Sheng Wenzhi's real name is not Sheng Wenzhi, but Sheng Wenzhi.
Something suddenly flashed through Shang Yechu's mind; memories of her student days resounded like thunder across the years.
"I remember, your name back then was clearly..." Shang Yechu stammered, "I also remember the name you wrote on the test paper. And you also said that your 'Zhi' was the 'Zhi' of 'sesame'—"
"Shang Yechu, listen to me." Sheng Wenzhi reached out and placed his hand on Shang Yechu's shoulder, his expression serious.
"When I was born, my family named me 'Sheng Wenzhi,' hoping that I would be knowledgeable and well-informed. However, a fortune teller said that my fate was not good and would harm my relatives, so a girl's name would be better to suppress it. My grandparents were superstitious, so they changed it to 'Sheng Wenzhi.'"
"I don't know if it's because of my name, but I'm looking more and more feminine. Plus, my family doesn't allow me to have short hair, so I've been constantly ridiculed by my peers."
Sheng Wenzhi looked into Shang Yechu's eyes and said, "When I grew up to be a teenager, I couldn't take it anymore. Just then, my grandparents passed away one after the other, and no one stopped me from changing my name anymore—my family didn't go to Wencheng for tourism; Wencheng is where my family's household registration is located, and if I want to change my name, I have to go back there."
“I kept pestering my parents to change their names, and on the way home after changing their names and getting their new household registration book, my parents got into a car accident. They died on the spot.”
What is Sheng Wenzhi talking about?
Even though every word was in Chinese, Shang Yechu felt as if her brain had short-circuited. The sound of Sheng Wenzhi's voice, combined with the incessant chatter of lines playing in her mind, gave Shang Yechu a splitting headache; she felt like she was about to have a mental breakdown.
Sheng Wenzhi, oblivious to Shang Yechu's unusual behavior, continued speaking: "After my parents passed away, I kept thinking, was it really my fault? Was it not my grandparents' superstition, but myself—I killed my parents? For a long time, I was in a daze, still using my old name and keeping this annoying long hair..."
Shang Yechu felt as if her skull was about to explode. She involuntarily lowered her eyes and slowly took a step back.
"Look at me!" Sheng Wenzhi suddenly became emotional, cupping Shang Yechu's face in his hands, and said earnestly and persistently, "Shang Yechu, look at my face, okay? I am a man—I was before, I am now, and I will be in the future. I am a man, both psychologically and physically!"
The lines in her mind were buzzing, and Shang Yechu could no longer bear it: "Enough, stop."
The sound was very soft, yet it acted like an incredibly sensitive switch, causing Sheng Wenzhi and 103 to stop talking at the same time.
The world is finally quiet.
Shang Yechu raised her eyes and looked closely at Sheng Wenzhi's face. Those beautifully shaped eyes, that straight nose, those lean and clearly defined features... This person had a stubborn expression, and Shang Yechu saw her own reflection in those clear eyes.
She... no, it was him.
Shang Yechu slowly but firmly pried Sheng Wenzhi's hand off, and said in a very soft voice, "So?"
Sheng Wenzhi was taken aback when he heard that Shang Yechu had uttered those three words.
"So?" Shang Yechu repeated. "Why are you telling me all this?"
Sheng Wen was stunned: "I..."
"Let's change the subject," Shang Yechu waved her hand impatiently. "What were your reasons for treating me that way back in middle school? Can you tell me now?"
Sheng Wenzhi's lips moved slightly, and he lowered his head, slowly saying, "Back then, I thought you liked me."
No need to say more, just this one sentence is enough.
For a teenager with a strong sense of self-esteem, being liked by a chubby girl who is both silly and foolish is by no means a source of pride. Countless people have hurt this kind of emotionally vulnerable person during their youth, and Shang Yechu is just one of them.
I see.
The boys' strange jeering, Sheng Wenzhi's flushed face, and the reason why Sheng Wenzhi, despite being a pretty girl, was inexplicably mocked and bullied by all the male classmates... everything made sense.
Sheng Wenzhi said in a low voice, "I thought you liked me. But later I found out that you just thought of me as a girl and wanted to be friends with me. I misunderstood you, but..."
It was all too late.
The pride of youth prevented Sheng Wenzhi from apologizing to Shang Yechu. When they met again later, it seemed unnecessary to offer a belated apology for these trivial matters.
"I'm sorry," he said.
The crew had all left; it was time for dinner. Now, in this space that wasn't too big or too small, only these two misplaced "old friends" remained.
Shang Yechu lowered her eyes and suddenly said, "Why are you only telling me this now? Why didn't you tell me when we were in junior high, when we reunited, or when we were living together—why now of all times?"
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