Chapter 29 A thousand paper cranes, each one representing his heart…
Yu Kui finished tidying up and went downstairs, just in time to run into Qin You, who was carrying an exquisite gift bag as he came out of the house.
He glanced at Yu Kui and subconsciously moved the gift behind him.
Yu Kui paused for only a moment before leaving his side. She knew the gift wasn't for her or Aunt Qin, so who was it for?
Yu Kui thought of his unusual behavior that had started last autumn, and slowly clenched her fingers. Was it another girl?
He's already...fallen for someone else?
This realization sent sharp pains through her heart and made her face turn pale.
They went to school together every day back then, how could he like someone else? Was it a girl in his class, or...?
Yu Kui couldn't help but guess. The doubts that troubled her and the friendship of more than ten years had turned her into a caged beast. Only by delving into her own thoughts could she get a moment's respite.
Is that the reason?
Because you have someone you like, you don't hesitate to kick her aside?
Yu Kui was amused by this reason, but then a deep sadness followed.
If that's the reason, she should indeed stay away.
Yu Kui tried her best not to break down, but when she boarded the bus to the library, she still lowered her head and shed tears.
She took deep breaths, telling herself it wasn't a big deal. Qin You was free; he could like anyone in the world. She couldn't let it bother her.
She still felt suffocated until the announcement that the library had arrived at the station, at which point she began to walk down the stairs in a daze.
"What's wrong?" Seeing her standing by the roadside like a lost child, Xie Xingzhi quickly walked over, frowning as he asked, "What happened? Or are you feeling unwell?"
Yu Kui seemed not to hear him, immersed in her own little world.
"Hey," Xie Xingzhi reached out and touched her shoulder, "What's wrong with you?" But when he looked down, he saw her red eyes. His expression changed slightly, his lips twitched, and finally he casually grabbed her sleeve, "If you don't go in now, you won't be able to get a seat."
The two sat down in a corner. Xie Xingzhi noticed her moist eyes, took out a tissue from his bag and offered it to her, but Yu Kui refused, looking completely lost.
Xie Xingzhi helplessly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, "Did you argue with your parents or...did you break up with your boyfriend?"
The last three words made Yu Kui's eyelashes tremble slightly, but she still suppressed her anger and refused to speak.
Even though she and Qin You had become so estranged that they were like strangers, she would never reveal her hidden feelings.
Xie Xingzhi had never seen her like this before. She looked like a fish stranded on a beach, or a flower without sunlight, so dejected and silent.
He didn't disturb Yu Kui, got up and went downstairs to the hot beverage machine to buy milk tea. "If you're feeling down, drink something sweet, it'll make you feel better."
Yu Kui finally reacted upon hearing this. She glanced at Xie Xingzhi and slowly picked up the milk tea.
Xie Xingzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Then Yu Kui took out her test paper from her schoolbag and started doing her homework, instantly transforming back into that energetic girl. If Xie Xingzhi hadn't seen her tears…
Yu Kui showed no inclination to confide in anyone, and Xie Xingzhi didn't press further. At lunchtime, he suggested going for hot pot.
“You’re turning into a bookworm from studying all the time,” he said deliberately. “After we finish eating hot pot, we can go to the arcade or the zoo… there are so many fun places to go.”
In the past, Yu Kui would definitely have refused, valuing her studies above all else.
But now she needs to shift her focus.
“Go ahead,” she said, channeling her sadness into a craving for hot pot, and quickly packed her bag. “Let’s go now.”
Xie Xingzhi was stunned for a moment, then strode after her, "You..."
“I’m fine,” Yu Kui said softly. “You don’t need to worry too much about my feelings.”
“Aren’t we friends?” Xie Xingzhi said, “If you’re unhappy, of course I’ll care about you.”
Yu Kui stopped and looked at the crowd coming and going at the gate. Her nose started to sting again. "Thank you."
She lowered her eyelashes, not letting Xie Xingzhi see the tears in her eyes.
"What are you thanking me for?" The boy stuffed a tissue into her hand. "If you keep crying, you'll look like a little kitten."
Xie Xingzhi chose a congee hot pot restaurant and placed the menu in front of Yu Kui, saying, "Order whatever you want. Today, it's on me, Young Master Xie."
Smelling the fresh aroma in the air, Yu Kui's originally meager appetite surged. She ordered some dishes she wanted and pushed the menu back, saying, "I'm ready."
Xie Xingzhi looked at the dishes and ordered some more. "You can eat and drink well today, and I'll take care of the rest."
Yu Kui wanted to say thank you again, but thinking of what he had said before, she only felt comforted.
After the hot pot was served, Xie Xingzhi first blanched the seafood and put it in her bowl, then started blanching the beef and other ingredients.
The delicious food gradually helped Yu Kui forget the distracting thoughts in her mind. She ate two bowls in a row, and her mood finally improved.
"I'm full," she said, slowly shaking her head as she watched Xie Xingzhi offer her more food. "You should eat more."
"Okay." Xie Xingzhi didn't force it and finished off the rest without any hesitation.
