Chapter 61

That evening, Lin Li came out of the bathroom drying his hair, pondering what to eat the next day. Suddenly, he paused, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Flute!

He suddenly remembered that after the performance, he was so excited that he seemed to have... forgotten his flute on the playground!

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, grabbed his school uniform jacket draped over the back of a chair and haphazardly put it on while still wearing his slippers, then dashed out of the dormitory like a gust of wind, his slippers making a rapid "pat-pat" sound in the quiet corridor.

The playground was empty and quiet at night, a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the day. Only a few support staff were dismantling the stage's metal frame by the light of the streetlights, making sporadic clanging sounds.

Lin Li's heart sank. He anxiously looked around, his gaze sweeping over every corner like a searchlight—the gaps in the stands, beside the equipment piles, in the bushes… but there was no trace of the flute bag anywhere.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of two or three girls standing in the dim light outside the side door of the gymnasium, seemingly having just finished a discussion. He immediately recognized the tall, upright figure holding a notebook among them—it was Tong Yao.

Normally, he would have already gone up to say hello. But this time, he only glanced in that direction before immediately lowering his head again, focusing even more intently on searching the ground.

The girls seemed to have finished their conversation; two of them left, leaving Tong Yao standing there alone. She noticed the student still "wandering" on the playground late at night, her brows furrowing slightly. Feeling something was off, she walked over.

As she got closer, in the dim light of the streetlights, she could finally see that the person dressed casually, wearing slippers, and bending over, carefully feeling around on the ground, was none other than Lin Li.

"Lin Li?" Tong Yao asked, a hint of doubt in her voice. "What are you looking for here so late?"

Hearing the sound, Lin Li abruptly looked up. Seeing Tong Yao, he felt like he'd seen a savior. Forgetting all about appearances, he said with a mournful face:

"Tong Yao! I can't find my flute!" His voice was slightly panting from running and clearly frustrated. "It's the one I used for today's performance. I clearly remember putting it... I think it was around here... how could it be gone!"

As he spoke, he pointed to an area around him, his eyes filled with urgency, as if asking, "Please help me look for it quickly."

"That flute is quite expensive, I hope it won't be thrown away as trash?"

Upon hearing this, Tong Yao frowned slightly, recalling whether anyone had found the flute during the day.

But her memory told her no.

She didn't speak immediately, her gaze following his direction, scanning the surrounding ground. Her eyes were calm, as if she were helping him analyze possible locations where the item might have been left, or perhaps she was deep in thought. In the darkness, her profile appeared exceptionally soft under the streetlights.

"Stop looking, it's getting late, let's go back."

Upon hearing this, Lin Li abruptly raised her head, her eyes still filled with resentment: "But my flute..."

“There’s no use in rushing.” Tong Yao interrupted him, her tone still calm but carrying a reassuring power. “There should be surveillance cameras installed on the side of the stadium and on the side of the podium.”

Lin Li's eyes lit up immediately. That's it! Surveillance cameras!

Seeing the hope that instantly ignited in his eyes, Tong Yao continued, "Tomorrow at noon after school, I'll go with you to the monitoring room to ask if we can see the surveillance footage." She paused, then added, "It's so late now, the teacher in charge of monitoring has already gone home."

These words completely calmed Lin Li's anxious emotions. Looking at Tong Yao's serene face in the night, the taut string in his heart finally relaxed. Although the flute hadn't been found yet, at least there was clear hope and direction, and... Tong Yao was willing to go with him.

Lin Li knew in his heart that if he didn't find it today, it probably would never be found again, but Tong Yao was willing to waste time with him.

Well... if we can't find the flute, we can't find it!

Lin Li felt much better after thinking about it.

_

The next day.

Lin Li and Tong Yao stood in the monitoring room.

The teacher pointed at the monitor and said, "Which bastard stuck the camera up and pointed it at the sky? It didn't capture anything!"

Lin Li walked out of the monitoring room dejectedly.

Seeing Lin Li's expression, Tong Yao patted his head comfortingly.

"Shall I ask around and see if anyone else has seen it?"

"Forget it, I guess we won't be able to find it." Lin Li sighed helplessly.

"Remember this lesson and don't be so careless again."

Tong Yao also felt that continuing the search would be a waste of time, so she said.

"Um."

_

The afternoon sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the workbook on the table. Lin Li sat quietly, his brows slightly furrowed, as he tackled the physics workbook, his fingers unconsciously pushing up the black-rimmed glasses that made him appear more refined.

After finishing a problem, he stretched his stiff neck and his gaze inadvertently swept over Luo Yan, who was looking down at a book next to him.

Suddenly remembering the arts festival, a slightly smug smile appeared on his lips. He turned his head and asked in a light tone:

"Hey Luo Yan, how was it? Did I play the flute pretty well at the arts festival?"

Luo Yan was startled by the sudden question. Her shoulders twitched slightly, and her fingers gripping the book pages tightened instinctively.

She suddenly looked up and met Lin Li's smiling eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, thinking that he had noticed something.

Only when she saw that there was no probing or suspicion on his face did she barely manage to suppress the panic in her heart.

She lowered her eyelids, avoiding his gaze, and replied in a slightly strained voice, "...Yes, you played well. Did you find your flute?"

