Chapter 159 Childhood Sweethearts If-Road 1 "I finally managed to get it up..."
As the sun sets, the school building casts its shadow, cutting the remaining bright sky and the dim earth apart.
The weeping willows swayed gently in the breeze, and the entire campus was quiet, filled with a solemn atmosphere of learning, yet it also seemed like a dormant state before chaos.
During the last self-study period, even the sound of pens scribbling across the test papers carried a hint of restlessness.
The windows, reflecting the gray-blue sky, revealed the classroom scene. Nearby, a girl stopped writing and looked over.
A uniform white shirt hung down her body, the slightly translucent fabric outlining the girl's tall and straight figure, like a pine tree.
She didn't seem to care much about dressing up; she simply tied her long hair up with a plain black hair tie, which was so thick and black it looked like it would swallow the hair tie whole.
The navy blue plaid skirt hung down to her knees, exuding a student's well-behaved charm.
But the feet in those little leather shoes weren't so still; they swayed back and forth against the horizontal bar under the desk, causing the chair to lift up one leg, little by little, against the floor.
The sun set peacefully today; the sky wasn't dyed red, but rather a dull gray, as if making a quiet exit.
Lu Shizhen thought to herself, resting her chin on her hand, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
She enjoys both lively atmospheres and tranquility.
Most importantly, the clock is about to strike the end of the school day.
Lu Shizhen looked down at the test paper she had just finished most of. She thought that it would be time to go home by the time she finished this test paper.
And when school is over, she can see the people she wants to see.
Thinking about this, the smile reflected in the windowpane became even more pronounced.
Just like the last class before school ended many times in the past.
The school bell rang, startling a flock of sparrows that had been perched on a tree branch.
A flock of birds suddenly flew across the monotonous, gray sky, and the quiet, deserted campus suddenly became noisy and bustling.
Students carrying backpacks filed out of the teaching building, and Lu Shizhen and her classmates slowly walked through the crowd, pushing their bicycles.
A large crowd gathered at the school gate, chatting and laughing, but they all noticed a person standing on the road opposite the school gate.
Looking around the entire school gate area, all you could see were navy blue skirts and trousers, except for this person who was wearing a black suspender uniform skirt.
The wind rustled through the willow trees beside her, causing her skirt to sway along with it, the somber black tinged with a lightness reminiscent of summer.
However, her long hair, tucked behind her ears, remained untouched by the wind.
Her long, jet-black hair fell neatly down the sides of the girl's face and chest, brushing past her thin, crisp white short-sleeved shirt, making her figure appear as slender and long as a willow branch, yet even straighter than a willow branch.
Her lips were red and her teeth were white; her pale skin was full of collagen, like a peeled egg.
She stood there, seemingly isolated from the bustling crowd around her, making her incredibly conspicuous at first glance.
Lu Shizhen's friend looked at the person standing not far away and teased, "Ah~ you're here earlier than usual today."
Another friend laughed and said, "Little Xu looks quite good today!"
"nonsense."
Before Lu Shizhen could respond to their teasing, another voice interrupted.
She appeared to be scolding her friends, but in reality, she was teasing Lu Shizhen with them, even going so far as to say, "If Xiao Xu doesn't look good one day, will it be because of A-Zhen?"
Seeing the smiling faces on her friends' faces, Lu Shizhen couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, even though this had happened many times before. She quickly threatened, "That's enough! I won't let you check the answers for the monthly exam the day after tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately responded with "No, no, no," and "No, no," and made a vow to Lu Shizhen while simultaneously zipping up their mouths.
Seeing this, Lu Shizhen smiled smugly and waved her hand, saying, "Alright, I'm too magnanimous to hold a grudge against a petty person."
Then, looking at the school gate that was right in front of her, she said, "Now that we're at the school gate, let's each go home."
"Ah Zhen can't wait any longer." Hearing this, her friend couldn't help but tease her with a laugh.
Lu Shizhen felt somewhat exposed and became angry and embarrassed: "Sun Xiaoning!"
"I'm leaving! I'm leaving."
With that, Sun Xiaoning called to the others who were going the same way, and they all got on their bikes and sped away.
Lu Shizhen smiled as she watched the figures gradually disappear into the distance, not caring at all. After spending so much time together, they could tell what was a joke.
And most importantly, Xu Shiyue was waiting for him on the other side.
Lu Shizhen pushed her bike, her pace quickening considerably, and she reached Xu Shiyue in just a few steps: "Have you been waiting long? Did you get out of class early today?"
Xu Shiyue naturally sat in the back seat of Lu Shizhen's car, adjusting her skirt as she said, "The last class was self-study. I asked the teacher some questions and then left."
“It’s not right for a good student to do that,” Lu Shizhen teased, drawing out her words.
Xu Shiyue looked up at Lu Shizhen and said frankly, "So I'm not exactly a good student either."
The lingering sunlight from the horizon slanted into the girls' intersecting gazes. Lu Shizhen looked at Xu Shiyue, who was smiling slightly at her, and her eyes curved into a smile. She then asked, "Are we going to the dessert shop again today?"
Xu Shiyue nodded: "Mm."
"Sit tight, okay?" Lu Shizhen nimbly straddled the seat, her brown leather shoes landing precisely on the pedals, and announced to the person behind her, "The temperature is perfect for a drive this evening!"
The car started moving under the girl's drive, and Xu Shiyue naturally reached out and put her arm around her waist.
As the soft fingertips touched the thin, sheer shirt, Lu Shizhen once again smelled a faint fragrance and felt the warmth encircling her waist.
Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue always talked about everything, but she had a secret she had never told Xu Shiyue.
For some reason, she just liked the way Xu Shiyue sat in the back seat of her car, leaning against her.
There was some traffic congestion at the school gate at this time, but Lu Shizhen still skillfully drove Xu Shiyue through the bustling crowd.
The wind, having moved away from the crowd, became more active, sweeping freely through the girl's long hair, each strand exuding a sense of freedom.
The lake reflected the shimmering waves, stretching to the horizon where the sun was setting.
Some rough asphalt roads were covered with green grass on both sides, like soft carpets that supported the shadows of the girls, connecting them closely together.
Lu Shizhen looked down at Xu Shiyue's arm around her waist, and a sense of relief slowly emerged in her smile.
She realized Xu Shiyue was right; since fate had brought them together, it wouldn't hastily end her life...
With Xu Shiyue's encouragement, Lu Shizhen got through the difficult seventh year, and then all the good things followed one after another after she overcame this hurdle.
First, her condition was brought under control, and then soon after, there was a breakthrough in the research on her rare disease. The clinical trials of the drug were successful, and as long as she took the medicine every day, her condition would not relapse, and her health gradually improved.
Lu Shizhen's parents rekindled their hope and contacted a very good doctor for her. She was able to stand up again and can now run and jump, and ride a bicycle very well.
If the connection of the corridor was an accidental mistake, Lu Shizhen thought that perhaps the god who accidentally created all of this was moved by their childhood friendship and couldn't bear to separate her and Xu Shiyue, so he opened another door for them in their respective rooms, reconnecting them.
Although this door, which has been artificially modified, is not as naturally formed as it is, after Xu Shiyue and Lu Shizhen were discharged from the hospital and returned home, the corridor developed a stable one-hour time difference.
But this isn't something to complain about; it's just a minor flaw that outweighs the overall merit, and it's much better than nothing.
They spent countless days together, connected by the corridor, celebrating New Year's Eve, birthdays, graduation ceremonies... every photo features each other.
So now, both Lu Shizhen's parents and friends, and Xu Shiyue's parents and friends, know that they have such a friend.
However, none of them knew exactly where Xu Shiyue and Lu Shizhen were from.
Only Lu Shizhen and Xu Shiyue knew all of this.
The two of them maintained their secret in this open and aboveboard way.
A secret that belongs only to the two of them.
When Feng Zai Lu Shizhen arrived at the dessert shop with Xu Shiyue, she stopped.
As Lu Shizhen was riding in the car, she felt a warm sensation on the side of her face.
There was no need to turn her head to look; the scene was reflected in Lu Shizhen's vision through the glass of the dessert shop—Xu Shiyue was reaching out to tidy her hair, which had been messed up by the wind, her dark eyes revealing seriousness.
Perhaps it was because the ride had been so tiring, but Lu Shizhen found her face starting to feel hot.
After tidying up her hair, Xu Shiyue withdrew her hand and said to her in a calm and gentle tone, "Let's go."
It was at this moment that Lu Shizhen felt as if she had recovered, and the burning sensation on the side of her face had subsided considerably.
She nodded and followed behind Xu Shiyue, saying to her, "Oh, okay."
The two of them sat in their usual corner by the window.
She ordered two drinks, but the small cake that Lu Shizhen usually ate was unavailable, so the owner substituted it with a more expensive raspberry flavor that didn't require her to pay the difference.
Lu Shizhen felt a little regretful, but there was nothing to regret.
Since it's gone anyway, there's nothing irreplaceable.
Except for the person next to me.
Lu Shizhen was somewhat surprised by the thought that suddenly popped into her head, and looked at Xu Shiyue with a guilty conscience.
But I saw her looking at her physics workbook with a serious expression.
Perhaps this is what happens when you feel guilty; Lu Shizhen secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, a shadow fell in front of her. A girl wearing the same school uniform as her walked over and asked, "Excuse me, are you from No. 1 Middle School?"
Lu Shizhen was somewhat confused, but still answered her classmate, "I am, she is not."
"Oh." The girl nodded, somewhat hesitantly, yet also quite directly, "So, are you a couple?"
"...?!"
Upon hearing this question, Lu Shizhen's face flushed instantly, whether from lingering guilt or something else entirely.
She glanced instinctively at Xu Shiyue sitting next to her, and her denial seemed like an attempt to cover up the truth: "No, no, I'm still a student, how could I be in a relationship!"
The young girl in front of him didn't understand what "trying to cover up the truth" meant; she was relieved to hear Lu Shizhen's denial.
She seemed to have mustered up a lot of courage and placed the small gift she had hidden behind her back on Lu Shizhen's table: "Then... this is for you."
"I've noticed you've been ordering this cake a lot lately. This is the last one, and I bought it for you."
Lu Shizhen is quite popular at school, and this isn't the first time she's encountered something like this.
She, who was always adept at handling things at school, was somewhat at a loss this time and hurriedly declined, saying, "Ah, well, that's still..."
"Please accept this; it's from my heart."
The young girl didn't give Lu Shizhen that chance. Before she could finish speaking, she left with a single sentence.
The door, which had been pushed open, swayed slightly a few times, and a gust of hot air rushed in.
Lu Shizhen looked at the cake, feeling somewhat troubled, unsure of what to do.
Just as she was about to pick up the cake and throw it away, she noticed that Xu Shiyue was looking at her with her chin in her hand.
Her slender fingers tapped rhythmically on the table as she said meaningfully, "I finally mustered up the courage to give this to you. If you don't eat it, I'll be sad."
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