Chapter 559: Chapter 559
"Where did you learn to swim? You seem even more skilled than the two of us, and you can save people by watching TV dramas? Have we been watching them for nothing? Yiyi, do you know? I really admire you. Even my mom said you’re a lifesaver to me,"
"Alright, aren’t you done yet? Auntie has been making me soup and delicious food these days. I’ve gained quite a few pounds, and I’ve more than repaid the big favor. As for swimming, my dad taught me in the river and took me for a lot of swims in the water. It’s naturally different from learning in a swimming pool,"
"Really? Then Uncle must be really good at swimming, huh? Can we go to your house during summer vacation and ask Uncle to teach us?" Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novｅlfire.net
When Lin Mu said this, Zhou Mo hit him, and as he turned around puzzled, ready to say something, he saw the bittersweet reminiscence in Yiyi’s smile.
"I’m afraid that wish can’t come true because my dad sacrificed himself when I was nine years old, and my mom passed away two years ago. In our family, it’s just me, the orphan. If you want to learn, I can take you guys, but are you sure you won’t develop a psychological fear of water?"
Sacrifice? Passed away? Orphan?
When these words casually left Yiyi’s mouth, the two boys were stunned in place. Especially Zhou Mo, his eyes filled with distress and concern, and Lin Mu wasn’t faring much better. He never imagined Yiyi’s background would be so tragic: "You...,"
"What are you doing, staring at me like that? Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’m used to it by now. Though they’re gone, they’ll always live in my heart. My father is a hero, and I’ll be proud of him for the rest of my life. Just like you guys today. Lin Mu, you rise where you fall. You underestimated the danger of rescuing someone this time. Train well, and you will soar to greater heights someday. Keep it up!"
Looking at the upbeat and lively Yiyi, Lin Mu and Zhou Mo silently resolved to protect her and take care of her in the days to come.
Perhaps because of this life-and-death experience they shared, both families’ parents showed her extraordinary pity and care. Especially Lin Mu’s parents – whenever they visited him at school, they always brought a small gift for Yiyi, even the clothes she wore during her hospital stay were personally picked out by Lin Mu’s mother.
Although Zhou Mo’s parents seemed aloof, they were warm-hearted too, thinking of inviting Yiyi over for holidays. They probably knew about her situation of having no parents or relatives from their child, right?
But all their kindness was gracefully declined by Yiyi because she knew that only with distance can beauty arise. Being too close isn’t necessarily a good thing.
Their relationship with Yiyi, since returning from the hospital, became tighter than ever. Wherever Yiyi went, she had two bodyguards following her. If she didn’t visit their homes on Sundays, whenever they came over, there would always be two boxes of delicious food, and Yiyi’s return gift was the desserts she made, which of course all went into their stomachs.
Because of their act of bravery, they were awarded by the L City Youth League Committee with a commendation and a certificate, along with a cash prize of one thousand yuan.
As for their hospital fees, they were all covered by the driver who caused the accident at the time.
Oh yes, during her hospital stay, the people they saved came with gifts and money to thank them. While they accepted the gifts, they refused the cash. The girl they saved was a new freshman in college, studying to be a teacher. She became pen pals with Yiyi. During holidays, she would send gifts, which Yiyi couldn’t refuse but would always return with a gift for Sister Xiao Ya. That’s how their friendship was gradually built.
Then there was the last monthly exam. All three stayed in class 1. Zhou Mo ranked first in the grade, Yiyi was eighteenth, and Lin Mu was thirty-second. Considering their school has five hundred students per grade level, maintaining a top fifty rank is extremely difficult.
Yiyi’s main score drag this time was in Chinese, politics, history, and biology. After all, it was a lack of thorough memorization. If only she had been a bit more serious, she wouldn’t have ended up in 18th place.
The fluctuations in their class weren’t very significant, with only the last few spots being swapped out.
Now in the first year of high school, there is a monthly exam every month. By the second and third years, there will even be weekly tests, and the situation will only become more severe.
After National Day passed, everyone’s learning motivation was clearly ignited. After all, the whole of September was spent preparing for activities, and then three days off for the holiday – they needed to make up for lost study time, right?
Yiyi, Zhou Mo, and Lin Mu had become an inseparable trio, attending classes and dining together. Even their roommates noticed their life-and-death bond. Although they envied Yiyi for having two handsome guys to escort her, they didn’t feel jealous because she had even met their parents. Lin Mu talked about his lifesaver every day. Who could compare with such a relationship?
When the weekend came and everyone went home, she stayed alone in the dormitory to sleep. Then Lin Mu called, "Come on, let’s go watch a movie."
Yiyi expressed no interest. "Then come watch us play basketball. It’s boring to be all alone in the dorm. Or we could go swimming."
"In this cold weather, how much does it cost for a heated pool? Better to go out running. No, thanks."
"Come on, come and watch us play basketball. Zhou Mo and Wen Xiao are all here, at the sports ground. Come quickly, and after the game, we’ll go for barbecue."
Yiyi knew that they feared she would be lonely. Every weekend, the school was practically empty. There were few like her before they knew, now that they knew her story, they took extra care of her.
She didn’t want to go at all, but Lin Mu was insistent with his phone calls. Unable to refuse, she finally got dressed in newly bought jeans and a thin, loose sweater to meet them.
She made the sweater herself with bought yarn since she didn’t like the sweaters available. She designed a batwing-style, loose-fitting sweater that looked great against her skin tone, with a black undershirt and the sweater over it. With her hair tied high and a backpack on, she was the picture of a pure student.
After moving to L City, Mr. Zheng and Master hadn’t given her any more hand-me-downs, probably because they realized she had some money now. She had grown taller and couldn’t wear her old clothes from middle school, so she definitely needed to buy some new ones. The school uniform was washed on Saturday afternoons, so naturally, she wore her own clothes when going out on the weekend.
On her way, she bought five bottles of mineral water. When she arrived, Lin Mu and Wen Xiao waved at her, and Zhou Mo just happened to make a perfect slam dunk, triggering excited cheers from the surrounding girls. Yiyi couldn’t help but smile. Boys drenched in sweat under the sun carried an infectious energy and charm that always attracted the gaze of girls – naturally, she was no exception.