Old Tang was still talking about things to pay attention to: "When you go out to play, pay attention to hygiene, don't just throw trash at scenic spots, show the quality and cultivation of us young people..."

Everyone responded perfunctorily in small groups: "Okay, got it."

Logan Wright still refused to give up, his finger trembling in the air: "Fine, I see right through you all now. So much for friendship, it's all fake."

Henry Howard added Logan Wright's name to the list, then gestured for him to get lost: "That's enough, if you keep talking nonsense, we're really not taking you."

It wasn't until the tour guide came into the classroom that things quieted down.

It was a man, wearing a red hat, holding a megaphone, with a hearty smile. As soon as he came in, he greeted everyone: "Hello, students."

Then each group leader handed their group list to the tour guide. When he received the paper from Henry Howard's group, Ethan Young clearly noticed the confusion in the tour guide's eyes, as if he was asking: What is this, who are these people?

Ethan Young tore a sheet from his exercise book and wrote down the six names again.

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63. Chapter Sixty-Three

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Ethan Young handed in the rewritten group list.

Black ink on white paper, the strokes sharp and forceful, six names leaping off the page, written beautifully.

Although the error rate in Ethan Young's homework was extremely high, and for math problems he often only copied a few questions, leaving the answer area completely blank, the teachers in each class still didn't lose patience when grading his work. Just for the sake of his handwriting, half their anger would dissipate.

Every time a teacher in the office sighed about how such good handwriting was wasted, another voice would chime in to comfort them: "At least it's better than Henry Howard, grading his homework really makes me angry, everything is just..."

The tour guide looked at Ethan Young as if he'd seen a savior.

Although the boy in front of him didn't seem very approachable, compared to his looks, that cold aura he couldn't suppress was even more striking.

And for some reason, when this student pressed a few fingers against the edge of the desk, handed over the paper, and then looked up at him, the tour guide inexplicably felt his life was in danger.

The tour guide took the paper: "...Young, thank you."

Ethan Young: "You're welcome."

Henry Howard was feeling pretty good about himself. He thought he'd written quite neatly this time, surely not to the point where people couldn't read it. Standing by the podium, he was about to defend himself when Ethan Young kicked him.

"Get down," Ethan Young said, "Stop embarrassing yourself."

Henry Howard was chased off by Ethan Young, muttering as he walked: "No, really, I wrote it well this time, the handwriting is neat, dignified..."

Ethan Young: "Can you shut up?"

Everyone in Class 3 knew what Henry Howard's handwriting was like. At first, it really made your head spin, but after more than two months, they'd been forced to develop the skill of deciphering it.

Since they were all classmates, just a glance at the shape of the name was enough to know who it was, but the tour guide wasn't familiar with these names, so he was bound to be confused.

Luke Carter covered his face below: "What was I thinking, letting Bro Henry be the group leader."

Wanda patted him: "Just let it be, what else can you do? Don't look back on the road you've already walked."

Luke Carter: "..."

"Students, this time we're going to Beihu Park, a famous scenic spot in C City. I'll tell you the specific itinerary when we're on the bus," the tour guide adjusted his hat, said a few more words about hoping to have a pleasant day with them, basically a lot of empty talk, and finally said, "...The bus for Class 2, Grade 3 is at the back door, line up in the hallway first."

There were already two classes lining up in the hallway. Old Tang immediately said, "Keep order, everyone quiet down, other grades are still in class."

The tour guide talked too much, and Ethan Young was getting sleepy listening to him. After a while, he stopped paying attention. When everyone else got up to leave, he was still lying on his desk, not moving.

Henry Howard curled his fingers and knocked on Ethan Young's desk: "Stop sleeping, get up and line up."

Old Tang also talked a lot. After the order issue, he gave a bunch more reminders, making people think of elementary school field trips. Finally, a student couldn't take it anymore and shouted, "Are we supposed to hold hands too? Might as well just walk hand in hand."

As soon as that student finished, Ethan Young opened his eyes, and Henry Howard had already reached out his hand.

