Chapter 25 A perfect spot for a first kiss...
When more people arrived in the class, they gathered together to change seats, and Chen Jizhou helped Jiang Meng move her desk.
Jiang Meng usually asks Xie Zhuo for help when she's too lazy to do anything, but because of that thoughtless joke last time, she's currently on bad terms with Xie Zhuo. Unlike Chen Jizhou, if Jiang Meng breaks off her friendship with Xie Zhuo for a month, he might not even realize it. "Have we broken off our friendship? When did that happen?" Let alone try to cheer her up.
As she stood beside him, drinking her milk, she recalled the things her mother had teased her and Chen Jizhou about.
Even though she didn't take those pretentious matchmaking attempts to heart, Jiang Meng couldn't deny that he was indeed quite suitable as a boyfriend.
A hand patted the back of Chen Jizhou's head. He walked from back to front, his voice casual and low: "If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
Jiang Meng: "Where are you going?"
"Play ball."
"Playing ball in the rain?"
"badminton."
"Take me with you, take me with you." Jiang Meng immediately put down what she was holding and followed him. She looked up at him and asked, "Are you bored if you don't play ball all day?"
Chen Jizhou glanced at her: "Life lies in movement. The main concern is that if you do problems all day, your brain will become rusty."
Jiang Meng agreed: "That makes perfect sense, I want to try it too."
He was in his usual state of spouting nonsense: "There's no logic to it. Whether you exercise or do homework, your brain will rust."
Jiang Meng wanted to hit him, but Chen Jizhou stopped her arm with a smile.
She didn't make another move. When they got to the corridor, where there were fewer people, Jiang Meng tugged at his clothes slightly, stood on tiptoe, and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to see someone the day after tomorrow."
Chen Jizhou walked forward and asked in a deep voice, "Who is it?"
Jiang Meng tapped her chin with her finger, pondering as she said, "An online friend, I really enjoy chatting with him. He's a really nice person, and incredibly patient. He chatted with me until 3 AM! — By the way, Chen Jizhou, do you have someone you like?"
What an abrupt transition.
Chen Jizhou looked at the ground and answered casually, "No."
Jiang Meng inexplicably felt that he was in low spirits today and his responses were perfunctory, but she didn't delve into the reasons. She just grinned and mocked him, "I knew it, you're just a greenhorn too."
She patted Chen Jizhou on the shoulder, her face showing a serious determination to progress together with him: "If you have someone you like, just tell me. I'll give you advice from a girl's perspective."
Chen Jizhou had longer legs, and although he walked slowly, he quickly walked ahead of her without letting her see his expression.
He took her to the gymnasium to play badminton for a while, but he was not focused on the game today. While Chen Jizhou was resting, he asked his friend to teach Jiang Meng for a while. He bent down slightly, rested his elbows on his knees, took out the small Nokia from his pocket, turned it on, and then clicked on Jiang Meng's profile picture to take a look.
There were countless moments when she could have spoken up, like just now when she said she was going to meet that person.
He could have said: "Don't go, you idiot, I'm right in front of you."
Unfortunately, he missed every opportunity to make things clear.
Would the day after tomorrow be the most suitable time?
Maybe we should just forget about it.
Chen Jizhou frowned and brushed his hair aside in annoyance.
Even though I had mentally prepared myself, when the time came, I felt the urge to back down.
Was it because of what she said in the classroom just now?
If we actually meet, what can we say to each other?
That's right, I'm the one who chatted with you until 3 a.m.
What will Jiang Meng do? She will most likely be surprised, then fearful, then disappointed, and even lose all interest. Her high expectations will be like a bucket of water being overturned, leaving not a single drop.
The person I'm waiting for isn't you. Are you playing me for fun, Chen Jizhou?
What should he say next?
It doesn't matter if the person you're waiting for isn't me, but could you please look at me, Jiang Meng?
Actually, I'm doing pretty well.
I really like you, will you be my girlfriend?
The most likely scenario is that she will flinch away in terror, just as Zhao Yuanting demonstrated.
From then on, he never had the chance to play ball with her again.
Chen Jizhou propped himself up on his knees, remaining silent for a while. Then he shifted to a reclining position, trying to ease his constricted heart. He looked at the dark sky outside the stadium. People often find themselves in dire straits at moments like this, and suddenly he realized that there was no such thing as a suitable opportunity. There had never been, and there never would be.
People who are not loved have no right to talk about relationships.
Even if he chats with her on his phone until the end of time, when they finally meet in person, it will still end in a lose-lose situation.
