Chapter 91

She had been sitting for a short while when, as she was about to get up, someone sat down next to her.

Jian Sheng turned her head and met a pair of big, round eyes.

“…” She pursed her lips and took the initiative to greet him, “What a coincidence.”

Xie Yihe blinked and grinned: "What a coincidence."

Although he was smiling, his movements and expressions were restrained, revealing a cautiousness everywhere.

Especially when Jian Sheng looked over, his body felt as if it were bound by straps.

Jian Sheng said "Oh" and asked, "What is that?"

Xie Yihe swallowed hard: "I...I came to find you."

After she finished speaking, a series of monkey calls came from a corner not far from the playground. She was about to turn around to look when he turned his body to the side and blocked her view.

He smiled and said, "Excuse me, I... I just wanted to ask you... um, are you free tomorrow afternoon? I'd like to invite you to a movie."

"I checked. The elective class that's scheduled for tomorrow afternoon just finished last week, and it's not exam week yet, so I don't need to attend it this week."

Xie Yihe spoke very quickly, afraid that she would interrupt and refuse directly.

But whether it's fast or slow, he will still be disappointed.

Jian Sheng waved his hand and said, "I have a part-time job at the art studio tomorrow. I told you in advance."

"Ah... that teaching assistant?" He parted his lips slightly, his expression showing a hint of panic.

She nodded silently, not intending to say anything more, and prepared to get up.

Xie Yihe suddenly said, "Are you going to keep avoiding me?"

"They said you don't have a boyfriend..."

"You refuse to do anything I ask you to do. You even refuse to join a group in English class. If you're not with your roommate, you sit alone at lunch and don't want to sit with me."

"Do you hate me, Jian Sheng?"

Xie Yihe's voice trembled.

Jian Sheng lowered his hand from the ground and met his gaze.

He didn't look away, his gaze meeting her beautiful eyes.

Jian Sheng said in a calm, even somewhat indifferent tone, "Xie Yihe, I don't dislike you."

"But I don't like you either."

Simple and clear, this was the first time she had said this. Ever since the beginning of her freshman year military training, he had been following her around, and she couldn't shake him off no matter what she did.

As soon as he arrived, a bunch of people started to cheer him on. He didn't say anything, just hesitated and blushed shyly. Jian Sheng didn't know what to say either.

He secretly bought her things, gave her gifts on holidays under various pretexts, and appeared whenever he could run into her.

Jian Sheng rejected them all, but he didn't give up. He didn't say he liked them, but he quietly did some unusual things.

This was the first time she had responded to him like this. In the past, she was shy and would feel embarrassed to say she didn't like someone if they hadn't explicitly said they liked her.

But his actions and gaze this semester have become more blatant, even excessive.

Jian Sheng looked helplessly at his lowered eyes and dejected head.

She stood up and patted her clothes.

"I didn't even confess my feelings, and you just rejected me... You didn't even give me a chance to confess," Xie Yihe said in a low voice.

Jian Sheng, holding her phone, looked at his head: "Your behavior is bothering me, very..."

"I don't want to hear it. You've said that to me so many times!" He suddenly looked up, his eyes red-rimmed, with traces of tears sliding down his cheeks.

Jian Sheng was taken aback. She pinched the hem of her clothes, somewhat at a loss.

"Xie Yihe, what are you doing!" someone shouted from afar.

Jian turned around and saw that her roommate had already come up.

She linked arms with Jian Sheng: "You two are on a date here?"

Jian shook his head, and when he looked at Xie Yihe again, Xie had already lowered his head.

"He...has something to say."

"It's about my studies," Xie Yihe added, then stood up, said he was leaving, and walked behind them without ever looking up again.

My roommate narrowed his eyes: "Did you confess?"

No, how did you know?

"It's obvious you confessed and got rejected..." My roommate chuckled mischievously. "To be honest, you two really look like a perfect couple standing together. You're so good-looking, Jian Sheng! You're so beautiful."

Jian Sheng's lips twitched; he didn't understand her sudden change of heart.

My roommate waved his phone: "Take a look at the confession wall."

