Sunlight streamed into the room at an angle, and compared to Cheng Meiyan, the kindness that time had etched on the head nurse's face was particularly evident.
Her voice was not joking or teasing at all; the smile in her voice was like the joyful emotion an elder would feel when looking at a younger person.
However, this kind of joy shouldn't have appeared when seeing Lu Shizhen interacting with Xu Shiyue.
Lu Shizhen choked up.
She sensed that the head nurse had misunderstood her relationship with Xu Shiyue. She took two quick bites of the apple in her mouth and mumbled an explanation, "No, we're not."
The head nurse paused for a moment upon hearing Lu Shizhen's words, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Cheng Meiyan exclaimed "Ah!" and explained to the head nurse with a smile, "Our Zhenzhen is still a minor. Her school strictly prohibits minors from entering the country."
Cheng Meiyan's words were ambiguous, neither confirming nor denying.
Lu Shizhen felt that this explanation was worse than no explanation at all, and then she saw the head nurse nod to Cheng Meiyan as if she understood.
As they were talking, Lu Shizhen felt Xu Shiyue's shadow leave her.
The sunlight bathed the person who had sat back down in the chair, adding a touch of gentle warmth to the calm and cool atmosphere, making it seem no different from before.
It was precisely this lack of difference that worried Lu Shizhen.
She was terrified that Xu Shiyue would interpret Cheng Meiyan's silence as a private hint from her daughter to her mother, and then deduct several points from her reputation.
Thinking about the disrupted points system, Lu Shizhen hurriedly stated her position: "Mom, I really don't have any feelings for Xu Shiyue..."
Lu Shizhen spoke hastily, and before she had finished eating the apple in her mouth, her words were still muffled and hard to understand.
Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Meiyan reached out and ruffled her hair, saying, "Mom knows you're a good child who follows school rules and regulations. Eat the apple first, don't worry about choking."
Cheng Meiyan's eyes crinkled with laughter, and her voice was full of tenderness.
He then angrily dismissed her "silly daughter's" insistence on disavowing any connection between them in front of the girl.
Cheng Meiyan felt that her daughter had become much more obedient recently, and her behavior was more upright than before, but being too upright would make it difficult to find a girlfriend.
It's all about being vague and ambiguous.
Only in this way can development take place.
This silly child.
Cheng Meiyan rubbed Lu Shizhen's head again, and with a sigh, her gaze fell on the apple that Xu Shiyue had just fed to Lu Shizhen.
The neatly arranged, beautiful rabbit-shaped apples surprised her, and she couldn't help but ask, "Did you peel all these rabbit-shaped apples, Shiyue?"
"Mm." Xu Shiyue nodded calmly. "I just peeled it off quickly, please excuse me, Auntie."
"Don't laugh at me, I might not even be able to carve such a beautiful apple rabbit." Cheng Meiyan found herself growing to like Xu Shiyue more and more, praising her repeatedly, "I didn't expect our Shiyue to be so skillful, she's really amazing."
Upon hearing this, Xu Shiyue lowered her head slightly to show humility, her gaze somewhat obscure.
It wasn't that she disliked Cheng Meiyan's praise, but rather that she was somewhat belatedly puzzled by Cheng Meiyan's subconscious action.
Just as she had just told Cheng Meiyan, Xu Shiyue herself didn't know why she was carving this thing.
She never learned from her mother, and no one in her family ever carved rabbits or apples for her.
This kind of thing should be very unfamiliar to her, yet it feels strangely familiar.
I just picked up the knife and the apple, and my hand just did it involuntarily.
Xu Shiyue could tell from Cheng Meiyan's words that her rabbit apple was of very good quality.
Although her eyesight is much better now than it was yesterday when she came out of the water, she still can't see very clearly.
If it weren't for her exceptional muscle memory, she wouldn't be able to carve a rabbit apple so easily.
But where does this strange muscle memory come from?
With the Lu family exerting pressure, the school acted swiftly against Sun Chenchen, issuing an expulsion notice within a single day.
Xu Shiyue never thought that justice would be served so quickly, but Lu Shizhen still helped her achieve it.
As if to welcome the victorious band members, the sun was exceptionally warm today.
Sunlight streamed into the orchestra's rehearsal room, casting the brightest light upon the venue of the awards ceremony.
Xu Shiyue sat in her principal chair as per the orchestra's rules, watching Teacher Chen speak at the front of the classroom.
