Shu Xian and Shi Lian already entered their first class of the day, still, Assessment of Student Learning.

The moment Shi Lian saw Shu Xian already choosing the seat from the back, she couldn’t help but playfully roll her eyes, smiling at the same time.

“Still away from the people, I see,” she commented, both of them already sitting down then Shi Lian giggled.

“Can’t help it,” she started, getting her notebook from her backpack as she prepared it on the table, setting aside her pen as well. “You know how I hate people.”

With what she said next, Shi Lian couldn’t help but smile at her as she propped a hand under her chin.

“I wonder why we became such good friends,” she said, Shu Xian, laughing again as she elbowed Shi Lian beside her.

“Y’know, I wondered the same thing,” she replied, having a small flashback as Shi Lian got a KitKat from her bag and ate it, staring around the room as well.

Shu Xian remembered that when she was still with her uncle when she just started high school, she was enrolled in a prestigious private school.

She didn’t understand her uncle. He hated her and verbally abused her, sometimes physically hurt her, too.

But why let her enroll in a prestigious school when he could just ignore her and let her enroll in a public school?

Heck, her uncle can even not let her study at all!

So why go through all this trouble? Until now, she couldn’t get it.

But still, Shu Xian actually didn’t hate being enrolled in that prestigious school. The school held one of her greatest memory and one if it was when Shu Xian met Shi Lian.

***

It was their first year of high school and Shu Xian didn’t fit in.

Even given the greatest stuff by her cruel uncle, she still found it awkward to use, her self-esteem low as she didn’t know how to talk to others because of the emotional turmoil her “home” has caused her.

During their English class, however, they were asked to take their seat mate as their partner and since it was an all-girls school and Shi Lian was her seat mate, it was during that time that they spoke together.

They were answering exercises wherein they translate the sentences in their first language, to the target language, which was English.

Since Shi Lian is down to earth and was outspoken, she was the one who spoke first, saying that she would do 1-10, and Shu Xian would handle 11-20.

To other people, they would complain that the other got 1-10 because the first set of questions are always easier compared to the succeeding ones.

However, since Shu Xian loved the English subject so much, everything went in a breeze, surprising Shi Lian that she even finished translating them first before she even did.

With her even answering her share of questions, both of them didn’t speak until they heard their classmates in front who were also smart, talking about Shu Xian in English behind them.

“Shu Xian is peculiar, isn’t she?”

“Yeah… she’s in a private school but is so aloof.”

“I wonder how she got inside here?”

“Well, we have to admit that she is indeed pretty. Maybe she seduced the teacher?”

The two girls snickered as they continued gossiping, not knowing that Shu Xian and Shi Lian understood them because they, too, can speak English well.

With Shu Xian looking outside the window, not caring that she was being gossiped about by the people before them, Shi Lian suddenly had an idea, wanting to surprise the two in front of them as well.

Shi Lian sighed, rolling her head as she leaned on her chair’s backrest and spoke to Shu Xian in English.

“Hey, wanna go hang out with me later?” she asked, instantly making the two girls in front of them silent as Shu Xian turned her head to look at Shi Lian.

“Hmm?”

The girls snickered again, finding Shu Xian’s answer funny as they thought that Shu Xian couldn’t speak in English.

Seeing this, Shi Lian rolled her eyes and spoke again, smiling at Shu Xian as she spoke in English again.

“Sorry, forgot to introduce myself. I’m Shi Lian.”

Hearing this, the two girls in front of them widened their eyes in disbelief. They then already knew who the girl behind of them is, making them feel conscious as they know about Shi Lian’s reputation being one of the W&S Co.’s children!

“Shu Xian.”

Shu Xian extended her hand toward Shi Lian for a handshake, the girl taking it for a shake as they now formally introduced themselves to each other.

“Like I said… wanna go hangout with me later?”

Not answering again as Shu Xian contemplated for a while, the two girls in front of them stifled their laughs as they found Shu Xian stupid for not understanding English!

However, when Shu Xian suddenly replied, the two girls’ body stiffened as they didn’t expect her to speak fluent English.

“Why are you talking to me in English?” Shu Xian asked, furrowing her brows in wonder. “Well, whatever. Rather, why do you want me to hangout with you?”

The two girls’ mouth opened wide, their jaw almost dropping to the ground as they didn’t expect Shu Xian to reply!

Did that mean that they understood their topic a while ago?

With a cheeky grin on Shi Lian’s face upon seeing the two girls’ reaction, she cocked her head to the side and asked her a question, feigning ignorance.

“Did you hear what the two were saying about you?”

Shu Xian looked at the backs of the girls in front of them. Nodding, she did understood what they said, but what Shu Xian said made Shi Lian find her cool.

“I don’t care. As long as I’m minding my own business and I know that they’re wrong, I could care less.”

The two girls bit their bottom lip, embarrassed. With their sudden silence, Shi Lian remembered Shu Xian’s question a while back, making Shi Lian answer in their first language, her words further giving another slap on the two girls’ faces.

“Anyway, I actually wanted to narrow down the people with whom I want to hangout with. Turns out I narrowed it down nicely! I hate people who gossip!”