Chapter 20 Love Letter: "He" and "It" overlapped...

While having lunch in the cafeteria, Zhuo Wencheng mentioned the news article that had gone viral that morning.

Zhan Li was celebrating his girlfriend's birthday last night and didn't pay attention to these things, so Zhuo Wencheng opened the news link for him to see.

"Is this for real?" Zhan Li leaned closer to him to look at his phone screen and read the headline aloud, "A disastrous award-winning essay sends the father to jail, how dramatic?"

Chen Jingchi didn't even look up, and asked, "Who?"

“Zhou Yu,” Zhuo Wencheng said, “someone has revealed that Zhou Jinglong is her father.”

Upon hearing the name, Chen Jingchi exited the chat window with Du Heng, entered the group chat, and opened the link shared by Zhuo Wencheng.

“I saw that screenshot yesterday,” Xu Yue said. “How can you be sure it’s her father?”

"A netizen on Weibo said that Zhou Yu is from Quanshan Affiliated High School." Zhuo Wencheng scratched his head. "It must have been someone he knows who leaked the information."

"Where is Quanshan?" Zhan Li, a local from Jiangbei, was very curious.

"I don't know," Zhuo Wencheng shook his head.

Xu Yue paused in his chopsticks-holding motion, then repeated, "Quanshan Affiliated Middle School? Is that a junior high school?"

“Right? Weren’t we all in junior high school six years ago?” Zhuo Wencheng said.

Zhan Li looked over: "What, you know them?"

“My uncle’s son studied at Quanshan.” Xu Yue took out his phone. “Let me ask.”

Xu Yue: [Do you know Zhou Yu from Quanshan Affiliated High School?]

During lunch break, the other party replied to the message very quickly.

Wu Yang: [Yes, I know her. She's incredibly famous. I could recite her entire essay about fatherly love from back then.]

Xu Yue wasn't concerned about the essay; he asked about the follow-up.

Wu Yang: [Her father went to jail, and she transferred schools; I heard she transferred to Xianhai.]

Wu Yang: [What's wrong? Why are you suddenly concerned about this person?]

Xu Yue: [It's nothing]

Xu Yue frowned and asked Zhuo Wencheng, "What score did you find out last time that was needed to get into the Chinese Literature major this year?"

Zhuo Wencheng remembered it clearly from when he checked it a long time ago: "It varies from place to place, but it's at least over six hundred."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yue moved his phone in front of Chen Jingchi so that he could see the chat history.

Chen Jingchi knew what his cousin meant just by glancing at his reply.

The only key high schools in Xianhai are Xianhai University Affiliated High School and Xianhai No. 1 High School. Judging from Zhou Yu's college entrance examination scores, they might even be alumni.

When she first spoke with Zhou Yu, she was asked if she knew him before, and she replied that she had only heard his name.

Throughout his three years of high school, Chen Jingchi spent less than half his time at school. In his second year, he entered an art exam training institution to focus on preparing for the exams, and he also received tutoring in his academic subjects outside of school after the art exams. Even during his time at school, he devoted all his free time to band rehearsals, and he didn't care at all about who the top students were or what scores the top student in his grade had achieved.

But he was different. Tidal Echo was a household name at school, performing at every evening party. His popularity was so high that every teacher in the office knew his name. If they were really classmates, Zhou Yu had no reason not to know him.

This is actually easy to verify; just ask any high school classmate or look through the old alumni directory. However, Chen Jingchi acted strangely; he preferred not to know rather than pry.

Seeing their serious expressions, Zhuo Wencheng asked curiously, "What's wrong? Is it really her?"

"Hmm." Xu Yue nodded. "Probably."

The statement that it "should" confirms that it was indeed Zhou Yu, based on Wu Yang's words.

Zhuo Wencheng and Zhan Li looked at each other in bewilderment.

Guessing is one thing, confirming it is another.

"And she also..." Zhan Li thought for a long time before finally managing to utter a word that was neither good nor bad, "Quite ruthless."

"Morally, many people can't accept it, but in terms of right and wrong, she didn't do anything wrong," Xu Yue said.

"I was only in the first year of junior high school back then, so I guess I didn't know any better," Zhuo Wencheng said. "If you were doing this now, the key question would be whether I would dare to report it."

Xu Yue glanced at him and asked, "If it were you, would you dare?"

Zhuo Wencheng hesitated, not answering, as if seeking validation, and threw the question back at him: "Do you dare?"

A silence fell, and after a few seconds, Chen Jingchi spoke expressionlessly: "I dare."

*

During the afternoon's basic music theory class, Chen Jingchi opened the document "Invitation to the Night" and reviewed the lyrics again.

He still remembers the first time he talked to Zhou Yu, when she mentioned what she wanted to express in the lyrics.

"I have experienced some bad things in the past. I was too young and isolated. Now it's all in the past. I want to give my past self some courage and strength and let myself let go."

The lyrics of "Invitation to the Night" closely reflect his situation a year or two ago, and the words that strongly echo those in "Caged Wolf" once made Chen Jingchi wonder if Zhou Yu really understood him back then.

But then he felt it was absurd; he had only met her once by chance before the competition, so how could he know her?

After they met in person, Zhou Yu said something crucial that made Chen Jingchi lower his guard and believe that they were only similar in one aspect.

In retrospect, Zhou Yu's poem was indeed not written for him to submit, but for herself.

Chen Jingchi closed the document. Although he already had a clear answer in his mind, the information Xu Yue provided still made him want to reconsider.

