Chapter 82

Let's go to the same university!

Although she wasn't in a good mood, she still had to go back to the classroom. After dinner, Zhan Xinyue went back to class as if nothing had happened. Fortunately, after discussing it for so long, everyone had quieted down quite a bit, and at least the gossip she heard had decreased significantly.

The first evening class was only halfway through when it suddenly started raining heavily outside, and it didn't stop until the class ended.

The autumn rain was quite chilly, and getting caught in it would inevitably lead to a cold. So, after the bell rang, many students without umbrellas stayed in the classroom, peering out.

Old Fang strolled into the classroom and relayed a message to Zhan Xinyue: "Zhan Xinyue, your father just called to say that there's traffic because of the rain, so he wants you to wait in the classroom for a while. He'll come pick you up later."

Zhan Xinyue nodded, and Lao Zhou then directed the stranded crowd: "Those who have brought umbrellas should try to help those who don't. If that's not possible, go back and bring umbrellas over later. Let's show our friendship."

Although the rain came unexpectedly, only a few people had the foresight to bring umbrellas, but by squeezing together under one umbrella, the crowd quickly dispersed.

Twenty minutes passed, and the classroom was almost empty. Zhan Xinyue leaned against her seat, waiting for Zhan Wei to pick her up, while Shi Ziqian was flipping through a magazine, which he seemed to have picked up casually from the back corner of the library.

The two did not speak; only the soft rustling of pages turning gently filled the room.

After sitting for a while, Zhan Xinyue couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

"Hmm," Shi Ziqian said, "I'll wait and see if the rain stops."

"It looks like it's not going to stop anytime soon." Zhan Xinyue looked out the window, where the rain was drizzling and continuous. "My dad will probably bring an extra umbrella when he comes to pick me up. I'll share one with you then."

"Okay, thank you."

Zhan Xinyue shook her head. "I'm going to the restroom."

In the time it takes to exchange a few words, everyone else in the classroom has completely left. Only the faint voices of students who haven't yet found an umbrella in the corridor drift in, mingled with the sound of rain.

She hadn't been alone with Shi Ziqian for a long time, and the subtle atmosphere made her feel very uncomfortable, so she made an excuse to leave temporarily.

She had originally planned to stand in the corridor for a while to get some fresh air, but as soon as she went out, she saw Xie Wanzhi among several classmates leaning on the railing. Zhan Xinyue turned and walked around to the other side, heading towards the restrooms near the administration building.

In the corridor, Xie Wanzhi was lying there listlessly, surrounded by several classmates who also hadn't brought umbrellas. They had spent a long time trying to find an umbrella for each other, but in the end, only a few of them were left without one. Fortunately, someone promised to go back to the dormitory to get two umbrellas and bring them over, so everyone was gathered here waiting for the kind person, chatting casually along the way.

After changing the subject for a while, we finally returned to today's news story.

"I wonder when Shen will be back. I hope he won't really be expelled. It doesn't seem like that's going to happen." The speaker was a boy who sat quite close to Xu Shen and they were on good terms.

"Who knows? It depends on what the school leaders decide."

"Sigh, I'm so curious, why doesn't Xinyue like Xu Shen? Xu Shen seems like a really nice person, good grades, handsome, and very good to her, but Xinyue doesn't seem to feel anything for him at all."

"Liking someone is irrational, maybe it's just not a spark. But Xinyue's situation is really a bit much. If Xu Shenzhen really gets expelled, where will he transfer to in his second year of high school?"

"Yeah, I don't know what Xinyue is thinking. Why is she treating people like this? She doesn't seem like such a heartless person usually."

"What else can she think? Showing off, of course." Xie Wanzhi snorted disdainfully. "Xu Shen is pursuing her so much, she must be very proud. But on the surface, she has to put on a show for everyone, acting like she doesn't care that such an outstanding guy likes her, and she even throws his love letter all over the world, wishing everyone knew that Xu Shen is pursuing her."

She used to be the one with the best relationship with Zhan Xinyue, but now that she's spoken, her words are the sharpest, and everyone else is too embarrassed to respond.

Xie Wanzhi, oblivious to the silence, continued, "If you ask me, what kind of taste does Xu Shen have? Why does he have to like someone like that? In the end, he's just getting himself into trouble."

None of the people around him responded; in the quiet air, only one voice rang out clearly from behind.

"Why don't you all wonder what Xu Shen has done that could make someone as good-tempered as Zhan Xinyue hate him like this?"

Xie Wanzhi was startled and turned around abruptly. The person who spoke behind her was Shi Ziqian. He stood against the light at the classroom door, so her expression was obscured, but his tone was clearly unfriendly.

