Chapter 34
Tao Xi didn't know yet that his achievement had caused a sensation in Qingshui County.
The principal of Qingshui No. 1 Middle School excitedly hung a celebratory banner on the school gate. Some students who originally had a negative attitude towards the live classes were encouraged and began to take the classes seriously. All the students in the new first year of high school devoted themselves to the live classes and maintained a learning progress that was exactly the same as that of Wenhua No. 1 Middle School.
While the principal has already seen a bright future for education in Qingshui County, Tao Xi is very confused about her love future.
Ever since she knew that Qiao Yitang and Lin Qinhe knew each other, Tao Xi no longer dared to ask her how to pursue someone.
But he remembered that Qiao Yitang had told him that once he found that the person he liked was inclined to like him, he could find a time to confess his feelings.
The result is that he is confused by the uncertain ambiguity every day, wavering between the two speculations "he seems to like me" and "he seems not to like me".
The feeling of secret love may be like this, sometimes bright and sometimes dark, sometimes sunny and sometimes rainy.
Tao Xi didn't go to find Qiao Yitang, but Qiao Yitang took the initiative to come to her.
Qiao Yitang found a break and called Tao Xi out from the back door of Class 1, Grade 2. She saw Lin Qinhe in the last row looking at her, so she pulled Tao Xi away and told him about a charity art exhibition.
Wenhua City Art Museum will hold a large-scale charity art exhibition on Sunday. As the former chairman of the Wenhua City Calligraphy and Painting Association, Qiao Henian was naturally invited to participate. The old man ignored the criticism from the organizers and managed to secure two booths for his granddaughter and his only student, although the locations were not very good.
"Don't be embarrassed. You will definitely be beaten by professional painters. Just join in the fun. I think you can hand in the oil painting you finished last time. It fits the theme of this charity exhibition quite well."
As Qiao Yitang spoke, he glanced at the turquoise on Tao Xi's wrist and smiled meaningfully.
She has participated in countless art exhibitions of all sizes since she was a child and has long been accustomed to it, but this charity art exhibition is indeed a rare opportunity. Many young painters are scrambling to exhibit their paintings. Even if they cannot become famous, they can take the opportunity to make more connections.
Tao Xi thought for a while and agreed. He was not interested in becoming famous or making friends, but he heard that the proceeds from the exhibition would be used as charitable donations for schools in mountainous areas, which he thought was very meaningful.
After confirming to participate in the exhibition, Tao Xi’s first thing was to go back to the classroom to find Lin Qinhe.
He wanted to invite Lin Qinhe to the exhibition to see his paintings.
But when he really got in front of Lin Qinhe, he couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy. He lay on the desk, resting his chin on his hands, looking at Lin Qinhe eagerly and asked:
"Are you free on Sunday afternoon?"
He didn't invite her right away, fearing that he would be rejected directly.
Lin Qinhe said: "I have something to do on Sunday."
On Sunday, his cousin Lin Jixuan left their son Tang Nan to him again while she and her husband went on vacation. He had broken the promise last time, so he couldn't do it again this time.
Lin Qinhe looked at Tao Xi's pair of bright yet dark eyes and asked, "Why do you ask this question?"
Tao Xi quickly shook his head and said, "Nothing, just asking." Then he lowered his head and took out the textbook for the next class from the drawer.
Since Lin Qinhe is busy, forget it. My paintings are nothing good.
He put the textbook on the desk, spread it out and looked down at it absentmindedly.
Although I told myself it was nothing, I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.
As soon as the club activities ended on Sunday, Qiao Yitang rushed back to his grandfather's house with Tao Xi to prepare.
Tao Xi thought Qiao Yitang was preparing for the art exhibition, but it turned out that this young lady was just putting on makeup and dressing up. He waited in the living room bored and teased Qiao Henian's new parrot.
The parrot must have learned the same language as Qiao Henian, and kept yelling: "Stinky girl! Falling in love again! Falling in love again!"
Taoxi was happy and fed the parrot some food, and the parrot chirped even more happily.
More than half an hour later, Qiao Yitang came downstairs in a little dress and high heels. She made a pistol gesture to the parrot and shot it twice, then pulled Tao Xi's arm and said, "Come on, I'll dress you up."
Tao Xi was startled. Looking at Qiao Yitang's almost unrecognizable face, she shook her head quickly: "No, no, please let me go."
