Chapter 28 Receiving gifts made her feel that her birthday was truly...
The next day on her way to school, Yu Kui ran into Qin You downstairs again. Their eyes met, but neither of them spoke.
This time, however, Qin You did not deliberately avoid her as before. The two got into the same car and stood in the aisle as if they did not know each other.
As the vehicle moved forward, more and more people boarded. Before they knew it, Yu Kui and Qin You were getting closer and closer until the crowd pulled them together.
Yu Kui tried her best to stay away from him, but the force of the shove made her sway and bump into Qin You's schoolbag.
If it were before, she would have tugged at Qin You's clothes to make room for him.
But this time she didn't say anything, and slowly removed her arm from Qin You's schoolbag.
She listened to the noisy crowd talking around her and smelled the aroma of food in the carriage—something she had repeated every day for over a decade—but a subtle change was taking place within her.
She no longer found the noisy passengers annoying, nor did she find the breakfast smell unpleasant.
Those days when she chattered and complained to the boys seem like they'll never come back.
Yu Kui carefully avoided any contact with him, her gaze as still as water, silently watching the scenery outside the window. She didn't notice that Qin You had already turned around, his gaze lingering on her face, seemingly casually.
He was secretly observing her, his eyes filled with complex and bitter emotions.
They were like two birds taking flight, each soaring away after the car stopped.
After Qin You had walked away, Yu Kui slowly walked towards the school.
She thought this must be the closest she ever got to Qin You. No matter how far she went in the future, she could only lightly touch his backpack, stand silently behind him, and watch him walk further and further away.
This realization brought tears to her eyes instantly, but she didn't even have an excuse to cry.
As the weather grew colder at the end of December, Yu Kui put on a down jacket and took Sun Shuya to the library to study.
“I can’t concentrate on this,” Sun Shuya said, scratching her head in frustration. “How about we go to a buffet? I’ve been wanting to eat there for ages.”
“Not now,” Yu Kui pressed down on her arm. “Finish your test paper, and I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
"Really?" Sun Shuya hurriedly picked up a carbon pen. "I'll do it right away."
Yu Kui smiled helplessly, "Ask me if you don't know the answer to a question."
“Okay.” Sun Shuya shrugged. “You’re stricter with me than my teacher.”
“I came here to study,” Yu Kui said. “If I keep thinking about going out to play, I’ll waste today.”
"Okay, okay," Sun Shuya said, though she knew in her heart that she was doing it for her own good. "If I get into university next year, I'll definitely treat you to a big meal."
Yu Kui shook her head. "You should finish your homework first."
Sun Shuya: "..."
After finishing the test paper, Yu Kui sat down to review her weaker subjects, English and math, which she never dared to let her guard down on.
"How are things going with that troublemaker from Class 13?" Sun Shuya nudged Yu Kui with her elbow during lunch. "Does he still come looking for you after school?"
“Hmm,” Yu Kui originally wanted to ask Xie Xingzhi to study together, but considering Sun Shuya’s resistance, she put the idea aside. “He’s a nice guy, so don’t always call him a hoodlum.”
“He’s just a hoodlum,” Sun Shuya clicked her tongue twice, dismissing it, “Don’t be fooled by his appearance.”
Yu Kui thought she was overthinking it, "We're just classmates."
“Who knows if he has any bad intentions?” Sun Shuya hugged Yu Kui’s arm. “You’re such a bookworm. People are scheming against you, and you’re still counting money for them. You can help him with his problems in the future, but if he has other intentions, just ignore him.”
“Okay.” Yu Kui didn’t think Xie Xingzhi was that bad. She just thought that he was willing to study and his grades were improving, which was enough.
As for the rest, she had no opinion about him.
Everyone has their own life, and the brief interaction between them was already an unexpected joy.
Before closing time, Sun Shuya finished her assignment as promised, and Yu Kui took her to a nearby seafood buffet.
The two little girls didn't have big appetites, but they took a lot of things and almost had to lean against the wall to get out.
“It’s not worth it,” Sun Shuya said regretfully. “If we had known, we would have gone to eat barbecue instead. We’ve let them make so much money for nothing.”
"It's just something I eat occasionally," Yu Kui said without any regret. "As long as I'm happy."
Sun Shuya stared at her for a moment, "It's so nice to be friends with you." Yu Kui had helped her so much, so she should have been the one to treat her, but in the end, Yu Kui paid the bill.
She seemed completely unconcerned about the amount of effort they put in each other, always giving her all.
Sun Shuya had never met a girl like Yu Kui before. When she was with her, she always felt stable and relaxed, completely free from her usual confusion and restlessness.
Yu Kui was warm and comforting, like... like a little sun keeping me company.
“New Year’s Day is just around the corner,” Sun Shuya said, taking her arm. “Are you still dancing this year?”
"Let's dance," Yu Kui said. She quite liked the New Year's Eve party and would also learn some nice dances online in her spare time. "I'll go back and look at the videos."
“Okay,” Sun Shuya said, “You can call me if you’re unsure.”
"Um."
The party was about the same size as last year, but everyone's mood seemed different, with more worries about the future.
