Lies: Spring Feast (1)
The trophy Wen Yushen gave him was fake, but he was certain that Jiang Moyun wouldn't be able to tell.
——
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so rigid? It's just helping me copy some things, what's there to be afraid of?"
"But...this is what the teacher made you copy as punishment..."
"Shut up, stop spouting nonsense. To put it bluntly, you just don't want to help me, right? Yesterday you told me we were best friends and partners for life, and today you're turning your back on me. You were just saying nice things!" Jiang Moyun didn't let the person in front of her off the hook. She was unreasonable but also arrogant, with an aggressive demeanor.
"But doing this will only harm you..." Wen Yushen dared not directly refute due to his tyrannical power, and could only argue cautiously.
"So you're not even going to consider my own thoughts anymore? You just want to impose your will on me, using the guise of 'for my own good' to prevent me from arguing back. Is that what makes you happy?" Jiang Moyun was always sharp-tongued, and Wen Yushen had never won an argument with her.
At this moment, he had lost his composure under Jiang Moyun's onslaught and blurted out, "How could that be! I didn't mean that..."
"So what do you mean? You mean I made wild guesses about you, right? You mean I'm the one who overthinks and ruins your reputation by having too many thoughts all day long, right..."
"Stop, stop, stop! I didn't say I didn't want to!" Wen Yushen hurriedly interrupted her rambling. "But our handwriting is different. The teacher can tell at a glance that it was written by two different people..." He still hadn't given up and was making a last-ditch effort.
Seeing the sly smile on Jiang Moyun's face, Wen Yushen's alarm bells went off, but it was too late.
Jiang Moyun shoved the paper and pen in front of him, turned and ran off, her cheerful voice carrying from afar, "You can write it all yourself, I'm going to practice!"
"Mo Yun..." Wen Yushen wanted to cry but had no tears. He could only pick up his pen and start copying it down bit by bit.
...
These incidents were numerous, causing Wen Yushen to feel quite guilty whenever she saw Jiang Moyun's teachers, wishing she could crawl into a hole and hide.
In stark contrast to Jiang Moyun, the troublemaker, Wen Yushen was undoubtedly the kind of good student who made teachers and elders worry-free. However, in return, his childhood was much less fun than Jiang Moyun's. But since meeting Jiang Moyun, Wen Yushen was also properly guided to experience "rebellion."
He wasn't originally going to attend classes with Jiang Moyun. The Jiang family had its own clan school, which included both the most renowned Confucian scholars of the time and young scholars who had returned from studying abroad. His family was considered well-off, but compared to the Jiang family, they were simply too insignificant—but frankly speaking, how many families in this vast capital city could be as wealthy as the Jiang family?
The previous two heads of the Jiang family were truly remarkable, taking turns propelling the family to its current peak amidst a time when most people are struggling to make ends meet...
Ah, I've gone off on a tangent.
Anyway, he wasn't originally in class with Jiang Moyun, but they later became regular classmates. Jiang's father waved his hand and said that for convenience, he would also send him to the Jiang Clan School. He then secretly came to him and asked him to persuade Jiang Moyun to calm down. "You should try to persuade her more. If... well, just say a few words if you can. Little Yun'er isn't so easy to fool."
Unexpectedly, the result was the opposite of what he intended. Not only did he fail to persuade Jiang Moyun, but he also got himself involved, following Jiang Moyun in doing a lot of "bad things".
"Mo Yun, isn't it wrong for us to skip class like this?"
"What's so great about that pedantic scholar's class? Let's go, there's a circus performance in the square today, if we're late we won't get a front row seat." The renowned scholar of the capital was called a pedantic scholar by her, but Jiang Moyun didn't care and pulled Wen Yushen to crawl through the dog hole.
“Mo Yun…” Wen Yushen looked back every few steps, hesitant and wanting to persuade him again.
Jiang Moyun stopped in her tracks, and before Wen Yushen could feel any joy, she heard her say coldly, "You came out with me on your own. I didn't call you. If you don't want to go, just go back yourself."