Her heart skipped a beat. The latest post on her WeChat Moments showed her sitting on the ground, lost in thought, just as Xie Yihe was about to approach her.

Caption: Help me find this girl. I'm not sure if the guy next to her is her boyfriend. He stared at her for a while before walking over. If he wants her WeChat, please give it to me if you get it.

Jian Sheng held her phone, staring at the photo for a long time before finally looking up at the seats on the opposite stage.

Several people were sitting over there, and when she had seen enough, they made a few jeers towards this side.

She handed the phone back to her roommate: "Let's go."

"Huh?" My roommate raised an eyebrow. "What? You didn't react at all? You got bailed out by your sister!"

"This has happened several times since my freshman year!"

"So many guys are chasing after you, but you don't even glance at them. There are even guys waiting outside your dorm to watch you work part-time. You get in through connections without giving anyone any leeway!"

"Sister, you're a vegetarian, you chant Buddhist scriptures, you've purified your mind and abstained from worldly desires!!!"

"Even Xie Yihe is considered extremely handsome, and you don't even like him?"

The roommate got more and more excited as he talked, and Jian Sheng's steps became bigger and bigger.

Until she could barely keep up: "Okay, okay, I won't say anymore, alright?"

"Slow down."

Jian Sheng slowed down and waited a while before lifting his foot.

"I'm not trying to be mean, but do you even realize how popular you are right now?"

Jian Sheng shook his head: "I feel like I need to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow morning I'll work at the flower shop for two hours, come back and teach a class, and then go to work as a teaching assistant in the afternoon."

“…” My roommate looked at me with a disappointed expression. “No, every time I mention men, you say you have to go to work.”

"Why not have some fun? After graduating from university, you'll be working your whole life!"

"Besides, isn't your family very wealthy...?" The roommate's voice trailed off.

“Who said that?” Jian Sheng turned her head.

"Um... your brother's car starts at sixty..." Her voice trailed off.

Jian Sheng didn't speak until they reached the top of the stairs, at which point she said, "He is my cousin."

My roommate nodded, and after a few words, changed the subject: "Hey, I really mean Xie Yihe is a really good guy..."

"I have someone I like," Jian said slowly.

"Huh? Who is it?" My roommate's voice rose. "Holy crap, someone from our school? Or high school? When did this happen? Where is he now? Did you confess to him?"

Jian Sheng lowered her eyes and suddenly fell into memories.

Looking back, it was during my high school years, the time when Chen Zhoujing was around.

He spent all his time chattering and showing impatience and irritability around her.

He was always grinning at her, giving her time to respond positively.

And every moment spent with him.

She chuckled softly: "High school, that was a long time ago, we probably won't keep in touch anymore."

"Oh? He has a girlfriend? How handsome and good-looking he must be to be liked by a beautiful woman like you who has a great personality, good looks, good grades, is hardworking, can make money, and has countless other advantages!"

Jian Sheng was amused by her reaction: "You're exaggerating."

"How could it be gone? I'm stating the facts!"

Although she knew she was joking, Jian Sheng still answered seriously about Chen Zhoujing from her memory.

"He...he is a wonderful person, so perfect that he is beyond reproach, so perfect that no one can compare to him in my heart."

"He...is a very important person to me."

"I can never repay him for what he has done for me in my entire life. I just hope he is doing well now."

Jian Sheng took a breath, and when he spoke of Chen Zhoujing, the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up, and ripples appeared in his eyes.

However, she herself didn't realize it, but her roommate noticed it immediately.

Xie Yihe truly had no hope with Jian Sheng.

Jian Sheng's heart was closed off, including in front of all of them.

No one can open it.

Perhaps only Chen Zhoujing could do that.

It seems that every part of Chen Zhoujing's dream is filled with sweetness.

It was the most profound memory of her youth.

It was also her longing during her half-awake, half-asleep moments.

She would always suddenly think of something related to him, whether it was late at night, during quiet moments, or in the midst of a bustling crowd.

These memories accompanied her as she grew up, matured, and became more composed.

