Let Them Apologize to You (Seeking Recommendations)

Wang Chuanbiao did not notice Zhao Xu’s unusual demeanor. He was too caught up in the excitement and anticipation of displaying his dominance before the entire class. Upon reaching the third floor, he hurried ahead to the classroom door, glanced inside, and saw that Fang Chang’an wasn’t there.

This was expected, and Wang Chuanbiao was not surprised. He turned to Zhao Xu, Liu Cheng, Hou Xiaoyi, and the others, saying, “He’s not here yet.”

Hou Xiaoyi and Sun Yanxu merely nodded, but noticed that Zhao Xu, walking at the center like a star among admirers, suddenly stopped. Sun Yanxu nearly bumped into him, barely managed to halt, steadied himself, and looked at Zhao Xu in confusion.

Zhao Xu turned to stare at Liu Cheng, his gaze filled with suspicion, questioning, and even a hint of annoyance.

What he had thought was a trivial matter he’d agreed to out of convenience now revealed itself as a visit to Class Four. Shocked, he even wondered if Liu Cheng was intentionally setting him up.

Liu Cheng, embarrassed, explained, “Xu, we’ll leave soon; he won’t be back that quickly, so we won’t run into him.”

Seeing Liu Cheng’s expression, Zhao Xu judged he wasn’t lying and calmed down a bit, though he still hesitated. After all, he’d been slapped and kicked by Fang Chang’an, and had to apologize in the end—a lesson not easily forgotten.

Sun Yanxu asked, “What’s wrong?”

Liu Cheng wanted to preserve his dignity and brushed it off, “It’s nothing, nothing. Come on, let’s go in and sit.”

But Zhao Xu remained unmoving, thought for two seconds, glanced at Liu Cheng, and said, “Forget it, let’s not go in. Let’s wait at the door.”

Liu Cheng considered and agreed. Fang Chang’an was the class monitor, and if their group barged in arrogantly, Fang Chang’an might take it badly and they’d be in trouble. He quickly said, “Alright, we’ll do as Xu says. We’ll wait at the door.”

No sooner had he spoken than two girls walked up and stopped a short distance away. They seemed to be Class Four students wanting to return to the classroom but were blocked by the group.

Liu Cheng turned and his eyes brightened. The two girls were similar in height; the one on the left looked ordinary, but the one on the right was strikingly beautiful—a delicate oval face, hair in a ponytail, a pale yellow short-sleeve T-shirt and sky-blue jeans accentuating her slender figure, her exposed skin fair and smooth, an electronic watch on her left wrist, and a pair of clear, lively almond eyes assessing the boys as though pondering something.

Zhao Xu was also taken aback by her beauty. Seeing the two girls hesitate to approach, they circled toward the front door. He quickly waved his hand, saying, “Let them through! Don’t block them!”

As he spoke, he stepped back, and those standing in front—Liu Cheng, Hou Xiaoyi, and even Wang Chuanbiao—also made way.

The pretty girl glanced at Zhao Xu without a word and entered the classroom with her companion.

Zhao Xu noticed the look and his heart skipped, secretly delighted. Suddenly, a whistle sounded beside him. The two girls who had just entered the classroom turned to look back, and several Class Four students also looked up.

Zhao Xu grew annoyed—how dare someone flirt with the girl he fancied. He turned to see it was a boy standing behind, decent-looking, who seemed pleased with himself for drawing attention, vainly running his fingers through his slanted bangs.

Zhao Xu forgot his name, but was certain Liu Cheng knew him. Their relationship wasn’t close, and with Liu Yan between them, it wasn’t appropriate to curse directly. He shot the show-off a glance but said nothing.

Liu Cheng, however, recognized him. He’d mentioned earlier in the cafeteria about visiting Class Four to see beautiful girls. Liu Cheng cursed, “Yang Chengqi, what the hell are you whistling for?”

Yang Chengqi hadn’t expected to be cursed in front of so many people. His face flushed red, he wanted to retort but lacked the courage, fumbling for words, his expression awkward.

Yang Chengqi was in Hou Xiaoyi’s class, and as the class’s big shot, Hou Xiaoyi had to intervene. He hurriedly mediated, “Come on, Cheng, let it go. That’s just how he is.”

Liu Cheng glanced at Class Four again, confirmed Fang Chang’an wasn’t there, suppressed his anxiety and anger, and said no more.

Zhao Xu, pleased to see the show-off who dared tease his future crush get scolded, pointed at the corridor railing, “Let’s wait here.”

“Alright,” Liu Cheng and the others walked over. During this, Liu Cheng and Zhao Xu, almost simultaneously, glanced downstairs. Not seeing any sign of Fang Chang’an, both felt assured. When they turned back, their gazes met, each understanding the other’s plan:

If they saw Fang Chang’an, they’d leave immediately!

Hou Xiaoyi hadn’t noticed the subtle exchange between the two leaders, and asked Wang Chuanbiao, “When’s your classmate coming?”

