63 Chapter 63
◎See you there!◎
As dusk settled outside, the room grew dimmer. Zhan Xinyue reached out and turned on the desk lamp, still engrossed in her diary.
She never remembered ever being so talkative, chattering on and on every day, making a big fuss about even the smallest things by writing a note and sending it to him. And Shi Ziqian actually managed to put up with her, replying to every single one of her notes.
"Did you have breakfast?"
"have eaten."
"Oh no! My mom packed a huge bag of toast for me and I can't finish it all. Is there anyone who can help me with some of it?"
"…Thanks."
"Shi Ziqian, how come you can sleep in such a noisy classroom?"
"I don't know either. I always feel like I can't fall asleep in quiet places, but I feel sleepy when it's noisy."
"That's a bit strange, haha."
"Yes, I'm a strange person, aren't I?"
"Why are you always alone? Don't you feel lonely?"
No, it won't.
"Okay, how could this happen?"
"Maybe it's because I always subconsciously feel that trusting someone is giving them the opportunity to betray and hurt you."
"Wow, your thinking is so pessimistic (shocked face). You can't think like that. The world is a beautiful place. You have to believe that there are always more good people than bad people in the world, and there will always be people who are sincere to you."
"Okay, I'll try to be more optimistic."
What medicine are you taking?
"It's nothing, my stomach is just a little upset."
"You need to eat properly (fainting expression), it must be because you eat too irregularly (staring)."
Okay, I will.
"I'll be keeping an eye on you! (Watch x2) I'll definitely notice if you don't go to the cafeteria one day."
"What should we do if we find out?"
"Hmm...it seems there's not much that can be done (fainting expression)."
"Don't worry, I'll eat well."
What did you do during break?
"Nothing happened, what's wrong?"
"Confess and you will be treated leniently; resist and you will be treated severely."
"...You saw it?"
"It wasn't me, it was some girls I overheard in the hallway saying they saw you on the rooftop. So it's true, you really smoke?"
Shi Ziqian probably didn't know what to say, so he drew a (dazed) expression.
"Stop smoking! If Lao Fang finds out, you're dead (angry)."
She left a line blank, then continued writing:
"And most importantly, do you know that smoking is very harmful to your health?!"
"Now I understand, and I will try my best to quit."
"But I've heard that quitting smoking is really hard, sigh. Why do you smoke? Are you in a bad mood?"
"Yes, sometimes I get very irritable and I just want to calm myself down."
"I have a solution. I have lots and lots of bags of popping candy here. When you're in a bad mood, I'll give you a bag. Maybe after you eat it, you'll feel better and won't want to smoke anymore."
"That sounds good. You can keep an eye on me from now on."
"I'll be very strict then. If I catch you smoking again, you'll face a really terrible punishment!!"
"Okay."
"This lesson plan is so difficult..." followed by a drawing of a fainting little person.
"It's quite difficult. Which problem can't you solve?"
"The third function question (shy emoji)."
The note was returned with extremely detailed solution steps.
Zhan Xinyue drew a big starry-eyed emoji: "Wow, I'm in awe of the master. No wonder he's a genius."
Shi Ziqian copied her and drew the same shy expression.
The girl who wrote the note thought she had hidden her feelings well, but now, as she reads it, she realizes that her affection is hidden in every word, almost overflowing.
How could he not see it?
There's a lot to glean from his words, such as the gentle patience he gradually reveals that contradicts his cold exterior, and how he unconsciously begins to imitate her language habits, like adding a cute emoticon at the end of each paragraph...
Zhan Xinyue didn't know if she had noticed it before, but now she knew that Shi Ziqian had already given his answer.
She gradually understood his feelings from these notes.
The feelings of youth are innocent and naive, but the unspoken understanding between the two seems to be telling Zhan Xinyue that perhaps all it takes is a trigger for them to break through that barrier.
She flipped through the pages to the very end and found the last note.
"I just went to the office to photocopy the study materials and discovered one of your secrets."
"Really? What is it?"
"I just found out that this Saturday is your birthday! (yay!)"
"How did I find out? I've forgotten myself."
"I found our class's student information registration form on our teacher's desk... What's your wish? I'll prepare a birthday present for you!"
"No need, I never celebrate my birthday." After saying that, he added, "But I have a wish..."
"What is it? Just tell me, as long as I can do it."
"I've never been to an aquarium before, and I'd really like to go at least once."
"Haha, is it because I told Xie Wanzhi last week that the aquarium has a killer whale show that tempted you?"
"It has nothing to do with orcas, but I'm definitely tempted. Are you free on Saturday? Could I invite you to go with me?"
"No problem! Looks like I'll be the first person to go to the aquarium with you!"
