Chapter 13
Sang returned home carrying the groceries she had bought from the convenience store, and heard the sounds of Tan Huiyu preparing dinner coming from the kitchen.
She sat in the living room, her phone screen glowing softly, displaying new messages from the QQ group.
It's a group announcement from the "College Entrance Examination Cheer Up Video Preparation Group," posted by Lin Shuning, regarding the final lineup of people to appear on camera.
The announcement stated that three key people have been confirmed to appear on camera: Lin Shuning, Liang Fengshen, and a male student from the photography club, Zhang Ding, who was also the senior who interviewed Sang Sui that day.
We now need to select three more students to participate in the group shot.
Sang Sui was very much looking forward to it.
If she gets selected, wouldn't she be able to stand right next to him once? Even if it's just in front of the camera, even if it's just a few blurry seconds in the background.
She opened the private chat window with Lin Shuning, her fingertips trembling slightly.
Sang Sui: Lin Shuning, may I sign up to appear on camera?
After sending the message, she gripped her phone tightly, waiting. Fortunately, Lin Shuning replied quickly.
Lin Shuning: Of course, you're welcome to sign up. I'll send you a few English texts; try reading them aloud and record a voice message for me.
Immediately afterwards, several concise and powerful English sentences were transmitted.
They even require spoken English.
Sang Sui took a deep breath, picked up his phone, walked to the quietest corner of the room, and practiced typing those unfamiliar letter combinations several times before solemnly pressing the record button.
She tried her best to make her pronunciation sound standard and fluent, but the awkward connected speech and intonation still revealed her English foundation—her English pronunciation was not very standard, and it also carried a little bit of the imperceptible awkwardness that belonged to a small county town.
After sending a voice message, every second of the waiting time felt incredibly long.
A few minutes later, Lin Shuning replied.
Lin Shuning: Sang Sui, your voice is actually very nice, and your emotions are very expressive. It's just that your English pronunciation might need some more practice. I'm so sorry, time was really tight this time. [Hugs]
Although the words were extremely tactful and the expression was comforting, Sang Sui understood instantly.
A warm sense of disappointment welled up from the bottom of my heart, drowning out the unrealistic expectations I had just had.
She pressed on, somewhat unwilling to give up.
Sang Sui: Isn't it possible to add voice-over in post-production?
Lin Shuning: That was the original plan. But the student in charge of post-production editing said that if we used post-production dubbing, the workload of lip-syncing and adjusting the audio tracks would be too much, and we probably wouldn't be able to finish submitting it to the school for review before the 5th. So we had to use live sound recording, which is more efficient. I'm really sorry, I hope we can work together again next time. [Rose]
Looking at the explanation on the screen, Sang Sui knew that there was no turning back now.
Sang Sui: It's alright, thank you. I understand.
Sang Sui sat sullenly for a while, but couldn't resist and opened the chat window with Jiang Yaoyue.
Sang Sui: Do I have an accent?
Jiang Yaoyue: No, at least I can't tell.
Sang Sui: Our school's literary society had an event that needed someone to appear on camera and read an English script. I signed up, but I wasn't selected.
Jiang Yaoyue: Why? Are their standards so high?
Sang Sui: They said my spoken English is bad, and I even took the spoken English test in the monthly exam and got a D.
Jiang Yaoyue: That's it? I thought it was a big deal. There are still two years until the college entrance exam. Just focus on your training. Not being selected for the activity isn't a big deal.
Sang Sui: But the boy I like is one of the people who are confirmed to appear in this event.
Jiang Yaoyue: I get it, you're not really after the wine, are you? [Evil grin]
Sang Sui: A little bit.
Jiang Yaoyue: Sang Sui, you've only been in Rongcheng for less than two months, how come you like him so much?
Yes, how did I come to like him so much?
She just felt that he was special and that he was a good person.
In her quiet youth, he so easily came out on top.
It was probably the first stirrings of love, a fleeting glimpse that sparked a deep and lasting affection.
On the afternoon of the 4th, the finished video was completed as scheduled and shared by Lin Shuning in the group.
Sang Sui opened the file and began reading it with mixed feelings.
The video was well-produced, with perfect composition and lighting.
Sunlight, camphor trees, and red inspirational banners create a classic and hopeful campus backdrop.
Lin Shuning stood in front of the camera with a confident and bright smile. Her English was fluent and pleasant to the ear, and she had a natural and effortless stage presence.