The interview this afternoon is an opportunity.

The course schedules for each major are publicly available at the school, so it wasn't difficult for Chen Jingchi to find out which classroom Zhou Yu was in for her second class.

He never appeared in crowded places unless necessary. This was his first time in the School of Humanities. The classrooms were small and close together, much harder to find than those in the School of Music. It took him a few minutes to find the back door.

Then I heard a sarcastic remark.

"Your Honor".

It's obvious where this nickname comes from.

Everyone was rushing to the cafeteria to line up for dinner, and four or five minutes had passed since class ended, so the classroom was already empty. From his angle, he could only see Zhou Yu's profile standing behind his seat.

This remark displeased him.

He retorted sarcastically in a cold tone, "Did she tell you that being foul-mouthed is a crime?"

The boy turned around and looked at him for a second, said nothing, shrugged, and left in the opposite direction.

Chen Jingchi's voice was so familiar to Zhou Yu that she could identify the person just by hearing a single syllable. She saw Xuan Bin turn and leave, and when he came out through the back door, she noticed that the anger between his brows hadn't completely dissipated.

Today he wore a black baseball cap, and beneath the brim he pulled low were a pair of indifferent and aloof eyes. This was the first time Zhou Yu had seen him wear dark-colored clothes, extremely simple, with no decorations or patterns on his long sleeves or trousers, and even his accessories seemed too complicated.

She didn't know Chen Jingchi would come specifically to see her. After waiting a long time without receiving a reply from him, she thought the meeting would be called off. Hearing his voice brought her a moment of relief.

But it only lasted a second or two, and then came the faint, lingering anxiety that settled in my heart.

"Thank you," she said softly.

“Let’s go,” Chen Jingchi said. “He’s waiting for us.”

Zhou Yu followed behind Chen Jingchi, keeping a meter or two's distance. He glanced up at Chen's back, then quickly looked away.

Just like last night, the decision was difficult. She knew that the distance between the two of them was much greater than it was right before or after each other. She wanted to explain the press release, but she was afraid that he would think she was being redundant.

Normally, she tends to avoid or ignore things, but she never dares to shy away from Chen Jingchi, facing problems head-on, whether actively or passively. Chen Jingchi is very smart and has a keen sense of smell; she must be completely open with him and not reveal any flaws.

When they reached the first floor, Chen Jingchi stopped at the corner, looked up and met her gaze at the same time as her on the steps, and abruptly asked, "Do we still need to avoid suspicion?"

Zhou Yu suddenly remembered Chen Jingchi's reply on WeChat: "I'll cooperate with you next time."

She had long forgotten about that matter; what was troubling her now was something far more serious.

She shook her head, her gaze shifting from his eyes to the logo on his hat, and said, "No, I didn't act well."

Several seconds passed after she spoke, but Chen Jingchi didn't move at all. He just stared at her without moving, as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words.

Being stared at so intently by him, Zhou Yu felt as if she had returned to the night she met him at Starbucks, when he looked at her with that all-seeing gaze the moment they met.

At that moment, Zhou Yu was certain that he had seen the news and wondered if he was waiting for her to speak.

There was no chance or excuse to escape.

She stepped down one of the stairs, looked him straight in the eye, and said with a firmer tone than before: "The news circulating online is true. Zhou Jinglong is my father, and I wrote the essay."

Her reaction was just like that night, sincere and frank, and Chen Jingchi realized that he had done something unnecessary.

“I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant.” He softened his voice. “I have no right to comment on this matter.”

Even Zhou Yu at the time couldn't tell whether what she was doing was right or wrong. Opposing or agreeing would put pressure on her, so Chen Jingchi didn't want to express any opinion.

If he really minded, he wouldn't have stopped that rude guy at the back door.

Zhou Yu's tense shoulders relaxed, and her voice lowered: "I think it's necessary to tell you that if this matter affects you, then in the future..."

"Won't."

He interrupted her.

"Don't worry about these things, just be yourself." After saying that, Chen Jingchi turned around and continued walking forward.

Zhou felt a lump in his throat and lowered his head, trying to hide his inappropriate emotions. It took him a few seconds to barely control himself and avoid losing his composure.

The second time, she experienced what it felt like to be unconditionally trusted.

Unfamiliar, warm, indescribable.

A heart pieced together from fragments was gently held in the palm of the hand, its beating gradually quickening, vibrant and alive.

Zhou Yu thought, "He" and "it" really did overlap.

When he looked up again, Chen Jingchi was already on his motorcycle and putting on his helmet.

She then understood what he meant by asking her to avoid suspicion.

Zhou Yu didn't think too much about it and quickly stepped forward. This time, he didn't put on a show and simply sat down, supporting himself on the back seat.

She came up without saying hello. Chen Jingchi didn't notice and his hands weren't on the handlebars. The force caused the car to tilt sharply to the left.

The suddenness of the attack startled Zhou Yu so much that she forgot everything and hurriedly reached out to grab him. By the time she realized that her hand was already around Chen Jingchi's waist, it was too late.

"Slow down, don't rush." ​​Chen Jingchi braced his left foot on the ground to stabilize the car.

Zhou Yu recoiled as if burned, panicking and unsure how to react. He changed the subject, saying, "Am I too heavy?"

"I don't know." Chen Jingchi's voice was muffled by the hum of the engine starting up.

But she heard it clearly.

"I haven't given rides to anyone else."

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Author's Note: Thank you so much to my darling who always passes exams for the landmine! [heart emoji]

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