Since that birthday, Li Jing has been intentionally or unintentionally reducing her meetings with Guan Hongqi, citing various reasons such as being busy with her studies, writing papers, and preparing for internships.
What used to be a regular date, at least two or three times every two weeks, has now become a rare occurrence, sometimes not even seeing each other once a month.
Guan Hongqi called her dormitory, but nine times out of ten he couldn't reach her, and his messages often went unanswered.
Guan Hongqi wasn't oblivious; he clearly sensed her deliberate distancing.
At first, he thought she was genuinely busy, but as the number of times this happened increased, the sense of loss and vague unease he felt from being pushed away grew stronger.
He recalled her hurried departure on his birthday, and his heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton, making him feel suffocated.
That day, he could no longer contain himself. Since he had no classes, he took a bus directly to the Normal University early in the morning.
When he arrived, Li Jing had already left, and the dormitory manager didn't know where she had gone.
So he could only wait under the familiar locust tree downstairs from Li Jing's dormitory building.
From bright sunshine to sunset, and then to nightfall and the streetlights coming on.
He leaned against the tree trunk, his gaze fixed on the exit of the dormitory building.
Just when he was about to give up, he finally saw that familiar figure.
But at the same time, his blood seemed to freeze instantly…
Li Jing wasn't alone; she was accompanied by a bespectacled, well-mannered male classmate.
The two walked side by side, seemingly discussing something. Li Jing had a relaxed and natural smile on her face, and the boy nodded at her from time to time, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
The sight made Guan Hongqi stand up straight, his jawline unconsciously tightening.
A moment later, Li Jing, who was not far away, also saw the tall figure under the locust tree. The smile on her face froze instantly, then faded and disappeared without a trace.
She quickly said a few words to the male classmate next to her. The boy looked in Guan Hongqi's direction, nodded, and walked into the boys' dormitory building next door first.
Li Jing took a deep breath and slowly walked up to Guan Hongqi.
The streetlights cast interplay of light and shadow on his face, making him look somewhat unfamiliar.
Guan Hongqi didn't speak. Li Jing suppressed her complicated emotions, her tone calm, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible aloofness, "Why are you here?"
Guan Hongqi pursed her lips, trying to suppress the bitterness and anger surging in her heart. Her voice was a little hoarse from the long wait and the suppression of her emotions, "Who is that man?"
His gaze was sharp, like nails fixed on her face.
Li Jing was taken aback by his interrogative tone, then frowned. "My classmate? What's wrong?"
She sensed that Guan Hongqi's mood was very off, like a volcano about to erupt, which made her instinctively feel uncomfortable and resistant.
"Classmate?" Guan Hongqi repeated through gritted teeth. He took a step forward, closing in on her. "Do you know I've been waiting for you here all day! From this morning until now!"
His voice rose unconsciously, filled with suppressed grievance and anger.
Li Jing was genuinely surprised; she truly didn't know, since she had gone out for her internship early that morning.
To be honest, I didn't know you were here.
She looked at his eyes, which were slightly red from excitement, and felt a little confused, but more than that, she felt a rebellious streak aroused by his attitude. "But, is there something urgent that you want to see me about?"
These words acted like a fuse, instantly igniting all of Guan Hongqi's pent-up emotions.
He scoffed as if he'd heard something utterly ridiculous, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Can't I contact you if I don't have anything to do?! Li Jing, when did we become so distant?"
Before Li Jing could explain or refute, Guan Hongqi gave her a deep look, his eyes filled with disappointment, anger, and a hurt that Li Jing couldn't understand.
He turned abruptly and strode away, his back resolute and filled with obvious anger, quickly disappearing into the night.
Li Jing stood frozen in place, watching the direction he had disappeared in. The evening breeze carried a chill.
The series of questions he had just asked and the look in his eyes at her last moment felt like ice water poured over her heart.
First, I was yelled at for no reason, then he made accusations without any explanation...
A surge of immense grievance and belated anger welled up inside her, causing her nose to sting and her eyes to redden.
No... why did he get angry at her?
When he was laughing so happily with that female class monitor, did he ever think about how she felt?
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time, and she was genuinely happy that he came to see her. But before she could even feel happy for a few seconds, he started yelling at her like this.
This is absolutely incomprehensible!
Only after Guan Hongqi's figure had completely disappeared did Li Jing blink hard to force back the moisture in her eyes, then turn around and walk into the dormitory building without looking back.
...
In the summer of 1985, the cicadas were chirping incessantly.
It has been quite some time since that unpleasant parting at the dormitory building of the Normal University that night.
Guan Hongqi never went to see Li Jing again, and Li Jing seemed to have vanished into thin air, without a single word coming from her.
A long, silent cold war permeated the final days of their university life until they graduated and went their separate ways.
...
With his outstanding abilities and the excellent qualities he had developed in the military, Guan Hongqi was directly admitted to his sister's newly established but rapidly growing group as general manager, mainly responsible for the promising real estate development sector.
To help his sister and make things easier for her, he worked tirelessly, attending numerous social events and filling all his time with high-intensity work.
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