When the two came out of the hot pot restaurant, they both let out a burp and couldn't help but laugh.
"Shall we go to the arcade?" Xie Xingzhi asked.
“Let’s go to the museum,” Yu Kui said, “so we can learn more about history.”
Xie Xingzhi: "..."
Qin You ordered flowers and then went to a cake shop to make a fruit cake herself. It was already noon.
He arrived at the restaurant he had booked with his belongings, and after a short wait, Tao Jiang pushed open the door and came in.
Today she wore a short white down jacket, revealing the beautiful hem of her pleated skirt and her long legs, looking full of energy.
She walked slowly to Qin You's side, looked at the cake on the table, and smiled slightly. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."
Seeing this, Qin You presented her with the flowers and gifts he had hidden behind his back, saying, "Happy birthday."
"Thank you." Tao Jiang took the gift and found it quite heavy, wondering what it contained. "Could I open it and take a look?"
"Okay." Although it was the second time they had celebrated a birthday together, Qin You was still a little nervous.
Tao Jiang opened the gift box with high expectations, thinking it would contain skincare products or something similar. To her surprise, she found a huge glass bottle, as big as a Buddha's belly, filled with a large number of blue origami cranes, which stunned her.
“I folded these myself,” Qin You said softly. “There are a full thousand of them, made with starry paper and glow-in-the-dark bottles. If you turn on the light inside, you can see stars and the Milky Way even if there are no stars at night…”
A thousand paper cranes.
I wonder how long it will take to fold it properly.
Ordinary people would certainly find the meaning wonderful and be delighted.
But how much are these paper cranes worth? Tao Jiang thought that the paper cranes and the bottle together would be worth at most a hundred yuan. Compared with last year's amethyst bracelet, this gift was not worth her attention at all.
She stroked the bottle, glanced at Qin You who was still babbling on and on, and her eyes revealed obvious mockery.
"The origami cranes represent wishes and good luck. I hope you will never have any worries in the future and be happy every day."
"Today is your eighteenth birthday," Qin You said, oblivious to her odd behavior, still gazing at her tenderly. "I'm so glad to be with you today. These origami cranes are my token of love for you. I hope we can stay together for a long time. Whenever you miss me, you can open them. As long as you send me a message, no matter where I am, I will appear before you."
Tao Jiang lowered her head, avoiding his burning gaze. She couldn't tell Qin You that she didn't care what his intentions were at all; she only cared about the price of the gift and whether it met her requirements.
Anyone can fold a paper crane, and anyone can say pretty words. But its value greatly disappointed her.
"Thank you," she said, feigning surprise. "I really like this gift, and I'll definitely keep it safe when I get home."
She closed the box, showing absolutely no interest in opening the bottle.
Qin You still didn't understand that, for her, the only proof of her feelings was the price of the gift, not the meaning behind his so-called gift.
"I'm glad you like it." Qin You felt a sweet warmth in her heart and smiled. "Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring some food."
"Okay." Tao Jiang agreed verbally, but in reality, she didn't want to continue dating him.
Qin You wanted to tell her about folding origami cranes, but Tao Jiang replied listlessly, "You're so thoughtful. I've never received a handmade gift before. It's really special."
Qin You's eyes and brows were full of smiles. "I'm glad you like it."
Tao Jiang gave a perfunctory smile, lowered her head and ate her steak, but she was very unhappy inside.
After dinner, Qin You suggested taking her to see a movie. Tao Jiang pretended to be nervous and glanced at her phone. "I'm sorry, my parents want me to go home early. They want to celebrate my birthday too."
“It’s alright,” Qin You said immediately, “I’ll take you back first.”
"No need," Tao Jiang was annoyed by his words and didn't want to see him anymore. "I'll take a taxi home myself. It's very cold today, so you should go home early too."
Qin You took two steps forward, but Tao Jiang had already gotten into a taxi and quickly disappeared from sight.
Qin You stood there, thinking that she would probably turn on the light in the bottle after she got back, and she would be very happy to discover the surprise inside.
Little did they know that after Tao Jiang returned home, she simply stuffed the gift box into a cabinet to gather dust, and it was never opened until they were admitted to university.
Qin You was very satisfied with her reaction. Spending more than three months every night sitting under the lamp, clumsily folding paper cranes, was an experience he had never had before.
He walked briskly home, already looking forward to the day he would be truly with Tao Jiang after graduating high school.
As we left the museum, it was already getting dark.
Xie Xingzhi escorted Yu Kui to the bus stop. As they passed a boutique on the street, he immediately grabbed Yu Kui's backpack strap and said, "Let's go in and have a look."
Yu Kui didn't want to buy anything, so she watched him browse around. After a while, he handed her a sunflower keychain with a smiling face on it. "What do you think?"
"It's nice." Yu Kui rarely buys keychains, but she still said sincerely, "It's very cute."
“I think so too.” Xie Xingzhi took the pendant to the front to pay, and then hung it on Yu Kui’s schoolbag.
"You're quite similar to it."
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