After a while, footsteps gradually approached from outside. Henry Clark knocked on the door, “I’ve brought you some hot water.”

She put something outside the door and walked away.

Thomas Reed still brought the hot water kettle inside. She changed into clean clothes and used a towel to dry her soaked hair. Henry Clark was already back in her seat working on practice papers, so she sat down across from her.

After a moment of silence, Thomas Reed said, “Did I just look like a drowned rat?”

Henry Clark paused her writing, looked up at her, and shook her head. “No, you didn’t.”

She looked more like a flower battered and scattered by the rain, as if she would wither early if not brought inside right away.

Thomas Reed put down the towel from her head, and only then did Henry Clark notice the red marks on her face, as if she had been hit.

Actually, even though they were desk mates and lived in the same dorm, they usually kept to themselves and rarely talked. Suddenly sitting together like this, there wasn’t much to say.

The rain outside grew heavier, pounding against the glass window.

Thomas Reed noticed that Henry Clark, who had only been wearing a T-shirt earlier, had now put on her school uniform jacket. Suddenly, she stood up, grabbed the pink floral bag she’d been clutching all the way from her bed, and placed it in front of Henry Clark. “This is for you.”

Henry Clark looked surprised and took it to have a look. Inside were two bras.

“You… for me? Why… did you buy this for me?” Henry Clark was truly bewildered, confused, embarrassed, and even a little flustered for once.

Thomas Reed wasn’t doing much better. In fact, when she left the lingerie shop with that bag, she’d cursed herself countless times—had the rain soaked her brain? Why would she suddenly buy bras for a classmate she barely knew? Was she crazy?

When her mind cleared, she regretted it so much she almost threw the bag in the trash. But then she remembered an even more awkward moment in the shop: the owner asked what size she wanted, she thought for ages but didn’t know, so she made a gesture with a dark face. The owner smiled and asked if it was for her older sister, then specially packed it in a pink floral gift bag.

If she threw it away, wouldn’t the whole ordeal have been for nothing? Besides… she suddenly remembered Henry Clark’s school uniform and the sweat on her cheek, so she pulled her hand back, even tightened the bag so the rain wouldn’t get in.

“I see you wearing your school uniform every day, and just looking at you makes me feel hot to death. Take it if you want, throw it away if you don’t—I can’t wear it anyway.” As she spoke, she climbed up to her top bunk, flopped down, and refused to interact any further.

Henry Clark was silent for a long time below. After a while, Thomas Reed heard the rustling of the bag, and Henry Clark said, “Thank you, Thomas Reed.”

Thomas Reed’s shoulders slowly relaxed, and only then did she realize she’d been tensed up the whole time.

The rain grew even heavier, like the sleep-aid rain music she often listened to. She turned on her side, curled up, hugging her knees, and suddenly felt much better. At least, she still had a place to sleep. At least.

Her consciousness slowly faded into a haze. In a daze, she felt someone unfold her thin blanket and gently cover her with it.

The next morning, she woke up with a splitting headache. Sitting up, the world spun, and she suddenly felt like vomiting.

Thomas Reed climbed down the ladder, only to find her legs weak. She almost missed the railing and slipped. A pair of hands steadied her from behind. “Careful.”

Standing on the ground, Thomas Reed felt dizzy again and nearly fell. The hands holding her helped her sit down on the lower bunk.

“You’re sick, seems like you have a fever.” She touched her forehead.

Chapter 7 Sick

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

Thomas Reed sat on her bed, pressing her forehead hard. After a long while, she replied in a hoarse voice, “No, I’ll be fine after some sleep.”

After speaking, she went to the bathroom. When she came out, her face was wet, and she climbed back up to her bunk to lie down.

Henry Clark was already packed and ready to go out. She looked at Thomas Reed’s back, hesitated for a moment, but still left and closed the door.

There was a residential complex near No. 1 High School where many teachers lived, including their homeroom teacher Old Baker. Old Baker had both a son and a daughter, his wife was very capable, and their family was happy and harmonious. Every time Henry Clark saw them, she felt envious. She entered the complex and, familiar with the way, arrived at the homeroom teacher’s door.

“Henry Clark, you’re here! Have you had breakfast? Come in and eat with us.” The teacher’s wife opened the door and greeted her with a smile. “Just like before, today you’ll tutor my two little rascals in math, have lunch at our place, and let me know what you want to eat—I’ll go buy it later.”

Henry Clark stood at the door and didn’t go in, pursing her lips a little embarrassed. “Ma’am, I can’t tutor Yangyang and the others today, I have something to do… I just came to let you know, I’m sorry.”

The teacher’s wife was stunned for a moment, then smiled. “It’s not a big deal, no need to come all the way here just to say sorry.” She was about to say a phone call would have been enough, but then remembered this child was different from the others in her husband’s class. She had it so hard, struggling just to attend classes, and when she first came, she had almost nothing—not even a phone.