Chapter 63
June is the height of summer.
It was graduation season, and the campus was packed with seniors in their graduation gowns. Most gathered in groups of two or three, trying to capture precious memories in their own corners of the campus.
Lin Jiu was wearing a large black sun hat and riding a pink electric scooter on the black asphalt road on campus.
She rode very slowly.
The sun was very strong at two o'clock, so she deliberately rode towards the shady section of the road shaded by big trees.
The graduates holding flowers on the street had the same idea. The sidewalk was a bit crowded, so many people walked along the side of the road.
In order to avoid hitting pedestrians, Lin Jiu was extremely alert and paid special attention to the traffic conditions ahead.
It was a close call.
Arrived safely at the parking space near the library.
Lin Jiu parked the car, took out the car key, opened the seat, took out the lock and locked the tire. He performed the series of operations quite skillfully.
The small electric scooter next to me was generously sponsored by Chen Miao the day before the start of my sophomore year.
So far, after using it for nearly a year, there is no scratch on the body of the car. It is well maintained and looks as good as new.
Lin Jiu looked at the car sheltered in the shade of the dense trees and nodded with satisfaction. Then, he put on his large backpack and walked towards the magnificent building.
She had already finished her final exams, and her mission for this trip to the library was simple: to borrow five books to read during the summer vacation.
Fifteen minutes later.
Lin Jiu placed the book in front of the librarian and handed over his library card.
After completing the borrowing procedures.
She dumped several books into her bag.
The books are not very thick, and although they are a bit heavy, they are still within the bearable range.
So she carried her bulging bag on one shoulder and took the elevator from the fifth floor to the first floor.
Outside the elevator, several men and women in yellow graduation gowns stood. The men had their hair styled with wax and a simple hairstyle. The women had delicate makeup on their faces, their hair fluffy and fresh.
They seemed to be classmates, occasionally talking in low voices. One of the boys was holding a rather bulky camera.
Probably they came here to take photos inside.
Lin Jiu lowered her brows slightly and passed them by. There were still a few people standing in the hall, but it didn't hinder her from passing.
I swiped the card and exited the gate.
She slowed down her pace, lowered her head to throw the card slot into her bag, and walked towards the door.
As she stepped outside, the scorching heat hit her face. She was wearing a long skirt and a sun-protective jacket. Her arms felt fine, but the heat was still seeping into her neck.
At the moment of alternating between hot and cold, goose bumps appeared on the skin hidden under the clothes.
Lin Jiu was accustomed to this physiological reaction. He shrugged his shoulders, took a few steps, and completely adapted to the temperature outside.
The afternoon sun is too bright and dazzling.
Although the brim of her hat was wide, blocking some of the sunlight, she still raised her hands in front of her eyes and squinted her eyes as she prepared to walk down the stairs through the crowd of students in bachelor's gowns.
"Lin Jiu."
A clear and clean voice came from behind me, like a handful of spring water in summer, dispelling the sticky hot air around me.
Lin Jiu stopped, turned around, put down his raised hand, and looked at the person who came with his back to the sun.
Qin Zheng was standing just a few steps away from her.
He was wearing a black bachelor's gown like everyone else, with a yellow V-neck collar, symbolizing engineering. The difference was that he was not wearing a hat, but casually holding it in his hand, with the wheat ears on the hat pointing vertically to the ground and swaying in the wind.
She hadn't seen him for a long time and only heard some news about him from Zhou Jingmeng, who was promoted to the director of the Student Union Office.
-
The night before winter vacation, she and Zhou Jingmeng were the only ones in the dormitory.
That night, Zhou Jingmeng talked about Qin Zheng and told him about his recent situation. He said that his business was going smoothly, he had attracted investment, and the company started to operate.
She lamented with regret: "What a pity! I missed out on such a good-looking, good-natured, and capable blue chip."
Lin Jiu leaned over the bed and asked her, "Do you still have any ideas?"
"No," Zhou Jingmeng said. "It's just that feeling of melancholy that comes from seeing a very outstanding person pass by, but being unable to catch them... The aftermath is quite strong."
Lin Jiu didn't say anything.
She has a perfect Chen Miao by her side, and cannot fully understand Zhou Jingmeng's regret of being amazed by others.
There was silence in the dormitory for a moment.
Zhou Jingmeng hugged the pillow and said to Lin Jiu, "Don't you think he's like the hero in the novel who made his fortune from scratch?"
Lin Jiu had read countless novels, and many fragments flashed through his mind. Finally, he said with certainty: "They are indeed very similar, but the personalities are not very similar."
Zhou Jingmeng understood what she meant immediately and paused for a few seconds before saying, "Although Qin Zheng seems easy to get along with, he is quite resourceful. Everyone in the union obeys his orders and rarely complains about him. Even though he has quit the student union, people still ask for his opinion."
