Is your sandwich edged with gold?

Is your sandwich edged with gold?

The next day, Lin Shih-ren got out of bed at 5:30 a.m.

When she tiptoed to the kitchen, the house was quiet. She grabbed a handful of dried chilies from the cupboard, chopped one down, and the seeds spilled out. She threw the chilies, skin and seeds alike, into the pot and turned up the heat to boil.

Homemade chili water—this was the idea she came up with after tossing and turning all night. If Pang Ziyi dared to follow her again, she could expect to piss her eyes in frustration.

The gurgling sound of boiling water filled the air. Lin Shiren stood there, half asleep. She didn't know how much time had passed when she heard someone coughing in the bedroom. She turned her head to look and saw Xin Xiaomei turn over and go back to sleep.

She worked the night shift last night and didn't get back until 3 a.m. She's sleeping very soundly now, and there are obvious dark circles under her eyes.

In the small bedroom, barely ten square meters in size, the curtains weren't fully drawn, and sunlight streamed in through the gaps, swaying back and forth.

Xin Xiaomei's brows were relaxed only when she was asleep, and her whole demeanor softened considerably. She walked in quietly, drew the curtains very gently, and made sure to close the bedroom door when she came out.

Half an hour later, Lin Shiren went out. Since it was still early, she stopped at a convenience store to buy breakfast. When she was paying for the sandwich and yogurt, she paused for a moment.

Regardless, Zhou Lin sacrificed his dinner time to take her home... She went back to the shelf and picked out another sandwich at the counter.

I owe him a favor, so I'll repay him with a sandwich. That should settle things, right?

When Lin Shiren arrived at the classroom, only two or three students had arrived. She took out a sandwich from her schoolbag and secretly stuffed it into Zhou Lin's desk.

Actually, her deskmate was a good person. He not only helped her improve, but also stood up for the weak and helped the strong, and had a strong sense of justice.

Zhou Lin arrived late, just before the bell for morning self-study was about to ring. At that time, Lin Shiren was engrossed in English reading comprehension and had completely forgotten about the sandwich.

The first two periods were Chinese classes. The Chinese teacher's surname was Jia. She was a very elegant female teacher. She could draw parallels from her own surname to ancient merchants, and then from the ancient Silk Road to the modern Belt and Road Initiative... Everyone liked her classes. The only drawback was that she would go over time.

So Zhou Lin didn't discover the sandwiches in the desk drawer until the long break between classes when they were doing physical education exercises.

At that time, Li Pengfei came to persuade Lin Shiren to sign up for the sports meet again. Lin Shiren was annoyed and made an excuse to run away like a rabbit. Li Pengfei looked at Zhou Lin for a while, then looked at the sandwich in his hand and said, trying to make conversation, "Where did you buy this sandwich? It looks delicious."

Zhou Lin lifted his eyelids and generously shared, "The tuna flavor is hard to buy if you go too late."

Li Pengfei's lips twitched slightly.

For some reason, he sensed a hint of boasting in the words of this top student. Did someone who casually invites others to a Japanese feast have never eaten a cheap sandwich from 7-Eleven before?

He understood the principle of being humble and subservient when asking for favors, so he fawned over him for a couple of times, and his intentions gradually became clear: "There are still several events left vacant at the sports meet, it's not very exciting, why don't you sign up for one?"

Zhou Lin had never seen such an insensitive person before, unable to even respond properly. He resumed his cold and indifferent expression, picked up his water glass, and stood up, saying, "Excuse me."

"Then I'll tell you when you get back..."

Song Ci arrived unnoticed and patted Li Pengfei on the shoulder: "Let me give you an idea. What do you think everyone is participating in the competition for?"

Li Pengfei scratched his head, replying uncertainly, "Rank?"

Song Ci said directly, "Wrong! It's a peacock spreading its tail feathers."

He continued his analysis: "Think about it, who wouldn't want to be noticed by the person they like if they volunteered to participate in the sports meet? So, find the prettiest girls in our class to be cheerleaders, and let them stand at the finish line to cheer for the boys. I guarantee that the boys will definitely sprint towards the finish line like crazy."

Li Pengfei's eyes lit up, then his face fell again: "What you said makes a lot of sense, but I can't handle the school beauty Xu..."

Song Ci gave him a hopeless look and clicked her tongue: "You're so stupid. Why don't you just say that Zhou Lin is participating in the competition and you hope they'll come and cheer him on?"

He's figured out the logical loop of tiger, insect, stick, and chicken.

Li Pengfei clapped his hands in admiration, but Song Ci didn't give him a chance and immediately said, "Is there anything to eat? I'm starving."

...

When Zhou Lin returned, Li Pengfei and Song Ci were still chatting animatedly. He felt that the two lacked the necessary self-awareness, so he tapped the table and said, "Go back to your seats."

