Madam, Please Behave
Chapter 421: Goodbye

July 3rd.

The weather, unlike the usual summer heat, had turned cool and gloomy.

The sky looked dim, like it might rain at any moment.

Inside the room.

Zhou Shiyan struggled to close the suitcase packed with clothes. After zipping it shut, she let out a long breath, as if relieved.

She straightened up.

Most of the things in the room had already been packed. Truthfully, there wasn’t much to take. Just two suitcases and one backpack for the mother and daughter.

Today, they were heading to City B.

After the high school entrance exam ended, it would take about twenty days for the results to be released. Because of the exam, her mother had stayed with her here for quite a while.

Zhou Shiyan took one last look at the place she had lived in for such a long time, lost in thought.

The bed, the desk and chairs, the worn-out walls.

With her hand holding the suitcase handle, she slowly turned her head and glanced around, taking in every corner of the room full of memories.

“Time… really flies.”

Alone in the cramped room, Zhou Shiyan spoke softly, like talking to herself.

Everything that had happened here felt like it was just yesterday.

She looked toward the doorway, her mind drifting back to that first day.

She still remembered clearly…

Liu Changqing had just dropped her off at home and was about to leave. Who would’ve thought he’d be met with a sudden whack to the head?

Thinking about it now… her mom probably didn’t hold back at all.

And… that baguette was truly awful.

At that thought, a small smile tugged at the corners of Zhou Shiyan’s usually indifferent face.

After a moment, her gaze shifted from the door to the neatly cleaned-up desk.

She remembered how, during last year’s summer break, she and Liu Zhiyue used to study at that desk.

After helping out at the family’s breakfast stall in the morning, they’d come back to this tiny room around noon, take out their test papers, and sit face-to-face, working quietly.

They didn’t talk much.

But… there was an invisible understanding between them. Whenever she ran into a problem she couldn’t solve and turned to ask Liu Zhiyue—

He would already be looking at her.

And he’d quietly ask:

“Having trouble with something?”

He was really smart.

That’s what Zhou Shiyan always thought.

In fact, as a child, she hadn’t been particularly bright.

When she first started school, most of the other kids already had their multiplication tables memorized. But due to her family situation, she hadn’t received any preschool education and went straight into first grade once she was old enough.

Her first semester grades were terrible.

Her handwriting was crooked, and she could barely remember the numbers 0 to 9. For even simple addition or subtraction, she had to count on her fingers—and even then, the answers weren’t always right.

She was always the slowest runner during PE, and always lagged behind in extracurriculars.

She tripped over the jump rope, couldn’t make it past the first kick in shuttlecock games, and during tug-of-war matches between classes…

She was always the one dragging the team down.

When did she start realizing she wasn’t good enough?

Maybe… it was when her teacher sighed in frustration, trying to teach her basic math that just wouldn’t stick.

From then on, Zhou Shiyan started trying harder.

While her classmates ran out to play during recess, she stayed behind, silently working through exercises in her notebook.

After school, when others ran off to play—

She would pull out her textbook at home and carefully review everything the teacher had taught.

Hard work pays off.

When she finally brought home improved grades, and saw the tired yet proud smile on her mother’s face, she truly smiled from the heart.

From that moment on, Zhou Shiyan knew—

Everything she was doing… was worth it.

She firmly believed that effort could overcome natural talent.

Through hard work, she gradually caught up to—and even surpassed—those classmates who once seemed out of reach. The ones who could casually skim a textbook and still ace the test.

But then… she met him.

When she first transferred and was led into the classroom by the homeroom teacher, the very first person she saw was the boy sitting by the window.

Chubby, slouching, and looking totally uninterested.

While everyone else turned to look at her, he was the only one still staring out the window.

And outside… there wasn’t even a nice view.

Just the school track.

That was how they first crossed paths—but it wasn’t the beginning.

For a long time, they didn’t even speak.

The first time she saw his name was when collecting homework.

Liu Zhiyue.

A plain name, but somehow unforgettable.

Zhou Shiyan had thought they’d never really interact. But… everything changed that day.

That quiet, unassuming guy—out of nowhere—got into a serious fight with one of the class slackers.

Chairs flipped. Books scattered across the floor.

Shocked by the chaos, she didn’t hesitate—she immediately went to find the teacher.

But…

The punishment stunned her.

Liu Zhiyue got suspended for a week. The other guy? Nothing happened.

When he finally returned to class a week later, she, as the math class rep, handed him the notes she had taken during the lessons.

She still remembered that moment vividly.

When she handed him the notes, she caught a fleeting expression on his face.

Like he felt… it wasn’t necessary.

She had noticed him before—his grades were always average. Whether it was monthly exams, pop quizzes, or even the high school entrance exam practice tests, his scores never really fluctuated.

So why… did he make that face?

From that point on, Zhou Shiyan grew curious about him.

Later, when she thought someone was following her on the way home, it turned out to be his dad.

And after that… she ended up moving into their home.

That’s when the real connection began.

They started talking.

Started bonding.

He gave her a plush toy. A hair clip. Helped her study. Slowly… his presence filled her world.

She found herself distracted during study sessions.

Staring off into space.

Looking at the penguin plushie he gave her, and… that little hair clip.

She’d wonder—

What’s he doing right now?

It was a strange feeling. One she’d never had before.

The sky had grown darker.

A rumble of thunder rolled through the clouds, and raindrops began to fall.

The sudden sound from outside pulled Zhou Shiyan out of her thoughts.

She turned her head slightly.

Looking out the window—

She stared at the rain pouring down outside…

Then glanced around the room one last time.

Lowering her head just a little, she quietly whispered in her heart—

Goodbye…

As if saying farewell to something that couldn’t be put into words.