Then, the camera switched to Liang Fengshen.
He held up the microphone and spoke his blessings to the senior students into the camera. Finally, he stood side by side with Lin Shuning and several other people appearing on camera, with a lush camphor tree forest behind them.
Lin Shuning and Liang Fengshen seemed so well-matched, equally outstanding and composed, as if they were natural and harmonious beings from the same world.
Sang silently turned off the video.
She walked to the window, opened it, and the warm summer night breeze caressed her face.
She left a message for Jiang Yaoyue: I know there's no possibility between us, but I just like him.
Jiang Yaoyue: Can you distinguish what it means to like someone now?
Sang Sui: I can't define the word "like," but I know I really want to see him right now, and I also want to cry. Why do I become so unhappy after falling in love with someone?
Jiang Yaoyue: Then you need to work harder on your spoken English. Some gaps cannot be bridged by simply looking up to someone.
Sang Sui thought Jiang Yaoyue's words made sense. After ending the chat, she wrote a sentence on a sticky note:
Even though the gap between us is as vast as the difference between heaven and earth, I still believe our connection is not over. "Remember to practice your spoken English diligently."
The languid atmosphere of the college entrance exam holiday hadn't completely dissipated when Rongcheng No. 1 High School resumed its usual rhythm. Sang Sui walked into the teaching building with her schoolbag on her back. Morning light streamed through the corridor windows, casting bright spots of light on the ground.
As she approached the classroom of Class 7, she saw the homeroom teacher, Yuan Ying, and the academic representative, Chu Xiran, standing on the side of the corridor, talking in hushed tones.
Chu Xiran lowered her head and her shoulders slumped slightly. Even from a short distance, Sang Sui could feel the low spirits emanating from her.
She knew that Chu Xiran was first in her class in the last monthly exam, but only ranked outside the top fifty in the grade. This was obviously a big blow to her, who was always very competitive.
I'm already first in my class, do I still feel anxious?
Yes, it will.
After all, everyone has their own ambitions, and everyone, whether outstanding or not, has the right to be dissatisfied with their own achievements.
Sang Sui intended to quietly bypass them and go directly into the classroom, so she walked very lightly.
"Sang Sui," Yuan Ying called out to her.
She stopped and turned around: "Teacher Yuan."
Yuan Ying said gently to Chu Xiran, "Think carefully about what the teacher said. One exam doesn't mean anything. Adjusting your mindset is the most important thing. Let's go back to the classroom first."
Chu Xiran nodded slightly, didn't look at Sang Sui, and walked into the classroom with her head down.
Yuan Ying then looked at Sang Sui and asked in a casual tone, "Our class has been selected for the flag-raising speech on Monday, two weeks from now. Would you like to give it a try?"
Speech under the national flag? Sang Sui's heart skipped a beat. Speaking in front of the entire school? The mere thought sent a chill down her spine.
"Can't Chu Xiran be chosen?" Sang Sui tried to find a more suitable candidate.
“Xi Ran hasn’t been in a good mood lately and needs time to adjust. I’m afraid she won’t have the energy to prepare her script or practice.” Yuan Ying looked at her with encouraging eyes. “I think this is a good opportunity for her to learn and grow. Would you like to consider it?”
Sang Sui pursed her lips, not daring to refuse immediately, and could only say, "Teacher, let me think about it."
"Okay, let me know when you've thought it through."
Entering the classroom, before morning reading had even begun, the air was thick with the relaxed atmosphere of someone suffering from post-holiday syndrome. Sang Sui had just sat down when Song Shiyue came over with a folder to collect holiday feedback slips.
"Here you go." Sang Sui took out a neatly folded receipt from his bag and handed it over.
Song Shiyue took it and casually asked, "What did Teacher Yuan want to talk to you about just now?"
Sang Sui sighed, somewhat helplessly: "He asked me if I would like to give a speech under the national flag next week."
"That's great," Song Shiyue raised an eyebrow, revealing two canine teeth. "Did you agree?"
“I’m a little scared,” Sang Sui honestly expressed his concerns, “I’m worried I won’t say it well.”
Song Shiyue leaned against the table, looking at her, his tone relaxed yet powerful: "I think you can give it a try. Sang Sui, challenges make things more interesting. What's the point if everything in life is smooth sailing?"
