On the sixth day of the Chinese New Year, senior year of high school started.

New arrangements for the new semester, seats are rearranged according to the final exam scores of the previous semester.

Shengxia’s deskmate is Li Shiyi, who was originally Zhou Xuanxuan’s deskmate. Their grades are both average in the class.

Zhou Xuanxuan's grades didn't change much, so she sat in front of Shengxia.

Among the others, only Qi Xiulei on the left was relatively familiar to Shengxia.

Zhang Shu still sat at the last table in that row.

Even though he lost at Waterloo, he was still first in Class 6.

When the seats were separated, Xin Xiaohe hugged Shengxia and pretended to cry. She waited until everyone had almost moved out before she reluctantly moved out.

But someone to her right simply asked, "Do you have anything else for me?"

Then they moved away.

After moving, she returned and helped her move the desk and then the book boxes.

Then ask, "Is there anything else you want to move?"

Shengxia: “No more.”

The process seems to be no different.

But the feeling in midsummer is different.

He didn't even meet her eyes anymore.

So different.

What happened to him yesterday?

Is there something wrong at home? Is he in a bad mood?

Their seats were half the distance between them. He didn't come to see her, and she didn't know whether to ask him.

As soon as the class was over, he either lay down to sleep or did exercises.

During the last break in the morning, Shengxia passed by through the back door on the pretext of getting some water. She saw him browsing his phone, thinking he must be idle. She was about to go up to him and say hello, but before she could even say "Ah Shu", she saw him lying down and falling asleep again.

Then I won't bother you anymore.

At noon, before Shengxia had finished packing, she saw Zhang Shu had already left the classroom without even waiting for Hou Junqi.

Hou Junqi called him from behind, "Ah Shu, wait for me?" Then he turned around and called Shengxia, "Hurry up, little Shengxia!"

Shengxia quickened her pace to catch up with Hou Junqi.

But they were still far behind Zhang Shu.

When we arrived at the store, Zhang Shu was already eating.

Shengxia and Hou Junqi sat down in the seats where they usually sat.

No words throughout the whole process.

"Ashu, are you sick?" Hou Junqi asked.

Zhang Shu: "Are you cursing me?"

Hou Junqi: ...

Shengxia lowered his head and ate without interrupting.

It feels like he is still talking to Hou Junqi in the same way.

Well, it's different for her.

This intuition was further verified every day that followed.

He seemed very sleepy and slept almost all the time during breaks. In the morning, he returned to his habit of arriving at the classroom on time. He only attended two evening classes and then left, which was a bit strange.

There seemed to be nothing else going on. He answered questions as usual, and when the boys were gathered together, he would still say something hurtful from time to time. He didn't seem to be unhappy.

So even Hou Junqi didn't notice anything.

The three of them still ate together, and Zhang Shu still took good care of Shengxia. If her schoolbag was heavy, he would carry it for her, and if he forgot to make soup for her, he would also make it for her.

There seems to be no difference in communication.

Normally, Shengxia didn't talk much, and their conversations were often futile.

Sometimes Shengxia even wondered if she was overthinking.

But the silent QQ dialog box told her that everything had really changed.

After submitting the manuscript, she no longer needed to write until the early morning and could go to bed at midnight.

After turning over and over several times, she opened her eyes resignedly and stared at the ceiling blankly, as if possessed. The ceiling was like a screen, projecting various images of him.

Everything is the same, and yet nothing is the same.

There was no light in his eyes, no intimacy in his words. And that was only when he was talking to her.

She finally determined that he was distancing himself from her.

On the mobile phone, the latest QQ chat box is with Tao Zhizhi.

On that "date", Tao Zhizhi was "live-streamed" almost the entire time, so much so that in the end, she could not accept it even more than Shengxia.

"What? He didn't come?"

"No way, it's our first date!"

"He was the one who asked for the date!"

"Didn't he say anything?"

"Did something happen at home?"

Shengxia couldn't answer these questions, but she also wanted to know.

For so many days, he didn't seem to want to say anything, maybe he just didn't want to mention it.

Thinking about it carefully, they were not very familiar with each other, and she couldn't even guess what might happen to him.

The only person we knew in common, apart from our classmates, was Zhang Sujin.

But Zhang Sujin seems to be in a good mood recently, and it doesn't seem like there is anything wrong at home.

"It's okay. You went on the date so beautifully. It's his loss if you didn't see it!"

"Xia Xia, don't be sad, I'll help you scold him this weekend!"

These are Tao Zhizhi's last two messages.

Are you sad?

Of course.

On the way there that day, she specially brought two helmets. She was still thinking, should she hug his waist when he gave her a ride this time? Would it be too unrestrained? Her cheeks were hot just thinking about it.

On the way back, she looked at the useless helmet and her eyes suddenly became hot.