Wen Yu was speechless, choked by her words.
He had indeed seen Jiang Moyun run out the back door and then quietly followed her. The teacher for this class had poor eyesight and liked to sit on the podium and ramble on for an hour, completely ignoring the fact that the students were all asleep—it was the perfect opportunity to skip class. Wen Yushen naturally knew that Jiang Moyun would never miss such an opportunity, so he had started paying attention to her movements early in the morning, which was why he was able to catch up with her as soon as she skipped class.
"I..." Before Wen Yushen could finish speaking, Jiang Moyun grabbed his hand and started running with him, worried that something might happen to him alone.
"Alright, stop dawdling and let's go. We need to get back for our next class. The teacher said she'll check our homework after class, so I have to catch up during class."
Even though the two of them usually had more intimate contact when they danced, at this moment Wen Yushen's entire mind was focused on the hand that Jiang Moyun was holding. The heat emanating from the point of contact made him feel dizzy. The surrounding noise of the street seemed to fade away at this moment, as if only he, Jiang Moyun, and the hand that was being held remained in the world.
"Wen Yushen!"
"Hurry up, we're really going to be late!"
"Oh... okay."
A gentle breeze swept by, and Jiang Moyun's hair brushed against his face, bringing a subtle and lingering tickle.
Wen Yushen was being held by the left hand, but Jiang Moyun was in front of him on the right. To avoid bumping into her, he had to run unsteadily. Fortunately, this awkwardness didn't last long. Jiang Moyun noticed his predicament, and without stopping, she simply let go of his hand.
Just as Wen Yushen's secret disappointment began to surface, she saw Jiang Moyun's smug smile. "Why didn't you say it was such an awkward position?" She switched hands and grabbed his wrist. Although this time she was holding his wrist through his sleeve, Wen Yushen's heart was still filled with immense joy.
The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of peach blossoms. As he watched the girl running ahead, he thought to himself—if he could, he wished he could always follow behind Jiang Moyun and see her bright smile.
——
"That acrobatic act was really good! Hey, do you remember that one?" Jiang Moyun gestured excitedly. "It's the one where they painted their face all black and then 'whoosh!' breathed out a huge mouthful of fire!"
Wen Yushen was also a little excited and nodded heavily, "That's so cool, I want to learn it too."
"Me too! I didn't realize you had such good taste." Jiang Moyun patted him on the shoulder like a good buddy. "How about this, you come with me to ask my dad to find someone to teach us."
"Will this work? Will your father agree?"
"No, it's just that with you around, he's too embarrassed to hit me, and he'll scold me less." Jiang Moyun seemed confident and in control of everything.
"...", Wen Yushen couldn't help but complain in his heart.
Seeing his speechless expression, Jiang Moyun couldn't help but laugh for a long time, clutching her stomach, before glancing at her watch. "There's still a quarter of an hour before class starts, hmm..." She mentally calculated the distance, "Just right, it'll be about time to get to the classroom."
Jiang Moyun was in a good mood, leisurely enjoying the scenery, when she suddenly heard Wen Yushen's voice.
"Then what about your studies?"
"Write it in class." Jiang Moyun waved her hand dismissively.
"Doesn't the teacher check our work as soon as class starts? Those who haven't finished will be punished."
Jiang Moyun: "?"
"Really? Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Wen Yushen was about to retort that "you didn't even ask," but then a few images suddenly flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. "I didn't remember at the time..."
What about your schoolwork?
"That... was finished yesterday."
Jiang Moyun stared at Wen Yushen silently for a long time before speaking slowly and deliberately, with a hint of gritted teeth: "The weather is lovely today, perfect for us to have a little falling out. What do you think, Young Master Wen?"
...
In the end, Jiang Moyun was punished, and Wen Yushen also received a severe reprimand from Jiang Moyun.
For several days in a row, Jiang Moyun barely spoke to him during dance rehearsals. Although the two of them still interacted a lot, Wen Yushen felt that in Jiang Moyun's eyes, he was just a wisp of air, the only difference being that he could talk, making him noisier than the usual air.
