Chapter 29 Photographs
The cousin that Luo Xincheng mentioned, who shares the same birthday as her, is Wang Jiayan.
Although they were born a year apart, they coincidentally shared the same birth date.
He was her second aunt's child, and her second aunt happened to be the one her father got along best with among his siblings. So, if her parents couldn't come back to celebrate her birthday with her, they would ask her second aunt to take her over to celebrate with Wang Jiayan.
That is why, among all his cousins, Luo Xincheng was exceptionally patient with Wang Jiayan.
Although Wang Jiayan has older brothers and sisters, there is a four or five-year age gap between them. The older ones think the younger ones are too childish and don't play with him much. The younger ones sense their disdain and don't want to be ignored. Therefore, he is closer to his cousin Luo Xincheng.
He enjoys lively gatherings and extravagant celebrations. Every year, he casts a wide net and invites many friends to his birthday party, and "incidentally" also drags Luo Xincheng, who is all alone, along to celebrate.
Although I don't usually like crowded occasions, it's my birthday after all, and it would be better to receive more blessings from more people.
Therefore, Luo Xincheng would happily go and take advantage of Wang Jiayan's good relationships every year on that day, to experience the feeling of being surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of people singing birthday songs.
But her next birthday is still a long way off, so it's too early to talk about these things.
She snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at her phone.
Fu Zhiheng: [Can I really go?]
Fu Zhiheng: [But I don't know your cousin. If I suddenly go to your birthday party, will he mind?]
Luo Xincheng: [It's okay, he just likes lively atmospheres. The more people at a party, the happier he is. He won't mind.]
Fu Zhiheng: [Then I'm relieved.]
Luo Xincheng tapped the screen, getting back to the point: [Could you please provide an address for those earrings? I'll return them when I have time.]
After the message was sent, the status "The other party is typing..." remained for a long time.
She was getting a little impatient when his message finally arrived.
Fu Zhiheng: [Why, don't you like this gift?]
What a joke! Who wouldn't like such a big diamond?
Luo Xincheng sighed and said insincerely, "[This is too precious; I am unworthy of it.]"
Fu Zhiheng: [Not valuable.]
Fu Zhiheng: [The moment I saw these earrings at the auction, I felt they would suit you perfectly.]
Fu Zhiheng: [In my hands, they would only be kept in a safe, never to see the light of day. Only in your hands can their unparalleled beauty be revealed.]
Luo Xincheng, filled with inner turmoil, typed and edited on the keyboard: [Actually, these earrings are destined to stay in a safe anyway; I don't wear them on important occasions.]
Fu Zhiheng: [Your birthday party is an important occasion.]
Fu Zhiheng: [You can wear it that day.]
Luo Xincheng: [...There are too many people. It wouldn't be good if someone accidentally bumped or fell.]
Fu Zhiheng: [It's just a pair of earrings. If they get chipped or damaged and don't look good anymore, I can give you new ones. There's no need to worry about it.]
Upon seeing this sentence, Luo Xincheng felt an instant surge of anger.
Damn, he's talking so confidently, how much money did he actually swindle from the Fu family?
It made her seem so petty, treating a mere pair of colored diamond earrings with utmost care and respect.
She took a deep breath and typed angrily: [My situation is a bit different from Mr. Fu's. Although I've started working, I'm still mainly supported by my family and don't have enough spare money to buy something of equal value as a return gift.]
Fu Zhiheng: [No need for a return gift. I gave you a gift not as a gesture of goodwill.]
Luo Xincheng looked at the sentence, scratched his head for a long time, and replied in a literary style: "[It is impolite not to reciprocate. Returning a gift in a timely manner is the best way to maintain an equal relationship between the two parties. Otherwise, it would seem that I am very disrespectful to Mr. Fu.]"
Fu Zhiheng: [I don't need equality, that's not important.]
Luo Xincheng: ...