This guy refused to sit on a perfectly good chair, insisting on sitting on the desk, his school jacket unzipped and hanging open, smiling as he said, "Little buddy, want to hold hands?"

The boy's smile was just too good-looking.

Henry Howard's hand rested on the desk, palm facing him.

Someone had just shouted about holding hands, so if they did it now, it shouldn't be a big deal.

After a moment, Ethan Young didn't say anything, just put his hand on top.

"Oh――"

In the hallway, especially near the back door window, someone started it, and soon the whole class joined in, all making meaningful "oh" sounds.

Henry Howard was afraid they'd overreact and scare him: "What the hell are you 'oh'-ing for?"

Luke Carter: "Give him some credit, really, only Bro Henry would do it. We just mentioned holding hands, and he did it right away."

They were just teasing Old Tang, not thinking anything else. Besides, those two big shots in their class had always been this close, even holding hands in class before.

Thomas Thompson just shook his head and smiled at their antics, not bothering to stress discipline anymore. After all, it was just one day, might as well let them have fun.

When getting on the bus, the girls went first to pick seats, usually sitting in pairs. Ethan Young and Henry Howard were last, and by the time they got on, only the last row had two seats left.

Wanda was sitting in the middle of the last row, waving at them: "Hey――come on, come on."

Ethan Young looked around and asked, "No other seats?"

The last row was filled with Luke Carter and the others, all the lively ones in the class, sure to be noisy the whole way and make it impossible to sleep.

Luke Carter caught on to Ethan Young's meaning: "Ethan Bro, are you disliking us?"

Ethan Young: "Yeah."

They were already halfway down the aisle. On Ethan Young's right was Quinn Shaw, who had already opened a bag of snacks and was laughing heartily: "Hahahaha, you brought this on yourself."

Henry Howard laughed too: "Mouse, as long as you know it yourself. No need to ask and hurt yourself again."

Luke Carter: "..."

Joking aside, there really weren't any other seats.

Once everyone was seated, the bus slowly started up, turning out of the school back gate onto the small road.

The tour guide grabbed the handrail, stood up, and announced his name. No one really remembered it, just that his surname was Wang, so everyone called him "Wayne BroWayne Bro", and the tour guide scratched his head: "Alright then, Wayne Bro... Wayne Bro it is."

The drowsiness that had built up in the classroom returned, and Ethan Young planned to nap against the window, but before he could, Henry Howard pulled his head over: "Why lean on the window when you can lean on your brother's shoulder?"

The word "brother" was like a magic spell—every time he heard it, certain images would play in his mind.

Even though it was Henry Howard who brought it up, not long after he said it, he coughed lightly, thinking, damn, isn't this just making things hard for myself?

Ethan Young couldn't take it either, and the most obvious sign was... he couldn't sleep anymore.

The school's little road was narrow and long, so the bus moved slowly. Along the way, they passed the No. 2 High School's food street, the congratulatory banner for the midterm exam was still hanging at the gate of Zhuangyuan Restaurant, and a stray dog was lying at the door of Jinbang Restaurant, head drooping as it watched the passing crowd.

Wayne Bro talked about the history of Beihu Park, the various buildings in the park, and especially the former residence of a late literary master: "You all know him, right? The one who wrote――"

When it came to literature, Old Tang's professional instincts kicked in, and he could go off-script and give them a Chinese lesson at any moment. He got up and snatched the megaphone from the tour guide: "Let me say a few words, let me say a few words..."

The whole of Class 2, Grade 3: "...Don't let him talk!!!"

Luke Carter was about to cry: "We were supposed to be happy today."

Wanda: "Yeah, we were supposed to be happy today."

Amid all this noise, someone moved first, and the backs of two hands pressed together, staying close for a while, then Henry Howard's fingers intertwined.

Sometimes people are really easily satisfied.

A little touch, a glance, and the warmth that comes with it.

That's enough.

The bus was getting noisier and noisier. Ever since Logan Wright had the guts to snatch Old Tang's megaphone, the whole group had gone wild.

"Let's sing," Quinn Shaw suggested, "There will be prizes for those who join in."