Little flame, oh little flame

After viewing the third neighborhood, Lin Xia still felt that the one opposite First Middle School was the best. It was extremely convenient, the environment was tranquil, and it couldn’t be more suitable for studying. The Lin family elders were also full of praise for that neighborhood, but the house number… It was still a bit awkward to think about. After all, buying a house was about feeling comfortable, not suffocated.

Lin Xia noticed their concerns and kept it in mind; she didn’t say much in front of her second aunt, planning instead to persuade her parents after they returned home.

If one were to name the most famous person at Creekwater Middle School this year, it would undoubtedly be Lin Xia from Class 1, Grade 8. Her fame wasn’t because she was a class beauty, but because of her awe-inspiring academic achievements. She was fifty points ahead of the second place—what a terrifying feat! Was she possessed by aliens? That’s what all the students thought.

Of course, Jiang Hua, the class advisor and Chinese teacher, couldn’t stop smiling. Not only was his student ranked first overall, but she also claimed first place in four subjects across the entire school. Her Chinese was exceptional, and her compositions were so good that even her teacher wanted to submit them for publication.

Some teachers felt her essays were a bit too conventional, but such cautious writing was exactly what would secure success in the high school entrance exam. Lin Xia’s usual Chinese scores were never bad, so this result was no surprise to Jiang Hua. What shocked him—and the entire school—was her overall score.

Usually, although Lin Xia did well in quizzes, there was always a bit of favoritism since the teachers graded their own students’ papers. But in this large-scale school-wide test, the papers were sealed and graded collectively by all teachers. Her score was indisputable, which astonished the staff.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. The math teacher announced the dismissal and headed to the office with his books.

Ren Jie poked Lin Xia’s back, “Xia Xia, let’s go to the restroom together.”

“Let’s go.” Little girls liked doing everything together—going to school, leaving school, having breakfast, even visiting the restroom.

When Lin Xia and Ren Jie returned to the classroom, chatting and laughing, they saw Li Jing approach with a mischievous grin, waggling her eyebrows. “Xia Xia, you’ve got a letter!”

She glanced around, then sneakily placed a folded note in Lin Xia’s palm.

Lin Xia looked down—the note was folded into the shape of a heart. She smiled and unfolded it.

“Oh, little lady, you’re quite popular!” Ren Jie teased beside her, but before she finished, Lin Xia tore the colorful letter into pieces.

No one expected the quiet and gentle Lin Xia to act so decisively. When she finished, she noticed the whole class watching her.

Lin Xia curled her lips into a smile and said to Ren Jie, “Why are you all staring at me?”

Ren Jie gave her a thumbs-up, worshipful. “l!”

“Enough with your terrible English, how dare you show off in front of me?” Lin Xia shot her a glance and returned to her seat. She wasn’t interested in being the center of attention.

Seeing Lin Xia’s calm demeanor, Ren Jie and Li Jing exchanged glances and helplessly went back to their seats.

“Hey, don’t you want to say anything?” Ren Jie, unable to keep a secret, squirmed in her seat for a while before poking Lin Xia again.

Lin Xia tilted her head and thought for a moment before realizing Ren Jie meant the note. Indeed, if it had been any other girl, her face would have turned red.

But who was Lin Xia? Nearly thirty years old, after countless blind dates, she’d developed a thick skin. Such trivial matters hardly affected her.

Now, her thoughts were entirely occupied with the family’s house purchase, and she might be moving next semester anyway. Besides, these thirteen- or fourteen-year-old little sprouts—she couldn’t possibly entertain the idea!

More importantly, there really weren’t any impressive figures at Creekwater Middle School. There was a campus beauty, but she wasn’t particularly attractive.

When Lin Xia was in college, she had a roommate who was voted the department beauty—now that was true beauty, rivaling celebrities. Yet famous people attract drama, and her flamboyant style didn’t appeal to Lin Xia, so they barely interacted, remaining mere acquaintances over four years.

Lin Xia had figured out the situation with these notes. Her features were quite ordinary, but together they made her look comfortable. The original Lin Xia had no concept of skincare, and her complexion would turn charcoal-black in summer, so she hardly stood out.

Now, at twenty-eight, Lin Xia wouldn’t let herself neglect her skin. With her studies and novels taking up two-thirds of her time, and the rest spent resting at home, she rarely went outside, so her complexion naturally lightened. With the addition of a pool of warm water, Lin Xia would soak whenever she had the chance, and her skin gradually became fairer.

Fortunately, the effects of the pool were slow; otherwise, if Lin Xia suddenly turned pale overnight, she’d have trouble explaining it to those around her. The gradual change reassured her that nothing was amiss.

Think about it—if that water could make someone suddenly stronger or more beautiful, wouldn’t that be suspicious? The human body can’t withstand such drastic changes.

Since receiving her salary, Lin Xia hadn’t deprived herself in terms of clothing. Youth comes only once—if you don’t enjoy it now, when you have money, the chance is gone.

With this philosophy, Lin Xia went to the county town almost every two weeks, returning each time with bags full. Sometimes it was reference books, sometimes new clothes, sometimes the latest novels.

Her wardrobe became the class trendsetter. Many girls envied her.

Though Lin Xia’s looks were plain, her fair skin made her pleasing to the eye, and her bright, youthful outfits combined with her clean, watery aura made her irresistible to the boys.

Perhaps kids this age don’t understand “aura,” but Lin Xia had the ultimate advantage—her grades.

In middle and high school, family background and appearance are fleeting; only grades matter.

Thus, Lin Xia found more and more admirers around her. Nearly every day she received such notes, in her drawer or passed on by Ren Jie and the others.

At first, Lin Xia read them with interest, sometimes commenting as she did. The notes were all the same: “Your grades are amazing, let’s help each other and improve together,” or “I think you’re pretty, can we be friends,” and so on.

They always ended anonymously or as “someone silently watching you,” which made Lin Xia laugh.

Indeed, children in a small town were innocent.

Wasn’t it so?