"I've really offended this young lady badly this time," Wen Yu thought, her heart filled with gloom.
After several unsuccessful attempts to make amends, Wen Yushen began to think about what strategy he could use to get Jiang Moyun to let the matter drop. "She didn't completely ignore me. She said less, but she rolled her eyes quite a bit... There's still some hope, I guess."
He was preoccupied with his thoughts the whole way, and he was absent-minded in everything he did.
"Young Master Wen!" He was startled when he suddenly heard someone call his name. He looked up and saw a book vendor on the street. He had helped his classmates buy books that were not allowed in the clan school several times before, and he had become familiar with the vendor over time.
"Brother Wen, why do you look so worried? Is something bothering you?"
"Sigh," Wen Yushen sighed deeply. He had been holding it in for too long and really needed to confide in someone. "I made a girl angry..." Wen Yushen paused, wiped his face sadly, and continued, "We skipped a class to see a performance, and the next class is to check homework. I... I forgot to tell her."
He summarized the events in a few words.
"So, did you do it?"
"I did it."
After listening, the vendor remained silent for a long time before saying in a low voice, "Brother Wen, what you did was really unethical. It really makes me want to hit you."
Wen Yu Shen recalled Jiang Mo Yun's clenched fist that day and couldn't help but swallow hard, feeling guilty.
"Oh well, don't worry about that for now," Wen Yushen reached out and poked the vendor. "Do you have any good ways to apologize? Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda!"
The vendor's eyes darted around, and he was about to reply when a customer came in to buy a book. "Brother Wen, please wait a moment," he said hastily before rushing off to attend to the customer.
Wen Yu squatted down, scratching her head in thought, her gaze drifting between the books scattered on the floor. "Is there any book that describes this kind of thing? Is there really no similar method I can learn from?"
Just as he was about to break down, the vendor returned after finishing his work, holding a book in his hand. He smiled very solicitously, "Brother Wen, come here, I have a treasured book that I haven't sold for a long time. It will definitely solve your urgent problem!"
Wen Yushen glanced up and saw that the book was indeed yellowed at the edges, with a torn cover, indicating its great age. He waved his hand dismissively, "Come on, we've been negotiating prices countless times, and you're trying to fool me with something like this? A treasured possession, huh? You can't sell it, can you?"
"Hahaha," the vendor, seeing that he had been exposed, showed no remorse whatsoever. Without even blushing, he put the book down beside him, grinned, and put his arm around Wen Yushen's shoulder. "Brother Wen is as hard to fool as ever. I thought you were upset right now and would be easy to win over."
"I'm just annoyed, not stupid." Wen Yushen couldn't help but chuckle.
"Yeah, Wen, you're not stupid. If you're friends who skip class together, the other person probably won't really be angry with you. An apology is just a way of showing sincerity." The vendor patted his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "Playing to their tastes, Wen, don't you know how?"
Wen Yu stared at him intently for a long time, then patted his shoulder, "Where's that book you were carrying?"
"What?" The vendor looked on with a puzzled expression.
"I'll buy it for you, thanks." Wen Yushen touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly.
"Alright, Brother Wen, take care." The vendor quickly wrapped up the book and handed it to him.
Having already taken a few steps, Wen Yu pondered the vendor's overly enthusiastic smile, and suddenly realized that she had already fallen into a trap.
"hateful."
Wen Yushen couldn't help but clench his fists.
——
"Jiang Moyun".
"What?" Jiang Moyun was practicing her dance when she heard this and turned around in annoyance. She saw Wen Yushen standing furtively by the door, only peeking out with his head and most of his shoulder.
Seeing her response, Wen Yushen reluctantly entered the room, his smile carrying a hint of ingratiation, "Um... are you still angry?"
Actually, she wasn't angry anymore, but she was still a little awkward. Jiang Moyun was struggling with whether or not to use Wen Yushen as a way out when she suddenly noticed that his hands were tightly behind his back, as if he was hiding something.
