Chapter 22 The answer is his name.
The walls smelled faintly of lime, their already grey surface only getting worse from Shen Ran's footsteps. Passing by, I saw several people standing in crooked positions, each with their own distinct characteristics.
Some people were so unruly that their heads were almost tilted onto the people next to them, some were lying back as if their bones were weak, and some were counting the windows of the senior high school building opposite out of boredom.
Zhou Suiye glanced at Jin Yunyan and suppressed a smile: "Are you grateful to me now for letting you experience the feeling of standing in the corner for the first time?"
"How immoral." Shen Ran complained.
Bo Xia nodded in agreement. It was truly wicked. Only because Jin Yunyan had a good temper did he not take it out on Zhou Suiye. She wondered what Jin Yunyan looked like when he got angry; he seemed to have a good temper with everyone.
Jin Yunyan leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, saying calmly, "It's not the first time."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him couldn't help but prick up their ears. Isn't this the first time? Could it be that a good student like him, who is both good in character and academics, also has a rebellious past?
Zhou Suiye reached out and nudged his arm: "Tell me your story."
"I was punished for fighting before transferring to this school," he said lightly. After a long pause, he asked, "Do you believe it?"
Jin Yunyan wore a smile, always gentle. Though he possessed a certain air of dignity and arrogance, it was hard to imagine him engaging in physical violence. Furthermore, he was incapable of conflict with anyone. Some boys at school considered him pretentious, but their gentle nature kept them from provoking him.
Therefore, Zhou Suiye sneered: "I don't believe it."
Others echoed: "Exactly, who would believe that?"
Maybe it was because of the conversation, but the time spent standing in the corner didn't seem so long anymore. Bo Xia's imagination began to wander, even to the point of looking at the senior high school classroom across the street and imagining her own senior year.
What is senior year of high school like? Will I not even have time to rest?
What will happen in the future...
My thoughts drifted further and further away, and suddenly a casual voice rang out in my ears: "You can go now."
Is it time? Bo Xia glanced at her watch. It was clearly fifteen minutes before school was over. She looked at Jin Yunyan with some confusion: "Is school over?"
Although the bell for the end of get out of class had not rung yet, the students in the classroom had already started packing up and rushing out. When they came out, they took a look at the beautiful scenery in the corridor.
Everyone was ready to leave, except Bo Xia who was still a little hesitant.
Wen Xin pulled her arm and said, "Let's go. The head teacher has already left, so no one will go over and complain."
"Well," Chen Ran added, "If you ask me later, just say it was Zhou Suiye who asked me to do it..."
"Hello--"
Zhou Suiye was so angry that he chased after Shen Ran, and the two of them ran to the end of the corridor together, leaving a few people behind to walk slowly.
The sturdy camphor tree between the two teaching buildings is still lush even in the cold winter. The green leaves are connected into one in the wind, making it difficult to tell what season it is.
Bo Xia quietly looked at Jin Yunyan's back, and her shoulders suddenly felt heavy. She heard a warm voice in her ears: "When will it snow?"
It seems that troubles come and go quickly. They were still thinking about evening self-study yesterday, and they were still thinking about the protest a few hours ago, but now their thoughts have jumped to the snow.
Bo Xia tilted his head to look at the tree, also longing for snow.
Perhaps it's because Southerners have an inexplicable yearning for snow. Unattainable and rare things are always precious, while commonplace things naturally become cheap.
…
The short holiday is not a relaxation for them, but it is a good thing to be able to take a break from their busy schedule.
Wen Xin suggested that Bo Xia stay at her house during the long vacation, and the invitation was very enthusiastic, but Bo Xia was a little embarrassed, saying that her family was strict and did not allow her to stay overnight at other people's homes.
"No way, this also needs to be taken care of."
"Yeah." Bo Xia often couldn't do whatever he wanted.
Because a child who is not favored or even loved has no capital to rebel. She still has to study and survive, so she can only instinctively become her parents' personal property.
Wen Xin was a little disappointed: "Okay then."
As usual, Bo Xia took the bus home. However, this time the house was much quieter than usual, and her father didn't come home until late at night.
While she was wondering, she received a call from her father, who said he was at her sister's place and that they were going to go back to their hometown to visit their grandmother on New Year's Day. "There's money in the drawer, and you're tired from running around. It's a good opportunity for you to study hard at home."
Bo Xia clutched the phone tightly and said after a while, "Okay."
The lights outside were slowly going out, and she stared out the window at the vast darkness in a daze.
From a young age, everyone told her that her family wasn't well off, her parents had a hard time, and that she was the older sister, so she had to be sensible. She became what everyone thought she was, sensible and independent, but no one realized that wasn't what she wanted.
When she is sensible and independent enough, people around her will take it for granted. They will only praise her for being sensible, and then naturally stop taking care of her and caring about her.
Bo Xia just felt sad.
It was many years later that she discovered that praise and glory are a form of kidnapping and manipulation. When you willingly accept and indulge in them, you've locked yourself in an impenetrable cage.
She had a fleeting thought at that moment—
In fact, it was good that they were a family, and it was good that she was the dispensable one, at least when she left one day, her parents would not be lonely. But she underestimated the greed of some parents when she was young, and they would never give up the return of their children to them.
The long vacation became extremely quiet, but fortunately she had long been accustomed to this quietness.
When Wen Xin sent her a message, she found that she was alone, so she suggested that she come and live with her. Bo Xia was a little hesitant at first, but after being encouraged a few times, she packed her things.
Wen Xin came to pick her up thoughtfully. At first, she was a little nervous, not knowing how to face her friend's parents. When she reached the door, Bo Xia lowered her head and was still hesitating whether to change her shoes, she heard a gentle voice.
"No need to change your shoes, come in quickly."
