Chapter 18
On the second night of the holiday, Song Qiuxuan went to bed very early.
The first rays of morning sunlight streamed through the curtains into the bedroom. The weather on the 3rd was still lovely, and the greenery below the apartment building shimmered with tiny golden rays. Song Qiuxuan drew back the curtains and glanced down. She thought to herself, "The autumn sun feels so warm on my skin."
After finishing all the things she needed to do in the morning—brushing her teeth, eating breakfast, and helping her mother tidy up the living room and kitchen—Song Qiuxuan finally picked up her phone.
A completely unexpected message popped up, and Song Qiuxuan's heart skipped a beat. She almost doubted her own imagination. Her fingers trembled slightly as she opened the chat box and read the message that Cheng Xun had sent last night several times.
After confirming repeatedly, Song Qiuxuan was so overjoyed that she couldn't help but jump onto the bed.
"I shouldn't have gone to bed so early last night," Song Qiuxuan muttered to herself, a wave of regret washing over her.
How should she reply? How could she appear less excited and less happy, but not so forced? Song Qiuxuan carefully considered her words.
After agonizing over the question for a long time, Song Qiuxuan simply asked: "What day is this music festival?"
Song Qiuxuan didn't know why she was hiding her emotions, so she simply answered "okay," indicating that she was very willing to go to the music festival with him. Wasn't that a good thing?
However, that's how adolescence is; at certain times, you maintain a little self-respect and a little dignity, as if that way you won't look back too embarrassingly in the future.
*
Cheng Xun and Liang Shizhe spent the night at an internet cafe. Cheng Xun slept in the latter half of the night and was in a better state in the morning. On the other hand, Liang Shizhe, who hadn't slept all night, had dark circles under his eyes and was walking unsteadily.
For customers who frequent internet cafes, the owner will recommend getting a card, topping it up, and swiping it when entering and leaving the store. The system will automatically record the time and deduct the money, which is much more convenient as it eliminates the need to queue and register.
Cheng Xun reached into his pocket to take out his card, and then felt two tickets. He suddenly remembered something important and turned on his phone.
Cheng Xun received Song Qiuxuan's reply half an hour ago. Although she didn't explicitly agree, her meaning was quite clear. Cheng Xun smiled and told her it would be tomorrow.
"Cheng Xun, give me your card." Seeing how happy he was, Liang Shizhe looked Cheng Xun up and down with unfamiliar eyes. Would the Cheng Xun of the past have shown such obvious emotions? In the past, Cheng Xun's only obvious emotion was impatience; other emotions were very indifferent.
Cheng Xun asked, puzzled, "What?"
Liang Shizhe said sarcastically, "I'm doing a good deed by helping you scan your card at the front desk, giving you time to chat happily."
Cheng Xun didn't refuse and handed the card to Liang Shizhe, saying, "Thank you."
He said thank you, but his tone was not sincere at all. Liang Shizhe snorted and walked to the front desk.
Cheng Xun walked out of the internet cafe while holding his phone in one hand. He chatted with Song Qiuxuan for a while and they agreed to meet at Xiou Park at six o'clock that evening.
The shop was dimly lit, but as soon as Cheng Xun stepped out, he was dazzled by the bright sunlight and squinted slightly. The aroma of breakfast stalls wafted through the street, steam rose from the steamers, and cars on the main road honked one after another, creating the morning street scene of Lianyan City.
A boy, about the same age as him, was squatting by the gate smoking. He was wearing a black undershirt and had a tattoo on his tanned arm.
"You're that guy?" The boy's tone was a mixture of surprise and hostility.
Cheng Xun glanced at him, his gaze lingering on the indistinct tattoo for a couple of seconds before he looked away without any emotion. Cheng Xun remembered that on the day he was punished for smoking at school and had to write a self-criticism, this boy had threatened him to write it for him.
"Pretend you can't see it? Last time you got me into trouble because the head teacher found my tattoo and I got a scolding, wasn't that you?" Wu Zhongli stood up and strode towards Cheng Xun.