These fragments of memories suddenly coalesced when she reunited with him, rushing into her mind.

This caused her already unforgettable past to reappear in her mind like a slideshow.

*

When Jian Sheng woke up from her dream, she was hugging a pillow. She slowly opened her eyes and brushed the hair that was covering her face.

The curtains were slightly ajar, and light streamed into the room through the gap, creating soft, wavy shadows that fell on her face, making the tear tracks at the corners of her eyes even more noticeable.

She placed her hand on her chest, feeling her heart pounding wildly.

I glanced at my phone; it was 7 a.m.

She sat up, rubbed her sore eyes, walked to the window, and opened the curtains.

In the blink of an eye, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure downstairs.

She shuddered suddenly, her pupils contracting sharply.

The building wasn't very tall, and she could clearly see him with his head down, leaning against the car, wearing the same suit he wore to the banquet the night before.

Jian Sheng didn't have time to pack up; she hurriedly went downstairs in her pajamas and slippers.

Chen Zhoujing stayed downstairs all night, thinking about it all night.

I don't know why, but when I saw her again, I couldn't stop wanting to see her, wanting to be by her side, I was going crazy with longing.

But he didn't even know about her new situation.

He knew Jian Sheng's personality; once a phase was over, he never took the initiative to contact others. The few bits of information he knew were all gleaned from Li Zhun's half-truths.

All he remembered was that Li Jing had given him a photo before...

Just as I was thinking about lighting a cigarette, I heard a sound coming from the door downstairs in the apartment building.

He slowly raised his eyes.

Jian Sheng was walking out of the door. She tidied her hair, calmed her rapid breathing, and slowly walked towards him.

Chen Zhou's heart seemed to stop for a moment, and he was so nervous that he could hardly breathe.

He sat up abruptly and watched her walk over.

The color under the eyes has deepened.

Without saying a word, Jian Sheng slowly took his hand, held it tightly, and led him into the elevator and into the room.

Chen Zhou's eyes darkened as he stared at her hand, then at her house.

The moment she closed the door, Jian Sheng lowered her hand and realized that she had been somewhat reckless.

She was unaware of his situation and rashly brought him home.

But after seeing him spend the night downstairs, she realized he had lost all reason and was acting entirely on impulse.

She turned her back to him and walked into the room, saying, "Sit wherever you like."

When she came out again, she had finished washing up and changed her clothes: "Do you want to take a shower?"

Chen Zhoujing's gaze shifted from the balcony. Jian Sheng waited a moment before slowly saying, "Is it okay?"

“I have some clothes that fit you here, and the cups and toothbrushes on the right side of the bathroom are all new…” she blurted out.

Chen Zhoujing remained silent.

Jian Sheng explained, "Jian Qingyao comes sometimes, but everything is new; he's never used it or worn it."

"The only clothes I have are well-fitting outer garments, which are in the closet in this room," she added, pointing to the room to the side.

After saying that, she walked quickly to the kitchen and closed the door with extremely unnatural movements.

She only dared to breathe when she heard the door open on the other end.

While Jian Sheng was in the kitchen, Chen Zhoujing had already finished showering and came out. He picked out a set of black clothes from her closet, which were all of various styles.

It fit perfectly and was his usual style. The clothes still carried her familiar scent, unchanged, just like they did during their student days.

He sat quietly on the sofa, waiting for her.

While observing the clothes on his body.

I was still thinking about the two rows of identical white shoes, but different sizes, that I had just walked through the entryway.

He clenched his fists, his brow furrowed tightly.

He only snapped out of his daze when called out to him in a low voice.

Chen Zhou got up in surprise and walked to the dining table.

He looked at the two bowls of noodles on the table, and his nose felt a little sore.

He ate his noodles in silence.

Jian Sheng didn't touch her chopsticks, watching him stuff the noodles she had cooked into his mouth, bite by bite.

After he finished eating his noodles.

She was still looking at him.

Chen Zhou noticed it, but he didn't want to look up.

He was afraid that if he showed the slightest sign of anything unusual, this dream he longed for would be shattered.

And he will be rejected.