Bo Xia looked up and saw a gentle-looking middle-aged woman standing not far away. She was wearing a white sweater with a beige coat on the outside and smiled kindly. "This must be our Xinxin's good friend, right? She often mentions you to me. Don't be shy, treat this place as your own home."
Wen Xin blinked at her and said to her mother as a matter of course, "Mom, I want to eat some fruit and snacks, is that okay?"
"Okay, baby, I'll get it ready for you right away."
She smiled sweetly, then dragged Bo Xia into the house: "Come on, let's go play games."
Seeing that she couldn't pull him away, Wen Xin glanced at Bo Xia's expression. She knew her friend too well: "You don't mean to say that you still have a lot of homework to do, do you?"
Bo Xia was touched by what he was thinking and nodded seriously.
"Play first, don't worry about your crappy homework."
Bo Xia compromised and followed her into the room. Wen Xin was at the desk, turning on her computer. She couldn't help but look around the room. It was bright and spacious, and the decor was very girly and princess-like.
So envious.
When he looked away, Wen Xin had already opened the game page. Bo Xia declined: "I don't know how to play computer games. The last one I played was Plants vs. Zombies."
"Try it, it's fun."
Bo Xia took the game controller and couldn't help but say, "Your parents actually let you play games."
"Why not?" Wen Xin didn't think there was anything wrong with it. "Even if I wanted the moon in the sky, my dad would pick it for me. My parents bought me the game console. They said I should have everything other children have."
Sometimes the gap between people is so big. In her parents' words, other people's children are sensible and considerate and take care of all the housework at home, so she should be like that too.
Bo Xia was a little absent-minded at first, but as she played, she became addicted. The originally quiet person also became excited: "Go this way, this way."
Even when it was time to eat, she still felt a little reluctant to leave.
The table was filled with exquisite dishes. Wen Xin's mother had specially prepared some of her signature dishes because there were guests. Bo Xia was somewhat flattered: "Thank you, Auntie."
"What's the big deal? It's just a matter of having an extra pair of chopsticks. Although Xinxin is popular, you are the first girl she brought home."
Bo Xia took a bite of rice and suppressed a smile.
Because this sentence inexplicably sounded like she was brought home by Wen Xin as his girlfriend to meet his parents, and the other party's mother saw her and said, "Although my son has had a girlfriend, you are the first one he brought home."
Wen Xin smiled and said, "That's because our Xia Xia is the best. I love her so much."
“…” Now it’s even more like it.
Bo Xia bit her lip. Because of her introverted personality from childhood, she couldn't easily express her love. She hesitated for a moment and whispered, "You're good too."
Wen Xin just turned her head, with a sweet smile on her face. Her beautiful crescent eyes looked at her as if she had drunk honey water, and the sweetness went all the way to her heart.
Bo Xia also gradually relaxed, and it seemed that sleeping in the same bed with Wen Xin was not something that was unacceptable.
It was her first time sleeping in the same bed with someone other than her family. Unaccustomed to physical contact, she kept a distance from Wen Xin. The next second, her waist was hugged. Wen Xin couldn't help but act like a hooligan: "Xiao Xia, why is your waist so thin? Who are you going to take advantage of in the future?"
Perhaps night is the time when girls are most likely to open up to each other. Without vision, their hearts are always more likely to open up at such a specific time. Wen Xin suddenly leaned close to her: "Hey, do you have an ideal type?"
Bo Xia was stunned for a few seconds, and Jin Yunyan's face suddenly appeared in front of him.
The feeling of liking someone is that the vague ideal type will always become a specific image: "Hmm... tall, good grades..."
"Oh, I like bad ones. Don't you think bad ones are more exciting?"
In the darkness, Wen Xin couldn't see her expression, but she could probably imagine that her good girl was stunned again. She couldn't help but laugh softly: "But if one day I really had that kind of relationship, I'm afraid my dad would put him in jail."
"Uncle?"
"police."
Bo Xia also laughed, and the scene of "a loving father and a filial daughter" emerged in his mind.
"Xiao Xia, why do you like that boring type?" Wen Xin suddenly became curious.
"It's not that boring, right? Aren't gentle people wonderful? They can illuminate others like light..."
Bo Xia's description became more and more specific. Wen Xin narrowed her eyes and suddenly became suspicious: "Could it be that you have someone you like?"
Her heart felt like there were ten thousand fluttering butterflies, frantically trying to break free and fly away, as if she had been caught in a game of hide-and-seek. Her face flushed abnormally, and she even stuttered, "No, no."
Wen Xin knew her well enough that even though it was dark and she couldn't see Bo Xia's expression, she knew she had guessed right. But Bo Xia didn't usually show any signs of affection, and she wasn't close to any boys, except Zhou Suiye.
Wen Xin began to analyze. It seemed that Zhou Suiye didn't look like the gentle person she described. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Could it be..."
Bo Xia's heart was in her throat. She heard the people around her mumbling to themselves, "Zhou Suiye? That doesn't look like him. Chen Ran? Even less so. It can't be Jin Yunyan..."
She said nothing, but when she heard the name, it was as if a switch was pressed, and she even forgot to do the simple task of breathing.
Wen Xin couldn't guess, so she pretended to be lonely and said, "Forget it, I'm the only one who treats you as a good friend. It's normal for you not to share secrets with me..."
"That's not the case," Bo Xia anxiously grasped her pajamas, her voice becoming softer and softer, "It's...it's the last one you just mentioned..."
"Jin Yunyan!"
Her voice was a bit loud, and she didn't know if the people in the next room could hear it. Bo Xia, whose heart was touched, became a little anxious and reached out to cover Wen Xin's mouth: "You... speak softly."
Those three simple words were the answer to the mystery of her obscure youth, and the secret that she was desperately trying to hide from others.
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