Chapter 38 Revealing Secrets Have you ever thought that perhaps Senior He...
“It’s not what you think…” Zhu Liushuang stubbornly resisted. “When we get home, I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
Tian Xingyu pinched her waist lightly, then glanced at her sideways and said, "You must tell me everything you know!"
"Definitely, definitely," Zhu Liushuang said through gritted teeth, her fair face flushed slightly.
Ye Xingzhi was forced to watch the two girls exchanging glances, feeling strange but not daring to ask too many questions. So he changed the subject: "By the way, No. 1 Middle School is having its 100th anniversary celebration at the end of August. Are you coming?"
"The end of August? There's only a little over a month left. How come there wasn't a single word about it before?" Zhu Liushuang asked.
"The school leaders probably wanted to make it a grand affair, and they'd been discussing the timing for a while. They finally decided on before the start of the semester, so it wouldn't affect students' classes and could also squeeze out some of the teachers' vacation time. Hehe—of course, that's just my guess." After grumbling, Ye Xingzhi added, "Actually, preparations have been underway for a long time, and the school's official WeChat account will probably release an announcement about the anniversary celebration next week."
He explained in detail, his captivating peach blossom eyes fixed on Tian Xingyu's face as he spoke, as if afraid of missing any subtle expression.
Unfortunately, "the falling flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless," and Tian Xingyu didn't even give him a second glance.
"Ayu, when do you start school? Shall we go together?" Zhu Liushuang tugged at her best friend's sleeve, her tone slightly coquettish.
Tian Xingyu's expression softened, and she whispered to Zhu Liushuang, "Okay, let's go together."
"Are you guys going?" Ye Xingzhi asked eagerly. "There are a lot of activities, and souvenirs and merchandise too."
"We should go," Zhu Liushuang said softly.
"We'll see, I might not have time." Tian Xingyu raised her chin, her tone indifferent.
What a child! He's already made up his mind, yet he still has to put on airs in front of Senior Ye. Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but steal glances at Ye Xingzhi's reaction, and when she saw his droopy face, she suddenly felt a little sorry for him.
It's likely that there were other hidden reasons behind their breakup, and it wasn't as simple as Tian Xingyu confessed to herself—a "good-natured parting."
"If you're coming... let me know in advance." Ye Xingzhi forced a smile. "I think it's getting late, hurry home and be careful on the road. Some people should drive carefully, lest they crash into someone else's car."
What was meant as an instruction took on a different meaning when he said it. Tian Xingyu immediately became displeased: "If some people hadn't parked their cars so far out, blocking the road, I wouldn't have crashed into them..."
The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, and Zhu Liushuang had to lower her voice to "mediate": "Ayu, let's not stoop to his level. Access control, access control... if we keep arguing, your access control time will be up!"
Under pressure from her mother's authority, Tian Xingyu glared at Ye Xingzhi and gave up the idea of retaliating.
She grabbed Zhu Liushuang's arm and said, "Shuangshuang, you drive first, I'll follow behind."
Zhu Liushuang sighed twice, turned around, and nimbly got on her electric scooter. While turning the key, she didn't forget to call out to the person she had neglected: "Senior Ye, see you at the school anniversary celebration."
Night fell, and the sky was filled with stars. The roar of a sports car swept past, breaking the silence of the small town.
Ye Xingzhi stared intently at the two people who left one after the other, his heart filled with mixed feelings.
Only after the roar of the engine had completely faded away did he realize that he hadn't yet found the person he was supposed to be looking for.
————
To others, Zhu Liushuang is probably a gentle and kind girl. She always acts with a smile, speaks in a sweet voice with a touch of southern elegance and softness, and seems like an easy person to get along with.
Only those close to her know that this girl is stubborn, tight-lipped, and rarely reveals her true feelings. If you push her too far, she'll simply pretend to be mute, and you won't get a single honest word out of her.
It's often said that the tight-knit friendships between girls are frequently built on sharing their innermost feelings about love. Zhu Liushuang agrees with this. Back in school, she was Tian Xingyu's strategist in her pursuit of love, offering countless advice and suggestions.
