Chapter 96 P - Quicksand
Chu Beiling never actually had the unrestrained and flamboyant feeling that is found in youth idol dramas or novels.
Their lives were boring and monotonous. Their studies in culture and art were numerous and demanding, squeezing out almost all their time, leaving them no time to breathe, and making no waves. Every day they felt like blowing up the school.
Coupled with Li Shuying's high expectations of him, Chu Beiling was constantly on edge, except when he was with Xing Yu, when he could relax and be happy.
But at this moment, the night breeze was cool, the fluorescent lights gathered into a sea in the night, and the whole building was boiling with excitement because of the thousands of people singing "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies".
How fortunate he was to have Xing Yu by his side.
Chu Beiling felt like she was riding the wave of youth, and there had never been a moment happier than now.
The school can stay for a while; we won't bomb it for now.
"Chu Beiling".
He suddenly turned his head, and a piece of white jade with bamboo-shaped tassels fell from Xing Yu's palm, hanging on his ring finger and swaying gently.
Chu Beiling suddenly understood something, her heart pounded, and a smile spread across her face.
The white jade still retained the warmth of Xing Yu's palm. He traced the texture with his fingertips: "Just one piece?!"
Xing Yu then pasted the other piece over.
The two bamboo-shaped jade pendants fit together perfectly.
Fireworks lit up the night sky, and the words "May your future be bright" shone brightly in the darkness. The loud and unified chant, "May every step you take in the future be a shining moment," accompanied by the teachers' car lights turning on one by one and their horns honking.
Everyone watched as the students walked across the red carpet, embarking on their own boundless journeys.
Not long after seeing off their seniors, they also faced their final exams.
Xigao students have a month of make-up classes during the summer vacation, a week of rest after the exams, and return to school again in early July. The art department is different from the academic class. If students give up the joint entrance exam and directly participate in the entrance exams of various universities, they can leave school early to participate in corresponding training in various places.
Chu Beiling and Xing Yu both plan to stay at school, first to take the provincial joint exam in December, then go to Beijing in January of the following year to participate in animation-related training, and return to school after the school exam in March to take the college entrance examination in June of the following year.
After the final exams, they moved to the top floor. There were eleven fewer students in the class, and the originally crowded classroom suddenly had many empty seats. Wang Caiyan told them all to sit in the middle.
Xu Tunan stuffed everything into the drawer, turned around, and said, "If you're going to choose animation and not change it, why don't you just leave school? It would save you some trouble. The Academy of Fine Arts doesn't look at the joint entrance exam scores anyway."
Chu Beiling retorted, "Why don't you leave?"
"I haven't decided yet whether I want to go to the art academy with you guys." Xu Tunan hooked his arm around his neck: "I'm asking you, don't change the subject."
Chu Beiling was pondering how to answer.
Xing Yu's gaze lingered on him for a moment before quickly shifting away, and Chu Beiling hurriedly removed Xu Tunan's hand from his body.
Li Dong kicked Xu Tunan: "You talk too much."
Xu Tunan: "Why are you so domineering? I didn't ask you, so why can't I know about Chu Fanfan?!"
Li Dong: "You should mind your own business. If you keep drawing abstract art, you won't even be able to bake sweet potatoes, let alone pass the joint entrance exam or college entrance exam."
"It's okay, I can grill lamb skewers," Xu Tunan said in a cumin-flavored accent, "Selling grilled lamb skewers~~"
Li Dong couldn't help but roll his eyes: "I must be out of my mind. Why am I arguing with you? It's lowering my IQ."
Xu Tunan: "Don't feel inferior if you argue with me."
Several people were disgusted by his shamelessness and made a disgusted "Ugh!"
Chu Beiling: "TuTu, where's your face?"
Xu Tunan pointed to the white wall: "Where is it? It's so white, so thick, so mesmerizing."
Everyone: "..."
The 11 members of the Discipline Inspection Commission had also left. Ke Jincheng became Xu Tunan's new deskmate for a semester and a half, and finally interjected, "Our little prince Fanfan doesn't need to consider anything; of course he wants it all." He glanced at Xu Tunan and asked, "Right?"
Chu Beiling smiled faintly, neither confirming nor denying.
A group of people walked out of the classroom, with Chu Beiling and Xing Yu following slowly behind them.
Suddenly, Xing Yu asked, "You really just want to experience what the joint entrance exam is like?!"
