Chapter 80 Unease (Added 2000 words) [VIP]
Chapter Summary: (This chapter has been revised; the original version wasn't fully copied 555. If you read the original version, remember to read it again~)
After passing through the adult gate, everyone was holding their train ticket in their hand.
Fu Xianyin then realized that everyone's attire for the coming-of-age ceremony was far more extravagant than she had imagined.
People wearing cartoon headgear, large mascot costumes, and some anime and manga enthusiasts doing cosplay.
Although their clothes were all different colors, the joy on everyone's faces and the youthful exuberance of their teenage years were the same.
The force still lingered in her hand, and Fu Xianyin's heart pounded like a drum. The two steps she had taken earlier had left her breathless, and she was now panting softly as she grabbed a handful of ribbons that were being blown by the wind.
“Look,” she said, opening her palm to reveal a bright yellow ribbon she had grasped in her hand, “it’s a ribbon from a ceremonial cannon.”
She looked up at Gu Linzhao, and the impulse in her heart could no longer be suppressed.
She asked, "Which university do you want to go to?"
She never brought up the topic of the future with Gu Linzhao.
The occasional brief conversations were mostly initiated by Gu Linzhao.
Gu Linzhao lowered his eyes, looking at the bright yellow ribbon lying in his fair palm.
He raised his hand to touch the ribbon, but his gaze fell on the girl's bright eyes.
He knew that Fu Xianyin was extending an invitation to him.
She invited him to step into her future, or rather, their future together.
He suddenly smiled, a smile that was both a sense of relief and a feeling of satisfaction at his dream coming true.
He said, "It's been so hard, Fu Xianyin."
It was so hard.
Those illusory, ethereal futures that he never dared to even imagine, with Fu Xianyin's name attached to them.
Now it seems like it might actually come true.
Fu Xianyin felt both embarrassed and annoyed by his gaze. She nudged Gu Linzhao's shoe with the tip of her shoe and urged, "Speak quickly."
Gu Linzhao said, "Let's go to Huaqing, in Beijing."
Fu Xianyin said, "Then I'll also take the Tsinghua University entrance exam, and we'll go to Beijing together then."
She tilted her head and said, "Then, we'll start school on the same day, have holidays on the same day, enroll on the same day, and graduate on the same day. We can do everything together."
How wonderful!
Her future will include Gu Linzhao; they can do anything together.
Gu Linzhao suddenly extended his pinky finger and said to her, "Then let's pinky swear."
Fu Xianyin looked at the severed little finger under her eye and laughed, saying, "Gu Linzhao, how childish of you! How can you believe in this stuff?"
It's one thing for her to believe it, but why is Gu Linzhao starting to follow suit?
Gu Linzhao laughed as well: "What, you're allowed to be childish, but I'm not allowed to be childish too?"
Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "It doesn't look like you."
Gu Linzhao asked, "Then what would make me look like this?"
Fu Xianyin raised her hand and touched her lips, saying, "Give me a kiss, that's more like you."
Gu Linzhao laughed and scolded, "You little hooligan."
Fu Xianyin shrugged and grinned, "See? This is how I miss you."
Even though the topic had already been veered so far, Gu Linzhao still stubbornly stretched out his little finger, looking at Fu Xianyin and saying, "Let's pinky swear."
Looking at him like this, Fu Xianyin just wanted to tease him.
She asked, "Why do we pinky swear?"
Gu Linzhao said, "We'll make a pinky promise, no hangings, and it's a promise that won't change for a hundred years."
He is truly stubborn.
Even Gu Linzhao himself didn't know why he insisted on making this promise.
But there's just this stubborn thought in my mind.
Fu Xianyin reached out and rubbed the little finger, just about to pull it up, when Zou Yuqin's voice suddenly came from behind: "You two, do you want to go take pictures by the adult gate?"
The moment Zou Yuqin spoke, Fu Xianyin withdrew her hand as quickly as a mouse seeing a cat.
She even took a slight step back, creating some distance between herself and Gu Linzhao, before turning around to greet Zou Yuqin.
Gu Linzhao was almost laughing out of anger.
However angry, there was nothing that could be done; one could only appease this ancestor.
Fu Xianyin put her hands behind her back, and her sluggish brain gradually resumed its slow operation.
She looked at Zou Yuqin, her mind racing with questions about what she had just done.
