Chapter 222: The Uncharacteristic Su Yuqing
Saturday was fun but exhausting, so the two spent a cozy Sunday studying at home.
The following week, Chen Mo tutored those around him as usual, which also helped him review the material.
Nourished by their relationship, Su Yuqing’s grades were also improving by leaps and bounds.
However, this week she wasn’t her usual self, constantly by Chen Mo’s side chatting about everything under the sun.
Instead, she uncharacteristically started to socialize.
In the past, Su Yuqing would chat with the other girls in class, but it was usually the others who gathered around her and Zhao Yuanyuan.
She almost never took the initiative to leave her desk and chat with other girls.
Now that Su Yuqing and Zhao Yuanyuan were no longer sitting together, Chen Mo was the one next to her.
The other girls felt awkward about being a third wheel, so they rarely came over to chat with Su Yuqing and Zhao Yuanyuan anymore.
Zhao Yuanyuan, on the other hand, was a social butterfly who could strike up a conversation with anyone. During her free time, aside from bickering with Chen Mo and Huang Mao, she would also seek out other girls to gossip and share secrets.
But Su Yuqing was usually not like that at all.
This week, however, she suddenly started doing it a lot more.
Chen Mo noticed that she and Zhao Yuanyuan would, from time to time, gather around a girl named Wang Susu, who sat near the back of the class and wore rather mature-looking makeup.
In terms of looks, the girl was about average to above-average for their class, but you wouldn’t call her stunning. It was just that with makeup, she definitely looked more attractive than most girls her age.
Chen Mo couldn’t help but wonder if Su Yuqing had suddenly taken an interest in makeup, and that was why she was hanging around this girl.
Taking advantage of a moment when Zhao Yuanyuan was alone, Chen Mo secretly pulled her into a secluded corner.
He wanted to find out what on earth Su Yuqing and this Wang Susu were always talking about.
Zhao Yuanyuan initially thought he’d discovered she was the one who had secretly stuck a note to his back. ’I’m in for it now,’ she panicked. But when she heard he was asking about this, she immediately crossed her arms, a playful smile spreading across her face as she looked at him. "Brother Mo, is that any way to ask for a favor?"
Chen Mo rolled his eyes at Zhao Yuanyuan and pulled out a red bill.
"Is this attitude good enough for you?"
Zhao Yuanyuan immediately took it with both hands as if it were a priceless treasure. She grinned and said, "Little Mo, not bad. This Empress will treat you to something tasty later."
"Treating me with my own money? You’ve got some nerve."
"If you didn’t give me money, how would I have any money to treat you? It’s a matter of cause and effect. You should be thanking yourself for giving me the money that allows me to treat you," Zhao Yuanyuan argued, her mouth full of twisted logic.
Normally, Chen Mo would have already given her a flick on the forehead.
But since he was the one asking for a favor, he restrained himself.
"So, my dear Miss Zhao Yuanyuan, can you tell me what’s going on now?"
"Of course, of course. Actually, Yuqing doesn’t have any specific reason for seeking out Wang Susu recently. They’re just chatting normally, getting to know each other better."
"Getting to know each other better? Yuqing and Wang Susu?" Chen Mo was taken aback.
"You think it’s strange too, right? To be honest, I’m curious myself. I have no idea why Yuqing would suddenly start hanging out with Wang Susu. They seem like they’re from two completely different worlds."
"You don’t have any clue at all?"
"Nope. But I get the feeling Yuqing is deliberately trying to get on Wang Susu’s good side. As for why... I have no idea. You’ll have to ask her yourself."
Chen Mo rubbed his chin, feeling puzzled as well. He had no idea what Su Yuqing was up to lately.
Still, he was happy and supportive of the fact that she was taking the initiative to make new friends.
He wanted to be a huge part of Su Yuqing’s world, but he didn’t want to be her *only* world.
Su Yuqing should have her own life, her own social circle, her own thoughts, and her own ideas.
Chen Mo had always believed in a hands-off approach. He wasn’t so controlling that he wanted to treat Su Yuqing like a puppet on a string, forced to stay by his side with eyes for no one but him.
If that were the case, Su Yuqing’s life would gradually become soulless.
Chen Mo wanted her to find her own sources of joy and excitement in life.
It was just that the sudden change was so drastic it left Chen Mo feeling a little bewildered.
After all, the first friend she went out of her way to make was someone even Zhao Yuanyuan felt was from a completely different world.
It was really rather strange.
This weekend, Chen Mo decided to observe Su Yuqing closely to see if he could spot any other unusual behavior.
On Saturday morning, sunlight filtered gently through the sheer curtains, spilling into the room.
Unlike the boisterous fun of the amusement park last week, this weekend felt especially tranquil.
With his mind preoccupied, Chen Mo got up early and prepared a simple breakfast: steaming hot rice porridge and a few light side dishes.
When Su Yuqing walked out of her room rubbing her eyes, she saw Chen Mo already sitting at the dining table, reading a book.
He was wearing a set of comfortable gray loungewear, but it still couldn’t conceal his handsome features.
"Morning," Chen Mo said, putting down his book. He gave her a warm smile and got up to ladle some porridge for her.
"Morning," Su Yuqing replied softly, sitting down across from him.
The two ate their breakfast in silence, the only sounds being the gentle clinking of their bowls and utensils and the occasional birdsong from outside.
Chen Mo watched Su Yuqing, trying to appear casual.
She was wearing a simple cotton nightdress, her long hair loosely tied back, revealing her fair neck. Her expression was as tranquil as ever.
But there were faint, barely noticeable shadows under her eyes, suggesting she might not have slept well the previous night.
"Didn’t sleep well?" Chen Mo asked, feigning nonchalance.
The hand Su Yuqing was using to scoop her porridge paused for a fraction of a second. She then said casually, "Mm... a little. I probably had too much coffee yesterday."
She lowered her head to eat, her long eyelashes concealing the flicker of guilt in her eyes.
Chen Mo didn’t press the issue, simply pushing a plate of cut fruit closer to her.
After breakfast, the two fell into their usual study routine.
The desk was large enough for both of them to sit side by side.
Chen Mo worked through competition-level problems while Su Yuqing focused on organizing her English notes.
The only sounds in the room were the soft scratching of pen on paper and the quiet rustle of turning pages.
Sunlight drifted across the pages of their books, and time itself seemed to slow down.
However, out of the corner of his eye, Chen Mo caught some small, unusual signs.
Su Yuqing didn’t seem as completely absorbed in her studies as she normally was.
She would stop every so often, her gaze falling unfocused on a corner of the page as if lost in thought.
At noon, after making lunch, Chen Mo went to Su Yuqing’s room to call her to eat. He saw her quietly take a small, palm-sized hardcover notebook with an exquisite cover from her drawer. She flipped it open, scanned a few pages, and wrote something down. But upon hearing him approach, she quickly snapped it shut and stuffed it back into the drawer, her movements betraying a subtle, almost imperceptible nervousness.