Chu Beiling paused slightly, then chuckled casually, "Otherwise what?"
Xing Yu said, "The living expenses and tuition fees my parents give me are enough to support the training camp from now until March next year."
Chu Beiling's smile froze on her face. After a moment, she asked the same question: "Then why don't you leave?"
Now it was Xing Yu's turn to remain silent.
The two remained silent for a moment—
Chu Beiling added, "It's okay, having more options is never a bad thing."
"Mmm," Xing Yu responded softly.
He couldn't quite describe his feelings—bitterness, discomfort, helplessness—he couldn't distinguish them, perhaps a combination of all of them! This indescribable emotion left Xing Yu unable to resolve it, nor could he find a solution.
But no one would say a word about it, saying things like, "Don't do that, I don't need you to give up anything for me." They would still tacitly act as if nothing had happened, trying to help each other get through it.
Then, quite tacitly, they made the same choice again.
They know each other too well.
So much so that years later, on a sunny afternoon, Chu Beiling suddenly thought of that day, that choice, and realized that they were both too stubborn and too concerned at the time, neither willing to let the other suffer the slightest grievance.
They all try desperately to hold on, like quicksand in the palm of their hand; the harder they try, the faster it slips away.
In the end, nothing was left.
The scorching sun, the incessant chirping of cicadas, the dappled shade under the trees, the jingling of bicycle bells as they whiz by, the watermelon sliced in half and scooped out spoonful by spoonful on a summer afternoon, and the cloudless blue sky washed clean by the rain.
All the beauty and joy slip away unnoticed from your fingertips.
September arrived in the blink of an eye, and a gentle breeze carried the delicate fragrance of early osmanthus blossoms in the air.
This semester, the number of academic classes has been reduced significantly. Most of the time, they are immersed in art education, practicing hundreds and thousands of times, finding weaknesses, practicing again, and repeating over and over again.
Having completed her assigned practice for the day, Chu Beiling began to produce drawings for the client.
These past few months have been really tough. Even though what he's doing now is just a drop in the ocean, Li Shuying has no doubts about him and Xing Yu, and Chu Beiling doesn't want to let it go like this.
Lin Tingdao tapped his drawing board: "Class representative, behave yourself in the studio, don't be too arrogant."
Chu Beiling didn't argue much, just smiled sheepishly, and consciously put her phone in her pocket, then casually picked up a pencil from the drawing tray.
He's been drawing intensely lately, and his hand is a bit out of control. He didn't control his strength well, and the long, sharp pencil broke off directly on the paper, with a large piece of pencil lead falling to the ground.
He hissed in distress and pulled out the utility knife.
Chu Beiling's hands were shaking so badly that he almost sliced off a piece of flesh from his fingertip.
Xing Yu frowned, handed him a pencil, and took the pen and knife from his hand.
Before he could speak, Chu Beiling interrupted him, saying, "I was thinking about something and didn't notice."
Xing Yu opened his mouth, then said, "Don't get distracted when sharpening your pencil."
Chu Beiling stuck out her tongue sheepishly: "Okay."
Xing Yu put the pencil and craft knife back into his drawing tray and pulled him up from the chair: "I'm a little hungry, come with me to the school convenience store."
Upon hearing about food, Xu Tunan became excited. "I'll go too." Just as he was about to stand up, Li Dong pressed him back into his chair. "You're blocking my view. Sit down."
Xu Tunan was speechless: "Sister, what have I done to upset you again? Tell me, and I'll offer my head as punishment, but please don't stop me from going to find something to eat."
Li Dong was too lazy to waste words with people who lacked tact, so he walked past the two people behind him and said, "Bring me a bag of French bread rolls."
Even the sweltering summer sun tilted its head and looked over: "I want sea salt soda crackers."
Upon hearing this, Xu Tunan immediately named several snacks.
As long as they don't go too far, Lin Tingdao basically doesn't care. Even during class time, they don't need to specifically report why they leave the classroom. If they want to leave the classroom, they can just leave quietly and then come back quietly without disturbing others.
"If you're hungry and want something to eat, go outside and eat. Don't stay in the classroom," Lin Tingdao said.
Xu Tunan: "Understood, Teacher Lin, thank you, Teacher Lin."
Lin Tingdao: "TuTu, are you rebelling? Why are you shouting so loudly? Quietly draw your painting."
Xu Tunan: "Okay, teacher."