Go to the appointment with a blushing face and leave with red eyes.

Doubt, sadness, and regret.

Of course it's sad.

So sad that I never want to date again.

Midsummer unconsciously opened QQ space again, scrolled through the homepage repeatedly, and scrolled back again out of boredom. Suddenly she remembered that he said on the night he confessed his love, that he analyzed his birthday from her message board, and she clicked on his message board.

The earliest ones were from a year ago, and the content had nothing to do with itching, it was all about "stepping on it" and the like.

When I exited, I clicked on the previous prompt message.

Just scrolling down, almost all of them are likes and comments from him to her.

The person who would go through her space and like and comment on every post now has nothing to say.

A hint of bitterness rose at the tip of her nose, and she just stared at the comments blankly.

Suddenly, Shengxia sat up abruptly.

Scroll to the bottom and look up one by one, reading backwards.

[I feel dizzy.]

[Like spring? There is no spring in Nanli, thank you.]

[Go to school happily and come back home happily.]

[You probably don't take Lei Gong and Dian Mu seriously.]

[Is this your style?]

[I know the great writer.]

[Hearsay is the truth.]

[learn.]

[What?]

I like you, do you know?

Shengxia confirmed it in disbelief.

That's right, even the order is correct, how can this be a coincidence?

At that time, she felt that except for the first few sentences which were barely related to the content she posted, the rest was just nonsense.

She didn't care much.

At that time, what time was that?

It was the evening when we returned from Binjiang Park.

Could it be that he has liked her so early?

Shengxia lay back down, threw her cell phone aside, and stared at the ceiling in a daze.

If so, why?

He likes her and she knows it. So what?

She couldn't understand his preferences.

Perhaps, is she qualified to ask?

Shengxia was uncertain, but there was a voice in his heart clamoring and encouraging him.

She picked up her phone again and posted a message that only "Song Jiang" could see.

[When the weather is warm and cold, it is the most difficult to rest.]

At two o'clock in the morning, Zhang Shu saw Sheng Xia's words.

The light was still on at the desk; he had just finished studying for the day.

The weather is either hot or cold, she can't sleep?

If he remembered correctly, this poem started with the line: Searching and searching, cold and desolate, sad and miserable.

This sentence seems more suitable for him.

Twisting his tired neck and shoulders, Zhang Shu stood up, checked the time, hesitated for a few seconds, and knocked on Zhang Sujin's door.

"Sister, wake up."

"sister?"

"sister!"

Zhang Sujin opened the door with a bad look on his face. Who would be in a good mood after being woken up in the middle of the night?

But the next second, she woke up.

Zhang Shu stood tall in front of the door and said solemnly, "Sister, I'm in love."

Zhang Sujin looked at his younger brother quietly, blinked, walked out of the room, went to the living room and sat on the sofa.

"Pour me a glass of water."

Zhang Shu said "Oh", went to pour it, and also got himself a can of Coke, opened it with one hand, and poured it into his throat by the edge of the can.

Zhang Sujin quietly looked at the tall and straight young man with a rolling Adam's apple a few meters away, and felt inexplicably jealous.

The baby who clung to her thighs when she was little has grown up and is doing so well.

"Here." Zhang Shu put the water on the tea table in front of her and leaned casually against the TV cabinet. "You said that when I fall in love, I must tell you."

Zhang Sujin complained inwardly: ...There's no need to tell me so late at night.

"With Shengxia?" Zhang Sujin went straight to the point.

After two seconds of silence, Zhang Shu replied: "It's not 'and', it's 'right'."

Zhang Sujin: "What do you mean, one-way?"

Zhang Shu lowered his head: "It's not possible to go both ways. She's going abroad."

He started the story from the confession of love, and omitted the conversation with Lu Youze and the date that ended in failure.

Zhang Sujin asked: "What do you think?"

"I don't know," Zhang Shu took another sip, letting the soda stimulate his senses. "If it was at another stage, in the first or second year of high school, or even at the beginning of the third year, I might have a solution, but now, I have no idea at all."

Powerless and confused.

Zhang Sujin: "Have you asked her?"

"Um?"

“Ask her what she thinks.”

Zhang Shu shook his head.

"The biggest difference between boys and girls in facing problems is that boys only think about solving the problem, while girls are more concerned about emotions and attitudes," Zhang Sujin said. "Don't make decisions for her, give her choices, and talk to her so that you can know what is good for her. What you think is not selfish may not be what she wants."

Zhang Shu: "Focusing on emotions instead of solving problems is not rational. If we continue, what if it really affects her studies and future?"

Zhang Sujin nodded: "Maybe, but even if it ends, you should give a clear farewell."

Zhang Shu was silent, no one knew what he was thinking, his eyes were dull.

