Chapter 28
As the days passed, Cheng Xun would practice calligraphy in his spare time during this October, and Song Qiuxuan would occasionally be asked by him to evaluate his practice results.
Song Qiuxuan increasingly realized that Cheng Xun was very keen on seeking recognition. When she asked her how her training was going, she really just needed others to affirm her progress.
They still spent the weekend together. Originally, the agreed time to go to the library was in the afternoon, but it later became in the morning, and they spent more and more time together throughout the day.
Before we knew it, it was the end of October, and the date for the second monthly exam was set. When the announcement was made, the class was filled with grief and wailing. Liu Zhanyan slammed the blackboard eraser on the desk to signal for quiet, and then told the students some comforting news.
The school has moved up the date of the prayer activity at Xihuaishan Temple, which was originally planned for the senior students next semester, to early November. This activity was originally unrelated to the first and second year students, but this time the school changed its usual practice and expanded the scope to all students.
In an instant, grief turned into excitement, and the classroom erupted in cheers. Even though the activity was unoriginal and involved climbing a mountain, it was enough to make people feel satisfied in the face of tedious studying and stressful monthly exams.
On a weekend evening, Song Qiuxuan and Cheng Xun went to the mall to eat hot pot. After eating, they strolled down to the first floor and went into a Miniso store.
Passing through shelves lined with blind boxes on both sides, Song Qiuxuan picked one up at random and examined it. She looked down at it, her hair falling loosely on her face.
"You like this?" Cheng Xun stood behind her, bending down and looking down. The gap between their bodies was very small, and his warm breath hit the back of her neck. Song Qiuxuan's ears burned, and she jolted and shoved the blind box back into its original place.
"I'm just looking around." Song Qiuxuan took a step forward, silently creating a distance that made her heart flutter.
Even a small blind box here isn't cheap. Song Qiuxuan was just browsing today and didn't plan to buy anything.
"It's my treat, you pick one." Cheng Xun's gaze swept over the dazzling array of goods on the shelves as he leisurely followed Song Qiuxuan.
Song Qiuxuan blurted out "why," then turned around and smiled, saying, "It's just a way of being overly attentive."
Cheng Xun readily admitted, "Yes, I'm in a good mood today."
He stopped, stood between the shelves, hunched over looking at the blind boxes, his slender, pale fingers tapping across the boxes one by one. "If you can't choose, I'll pick one for you."
Through continuous contact and interaction, Song Qiuxuan realized that Cheng Xun liked to use the excuse of being in a good mood to fool people.
After Song Qiuxuan stepped aside to avoid the strangers passing by, she looked up at Cheng Xun's figure.
Under the bright, warm-toned lights, Cheng Xun wore a black hoodie, his broad shoulders making the shirt look good. His gaze swept over the blind boxes on the shelf, picking one up but seemingly dissatisfied before putting it down again, his expression indifferent, showing that he was particularly serious and focused even when choosing a gift.
Song Qiuxuan's eyelashes trembled, as if struck by something, and her heart skipped a beat.
"This?" Cheng Xun took two steps and handed it to Song Qiuxuan.
Song Qiuxuan stared blankly at it; it was a blind box for a three-year-old child.
Cheng Xun looked down to observe Song Qiuxuan's reaction, trying to deduce whether she liked it or not. Seeing that Song Qiuxuan was pursing her lips and had no expression, Cheng Xun realized that she probably didn't like it.
“I thought most girls liked this kind.” Cheng Xun withdrew her hand, as if to put it back. “Then let’s look at some more.”
"This one will do." Song Qiuxuan snapped out of her daze.
I opened the blind box on my way home by bus.
"Which one do you want to draw?" Cheng Xun suddenly asked Song Qiuxuan as she looked at the display picture on the blind box.
"They all seem nice." Since they were gifts from Cheng Xun, Song Qiuxuan appeared to accept them all with pleasure.
"Can you open it for me?" Song Qiuxuan said, handing it to Cheng Xun.
"Okay." Cheng Xun tore it open immediately, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation for some reason, hoping to draw one that Song Qiuxuan would like.
Upon opening the packaging, you'll find a dark gray bunny doll with black and white ears. Its doll-like face and smiling expression inexplicably reveal a cunning and playful nature.