Lin Tingdao gave him a flick on the forehead: "Stop talking nonsense." She slapped the drawing board: "If your girlfriend looks like this in the future, I'll ask you if you're scared."
Xu Tunan: "That's quite terrifying."
"You know that too," Lin Tingdao said. "Get up."
Xu Tunan: "Teacher, do you know that the most beautiful words in this world are not 'I love you,' but 'Get up.'"
"You're getting cocky, aren't you?" Lin Tingdao's smiling face instantly turned serious: "I'll show you in a moment that there are things even more interesting than you."
Xu Tunan didn't take it seriously, thinking it was just a matter of pressuring him to draw a few more pictures. But after Lin Tingdao finished revising the sample drawing, he actually undoed a layer.
he:"……"
It's class time now, and there are only a few classes having physical education on campus. The girls are sitting in groups in front of the equipment on the playground chatting, while the boys are running around the basketball court, fighting for the basketball in their hands, dodging and dodging, and taking three-step layups. A few of them are crossing the road and stepping on the grass to take a shortcut to the convenience store.
Chu Beiling hadn't been to a basketball court in a long time and was itching to try it out. He pretended to have a basketball in his hand and made a few fake moves in the air to get his kicks.
Whether it was due to the intense competition on the court or a deliberate invitation from the opposing team, a basketball flew in an arc over the croquet net from the court.
Chu Beiling went to catch it, but Xing Yu behind him was even faster. He lightly jumped and caught the basketball with both hands, bouncing it on the ground.
Chu Beiling raised an eyebrow, intending to snatch it, but Xing Yu walked past him, dribbling as he ran towards the court. Chu Beiling was stunned for a moment and quickly chased after him.
Chasing after Xing Yu, Chu Beiling cut in from the side to block him, but Xing Yu dodged and dodged him in a U-shape, escaping his pursuit.
Chu Beiling pressed the tip of her tongue against her palate, her competitive spirit rising instantly. "Xing Yu, I'm going to take the basketball from your hands, or I'll change my surname to yours."
“Take my surname,” Xing Yu said with a smile, “Okay, no problem.”
Chu Beiling was simply provoked and made some harsh remarks, but Xing Yu misinterpreted them and took them to another level, causing Chu Beiling to blush.
The more embarrassed the young master was, the faster his mouth reacted than his brain: "Who wants to take your surname? It's more like you and me taking the same surname."
Xing Yu dribbled the basketball: "If I get it, I'll go fix it."
Chu Beiling: "Seriously?!"
Xing Yu moved quickly to prevent him from snatching it: "Seriously."
The two chased each other around the playground for a while. Just when they were about to meet, Xing Yu turned around and dodged. Chu Beiling stomped her foot and continued chasing.
The instant Xing Yu dodged to the side, Chu Beiling pounced on him, instantly releasing the basketball, hugging him, and supporting him by the waist.
Their eyes met, and the sweltering heat from their exercise lingered around them.
Chu Beiling stared at Xing Yu's thin lips, her Adam's apple bobbing as she restrained herself.
And he sensed that Xing Yu had the same thoughts.
Xing Yu quickly let go of him and bent down to pick up the basketball that had slipped away to a distance.
After that little incident, Chu Beiling remembered his earlier act of cheating: "Xing Yu, you cheated."
Xing Yu raised his eyebrows: "Chu Beiling, you can't just turn the tables on me like this."
Chu Beiling: "If you don't let go, I'll snatch it."
Xing Yu lifted his eyelids and said casually, "If I don't let go, you'll be kissing the ground."
"With you as a cushion, even if we're going to kiss..." Amidst the throng of people around, Chu Beiling abruptly pulled the "you" back to the side.
Although he hesitated to speak, it doesn't mean that Young Master Chu will let it go like that.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, he pinched Xing Yu's strong waist hard.
Xing Yu glanced at him mechanically.
Chu Beiling raised his chin, confident that he outnumbered the Black Sesame Dumplings wouldn't be able to do anything to him, and said provocatively, "You're being unreasonable, so what if I touch you?"
Xing Yu smiled faintly: "Very good."
Chu Beiling felt a chill run down his spine, but he was certain that Xing Yu wouldn't touch him on campus, so he said confidently, "So what?"
Black sesame dumplings, black inside, dripping with oil. Just when Chu Beiling had forgotten about his arrogant act, Xing Yu came to settle scores with him.
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