Fu Zhiheng: [It's okay if you're disrespectful, I don't mind.]
Luo Xincheng: [...]
Can't this person have any dignity or backbone?
She continued, "[You should give such an expensive gift to someone more important.]"
Fu Zhiheng: [But my mother has been gone for seventeen years, I can't send her off.]
...
I'm so damn stupid.
Luo Xincheng slowly put down her phone, lay flat on the bed, and peacefully closed her eyes.
Although she already knew that his mother had passed away early, it was still somewhat upsetting for her to be suddenly brought up in such detail, down to how many years had passed since her death.
Playing the emotional card so unexpectedly is just too unfair.
After calming herself down a bit, she picked up her phone again: [You can give this to Wei Laixi...]
Wait, what if he suddenly tells me he likes me?
Luo Xincheng thought this wouldn't work; she needed to be more tactful. So, in the end, she sent it as: "[You can send this to someone equally important in the future.]"
Fu Zhiheng: [It's already been sent.]
Luo Xincheng: ...
Could you please be a little more reserved? How is she supposed to respond to someone so directly?
It's already obvious, isn't it? He's practically begging her on the spot. If he keeps playing dumb, he'll really be seen as a pig...
Luo Xincheng was overwhelmed with emotions. He stared at his phone screen until it gradually dimmed, then, in a self-deceptive act, long-pressed the message he had just sent and clicked to recall it.
Pretend I never said that, okay?
At that moment, another message popped up.
Fu Zhiheng: [If you feel this gift is a bit too much as a Christmas present, you can also consider it a belated birthday gift I gave you for previous years.]
Luo Xincheng: ...
Stop flirting, stop flirting. Can you please stop using these tricks on your ex-girlfriend?
She took a deep breath, and with a "what the heck" attitude, declared: "Really? I really won't reciprocate after I accept this, and don't expect me to be nice to you just because I took your things. Impossible. This little thing isn't even worth my time."
Fu Zhiheng: [I know.]
Fu Zhiheng: [I gave you these gifts simply because I thought they suited you; I didn't expect anything in return.]
Fu Zhiheng: [As long as the gift suits your taste, that's fine.]
Fu Zhiheng: [So, do you like this gift?]
Luo Xincheng was overwhelmed by the messages, reading them word by word, her heart gradually filled with unknown emotions.
She rubbed her cheek against the pillow and typed very earnestly: [I like it, thank you.]
Fu Zhiheng: [That's good.]
Fu Zhiheng: [Will you wear it on your birthday?]
Luo Xincheng: [No.]
...
Won't?
Fu Zhiheng wiped his phone screen and looked at it again.
Her answer remained unchanged.
Fu Zhiheng rubbed his swollen temples, then pressed them against his chest, which was a little uncomfortable due to his rapid heartbeat. With a bitter and resentful look, he got out of bed, poured himself a glass of water, and slowly drank it.
He didn't break down when people pretended to be stupid and distanced themselves from him, nor did he break down when they refused his gifts with various excuses.
This time, however, just two simple words easily broke through his psychological defenses.
He couldn't help but think of the gifts he had given to Luo Xincheng. No matter how happy she seemed when she saw them, she never wore any of them after receiving them.
Although he was disappointed, he knew in his heart that those things were too cheap and completely unworthy of her, and that he might be laughed at by others if he wore them out...
He didn't want her to be laughed at, so he was content if he could get a surprised smile from her the moment he handed her the gift.
But this gift was different; it was beautiful, rare, and expensive…
It's no wonder that the gifts I gave her before weren't appreciated, so why is it that this time, the gifts I gave her aren't getting her attention either?
He subconsciously ignored the crucial factor of the gift giver and looked at his phone.
Luo Xincheng: [The jewelry I usually wear is quite affordable, so I don't mind if it gets bumped or scratched.]
She frankly admitted: "[So, I'll most likely just wear those earrings you gave me at home for my own amusement.]"
