Chapter 40 Seeing Him Again Today is Your Adult Day...
While Yu Kui was replying to messages one by one, she received a call from Sun Shuya, "Yu Kui, do you know how many points I got on the test?"
"How many?"
“Close to 600 points,” Sun Shuya said with a hint of excitement, “This is a score I’ve never achieved before. I can apply to any of the universities I want to apply to.”
"Congratulations," Yu Kui said, genuinely happy for her. "What major are you planning to choose?"
"I haven't decided yet," Sun Shuya said with a smile. "I definitely want to be in the same city as you, and we'll hang out together in the future."
Yu Kui paused for a moment upon hearing this, then asked, "Which universities do you want to apply to?"
“Most of them are in this city, and the rest are in the south,” Sun Shuya said. “I haven’t been to the south yet. I heard that it doesn’t snow there in winter, only rains. I’m quite curious.”
After hearing about the city she mentioned, Yu Kui knew that it was the result of her careful consideration, so she said, "You don't need to be in the same city as me. Just keep in touch."
Sun Shuya immediately realized what she meant, "Don't you want to stay in this city?"
"Mmm," Yu Kui said softly, "I want to go out and see the world."
Sun Shuya paused for a moment, then said, “That’s right. With such good grades, you could choose a better university.”
“I’m sorry,” Yu Kui said, “we can’t be in the same city anymore.”
“Why are you apologizing to me?” Sun Shuya was amused by her. “You have your own choices, and of course I support you.”
"Thank you."
“Yu Kui,” Sun Shuya hesitated for a few seconds, “I don’t know why, but I find that you’re being very polite to me now. This kind of politeness shouldn’t exist between good friends.”
"Why?" she asked. "Did I do something to upset you?"
Yu Kui's body stiffened as she recalled the night she had broken down, and it took her a long time to find her voice again.
"No, I just want to calm down for a while."
"Why? What happened?"
Yu Kui: "Did you already know about Qin You and Tao Jiang being together?"
Yu Kui didn't know what she was feeling when she asked that question. She knew it was inappropriate to ask and that it would hurt her friendship with Sun Shuya, but if she didn't ask, she would think about it from time to time.
Those occasional moments of recollection felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her, making her tremble all over.
"Yu Kui, you know about their relationship?" Sun Shuya took a deep breath.
"I saw them coming out of the school gate the night of the car accident."
Sun Shuya never expected to encounter this incident that day; no wonder she looked so pale at the hospital.
“Yu Kui, I didn’t mean to hide it from you,” she whispered. “At first, I just felt something was off between the two of them and wanted to warn you, but you didn’t take it to heart. Later, when I saw you break up, I thought you didn’t care anymore, but I didn’t expect you still haven’t let go…”
“I’m sorry, Yu Kui,” Sun Shuya sighed, “I didn’t expect them to have such a profound impact on you.”
“It’s okay,” Yu Kui said slowly after hearing her explanation, “It’s just that I was too cowardly.”
Sun Shuya had reminded her before, but she ignored it. Ultimately, it was because she did not fully understand what Sun Shuya meant, or she was unwilling to think about it deeply.
"Thank you for telling me all this," Yu Kui smiled. "Goodbye."
"Yu Kui, will you be angry with me?" Sun Shuya pressed.
“You are my friend,” Yu Kui said, “How could I be angry?”
"That's good," Sun Shuya breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you wouldn't talk to me anymore."
"No, I won't." How could Yu Kui hold a grudge against her for this? If she was angry, it was because she was too foolish and naive.
She always thought that giving her heart would bring her a heart in return, but that was just wishful thinking on her part.
She won't be so foolish again.
Yu Kui's birthday is in the height of summer, when the sun shines brightest and the vegetation is at its most lush.
Mr. and Mrs. Yu flew over on Friday to celebrate Yu Kui's coming-of-age ceremony.
Early in the morning, Yu Kui's phone kept ringing.
Sun Shuya sent her birthday wishes and a red envelope, and other classmates also left her messages.
"She's eighteen now, my precious daughter has grown up!" Yu's mother specially applied light makeup for her, braided her hair, and styled it into a beautiful princess hairstyle.
Yu Kui, wearing a warm orange dress, winked at herself in the mirror and a faint smile appeared on her lips.
