Chapter 58: The Cold War and the Reunion
Peng Chengyi was taken aback upon hearing this.
That's right, she was just his friend, a friend he had known for a long time and was very close to.
He has no obligation to tell her every detail of every decision he makes in his life.
But she didn't know when it started, but in her subconscious, she had already taken his sharing of everything for granted.
So this sudden estrangement felt like a tiny thorn, making her inexplicably uncomfortable.
A brief silence filled the space between them.
Peng Chengyi suddenly didn't want to argue with him anymore, so she simply turned around, retreated home without saying a word, and slammed the door shut with a feeling of frustration that she couldn't explain.
Chen Yubai stood alone in the hallway, staring at the closed door for a moment. His eyes darkened slightly in the dim light, and he finally closed the door behind him.
As evening fell, Zhou Lifen returned from grocery shopping and immediately noticed the boxes of local specialties still piled up by the door. She couldn't help but ask, "Chengcheng, why haven't you sent these local specialties to your Aunt Lin yet?"
"I forgot." Peng Chengyi curled up on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the cartoon playing on TV, and replied in a low mood.
"You child, your memory is really..." Zhou Lifen shook her head helplessly, her gaze sweeping across the coffee table, when she suddenly saw the eye-catching acceptance letter. Her face lit up with joy. "Oh! The acceptance letter has arrived! Let Mom see it!"
She happily picked up the acceptance letter and examined it carefully, making plans as she went: "Great! We need to prepare for the graduation banquet. Do you have any restaurants you'd like to go to?"
"Either is fine." Peng Chengyi's reply was still brief, with a clear lack of interest.
Zhou Lifen paused, then realized that something was wrong with her mood and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you still unhappy about getting the admission notice? You seem sullen."
"Nothing much." Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, not wanting to talk more, and stood up from the sofa. "I'm going back to my room."
“Hey, wait a minute,” Zhou Lifen called out to her, “Why don’t you take this box of local specialties to your Aunt Lin first? You haven’t seen Xiao Yu for half a month, so you might as well go and visit him for a while.”
“I don’t want to go,” Peng Chengyi pouted, her tone carrying a hint of awkwardness. “Mom, you’re back now, you go and deliver it.”
After saying that, she went straight back to her room and closed the door.
Zhou Lifen looked at the closed door of her room with a puzzled expression, and finally sighed helplessly. She picked up the box of local specialties and knocked on the door across the street.
Seeing that it was Chen Yubai who opened the door, Zhou Lifen looked behind him and asked, "Your mother hasn't come home from get off work yet?"
"Not yet, she took on another surgery at the last minute," Chen Yubai replied, but his gaze went past Zhou Lifen's shoulder and through the open door, he glanced at Peng Chengyi's closed door.
"Oh, these are some local products that Auntie brought back from her hometown. They're quite fresh. You can put them in the refrigerator first." Zhou Lifen handed over the box.
"Yes, thank you, Aunt Zhou." Chen Yubai politely accepted the gift, a hint of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
"By the way, has your Peking University admission letter arrived yet?" Zhou Lifen asked with concern.
"We've arrived." Chen Yubai paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "However, I later changed my application to Huaqiao University."
"Oh? That means you'll be going to the same school as Chengcheng?" Zhou Lifen's face instantly lit up with a delighted smile. "That means you'll be going to the same school as Chengcheng! Oh, that's wonderful! You two grew up together, and now you can look after each other. I feel so much more at ease!"
As she spoke, her tone grew increasingly enthusiastic: "Perfect timing! Your mother isn't back yet, and your Uncle Peng is out having dinner with friends tonight. I've already bought the groceries, why don't you come over and eat with us?"
"Okay, thank you, Aunt Zhou." Chen Yubai nodded gently.
-
Confined to his room, Peng Chengyi strummed the guitar strings in a fit of frustration, but the fire in his heart burned ever brighter.
In the past, although Chen Yubai had often made her angry, those unpleasant things were usually like summer showers, coming and going quickly, and the quarrel would pass after a while.
But for some reason, this feeling of unease lingered in her chest all afternoon and wouldn't dissipate.
Even though the instrument she was holding in her arms was the one he had given her.
It's hard to say whether it's because she was forced to attend the same school as him again, or because he didn't even bother to tell her about such a major life decision as changing her college application.
It wasn't until Zhou Lifen called her from outside to have dinner that Peng Chengyi sighed heavily, put down her guitar, and reluctantly opened the door.
She looked up and saw the person she least wanted to see at that moment—Chen Yubai, sitting calmly at her dining table.
Their eyes met in mid-air, and she paused, almost wanting to retreat back to her room on the spot.
However, Zhou Lifen was carrying the last plate of braised prawns out of the kitchen when she saw Chengcheng standing there in a daze. She urged, "Chengcheng, what are you dawdling for? Go sit down."
Not wanting her mother to suspect anything, Peng Chengyi had no choice but to bite the bullet and walk over, deliberately pulling out the chair diagonally opposite Chen Yubai that was furthest away.