“He should be here soon,” Wang Chuanbiao replied, knowing Fang Chang’an wouldn’t return quickly, but said otherwise to keep them from getting impatient and leaving.

Liu Cheng was about to speak when he saw the pretty girl who’d just returned to the classroom come out again. Her lively almond eyes scanned them, and she hurried downstairs with quick steps.

Wang Chuanbiao recognized her and knew she was close to Fang Chang’an. Seeing her unusual expression and that she left right after entering, he worried she might be going to find Fang Chang’an.

Before he could think further, Zhao Xu called out, raising his chin, “Is she in your class?”

Wang Chuanbiao was uneasy, anxious that Zhao Xu might start bothering the pretty girls in his class, but didn’t dare refuse, so he smiled and replied, “Yes!”

Zhao Xu smiled and asked, “What’s her name?”

“Uh, I think…” Wang Chuanbiao pretended not to remember, hesitated briefly, but quickly answered truthfully, “Wang Ke, that’s Wang with a ‘Ke’ added.”

Zhao Xu nodded without speaking, then, realizing silence might betray his interest, forced a casual smile, “She’s pretty.”

Liu Cheng nodded in agreement, “She really is.”

Hou Xiaoyi whispered, “Girls in advanced classes are always prettier. Do you think good grades give you more class?”

Sun Yanxu retorted, “That’s nonsense. Class or no class, good looks are class.”

While the boys chatted upstairs, Wang Ke hurried to the first floor. She was indeed going to find Fang Chang’an to warn him not to return to the classroom yet.

But she didn’t know where he was, only felt she shouldn’t wait in the classroom. She returned to her seat, hesitated, then gathered her courage and went out.

To her surprise, as she reached the first floor, someone called out, “Wang Ke!”

The central staircase in the teaching building was wider than the side ones, alternating between broad and narrow sections. She was on the east-side narrow staircase from the second to the first floor, had just stepped down, when she saw Fang Chang’an ascending the west-side narrow staircase, looking at her curiously.

Fang Chang’an raised his chin, “Where are you going?”

“Fang Chang’an, I was just looking for you!” Wang Ke exclaimed, delighted, and ran over. She had hurried down, a little out of breath, “Wang Chuanbiao brought people to wait for you at our classroom door. Don’t go up! Leave now, take the west staircase from the second floor, they won’t see you.”

Though her words were clear, she spoke quickly, her tone and expression anxious.

Fang Chang’an gazed at her slightly flushed face, instinctively wanting to reach out but recalled the morning’s lesson. He smiled, “Next time, don’t rush like that if something happens. Slow down, it’s alright.”

Wang Ke hadn’t expected him to be so unbothered upon hearing this, and to be concerned about her first. It felt strange—a vague, unexplainable joy.

She calmed her breath, and with a hint of playful reproach said, “If I’d come down a little later, you’d have gone up already!”

Fang Chang’an smiled and nodded, waited until her breathing was steady, then asked, “How many people?”

“I counted—eight!” She answered earnestly, still a bit anxious. “One of them is from eighth grade. I saw him in the cafeteria at the start of term; they were discussing blocking someone on the sports field that night.”

Fang Chang’an was taken aback. He’d eaten dinner outside the school gate, and as he entered, he’d seen Wang Chuanbiao, Liu Cheng, Zhao Xu, and the others heading into the teaching building. He’d been worried then, but seeing them instantly felt at ease.

He didn’t recognize most of them, but Zhao Xu was definitely from eighth grade. If Wang Ke meant Zhao Xu, then the person they’d discussed blocking at the sports field… could it have been him?

“What are you dawdling for? Go!” Wang Ke, seeing him in a daze, urged him, puffing up her cheeks, “None of them look like good students—must be from regular classes. Someone even whistled at me.”

As someone who’d been pretty since childhood, Wang Ke had encountered such disrespectful behavior more than once as she grew up alongside the boys. As a kid from an ordinary family, she didn’t see it as a big deal and never mentioned it to her parents.

Yet, deep down, she felt a bit aggrieved. She wasn’t fully aware why she said it—perhaps to prove those boys weren’t good people, perhaps just to vent, or a bit of both.

Fang Chang’an, about to speak, caught her expression and gaze, and seemed to freeze again.

“Come on!” Wang Ke, seeing him unmoving, tugged at his sleeve, trying to pull him away, but worried she’d tear his shirt, her face conflicted and aggrieved.

Fang Chang’an finally came back to himself, smiled, “Let’s go!”

Wang Ke released his sleeve, then was shocked to see him heading upstairs. She quickly grabbed his sleeve again, flustered and angry, stomping her foot, “Why are you going up?”

The long summer day cast slanting sunlight between the second and third floors, dividing the broad stairway into spaces of light and shadow.

Since Wang Ke had run to the west-side staircase where Fang Chang’an was, both now stood in the shade.

Fang Chang’an took her wrist, leading her up the sunlit stone steps.

“Let them apologize to you.”