Chapter 30 A Secret Love Unknown to Anyone During a Bitter Summer
During the week that Lin Xiaqing was out of school, Shen Qingli was very restless.
Her mind kept replaying the injury on his hand and the unsettling look in his eyes. Although she had warned herself never to approach Lin Xiaqing again, she felt she shouldn't be so cold-hearted because she was also involved in this incident.
After convincing herself with this argument, she comforted herself, telling herself that things don't happen more than three times, and this was only the second time, nothing serious.
After school on the third day, she put several boxes of brand-new bandages and medicine at the bottom of her schoolbag.
Since Shen Qingli argued with her mother at the office door last time, her parents had cut off her allowance for a week as punishment. Fortunately, Shen Qingyun was able to secretly help her out, so her life wasn't too difficult. At the school, all the teachers were required to refrain from discussing the matter privately, and the storm was finally starting to dissipate. Even though she wasn't very familiar with the people in her class in the past, everyone knew who was at fault this time, so no classmates would treat her differently in private.
She was worried about Lin Xiaqing, who wouldn't be coming to school for the week. Remembering that he had brought her medicine for Xia Lin before, she felt she should go see him.
But she didn't know where to find Lin Xiaqing. After losing contact with him, their meetings were almost always at the hospital. She wasn't sure if Xia Lin knew what had happened to Lin Xiaqing at school. Given his current personality, he probably wouldn't tell Xia Lin to avoid making her worry.
But if that's the case, she thought she couldn't just rush over there. If she exposed his deception, Lin Xiaqing might hate her even more.
Thinking about this, she couldn't help but feel discouraged.
She felt that she had become so awkward and strange. In order to go to see Lin Xiaqing, she actually had to make up so many suitable and unsuitable reasons for herself in her mind.
The other party had made such a resolute statement before, so why should she rush over and invite trouble? But if she did nothing, she would always feel uneasy. Regardless of any previous disputes with Lin Xiaqing, at least this time he had indeed helped her.
Just as she was racking her brains about how to find Lin Xiaqing, Luo Yiqiu suddenly turned around and said to her, "Qingli, I left the notebook you borrowed from me yesterday at home. I promised to return it to you today, but I accidentally forgot to bring it. Are you worried?"
Shen Qingli was about to shake her head and say that it was okay and she wasn't in a hurry when she heard her words.
But before she could finish speaking, Luo Yiqiu continued, "If you're in a hurry, can you walk with me after school? I'll go to your house and get my notes for you."
Hearing her say that, Shen Qingli suddenly remembered that Chen Chaoxi had mentioned that Luo Yiqiu and Lin Xiaqing seemed to live in the same neighborhood. Maybe if she went with her, she might get lucky and run into him.
After thinking it over, she took back what she was about to say and, contrary to her usual self, nodded and said, "Okay, but wouldn't it be too much trouble to go to your house?"
"It's okay. If you feel awkward, you can just wait for me at my door." Luo Yiqiu waved her hand, somewhat surprised that Shen Qingli would agree. After all, in the past, Shen Qingli was always the one with the strongest sense of boundaries. However, she didn't think too much about it and was still considerately thinking of her.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingli softly hummed in agreement.
Before school ended, she went to the second-year high school section to find Shen Qingyun and told her that she had something to do that day and wouldn't be going home with her.
After Shen Qingyun asked her where she was going, she nodded and reminded her to come back early so that her parents wouldn't get angry again.
When they were mentioned, her expression froze, and she weakly assured them that she wouldn't stay outside for too long.
-
After school, the first year of high school (2) class stayed late. When she and Luo Yiqiu left the school gate, she saw Zhao Yixiao at the school gate. He was still standing there, as if he was waiting for someone.
Shen Qingli subconsciously wanted to go up and greet the other person, but was pulled back by the person next to her. Luo Yiqiu's expression was not good, and he said to her in a deep voice, "Hurry up and go, Qingli."
After saying that, she nodded blankly and was pulled away by Luo Yiqiu. She could only nod and apologize to Zhao Yixiao with some difficulty.
He stood there without taking it to heart, only staring at the two figures walking further and further away, his eyes once again filled with melancholy.
-
"Do you think I went too far just now?" Along the way, noticing Shen Qingli's hesitant gaze, Luo Yiqiu pursed her lips and asked hesitantly.
"..."
Shen Qingli paused for a moment, unsure how to answer, as she knew almost nothing about the two of them.
So she carefully considered her words before saying, "I don't know what's wrong with you, but if it's because of what happened before, I can explain. My sister asked him to deliver something to me, please don't misunderstand..."
"I don't care about that." Before she could finish her explanation, Luo Yiqiu interrupted her.
"Huh? What... what happened?"
In Shen Qingli's memory, this was the only thing she knew for sure, but the tone of the person next to her didn't seem to be lying, so she became even more confused.
Speaking of this, Luo Yiqiu slowly lowered her head, staring at the tips of her shoes, her steps becoming slower and slower. After a long while, she said softly, "Actually, I don't even know what's going on myself."