The family went to the city for a big meal, and Yu's mother even took her to an amusement park, saying, "You can play whatever you want, Mom will go with you."
Yu Kui pursed her lips. "These are all for kids to play with."
"Aren't you just a kid?"
Yu Kui: "..."
After a full day of fun, the whole family returned to town and ordered a two-tiered cake from Xu Xi.
"Is today your birthday?" Xu Xi asked Yu Kui with a smile.
“Hmm,” Yu Kui looked down at the desserts in the freezer, “I’d also like a blueberry mille-feuille.”
"Happy birthday." Xu Xi gestured for her to sit down. "Making the cake took a while, why don't you try the new one for me?"
“No need,” Yu Kui glanced at her family waiting outside, “I’ll go back first and come back later to pick up the cake.”
“Wait a minute,” Xu Xi said, bringing out a bag full of pastries. “The birthday person will receive a small gift.”
The paper bag contained not only the blueberry mille-feuille she had just ordered, but also some delicate little cakes and a cute little princess figurine.
"Happy birthday to you," Xu Xi said again.
"Thank you."
Yu Kui's eyes curved slightly as she waved and left with her family.
She walked lightly, with a bright smile, and disappeared around the street corner in the blink of an eye.
Xu Xi looked away and returned to the kitchen to start making the cake.
After a sumptuous dinner, Yu Kui made a wish for her coming of age while looking at the cake. She hoped that her family would be healthy and free from any worries or troubles.
At night, she sat on the swing in the yard and looked at the stars. The air in the town was fresh, and there were many more stars than in the city.
Her phone suddenly rang, and when she picked it up, it was a message from Xie Xingzhi.
"Where are you now?"
Yu Kui paused for a moment, then replied, "I'm at my hometown."
Xie Xingzhi: "Qingquan Town?"
Yu Kui's pupils contracted slightly; she hadn't expected him to be able to find out her current address.
Why are you asking this?
"Yu Kui, can I meet with you?"
"Not now, my parents and I can only go back tomorrow."
"I'm staying at the Ruyi Hotel in town."
"..."
Yu Kui stood up, said goodbye to her parents, and went out. The town was very safe, she knew everyone, and the weather was perfect for a walk.
In less than ten minutes, she arrived at the entrance of Ruyi Hotel. It was the only chain hotel in town, and most tourists usually stayed there.
Before she could get close, a tall, slender figure walked out from inside, moving with the speed of the wind. He stopped in front of her in a few steps. It was Xie Xingzhi, whom she hadn't seen for more than a month.
He looked thinner, but his eyes were bright.
"You...why did you come here to play?" When Yu Kui saw him again, the familiarity she had shown before was gone, and he seemed somewhat unfamiliar. "You didn't even tell me beforehand."
"I didn't come here to play," Xie Xingzhi said, "I came to see you."
Yu Kui's eyes widened, not expecting him to make such a special trip. "You don't need to go to so much trouble. It's not like we'll never see each other again."
“Today is different,” Xie Xingzhi said, his eyes fixed on her face. “Today is your eighteenth birthday.”
"You're here to celebrate my birthday?" Yu Kui asked, somewhat surprised.
“I didn’t know it was your birthday before,” Xie Xingzhi said. “Luckily, I didn’t miss it this time.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Kui felt as if she were dreaming. Why would Xie Xingzhi travel so far to celebrate her birthday?
"Are you stupid?" The boy waved his hand in front of her.
"No." Yu Kui came back to her senses and looked at his exceptionally handsome features. "Thank you, but this is too much trouble for you."
"What's the problem?" Xie Xingzhi chuckled. "Just ask your classmates and you'll find out. It's just that we're a little late."
Yu Kui: "..."
"Have you eaten?" she asked.
"not yet."
“Let’s go,” Yu Kui turned around, “I’ll take you to eat the best pea and minced meat noodles in town, you can add lots of toppings.”
“Wait a minute,” Xie Xingzhi said, “I ordered a cake for you.”
Yu Kui immediately thought of Xu Xi's cake shop, and sure enough, it was. She was both amused and exasperated, "I just ate their cake."
“It’s different,” Xie Xingzhi said, following behind her. “This is what I bought for you.”
