Chapter 17
◎Don't be so close to others◎
The girl's name was Shu Siyu. She moved to sit next to Xiao Ji, so that the distance between them was just right, close enough that no one could hear them when they spoke in hushed tones.
She smiled slightly. "I didn't come to you to try and build a relationship. I heard Song Jinyu is in a coma. How is he?"
During the time Song Jinyu was in a coma, many people came to visit her at the hospital—men and women, some Xiao Ji had met before, some he hadn't, some he knew by name, some he didn't…
Now another one has arrived.
Xiao Ji's face was expressionless, her eyelashes drooping slightly as she repeated the same explanation she had given to others to Shu Siyu.
Shu Siyu's beautiful eyes showed a sad expression. "How could this happen? He was such a good person, how could he suddenly get such a strange disease?"
Xiao Ji responded with silence.
Shu Siyu said, "We weren't in the same year. Back then, our club only had five people. When the club was recruiting new members, we were squeezed into the corner and didn't get a single new member for half a day."
The sun was shining brightly that day. Shu Siyu and the other members were sitting under the shed eating popsicles when they spotted Song Jinyu holding a skateboard.
He was quite tall, wearing a simple T-shirt and shorts, with sneakers on his feet. His skin wasn't fair, and he was holding a skateboard with one hand. Even though he wasn't doing anything, he always managed to attract everyone's attention.
He exudes a vibrant energy that shines brighter than the sun.
Song Jinyu didn't seem to want to join any clubs; she was just passing through the square.
When she reached Shu Siyu and the others, she inexplicably called out to him.
"Hey! Handsome, wanna join our club?"
Song Jinyu, holding a skateboard, turned her head and looked at them.
Shu Siyu then noticed that he had a pair of very bright eyes, as if he had captured all the stars in the sky.
She said, "Handsome, please! Our club hasn't recruited a single person. If we don't get any new members, we'll have to go out of business."
"Huh?" Song Jinyu was stunned. "That's terrible. Then give me a watch."
Thinking of this, Shu Siyu chuckled, "He was tricked into joining. We're a Go club, and Song Jinyu doesn't know anything about Go. Judging from his appearance, we didn't expect him to be able to play Go. It's not bad for him to be a mascot."
"But he still learned it later, and he would watch Go tutorials on his phone every day."
"He takes everything he does very seriously. Even though I tricked him into joining, he genuinely considers himself a member of the Go club. He studies diligently every day and promotes the club to everyone he meets. Thanks to his efforts, the club, which was on the verge of closing down, has actually come back to life."
"I just don't know if the person who came in is interested in Go or in Song Jinyu."
Xiao Ji's hands, hanging by his sides, clenched tighter and tighter.
Shu Siyu looked down and slowly smiled.
She looked at Xiao Ji, smiling, but there was a hint of malice in her eyes.
"Senior, do you know? Many people in our club like Song Jinyu, both boys and girls."
Her voice was slow and soft, like a venomous snake, as she breathed coldly into Xiao Ji's ear.
"But no one dares to confess their feelings to him. Do you know why?"
"Because..."
“They’re afraid that if they tell him, they won’t even be able to be friends with him anymore.”
Shu Siyu stood up, adjusted her glasses, and looked apologetic. "My boss called me, Director Xiao, please excuse me."
-
Xiao Ji left the room.
The sky, which had just been clear, was now covered with dark clouds. The autumn rain came suddenly, and the wind blew in from the corridor, with large raindrops falling on our faces.
He wiped the water droplets from his face and stepped slightly inward.
Before the door was even opened, I could hear sounds coming from inside.
"Holy crap! Brother Song, you're amazing! I've been trying to learn this move for ages and still can't get it. And this equipment, I've been trying to get it for so long, and you just casually clicked to get it..."
"Let me tell you, that's because I'm a doll right now. The doll's body limits my abilities. If I could fight on my own, I could carry you through in no time."
"If you turn back to your original form, can I still play with you?"
"Of course! I know a lot of guys in the game, I'll introduce you to them. You can also hang out with them when I'm busy..."
...
Xiao Ji pushed open the door.
The two, who were a little far apart in the morning, are now snuggled together like brothers.
Song Jinyu rubbed her hands together. "I've passed on all my secret techniques to you, Xiao Jiang, shouldn't you show some appreciation?"
Jiang Hui readily raised his phone, "Brother Song, just tell me what you want, and I'll give it to you as long as I can."
Song Jinyu chuckled, "Then buy me an Ultraman outfit, and I'll give you the money when I'm resurrected."
"What are you talking about? Forget Ultraman clothes, I could buy you an Ultraman costume and give it to you. Brother, let's talk money..."
Before Jiang could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a lightness on his shoulder. He turned around and found that Xiao Ji had entered at some point.
In front of Xiao Ji, Jiang Hui became much more reserved. He tucked his legs, which had been wide open, and put his hands down properly.
"Brother Xiao... are you done with your work?"
Xiao Ji gave a curt "hmm" without any emotion, then shook Song Jinyu, "Let's go back, it's raining."
Song Jinyu landed on Xiao Ji's shoulder, and Jiang Hui also packed his schoolbag. The rain was pattering outside. He put on his schoolbag and said to Xiao Ji, "I have something to do this afternoon, so I won't go back with you. I'll come again tomorrow."
He smiled at Song Jinyu, his tone filled with anticipation, "I'll come visit you again tomorrow."
Song Jinyu nodded, holding her head.
"Okay, okay..."
Xiao Ji stood silently in the corridor.
