Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Schoolmaster's Chapter on the Absurdity of Marrying by Pointing at the Belly

  After school, I went home and Mom told me that there's a dinner gathering this weekend with her high school best friend, just the two families.

  "This is what I specifically bought for you this afternoon, wear it that day." Mom took out a bag from the sofa, inside was a lovely pure white sundress.

  "Why do I have to wear this? I don't want to, you know I don't like wearing skirts." Half of the clothes in my closet were chosen by my mom, who always says, "Oh! This dress is so cute, it will look beautiful on my one and only daughter." But those clothes just decorate my closet, not me.

  "If you don't wear it, then fine. Next weekend I just so happen to be short a model, so you can temporarily fill in." Mom deliberately threatened me with my weak point, knowing full well that I hate sitting still.

  "Mirror, mirror, is our queen at home very cruel......" I pretended to be wronged and pouted, resignedly took the bag from my mother's hand and entered my own room.

  The dinner was at a very luxurious hotel. Isn't it just a simple get-together, do we need to choose such a high-end place? Following behind Dad and Mom, looking around the surroundings, I couldn't help but mutter to myself.

  I heard that the father of Mom's good sister is the mayor of this city, and her husband himself is a super awesome architect, many high-rise buildings were designed by him, no wonder they are so rich at home, it seems that this kind of luxurious place is just for them to patronize.

  What I saw was another woman with a different temperament from my mother. She was elegant and refined, wise beyond her years. My mother, on the other hand, was carefree and unconventional, beautiful and delicate, but with an underlying pure quality to her.

  As soon as Dad came in, he started talking to the other's husband. One is a photographer and the other is an architect. I don't know what they would talk about when they meet? It seems that men's world always has too many common interests and hobbies.

  "This is Sha Shan, right? Greenie, I think she already has a bit of your high school shadow." The elegant noblewoman pulled me over to sit next to her and said to my mom. Greenie? This was the first time I'd heard someone call my mom that, it seemed their relationship was indeed not ordinary.

  This must be a nickname between them, because I know that there is no "green" character in my mother's name, including her stage name when she was a young model.

  "She's my daughter, of course she'll be a bit like me. By the way, where's your son Jialie? I haven't seen him in years either. That kid must have broken many girls' hearts by now, that face is really beyond me how you managed to give birth to him?"

  I sat quietly on the side, bored listening to the adults' conversation. It's been a long time since Mom saw her good friend, I don't understand why I had to participate too, look at adult gatherings and I'm completely unnecessary!

  "He said he was going to a car racing event with friends over the weekend and disappeared early in the morning. But I've already called him, and he'll be coming over before 7 o'clock, so we don't need to wait for him. That kid, my husband and I want to discipline him but can't, you know how kids are these days, they're so difficult to manage at such a young age, it's like they do whatever they want, and my dad still spoils him."

  "Your family's Palace Crack is two years older than my family's Sha Shan, right?" The news that she got married earlier than her had indeed shocked her. Because in the past when they were in high school, Yuan Yuan was notorious for being rebellious and daring, and her boyfriends changed frequently. Later, the two went to different cities for university, and unexpectedly, as soon as they graduated, she received the news that Yuan Yuan was getting married.

  "Ah, 17 years old and already in high school. Fortunately, her son inherited his father's IQ, playing wildly but still getting into the top three. However, her dad always said that her grandson's arrogance came from her, which made her very unhappy."

  "Time flies so fast, in a few more years I think we can all be grandmothers and aunts, it feels like a dream."

  "Yes, I didn't expect it's been over a decade since we last met. Which school is Sha Shan attending now?"

  "Kosugi, which school are you from?" My mom's airheaded personality has come out again, I've already transferred schools for over three months and she still doesn't know.

  "It's Shiyan Fuzhong." I replied, lifting my head after being called out.

  "When you're in high school, choose Yanjiang No. 1 Middle School, so you can be in the same school as Gong Lie and he can take care of you more." She seemed to really like stroking my hair, her tone was full of doting affection. But I just felt awkward, could only nod randomly.

  But in my heart, I was thinking: "Yanjiang No. 1 Middle School!" Although I had just arrived in this city not long ago, I had already heard that Yanjiang No. 1 Middle School, apart from being a municipal key school, has a beautiful environment and an open and free campus culture that makes countless students yearn for it.

  And I was never a top student, my parents knew that I didn't have any academic talent, they would never strictly require me to reach certain goals, as long as I was happy learning. Moreover, in the eyes of teachers, although I did things a bit carelessly, I was still considered well-behaved. Therefore, I never thought about having to take the entrance exam for a top high school.

  But I'm a bit curious about the "palace crack" in their mouths, listening to her conversation with her mother, I feel that he should be a pretty good mixer, two years older than me. Entering Yoshikawa First Middle School must also be due to family background. Thinking about it, it's just a spoiled young master.