Lin Li felt a little better after receiving what he thought was affirmation. But then, the frustration of losing his flute resurfaced. The smile on his face faded, replaced by a long sigh. He leaned back in his chair, looking somewhat dejected: "Sigh, don't even mention it... I guess there's no hope for my flute. I'll never find it again."

The disappointment in his tone was obvious and genuine.

Luo Yan felt a little calmer, but then a complex mix of emotions welled up inside her.

She cautiously raised her eyelids, observing Lin Li's expression. Seeing that he only looked annoyed at giving up the search and didn't seem to mean anything else, she casually, with a hint of barely perceptible probing, asked softly:

"Did you... go check the surveillance footage later? Or did you still not find any clues?" She needed to confirm whether he had really given up the investigation.

Lin Li waved her hand, her face saying, "Don't even mention it."

"I looked, but the angle wasn't good. With people coming and going, it was impossible to see exactly where it fell or who picked it up. Tong Yao and I looked for a long time but still couldn't figure it out... Oh well, let's just consider it a loss to avoid further trouble."

His tone carried a resigned helplessness, clearly indicating that he had accepted the fact.

When Luo Yan heard that "Tong Yao accompanied him to check the surveillance footage," her fingertips tightened again, but when she heard "couldn't figure it out" and "never mind," her tense nerves finally relaxed. A secret, twisted sense of relief mixed with a hint of victorious pleasure quietly swept through her heart.

She lowered her head, concealing the turmoil in her eyes, and softly echoed in an almost indifferent tone, consistent with her usual persona:

"Yes. Well... that's a real shame."

Her voice was soft, as if offering comfort, yet more like a detached polite remark. However, deep within her lowered eyes, a glint of something unnoticed flickered.

Lin Li was completely unaware of his deskmate's brief but complex inner turmoil. After complaining, he quickly returned his attention to the exercises in front of him, only occasionally smacking his lips in regret as he thought of the thousand yuan that had "flown away."

For some time afterward, he still couldn't find his flute.

But he didn't care anymore.

Winter break starts in a couple of days!

This winter vacation, Tong Yao told him that she would stay at home to study and would not go back to her hometown.

The reason, of course, is that Tong Yao did not outperform Zhou Mingfang in this final exam.

This winter break is her best chance to overtake others.

She first warned Lin Li not to disturb her studies.

Lin Li dared not disobey.

_

Yancheng High-speed Railway Station.

The station was bustling with noise, the announcements mingling with the clatter of suitcase wheels. Lin Li, carrying a suitcase in each hand, walked briskly ahead, excited for the upcoming holiday.

Just as they were about to step out of the station, Lin Li's gaze inadvertently swept over the crowd of people waiting to pick them up, and she froze, as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

He turned around abruptly and quickly shielded Tong Yao in front of him, his movement so fast that Tong Yao stumbled.

"What's wrong with you?" Tong Yao turned around in confusion.

A flicker of panic crossed Lin Li's face. She quickly shoved the handle of a suitcase back into Tong Yao's hands, her words coming out in rapid succession: "Your mother! She's at the exit! I have to get out of here!"

Before Tong Yao could react, he was like a startled rabbit, carrying his suitcase and turning to plunge into the side staircase leading to other platforms, his figure quickly swallowed up by the crowd.

He is now a "forbidden visitor" in Tong Yao's mother's eyes; only the non-existent "Lin Lili" is qualified to stand openly beside Tong Yao.

This realization stirred a strange pang of sadness within him; he was actually... a little jealous of the virtual identity he had created.

Tong Yao stood there, holding the suitcase handle in her hand, watching Lin Li's back as he took three steps at a time and almost fled in panic. Finally, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Watching Lin Li disappear around the corner of the stairs, she straightened her hands, which were stuffed full, took a deep breath, pushed her two suitcases, and walked calmly toward the exit.

Sure enough, Tong's mother was standing outside the turnstile, eagerly waiting. As soon as she saw her daughter, a smile immediately appeared on her serious face, and she reached out to take the luggage from her daughter's hands.

Tong Yao turned to the side and steadily pushed the suitcase out.

"Mom, I can do it myself."

Tong's mother didn't insist. As they walked out side by side, she habitually began making arrangements: "The car is in the parking lot. Your father is at home preparing dinner, all your favorite dishes. We'll go back to our hometown tomorrow..."

“Mom,” Tong Yao stopped and interrupted her mother clearly, her voice not loud, “I plan to stay in Yancheng this winter vacation and not go back to our hometown with you.”

Tong's mother's smile froze instantly, her brows furrowing habitually: "Not going back? How can that be? The family must be together for the New Year. What kind of talk is it for you to stay here alone?"

"Studying," Tong Yao explained calmly, having anticipated this. "I want to stay home and focus on my studies."

"Isn't it the same to study back in your hometown?"

“Mom,” Tong Yao looked into her mother’s eyes, her tone calm but earnest, “It’s different. Our hometown is too noisy and there are too many distractions. I want to use this holiday to consolidate my weaker subjects and strive to improve further in the opening exam next semester. Zhou Mingfang and the others are working hard, so I can’t slack off.”

...

Because it was about studying, Tong's mother compromised but didn't forget to remind her: "Then... you must call us every day to let us know you're safe. Don't study too hard, take care of your health. We should have a New Year's Eve dinner together, right? Your father and I will come to pick you up then."

"Um."