Cheng Xun looked over slowly again, his eyes a little cold: "Classmate, you're quite good at turning the tables. If you hadn't made me write a self-criticism, what else would have happened?"
Wu Zhongli was furious because among his group of friends, he was considered a very authoritative person, the kind who was like an elder brother. He was tall, strong, and good at fighting, and everyone was willing to trust him. Therefore, he was quite arrogant, had a high opinion of himself, and thought that everyone was inferior to him.
"Have you heard of my name? Do you know you can't afford to mess with me?" Wu Zhongli stood a meter away from Cheng Xun, his expression somewhat ferocious.
Cheng Xun didn't answer him, but instead lowered his dark eyebrows and asked incredulously, "How did you get into No. 1 High School?"
It's no wonder Cheng Xun was so puzzled. This guy had such a strong gangster vibe and an arrogant tone. Although Cheng Xun himself wasn't much better, compared to him, he was a student who didn't cause trouble.
Wu Zhongli gritted his teeth: "What do you mean! I got into No. 1 High School on my own merit, don't look down on me like that."
Cheng Xun ignored his anger, turned her head away and checked the time on her phone. Liang Shizhe didn't know why it had taken so long; he was getting a little bored while waiting.
A figure loomed over Cheng Xun. He saw Wu Zhongli approaching with a cigarette butt in his hand. Wu Zhongli's expression was fierce as he reached out to stub out the cigarette on Cheng Xun's arm.
Cheng Xun took a step back to avoid him, and after a moment of surprise, he immediately grabbed the other man's elbow and bent it hard. Wu Zhongli cried out in pain. Cheng Xun quickly kicked him in the waist, and he staggered backward. Because he had underestimated his opponent, he had not expected that the slender boy possessed such strength. Wu Zhongli sat down hard on the dirty ground outside the shop.
"Damn, Cheng Xun, you've been fighting with someone outside the store in just a short while." Liang Shizhe walked out at this moment. He didn't look closely at the boy on the ground. His tone was shocked. He wondered if Cheng Xun had been bullied by him and that's why he fought back. Thinking of this possibility, he wanted to go forward and give him a kick.
"Let's go quickly." Cheng Xun said to Liang Shizhe, glancing down at the boy whose face was contorted with rage and whose veins were bulging. Cheng Xun didn't want to cause trouble, so he kicked him as revenge for wanting to burn him with a cigarette butt.
*
Song Qiuxuan couldn't calm down all day. Was this supposed to be a date? But that word should be used for two people who were already together, while she and Cheng Xun were just classmates.
Song Qiuxuan couldn't understand, nor dared to delve deeper, why Cheng Xun had invited her to the music festival; she had unusual feelings for him. And what about him? Was he only choosing her because he had no one else to accompany him?
Opening her wardrobe, most of her summer and autumn clothes are simple styles of short-sleeved and long-sleeved shirts, shorts and trousers. Of course, she also develops a love for beauty during puberty and buys cute hair clips, pretty dresses, and shiny little leather shoes to match them.
Song Qiuxuan suddenly developed decision-making difficulties. She stood in front of the mirror comparing which dress was more suitable and better looking. After picking and choosing for most of the day, she collapsed on the bed, exhausted.
As dusk approached, she jumped up and changed into a white long dress, tucking the waist in slightly. The layers of the skirt resembled blooming flowers. Song Qiuxuan applied light makeup, not daring to wear too much lipstick, just a light layer, like a fresh cherry, which made her complexion look very good.
Song Qiuxuan smiled at herself in the mirror. The autumn evening was slightly cool. She took out a sky-blue denim jacket from the closet and was about to go out.
She was home alone. Her father's company was having a team-building event tonight, and family members could come along. Her mother went with her. It was a lucky day, as she didn't have to explain who she was going out with tonight.