From its superior vantage point, its imposing presence pressed down without leaving a trace.

Li Pengfei quickly jumped up, leaving Song Ci sitting unmoved. She stuffed the last piece of bread into her mouth and smacked her fingers: "Luckily, you still have a sandwich on your table, otherwise I would have had low blood sugar..."

What sandwich?

The alarm blared. Zhou Lin squinted and looked at the spot on the table where the sandwiches had been, now only a messy packaging bag remained. He felt a mouthful of blood in his throat: "Song Ci, you're dead."

The midday sun was scorching.

On the school basketball court, sneakers rubbed against the rubber surface, and the air was filled with the sweltering heat of sweat.

As Zhou Lin dribbled the ball around Song Ci to dunk, beads of sweat trickled from his temples to his chin, his voice cool: "What are you being coy about? Keep going."

Song Ci cursed a few words, then collapsed to the ground with his legs wide open, panting heavily: "I can't take it anymore, I'm really out of energy."

Zhou Lin looked him up and down: "If you're so bored, why don't you go eat a Snickers bar? Why are you eating my sandwich?"

Song Ci's heart trembled under his gaze, her expression gradually turning to one of heart-wrenching pain: "I've known you for over ten years. I know whether you put on your shirt or pants first when you get up in the morning, I know how much sugar you want in your coffee, I know what time you get on the bus at which stop, I know what brand of cat food your cat likes. We're practically brothers, and now you're trying to kill me over a sandwich..."

Zhou Lin was even more annoyed by his nagging, so he threw the ball at him: "Stop talking nonsense, let's go again!"

Song Ci: "..."

Was his sandwich edged with gold?

The gossip about Song Ci being thrashed on the basketball court didn't reach Lin Shiren's ears. She hadn't slept well last night and was currently catching up on sleep at her desk.

Zhou Lin went to the restroom to wash his face with cold water, changed into a spare T-shirt, and returned to his seat feeling refreshed.

The classroom curtains were drawn, making it a bit dark and quiet. In the space, the little girl leaned to one side, her face buried in a rabbit-shaped pillow, clutching the rabbit's long ears in her hand, her school uniform jacket hanging loosely on her body.

A gentle breeze carrying the scent of autumn clothes blew into the classroom, causing the curtains to sway and the test papers to rustle, dispelling the restlessness emanating from Zhou Lin.

He sat in the chair for a while, hesitated for a moment, and then pulled her coat up a little.

With this small movement, Lin Shiren rubbed against the cushion like a kitten, then groggily looked up. She still looked sleepy, her eyes red and misty, and asked in a soft voice, "Did the bell ring?"

The sound was like a cat's meow, tantalizing and unsettling, causing Zhou Lin's Adam's apple to bob uncontrollably.

"No, go back to sleep." As soon as he said it, he realized that his voice was hoarse.

Lin Shiren was completely unaware of this. She glanced at the wall clock, rubbed her eyes, and looked listless, dragged down by exhaustion.

She had a terrifying dream.

In her dream, Pang Ziyi came to ambush her again after school, and she brought a bunch of random helpers. One of them had green eyes, looked like a lizard, and would stick out a long snake tongue when he spoke, which was particularly disgusting.

Zhou Lin's gaze followed her movements, his expression unreadable: "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

"Um."

Finally regaining some energy, Lin Shiren put on her school uniform, glanced at her phone, and saw that the bell would ring in three minutes. She had slept for a full forty minutes.

While he was fixing his hair with a black hair tie, Song Ci came in through the back door. His bangs were soaked with sweat, and his school uniform T-shirt was dirty. He looked quite disheveled. He first glanced at Zhou Lin critically, then stopped in the aisle at Lin Shiren's end, his expression a mix of grievance and anger: "Team leader, where did you buy that sandwich?"

An unexpected question came crashing down on him, leaving Lin Shiren stunned, unsure of the situation or his inexplicable emotions.

"What?"

Song Ci had to accept a cruel reality: his place in Zhou Lin's heart was less than that of a sandwich. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and said, slowly and deliberately, "Which sandwich did you buy this morning? I'm planning to buy a hundred!"

Lin Shiren: "?"

What kind of unusual way is this to flaunt wealth?

The school bell rang, and Song Ci returned to her seat.

Lin Shih-ren was still a little confused, and wrote a small line in his notebook: "Why did Song Ci buy a hundred sandwiches?"

Zhou Lin rested his chin on one hand, picked up the notebook to look at it, a smile curving his cold eyebrows. Then he took out a pen and wrote in a few quick strokes: "He's done too many bad things and now he wants to do charity."

Lin Shiren suspected that he didn't understand the essence of passing notes at all. The handwriting was so big and flamboyant that even people in the next class with good eyesight could see it. He might as well just use a loudspeaker to broadcast it.

