Nestled in Her Arms

"Mm..." Liang Xiaoqing had been busy all day and was exhausted, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. No matter how warm the blanket was, it couldn't match the warmth of another body. Sleeping together did feel warmer. She murmured a vague response, sensing something nuzzling into her chest. "Mm...?"

Her reaction time was slow; only then did she seem to realize. "Xiao Xu, what did you say?" The drowsiness was completely gone. She opened her eyes but saw only a blur of darkness; only the warmth at her chest told her that Jiang Xu was nestled against her.

The head in her arms stirred.

"..."

Liang Xiaoqing's cheek seemed to sting again. "...No, Xiao Xu."

"Why?" Jiang Xu poked her head out. In the deep darkness, Liang Xiaoqing could feel Jiang Xu's eyes on her.

The bed's too small. Sleeping together isn't convenient... And I get up at night, which would disturb you..."

The bed's big enough. Jiang Xu wriggled under the covers like a caterpillar. "And when we sleep together, the blankets are warmer. Winter is coming..." Jiang Xu paused, then continued, "You'd be too cold on the floor."

Liang Xiaoqing realized that Jiang Xu was always so considerate of others. When she spoke like that, so cautious and a little pitiful, Liang Xiaoqing didn't know how to answer.

"..." Not knowing what to say, she decided not to answer at all. She pulled Jiang Xu closer by the shoulder. "Alright, go to sleep."

The plan to buy a bunk bed had been discussed since Jiang Xu first came to her house, but it was still postponed. Liang Xiaoqing bit her lip, thinking she should have bought the bunk bed earlier. Jiang Xu leaned closer, curling into her embrace.

Liang Xiaoqing patted her head soothingly, thinking she was like a well-behaved, obedient little kitten.

She used to have a big orange cat at home, but it had run away. Liang Xiaoqing had been sad about that for a long time.

Time flowed like water, and the night grew quieter.

Liang Xiaoqing heard the soft breathing beside her ear and realized Jiang Xu had fallen asleep. She withdrew her arm, placed Jiang Xu's head on the pillow, and rubbed her own sore shoulder with her other hand.

She didn't know why, but her arm was under Jiang Xu's head again. Last time Jiang Xu slept with her, there was no pillow, so she had used her arm. This time, with a pillow, she had ended up doing the same anyway.

Moonlight filtered through the window, faint as a veil of gauze, resting on Jiang Xu's face. Liang Xiaoqing slid down a little to be level with Jiang Xu.

By the dim moonlight, she saw Jiang Xu's peaceful sleeping face. Jiang Xu was actually quite pretty, with thick brows and big eyes, though she hadn't fully grown into them yet. The sting on her face reminded her of Jiang Daguo and his wife. They were both ordinary-looking; she didn't know if Jiang Xu had just won the genetic lottery to be so good-looking.

Liang Xiaoqing felt a lingering worry. She didn't know how to handle Jiang Daguo making trouble. It seemed Jiang Daguo was set on taking Jiang Xu back.

How was she supposed to tell Jiang Xu?

Not long ago, she had made such a solemn promise. The situation had come too suddenly, and what Wang Cai said couldn't be counted on.

She was really afraid Jiang Daguo would cause a scene in the classroom and embarrass Jiang Xu.

Liang Xiaoqing felt she had hit a great difficulty, one that even her experience couldn't solve. She sighed lightly and gently brushed the hair from Jiang Xu's face, tucking it behind her ear.

She pondered how to resolve the issue.

Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

In the end, Liang Xiaoqing couldn't resist Jiang Xu's persistent cajoling and agreed to sleep with her at night. Every time she lay in bed, Liang Xiaoqing wondered if she was being too indulgent with Jiang Xu, but she didn't know how strict she should be.

As finals approached, Liang Xiaoqing's worry gradually eased. At least Jiang Daguo hadn't caused any more trouble, and her face had mostly healed. Life went on as usual. Yang Man had never mentioned the incident, giving the illusion that it was over. At least Liang Xiaoqing could breathe easier.

Jiang Xu should be able to take the finals smoothly.

But bad things always come in unexpected ways.

The grades came out quickly. The teachers worked overtime, grading the papers the day before winter break. The semester was over, and students trickled in to carry home the books they no longer needed, selling them to the scrap station for some pocket money.

Jiang Xu had joined the class midway, so she didn't have many books. Jiang Erya, however, had a lot, and no one at home to help her carry them, so Jiang Xu helped her take them back.

When they reached the playground, students were in groups, chatting, as they headed to the school gate. Jiang Xu's backpack was bulging, heavy enough to be a strain, and she also helped carry Jiang Erya's burlap sack of books.