That day, perhaps I shouldn't have rashly agreed to her request while I was half asleep, but there's no point in regretting it now.
Chen Jizhou put his phone away, picked up his racket, and walked back to the court.
Jiang Meng and A arranged to meet at the second-floor terrace of the school library. Below the terrace was a grove of trees, a secluded spot where some couples would meet during evening self-study sessions.
Jiang Meng styled her hair neatly today, her school uniform was very clean, and the cuffs and collar were arranged very tidily.
On Friday evening, the atmosphere at school was relaxed. A few boys were smoking in the woods. Jiang Meng looked around; would he be among them? Clearly not; those people were very disorganized and undisciplined. She leaned against the railing again, watching the flow of people below. Students left school in waves—first-year, second-year, third-year. She looked up at the sky again; beautiful clouds drifted everywhere. The clear weather was perfect for meeting, perfect for a journey.
Seeing that the time had come, Jiang Meng adjusted her breathing.
I'm so nervous, so very nervous.
She opened her phone, clueless, and instinctively clicked on Li Shuheng's chat window.
They hadn't talked much, but Jiang Meng always found herself making uncontrollable connections.
It wasn't so much waiting as confirming something. She was standing there, having just finished a question and was flipping to the answer key.
Whether you like it or not is another matter.
She just wanted to know if it was him.
On the cobblestone path below, a student on duty walked by carrying a winnowing basket.
Soon, she heard someone whistle a vulgar tune from below.
Jiang Meng immediately looked down.
Chen Jizhou, carrying a black bag, shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand, looking up at her with a smile. His smile was refined and handsome, quite striking, exuding a carefree yet slightly sharp youthful charm. His beautiful peach blossom eyes shone through the swaying leaves, creating a scene so beautiful it seemed straight out of a movie.
Jiang Meng was speechless for a moment.
Why did he have to show up at this time?
She ignored him, turned her back, and leaned against the railing.
Chen Jizhou walked up the open-air staircase next to him.
Jiang Meng didn't even look at him, scrolling through her phone screen for a while with a bored expression: "Why are you here? Aren't you going to play ball?"
Chen Jizhou stood beside her, leaning back relaxedly, his arms resting on the railing, his fingers intertwined. The two were quite close, only about ten centimeters apart. He glanced at Jiang Meng, who was looking down beside him, and said, "We're not playing ball today. I have something to do."
She remained standing with her back against the railing, seemingly in no mood for small talk, and didn't utter a word.
Chen Jizhou glanced at her, his words, which required careful consideration, churning deep within him as his Adam's apple bobbed. He asked in a low voice, "You're having a date here?"
"Um."
Jiang Meng glanced at him, remained silent for a few seconds, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind: Could A be Chen Jizhou?
Although their tone of voice sometimes seemed similar to hers, occasionally making her think they were talking at the same time—for example, their narcissistic and arrogant tones always made her unconsciously imagine that Chen Jizhou was talking to her—she had never actually considered that possibility.
Jiang Meng told him, "I'm waiting for someone."
"The one you mentioned last time?"
"yes."
"Someone will really come?"
Yes, it will.
She nodded without hesitation.
“I just don’t believe it,” Chen Jizhou said, gazing at the leaves in the woods, now old and new. After a while, as if seeing through the disappointment in her eyes, he added fuel to the fire with his mockery: “Instead of proving that someone loves you until 3 a.m., you might as well prove that you can get a perfect score in math.”
"..."
Jiang Meng wanted to knock him down with one punch.
He smiled and blocked her outstretched wrist.
She wasn't in the mood to fool around with him right now, and stared blankly at the cobblestone path below.
After a while, Chen Jizhou smiled—his most familiar and relaxed smile. Facing the breeze blowing through the woods, his expression was bright and clear, his eyes sunny and vibrant. As Jiang Meng looked at him, Chen Jizhou said, "Have you ever thought that maybe the person you're waiting for is me?"
His tone was also very relaxed.
It's like a joke.
Even if it was a joke, at this moment, Jiang Meng couldn't help but believe it, but this momentary belief only lasted for a split second.
Jiang Meng met her friend A in a game, and she immediately asked Chen Jizhou a question: "Do you still play No Man's Land?"
Chen Jizhou didn't understand why the topic changed so quickly: "What, a game?"
...He really didn't know.