"No, you look like a middle school student. You won't look impressive when you stand there. Don't worry, I won't put makeup on you, I'll just change your clothes."
Qiao Yitang persuaded Tao Xi into the guest room, threw a brand new black dress and a pair of leather shoes on her, and closed the door.
Boys change clothes quickly. Qiao Yitang hadn't finished her long phone call with her boyfriend when the door of the guest room opened. She looked over with her phone in hand and was stunned.
Tao Xi was fiddling with her cuffs at a loss. This small dress from a famous brand was simple in style but well-cut, which made her already slim legs and waist look even longer, giving her an indescribable sense of youthfulness.
There is also an illusion that this young man was born into a superior family.
Her boyfriend on the phone was urging her, and Qiao Yitang said unhappily: "Don't urge me. If you continue to urge me, I will go and fall in love with the handsome guy in front of me." Then she hung up the phone.
Upon hearing this, Tao Xi suddenly looked up at Qiao Yitang with a look of fear.
Qiao Yitang laughed out loud, thinking to herself, I dare not. She looked around Tao Xi a few times, nodded frequently and said, "This dress is really nice. It's true that good-looking people look good in anything."
Tao Xi was used to wearing school uniforms, and asked uncomfortably, "Senior sister, why do you have boys' clothes?" And they actually fit him perfectly.
Qiao Yitang said perfunctorily, "I have a cousin who is about the same height and thin as you. These are the clothes he bought but didn't wear. I'm lending them to you."
Tao Xi nodded and said thank you, thinking to herself that she should be careful not to get her clothes dirty.
Both of them were almost ready. Qiao Yitang carefully checked her makeup in the mirror before walking downstairs with Tao Xi. They heard the doorbell before they reached the first floor.
Seeing that Qiao Yitang was having trouble walking in high heels, Tao Xi quickly walked over and opened the door.
The door opened, and the clear light from outside came in instantly. Tao Xi couldn't help but squint his eyes.
In the bright sunlight, he saw Lin Qinhe looking at him.
The feeling at that moment is indescribable, as if the whole world is overexposed, and only the person in front of me is clear and bright.
It's so bright that you can't take your eyes away.
He looked at Lin Qinhe and didn't know what expression he should make or what to say. Only the joy and excitement that were rising up in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth could not be hidden.
"In love again! In love again! In love again!" the parrot suddenly began to scream.
Tao Xi suddenly came back to his senses, feeling inexplicably embarrassed, and quickly stepped back a few steps, welcoming Lin Qinhe in, clenching his fingers and whispering:
"Don't you have something to do on Sunday? Why are you here?"
Lin Qinhe walked into the room, lowered his eyes and looked at Tao Xi calmly, his sight moved from her slightly pink cheeks to her narrow waist, then to her long, straight legs, and then back to her slightly twinkling eyes, and said calmly:
"I have something to say, so I came here with it."
Tao Xi felt that Lin Qinhe's gaze made him feel a little embarrassed. Just as he was about to ask what was going on, a little boy of five or six years old rushed in from outside the door, flapping his arms and bumping into Lin Qinhe's legs.
"Ouch——" Tang Nan covered his nose in pain. He tilted his head back and glared at his uncle angrily. Then he saw Tao Xi again. His eyes lit up and he exclaimed, "What a handsome brother." Then he ran over and hugged Tao Xi's legs tightly.
Tao Xi was a little at a loss. She bent down and looked at the little boy on her lap, not knowing whether to hug him or drive him away.
Qiao Yitang came over in high heels and saw this scene. She laughed and said, "Oh, the big and the small are the same."
Lin Qinhe glared at Qiao Yitang, lifted Tang Nan's arm, pulled him off Tao Xi's legs and threw him aside, then said to Tao Xi, "This is my nephew, he might be a little annoying, please forgive me."
Tang Nan was so angry that he blinked at Tao Xi and said, "Brother, don't listen to uncle's nonsense. I'm not annoyed at all."
Tao Xi couldn't help laughing when she saw the two of them, one big and one small.
Qiao Yitang said with great joy: "Nannan, this is your uncle's classmate, don't mix up the generations."
Tang Nan doesn't like this older sister who always likes to rub his face, and he doesn't understand the seniority. He just wants to stick close to Tao Xi and call him brother all the time.
But his uncle Lin Qinhe always picked him up and took him away before he could even hug his legs.