Yu Kui was speechless for a moment.
At nine o'clock at night, Xu Xi's cake shop was still open. Yu Kui waited outside for a few minutes, and Xie Xingzhi came out with a cardboard box. "Let's go eat noodles."
He bought a multi-portion fresh fruit cake, which looked delicious.
Yu Kui took him to a noodle shop, ordered his signature pea and minced meat noodles, and also ordered a few stir-fries.
Xie Xingzhi took out the cake, bent down to insert the candles, and lit them with a lighter.
"Although it's very late now, I still want to spend this day with you. Happy birthday, and may you have a peaceful and prosperous year."
In the bright candlelight, his eyes reflected the firelight, making them appear incredibly warm.
Yu Kui found it hard to reconcile his carefree and irresponsible demeanor with that of their first meeting.
They all grew a lot this year.
"Thank you." Yu Kui closed her eyes and made her second wish for the day.
Xie Xingzhi gazed at her quietly. Her face was fair, and her eyelashes were long. She looked as if she had stepped out of a comic book, giving people a dreamlike beauty.
When she opened her eyes, her pupils were as clear as lake water, which made people feel good about her.
Yu Kui lowered her head and blew out the candles, then smiled at Xie Xingzhi, "Guess what I wished for?"
“I won’t guess,” Xie Xingzhi shrugged. “If I guessed it, it wouldn’t be accurate.”
“That’s true,” Yu Kui said. “What flavor do you want? I’ll cut it for you.”
"Strawberry," Xie Xingzhi said lazily.
Yu Kui cut him a perfectly intact piece of strawberry cake. "Eat more."
"good."
Seeing that it was Yu Kui's birthday, the shopkeeper warmly presented her with a bowl of longevity noodles and said to the couple with a smile, "May you live a long and happy life together, until you grow old together."
Yu Kui blushed: "We're not a couple."
"I'm so sorry, I wish you a long and lasting friendship."
Yu Kui chuckled and looked at Xie Xingzhi, saying, "Actually, you really don't need to come. It's too much of a hassle to go back and forth like this."
“No need for any trouble,” Xie Xingzhi raised his head and said with a smile, “Your coming-of-age ceremony is no small matter to me.”
Yu Kui knew he was thanking her for tutoring him, so she asked, "How were your college entrance exam results?"
"Not bad, it's just the right distance to the school I want to go to."
Yu Kui secretly breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good."
Are you still planning to stay in this city?
Yu Kui shook her head. "I plan to go to City B."
"Changed your mind?" Xie Xingzhi raised an eyebrow.
“Well,” Yu Kui said, “I’m sorry, I can’t be in the same city as you.”
"What's wrong with that?" Xie Xingzhi shook his head. "It's your freedom to go wherever you want, you don't need to apologize to anyone."
Yu Kui chuckled softly and said nothing more.
After dinner, it was getting late.
The two walked back along the streets and alleys of the town. The streetlights were bright, and the summer night was slightly cool.
As they walked to the hotel entrance, Xie Xingzhi turned to look at Yu Kui's face and sighed softly, "Will we meet again?"
"What?"
"I feel like I've seen you at your most vulnerable."
Yu Kui immediately realized what was going on and said with a wry smile, "You're overthinking it. I don't care that much. I'm very happy that you came to celebrate my birthday."
"Then why are you so cold?" Xie Xingzhi asked in a voice so low that only Yu Kui could hear him.
She never expected Xie Xingzhi to be so childish, and subconsciously retorted, "Where am I being cold? I even took you to eat my favorite noodles."
“During this time, I’ve been sending you messages, but you rarely reply, and you don’t answer my calls often. It makes me very sad.”
Upon hearing this, Yu Kui didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected that she had made Xie Xingzhi so upset. She repeated, "Thank you for celebrating my birthday. I'm really happy. Don't overthink it."
"I should be thanking you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be a mess." Xie Xingzhi looked into her eyes. "You have no idea how lucky I am to be your friend."
“You will still be excellent even without me,” Yu Kui knew he was smart and knew how much effort he had put into preparing for the college entrance examination, so she corrected him with great seriousness: “You should thank yourself and affirm yourself.”
Instead of constantly belittling myself because of her.
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