...Is it only for your own eyes?
Can I see it on?
Fu Zhiheng really wanted to ask that, but it sounded rather cheesy and even a bit like sexual harassment, so he didn't dare to ask it.
Luo Xincheng: [I don't wear it out not because I don't like it, it's just not appropriate.]
Not suitable...
He stared blankly at the three words, feeling that they sounded so familiar. It seemed that every time he asked a similar question, the reason she gave was always the same: "It's not suitable."
He held his phone, stunned for a long time, before slowly typing: [Okay, I'm glad you like it.]
After the message was sent, the chat interface fell silent.
He glanced at the chat box; it didn't show any typing status.
Did you find him too dull to talk to and therefore not want to continue the conversation?
He scrolled up through the chat history.
Well, the messages I sent out were indeed dry and uninteresting.
He took a deep breath and reached for the water glass on the bedside table.
Perhaps because he drank too much coffee during the day and alcohol in the evening, his heart is beating very fast and he is having some difficulty breathing.
It seems I should drink less coffee and less alcohol in the future.
After finishing his water, he composed himself: "Are you sleepy? It's really late. Tomorrow's a workday; you probably have to go to work. Get some rest. Goodnight."
They were trying to salvage their precarious self-esteem by using such rhetoric to end the conversation.
Luo Xincheng: [Hmm.]
Fu Zhiheng: ...
Just one 'hmm'?
Not even a goodnight?
Fu Zhiheng clutched his chest, which was pounding erratically. A little afraid that he might die suddenly, he cautiously opened the drawer of his bedside table and took out a bottle of medicine.
Suddenly, a ding-dong sound.
Just when I thought there would be no further activity, WeChat unexpectedly started ringing.
He looked down.
Luo Xincheng: [photo.jpg]
Luo Xincheng: [The earrings are beautiful, thank you, goodnight.]
The photo he sent was a selfie in front of a mirror. The phone he used to take the picture was standing upright in the center, completely obscuring her face and only revealing her ears, which were adorned with the earrings he had given her, pear-shaped diamonds sparkling brilliantly.
Fu Zhiheng stared blankly at his phone screen until his eyes were dry and sore, then, as if his fingers had just been tamed, he clumsily typed: [Thank you.]
I don't even know what I'm thanking them for...
He held his phone, slowly lay back on the bed, turned to his side, and heard the echo of his own heart pounding in his ears, thump, thump, thump. In the midst of this almost tinnitus-like white noise, he suddenly remembered the sweater he had given her one Christmas.
He knitted and unraveled a very complicated cardigan sweater, working on it for more than a month before finally finishing the finished product.
On Christmas Day, the moment she saw the gift in its entirety, her surprised smile was vivid and lively, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, as if she truly loved the gift.
He thought so too at the time, and in the days that followed, he always looked forward to her wearing that sweater for him, even if it was just under her school uniform jacket.
Unfortunately, she never wore it.
He couldn't help but feel wronged, after all, it was a gift prepared with such care.
But thinking about it carefully, she never asked him for gifts; it was always him who insisted on giving them to her… She was just indulging in self-pity. Maybe she was even upset about it inside, and then she had to pretend to be happy after receiving the gifts…
Later, Luo Xincheng sensed that something was wrong with him, so she pinched his face and asked him why he seemed to be avoiding her lately.
He hesitated for a long time before finally stammering out the reason for his frustration.
Upon hearing that it was because of that sweater, Luo Xincheng looked troubled. "You want to see me wear it... It's so troublesome. My clothes are all washed by the maid. If someone sees that there is no label on the sweater when they wash it, they will definitely tell my mother. I won't be able to explain it to her. I can't just say that my boyfriend knitted it for me... If I really dare to say that, she will transfer me to another school the next day."
Fu Zhiheng was startled by her last mention of transferring schools and hurriedly shook his head, "Then don't wear it, as long as... as long as you don't throw it away."