Jiang Erya also carried a large bag of books on her back. It wasn't really a backpack; Wei Shufen had cut up her younger brother's old clothes and sewn a cloth bag that could be worn on the back. The bag was faded from washing, its edges frayed, and the shoulder straps were thin from long wear, knotted in several places, digging into her shoulders painfully.

"Wait, Jiang Xu." The sun was blazing on the ground, oddly warm for winter. Jiang Erya squinted against the light, hoisted her bag, and grimaced. "Why are there so many books this semester? I'm exhausted..."

Jiang Xu waited for her, also squinting against the sun. "Let's rest a minute."

So saying, she set down the sack.

"No need..." Jiang Erya quickly lifted the sack again. "My mom went to the market. I have to go home and take care of my little brother. Let's hurry."

"...Alright."

After walking a bit, Jiang Erya was sweating. "Jiang Xu, thank you."

"...It's nothing." Jiang Xu quickened her pace. Even in the cold weather, she had worked up a sweat.

Jiang Erya had eventually persuaded her mother. The time she had taken Jiang Xu's test paper to impersonate her, scoring 130 in math, Wei Shufen had only a primary school education. Jiang Erya had shown Wei Shufen the paper covered in red checkmarks, and Wei Shufen asked if she could get first place.

Jiang Erya nodded. "Yes, first."

Wei Shufen turned the paper over and over for a long moment.

Jiang Erya looked at the ground guiltily, speaking timidly. "Mom, are you still sending me away?"

"..."

Wei Shufen said nothing. Jiang Erya continued, "Mom, I still want to study."

"...Study my ass! All you do is eat all day. Look at how fat you are, like a pig." Wei Shufen crumpled the paper and poked her forehead. "A pig can be raised for a year and then slaughtered. What can I get from you?"

"Mom, I can do anything! Just let me study!"

"Dream on!"

Whether it was a dream or not, Jiang Erya did manage to realize it. Wei Shufen said no with her mouth, but she didn't stop her from going to school. And Jiang Erya had become much more attuned to reading people's moods.

She vied to do the chores of feeding the chickens and pigs, did the farm work, and cooked meals early in the morning. She no longer dared to touch the snacks that her brother had and she didn't. Every morning she rose earlier than the chickens, and at night she slept later than the dogs. Wei Shufen's resentful gaze slowly changed. Jiang Erya also learned to fawn over her grandmother, who stammered and told her not to work so hard, afraid she'd hurt herself.

Jiang Erya said it was fine.

Over time, Jiang Erya lost weight and her face grew more haggard.

But as long as she could study, she would do anything.

Unfortunately, she was a bit slow, not smart enough, and struggled to keep up in class.

She strained with all her might, her face flushed red, and she worried as she walked. "My grades are so much worse than last time. If my mom finds out, she definitely won't let me study anymore..."

"If your mom let you study, she wouldn't give up so easily." Jiang Xu looked at her and added, "And you've improved a lot compared to last time."

Jiang Xu meant that Jiang Erya hadn't cheated again, and she often asked Jiang Xu for help after class.

Jiang Erya's face reddened. "My mom said I had to maintain the same score." She knew it was impossible. Getting a middling score had already taken everything she had.

"..."

"Jiang Xu, you must have done really well this time." Jiang Erya lowered her head. "If it weren't for me, you'd have been first last time too."

"...It's not that exaggerated." The teacher had a copy of the grade sheet. When Jiang Erya went to check her score, Jiang Xu took a look as well.

Yang Man only allowed students to see their own rankings, so everyone only knew their own place. No one else cared much about grades except the teachers and the students themselves. Some students didn't bother with grades after the semester ended, putting it all behind them. If they did well, fine; if not, knowing early just ruined their mood.

Very few students from Class 5 came to check their grades. When Jiang Xu and Jiang Erya went to the office, it was mostly empty. Luckily, their homeroom teacher, Yang Man, was still there.

Jiang Erya, fidgeting, asked Yang Man about her grades. Yang Man said she hadn't done as well as last time. Jiang Erya's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled, though her mood was inevitably dampened.

As for Jiang Xu, Yang Man kept her behind and patted her shoulder. "Jiang Xu, not bad. You did really well this time. Your math score went up a lot." Yang Man recalled Jiang Xu's previous math score, remembering Liang Xiaoqing had said, "That's odd. Jin Xiao told me Jiang Xu's been doing well lately. How could she do so poorly on the math exam..."

Yang Man pointed to the name at the top of the grade sheet. "You're first, and you're a transfer student. Xiaoqing didn't misjudge you. She didn't waste her efforts. If..."

Yang Man smiled, not finishing her sentence. Looking at Jiang Xu's expressionless face, she sighed. "Go home now. Xiaoqing hasn't been at school all day. Go tell her the good news. I haven't had a chance to tell her yet..."