After saying that, she forced a smile, as if realizing that her words could easily be misunderstood as an excuse she made up because she didn't want to talk about it. So she added, "Haha, isn't it funny? You don't even know what happened and it's like we've broken up for no reason."
She made these words as a joke, as if only in this way could she show that she didn't care at all when she got up, but Shen Qingli did not immediately agree with her answer.
Looking at the person in front of her with such a bitter smile, Shen Qingli wanted to say that she could understand, because she and Lin Xiaqing were no different.
The inexplicable estrangement leaves them feeling powerless and unsure of what to do. They don't even know what happened, and everything begins to spiral out of control towards the worst possible outcome.
But she knew she couldn't talk about it, and she didn't know where to begin. Bringing up the past was inappropriate, and bringing up the present was too far-fetched.
Finally, as night fell, Shen Qingli was startled to realize that she possessed a secret that no one knew. She didn't know how long she could keep that secret, or how much longer she could continue to suffer.
Perhaps many years later, when she has also forgotten, there will be one less person in this world who remembers Xia Qing, even if that memory is not important to him now.
She just thought she didn't need to remember anything for Lin Xiaqing, because she probably wouldn't be a part of his life from now on.
Thinking of this, a pang of sadness welled up in her heart. They had experienced an extraordinary summer together, and in those many days and nights of heart-to-heart talks, when she mistakenly thought they were inseparable, they were actually just small symbols in each other's long lives.
That symbol, however, can always be easily erased by the other party, leaving only the nostalgic person circling in place, looking back.
It's truly unreasonable that emotions in the world can be so unequal.
She sighed with a wry smile, realizing her thoughts had wandered. Coming back to her senses, she looked at Luo Yiqiu for a long time, unsure how to comfort her. After a while, she sighed, "Perhaps he has some difficulties."
"Perhaps." Luo Yiqiu blinked her sore eyes and sighed as well. She tried to compose herself before saying, "But I should also apologize to you for what happened last time. If it weren't for my affair with him, you wouldn't have been dragged into this for no reason."
"It has nothing to do with you. You are all very good people."
Luo Yiqiu neither agreed nor disagreed with these words, because even if she harbored resentment towards Zhao Yixiao, she had to admit that she had always liked a very good person.
-
After that, they tacitly avoided bringing up the topic again for the rest of the journey.
Walking into the residential area and following Luo Yiqiu to her door, Shen Qingli looked at the small villa in front of her and said with some surprise, "Your house is so big."
This is a school district property in the best location next to Suzhou No. 1 Middle School, and every square meter is expensive.
Luo Yiqiu, however, didn't take it seriously. She shrugged and said, "It's alright. You haven't seen Lin Xiaqing's house. That's really big."
Upon hearing her mention Lin Xiaqing, Shen Qingli seized the opportunity and asked casually, "Lin Xiaqing... does he also live here?"
"Yes, it's right behind my house. The biggest villa there is his." Luo Yiqiu nodded, casually pointed to the location, and then went inside to get her things.
Shen Qingli waited for her at the door for a while. When she saw her come out, she handed her the things in her hand and said, "Let me see you out."
"No need, I just heard your mother calling you for something. You go ahead and do your work. I know the way out, I can get out by myself." With other thoughts in her mind, she shook her head and refused.
"Okay, then remember to let me know on QQ when you get home." Luo Yiqiu did have some things to take care of at home, so she didn't refuse after hearing what she said.
"good."
-
After waving goodbye, Shen Qingli didn't rush to leave. She followed the direction Luo Yiqiu had pointed out and, after a few minutes, arrived in front of the largest villa.
The house in front of her was luxuriously decorated, making the other houses around it look ordinary and plain. She had never heard Lin Xiaqing mention before that his father's family was so rich.
This house is worlds apart from my own.
Perhaps it wasn't just the house anymore. Staring intently at the house before her, even the tightly closed front door seemed unbelievably beautiful. After staring at the door for a few seconds, she suddenly lost the courage to go find Lin Xiaqing. Standing before the enormous villa, she felt so insignificant. Never before had she so clearly realized that she and Lin Xiaqing were truly from different worlds.
Faced with all this, she was overwhelmed almost without doing anything and wanted to flee in panic.
But Shen Qingli thought that sometimes fate plays tricks on people like this. In countless moments when she made bets with herself, Lin Xiaqing could never be thrown to the side of giving up, and this moment was no different.
Just as she was about to run away, she saw the beautiful door in front of her open. She almost ran without thinking, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin Xiaqing. He was standing in front of the door holding something in his hand. He saw her.
"What are you doing here?" He looked somewhat surprised, but after glancing inside the room, he hurriedly closed the door.
Then, he quickly walked to Shen Qingli's side, passed by the trash can, and threw the things he was holding into it in a careless manner.
She couldn't see what it was clearly, only vaguely making out the words "university" and "Nanshi".
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Author's Note: -Secret-
There are only a few milestones left before we finish high school.
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