The Student Union is a small microcosm of society, with all kinds of people. However, Qin Zheng can properly handle various interpersonal relationships and make others respect him from the bottom of their hearts. He is a person with great charisma.
Lin Jiu pondered for a moment and said, "You're right, I have a stereotype about him."
Suddenly, Zhou Jingmeng asked inexplicably: "Will you regret it?"
Lin Jiu: “?”
Zhou Jingmeng added: "Being with Chen Miao, and then missing him."
At that time, Zhou Jingmeng already knew that Lin Jiu and Qin Zheng knew each other.
I found out about it through Lin Jiu’s circle of friends.
......
The morning of the last day of the National Day holiday.
Lin Jiu curled up on the sofa in Chen Miao's house. After blocking Yang Bing, he rarely posted a photo of the four of them.
In the photo, Lin Jiu and Wen Min are standing in the middle, leaning against the fence, with a rippling river behind them and flashing neon lights on the river bank.
Chen Miao and Ji Xin stood on both sides of them, like flower protectors.
Caption: A fulfilling National Day holiday [like].
This circle of friends was liked by many people, including Zhou Jingmeng and Qin Zheng.
After Zhou Jingmeng returned to school, she found out through WeChat that Qin Zheng had actually liked Lin Jiu’s Moments post, and she was extremely shocked for a moment.
Seeing this, Lin Jiu told her that Qin Zheng was the senior he had mentioned a long time ago, and also explained how they met.
Zhou Jingmeng was angry with Lin Jiu for several days because of this.
Later, Zhou Jingmeng figured it out and reconciled with Lin Jiu.
Later, during a chat with Lin Jiu, Zhou Jingmeng boldly guessed: "Qin Zheng must be interested in you!"
Lin Jiu shook his head and denied it: "We've only met a few times, he doesn't even know me, how could he like me?"
"If he doesn't like you, why would he go out of his way to add you on WeChat?"
"We are from the same hometown," Lin Jiu said. "Haven't you heard that? When fellow villagers meet, their eyes fill with tears."
Zhou Jingmeng shook his head, "It's definitely not that simple."
“It really is that simple!”
"No, my intuition tells me that he definitely has feelings for you! It's just that there are people around you, so he didn't do anything."
Lin Jiu knew that he couldn't correct Zhou Jingmeng's thoughts, so he didn't explain later.
.......
When Lin Jiu suddenly heard Zhou Jingmeng mention Qin Zheng and Chen Miao, he was speechless for a moment.
Lin Jiu didn't answer Zhou Jingmeng's question. He asked her in surprise, "I've been with Chen Miao for almost two years. Why would you ask such a question?"
Zhou Jingmeng: "I'm just curious."
“…”
"Suppose Qin Zheng really likes you, would you regret missing him?"
Lin Jiu said firmly: "No."
"Why?"
In the darkness, Lin Jiu raised the corners of his mouth and replied with a smile: "In my heart, Chen Miao is the best, no one can compare to him."
Zhou Jingmeng was tactful enough not to interrupt.
Lin Jiu explained, "Because you don't understand Chen Miao, in your opinion, Qin Zheng is not inferior to him in every aspect, and is even slightly better than him. I admit that Qin Zheng is really excellent. From zero to one, whether it is determination or ability, he is one in a million. But..."
Having said that, Lin Jiu paused, as if he was thinking about his words again.
"But what?" Zhou Jingmeng asked.
After a moment, Lin Jiu said, "Chen Miao is also very outstanding. Although his family is well-off, he is not complacent or lazy. He has clear goals and requirements for himself. He is confident but not ostentatious, self-disciplined and motivated. Most importantly, he firmly chose me, and... he made me realize his determination."
Due to the influence of family relationships, Lin Jiu knew very clearly that she had to find someone who could make her feel loved.
She doesn't need silent love, she needs open love.
She needs the other person to tell her clearly: he likes her.
After hearing Lin Jiu's words, Zhou Jingmeng remained silent for a long time. In the following days, she never mentioned this matter again.
-
Looking at Qin Zheng, who had been teased by her and Zhou Jingmeng, Lin Jiu felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, she nodded and greeted him: "Senior."
Qin Zheng whispered to the boy in a white T-shirt next to him, "Sorry, I have something to do. Let's take a photo together later."
The man in the white T-shirt hummed and didn't ask any more questions.
He glanced at Qin Zheng, then at Lin Jiu, as if he had discovered some secret. With a mysterious smile on his face, he walked into the library to cool off.
"..." Lin Jiu's scalp tingled when he looked at him, and then he looked at the bunch of bright sunflowers that Qin Zheng was holding.
Qin Zheng noticed her gaze, took a step towards her, and explained, "Just now our class took a group photo on the stairs. The one just now was my junior. He knew I was coming here in advance, so he gave me a bouquet of flowers and came over to take a photo with me."
