Confessing love
Sheng Jiao didn't leave Huai'an. From kindergarten to the second year of junior high, she was in the same class as Ruan Xiyan and Wen Fei. After school, Sheng Jiao's favorite place was the snack street on North Road. Every day, she would drag the two of them there to eat without any regard for appearances, their mouths greasy.
Ruan Xiyan jokingly said to her, "I haven't seen you acting like a young lady at this time."
"There is no distinction between high and low, noble and base, when it comes to delicious food." Sheng Jiao holds this truth in her heart when it comes to food.
Having been away from the food street for a long time, Sheng Jiao instantly forgot about the people behind her and, like a fish, plunged into the sea of people on the street.
Wen Fei pointed in the direction Sheng Jiao had left, indicating, "I'm going to find her."
Wen Fei's suggestion is excellent. Ruan Xiyan looked at him with a hint of gratitude, while the latter showed little reaction and disappeared into the crowd.
Finally, only Lu Er and Ruan Xiyan remained. Ruan Xiyan looked at her and asked, "What would Teacher Lu like to eat?"
Along the entire sidewalk, food stalls were set up like the scales of a dragon in a Spring Festival dance. Lu Er and Ruan Xiyan walked along the dragon's spine for a while, then her eyes lingered on a fruit salad stall: "Shall we have some fruit salad?"
"good."
After buying fruit salad, Lu Er and Ruan Xiyan walked along the snack street and sat on a bench by the roadside.
A jacaranda tree supports my head. After the height of summer, most of the purple flowers have withered, with only two or three clusters blooming in the branches, like hydrangeas in a green sea.
Lu Er scooped up a mango blossom petal with a spoon, swallowed it, and felt its cool, refreshing taste.
This feeling was like returning to that night of picnic at summer camp. She and Ruan Xiyan sat by the stream, enjoying the night breeze from Qingmeng Mountain.
It seems to have blown away the fatigue from climbing the mountain of books these past few days.
Lu Er asked him, "Is the training camp tiring?"
“Tired,” Ruan Xiyan recalled. “Locked in the studio, huddled in that small place, repeating the same thing over and over again.”
He then smiled and said, "But if I were to do what you guys do, I would find it even more tiring. At least painting is something I enjoy."
Ruan Xiyan wanted to ask which university she would apply to. If she aspired to attend Tsinghua or Peking University, then...
But the words stuck in his throat and fell down with the spoonful of yogurt.
Ruan Xiyan brought up another topic: "Teacher Xiaolu, do you know that I signed up for the gala?"
Lu Er looked at him. His two eyes were like pearls soaking in spring water, dark and bright, giving Lu Er a kind of illusion that if she touched his eyes, tears would flow from their sockets.
“I can sing a song. That song is for you,” Ruan Xiyan smiled. “I hope you will like it.”
And I hope you'll like me too.
During the four years that Sheng Jiao was away from the country, Wen Fei only contacted her by phone a few times. But it was as if she were his North Star, and that he didn't need any tools to know where she was when she returned.
For example, he found her right there in front of the oden stand without taking any detours.
Sheng Jiao picked through each of the labels, and when she couldn't hold all the paper cups in her arms anymore, she saw Wen Fei coming over and handed them to him: "Help me carry them."
"Am I your bodyguard? Throw me away."
That's what they said, but Wen Fei didn't really let go.
Sheng Jiao sat at the small table, chewing softly, her eyes remaining still, and said, "Chen Xiang said that Ruan Xiyan has someone she likes. Do you think it's that girl named Lu Er?"
Wen Fei casually smoked a string of enoki mushrooms: "You still have feelings for him?"
"Nonsense!" Sheng Jiao glared at him with her smoky gray contact lenses. "I'm just curious who he could like. That idiot of his, the person he likes is probably an idiot too."
"Oh, old feelings still linger," Wen Fei commented, then picked up another skewer of potato chips.
"If he really likes him, I'll help make it happen! That will prove to you that I really don't like him anymore."
Wen Fei remained silent, then took another skewer of seaweed, took a bite, and said, "Oh."
Sheng Jiao buried herself in her analysis for a long time, then suddenly realized something was wrong and turned around: "Ah! You're not allowed to steal my vegetables!"
“…You’re such a cheapskate.”
–
As a referee, Ruan Xiyan couldn't always leave the field. When Lu Er had free time, she would help show Wen Fei and Sheng Jiao around the Third Middle School.
Over time, the group became acquainted.
Sheng Jiao loves taking photos, snapping pictures everywhere—in the research building, the cafeteria, and so on. But she always complains about the lighting, her stiff expressions, and often lingers in the same spot for too long.
Wen Fei was too lazy to wait for her and left after a while. So, the one who got bothered by her became Lu Er.
Today, Chen Xiang took some time to take Wen Fei to Class 18's classroom. Sheng Jiao stopped at the school gate, waiting for Lu Er to take a Polaroid photo of her.
"Is this okay?" After a few tries, Lu Er felt that even someone who didn't know how to take photos could seem to have mastered the skills.