Actually, she was afraid of making a fool of herself on the podium, since Liang Fengshen would definitely be present for the speech under the national flag.
But if she keeps hiding, won't she miss the chance to be seen by Liang Fengshen?
She should believe in herself, right?
Sang Sui was silent for a few seconds, then took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind: "Then I'll give it a try."
Song Shiyue smiled, his eyes gentle: "Okay, then when I give the receipt to the homeroom teacher later, I'll tell her that you agreed."
"Thank you, class monitor."
"You're welcome."
The second period in the afternoon is Chinese class.
Teacher Yin Suyin walked into the classroom carrying a stack of photocopied test papers and placed them on the podium. "There were a few well-written essays in this monthly exam. I've made copies for everyone to read and study."
The rustling sound of paper scratching filled the classroom. The photocopy was passed from the front row to the back, and when it reached Sang Sui, she was gazing out the window, lost in thought.
She casually picked up the top one, her gaze sweeping over the title, preparing to hand it to the person behind her. But she stopped when she saw the name in the upper right corner.
Liang Fengshen.
Her fingers paused on the photocopy for a second, then she pulled it out of the stack of papers and gently placed it on her desk.
She lowered her head and began to read.
The article is titled "Distant Mountains and Nearby Ravines." His arguments are clear, his logic is rigorous, and his examples are apt. But what attracted Sang Sui even more was his handwriting.
Liang Fengshen's handwriting is a clean, semi-cursive script, with a spacious structure and crisp strokes. The strokes have a just-right sharpness, and the turns are angular. Overall, it looks slender and well-proportioned, quite different from the handwriting of other boys in the class, which is either wildly exaggerated or shriveled up.
Sang Sui stared at it for a long time. Although it was just a photocopy of Liang Fengshen's essay, she was reluctant to pass it on so quickly. After thinking for a moment, she opened her own hardcover notebook that she used for copying excerpts.
The notebook is very new; she rarely uses it.
She unscrewed the pen cap and began copying paragraphs from his article, copying slowly and carefully.
After finishing a paragraph, she paused. The pen tip hovered in the blank space for a moment before falling. Instead of following her usual handwriting, she tried to imitate how he wrote—the angle of the beginning stroke and the force of the ending stroke.
She couldn't help but write his name.
Liang, Feng, Shen.
Before I knew it, I had written a whole page.
Zhao Yanqi leaned closer curiously: "Whose essay are you copying?"
"No, I was just writing something down." Sang Sui's cheeks couldn't help but feel a little hot. She furtively covered the notebook with her arm as if she were doing something wrong.
The bell rang, signaling the end of get out of class.
She closed the notebook and quickly stuffed it into the innermost part of her bag. She also passed the photocopy to the person behind her.
During evening self-study time, since it was the first night back from the holiday, Yuan Ying made a rare exception and used the classroom's multimedia equipment to show everyone a classic American romantic movie.
As the film ended, the lights came back on, leaving a romantic yet melancholic atmosphere in the classroom. Zhao Yanqi, her hands supporting her chin, her eyes still somewhat unfocused, suddenly let out a long sigh: "That's it, after watching this kind of movie, I kind of want to fall in love."
He Lili immediately leaned over, her face full of gossip: "Who are you talking to? Who have you taken a fancy to? Tell me, tell me!"
Qiao Chunchao also joined in with a wink, lowering his voice to joke, "You wouldn't happen to have your eye on Liang Fengshen from Class Six, would you?"
"How could that be?" Zhao Yanqi retorted immediately, her voice unconsciously rising a little, filled with the panic of having her secret exposed. "Who would dare to lay a finger on someone like him, someone who can only be admired from afar!"
Qiao Chunchao shrugged, looking completely matter-of-fact: "It's normal to like Liang Fengshen. He's handsome, academically gifted, and sings well. I dare say at least half the girls in our school secretly like him. Aren't there plenty of open and secret crushes?"
He Lili wholeheartedly agreed: "That's true, he's a heartthrob and campus heartthrob."
Their conversation was like a fine drizzle, gently falling on Sang Sui's heart, stirring up a bittersweet feeling.
Yes, it's perfectly normal to like Liang Fengshen.
A person like him is born to be liked and admired by many.
And she herself was just one of the most inconspicuous and ordinary girls among the "most girls".
Therefore, she needs to become better and better.
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