A gust of wind blew by, and Song Jinyu felt herself being blown about. She quickly reached out and grabbed Xiao Ji's hair, then watched helplessly as her hat was blown away by the wind.
He stretched out his hand in vain, "Oh... my hat..."
Xiao Ji ignored the hat and went to the underground parking lot with it on.
The corridor wasn't closed off, and the gust of wind had left both of them covered in raindrops. Song Jinyu stood on Xiao Ji's shoulder, patting off the water droplets, and then casually patted the water off Xiao Ji's shoulder as well.
"What are you doing? Why are you giving me that sour look? Do I owe you money?"
Xiao Ji turned his head to look at the doll beside him. The doll's gaze was not on him. Its small hands patted here and there, and even though it was complaining, it kept moving.
He saw those always smiling eyes through the doll's face.
A surge of resentment rose from the depths of his heart, burning his soul and writhing his internal organs in turmoil.
...
Xiao Ji closed his eyes.
Song Jinyu continued, "Are you coming to work tomorrow? Why don't you give the bracelet to Jiang Hui, and I'll stay home with Jiang Hui and play games? I already asked him, and it's okay if we don't spend time together occasionally."
It wasn't that he particularly wanted to play games; he just didn't want to trouble Xiao Ji. If he came out with him, Xiao Ji would have to take care of him, and with so many people around, Song Jinyu, being the kind of person who couldn't stay still, was afraid of being discovered.
After saying that, he noticed that Xiao Ji seemed a little unhappy, and couldn't help but add, "Don't worry, I've already established a deep revolutionary friendship with Jiang Hui, he won't harm..."
That's enough.
Xiao Ji interrupted him.
"Stop talking, Song Jinyu."
His tone was so cold, his words sounded like chewing on ice, making Song Jinyu shiver unexpectedly.
"W-what's wrong? Is this suggestion bad?"
"Okay?"
Xiao Ji gripped the steering wheel, turned her head to look down at him. The garage lights were broken, and the whole area was dark. The man's face was submerged in the darkness, as if it had been swallowed up by something.
“Song Jinyu…” Xiao Ji seemed to smile, “Are you like this to everyone?”
Anyone can be your friend, anyone can care.
There will always be people around you; even if one leaves, another will appear.
Song Jinyu was stunned for a moment, "What do you mean it's the same for everyone? Xiao Ji, what's wrong with you now?"
Xiao Ji remained silent.
Song Jinyu couldn't stand people who only spoke halfway through their sentences. He grabbed the little bear keychain next to him and threw it at Xiao Ji. "Are you mute? If you have any complaints, just say it. If you think I did something wrong, just say it. What's the point of keeping it to yourself?"
Xiao Ji wondered, what could he say?
Is it his jealousy that nearly consumed his reason? Is it his filthy thoughts? Or is it his unspeakable days and nights?
...
"But no one dares to confess their feelings to him. Do you know why?"
"Because..."
“They’re afraid that if they tell him, they won’t even be able to be friends with him anymore.”
...
The rain intensified, and Song Jinyu and Xiao Ji fell into a cold war.
Xiao Ji was taking a shower, while Song Jinyu sat by the glass window watching the rain beat down on the tallow trees, which were swaying in the wind and rain, and the ground was covered with fallen leaves.
Winter is drawing ever closer.
In a fit of pique, Song Jinyu ripped off the little clothes Xiao Ji had made for her and put on the ones she had bought herself.
In fact, this is the normal state between him and Xiao Ji. The easing of tension these past few days is like an illusion. After a downpour, the dream will end.
Song Jinyu stood up, found her small blanket, and decided not to sleep in the same room with Xiao Ji tonight.
When Xiao Ji came out after taking a shower, the doll was gone. He searched the house and found the sleeping doll on the bay window in the study.
Even though he couldn't feel the temperature, he still obediently covered himself with the blanket.
Xiao Ji brewed a strong cup of coffee and sat in his study all night.
-
When Song Jinyu woke up, it was already bright daylight. His body felt more full than ever before. Without anyone telling him, he could feel that his remnant soul had been almost completely absorbed.
When he got out of bed, he was startled by Xiao Ji standing in front of him.
Even though she had already decided to ignore him, Song Jinyu's mouth moved faster than her brain when she saw him.
What are you doing here?
The bitter taste of coffee still lingered in the air. Despite not having slept all night, Xiao Ji's complexion looked no different from usual, except for a few barely noticeable red veins at the corners of his eyes.
He paused for a moment, then finally spoke, "I'm sorry about yesterday."
Song Jinyu snorted. It was too late to apologize now. The Song Jinyu of yesterday was not the Song Jinyu of today.
After saying "I'm sorry," Xiao Ji remained silent for a long time.
Song Jinyu waited for a while, feeling somewhat incredulous, "Is 'sorry' all? Don't you have anything else to say?"
Xiao Ji rubbed the cup, his fingertips brushing against it again and again until they turned red.
A night of contemplation couldn't calm him down; Song Jinyu's indifference only tugged at his remaining rationality. The moment the doll opened its eyes, Xiao Ji felt something snap in his mind.
Song Jinyu was furious at his expression. "Xiao Ji, do you think you can get away with just saying sorry? What do you take me for? Let me tell you, no one has ever treated me like this before. If it were anyone else, I would have already beaten them to a pulp..."
Even if I can't beat you, that's no excuse for treating me like this.
"Seriously? You're really just going to say sorry and that's it?"
"Shouldn't you at least say 'I'm sorry' three times?"
“Song Jinyu…”
Xiao Ji said:
"Could you..."
"Don't be so close to other people."
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