Song Qiuxuan reached into the box, pulled out a card, her eyes lit up, and excitedly patted Cheng Xun on the shoulder, saying in a joyful and excited tone, "This is a hidden card."
"Cheng Xun, you're incredibly lucky today."
Cheng Xun wasn't interested in these things, so even the hidden items couldn't excite or delight him. But seeing Song Qiuxuan's happy smile made him smile too.
Song Qiuxuan arrived at the station first. Before getting off the train, she seemed to still be immersed in joy, squeezing the small doll with her fingers.
Cheng Xun knew she was getting off at the next stop, so he stood up to let her out with practiced ease. As Song Qiuxuan passed by Cheng Xun, she suddenly looked up, her eyes sparkling.
Cheng Xun anticipated what she was going to say, looked into her eyes, and waited silently.
"Cheng Xun, thank you for sending me the blind box."
So that's what she wanted to say. Cheng Xun didn't really need her to say thank you again. Cheng Xun shook her head slightly to indicate that it was nothing.
Song Qiuxuan smiled and said, "Cheng Xun, I hope your good luck today will continue into every day to come."
The sincere words, mixed with various noises, reached Cheng Xun's ears. Cheng Xun stood motionless in the back of the bus, his body stiff as if frozen, his dark eyes fixed on Song Qiuxuan, his heart pounding as if it would burst out of his chest.
It was just a simple blessing, but Cheng Xun's heart was pounding uncontrollably.
It's probably because very few people would sincerely wish Cheng Xun a happy birthday. Even on his birthday, his family wouldn't say a single "Happy Birthday" or "Wishing you happiness every day."
The bus swayed and came to a stop. Song Qiuxuan blushed as he stared at her. Thinking of that somewhat embarrassing and pretentious blessing, she waved goodbye as soon as the door opened, then hurriedly ran off the bus.
As dusk settled and tall buildings stood tall, everything around seemed shrouded in a thin veil, obscuring the view.
Cheng Xun watched Song Qiuxuan flee in panic. He sat down in a chair and suddenly curled his lips into a smile. It was as if she had just teased him and then run away.
In fact, Cheng Xun was about to speak the moment he heard those words. He almost instinctively blurted out, "I'll give you all my good luck."
Song Qiuxuan, I'm sharing all my good luck with you.
Cheng Xun thought to himself, "How foolish! He would never have uttered such cheesy words before, let alone said them out loud."
*
As the second monthly exam approached, the learning atmosphere became tense, but compared to the first exam, the students in Class 20 were slightly more relaxed.
After PE class, students returned to the classroom one after another. As the weather turned cooler, even though it was hot after exercise, they all wore a sweater to prevent catching a cold.
After buying drinks at the convenience store and returning to the classroom, Cheng Xun collapsed onto the desk. He had been playing basketball and was so hot that he hadn't even put on a sweatshirt, only a white long-sleeved shirt.
He reached out and touched Song Qiuxuan's chair. After she turned around, he asked her, "Song Qiuxuan, do you think my Chinese teacher will still criticize my handwriting for being bad when she sees my essay in this monthly exam?"
Song Qiuxuan turned slightly to the side, and was immediately drawn to Cheng Xun's attire. The white clothes complemented his pale complexion perfectly. When her gaze shifted to his face, she saw his solemn expression.
Song Qiuxuan initially intended to brush it off, but seeing his expression, she answered seriously, "No, now that you have the attitude of wanting to write well, even if you haven't practiced to a particularly good level yet, you will subconsciously write neatly. The teacher will definitely be able to see your attitude from that, and may even praise you for your progress."
Cheng Xun curled his lips and instantly became very happy, as if he wasn't the one who was feeling distressed just a moment ago. He even said nonchalantly, "Your words are enough. It doesn't matter if I get criticized again."
Song Qiuxuan lowered her eyelashes, momentarily lost in thought. Cheng Xun always used such a handsome face to say things that seemed to indicate his dependence and trust in her, making it impossible for her heart to remain calm.
*
On the afternoon after the monthly exam, Song Qiuxuan ran into Sun Shan on her way back to the classroom. Sun Shan looked listless, most likely affected by the exam.
"Sun Shan." Song Qiuxuan waved to her, holding a pen and eraser.
Upon seeing Song Qiuxuan, Sun Shan immediately pushed through the crowd to take her hand, her face contorted with grief: "I feel like I did terribly on the test."