Jiang Xu had noticed that Liang Xiaoqing wasn't in the office when she entered. Liang Xiaoqing had said in the morning that she had no classes today and was going to town to buy some things. Jiang Xu had said she'd go with her after break, when they'd have more time and could carry more.

Liang Xiaoqing had said she wasn't buying much and would be back by four or five in the afternoon, telling Jiang Xu to eat a good lunch.

Jiang Xu nodded, obedient to Liang Xiaoqing.

Seeing her name at the top of the list, her eyes lit up and her brows lifted slightly. The image of Liang Xiaoqing smiling brightly came to mind. She'd probably gently stroke her head and let her curl into her arms.

Then she'd whisper that she shouldn't be proud, that she should keep working hard, and also not to overdo it.

At the thought, Jiang Xu's voice grew lighter. "Alright, Teacher Yang. I'll be going then."

"Mm. Go ahead." Yang Man looked at her, handed her the answer sheet, and also asked her to take Jiang Erya's answer sheet. "If Jiang Erya hasn't left yet, give her this answer sheet and tell her to analyze carefully why she made so many mistakes..."

"..."

Jiang Erya was waiting in the classroom. Jiang Xu packed her own books, folded the neatly written answer sheets, and put them in the outermost pocket of her backpack. The red checkmarks were very conspicuous, making Jiang Erya envious. Jiang Xu handed her the answer sheet and relayed Yang Man's words.

Jiang Erya looked miserable, as if she wanted to throw her answer sheet away.

The sun was setting, dyeing half the sky. Orange light cast over the winding path, with wild grass on both sides.

With Jiang Xu's help, Jiang Erya carried her books to her doorstep, huffing and puffing, but she hesitated to go in.

"Jiang Xu, what should I do?" Jiang Erya sat on the ground, on the verge of tears.

Jiang Xu comforted her, saying her mom wouldn't just ignore her, at least she was still allowed to study.

Jiang Erya said, "Jiang Xu, I envy you. You get to live at Teacher Liang's house. Everyone knows Teacher Liang is the most soft-hearted teacher at Qing Middle."

Jiang Xu replied flatly, "You didn't see me almost beaten half to death."

After a pause, she frowned. "Actually, I feel like I'm just making trouble for her."

"..."

The hair clip on Jiang Xu's head sparkled in the setting sun. It had a few small crystals, unassuming but pretty, and held her hair in place.

Jiang Erya was dazzled by the glint of the clip. She squinted, got up from the ground, moved closer to Jiang Xu, and stood on tiptoe to grab at her clip. "That's still nice. Did Teacher Liang buy you that clip? It's so pretty! Jiang Xu, can I borrow it for a couple of days?"

Jiang Erya had never worn such a thing. She knew it was called a hair clip because she'd seen it on other female classmates. When she asked, they told her. One day she saw Jiang Xu wearing one, and when she went home and asked Wei Shufen for a clip, Wei Shufen swore at her, calling her a waste, and beat her.

Jiang Erya had cried so hard. She felt that the girls with hair clips seemed prettier.

Especially Jiang Xu. Every time she looked at Jiang Xu, she felt Jiang Xu didn't belong in this place, because Jiang Xu was pretty even without a clip.

In Jiang Erya's simple understanding, Jiang Xu was very beautiful.

Her head was much smaller than Jiang Erya's, she was much thinner, and much taller. Her nose was higher, and her eyes were much bigger. Jiang Erya thought Jiang Xu didn't need any fancy ornaments. When she asked to borrow the clip, Jiang Xu, though she seemed unapproachable, would lend anything if asked.

Except she never lent her clip; because of that, Jiang Xu had gotten angry, saying she wouldn't lend her clip to anyone.

Now, as if forgetting that, Jiang Erya had her mind set on the clip again.

"Teacher Liang is so good to you. I see you switch your clip every few days. Just lend me the one you're wearing for a couple of days."

"..." Jiang Xu quickly covered her head, frowning. "No!"

It startled Jiang Erya.

"Erya, you should head home. I need to go too." With that, Jiang Xu ran off quickly.

She calculated the time; Liang Xiaoqing should be home by now. She touched the clip on her head, confirming it was still there, and ran even faster.

The path wound on, and the wild grass swayed in the wind stirred up by Jiang Xu's running feet.

Jiang Xu clutched the straps of her backpack tightly. The cold wind hit her face, her nose turning red. She ran faster, her chest heaving, a smile curving at the corner of her lips.

She bit her lip, imagining Liang Xiaoqing looking for her everywhere, and thought of handing her an answer sheet that was nearly perfect.

She ran all the way to the teacher's dormitory building, but the smile froze on her face.

In the shadows, Wang Cai, who seemed to have been waiting for a long time, limped toward her.