"Do you want to go to the art exhibition with us?" Tao Xi asked Lin Qinhe knowingly with a smile on her face, her eyes flashing with irrepressible happiness.
His secret love suddenly turned sunny after a few days of rain and the sky was bright. He was almost certain that Lin Qinhe liked him.
Lin Qinhe took Tang Nan away again and nodded, "Take him to the exhibition to cultivate his artistic talent."
Tang Nan was being held by one arm, and he finally came to his senses and said, "Uncle, you lied to me again? Where is the arcade?"
Qiao Yitang rubbed Tang Nan's face and said lovingly, "Nan Nan, you are still too young."
Tang Nan walked out of the door in a daze and went to the garden to sit in protest.
Qiao Yitang was just about to say let's go when he suddenly remembered that he forgot to take his perfume. He said something quickly and went upstairs again.
Only Tao Xi and Lin Qinhe were left in the living room, along with a parrot that finally shut up.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet, as quiet as a pool of soft and dense water.
Tao Xi's previous calmness disappeared completely. He first glanced at Lin Qinhe, then suddenly looked away. However, he didn't know where to look, so he lowered his head and fiddled with the cufflinks that he had not yet buttoned.
"Come here." Lin Qinhe suddenly said to him.
Tao Xi's heart skipped a beat. Maybe it was too quiet. He actually felt that Lin Qinhe's voice was deeper than usual, which made him feel a little itchy.
He lowered his head and walked in front of Lin Qinhe.
Lin Qinhe reached out and grasped his wrist, lifted it up, and began to slowly button the sparkling cufflink, which swayed and flickered under his fingertips.
Tao Xi breathed lightly, staring at the button and Lin Qinhe's slender fingers, and the tips of her ears felt slightly hot for some unknown reason.
After fastening it, Tao Xi actually felt relieved. His beating heart calmed down a little. He raised his head and whispered to Lin Qinhe, "Thank you."
Lin Qinhe looked at him, his eyes slowly moved down to the side of his neck, and whispered to him: "Turn around."
Tao Xi was startled and obediently turned around with his back to Lin Qinhe.
Then he felt a hand smoothing his shirt collar. He obediently folded his neck and lowered his head slightly, exposing the back of his neck and collar completely.
The old house was so quiet that he could hear the sound of fingertips stroking the fabric of the collar, but the hand suddenly touched the thin and sensitive skin on the back of his neck.
Tao Xi couldn't help but shudder. Although he couldn't see anything, he inexplicably felt as if there was a real gaze falling on the back of his neck. This feeling made his cheeks heat up uncontrollably.
The pulse on the wrist is beating, the heart in the chest is beating, the artery on the side of the neck is beating, it seems as if the whole world is beating.
This period of time seemed short and long. After finally finishing everything, Tao Xi turned around and said "thank you" to Lin Qinhe again, but this time his voice was even softer than last time.
He cast his trembling eyes, which had nowhere to go, towards the corner of the living room and happened to meet the parrot's gaze.
The parrot tilted its head and looked at him, which made him feel guilty.
When Qiao Yitang packed up her cosmetics and perfume and went downstairs, she felt that the atmosphere in the living room on the first floor was a little weird. She first glanced at Tao Xi and found that this boy, who looked more handsome today, had moist eyes and slightly red cheeks.
She immediately looked at Lin Qinhe beside her suspiciously, but her old friend still looked indifferent and calm, with no flaws at all.
Qiao Yitang looked at the parrot in the corner of the living room again, wishing that the parrot would tell him what had just happened there.
But the parrot didn't understand the situation and started to scold her at the top of its voice:
"Again love! Again love! Again love!"
Qiao Yitang gestured to shoot the parrot twice and said to the two of them, "It's getting late, let's take little Tang Nan and go!"
Once there were other people around, Tao Xi instantly felt much more natural. He walked out the door with the two of them. Lin Qinhe walked into the garden and mercilessly picked up Tang Nan, who was squatting on the ground and poking the mud with a branch. Tang Nan flapped his wings like a chicken and shouted to Tao Xi, "Brother, help me."
Tao Xi smiled and couldn't help but say to Lin Qinhe: "Lin Qinhe, please be gentle to the children."
Qiao Yitang sneered when he heard this: "Will he be gentle to others?"
Lin Qinhe let go of Tang Nan's hand and looked at Tao Xi silently.
Tao Xi felt an inexplicable sense of guilt again.
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