In front of the teacher, in front of the classmates, and even in front of Gu Linzhao's aunt!
Hold his hand, hug him, kiss him.
Has she gone mad?
Even the last shred of a decent smile on her face was about to crumble; Fu Xianyin felt like she was about to shatter on the playground.
Zou Yuqin was also infected by the youthful spirit that filled the playground. She smiled and asked Fu Xianyin, "Do you want me to take a picture of you? I saw a lot of students taking pictures at the adult wall."
Fu Xianyin said, "Okay, thank you, Auntie."
A large crowd had gathered at the adult wall, and Zou Yuqin found a corner for Fu Xianyin whenever she could find a space.
"Hurry up, hurry up, there's an empty spot over there."
Fu Xianyin jogged a few steps and stood in front of the adult door.
Zou Yuqin's camera was pointed at her, and for some reason, Fu Xianyin felt a little nervous.
She tugged at her skirt, awkwardly held up two fingers, and made a "V" sign to the side of her face.
Zou Yuqin took a series of photos, and after she finished, she said to Gu Linzhao, "You should also take a couple of photos, so you can report back to your mother."
Fu Xianyin stood still to save a seat for Gu Linzhao, and seeing that he was about to come over, she lifted her leg to get off.
But someone grabbed his arm.
Fu Xianyin turned around and saw Gu Linzhao calmly pulling her along, saying, "Let's take a picture together."
Fu Xianyin felt like fireworks were going off in her heart.
It wasn't joy, it was shock.
She really wanted to grab a megaphone and yell in Gu Linzhao's ear: "Bro! Are you crazy?! Your aunt is still here! Aren't you going to be at all discreet?!"
She was certain that her expression had contorted for a moment, and even more certain that Gu Linzhao had seen that contortion.
But this person just held onto her arm and wouldn't let go, even repeating, "Take a picture together."
Fu Xianyin felt that she was bewildered in the wind.
People are in a state of confusion, and their minds are in a state of confusion.
She was worried that their tug-of-war might have lasted too long and that Zou Yuqin would notice. She also wondered if she should take the opportunity to naturally but forcefully shake off Gu Linzhao's hand and then stand next to Zou Yuqin.
However, before she could finish agonizing over it, Zou Yuqin spoke up.
She said cheerfully, "Okay, you two can take a picture together."
A gentle tug at her arm left Fu Xianyin with no choice but to take a step back and stand still in front of the adult entrance.
The sound of Zou Yuqin pressing the shutter was very loud. After the first shutter click, Fu Xianyin suddenly remembered what Zou Yuqin had said to Gu Linzhao: "You should also take a couple of pictures and give them to your mother when you get back."
The thought of where these photos would end up made Fu Xianyin freeze into a wooden statue.
She wanted to get as far away from Gu Linzhao as possible, so that when it came time to hand in her report, she could simply use the cropping function and cleanly cut off the half of the piece that included her.
However, Gu Linzhao simply stretched out his long arm and encircled her completely.
Thus, in Zou Yuqin's lens, the two are closely pressed together, inseparable.
"It's so beautiful."
Zou Yuqin looked at her masterpiece with satisfaction and showed it to Fu Xianyin page by page.
Fu Xianyin's mind was filled with the scene of Gu Linzhao putting his arm around her shoulder just now. She raised the corners of her mouth and mumbled, "Yes, Auntie took a really good picture."
Gu Linzhao glanced at her upon hearing this, and Fu Xianyin could feel that gaze, as if he was saying that she was not sincere.
But the thought of Gu Linzhao's mother seeing all this made Fu Xianyin extremely nervous and anxious, so she couldn't care less about whether her heart was sincere or not.
She opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to say it to Zou Yuqin.
Fortunately, Cheng Zhaozhao pulled Chen Nianke over and wanted to take a picture with her.
Cheng Zhaozhao was followed by her parents. She took Fu Xianyin's arm and said to her parents, "Look, this is Yinyin. I told you before, Yinyin is a very good student, the best in the whole city."
Fu Xianyin greeted Cheng Zhaozhao's parents with a smile, and then took a photo with Cheng Zhaozhao and Chen Nianke in front of the adult gate.
