The days slipped by quietly amidst the turning of pages and the scratching of pens.
Guan Hongqi and Li Jing have almost become a fixed sight at that window seat in the library.
The subtle atmosphere between them was like vines quietly growing in spring, silently entwining each other, yet carefully restrained by their shared goal of getting into university, and neither of them overstepped it.
Their studies were not delayed at all; on the contrary, they made rapid progress through mutual encouragement.
As they spent more time together, Li Jing's keen observation skills allowed her to capture more subtle details about Guan Hongqi.
She noticed that when he spent long periods of time hunched over his desk, especially when he was focused on tackling various difficult problems, his left shoulder would twitch almost imperceptibly.
Occasionally, his thick, dark eyebrows would furrow slightly due to a hint of suppressed pain. Although it was fleeting, his subconscious movement of rubbing his left shoulder blade with his right hand did not escape her notice.
Therefore, Li Jing had a vague guess in her mind: this was probably an old injury he had in the army.
A feeling mixed with heartache and a desire to do something quietly brewed in her heart.
...
That afternoon, Guan Hongqi was deep in thought about a complex political economy essay question when the familiar soreness in his left shoulder returned. He raised his right hand to press it, but then stopped.
Li Jing, who was standing next to him, gently nudged his arm.
Guan Hongqi turned his head and saw Li Jing quickly stuff something wrapped in dark brown oil paper, emitting a strong medicinal fragrance, into his hand. It felt slightly hard to the touch.
Her eyes darted away, avoiding his gaze, her voice low and tinged with barely perceptible nervousness, "Here...here's this for you."
Guan Hongqi looked down and saw it was a plaster.
Although it was wrapped in oil paper, its unique aroma had already permeated the air.
Li Jing's cheeks flushed slightly, as if she wanted to explain something. She spoke a little quickly, "My dad used this when he sprained his ankle while working. It worked quite well. I've noticed that you sometimes have shoulder discomfort. Using this might relieve the pain."
Guan Hongqi held the small plaster in his hand, feeling the texture of the oil paper and the hardness of the medicinal herbs inside with his fingertips.
He had served in the army and knew that this kind of traditional plaster, which had a strong medicinal smell, was a staple in many households at that time and was not given away casually.
She not only noticed his discomfort that he was trying so hard to hide, but also brought this for him.
This silent and delicate care, like a warm current, unexpectedly struck the softest part of his heart.
It stirred his emotions far more than when he received commendations in the military.
The small plaster felt scorching hot in his palm, hotter than the scalding gun barrels he had once touched, hotter than his treasured medals!
A moment later, he raised his head and looked intently at Li Jing.
Li Jing felt even more uncomfortable under his gaze, and hurriedly lowered her head, pretending to flip through a book, but her ears turned bright red.
Guan Hongqi's Adam's apple bobbed, and all his emotions were finally condensed into one sentence: "Comrade Li Jing... thank you, really."
He didn't ask any further questions or refuse; he simply held the plaster tightly, and with it, he held onto this clumsy yet sincere sentiment.
In the reading room, the bitter smell of herbs seemed to have quietly transformed into a faint sweetness, lingering between the two.
...
The months flew by in the midst of intense review, and Guan Hongqi and Li Jing became each other's most familiar study partners.
They not only buried themselves in their studies, but also occasionally took informal mini-mock exams with a few other high school seniors who came to the library to study together, grading each other's work and checking their results.
This mock exam was quite difficult, especially the math section, which included several questions that were beyond the syllabus.
A few days after the exam, the observant Guan Hongqi noticed that something was wrong with Li Jing.
Her eyes were always slightly bloodshot, not because she had stayed up late, but because she had secretly cried.
When doing problems, he lost his usual composure. He would often put down his pen in frustration after writing a few problems and then leave his seat for ten or twenty minutes at a time.
That afternoon, Li Jing did the same thing again. She had just drawn auxiliary lines for a geometry problem when she suddenly stood up, lowered her head, and quickly walked to the back of the bookshelves in the depths of the reading room, behind which were stacks of old newspapers and expired magazines.
Guan Hongqi watched her retreating figure and guessed seven or eight parts of what was going on.
He waited patiently for a while, and when he saw that she hadn't returned, he stood up and went to look for her in that direction.
He saw that familiar figure at the intersection of the shadows of the two rows of tall bookshelves.
Li Jing had her back to him, her shoulders twitching slightly as she quickly wiped her eyes with her sleeve.
Guan Hongqi felt as if something had tugged at his heart.
He walked over quietly, without speaking immediately, but silently took out a White Rabbit milk candy wrapped in blue candy wrapper from his pocket and gently placed it in front of Li Jing.
Li Jing was startled by the sudden appearance of the candy. She looked up sharply and saw Guan Hongqi. She hurriedly turned her face away, not wanting him to see her disheveled appearance.
Guan Hongqi didn't press for details or offer any comfort. He simply said calmly, "It's just one bad test. We still have time, don't we?"
Li Jing sniffed and didn't say anything, but her attention was clearly drawn to his words.
Guan Hongqi continued speaking, his gaze falling on the dappled light and shadow on the bookshelf in the distance, as if speaking to her, and also to himself:
"Besides, Comrade Li Jing, the road of life is very broad, and there is more than just the single-plank bridge of the college entrance examination. As long as we do our best and are worthy of the sweat we have shed, then we will have no regrets, and the future holds infinite possibilities."
His words were not loud, but they carried a firmness and open-mindedness that had been tempered by time, like a steady rock that firmly supported Li Jing's bewildered and falling heart.
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