She knew this wasn't their band's style. Their band was never flamboyant. In the two years they'd been in the band, no matter what kind of performance or competition it was, Teacher Chen hadn't held any awards ceremonies for them so that they wouldn't take the honors too seriously.
They agreed to have a good time and then come back to rehearse.
But the arrival of one person changed this place.
As Xu Shiyue pondered this, she turned to look at the person standing against the wall, holding up their phone to record a video.
As the instigator who encouraged Teacher Chen to hold such an awards ceremony, Lu Shizhen was particularly enthusiastic.
The band members around her were all sitting upright in their chairs, but Lu Shizhen was taking pictures back and forth with her phone.
Xu Shiyue watched as the blurry shadow of the girl holding the phone kept moving around and wouldn't stay still.
Her liveliness clashed somewhat with the seriousness of the place.
Yet it is like a splash of color in a black and white world, adding a touch of brilliance to the deathly solemnity.
It's not that annoying.
As Xu Shiyue was thinking to herself, she heard Teacher Chen call her name: "Shiyue, come up here."
A round of applause rang out, and Xu Shiyue, somewhat bewildered, stood in her place as instructed by Teacher Chen.
Then, as if to make amends, Chen Miaomiao, dressed like a hostess, handed the trophy to herself: "Congratulations, Shiyue."
Chen Miaomiao's voice was filled with laughter, and the heavy trophy and certificate pressing on Xu Shiyue's hand made her feel a moment of disorientation.
It's not just a guess.
Yes, that's right.
The band members are helping her attend the awards ceremony she missed.
In fact, Xu Shiyue didn't care about these things; honor and fame meant nothing to her.
Staying by Lu Shizhen's bedside and watching her wake up was more important than any awards ceremony.
What she didn't care about was an important moment that was indispensable in the eyes of others.
And that "other person" wasn't just anyone; it was Lu Shizhen.
It's Lu Shizhen again.
And everyone was willing to cooperate with her to help make up for it.
Kindness and warmth surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming Xu Shiyue.
However, compared to the ferocity of negative emotions, the gentleness of these waves is indescribable.
This is Xu Shiyue's fifth month alone, almost half a year away.
She felt that this was the only thing she lacked, and that she would never catch up with her again.
She felt that she was not actually alone in this world.
"Say something," Teacher Chen encouraged Xu Shiyue, who hadn't moved for a while.
"Okay." Xu Shiyue blinked as if she had just come back to her senses upon hearing this. Without any preparation or prepared remarks, she said, "Actually, I didn't prepare any speech. After all, I never felt that winning this award was solely my achievement."
"Without everyone's cooperation and the orchestra's perfect performance, I wouldn't have won this award on my own. This award is not only my personal achievement, but also an affirmation of everyone's contributions. Thank you all."
Xu Shiyue paused for a moment at this point.
Her thin lips parted slightly, as if she hadn't finished speaking, and everyone's applause awaited her final words.
Her last words were for Lu Shizhen.
"Thank you too, Lu Shizhen."
Xu Shiyue's voice was soft, and it was hard to tell whether there was any sob or emotion mixed in.
Lu Shizhen was holding her phone up when she was caught off guard and saw Xu Shiyue looking at her.
The sunlight outside the window was clear and warm, casting a gentle glow on the girl's eyes, making her look as calm as if she were looking at Lu Shizhen on the other side of the screen.
The applause was even louder than before in the rehearsal room, and Lu Shizhen saw Qiuqiu setting off fireworks on her screen.
It was like the sudden thud in her heart at that moment.
Countless brilliant fireworks rose and bloomed in Lu Shizhen's heart, filling the bright daylight with dazzling gold.
The nameless grass buried in her field swayed in the wind, unfurling its leaves unnoticed by anyone.
Chen Miaomiao watched this scene from the side and almost clapped her hands until they were sore.
As soon as the commendation meeting ended, she took advantage of the gap between Lu Shizhen and Teacher Chen going to get the supporting documents that Xu Shiyue needed for the recommended student admission, and quickly walked to Xu Shiyue's side.
Chen Miaomiao squatted down next to Xu Shiyue with practiced ease, resting her chin on her hand: "How romantic."
Xu Shiyue did not answer, but only glanced at Chen Miaomiao.
Chen Miaomiao immediately straightened her face and said sarcastically, "Don't look at me like that. As your good friend all these years, I haven't received any thanks from you. I'm getting jealous!"