Sheng Jiao held up the photo, examining it for a long time before finally showing a rare moment of satisfaction: "Okay, thank you for your hard work. I'll treat you to milk tea at noon."
Lu Er breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was finally over. She brushed her bangs aside to wipe the sweat from her brow, when she heard Sheng Jiao say, "Do you know that Ruan Xiyan likes you?"
She was taken aback by Sheng Jiao's unexpected and direct words and remained silent for a few moments: "...I know."
"You know?" Sheng Jiao's face showed a hint of surprise. "Then do you like him?"
Lu Er didn't answer. Seeing her silence, Sheng Jiao realized her question was presumptuous and didn't force her to give an answer: "I've said too much. Let's go back to Class 18's classroom."
During evening self-study the day before the gala, Lu Er was in charge of checking the musical instruments and equipment needed for the performance.
During her last class, she held an inspection form in one hand and a pen in the other, checking the equipment in the art classroom on the second floor of the research building.
After finishing on the second floor, she went down to the first floor and heard several piano notes. She listened carefully and the piano notes became clearer; it wasn't an illusion.
Who would be playing the piano in the performance hall so late? She remembered there was a piano in the performance hall.
Lu Er frowned and walked toward the source of the sound.
The performance hall was dark, with only a faint light shining from the stage. A person was guarding outside the front door; as Lu Er approached, she recognized him as Wen Fei.
She looked at Wen Fei in surprise, then immediately realized that it was Sheng Jiao playing the piano inside.
“It’s you.” Wen Fei shrugged slightly. “Sheng Jiao found a piano here and wanted to try it out when no one was around.”
Lu Er looked around, worried for them: "Aren't you afraid of being caught by the director?" The reputation of Director Vulture for paying more than a dozen electronic products at once was widely known in the high schools in this area, and his deterrent power was so strong that the enrollment rate of No. 3 Middle School had dropped this year.
"Yeah, so I'm keeping watch here." Wen Fei didn't seem nervous at all, and even leisurely took out the prohibited product to play with.
Lu Er had no choice but to walk in through the front door and saw Sheng Jiao sitting elegantly at the piano, her hands moving up and down on the black and white keys.
Lu Er recognized the tune; she was playing "Wedding in a Dream."
Lu Er waited until she finished playing before stepping forward to remind her. Sheng Jiao, however, turned her eyes and stared at the inspection form in Lu Er's arms, and laughed, "I know, Lu Er, if you don't report it, no one will know." She decided to play by herself and even dragged Lu Er to play with her.
Lu Er actually listened to the persuasion and sat down to play a piece on the piano.
Sheng Jiao tilted her head and looked at her. Amidst the piano music, she suddenly smiled and said, "I guess you must like Ruan Xiyan too."
Using the clear and melodious piano music as a backdrop, she said to Lu Er, "I used to like Ruan Xiyan, although I don't anymore. I think, he's so silly, what is it about him that I like? He's like a fool, always having endless energy to warm others."
“Everyone is willing to keep their energy for themselves, but Ruan Xiyan often shares it with others as if he has too much of himself.” Sheng Jiao smiled slightly. “I understand now. It’s because he has already loved himself well that he is willing to love others.”
"If you really like him, I hope you will cherish his love."
-
The party was held on the playground. Parents from nearby areas drove their cars in and out of the school gates, their children in to and from the school. The school was packed with students.
As dusk settled, the sports field gradually filled with people. The evening sports meet officially began only when the moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale silver glow.
Lu Er sat in the area designated for Class 18, her hands shifting between resting on her knees and pressing against her trouser seams. She frequently glanced at the rows in front of her, and even Sheng Jiao behind her noticed her dazed state, nudging her back and asking, "What's wrong?"
Sheng Jiao and Wen Fei really had a lot of free time; they didn't miss a single day of the three-day sports meet. Lu Er was very curious about how they got out.
Later, Sheng Jiao explained that during this period, their school was also holding a sports meet, but Sheng Jiao and Wen Fei did not sign up for any events. They took three days off and sneaked back to Huai'an City.
“…It’s nothing,” Lu Er said, shaking his head.
Before the party, each class had its class monitor distribute the program list for that night. Lu Er ate dinner a little late, and when she went to the office, Deng Lianchun said that the vice class monitor had already taken the program list.
Lu Er breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she was also filled with determination. From the moment she sat down on the plastic stool, her eyes kept glancing at the students in front of her, looking for someone who was holding a list of names for the party, or something similar.
Ruan Xiyan said he was going to sing, but he kept Lu Er in suspense and wouldn't tell her what song he would sing.
From the moment she woke up, Lu Er's heart felt like it had grown legs, swinging on a swing without stopping for a moment. She thought that when she saw the list of performers for the gala in the afternoon, the feet that were kicking in her heart would finally come to rest, but in reality, she didn't even have that chance.
"By the way, isn't Ruan Xiyan going to perform on stage tonight?" Sheng Jiao asked Chen Xiang. "Do you know what he's going to perform?"
Lu Er slightly pricked up his ears.
Chen Xiang replied, "I don't know either."
Lu Er lowered his ears.
