36 8 YEARS AGO {IV}

"Come sit over here." He said pointing at the teacher's stand and the whole class burst out laughing. 

She dragged her feet to the desk as everyone's eyes tailed her. The boy had no name plate and she didn't know how to speak to him. He was looking away, outside the window. 

"Ex...Excuse me," the whole class quietened down. "You're on my sit... My desk."

"Hunh? Is she crazy?"

"She's way too dumb not to know who he is."

"I believe she's from the slum and doesn't own a TV, not even a hand phone."

"She's courting trouble."

"She's dumb. Really dumb. Whoever said the desk belonged to her?"

"Truly dumb. She didn't make any addition to the class, what is she thinking?"

"Haha, she wants Young Master Zhao to stand, then she sits?"

Xueyan heard everything that they said, the comments were mostly from girls sneering at her. She wanted to cry but remembering that she's strong, she breathed in heavily and was about to speak again, when the boy slowly turned his attention to the class, he must have heard everything just now. The girls immediately shut it. 

Everyone waited for the ticking bomb to explode but... 

He raised an eyebrow at Xueyan and the look on his face said, "Who are you?"

Xueyan felt her palm sweat and wished for the ground to open and swallow her. "I... I... I..."  Her hand balled into a fist, "Just yesterday I made use of this desk because there was none left, today you are here, we can just share the desk since everyone does that."

"Whoa, she's courageous."

"Be quiet, do you know the meaning of the word courageous?"

The boy made a move, adjusted closer to the window. He didn't look at her again but his meaning was clear. They both can share the desk? 

Everyone was stumped.

"What in the world is going on here?"

"Did Young Master Zhao just let her sit beside him?"

"No! I am certainly seeing things. This is a dream. How could he allow her to share his desk?"

"I never knew the Young Master was this generous, I would have begged to share his desk. Boo-hoo."

His two friends at the back shared a look and turned back to the two people sitting before them. 

Xueyan had been so nervous that day that she didn't dare move around recklessly, afraid of annoying him. 

It took her time to get used to the fact that she was meant to share a desk with someone who doesn't speak. She had never seen him speak to anyone, Is he mute? She wondered.

He never paid attention to the class nor cared about what was going on in the classroom and the teachers never reprimanded him. 

She remembered the students calling him a Young Master, which means one thing, he is very important and likewise might be an aristocrat.

The first week went by without her speaking to him and not daring to annoy him. 

"This is the end of today's class. Get your teammates and come submit your motions to me." The English teacher said. She left the class. 

Xueyan watched as the students moved from their desks to go get teammates with smiles on their face but no one came to her. She was just like an air, invisible. Invisible in the classroom, invisible to her classmates. 

"Young Master Xing, what are we having for lunch?" She heard his friend ask. 

The one that asked her desk partner the question sat down on the desk before them. He sat facing them both. Watching as she trembled slightly, he couldn't help but ask. "Are you alright?" 

Xueyan was dumbstruck. Is he talking to me? She turned to make sure no one else was behind her, then laughed awkwardly. "Hehe, yes I am."

The boy must've been annoyed that he didn't speak to her again and turned his attention towards her sir partner. "Young Master Xing, let's go."

They are truly thinking about lunch? Wow! 

Xueyan that was never afraid of speaking, found herself struggling to say a single word. 

I have no team members and I can't really do this alone... Suddenly something in her mind told her to ask the two boys, the one sitting before her and the one sitting beside her. 

"Mhm mhm nmh..." She cleared her throat. "I'm Bai Xueyan... You are?" She outstretched her hand to the boy that sat facing her. 

He looked down at her outstretched hand with his brows furrowed. He pointed at himself, "Me?" 

You? Yes, you!  Can't you see it's you that I'm talking to? You must be dumb. 

"Hehe... Yeah, yes you."

"Bai. Xue. Yan. Why do you suddenly want to know my name?"

"Hunh? You see, the English teacher had asked for us, to form a team and submit our motions for the upcoming school debate. And you don't seem to be in any team yet and I'm not in any either, so with you and I, we could form a team." She said, going straight to the point. 

"We two?" He pointed at himself then back at her. 

"No, but with you in my team we can attract more members. They are all familiar with you."

He thought for a while and then shook her hand. "I'm Li Xiangyang." 

Xueyan's eyes lit up as hope danced in them. "But sorry, I don't ever take part in debates nor in any school activity..." The side of his lips slanted upward. He dashed her hope and watched the glow in her eyes dissipate. You treated me like a fool when I asked if you were alright and now? You want my help come get it. 

Xueyan's spirit was dampened. 'Dumbo ask your sit partner since you failed with him.' Her inner mind said. Her eyes lit up again, she pulled her hand out of Xiangyang's hold and turned to him. "Hi, I'm Bai Xueyan. And you are?" Her question was directed to the stone faced Young Master sitting beside her. There was a light smile on her face.