Puzzle
Chapter 11: Puzzle
In the early winter on campus, the fallen leaves have been swept away by the cleaners, leaving only bare branches pointing to the gray sky.
Bai Ke walked quickly towards the Student Union office, clutching the newly printed activity summary. Ever since Chen Yiyu reminded her of Lu Zihan's past, her attitude towards the student union president had quietly shifted, maintaining a comfortable distance.
"Bai Ke, wait a moment." Lu Zihan caught up with her from behind, his smile as gentle as ever. "There's a lecture in the department this weekend, and I have an extra ticket. Do you want to go together?"
"Sorry, I have to prepare for the psychology statistics exam this weekend." Bai Ke declined politely, noticing the flash of disappointment in his eyes.
Such invitations had been popping up frequently lately, and Bai Ke had deftly avoided them all. She'd heard the rumors about Lu Zihan—that he'd always be extra "caring" towards the girls he was interested in, then become distant once they were impressed. Last week, a girl from the Foreign Languages Department even went to the Student Union office, red-eyed, to ask why Lu Zihan had suddenly become so distant.
Bai Ke happened to be there that day and witnessed the entire process. Despite the girl's excitement, Lu Zihan remained polite and courteous, speaking in a gentle yet distant tone: "I think there might be some misunderstanding between us. I've always considered you a very good junior."
After the girl ran away crying, Lu Zihan turned to Bai Ke and shrugged helplessly: "Sometimes being too friendly can easily lead to misunderstandings."
Bai Ke didn't respond, but just lowered her head to sort out the documents. At that moment, she clearly remembered Chen Yiyu's reminder.
However, things took a turn on Wednesday afternoon.
Bai Ke had just come out of the library when she saw Lu Zihan being blocked on the side of the road by a strange girl. The girl was very excited, and her voice attracted the attention of many passersby.
"You said you would seriously consider it, why don't you even answer the phone now?" The girl grabbed Lu Zihan's sleeve.
Lu Zihan tried to break free, looking embarrassed: "Wang Meng, can we find a quiet place to talk?"
"No, I want to make it clear right here! What did you promise?"
As more and more people gathered around, Lu Zihan's situation became increasingly difficult. Although he had heard the rumors, Lu Zihan had helped Bai Ke a lot. Seeing this, Bai Ke, who didn't know where he got the courage from, quickly stepped forward.
"Senior, the professor asked you to come over right away because it's an urgent matter." She interrupted naturally, as if she didn't see the conflict in front of her.
Lu Zihan was stunned for a moment, then understood: "Okay, I'll go right away."
The girl wanted to stop him, but Bai Ke had already taken Lu Zihan's arm and walked away quickly with him. After walking a distance, Lu Zihan breathed a sigh of relief.
"Just now...thank you." His tone was much more sincere. "That's my high school classmate. He's been having some relationship problems lately, so there might be some misunderstandings."
Bai Ke didn't ask any further questions, but simply pulled his hand back gently: "It's just a small favor."
After this incident, Lu Zihan's attitude towards Bai Ke became noticeably warmer. Not only did he rely on her more at work, but his personal concern for her also became more apparent. Although Lu Zihan had always been kind to Bai Ke, she remained wary.
Winter had quietly arrived, and the last few weeks of the semester flew by in a frenzy of review. After the final exams, Bai Ke and Li Meng boarded the high-speed train back home.
"I heard that you and Lu Zihan are very close?" Li Meng asked casually, but his eyes were fixed on Bai Ke's reaction.
"It's just a work relationship with the Student Union." Bai Ke looked out the window at the rapidly receding scenery. "He is indeed very capable, but..."
"But what?"
Bai Ke shook his head and didn't continue.
The winter break was a leisurely and peaceful one. Bai Ke would occasionally make plans with Li Meng to go to the library, or accompany her mother to the New Year's market. The festive atmosphere in the small town grew stronger, with red lanterns lining the streets and a festive atmosphere everywhere.
On the 28th day of the 12th lunar month, Bai Ke went to the mall alone to buy New Year's goods. In front of the cosmetics counter, she looked up and saw the scene before her.
Not far away, Qiu Luodi was arm in arm with Chen Yiyu, chatting and laughing as they picked out perfume. She was wearing a stylish mink coat and had delicate makeup on, forming a sharp contrast with the slender and tall Chen Yiyu beside her, yet they felt strangely harmonious.
Qiu Luodi was the first to notice Bai Ke. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and then he raised a victorious smile.
"What a coincidence, Bai Ke." She pulled Chen Yiyu over and said, "I heard you got into University A? How come I've never run into you before?"
Bai Ke's eyes involuntarily drifted towards Chen Yiyu. He was wearing a dark down jacket and had a calm expression. When he met her gaze, his eyes showed no trace of emotion, as if she were just a stranger.
"The school is so big, it's normal that we can't bump into each other." Bai Ke tried to stay calm.
"That's true." Qiu Luodi smiled even brighter. "Chen Yiyu and I are often together, and I thought I might run into an old classmate. By the way, our two families are celebrating the New Year together this year. Isn't it lively?"
Chen Yiyu gently pulled out his arm from Qiu Luodi's arm and said calmly, "Luodi, it's time to go back. Uncle is still waiting for us."
"Okay." Qiu Luodi reluctantly put down the perfume she was trying and waved his hand. "Then we'll go first. Happy New Year!"
Chen Yiyu nodded slightly to Diao Ke as a farewell, then turned around and left side by side with Qiu Luodi.
Bai Ke stood there, watching them walk away, a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. Every subtle movement of Chen Yiyu replayed in her mind—how he let Qiu Luodi hold his arm, how he calmly accepted the idea of "spending the New Year together," the unfamiliar look in his eyes when he looked at her...
"Bai Ke?" Li Meng appeared beside her at some point. He followed her gaze and frowned. "How could they be together?"
Bai Ke shook her head, her heart in turmoil. Chen Yiyu, the one who had pretended not to know her at the welcome party, the one who had warned her to be careful in the student union, was now appearing in a shopping mall in her hometown with Qiu Luodi so intimately.
"I heard Qiu Luodi was studying in the United States. I didn't expect her to come back for the New Year." Li Meng thought thoughtfully, "Chen Yiyu's family and her family are old friends. It's not surprising that they celebrate the New Year together."
"Yeah." Bai Ke responded softly, but his heart couldn't calm down.
On New Year's Eve, every household was decorated with lights and the sound of firecrackers was endless. Bai Ke stood by the window, watching the fireworks bloom in the night sky. He couldn't help but pull out his phone and flip to the dialog box that had been silent for a long time.
"Saw you today," she wrote, then quickly deleted it.
"Happy New Year." She retyped it, hesitated for a long time, and finally pressed the send button.
To her surprise, a few minutes later, the phone lit up.
"Happy New Year."
Four simple words, without any extra expressions or friendly greetings, made Bai Ke's heartbeat suddenly accelerate.
She stared at the message for a long time until the screen went dark, then lit it again.
Outside the window, a huge firework bloomed in the night sky, dazzling and fleeting.
Just like those blurry moments between her and Chen Yiyu, beautiful but elusive.
Bai Ke sighed softly, and whispered to himself in the intervals between the fireworks:
"Chen Yiyu, what kind of person are you?"
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