“These kinds of feelings are usually inaccurate,” Song Qiuxuan comforted her, then pulled her in a different direction and walked downstairs. “Don’t think about it too much now that the exam is over. I’ll treat you to grilled sausages at the convenience store.”
Sun Shan straightened her slumped shoulders and perked up, asking uncertainly, "Are you treating? This can't be a hallucination because I'm so upset, can it?"
"I'll go first, I'm leaving."
Emerging from the crowded mini-supermarket, Song Qiuxuan and Sun Shan each held a grilled sausage in their hands. Sun Shan took a bite and gasped softly, "Holy crap, it's so hot!"
Halfway there, Sun Shan remembered what Song Qiuxuan had shared with her on her phone, and she started gossiping again: "You said Cheng Xun gave you blind boxes, could it be because he likes you?"
While eating a grilled sausage, Song Qiuxuan mumbled, "Really? I think so too, but I'm not sure."
Sun Shan joked, "Oh my, Song Qiuxuan, when did you become so narcissistic?"
Song Qiuxuan looked at her reproachfully, then took another bite of the grilled sausage, her cheeks puffing out.
Sun Shan laughed heartily until her stomach hurt.
Upon reaching the teaching building, the topic quickly shifted, "We're going to Xihuaishan Temple the day after tomorrow. We'll be taking a bus. I remember you get carsick, don't you?"
Song Qiuxuan's expression immediately turned troubled: "Yes, but..."
Sun Shan wasn't really listening when she noticed a tall figure behind her. Her intuition told her it was a handsome guy. She turned around and saw Cheng Xun. He was a few meters away from them, looking down as he went up the stairs, holding a bottle of drink in his hand. He looked silent and distant, as if he hadn't seen them at all.
Sun Shan nudged Song Qiuxuan with her elbow, her eyes glancing behind her, signaling her to look back.
Song Qiuxuan was interrupted. She turned around and saw Cheng Xun. She stopped and leaned on the stair railing, saying with some surprise, "Cheng Xun, did you go to the convenience store just now too?"
Cheng Xun raised her head, her expression indifferent, showing no surprise at suddenly seeing them. "Yeah, I just saw you buy grilled sausages at the supermarket."
Song Qiuxuan smiled and said, "I'll treat myself to some relaxation after the exam."
Sun Shan's attention was focused on something else; she complained on behalf of Song Qiuxuan, "You saw her but didn't say hello?"
Cheng Xun looked at Sun Shan and said, "There are too many people."
Song Qiuxuan nodded understandingly, while Sun Shan's tone was slightly aggressive, as if teasing: "Can't we greet people when there are many people around? If you're afraid they won't hear you, just come closer."
In fact, Cheng Xun has a rather aloof and cold demeanor. Sun Shan had heard Song Qiuxuan describe what happened between the two of them, which refreshed her understanding of Cheng Xun. She thought he wasn't as difficult to get along with as he seemed on the surface, which is why she dared to tease him now.
"I saw you were chatting so enthusiastically that I didn't come any closer."
Seeing the conversation heading in a strange direction, Song Qiuxuan quickly said, "Cheng Xun, why are you drinking iced beverages in this weather?"
Cheng Xun raised her right hand, which was holding the drink. A layer of mist covered the bottle. With her friends around, Cheng Xun became very quiet. She just hummed in response.
Later, the three of them went upstairs together. Sun Shan leaned close to Song Qiuxuan's ear and whispered that she would probably feel very bored spending most of the weekend with someone as taciturn and boring as Cheng Xun.
Upon hearing this, Song Qiuxuan's eyes widened, and she raised her hand to cover Sun Shan's mouth, but she saw Cheng Xun, who was walking in front, smile and clearly had already heard.
So Song Qiuxuan put her hand down, and while listening to Sun Shan chattering beside her, she looked up at Cheng Xun.
He unscrewed the bottle cap, tilted his head back and took a sip. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his jawline was as sharp as a knife, just like in a comic book.
Song Qiuxuan never found Cheng Xun taciturn or boring. On the contrary, spending weekends with him made her feel at ease, and the loneliness that used to appear from time to time seemed to have disappeared for a long time.
She secretly rejoiced that only she knew about Cheng Xun's other side.
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