Sheng Jiao took the milk tea from Wen Fei and took a sip indignantly: "The secrecy is so tight."
Lu Er could only wait where she was now. Perhaps because this was the last party for the senior students, every student was unwilling to leave any regrets, so they enthusiastically signed up and performed with all their might, making every program tonight truly spectacular.
The students were all engrossed in the performance, but Lu Er's thoughts were still wandering, drifting backstage, to the program schedule, and into an unsolved mystery.
The gala guest list has finally been sent out. Lu Er calmly held the paper, but her heart was pounding like a deer's.
When she saw Ruan Xiyan's name clearly, her heart pounded even harder.
"Class monitor," Chen Xiang suddenly called out to her, "the teacher wants you to come over."
Deng Lianchun said that the students were tired of sitting around all day after the three-day sports meet, so he asked Lu Er and the vice class monitor to go to his desk and bring over the snacks they had bought with the class funds they had saved last time, to share with everyone.
Lu Er agreed. She and the vice class monitor crossed the several-dozen-meter-long playground and headed towards the senior high school building across the street.
The vice-monitor noticed her hurried manner and laughed, "Monitor, you don't think the teacher bought us some delicious snacks, do you?" He naturally assumed she was just being greedy.
Lu Er didn't explain, and simply started jogging. She was still thinking about something: Ruan Xiyan's performance was coming up soon.
-
There were several boxes of snacks. The vice class monitor was thinking about whether to go back and call someone else to help. Lu Er seemed to sense something, suddenly looked up, and then, not wanting to appear too hasty, slowly moved to the office door.
From this angle, she could only see a distant side of the stage.
"Youth is a long rainy season, with torrential rain and a damp heart. But after seeing your eyes, every rainy day I encounter begins to brighten."
The announcement came over the loudspeaker, striking a chord in Lu Er's heart: "Next, please enjoy the song 'It' performed by Ruan Xiyan from Class 18."
The burgundy baseball cap perched on the boy's head drew the attention of many.
His lips curved into a dimple that shimmered with a soft glow, like a radiant sun petal.
There were three original singers for this song, but he sang it alone, and it was surprisingly suitable for him.
"Like a small planet that only rotates on its own axis, drifting sometimes fast and sometimes slow, drifting, thinking that loneliness is the only rhythm it is good at."
...
"The tearful rose met, and the laughing fox also encountered, but they never stopped and kept moving forward."
...
"Everyone will feel weightless in this world, and no one will understand anyone's wild thoughts. Who is the little universe that I want to protect?"
Ruan Xiyan's voice is clear and crisp. When he sings this song, it has a clean quality that is sweet but not cloying.
"Who is the little universe that I want to protect?"
"It's you, it's you, it must be you."
"Let me see you, let me meet you."
If it were you.
I think it's you.
It can only be you.
I like you.
...
Sheng Jiao and Chen Xiang hadn't played games face-to-face in a long time. During the party, they took advantage of Wen Fei's back attack as cover and arranged to play duo queue together. Actually, almost everyone coming and going on the playground had their phone in their hand, but Sheng Jiao said she liked the thrill.
He didn't listen to what was said, but only gave a cold laugh that was unclear.
A dark figure darted forward swiftly, startling both of them. Sheng Jiao, recognizing the newcomer, slapped him on the shoulder with an annoyance: "Ruan Xiyan, what are you doing?"
"..." Ruan Xiyan's eyes darted nervously around, "Where did Lu Er go?"
"She seems to have gone to the teaching building area, I wonder what she's doing."
Ruan Xiyan felt a vague urge to leap out of his chest, a feeling that intensified as he approached the direction of the teaching building.
"Teacher Xiaolu."
He stopped a few meters away from her, his heart pounding between his lungs. His heart was pounding loudly, and Ruan Xiyan's actions of taking off her hat and staring at her were as silent as a feather falling to the ground.
"That song," Ruan Xiyan unconsciously put the hand holding her hat behind her back, then unconsciously opened her palm, "Did you hear it?"
Lu Er's heart was beating almost as fast as his. She said, "I heard you."
"How do you like it?"
Ruan Xiyan felt sweating everywhere—on her eyelashes, at the corners of her mouth, and behind her ears.
Lu Er carefully pursed her lips and nodded: "I like it."
"So, do you like me?"
Lu Er couldn't help but flutter her eyelashes. As she parted her lips, seemingly about to utter something, the surroundings suddenly went dark.
Someone shouted, "The power's out!" Immediately, many people started chanting, as if it were a joyous occasion, echoing "The power's out!" everywhere.
"The power went out again at No. 3 Middle School." Ruan Xiyan turned her head back and was about to turn on the rear flash of her phone when Lu Er, who was immersed in darkness, spoke up, "Don't turn it on."
Ruan Xiyan's heart skipped a beat.
In this darkness where no one could see anyone else, he felt his right hand being taken as if being held. The fingers tickled the flesh of his palm a few times, then a few times, as if scratching an itch in Ruan Xiyan's heart.
The hand fell.
Lu Er's eyes were in the darkness, looking into his eyes: "Ruan Xiyan, this is my answer."
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