How could it be him? Xie Wanzhi remembered that he never paid attention to these kinds of trivial matters in the class, and she was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say.

Shi Ziqian took two steps forward and stood in front of Xie Wanzhi. This time, she finally saw the expression on his face clearly.

Actually, she wasn't particularly afraid of Shi Ziqian before. Although he was a bit cold, he didn't seem to have a bad temper. She rarely saw him get angry at anyone, and he could even be considered a gentleman when dealing with girls. But at this moment, his furrowed brows were filled with hostility, and his eyes showed undisguised disgust.

“To belittle others behind their backs is just like being a rat in a sewer,” Shi Ziqian said.

Why? There were so many people here who participated in the discussion just now, but Shi Ziqian's eyes were fixed on her alone, and it sounded to her as if the words were only directed at her.

Xie Wanzhi's face flushed red, then paled, then flushed again, her eyes gradually reddening. Suddenly, she turned her head and ran away quickly. "Ah, Wanwan!" Her companions, already extremely embarrassed, saw the scene and quickly tried to pull her away, then ran off as well.

The corridor finally returned to calm. Shi Ziqian glanced twice in the direction they had disappeared with annoyance before turning around.

But when he turned his head, a few meters away at the other end of the corridor, he saw Zhan Xinyue standing quietly, looking in his direction.

Shi Ziqian was taken aback, and his aura relaxed.

“What she said isn’t actually wrong,” Zhan Xinyue said. “You don’t need to do this for me.”

“I don’t think it’s unnecessary.” Shi Ziqian looked at her. “I don’t like hearing her say that. Besides, I really dislike her.”

Zhan Xinyue was a little surprised. In her memory, Shi Ziqian rarely paid attention to anyone. It wasn't that he was arrogant, but rather that he often didn't care about others at all, let alone have anyone he disliked, especially Xie Wanzhi.

"Don't you think what I did to Xu Shen was excessive?" Zhan Xinyue said.

“None of that has anything to do with me,” Shi Ziqian said. “I will only stand by your side.”

Zhan Xinyue's eyelashes fluttered, and she lowered her head to avoid his gaze. She suppressed her emotions, softly said "Thank you," and turned to walk into the classroom.

The rain was still heavy, and I didn't know when Zhan Wei would arrive.

Shi Ziqian suddenly called out to her, "Zhan Xinyue, chat with me for a while."

The crescent moon stopped, and the classroom of Class 10 was empty. The lights in the neighboring classrooms were all off, and there was not a sound except for the patter of rain. Although it was unknown whether everyone had managed to get an umbrella in the end, at this moment, looking around the corridor, only the two of them remained, trapped by the rain.

In this situation, it seems there is no excuse to refuse, nor any room to avoid it.

Zhan Xinyue hesitated for a long time before finally walking over and stopping beside him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I don't know either," Shi Ziqian said softly, "I just wanted to spend some time with you."

Zhan Xinyue looked down at her toes and thought for a moment: "Then, let's talk about why you don't like Xie Wanzhi?"

Shi Ziqian looked over: "If I tell you, will you tell me why you hate Xu Shen?"

Zhan Xinyue replied without hesitation: "No."

Shi Ziqian gave a brief laugh: "Then I won't tell you either."

He paused, his gaze shifting slightly upwards from her face. "Why is your hair all wet?"

Zhan Xinyue said nonchalantly, "It's raining on the connecting corridor over by the administration building; maybe a little bit has drifted over."

"Wait for me." Shi Ziqian suddenly turned and went into the classroom, then quickly returned.

"Let me wipe it, otherwise you'll catch a cold. I didn't find a handkerchief, so I'll just use a tissue." As he spoke, he held up a tissue, seemingly preparing to wipe her hair himself.

"I'll do it myself." Zhan Xinyue quickly reached out to stop him, but in her haste, she accidentally grabbed Shi Ziqian's hand.

Both of them were immediately taken aback.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Realizing what had happened, Zhan Xinyue quickly let go of her hand and took a step back.

Shi Ziqian stared at her for a second, then took a step forward. His presence enveloped her instantly, faint yet extremely strong.

The two had never been so close before. His dark eyes were clear and bright, reflecting her image perfectly. He had very beautiful eyes, and when he gazed at someone, he always seemed extremely focused, as if his world consisted only of the person in front of him.

Zhan Xinyue's body stiffened briefly as she felt Shi Ziqian reach out to her, as if to wrap his arms around her. When she came to her senses, he had already stepped back, and a plaid scarf was now loosely draped around her neck.

The brief moment that seemed like an embrace was actually just him putting a scarf on her; from beginning to end, he didn't touch her at all.