His emotions unconsciously showed in his writing, which was forceful: "Could you write your words a little smaller?"

Her eyebrows were almost furrowed into a small mountain; her expression was very serious, but also very cute.

Zhou Lin found it both amusing and unfair, but he still listened to her advice and adjusted his font, replying in a font size similar to hers: "Are you trying to say something shameful?"

This conversation is completely stalled.

Lin Shiren's cheeks flushed as he tore the paper off the notebook, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it into the trash can.

The afternoon passed by in a flurry of activity, with new messages on my phone and the school bell ringing almost simultaneously.

Pang Ziyi: "Remember to wait for me after school, I'll return your money ^_^"

The malice in this message could be felt even through the screen. Lin Shiren stared at the message on the screen for a long time, wondering how long this trouble would last.

Just as she was lost in thought, she heard someone call her name: "Lin Shiren".

The boy's voice was so close, so soft and low, that it reached her ears, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Her expression was so unguarded that Zhou Lin immediately guessed who had frightened her, and his eyes darted with indescribable emotions: "How are you getting home?"

"I..." Lin Shiren couldn't find the right words for a long time. Bus, subway, or taxi? She really hadn't decided. Her gaze went past Zhou Lin and towards the back door. There seemed to be someone in the shadows.

He then asked, "How will Pang Ziyi's matter be resolved?"

After a deliberate silence, she took out several items from her bag and lined them up in front of him: "I've prepared some things for self-defense."

A hat, a mask, a rolling pin, and a white bottle containing an unidentified liquid. Zhou Lin's gaze fixed on it: "What is this?"

Lin Shih-jen answered truthfully: "I made the chili water myself, using the spiciest chilies from my family."

Zhou Lin raised his hand and rubbed his temples, feeling utterly powerless.

Well, this chili water looks a lot like the substandard products exposed by CCTV's 315 consumer rights program, making it hard for consumers not to have doubts about its effectiveness. What he doubts most is whether she would really dare to use a rolling pin and chili water against someone.

Most of the students had already left the classroom. Lin Shiren picked up his bag and prepared to leave. At this moment, Zhou Lin finally stood up and said casually, "I'll see you off."

A night breeze rises, and the shadows of the trees sway.

The classroom of Class 1, Grade 12 was on the far east side of the fourth floor. When they came down, the rush hour after school had passed. Lin Shiren kept a step away from him. Although there was no verbal or eye contact, Zhou Lin was too conspicuous. Passing eyes still fell on them one or two at a time, occasionally mixed with restless whispers.

"It's Zhou Lin."

Who is the girl next to him?

"Lin Shiren, he just moved up to the honors class this year."

"As expected, only top students can play these kinds of games."

"The two look like a perfect match."

"Don't let Xu Yiqiao hear this..."

The phone vibrated in my palm.

Zhou Lin looked at her, and Lin Shiren unlocked the screen, seeing a message from Pang Ziyi: "Found your protector."

Pang Ziyi was still spying on her.

The feeling was like a cold snake in the darkness, waiting to coil around her neck. Lin Shiren's breathing became erratic, and she unconsciously looked around. In the dim moonlight, every face looked ferocious.

The screen lit up again: "Where shall we meet?"

She quickened her pace and tugged at Zhou Lin's sleeve: "Zhou Lin, I want to take a taxi home."

*

At nine o'clock at night, the roads were clear, and the car drove smoothly to the outside of the Mercury Garden residential area. The driver parked the car, and Lin Shiren glanced at the person in the passenger seat: "I'm sorry to trouble you again."

Zhou Lin scanned the code to pay the fare, unbuckled his seatbelt, opened the car door and got out of the car—a series of actions as smooth as flowing water.

The alley was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the long shadows cast by the streetlights.

Lin Shiren stopped in front of the building entrance and patted his arm: "I sent a red envelope for the fare, you can accept it."

Zhou Lin's lips curved into a smile: "I won't accept it. You can use a sandwich to pay off the debt."

Lin Shih-jen paused slightly, then said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't buy sandwiches from convenience stores every day. Sometimes my mom prepares breakfast for me..."

Zhou Lin nodded: "It's okay, just buy one for me when you go."

Is there no convenience store near his house? This puts a lot of pressure on her... But in the end, she didn't say anything. Lin Shiren waved to him and said, "Well, goodbye."

"Um."

The slender figure disappeared into the corridor, and the motion-sensor lights turned on one floor at a time until the corridor returned to darkness before Zhou Lin turned around.

He said to the figure behind the green belt, "Come out."

-----------------------

Author's Note: 50 red envelopes! The comments are so cold, I'm freezing to death, isn't anyone going to offer some warmth?

Babies, help me break the 2000 mark in my earnings! Every little bit counts.

I have several titles in pre-order. Click on whichever one you like, and I'll start writing based on its popularity. Thanks!