Jiang Meng firmly believed this; he wasn't faking it. For Chen Jizhou, the game was a bit too basic. Once, at an internet cafe, she forced him to create an account to play with her. She did see him log in a few times afterward, but he genuinely wasn't interested and abandoned the game after only a few levels.
A was very enthusiastic about that game and even discussed things like buying equipment with her.
Although her parents later restricted her allowance and forbade her from playing games, surely he wouldn't have forgotten the name of the game he stayed up all night to beat back then, after just one year?
Jiang Meng lowered her eyes, and as time passed, she forced a smile: "Thank you, Chen Jizhou."
It was as if he knew that person wouldn't come, yet he still showed up to give her a way out.
Upon reflection, it became clear that from beginning to end, only he was by her side.
When you're sad, when you're happy, when you're kicked out of your home, or even when someone stands you up.
She said very softly, "But stop fooling around."
"..."
Jiang Meng didn't look at his expression anymore. She felt her eyes getting wet, but she quickly cheered herself up and blamed the person who made the mistake: "Maybe he's too ugly and embarrassed to meet a beautiful woman like me. He must be a toad spirit."
When she raised her eyes and smiled at Chen Jizhou, he saw a faint red mark around her eye. It wasn't obvious, but whenever the bitterness in her heart was revealed, her sadness was magnified a thousand times in his eyes.
"Jiang Meng".
Chen Jizhou looked at her quietly, his casual, playful nature gone. He suddenly became serious and uttered from the bottom of his heart, "Don't you want to believe it was me?"
But she seemed not to hear what he said and continued talking to herself, the smile on her face trying to hide her embarrassment: "Am I stupid, waiting for someone who may not even exist? Oh well, it's okay. It's good to make friends with people and have pleasant interactions, just like me and you guys, there's no difference. I shouldn't have any expectations."
She spoke very quickly, not giving him a chance to interrupt, as if afraid that if she paused, she would be ridiculed: "Everything has a beginning, but few things have an end. All feelings are like this, family affection and friendship."
Jiang Meng covered her eyes with her palm and quickly wiped them.
As she walked past him to go down the stairs, Chen Jizhou gripped her shoulder with a slightly heavy hand, causing Jiang Meng to bump into his shoulder.
He looked down at the person leaning against him.
"Don't cry," Chen Jizhou said softly.
In this moment of reliance that could hardly be called an embrace, Jiang Meng quickly regained her composure, composed herself, and managed a smile in just two seconds.
She broke free from Chen Jizhou's grasp and said to him, "I won't cry. From today onwards, I'm going to study hard!"
After Jiang Meng finished speaking, she waved goodbye to him nonchalantly and walked away with a smile.
The small terrace is hidden behind the tall building. It is narrow and ambiguous, perfect for students who are afraid of being caught on the street to go on dates. Too many breakups and reconciliations and sticky moments have happened here.
He also held a sliver of hope, though it was only 0.1%, which was practically nothing.
He would kiss her here if she accepted him.
On this bright and warm day, weary birds returned to their nests, a breeze stirred in the woods, and the evening sun and breeze were just the right amount of gentle warmth.
On an evening perfect for a first kiss.
But Jiang Meng extinguished that 0.1% hope.
She didn't like him at all; her eyes were filled with disappointment, and her face was full of reluctance.
Those partings and reunions, those sticky and lingering feelings, will not belong to Chen Jizhou.
He remained with his arm draped over the railing for a long time, until he watched her walk out of sight.
-
On the way back, Jiang Meng sent A a message: "Don't you want to give me an explanation?"
The chat interface was offline, and it wasn't until midnight that a belated response arrived.
A only sent three words: "I'm sorry".
Jiang Meng did not delete him.
She doesn't need to expend such intense emotions to face a broken promise.
But that was the last time they contacted each other.
They understood each other perfectly, bringing this "friendship" to a close.
Regardless of whether her guess was wrong, this emotion affected Li Shuheng. Unbeknownst to her, time passed, and when Li Shuheng came to find her again, Pingjiang had already entered the harsh winter. Jiang Meng was burning the midnight oil in a classroom where almost all the students had left, writing and doing problems. Someone came to discuss a problem with her and knocked on the back door.
After several days, Jiang Meng no longer missed her friend A, and her attitude towards Li Shuheng also improved.
So when he appeared, she didn't react much, only smiled kindly and said, "Have a seat."
He approached her under the guise of discussing topics. Jiang Meng wasn't oblivious to his subtle intentions, but as long as the unspoken understanding remained, she had no reason to refuse his advances.
Jiang Meng explained a math fill-in-the-blank question to him.
