Silent Celebration
A chilly December wind swept across the campus, and the tense atmosphere of final exams was shattered by a sudden burst of good news: Chen Wang had won the gold medal in the National Physics Competition. The news arrived during Tuesday morning's break, and the entire teaching building was instantly abuzz.
Lin Weixi was organizing her notes at her desk when she heard a commotion in the corridor. The class monitor rushed into the classroom and excitedly knocked on the podium: "Classmates! Great news! Chen Wang won the gold medal in the National Physics Competition!"
The classroom was silent at first, then erupted into warm applause and cheers. The classmates gathered around Chen Wang's seat, congratulating him. Lin Weixi sat in her seat, her fingers unconsciously clenching the corner of her clothes.
She looked at Chen Wang, who was surrounded by the crowd. He had a modest smile on his face and waved his hand from time to time to indicate that it was nothing. The sunlight slanted in through the window and fell on him, as if coating him with a layer of golden light.
The principal personally came to the class and announced that the school would hold a commendation meeting on Friday. The head teacher was grinning from ear to ear, and even the usually serious physics teacher smiled for once. The entire campus was boiling with excitement over this good news, with only Lin Weixi remaining silent.
She should be happy for him, and in fact, she was. But amidst the jubilation, she felt an indescribable loneliness. The person standing in the spotlight was getting further and further away from her.
The commendation meeting on Friday was held in the auditorium. All the teachers and students of the school gathered together. The principal gave an impassioned speech on the stage, praising Chen Wang as the pride of the school. Lin Weixi sat in the back and watched Chen Wang on the stage receive the trophy and certificate.
The flash lights kept on and the audience applauded. Chen Wang's voice was calm as he delivered his acceptance speech, thanking his teachers for their training and his classmates for their support. His eyes swept across the audience, and for a moment, Lin Weixi felt as if he saw herself.
But she quickly dismissed the idea. How could he possibly notice her sitting in the corner among so many people?
After the assembly, the class decided to hold a small celebration for Chen Wang. The students pooled their money to buy cake and drinks and simply decorated the classroom. "Congratulations, Chen Wang" was written in large, colored chalk on the blackboard, surrounded by physics formulas and stars.
Lin Weixi took the initiative to take the task of taking pictures. She held the camera and recorded every happy moment: the classmates singing birthday songs around Chen Wang, the head teacher squinting his eyes with a smile when cutting the cake, and Chen Wang's helpless yet happy expression when his face was covered with cream.
Through the viewfinder, she could gaze at him openly without fear of being discovered. The camera became her best cover, allowing her to participate in the celebration while maintaining a safe distance.
"Wei Xi, come and eat cake together!" Shen Siyu came over with a plate, with cream on the corners of her mouth.
Lin Weixi shook her head and shook the camera in her hand: "I still want to take pictures."
In fact, there was still a lot of cake left, but she didn't want to squeeze into that lively circle. There, she would only feel more clearly the difference between herself and them.
Halfway through the celebration, Chen Wang suddenly walked up to her and said, "Thank you for your hard work today. You have been taking pictures for us."
Lin Weixi put down the camera in a panic: "No, it's okay, this is what I should do."
"Let's eat cake together." He handed over a paper plate with a neatly cut piece of cake on it. "This one has the most cream. I remember you like cream."
Lin Weixi was stunned. She had never told anyone that she liked cream, so how did he know?
Perhaps seeing her confusion, Chen Wang smiled and said, "At the last class reunion, I saw you always picked the one with more cream."
The discovery of this detail made Lin Weixi's heart beat faster. It turned out that he would also notice these little things.
After the celebration, the students left one after another. Lin Weixi stayed to help clean the classroom. When she wiped Chen Wang's seat, she found a folded piece of paper in the hole of the desk. Driven by curiosity, she opened it and took a look. It was Chen Wang's draft of his acceptance speech.
In addition to thanking teachers and classmates, there is a line of words that has been crossed out: "I also want to thank the person who always encourages me silently."
Lin Weixi's heart skipped a beat, and then she smiled bitterly. That person was definitely not her.
As she was about to put the paper back, a line of small words on the back caught her attention: "Every time I see the camera, I know someone is recording my growth. Thank you."
Her fingers trembled slightly. The ink on the words was fresh, so they must have been written recently.
The classroom door was pushed open, and Chen Wang turned back to get the coat he had forgotten to bring. Seeing the piece of paper in Lin Weixi's hand, he was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently: "You found it."
"I...I didn't mean to look." Lin Weixi explained hurriedly, her cheeks burning.
"It's okay." Chen Wang took the piece of paper, folded it carefully and put it in his pocket. "I wanted others to see these words."
Lin Weixi lowered her head, not knowing how to respond. She really wanted to ask if that "someone" was referring to her, but she was afraid of being too sentimental.
As the night deepened, they walked out of the teaching building together. The cold wind blew, and Lin Weixi shivered unconsciously. Seeing this, Chen Wang naturally took off his scarf and handed it to her: "Put it on, don't catch a cold."
The scarf still retained his body temperature and a faint scent of laundry detergent. Lin Weixi hesitated for a moment, then took the scarf and gently wrapped it around her.
"Thank you today." Chen Wang said suddenly, "Not only for taking pictures, but also for many other times."
Lin Weixi raised her head and met his serious gaze. The light from the street lamp was dim, but she could clearly see the sincerity in his eyes.
"I didn't do anything," she said softly.
"You've done a lot." Chen Wang's tone was very sure, "You just haven't noticed it yet."
This sentence caused ripples in Lin Weixi's heart. She had always thought that she was a complete bystander in this secret love, but it turned out that she had become a part of his memory without realizing it.
When they reached the school gate, Chen Wang waved at her and said, "See you on Monday."
"See you on Monday." Lin Weixi looked at his receding figure, her fingers unconsciously stroking the soft texture of the scarf.
On her way home, she walked slowly, hoping to prolong the warmth. The shops along the street had already hung Christmas decorations, their lights twinkling in the night. She thought of the daytime celebrations, of the cake Chen Wang had handed her, of the warmth on her scarf.
Perhaps, a silent celebration also has its own unique meaning. It doesn't need to stand in the spotlight, as long as you can become a part of his memory at a certain moment, that is enough.
That night, Lin Weixi posted a photo of the celebration in her diary. In the photo, Chen Wang was cutting the cake with a faint smile on his face. Next to the photo, she wrote:
"Today he has achieved great success, and I am just a quiet recorder. But when he handed me the cake with the most cream, when I wrapped his scarf around my neck, I suddenly felt that even the smallest existence can leave a mark in someone else's life. That's enough."
Closing the diary, the moonlight outside the window was exceptionally bright. Lin Weixi gently stroked the scarf, feeling the remaining warmth on it. This cold winter night became exceptionally warm because of a silent celebration.
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