This was a special photo opportunity during the coming-of-age ceremony. Not content with taking photos in front of the gate, Cheng Zhaozhao also dragged Chen Nianke and Fu Xianyin to take photos in front of the teaching building.
As Fu Xianyin walked up to the teaching building, she unexpectedly came face to face with Song Yaoge.
After Song Yaoge changed classes, she transferred to Class 5, which was on the first floor, two floors away from Class 15. Apart from their unexpected encounter at New Year's Eve, this was the first time Fu Xianyin had seen Song Yaoge.
The art exams were already over, and Song Yaoge had returned to school to cram for her academic subjects.
She was wearing a fuchsia dress, which made her fair skin look even brighter. Seeing Fu Xianyin, she raised an eyebrow and said, "Let's take a picture together."
“Okay,” Fu Xianyin said. She glanced at Cheng Zhaozhao, who, though somewhat surprised, nodded, indicating that she should go.
So Fu Xianyin said, "Shall we film here?"
Song Yaoge wasn't picky and said, "Anywhere is fine."
Her long hair was curled with a curling iron today, and her makeup was much more refined compared to Fu Xianyin's.
The two are beautiful in different ways: Song Yaoge is exquisite and flamboyant, while Fu Xianyin is bright and elegant.
They're both beautiful and good-looking.
No comparison is needed.
The two of them took two more photos under a tree next to the teaching building.
Ji Zhumiao took the photo using Song Yaoge's phone. After taking the photo, Song Yaoge opened WeChat and said, "Let's add each other as friends, and I'll send you the photo."
Fu Xianyin scanned the QR code, and after being accepted as a friend, she quickly received the photos.
Just as she was about to raise her hand to say goodbye to Song Yaoge, Ji Zhumiao suddenly spoke up.
She looked at Fu Xianyin and said, "How about we take a couple of pictures too?"
Fu Xianyin was somewhat surprised.
Since she stumbled upon Ji Zhumiao and Wu Jiacheng's conspiracy during the monthly exam last semester, she has had no further contact with Ji Zhumiao.
Because she had limited energy during the sports meet, she didn't pursue the matter with Ji Zhumiao. After the midterm exams, she took another two-month leave. By the time she returned, the rumors had dissipated, and she saw no need to confront Ji Zhumiao again.
So the matter was left unresolved, and time pushed them forward. When they looked back, they could no longer see anything clearly.
Those dark thoughts may fade away with the passage of time.
Fu Xianyin noticed a hint of nervousness on Ji Zhumiao's face.
Strangely, she, who considers herself a vengeful person who always pays her debts, suddenly found herself thinking something like "unnecessary."
So she nodded and said, "Okay."
Ji Zhumiao seemed about to say something more, but Song Yaoge spoke up, saying, "Then I'll take pictures of you two, and I'll send them to you right away."
“Okay, that’s quite convenient.” Fu Xianyin nodded in agreement.
After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Ji Zhumiao again. Ji Zhumiao's lips were closed, as if what she was about to say was just Fu Xianyin's illusion.
After taking the photos, Song Yaoge sent them to Ji Zhumiao.
After Song Yaoge and Ji Zhumiao left, Cheng Zhaozhao pulled Fu Xianyin's arm and whispered, "Yinyin, when did you and Song Yaoge become so close?"
Fu Xianyin said, "Ah, the two of us, we've never really known each other."
Cheng Zhaozhao asked in confusion, "So she asked you to take pictures?"
Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "Since we've run into each other, let's take the pictures if we want."
She could actually understand why Song Yaoge wanted to take photos with her.
Perhaps a long time ago, Song Yaoge always regarded her as an imaginary enemy.
After everything was cleared up, the hostility vanished, but the remaining emotions re-condensed, forming something inexplicable and hard to explain.
Fu Xianyin, Cheng Zhaozhao, and Chen Nianke continued filming until it was time to gather before returning to the playground.
The coming-of-age ceremony is now over, and all that remains are some routine speeches.
The folder was handed to Gu Linzhao in the chaos. Fu Xianyin searched the entire playground for Gu Linzhao and finally found him taking pictures with Song Yaoge behind the adult gate.
Chen Nianke chuckled at the scene and whispered in Fu Xianyin's ear, "Look at Gu Linzhao, doesn't he look like one of those people who get their pictures collected at a comic convention?"
Fu Xianyin smiled and said, "It looks like it."