But at that moment, his scent, which almost enveloped her, did not dissipate; it lingered around her nose.

Zhan Xinyue inadvertently took a small step to the side, hiding her face in the shadows.

"It's getting cold, you should dress warmly," Shi Ziqian said. "Your hands are cold."

"Where did you conjure a scarf from?" Zhan Xinyue asked.

"I picked it up at noon, and brought it out while I was getting tissues."

As he spoke, he suddenly reached out and gently tied a knot in the scarf she had just put on, pulling it tight. The light made his eyelashes stand out clearly, and a bright halo in his eyes, like ripples on water, was just like the first time she saw him when she looked at him after her rebirth.

Zhan Xinyue looked away and said in a low voice, "I've never seen you wear that before."

"Yes, it's new, and I'm going to give it to you."

"A birthday present?" Zhan Xinyue quickly realized.

“No, that’s not it.” Shi Ziqian finally straightened the scarf. “This is it.”

He took something out of his coat pocket and held it up to her. It was a wooden dog figurine, very lifelike, with its ears standing up and looking very spirited. A keychain was attached to the dog's collar, and a string of clear crystals dangled from it, making it a nice little ornament.

"Is that Panpan? It looks like it." Zhan Xinyue was very interested in this little gadget. "Where did you order it?"

Shi Ziqian paused briefly, then said, "I found someone I know."

"It's quite pretty." Zhan Xinyue glanced at it a few times. Although she liked it very much, she didn't take it right away.

"Take it, it's just a little ornament, something to play with." Shi Ziqian noticed her hesitation and continued, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Zhan Xinyue finally reached out and took it. "But you don't need the scarf. I'll return it to you before I leave."

Such a small pendant is a thoughtful and inexpensive gift; it would seem rather unreasonable to refuse it. As for the scarf, she recognized it as a classic Burberry check scarf the moment she glanced down. In her past life, she would have bought it to wear with a trench coat, but now she wouldn't accept it as a gift, especially since it was given to her by Shi Ziqian.

"Shi Qiyue picked this out for you. She said the color suits you very well. Just consider it a small token of her appreciation; she really likes you." Shi Ziqian gazed at her for a moment and said softly, "It really does suit you."

Zhan Xinyue was a little surprised. After thinking for a moment, she didn't insist anymore and instead asked, "When is her birthday? I'll give her a gift in return."

Shi Ziqian quickly gave a date and added, "Then she will be very happy."

Silence fell between them again. Zhan Xinyue tucked her chin into her scarf. Perhaps it was because there was no one else around, or perhaps it was because the scarf brought a touch of warmth in the rainy night, but she gradually relaxed.

"Have you thought about the future?" She heard Shi Ziqian's voice ring out in her ear.

"future?"

“Yes, the future.” Shi Ziqian rested his hands on the railing, gazing into the endless rain. “For example, which university do you want to attend?”

"Me..." Zhan Xinyue didn't answer immediately. In her past life, she wanted to study at a media university, but ultimately didn't achieve it. In this life, she had the chance to start over, but she had changed her goals. However, that goal was still very far away, and there was no need to mention it.

"I'll leave it to fate. I'll go to whichever university my college entrance exam score is high enough for," she said.

Shi Ziqian lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment, then looked over again: "Show the new moon."

"Um?"

Let's go to the same university.

His tone was extremely serious, and his expression was equally solemn, which made Zhan Xinyue a little stunned.

In her past life, Shi Ziqian attended a university—I think it was Cambridge. Top universities abroad readily accept children from wealthy families, especially since Shi Ziqian's grades were already outstanding. Although she didn't know much about his life after graduation, Zhan Xinyue knew that whatever he did, it would be a bright future.

An invitation made when you're young and inexperienced is often just a passing word; how many of those promises can you actually keep?

Zhan Xinyue quickly smiled, brushing those words away like dust from her heart: "Let's wait and see. There's still so much time. Everyone's thoughts will have changed by then. There's no point in saying these things now."

“Yes, people change, and so do I,” Shi Ziqian said. “I don’t think I can predict what I will be thinking a year from now, but that doesn’t mean my thoughts at this moment aren’t real. At least at this moment, I really want to go to the same university as you. I’m pretty sure of that.”

Zhan Xinyue remained silent, unsure how to respond. Fortunately, she finally saw someone hurrying towards her under the streetlights downstairs with an umbrella: "Ah, my dad's here."

"Okay," Shi Ziqian said, "Go down quickly and go back to rest early."

"Come with me. I'll have my dad get you an umbrella, or I'll take you home first."

"No need." Shi Ziqian shook his head. "Actually, I have an umbrella in the cabinet in the back."