Lin Jiu nodded to show that he understood.
On this occasion, at this time...
She added with great tact, "Happy graduation, senior."
Qin Zheng smiled gently, "Thank you."
Lin Jiu also smiled.
He suddenly asked, "How have you been in the past year or so?"
Lin Jiu thought hard for a few seconds and replied simply: "Very good, both my studies and my relationship are going well."
Qin Zheng was silent for a moment, then said softly, "That's good..."
Lin Jiu blinked, her long eyelashes moving slightly, and looked at him as if asking: Is there anything else?
Qin Zheng put the bachelor's hat on his head straight, then slowly touched his glasses with his free hand to hide the emotions in his eyes.
He said, “Can I take a photo with you?”
Lin Jiu's pupils widened slightly, and he pointed at himself uncertainly: "Me?"
"Yes." Qin Zheng said with a smile, "We don't seem to have any photos together. Today's photo is just a small request for my graduation."
Lin Jiu thought about it and agreed: "Okay."
"Then wait for me a moment, I'll find someone to take a photo for us." Qin Zheng turned and went into the library, and found the junior who had asked him to take a photo just now, to act as the photographer.
The junior student came out excitedly and immediately pointed out the photo spot he had chosen for them. "Let's take pictures right there! The light is good and it won't be too hot."
Lin Jiu looked in the direction of his finger. It was the front right corner of the library. In front of the marble floor stood a century-old tree, its lush branches creating a large, shady area on the ground.
Lin Jiu nodded, confirming his vision: "It is indeed very good."
Qin Zheng had no objection, "Then let's go there."
Lin Jiu walked straight towards it, and when he got close to the wall, he put down the heavy bag on his shoulder.
Qin Zheng took it from the side with one hand, weighed it up and down, and said, "I just noticed it, the bag is bulging. How many books did you borrow? Why is it so heavy?"
"Five books."
Lin Jiu looked at the bag in Qin Zheng's hand and said to him, "Put it on the ground. It's quite heavy."
"The ground is dirty. It's not suitable."
Qin Zheng handed the bag to his junior, "Excuse me."
The junior student, holding the bag in one hand and the phone in the other, smiled wryly and said, "It's okay, the bag isn't heavy, it's not a problem."
Lin Jiu: “…”
Seeing this, she said no more, walked to the shade of the tree, adjusted her sun hat, hooked the hair on her cheeks behind her ears, and looked directly at the camera.
Qin Zheng put the flowers in his hand on the ground, walked towards her, and stood at a fist's distance away.
The junior student, not knowing the relationship between the two, watched them distance themselves on screen and started to cheer, saying, "Come closer."
Lin Jiu breathed a sigh of relief.
Qin Zheng noticed her tense body and said to his junior: "It's okay, just shoot it like this."
Hearing this, the junior student didn't try to persuade him and just continued taking pictures. Seeing that both of them were a little serious in the camera, he immediately asked a question to liven up the atmosphere: "Do you know why I'm so popular?"
Lin Jiu frowned: "?"
Qin Zheng: “…”
Seeing the two of them looking puzzled, the junior student raised his head and said proudly, "Because my photography skills are super awesome."
Suddenly seeing the winking face opposite him, Lin Jiu couldn't hold back his expression and instantly smiled.
Qin Zheng also curled his lips, and under the transparent lenses, a smile appeared in the corners of his eyes.
The junior student wasn't exaggerating; his photography skills were indeed quite good. He captured this moment in time and froze the scene with his camera.
"Okay." The junior student made an OK gesture. "The man is handsome and the woman is beautiful. I took a very good picture of her."
Hearing this, Lin Jiu said to Qin Zheng, "Senior, please send me a copy of the photo as well."
Qin Zheng: "Okay."
After receiving the assurance, Lin Jiu left his spot, walked towards his junior and said, "I happen to be here, why don't I take a picture for you. But I have to say in advance that my technique may not be very good."
The junior student was stunned for a moment, then said happily, "That's great, I don't even have to look for anyone."
Lin Jiu stretched out his hand towards him, "Give it to me."
The junior student smiled and nodded. Suddenly, a look of confusion crossed his face, and his movements paused.
Just now, when he was taking pictures of Lin Jiu and Qin Zheng, a handsome man who looked tough was staring at them. He originally thought that the three of them knew each other, but the handsome man didn't even bother to say hello. He just stood there quietly with his arms crossed, like a statue.
Now, the handsome guy suddenly moved, passed behind Qin Zheng, and walked straight towards him with a few big strides.
While he was thinking, the handsome guy stretched out his hand to him and said in an unquestionable tone: "Give it to me." Perhaps he was intimidated by the handsome guy's aura. He didn't even have time to ask anything. Like a puppet, he handed the bag over stupidly.
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