “No school for you today?”
“Yeah, so I came to your school today. Are you happy, Gege?” Lin Miao’s classmates were all jealous of Lin Miao having an older brother who visits her weekly.
Lin Miao was very happy herself. Her smile would widen every time she saw the Young Master at her school.
So she decided to visit her older brother in return.
The Young Master was obviously pleased, but he was also worried, “Did you come here by yourself?”
“I called a taxi.” Lin Miao responded.
“Just wait at your school for me from now on.” The Young Master said.
The Young Master’s friends, whom he alienated and were still waiting to be introduced to Lin Miao: “…”
They watched as the Young Master walked with Lin Miao like a parent would with their daughter. Then, they saw him take his sister’s backpack and carry it by one shoulder. Someone who never brought a backpack to school was carrying a pink backpack with cat ears. The Young Master soon left their line of sight with Lin Miao.
They stared at each other and someone started to say, unable to believe what he saw, “Did we just… find the secret to invisibility?”
“Your use of the question mark there was pretty inaccurate. You should exclaim that we have finally found a way to invisibility.” Someone else added.