As Song Qiuxuan walked to the door, something flashed through her mind. She hurriedly went back to the bedroom and retrieved the navy blue hat she was going to give to Cheng Xun. She had thought of a reason for giving it to him, a reason that was reasonably plausible.
Song Qiuxuan arrived at Xiou Park on time and saw Cheng Xun waiting for her at the entrance. The music festival stage was a temporary setup, and similar events had never been held here before. She had heard Sun Shan mention it when she was in school. At that time, Sun Shan had considered coming to the music festival, but the ticket price deterred her. Moreover, the invited guests were only moderately famous singers and celebrities. Sun Shan's idol was a male star who became popular last year through a talent show, so it didn't appeal to her much.
"Cheng Xun." Song Qiuxuan smiled slightly and waved to him. Perhaps because she had dressed up carefully, she seemed more reserved than usual, and even the curve of her smile was just right.
Cheng Xun looked up and smiled. "Let's go in."
As they walked in side by side, Song Qiuxuan nervously fidgeted with the hem of her clothes, her hand hanging by her side. She asked curiously, "Did something suddenly come up with your friend that made them give you the tickets?"
Cheng Xun touched his nose awkwardly and mumbled an "Mmm." He looked down at Song Qiuxuan and noticed that she looked beautiful today. Under the light, her face was very fair, like porcelain jade, and her eyes were dark, clear, and sparkling.
When Song Qiuxuan looked up at him, Cheng Xun immediately looked away, avoiding eye contact. Song Qiuxuan, however, assumed he was curious about his surroundings and kept glancing around.
The park was extremely crowded, with people packed shoulder to shoulder. The music from the speakers was deafening, and dazzling lights shone on the stage, creating a spectacular scene. Right now, a relatively unknown singer was performing, and the music was very upbeat, causing the audience to sway their bodies along.
After finishing one song, the singer took off his leather jacket, grabbed the microphone, and interacted with the audience, enthusiastically creating a lively atmosphere. He then announced that he would be performing a ballad next.
Song Qiuxuan took out her phone, wanting to record it. She looked up at the stage and couldn't help but exclaim, "This singer is really handsome, Cheng Xun, do you know him?"
"I don't know her, but she sings quite well." Cheng Xun glanced at the stage, his tone indifferent, without directly acknowledging her in his first sentence.
As the long, lingering prelude began, everyone gasped in surprise. Song Qiuxuan felt a slight excitement; she guessed from the songs he recommended that Cheng Xun liked this one.
As the song reached its climax, Song Qiuxuan slowly moved her phone camera, which was aimed at the stage, toward the boy beside her. The camera blurred for a moment before focusing on his distinct and sharp profile.
Cheng Xun was wearing a white T-shirt. He always preferred to wear white clothes, like white clouds floating in a clear sky, spotless and untouchable. His neatly trimmed short hair from when school started had grown a bit longer, covering his eyebrows, and below were a pair of beautiful eyes. There wasn't much emotion in them, as if the hot hearts and beautiful songs around him hadn't affected him at all.
Cheng Xun noticed Song Qiuxuan's gaze; he was very perceptive of her gaze and could always easily catch it.
This was simply because Cheng Xun was constantly watching her, his eyes were always on her.
Song Qiuxuan's eyes shone brightly in the night. Holding her phone, she looked up at Cheng Xun and said with a smile, "Cheng Xun, smile."
A smile appeared in Cheng Xun's eyes, but her lips remained pursed, and she blurted out, "Why?"
“I’m taking your picture, so you have to look happy,” Song Qiuxuan said logically. “Photos and videos are meant to record happy moments.”
Cheng Xun lowered his head and chuckled; he was simply amused by her.
Seeing his smiling face in the video, his brows and eyes relaxed, making him stand out in the crowd, Song Qiuxuan smiled as well.
Song Qiuxuan deeply felt the beauty: the atmosphere was beautiful, the music was beautiful, her mood was beautiful, and the young man beside her was the most beautiful.
Having experienced this moment is enough; then there will be no regrets or bitterness in adolescence.
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