Faced with his compromise, Luo Xincheng complained unhappily, "What do you take me for? After all, it's your kind gesture, I wouldn't throw it away."
Fu Zhiheng nodded with a wry smile, thinking that it didn't matter if he threw it away, as long as he didn't find out.
That concludes our discussion on sweaters.
When he got home that evening, he tidied up his messy crocheting tools and stuffed them into the bottom shelf of the storage cabinet. If nothing unexpected happened, he wouldn't need these things anymore.
Then, as usual, he started doing his homework, previewing his lessons, washing up, going to bed before eleven o'clock, and looking at his phone.
Luo Xincheng hasn't messaged him all night, she must be angry... Although he didn't quite understand why she was angry, he didn't want to be ignored by her, so after finishing his business, he opened her QQ and wanted to ask her to make up.
Just as he was racking his brains for words, her avatar moved.
Luo Xincheng: [Are you asleep?]
Fu Zhiheng: [Still not asleep.]
Luo Xincheng: [Hmm.]
Um?
What does this 'hmm' mean?
Fu Zhiheng was on high alert, and she tried to figure out what the question setter was thinking, just like she was doing a reading comprehension exercise.
But before he could figure anything out, she sent him a photo without warning.
To be precise, it's a flash photo.
It was a photo taken in front of a mirror. She was wearing the sweater he had knitted, and that was all she was wearing. She was leaning casually against the wall.
She must have just blow-dried her hair; her long, fluffy hair was naturally draped over her shoulders, the soft ends hanging down onto the sweater he was knitting.
Because he wasn't good at getting the size right, he deliberately made the sweater loose when he knitted it. It was a bit baggy on her, so she had to hold the neckline with her hands to avoid revealing too much skin. But for the sake of aesthetics, he didn't knit the sweater very long. Since she was tall, the hem of the sweater barely covered her hips. Below that, there were a pair of shapely legs, so white they seemed to glow. Her calves were taut from her posture, connecting to her slightly fleshy thighs, making the lines particularly long and beautiful.
Five seconds later, the flash photo was automatically destroyed.
Fu Zhiheng, however, was reluctant to look away from the screen. He stared at it blankly for a long time before finally looking away when he felt a little thirsty. He got up and poured himself a glass of water.
After I finished drinking the water, I discovered that she had sent me two more messages.
Luo Xincheng: [I've already worn it, so it's not a waste of your effort. Stop thinking about it.]
Luo Xincheng: [Good night.]
He looked at her brief words, his heart pounding, his mind buzzing, and he had no idea what to say.
After a long pause, with trembling hands, I finally typed out two words: [Thank you.]
I don't even know what I'm thanking them for...
At this point, her activity status showed that she was offline, presumably having gone to sleep.
Fu Zhiheng couldn't fall asleep for a long time after putting down his phone.
As soon as he closed his eyes, her photo would automatically appear in his mind. The unfamiliar restlessness made him feel embarrassed and uneasy, and his mind wandered. However, when he thought about having to attend early morning self-study the next day, he could only force himself to calm down and concentrate.
After silently counting hundreds of sheep, he was so tired that he finally fell asleep.
But he didn't sleep well.
He seemed to be having a dream, a rather beautiful and enchanting dream.
In my dream, torrential rain poured down, and the spring tide rose and fell.
The turbulent water overflowed its riverbed, leaving behind a messy, damp landscape in the untouched wilderness.
The next morning, he sat on the edge of the bed for a long time, touching his lips, feeling that she still tasted in his mouth.
After washing his pajama bottoms, he had just woken up a bit when he saw his flushed face reflected in the bathroom mirror.
He couldn't help but touch his burning cheeks.
I still feel the lingering sensation of her sitting on it.
Thinking about it this way, my face got even hotter.
He rubbed his cheeks vigorously, feeling both ashamed and reminiscing.
At least... she actually wore it.
It's not a waste.
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