Although this half-baked strategist has zero experience in love.
Since Tian Xingyu and Ye Xingzhi broke up, the two have rarely talked about their relationship. The thought of being "tortured" by her best friend tonight gave Zhu Liushuang a headache.
As the saying goes, secrets can't be kept forever; her darkest secret will eventually be revealed. Rather than waiting for Tian Xingyu to "torture" her, it's better to just spill the beans herself.
In this way, she can still maintain the initiative.
So, for the first time, Zhu Liushuang was so well-behaved. Before her best friend could ask any questions, she told her everything that had happened to her recently. She even shared her old stories from her school days.
The amount of information was overwhelming, and Tian Xingyu remained speechless for a long time after hearing the whole story.
"Ah Yu, do you think I'm a little foolish?" Zhu Liushuang sighed softly, "How dare I have designs on someone so unattainable."
Unexpectedly, a clear sob suddenly came from the long-silent phone receiver.
Tian Xingyu cried as she spoke, "Waaah—Shuangshuang, why didn't you tell me sooner! If you had told me sooner, I could have helped you pursue Senior He..."
"I wouldn't dare." Zhu Liushuang closed her eyes, her eyelashes brushing against the skin beneath them, causing a slight itch. He Ming's serious and aloof face appeared before her eyes. "Back then, I probably only dared to look at him from afar."
Originally, Zhu Liushuang didn't want to tell Tian Xingyu the truth, since she could easily hide her "crush." She only answered the question, "Why did Ye Xingzhi create a WeChat group for you?"
However, if there is too much concealment and deception in a friendship, her friendship will be in jeopardy once the secret is exposed.
"So... that time you played a prank on the wrong person, that's why you reacted so strongly? So... on the day of the Top Ten Singers Competition, your loss of composure was entirely because of Senior He?" As the past flashed by, Tian Xingyu suddenly raised her voice, "I knew it! After listening to Senior He sing that day, you were completely stunned, your soul was almost captivated. It's also my fault, I only had eyes for that bastard Ye Xingzhi at the time, and I actually let you fool me."
"Hmm—was it that obvious? That you remembered it for so long," Zhu Liushuang said shyly.
"Shuangshuang, do you remember how I warned you? Never fall for Senior He, you'll get hurt..." Tian Xingyu said with exasperation, "And what did you do? You went straight for the tiger's den, didn't you?"
“Yeah…so many people like him.” Zhu Liushuang became even more dejected. “One more or one less won’t make a difference.”
After talking for a while, both of their voices became a little hoarse. Tian Xingyu sensed the melancholy in her friend's words and tried her best to comfort her, saying, "Have you ever thought that perhaps Senior He treats you differently than others?"
"Huh?" Zhu Liushuang's eyes snapped open.
“He Xuechang is such an unapproachable person, yet he would hand you tissues, help you carry your suitcase, and give you his seat while queuing…” Tian Xingyu felt more and more that her analysis made sense as she spoke. “And look at him now, he actually shared your radio program on his WeChat Moments. Have you ever seen him share anyone else’s?”
“No. But that was out of good manners…” Zhu Liushuang muttered to herself, “He doesn’t even remember ever helping me.”
“Fine! Let’s just say all the help he gave you in high school was out of good manners, but what about now?” Tian Xingyu cut to the chase. “Why is he sharing your radio show for no reason? Shuangshuang! We have a chance!”
Is there really a chance? Or is it just her imagination?
Now that even Tian Xingyu, an observer, has the same feeling, can she just indulge in wishful thinking?
He Ming treated her differently.
"Why don't you find an opportunity to ask him why he shared your program?"
Zhu Liushuang shook her head frantically, wailing, "No... I dare not ask."
"How about I ask him for you?" Tian Xingyu quickly dismissed the idea. "Forget it, I wouldn't dare. I don't even have his WeChat..."