Her keychain was on the table, and Li Shuheng noticed it. He asked if he could take a look.
The empty space for the pumpkin carriage was filled with a photo booth picture.
It was when she was ten years old that she took this photo with Chen Jizhou.
The young master, with a touch of arrogance in his personality, stood with his hands on his hips, refusing to comply. How could a man like him take such flashy and cute photos? However, as expected, he eventually succumbed to the girl's aggrieved and tearful expression.
But that arrogant look in his eyes is still captured in the photo.
Li Shuheng flipped it over and realized it was a group photo.
Jiang Meng pointed with the tip of her pen in the air and introduced him, saying, "This is me and Chen Jizhou."
Li Shuheng naturally recognized it: "I know."
Jiang Meng was afraid he would misunderstand something, so she smiled and said, "But I just thought this photo of me was cute, so I posted it. It has nothing to do with him. Don't think I have a crush on him. If he hears about it, he'll be so arrogant."
Li Shuheng looked at the photo, then at Jiang Meng, as if comparing something, and asked her, "How old were you at this time?"
"Ten years old."
"You've known each other for so long."
She propped her head up with her hand, smiling beautifully: "Of course, we're childhood sweethearts, our love is stronger than gold."
She pointed to the photos again and said, "He was super handsome when he was a child, and he's been attracting a lot of romantic attention ever since then."
Li Shuheng curled his lips into a smile, glanced at the photo again, and said with surprise, "Actually, it's just so-so."
Li Shuheng brushed aside her bunch of keys.
He indicated that he did not want to continue the topic.
Jiang Meng wasn't oblivious; she wasn't going to force a conversation with him about topics she wasn't interested in. But this action made her pause.
She felt he was completely unfriendly.
"So what? Why are you being so sarcastic?"
Jiang Meng took the key back.
Sometimes she has trouble managing her emotions and speaks very bluntly. Especially when she feels offended, if someone talks back to her, she will instinctively talk back without thinking.
In most cases, she regrets her quick tongue.
Jiang Meng dislikes offending others.
But this time, she didn't feel any regret.
Li Shuheng, usually a mild-mannered person, rarely argued with her: "I don't think he's handsome, but you think he is. Do we have to argue about who's better?"
“If you don’t think he’s handsome, then that’s your problem. I’m taller than you.” Jiang Meng smiled. “Why don’t you take a closer look? He’s extremely handsome, okay? He’s objectively handsome, okay?”
Li Shuheng did not look at it again.
He stared at the test paper on the table, but had no interest in doing the questions.
A gust of wind blew through his chest, piercing the fragile membrane within him. Unable to bear the feeling of being swallowed by suffocating emotions any longer, he finally, in a seemingly calm state, let a gray, moldy arrow fly out of his heart.
"I hate a lot of things in the world."
"I hate that people are confined to a certain scope from birth, as if they can never break free. I hate a life with a pre-programmed life."
"I also hate people who can get everything without working hard."
Jiang Meng paused, then frowned: "Are you implying something about someone?"
She finally understood the hidden meaning in those few words.
He was sensitive because of his background and was very concerned about Chen Jizhou's good family background, so even his handsome appearance hurt him and made him unable to face him.
“But Chen Jizhou is a very good person.” She subconsciously defended her good friend.
"What I mean is, even if he weren't Chen Jizhou, he would still live a very comfortable life. The things you care about are actually the things he doesn't care about. It's precisely because he doesn't care that he won't be trapped."
She talked for a long time, as if she were reciting a tongue twister.
Jiang Meng is very afraid of arguing, but Li Shuheng's words kept up with her, making her very upset. She felt she had to settle things with him today.
He turned to her and asked a sensitive question that went straight to the heart: "Do you like him?"
Jiang Meng was very frank: "If liking a good friend's liking counts as liking, then of course I like him."
She told him, "I'm so lucky to have met someone like this. I'm so lucky that we grew up together, went through so much together, and have memories that no one else can replace."
In the ensuing silence, she stared intently at Li Shuheng: "Actually, you also think he's very handsome, right? But you don't want to admit it because you're jealous of him."
He choked on his words: "I'm not—"
“There’s only one kind of person in the world who dislikes Chen Jizhou, and that’s someone who’s jealous of him. So, your bad words about him don’t make me think he’s bad, but rather that there’s something wrong with your way of thinking.” Jiang Meng said seriously, gritting her teeth. “If you’re going to talk about my friend like this, then we should stop associating.”
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