Zhang Sujin said, "The reason why I asked you to tell me is because I want to warn you to protect girls, both physically and mentally. It's not that girls are particularly fragile, but it takes girls a much longer time to heal from injuries than boys. Some people even never get over it in their lifetime. The more innocent people are, the more this is true. You didn't go on the date, so you made a mistake. She may never want to date you again."

A sigh came out of Zhang Shu's mouth.

"Got it." He drank the remaining soda in one gulp and twisted the can with his hands, crushing it beyond recognition.

He threw the can from a long distance, and it fell into the trash can with a clang along a parabola.

"Go to sleep, sis."

Zhang Sujin didn't say much. For Zhang Shu, one or two words were enough.

She stood up and went back to her room. Behind her came the weak and defeated voice of the young man.

"Sister, I really like her. I like her so much that it hurts when I think of her."

When Shengxia woke up the next day, she checked QQ as a conditioned reflex, but there was no other information except Tencent News.

There are no likes or comments in the space.

There isn't even a visitor log.

Didn't he see it?

Maybe he went to bed early? He has been coming home early lately.

Thinking about the time we spent working on homework together online for only half a month, it feels like a lifetime ago.

Zhang Shu still slept from morning to afternoon, of course only during class breaks.

During lunch, Shengxia noticed that he didn't look at his phone either.

Thinking about what she had posted, she felt a little ashamed. If he didn't read it, she decided to delete it that night.

Just as she was daydreaming, she heard someone calling her, "Shengxia, come out for a moment!"

It was Fu Jie who called her. Wang Wei was also there.

Before she got up, she saw Zhang Shu suddenly wake up. He raised his head abruptly as if he had heard some command, glanced at Shengxia, and then looked out the window in the direction of the sound.

His eyes were filled with confusion, as if he was about to wake up.

It was like a subconscious action.

Fu Jie smiled and said, "Zhang Shu, are you awake? Do you want to sleep a little longer? I didn't ask you to get up."

The whole room burst into laughter.

"Sleep, sleep, sleep, all you do is sleep. Even the ringing can't wake you up. You don't even check how many days are on the countdown. Can you sleep and get your first place back for me?" Lao Wang chattered on and on.

It’s midsummer and I don’t know whether I should go out now.

Wang Wei was really worried about Zhang Shu.

Someone suddenly shouted, "Call Shengxia and he will wake up! Shengxia's name is the ringing sound!"

There was another round of laughter.

Shengxia blushed suddenly.

Normally they would tease each other in private, but how could they do that in front of the teacher...

Zhang Shu poured half a bottle of water into his mouth, as if to sober himself up, and then said solemnly: "What are you talking about?"

The tone was one of honest blame.

The classmate was stunned, and Shengxia also froze.

This seemed to be the first time he responded to his classmates' teasing.

It seems like he is trying to avoid suspicion.

Wang Wei rebuked the students who were shouting nonsense: "Study your own subject well!"

Then he said gently, "Shengxia, come."

"Shengxia, I must tell you this news as soon as possible," Fu Jie said solemnly, "Your manuscript was rejected the first time it was selected. The editor said that the quality of each article is not a big problem, but as a collection, there is no theme and it is too scattered. This is also the reason why it was not planned well before."

In fact, it was Shengxia's opportunistic nature. She had thought that the collection needed to be more unified, but most of what she had written before were just her inspiration, so naturally there was no theme. Later, she was reluctant to give up the previous manuscript of tens of thousands of words.

Shengxia's heart sank. "As for the theme, is it the same era or genre?"

Fu Jie nodded: "That's roughly it."

"How about submitting it to another publishing house?"

“It should be about the same.”

Shengxia was unwilling to give up: "What if I rewrite it?"

"It's very difficult," Fu Jie analyzed. "I looked carefully. You have selected 8 pieces from the same era at most, but the types are too different. If we only count the types, there are 6 pieces of bold and unrestrained style, and the most are graceful and elegant, with about 10 pieces. Many of the others are difficult to categorize and are very niche."

If there are at most 10 articles of the same type, they are only 20,000 to 30,000 words each, and it will be too late to rewrite them.

During the final period of last semester, she stayed up until the early morning every night, took a four-hour break during the day, and kept writing, but all her work was in vain.

It came as a bolt from the blue.

When this word really happens, people are confused.

The most depressing thing is never the lack of hope, but seeing hope being shattered.

Wang Wei looked at the little girl's lips which turned pale instantly, and he didn't know whether he should continue talking.

"Shengxia..." He continued, "Director Li called to ask about your report card. You haven't uploaded your report card from No. 2 Middle School. Please send it to me when you have time."

There was a buzzing in my ears in midsummer and I couldn't hear clearly.

But I know that Fu Jie and Wang Wei didn't come for just one thing.