  At this time, Auntie's mobile phone in her handbag rang. She answered it: "Are you here? Then come up by yourself, we're in suite 308." After finishing speaking, she hung up the phone.

  I remember I was pouring my favorite yogurt into a cup when a boy burst in. Before that, I had never thought about what Yuan Auntie's son looked like, partly because it didn't concern me and I wasn't interested, and partly because I had assumed he was a spoiled rich kid and felt some aversion to him. When I saw him, the first thing that popped into my mind was: "A smile can conquer a hundred charms." He looked just like a pure-hearted male lead from a comic book, with a beautiful and captivating appearance, his mouth slightly curved upwards, and skin as white as snow.

  "Who would have thought that the little boy who was so delicate that you couldn't tell his gender back then, has now grown taller than his father?" Mother exclaimed.

  "Palace crack, you haven't even come to see your uncle and aunt yet. This is Sha Shan, when you were little, you cried and shouted to take her home."

  Really? I don't have the slightest impression. The boy called Gu Lai just looked at me and didn't react at all. That's right, who would remember things from when they were young? But what Auntie said next almost made me spit out the yogurt in my mouth, I stared wide-eyed at my mother.

  "Kosugi, you and my daughter Miyuki were arranged to be married since birth. Back when your mother and I were in school, we decided that if we had a boy and a girl, we would have them marry each other. However, we are open-minded parents, so now that you two have met, let's cultivate your feelings for each other from now on."

  Is this a marriage proposal? This is probably the most absurd thing I've heard in 15 years, am I dreaming? The plot of an ancient TV drama is being played out on me? Marriage? Developing feelings with a boy I just met for the first time? I'm only 15, isn't it that parents are always on guard against their children having puppy love at this age? And yet my dad and mom are all smiling and sitting on the side, without any objection.

  I couldn't help but look up at the male lead in this arranged marriage game, only to see him playing a mobile game with a completely indifferent expression. Doesn't this matter have anything to do with him? Why is he so calm and unaffected after hearing it? I don't believe that someone with such an eye-catching appearance would be a boy without any opinions or thoughts. Is he just going to let his parents decide his emotions? Or is he also shocked into speechlessness like me?

  Later, the adults' topic turned to other places and they chatted happily. And I and that boy named Chi Gong Lie didn't say a word from start to finish. He was playing his game there all the time, I think he wouldn't like me either, we two are obviously people from different worlds, how could we get together?

  Back home.

  "Mom, is what Auntie said really true? I don't care about the agreement you had before, that's your business. Why drag me into this?" I couldn't help but feel a bit angry, how can they be so overbearing and dictatorial.

  "Mom helped you choose a boyfriend, don't you think he's excellent? Mom is really looking forward to my dear daughter trying out love and dating that kind of boy should be pretty good. And since Gong Lie is Aunt Yuan's son, mom feels more at ease. The engagement is just a formality, if you two feel unsuitable for each other, it's not too late to end it later."

  I don't know if being born into such a family is fortunate or unfortunate. How can this world have parents with such advanced ideas? I feel like I was born to be their pet, always imposing their own thoughts on me.

  "I didn't say I liked it, what right do you have to decide for me?" Tearing off the pure white cotton dress that mom had insisted on her wearing, she flung it into a corner in a fit of pique.

  "Could it be that our little Shannen already has a crush on some boy at school?" My sensitive mom looked at me suspiciously and asked.

  "Nothing, nothing at all, Mom, don't talk nonsense." I was stunned for a moment and immediately denied it. I would never tell my mom about Lan Lu's existence, this is one of my little secrets. I wonder what Lan Lu is doing now, I feel like I'm liking him more and more.

  "Look at the ring that's always hanging around your neck, it was given to you by Aunt Yuan. There should also be one in Gong Lie, I remember they were custom-made at the time, and the inside of your rings are engraved with each other's English names."

  I took off the delicate chain that I had been wearing since I was a child, and its pendant was a simple yet distinctive white gold ring with several English letters on it. I had always thought it was just a birthday gift from someone else, but now my mother told me that this was actually an engagement token between me and another boy.

  "However, I had an agreement with your Aunt Yuan back then. If you both agree to return each other's rings, the engagement can be dissolved and we will never interfere again."

  Is that it? I just need to get back the ring that belongs to me, and that's it. When I heard this, I was overjoyed and thought about how I could get the ring back from Qi Gu Li. It seems like I can only go find him privately, but all I know is that he's in Yan Chuan No. 1 Middle School, nothing else. "Mom, do you know which class Qi Gu Li is in at Yan Chuan No. 1?"

  "That's right! The two of you can be friends first. Wait a minute, Mom will ask for you." After calling Aunt Yuan, my mom got the information I wanted. Great, now everything is ready, all we need is a favorable wind.