"How about I wait for you at the aquarium entrance on Saturday morning? How about 10 o'clock? We can go in and wander around for a while, and then have lunch together."
"You can eat inside the aquarium. There are themed restaurants there. I've been there many times, and it's quite interesting."
"Okay, I'll text you before I head out on Saturday. See you there!"
"Okay, see you there."
Zhan Xinyue stared at the conversation and read it over and over again. She noted the time under each note. After careful calculation, it seemed to be something that happened in the week after her rebirth.
After her rebirth, all her doubts about Shi Ziqian seemed to suddenly find answers. Back then, she only thought he was strange, but now she suddenly realized that perhaps from Shi Ziqian's perspective, she was the stranger one. She was the one who took the initiative to approach him, but suddenly she became a different person, avoiding him at all costs.
She remembered all those blue sticky notes she had thrown away, how she had missed their appointment when she was completely unaware, and how she had offered to invite Shi Ziqian to Xie Wanzhi's birthday party even though she knew Xu Shen would be there. What was he thinking at that moment...?
Overwhelmed with guilt, she closed her eyes, and after a long while, she couldn't help but slap her forehead, making a clear sound.
What did she do?
Now, what should we do?
Zhan Wei had just reached the door when he was startled by a sharp "snap" from inside the room: "What's going on here?"
Zhan Xinyue calmed herself down before speaking: "There are mosquitoes."
"How can there still be mosquitoes at this time of year?" Zhan Wei was a little puzzled, but didn't pay much attention. "Dinner is almost ready, let's go out and eat."
Zhan Xinyue responded and put the diary back in the drawer. Just as she was about to leave, her phone on the desk suddenly lit up and emitted a short notification sound, indicating that a new text message had arrived.
Although the old-fashioned phone doesn't have the same features as a smartphone, it has a very long battery life. She hasn't used the phone much and hasn't charged it much, and now the screen still shows one bar of battery.
Zhan Xinyue unlocked the door and glanced at the text message.
Another string of numbers without any notes was sent, just a very short line of text.
"Would it be convenient for me to pick you up near your house tomorrow?"
Zhan Xinyue stared at it for a while before remembering that she had promised Shi Ziqian before school ended that she would go with him to pick up Panpan tomorrow. Suddenly, she felt a sense of helplessness.
Now she doesn't know how to face him, and she's even suddenly a little afraid to see him.
She exited and returned to her inbox, scrolling through the text messages from her mobile carrier until she found the two messages she had received a long time ago.
Sure enough, it was the exact same number.
Zhan Xinyue didn't even have the courage to look at the two previous text messages again; she just stared blankly at the two lines of numbers. After a long time, she finally seemed to have made up her mind and began to slowly type.
Sorry, something came up tomorrow and I can't make it...
Her finger hovered over the send button for a long time. She sighed deeply and abruptly threw her phone onto the bed. The phone bounced on the bed frame before burying itself in the fluffy blankets.
At the dinner table, Zhan Xinyue's mood was indescribably complicated and heavy. She silently ate with her head down, listening to Zhan Wei and Pang Yun chat about everyday matters, but she didn't take in a single word, until Zhan Wei suddenly brought something up.
"By the way, Yueyue, someone from your classmate's dad's side contacted me a while ago."
Zhan Xinyue gave a casual "hmm" and continued counting the rice in her bowl.
"Just that hour..."
After a pause of one second, Zhan Xinyue suddenly looked up, her face blank: "Huh?"
While picking up some food, Zhan Wei casually said, "Someone, probably his father's subordinate, came to the store to find me. He said that since you and Xiao Shi seem to get along well, he specifically assigned us an order to do."
Zhan Xinyue's feelings were even more complicated, and she didn't know what to say. In the end, she just gave a dull "Oh".
In the past, she might not have thought much of it, but hearing about it again today changed her feelings.
Zhan Wei continued, "But I declined."
Zhan Xinyue was surprised: "Why?" She knew that Zhan Wei had been short of funds recently, so he should have cherished every order.
“I don’t want to involve the child in these business matters. Although this kind of deal is quite big for us, it’s nothing to his father. He’s just being polite to us. But I’m thinking, after all, you and that kid were classmates and deskmates when you were little. I don’t want you to feel like you owe him a favor when you see him.”
Zhan Wei was initially tempted when the business opportunity came his way, but after careful consideration, he realized that the children's relationship was purely platonic, and it wouldn't be good to involve them in the adults' conflicts of interest, so he politely declined. He mentioned this casually, not taking it seriously at first, but then he suddenly saw Zhan Xinyue staring at him, her eyes slightly red, and solemnly saying, "Thank you, Dad."
He patted Zhan Xinyue's head and said, "No need to thank me. Our shop doesn't need this order. Business has been good lately."
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