The homeroom teacher went up to the stage to cheer everyone up, saying, "Don't think about anything this afternoon, just relax."
This is my last New Year's Day in high school.
After winter ends, the pressure on each of them will be even greater.
Sun Shuya stood on the podium to host the event, and the students were very supportive.
There were no skits this year, so Tao Jiang and a few classmates rehearsed a play about Rapunzel. She's like a natural actress; no matter how awkward other people's performances were, her expressions and eyes could always immerse everyone in the story.
At one point, Yu Kui felt that she really was a princess who had stepped out of a fairy tale.
Her acting was absolutely superb.
Yu Kui stared at her intently, not looking away until the final curtain call.
"Are you stunned?" A slightly amused voice came from beside me.
Yu Kui turned around and met Xie Xingzhi's eyes, asking with a puzzled look, "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to watch you dance," Xie Xingzhi said. "It's not easy for me to perform, so of course I have to come."
"It's not my turn yet." Yu Kui chose a more upbeat dance song this time. She had already changed into her beautiful clothes and looked lively and pretty.
"I'm not in a hurry," Xie Xingzhi said, taking two tangerines to eat. "Shall we go for hot pot after school?"
"My mom's cooking tonight," Yu Kui said shyly, "Can we do it next time?"
"Let's meet again after finals," Xie Xingzhi wasn't too disappointed. "You should have time then, right?"
Yu Kui: "..."
Tao Jiang looked up and, as she had hoped, saw Qin You standing by the back door. She slightly curled the corners of her lips and looked at Yu Kui defiantly, but her expression changed drastically when she saw Xie Xingzhi sitting next to her.
She lowered her eyelashes, hurriedly returned to her seat, took out her coat, and left the classroom.
"What's wrong?" Seeing that her expression was off, Qin You nervously grabbed her hand.
"It's nothing," Tao Jiang said, glancing at the teddy bear he was holding, and asked with a smile, "Was this a gift for me?"
"Hmm," Qin You handed her the gift, "Do you like it?"
"Of course I like it!" Tao Jiang hugged and kissed the bear, her eyes seemingly hooked as she looked at Qin You. "My birthday is coming up soon, how are you planning to celebrate it for me?"
My eighteenth birthday.
In two days, Tao Jiang will come of age.
Qin You's throat bobbed slightly. "How do you plan to live?"
“It’s up to you,” Tao Jiang said, raising her hand, still wearing the exquisite amethyst bracelet. “I really liked the gift you gave me before.”
Qin You felt a sweet warmth in her heart, "Then I'll come to see you the day after tomorrow."
“Okay.” Tao Jiang smiled and said, “Let’s go eat steak. I haven’t been to a Western restaurant in ages.”
Qin You nodded. He had been preparing for Tao Jiang's birthday for a long time and was looking forward to that day.
After Yu Kui finished her dance, the class erupted in enthusiastic applause.
She returned to her seat with a slightly flushed face. Xie Xingzhi took out a thermos from under the table, opened it, and handed it to her. "You're out of breath after just one dance. Your constitution is too weak."
Yu Kui took two sips of warm water and honestly said, "My physical strength has never been very good."
Xie Xingzhi was taken aback. "Then what about your physical education exam?"
“I always barely pass,” Yu Kui said. “You have to give it your all in exams.”
Xie Xingzhi couldn't help but chuckle, "You need to practice."
“I don’t like exercising,” Yu Kui said, immediately putting on a mask of pain as she thought of the extremely difficult 1,500-meter run she had just completed. “Please spare me.”
Xie Xingzhi laughed out loud, "So you have your own troubles too."
“I’m not a god,” Yu Kui corrected his self-perception, “There are definitely things I’m not good at.”
"Okay." Xie Xingzhi urged her to put on her coat. "It's snowing outside again."
Yu Kui stood up and looked over. It was indeed snowing, and the ground was covered in a white blanket.
Xie Xingzhi continued to take food from her table, and Sun Shuya glared at him fiercely, but he didn't care at all, and continued to eat while talking to Yu Kui.
Are you going to the library tomorrow? I have a few questions I want to ask you.
“Go ahead,” Yu Kui said immediately, “Remember to bring lunch.”
"good."
Qin You received the gift box he ordered online. He carefully wrapped the gift and couldn't wait to see Tao Jiang receive it.
Little did Tao Jiang know that she was having dinner with her old classmate Zhou Xiao, who gave her a rather expensive skincare set. "Do you like it?" he asked.
Tao Jiang was already attracted by the brand name. She touched the slightly cool bottle and said, "Of course I like it."
"I'll buy you more when you run out," Zhou Xiao said, looking intently at her. "Shall we go out for a stroll again later?"
“Sure,” Tao Jiang put the gift away. “Let’s go to the city center to watch the fireworks, and then we can browse the boutiques. I want to buy some other things.”
"Whatever you want," Zhou Xiao said, placing some food on her plate. "Eat more, you've lost weight."
Tao Jiang smiled slightly, thinking how wonderful it was to celebrate her birthday and receive the gift she wanted.
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