Chapter 15
Not long after Zhao Jinglu sent out the magazine photos, she received a text message from Ling Peng, who was obviously too impatient to wait for her to come online.
Ling Peng: "Where did you see this journal? Although it's a back issue, this kind of professional journal is rare in China. Our instructor only has a few copies, and the content is very inspiring. Thank you, Zhao Jinglu! You are our savior!"
Ling Peng: "Can you tell me the specific address of the bookstore? I'd like to see if there are any other related books or updated journals."
Zhao Jinglu looked at the exclamation mark on the screen and could feel Ling Peng's excitement, and she felt happy too. But when she saw the address question, she was a little confused.
"That bookstore is a bit out of the way. It's on the first floor of a residential building in XX community. It's not easy to find. There's not even a conspicuous sign at the door."
Ling Peng: "So secretive? No wonder I haven't heard of it. This is a bit difficult..."
Zhao Jinglu bit her lip and thought for a moment. He seemed to really need this book urgently. If only...
"How about..." she typed tentatively, "If you're free this weekend, I could take you there? I'm also looking for a book."
Ling Peng replied almost instantly: "Great! Thank you so much! See you at the school gate at 2pm on Saturday?"
"Okay, see you Saturday."
The agreement was reached, and Zhao Jinglu was delighted, feeling that she had helped again.
On Saturday morning, Zhao Jinglu was reading at home when her cell phone rang. It was Xu Linjie.
"Jinglu, do you want to go to the library to do homework together this afternoon?" Xu Linjie's voice sounded as gentle as usual.
Zhao Jinglu didn't think much about it and replied naturally, "Sorry, Lin Jie, I can't make it this afternoon. I made an appointment with Senior Ling Peng to take him to a small bookstore. It seems that the book I photographed last time can really help him."
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
The silence lasted a long time, so long that Zhao Jinglu felt a little strange: "Lin Jie?"
"Zhao Jinglu." Xu Linjie's voice suddenly changed. It was no longer as gentle as usual, but instead carried an uncontrollable coldness and disappointment. "What do you mean?"
Zhao Jinglu was stunned, completely unable to react: "What...what do you mean?"
"Is Senior Ling Peng that important to you?" Xu Linjie's voice rose a little, his long-suppressed emotions finally finding a breakthrough. "Is he important enough for you to take time off on weekends to personally take him to our usual haunts? Is he important enough for you to see a tacky magazine you can't even understand and the first thing you think of is taking a photo for him? Is he important enough for you to even turn down my invitation without hesitation?"
A barrage of questions rained down on Zhao Jinglu like hail, leaving her completely bewildered. "I...I didn't...I just thought I could help. The bookstore was hard to find, and he had..."
"Help?" Xu Linjie interrupted her, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Why are you so busy that you need help? Huh? Before, it was Fan Chen and Wang Lei. They were always around you, asking you, 'Brother Lu,' for help with everything. I understand, you're good friends. Then came Gao Xin's mess. You were heartbroken for him and even ignored me during that time. I put up with it, after all, it was your friend who was in trouble."
His voice trembled with excitement. "But now? Another senior appears out of nowhere! We've only met once, and you're already so focused on him? Zhao Jinglu, why are there always so many boys around you? Why do you always have so many things to help you with? Have you ever considered my feelings?!"
He almost growled out the last sentence, which was filled with grievance, anger and long-standing uneasiness.
Zhao Jinglu held the phone, her fingers cold, her heart aching as if gripped by an invisible hand. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. She had never imagined that in Xu Linjie's eyes, things would be like this.
She always thought that Fan Chen and Wang Lei were just playing around with friends, and that Gao Xin's action was out of guilt and sadness towards his friend, and that taking Ling Peng to the bookstore... was simply a favor.
She never realized that these events, which seemed independent to her, were superimposed on each other in Xu Linjie's eyes, forming such a disappointing picture that she could not refute.
"Lin Jie, I..." She tried to explain, but found that the words were so pale.
"Forget it." Xu Linjie's voice was suddenly filled with fatigue, and the excitement he had previously felt seemed to have been drained away in an instant. "You take him there. Have fun."
After saying that, the call was hung up without waiting for Zhao Jinglu to respond.
There was only a rapid busy tone in the receiver, buzzing, as if mocking her belated realization and helplessness.
Zhao Jinglu stood there blankly. The afternoon sun shone through the window, warm, but she felt cold all over.
Xu Linjie's words were like a cold chisel, re-carving her previous behavior from another angle, revealing the edges and corners that she had never examined and that could hurt others.
Is she wrong?
She just... wanted to be nice to her friends.
However, Xu Linjie's anger and sadness hurt her so much.
Should she still go meet Senior Ling Peng this afternoon? For the first time, this thought made her feel hesitant and heavy.
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