Fu Jie bumped Wang Wei's arm and warned him with her eyes not to talk anymore.

"Shengxia?" Fu Jie called her.

"Yes, teacher."

Fu Jie comforted her, "If that doesn't work, just focus on preparing for the college entrance exam. You've made great progress. Keep it up and try again. You can get into a good university."

Shengxia murmured, "Well, I understand. Thank you, teacher."

She didn't know how she got back to her seat, but when she sat down, she realized that this was the first time in days that she passed by the back door and didn't pay attention to what he was doing.

She had no time to care.

Tomorrow the first and second year of high school will officially start. Now I am preparing for evening classes. The two teaching buildings next door are bustling with activity. The third year students just shook their heads, sighed a few words, glanced at the countdown board, and continued to concentrate on doing their homework.

Most people will eventually have to take the single-plank bridge of the college entrance examination.

Why does she think she can build a ladder to heaven?

This is my ability, there is no other choice.

Shengxia took out her cell phone and entered QQ. In the chat box, the teacher from the overseas study institution sent her a new class schedule.

SAT classes have also started to be scheduled.

She still didn't reply, went into her own space, and deleted her latest post.

"Sheng Sheng Man" is a poem of resentment between a man and his wife.

It is a sorrow that is destined to receive no response.

Shengxia stuffed a piece of chocolate into her mouth and prepared to concentrate on her studies.

There is no benefit in dwelling on sadness at any time.

I casually stuffed the chocolate wrapper into the garbage bag, only to find that it was too full and had squeezed the garbage bag of my deskmate Li Shiyi. Li Shiyi looked at Shengxia with some dissatisfaction.

Shengxia said "sorry" and picked up the bag to throw it away at the sanitation corner.

Before, when he was sitting at the same table with Zhang Shu, her garbage bag always took up his hook. Would he? It was actually annoying. Also, her things were always flying around...

Sometimes Xin Xiaohe is speechless.

But he seemed to have never said anything.

He looks like a difficult person, but he is actually very tolerant.

Shengxia threw the garbage bag into the big trash can and shook her heavy head - why was she thinking about him again.

Even when throwing away garbage, I can think of him.

Just as Shengxia was about to turn around, the world suddenly went dark, and at the same time, screams and complaints came one after another -

Is there a power outage?

Even a wealthy high school would have a power outage?

"Damn! As soon as the first and second year students come, all the lights are turned on everywhere. Is it overloaded again?"

"Can the electrician please help? This happens every year. Why didn't they do any maintenance during the holidays?"

"It doesn't seem so. My family group said that the family has stopped too?"

“Is this movie stopped?”

"Okay, let's take a break, everyone!"

"Oh yeah, let's see who dares to learn secretly!"

"Go buy some candles!"

Shengxia dared not move because she was standing in the bathroom corner, which was the small corridor on the north side. Behind her was a row of camphor trees, rustling in the dark night.

It was pitch black everywhere.

She knew she should go into the classroom immediately, but she couldn't move her feet. She was a little night blind and had not yet adapted to the darkness, so she had no idea where to go.

A chill ran down her spine.

Some strange and outdated things came into her mind again...

Sinister.

Suddenly, she felt a gust of wind and something huge was approaching. Her hand was grabbed and she froze. She screamed subconsciously - Ah!

However, compared to the chattering in the classroom, it was almost inaudible.

Then she heard a familiar voice saying, "Don't be afraid."

Before she could react, she was dragged forward, out of the teaching building through the small corridor and into the connecting corridor.

It was pitch black at night and she could hardly see anything.

But the warmth from the tightly held hand made her blood boil.

Hou Junqi's voice came from the classroom behind him: "Go buy some candles, Ah Shu. Eh? Where's Ah Shu? Ah Shu! Where are you, huh?"

After a while, Wang Wei's voice could be heard, almost yelling, "Stop all this, wait until the school generates its own electricity, it may take half an hour at the shortest, or an hour at the slowest, wait! Stop making noise!"

Stop arguing.

They walked further and further away, and the sounds behind them could no longer be heard.

They walked all the way to the sports field. When they walked down the stairs, he was in front of her, holding her hand and leading her. He turned around and asked, "Can you see it?"

Adjusting to the darkness, she could see the outlines: "Yeah, a little."

When we got to the track, he said, "Let's take a walk."

Her hand was released, and she followed him closely. No one spoke first, and it was so quiet that even breathing could be heard. The white dividing line of the plastic track was particularly clear in the dark night, and she walked along the line in small steps.

He seemed to notice it and slowed down.

walk.

Who said that there is something more charming than holding hands and kissing? Taking a walk.

The sky was ordinary, with no moonlight, but Shengxia suddenly remembered a sentence - the moonlight is so beautiful tonight.