Chen Yubai glanced at her still unhappy face, his lips twitched slightly, but in the end he said nothing.
The meal was rather dull and awkward, with Zhou Lifen being the only one rambling on about her graduation banquet and plans for packing her luggage.
Peng Chengyi finished eating her rice, put down her chopsticks, and stood up: "I'm full. I'm going back to my room to practice the piano."
"You're full after eating only two shrimp?" Zhou Lifen asked in surprise.
"I'm not eating anymore, I have no appetite." Peng Chengyi said without turning her head, walked straight back to her room, and slammed the door shut.
Zhou Lifen shook her head helplessly and turned to Chen Yubai: "Then Xiaoyu, you should eat more."
"No need, Aunt Zhou, I'm almost full." Chen Yubai's smile remained polite, but her expression softened slightly as she put down her chopsticks.
-
Back in his room, Peng Chengyi picked up his guitar and had just found a spot on the fretboard when there was a knock on the door.
Recognizing that it was Chen Yubai, she deliberately did not respond.
To everyone's surprise, he simply opened the door and came in.
Peng Chengyi paused in her actions, lowered her gaze, and clearly did not want to pay attention to him.
He took two steps closer, stopped beside her, and looked down at her: "Are you still angry with me?"
"It wasn't easy, you finally figured it out." Peng Chengyi curled her lips, deliberately plucking a series of chaotic notes on the strings, her tone indifferent.
"..." He paused for a moment, then asked, "You really don't want to go to the same school as me?"
"No," she answered decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
"Why?" he pressed, his voice tinged with barely perceptible tension.
Peng Chengyi paused in her strumming motion, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "Now that I'm in university, I should have a new life. If everything is still tied together like before, it won't be convenient for me to meet new people or even date."
Chen Yubai frowned almost imperceptibly: "I have no plans to date anyone."
Peng Chengyi was taken aback.
This dog, doesn't it plan to date in college?
He has truly remained as detached and abstinent as ever for ten years, so boring it's outrageous.
She retorted irritably, "You don't want to date? I do! So please, have mercy and stop blocking my path to romance."
Chen Yubai: "..."
At this point, the air froze completely.
Peng Chengyi lowered her head, avoiding his gaze, and bluntly said, "What are you still standing there for? I need to practice the piano, don't get in my way."
Chen Yubai stared at the top of her drooping, fluffy hair for a moment, his emotions churning in his eyes. In the end, he said nothing, but silently turned around and closed her door.
-
This summer vacation, which should have been the happiest, was instead overshadowed by a gray hue in Peng Chengyi's heart due to her ongoing cold war with Chen Yubai, making it less than pleasant.
Although she went shopping with Zheng Xinyue and Chen Wei a few times and bought a lot of new clothes for her upcoming university life, the laughter in front of the dressing mirror temporarily dispelled the gloom.
But whenever she returned home carrying large bags and glanced at the closed door across the street, it felt like a pebble had fallen into her heart, leaving her with a vague, indescribable awkwardness and discomfort.
Moreover, Zheng Xinyue and Chen Wei both applied to universities in the south, and the once close trio were really going to be separated by vast distances, which made her feel sad during this summer vacation.
However, Zhang Yang applied to the music academy in Beicheng and planned to travel north with them when the semester started. This, to some extent, alleviated the awkwardness of having to face Chen Yubai alone during the long journey.
However, Zhang Yang clearly sensed the unusual tension between them, and not long after the train started moving, he tentatively asked, "Did you two have a fight before you left?"
“We didn’t argue.” Peng Chengyi replied curtly, unwilling to elaborate, and then stood up. “I’m going to the restroom.”
After she left, Zhang Yang nudged Chen Yubai, who had been silently staring out the window, and sighed, "Damn it, Peng Chengyi is still angry."
“I know,” Chen Yubai’s voice sounded somewhat muffled. “You don’t need to emphasize it again.”
"Hey, this seems to be the longest cold war you two have ever had, right?" Zhang Yang looked at his expressionless profile.
"Hmm," Chen Yubai responded softly, lowering his eyes.
"If you ask me, you should just go and apologize to her properly," Zhang Yang offered what he considered the most reasonable suggestion. "Peng Chengyi isn't the kind of person who holds grudges. If you're sincere, maybe she'll soften her heart and forgive you for changing your college application without permission?"
"..." Chen Yubai did not respond, but remained silent.
Seeing his stubbornness, Zhang Yang waved his hand helplessly: "Fine, fine, I'm not going to bother with you two anymore. Anyway, once we get off this train, we probably won't see each other much this semester. You two can be awkward by yourselves."
"You only need to mind your own business." Chen Yubai scoffed lightly, turning his head back to look out the car window, ignoring the passing scenery.
He hadn't expected that she would be so angry about him changing his college application, and that it would last so long.
The more she ignored him, the more it seemed to indicate her determination to sever ties with him and start a new life without his involvement.
This realization weighed on his heart like a stone, making him feel suffocated and preventing him from being the first to back down.