She cautiously took two steps back and asked warily, "What are you doing? What are you holding?"
Seeing her guarded look that seemed to say "Don't even think about harming me," Wen Yushen fell silent for a moment, unable to speak for a long time.
His appearance only served as further evidence of his guilty conscience in Jiang Moyun's eyes. She grabbed a stick used in class from the side and swung it forcefully.
Wen Yu felt a sharp gust of wind coming from above his head, followed by a whooshing sound, and the stick stopped just two inches in front of him. Startled, he quickly pulled out something hidden behind his back, "No, no, I'm... here to apologize to you."
He cautiously tried several times to move the stick away with his hand. Although he encountered some resistance, he managed to gradually lower the stick that was blocking his way.
He held up the small, exquisite gift box in his hand, his hands were red, and his face was slightly flushed. "This is for you. If you like this gift, could you please consider forgiving me?"
Jiang Moyun hesitated before taking it, then gently weighed it in her hands. The box wasn't heavy, but the packaging was exquisite.
Seeing Wen Yushen's sincere attitude and his eyes fixed on her, hoping she would open the box soon, she couldn't help but become curious about the gift. So she simply sat down cross-legged and slowly opened the box. "Oh my god!" Jiang Moyun couldn't help but cover her mouth. In front of her was a small wool felt, not very exquisite, but upon closer inspection, it could be seen that it was a small dog with drooping ears and a fluffy tail.
"You like dogs, but you can't keep one, so I made you a small one out of wool. I hope you like it."
Jiang Moyun suddenly remembered Wen Yushen holding up the box with her red hands. "Did you make this yourself?"
"Hmm," Wen Yushen looked at the ugly little dog being held in Jiang Moyun's hands, met Jiang Moyun's delighted eyes, and felt inexplicably embarrassed. He turned his head slightly and subconsciously hid his hands behind his back. "It's not very well done, please excuse me."
He's been working on this for over a week, and this is the fourth one. The first three were so ugly they were unpresentable, but this one is barely acceptable.
Jiang Moyun simply stretched out her hand towards him and said, "Take it out."
Wen Yushen was momentarily confused, and squatted down in front of her, asking, "What are you taking?"
Jiang Moyun grabbed his hand hanging by his side and pulled him forward sharply. Wen Yushen was caught off guard and stumbled, falling forward. He instinctively braced himself with his other free hand on the ground to steady himself.
However, his posture changed from squatting to kneeling, and he was almost lying on the ground, looking quite disheveled.
Wen Yushen was both amused and exasperated when she asked, "Grandma, what are you doing now?" Suddenly, she felt a gentle breeze on her fingers, carrying a slight warmth.
He looked up blankly and saw Jiang Moyun gently blowing on the small wound on his hand.
"It's so red, does it hurt?"
The sunlight streaming in through the window was so bright that Wen Yushen could clearly see the pained look on Jiang Moyun's face. Meeting those worried eyes, his heart suddenly felt light, racing wildly in his small chest, unable to settle. Finally, with his last ounce of strength, he managed to squeeze out a few words, "It doesn't hurt."
Jiang Moyun released his hand, picked up the ugly wool felt again, and examined it carefully.
Wen Yushen subconsciously clenched his fist, as if trying to hold onto the lingering warmth that was about to dissipate. Suddenly snapping back to reality, he was startled by his own foolish behavior. He straightened up, trying to cover up his ridiculous act while Jiang Moyun wasn't looking, but before he could even move, he heard Jiang Moyun's voice—"So ugly."
Jiang Moyun examined the puppy in her hands several times before arriving at this heartless conclusion.
Wen Yu was heartbroken and couldn't help but lower her head. Her heart, which had been so high just moments before, suddenly plummeted, pressed down hard at the bottom, leaving her feeling utterly lost.
“But I like it very much.” Jiang Moyun raised her head and added calmly.
Wen Yu looked up in disbelief.
Once again, I looked into Jiang Moyun's smiling eyes.
I heard a "thump-thump" drumbeat coming from my chest.
The sound was deafening.
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