Song Yaoge stood to Gu Linzhao's left, while Gu Linzhao was holding Fu Xianyin's folder in his left hand.
He didn't put the folder down while taking the photos, nor did he hand it to Zou Yuqin; instead, he held it firmly in his hand.
Fu Xianyin stared at the folder for a while, then looked away.
Song Yaoge simply filmed two or three chapters as a token gesture and then ended the session.
After taking the photos, she seemed to say something to Gu Linzhao, but they were too far apart for Fu Xianyin to hear clearly.
The host was maintaining order on the stage. Fu Xianyin only heard Song Yaoge say, "Bye-bye then." Then she watched as Song Yaoge waved and ran away.
The big screen was playing a video recorded by honorary alumni for the students. The students on the playground were not in any formation and mostly stood with their parents, just watching.
Standing next to Fu Xianyin was Zou Yuqin, who was showing Fu Xianyin the photos she had just taken, one by one, on her phone.
There were photos of Gu Linzhao and her together, photos of Gu Linzhao alone, and photos of him with Lin Anxu—many, many more.
Fu Xianyin leaned closer to look at it with Zou Yuqin.
She used the blessing video as background noise. Fu Xianyin was intently looking at the photos when she suddenly heard a familiar voice.
It's Fu Dongyuan.
He appeared among the group of honorary alumni, smiling kindly, and offered his blessings for their coming-of-age ceremony.
Fu Xianyin looked up at Fu Dongyuan, then tugged at Gu Linzhao, about to say, "Look, this is my scumbag father," when she heard a very soft, cold snort from the side.
It seems to have been posted by Zou Yuqin.
But the sound was too faint, and Fu Xianyin could hardly verify it. Yet, a bad premonition suddenly welled up in her heart.
She turned to look at Zou Yuqin, who only glanced at Fu Dongyuan before looking down again and continuing to show Fu Xianyin the photos on her phone.
However, Fu Xianyin saw a hint of disgust and contempt on her face.
This negative emotion appeared quickly and disappeared just as quickly, but Fu Xianyin was certain that she had indeed caught such an emotion on Zou Yuqin's face.
The source of these emotions is Fu Dongyuan.
The bad premonition in her heart gradually grew, enveloping Fu Xianyin completely.
She suddenly felt a deep sense of unease.
It was the kind of worry that the current happiness was just a dream, and that this dream was about to end, only to be met with the suffocating gazes of Chen Huimei and Fu Dongyuan.
His fingertips were still gripping Gu Linzhao's sleeve. He felt Fu Xianyin tugging at him, tilted his head, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Fu Xianyin shook her head and said, "It's nothing, nothing at all."
[Author's Note]
I thought about it for a long time about whether to say it or not, but in the end I decided to say something.
When they were taking photos together, Ji Zhumiao seemed to want to say something. She wanted to take advantage of the photo shoot to ask Fu Xianyin to add her on WeChat, under the pretext of sending the photos later.
But she didn't bring it up again after being interrupted.
If Fu Xianyin is outwardly awkward, then Ji Zhumiao is awkward inside and out.
She was insecure, insecure about everything—insecure about her grades not being as good as Fu Xianyin's, insecure about her looks not being as good as Song Yaoge's. She was the kind of person who would frantically envy everyone's strengths, compare her own weaknesses to others' strengths, and then fall into a frantic internal struggle.
If Fu Xianyin's awkwardness created a protective shell for her, which she gradually lowered under Gu Linzhao's tolerance and began to accept the world, then Ji Zhumiao's awkwardness aroused jealousy, which in turn drove her to do some bad things.
Fu Xianyin and Ji Zhumiao are, in some ways, two awkward personifications: one is positive, and the other evolves and transforms into something negative.
It's not that Ji Zhumiao is a good person. The things she did certainly don't qualify her as a good person. But she can't be a purely bad person either. In some ways, she might not be completely bad. Or rather, Ji Zhumiao's cautiousness, her inferiority complex, her sensitivity, and her awkwardness mean that even if she is bad, she can't be bad in a flamboyant or obvious way.
She is actually one of the more complex supporting characters I created (although my writing skills prevented me from portraying her in great detail throughout the story, her initial concept was that she would be quite complex).
I'm writing this for no particular reason other than to share my creative process and also to give a small explanation of this character.
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