He even thought somewhat resentfully that since she wanted to keep her distance so much, he might as well go along with her wishes and reduce contact when they got to university, so they could each have some peace and quiet.
After a long and silent ordeal, the train finally slowly pulled into the northern part of the city.
"Next stop: Beicheng Station. Passengers who wish to disembark, please gather your luggage in advance..."
As the announcement came on, Peng Cheng deftly put away his headphones, got up, and reached for the suitcase on the luggage rack.
The suitcase was a bit heavy, and Zhang Yang helped her put it on the train. Now that Zhang Yang had gotten off at the next suburban station, she absolutely did not want to ask Chen Yubai for help.
But just as she stood on tiptoe, a hand with distinct knuckles reached out and steadily lifted her suitcase down.
Peng Chengyi pursed her lips with mixed feelings, turned around and glared at Chen Yubai, then snatched the box away: "Mind your own business."
"I don't care about this stuff. If the suitcase falls, I'll be the first one to suffer." Chen Yubai chuckled, then turned and took his own suitcase, as if he really was just trying to avoid an undeserved disaster.
Upon exiting the station, one is greeted by a surging crowd and a deafening din.
Peng Chengyi took out her phone to call a car when Chen Yubai's voice came through calmly: "I'll call a car."
She paused, intending to say firmly that they should go their separate ways, but a glance at the estimated fare made her swallow her words instantly.
The allowance Zhou Lifen gave her was already meager, and she was hoping to save some money to buy the latest comics.
After all, she can no longer rightfully ask him to buy it for her.
A sense of real embarrassment overwhelmed her awkwardness, and she silently turned off her phone screen, thinking that it wouldn't be too late to dump him at school.
Chen Yubai watched her subtle movements and breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief, his slender fingers quickly tapping on the phone screen.
Forty minutes later, the taxi stopped at the entrance of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Although her three years of high school had slightly improved her social anxiety, when she first stood in front of a top university in a strange big city, looking at the bustling crowd of freshmen and parents speaking various accents, a familiar yet timid sense of panic belatedly welled up inside her.
Once he arrived at school, his little worries vanished instantly, replaced by a wave of unease.
She had no choice but to obediently and silently follow Chen Yubai into the school gate like a little tail.
The campus was filled with a lively atmosphere of welcoming new students. Banners were hung high, colorful flags were waving, and tents from various colleges lined the roads. The noisy voices and the sound of suitcases rolling were mixed together, and the overwhelming youthful energy made her even more nervous.
At a fork in the road, signs pointed to the registration areas for different departments.
Chen Yubai stopped and glanced at Peng Chengyi, who was clearly at a loss, and said, "How about I accompany you to register first, so you won't get lost?"
"...Who says I can't find it!" Peng Chengyi retorted stubbornly, afraid that if she stayed another second, she would really succumb to the sense of security he gave her, so she hurriedly turned around, "I'm leaving, bye-bye!"
The wheels of her suitcase made a rapid rolling sound on the road. She didn't dare to look back, and almost held her breath as she walked faster and faster along the signs for the Computer Science Department, as if she could leave that inexplicable dependence and panic behind.
She only slowed down, panting, when she saw the eye-catching banner that read "Registration Area for New Students of the School of Computer Science".
Just as I was mentally preparing myself and thinking about how to approach them, a slightly surprised male voice suddenly came from beside me: "Hey? You got into Huada University too?"
Peng Chengyi was startled by the sound, turned her head, and met a somewhat familiar face.
His brain searched rapidly for two seconds, and a name tentatively slipped out: "Ke... Xingjian?"
"It's kind of you to remember." Ke Xingjian smiled gently.
“Hmm… your name is on the Black Sugar Band’s album,” Peng Chengyi pursed her lips, “so, it left a deep impression on me.”
She paused, then looked at the welcome booth next to him. "You're at UW too?"
"Yes, I'm from the Computer Science department. I was drafted to welcome the new students." Ke Xingjian naturally reached out his hand to her, his tone familiar. "Give me your suitcase, junior. I'll take you to complete the formalities."
Although she wasn't familiar with him, he was the only person she knew in this unfamiliar campus. So, after a brief hesitation, she let go of his hand: "Then thank you, senior..."
"Don't be so polite with me." Ke Xingjian smiled brightly, but just as her hand was about to fall, an arm suddenly stretched out from the side and grabbed her suitcase handle without saying a word.
The force was so great that it jammed the roller.
Ke Xingjian missed his target and turned his head in surprise.
Peng Chengyi's heart skipped a beat. Without even looking, the familiar, oppressive aura already revealed the identity of the person who had arrived.
Chen Yubai stood behind the two, his expression cold and hard. His dark eyes, like frozen pools, were fixed on Ke Xingjian's face. He said in a cold voice, "You don't need to help carry her suitcase."
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Author's Note: [Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn][Eating popcorn]
Thanks to Gulu and leventseleve for the lightning bolts! Also, thanks to Soleil, 64465686, 75981039, uoow, 6445686, 栀子花不想开, and Sunshine for the nutrient solution!
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