In the end, the two reached the same conclusion about Zhu Liushuang's crush on He Ming: "The road ahead is long and arduous." To win He Ming's heart, one must be unafraid of cold shoulders, be bold yet meticulous, and proceed slowly.
With a huge weight lifted from her chest, Zhu Liushuang felt completely relieved. Although she couldn't escape a scolding and complaints from her best friend, at least their friendship hadn't capsized.
Because of her unreserved honesty, Tian Xingyu felt even more sorry for her. In the end, she even vowed to become her "strategist" on her journey to love, helping her to win over He Ming, this "high-and-mighty flower".
Zhu Liushuang couldn't help but chuckle at Tian Xingyu's words. Holding her hot phone, she looked at the clock that was about to strike midnight and asked, "Is there anything you don't want to know? I won't tell you after tonight!"
"One last question!" Tian Xingyu asked urgently, "In the second semester of our first year of high school, which should have been close to the college entrance exam, one evening after self-study you said you wanted to stay in the classroom to do a few more physics problems and didn't go back to the dormitory with me. Did you really do problems in the classroom that day?"
She was met with silence.
"I remember that night, some senior students from the second-year music club organized a shouting event for the third-year students. Unfortunately, I was taking a shower at the time and didn't have time to go and join in. By the time I came out of the shower, the event was over... and I saw you coming back from outside with a blank look on your face."
The reason Tian Xingyu remembered it so clearly was simply because she was lazy that night and didn't want to do her physics homework. She wanted to borrow Zhu Liushuang's notebook for reference, but after flipping through it for a long time, she found that her friend's exercise book was completely empty, with not a single word of the questions to be done.
Tian Xingyu found it strange and was about to ask why when she saw Zhu Liushuang looking dejected, her little face on the verge of tears. Feeling sorry for her, she quickly made up a few lame jokes to cheer her up.
"I'm sorry, Ayu, I lied to you that day," Zhu Liushuang said apologetically.
"Hmph—haven't you lied to me enough? You never tell the truth when it comes to anything related to Senior He," Tian Xingyu said, feigning anger. "This time, I won't be fooled by your tears."
Zhu Liushuang opened her mouth to the phone receiver, but couldn't utter a single word.
She thought she had forgotten what happened that night. But now, thinking back, the deep sadness still washes over her.
The phone screen showed that there was still two percent battery left. Zhu Liushuang hurriedly found the charger and whispered into the receiver, "Ayu, my phone is almost out of battery. I'll type it out to you later after I charge it."
"Okay, it's late. You can tell me tomorrow. Go to sleep early... Good night."
After years of getting to know each other, Tian Xingyu noticed Zhu Liushuang's low spirits. She said in a light tone, "I was just joking. If you really don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. Even the best of friends can keep their own secrets."
Zhu Liushuang thought that it wasn't that she didn't want to talk about it. It was just that what happened that day was not easy for her to say. If she could express it in writing, her sadness would probably be less.
————
Every year before the college entrance examination, No. 1 High School gives its senior students three days off to study at home and adjust their mindset. Zhu Liushuang clearly remembers that day was the day before the senior students' holiday.
Before evening self-study started, she realized she had started her period, so she went to the school store to buy sanitary napkins.
Because she was afraid of being seen by the boys when she paid, she waited outside until the crowd dispersed before entering the convenience store. At that time, there were two tall girls left in the store. Zhu Liushuang recognized them; they were senior students from the school's music club.
Did you receive the text message?
"Received! The minister said it's the last day, we must act."
"The senior students' evening self-study session ends half an hour later than ours. We'll meet at the grand piano in the lobby on the first floor."
"I heard this whole thing wasn't discussed with the school leaders... Hehe, tonight's going to be amazing!"
Zhu Liushuang followed behind the two senior students and overheard their conversation. Therefore, she knew before others that the music club members were preparing a surprise for all the senior students in the school.
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Author's note: Another day of envying Shuangshuang and Ayu's friendship.
Even best friends can keep their own secrets. Waaah, friendships forged through student days are just different!
So... what did they both do that night? Of course!
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