Xu Shiyue could hear the faint disappointment and regret in Chen Miaomiao's voice, and knew that she should thank Chen Miaomiao, so she added, "Thank you, Miaomiao."
Chen Miaomiao wasn't one to hold grudges, and upon hearing Xu Shiyue's words, she couldn't help but smile: "That's more like it."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, then, as if she had thought of something, deliberately said, "Actually, I'm not that jealous of Lu Shizhen. After all, she's a popular figure on campus with a very strong personality."
Upon hearing Chen Miaomiao's words, Xu Shiyue frowned slightly, her wariness causing her voice to lower a few decibels: "Why?"
"The story of Lu Shizhen's heroic rescue has already spread," Chen Miaomiao said. "In addition, the orchestra won the gold medal, which is rare this time, and Sun Chenchen was expelled. She is famous in our school now."
"Twice beating Sun Chenchen, the number one loyal dog!"
Chen Miaomiao spoke with rising intonation, telling Xu Shiyue about Lu Shizhen's current situation at school with great interest.
After a pause, Chen Miaomiao moved a little closer to Xu Shiyue and whispered in her ear, "I've told you before, dog breeds are in high demand right now. You're in a great position now, or someone will snatch your dog away!"
Upon hearing Chen Miaomiao's words, Xu Shiyue suddenly understood what she meant.
—She was trying to seduce and bewitch him by highlighting how popular Lu Shizhen was.
And yet, she walked right into this obviously clumsy trap without any warning.
In fact, if Chen Miaomiao hadn't been so hasty in exposing herself, she wouldn't have even noticed.
The slanting sunlight cast a dim glow on the girl's lowered eyes.
Jealousy, possessiveness, and lust, like snakes flicking their tongues, slowly coiled around her newly emerged vulnerable spot.
Calmness is no longer possible, composure is no longer possible.
Xu Shiyue knew this was a big taboo; once exposed to Xu Shouxian's sight, it would affect her ability to reclaim the Xu family's belongings.
It could even lead to her utter defeat.
She should have removed it...
Just then, a relaxed voice interrupted Xu Shiyue's thoughts: "What are you talking about?"
Lu Shizhen is back.
Xu Shiyue looked at the familiar figure in her line of sight and casually pulled herself out of her thoughts: "It's nothing."
Then she noticed what Lu Shizhen was holding and asked, "Have you got all the materials? Can we leave now?"
Although the person who was causing the trouble has been expelled, Xu Shiyue is still on leave of absence and will not return to class even if she comes to school.
Moreover, Chen Miaomiao's words were still echoing in her mind, and the lurking eyes around her made her want to take Lu Shizhen away as soon as possible.
Lu Shizhen, who was still recovering from a cold and was thinking of skipping class, immediately nodded in agreement with Xu Shiyue's words: "We've got everything, we can go now."
The school was quiet at noon, as if asleep, and shoes crunched crisply over the withered leaves.
Xu Shiyue placed her hand on Lu Shizhen's wrist as usual, but her mind was not as calm as usual.
She felt more than one emotion raging within her, causing the balance between reason and emotion to sway back and forth.
She was inexplicably in a bad mood, and it seemed that she was even taking her anger out on the rather heavy trophy in her hand.
Xu Shiyue held the simply designed trophy in her hand and said to Lu Shizhen in a somewhat willful manner, "Chen, you keep it for me."
"You think this is too heavy? I wish I could carry ten or eight of them and show them off." Lu Shizhen said, but her hand naturally took the trophy that Xu Shiyue handed her.
This was the first time she had ever seen the trophy; the valuable crystal reflected the sunlight, clear and bright.
She thought that only Xu Shiyue was worthy of such a pure and unblemished thing.
Thinking of this, Lu Shizhen paused for a moment.
A smile bloomed on her face, and then she said to Xu Shiyue half-jokingly, "You said you gave me something so beautiful, aren't you afraid that I'll take it for myself because I think it's beautiful?"
"I'm not afraid." Xu Shiyue shook her head.
She knew that Lu Shizhen wasn't that kind of person.
and……
A gust of wind rose in the distance, causing the leaves that were barely hanging on the trees to sway.
Its withered, yet resilient body scraped across the tiled floor, emitting the final sound of its life.
Lu Shizhen was still solemnly examining Xu Shiyue's beautiful trophy in front of her, waiting for Xu Shiyue's answer, when Xu Shiyue's voice and the system's voice rang in her ears, which were filled with the sound of falling leaves.
"If you want it, it's yours."
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