Sometimes I wonder if my mom would stop criticizing me if I ranked first.

I tossed and turned, my head full of the phrase "first place."

Even in class, I stared intensely at a girl named Wang Shiyu.

She's the top student in our class, never once dropping in rank.

Her slightly yellow, naturally curly hair is meticulously styled into a ponytail.

I stared at her with inexplicable emotions, as if trying to burn a hole in the back of her head with my eyes.

I didn't know what kind of emotion it was—jealousy, admiration, maybe a little resentment.

I've been chasing her for three years, but I still haven't managed to surpass her once.

Over the past three years, my mom has gradually lost her patience, constantly bringing up "Wang Shiyu."

She would heap praise on Wang Shiyu, using it to contrast my stupidity, dullness, and weakness.

On the way to the parent-teacher conference that afternoon, my mom's mood was already less than pleasant.

She had to endure haggling from a customer and apologize with a forced smile before they reluctantly paid up.

Walking ahead of me in high heels, her steps seemed filled with resentment, as if she wanted to stomp through the earth.

She didn't spare me a single glance, walking ahead as I hurried to keep a safe distance of about two meters.

At the school, I sat with my mom in our designated seats, while Wang Shiyu's mother sat in front of us.

Upon seeing my mom, Wang Shiyu's mother first looked surprised, then put on a friendly smile to greet my mom: "You must be Fang Yiqi's mother, right?

"I heard that you run a hair salon outside the neighborhood, I didn't pay much attention before, it was Wang Shiyu who told me."

Other parents in the vicinity looked at my mom upon hearing this.

My mom's expression stiffened, but she still forced a smile.

I didn't understand the so-called hierarchy among adults, nor did I understand my mom's inexplicable anger at that moment.

The intuition from living under the same roof with my mom for so many years made me feel fearful of her sudden anger.

After the conference, my mom sought advice from Wang Shiyu's mother on how to improve my grades.

For example, enrolling in cram schools and purchasing study guides.

My mom put on the same mask she uses when dealing with customers, smiling with a hint of flattery.

Wang Shiyu's mother waved her hand and said, "No need, since her father and I are teachers, we can help her with her elementary school work. We take turns to supervise her."

"We barely buy cram school courses or study guides. If she has questions, she just asks us directly."

There was a momentary delay in my mom's smile, but she remained warm.

Beneath the calm surface, a storm was brewing.

Because they lived in the same neighborhood, my mom and Wang Shiyu's mother decided to walk home together.

As they passed by KFC, Wang Shiyu's mother bought her an ice cream cone.

I glanced at my mom, then offered, "Mom, I don't want to eat, there's no need to buy one for me."

But my mom still bought one for me, saying with a smile, "You, I don't even know what you want to eat. If you want to eat, just eat. I didn't buy it for you before because the weather was cold and your health isn't great.

"It's okay to have one occasionally, take it."

I had been eagerly waiting for the ice cream cone I had longed to eat.

It was sparkling and white in my hand.

I licked it cautiously, the ice cream melting in my mouth, filling it with creamy sweetness and coolness that spread from my tongue to my stomach.

At that moment, I truly felt happy.