Chapter 21
For the remaining days of the holiday, Song Qiuxuan and Cheng Xun agreed to go to the library together in the afternoon.
After having lunch and playing a game, Cheng Xun slung his heavy backpack over one shoulder and went out. He put on white sneakers in the entryway and, as he stood up, caught sight of the badminton racket on the counter. Cheng Xun's eyes widened in surprise; he had almost forgotten about it.
Cheng Xun took out his phone from his pocket and typed a message to Song Qiuxuan: "Let's play badminton after we finish studying, okay?"
The last time Cheng Xun practiced badminton was because Song Qiuxuan said they should spar with each other whenever they had the chance. She didn't know if she forgot or for some other reason, but she didn't bring it up again for a long time. Because Cheng Xun didn't want his practice to be in vain, even though he still didn't play very well, he took the initiative to extend an invitation.
"Where are you going?" Cheng Ting, who came out of the bedroom, looked at Cheng Xun, who was standing by the door with a schoolbag on his back, with surprise.
"Going out to meet a friend," Cheng Xun replied dismissively, inexplicably not wanting Cheng Ting to know he was going to the library.
"Oh." Cheng Ting was used to him going out to see his friends, so he didn't think much of it and went to the refrigerator to get a bottle of soda.
Cheng Xun looked up at Cheng Ting, and when he looked down, he saw that Song Qiuxuan had replied with an emoji, a cute, jumping cartoon rabbit emoji with the words "Okay" above the rabbit's head.
Even though this rabbit bore no resemblance to Song Qiuxuan, Cheng Xun couldn't help but associate it with Song Qiuxuan's joyful expression. Cheng Xun bent down to change her sneakers and curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
As Cheng Ting sipped his drink, he walked back to his room. He glanced at Cheng Xun, who hadn't left the house yet, and noticed a slight upturn at the corners of his lips, a faint smile that suggested he was in a good mood.
Cheng Ting frowned in confusion. He noticed that Cheng Xun had been in a good mood these past few days. Before, Cheng Xun had shown indifference and nonchalance towards many things, with few facial expressions and a cool and aloof appearance, much like the male protagonist in the popular novels among the girls in his high school class, the kind that exuded a melancholy aura.
However, those male characters either have tragic family backgrounds, or have a bumpy life, or have experienced great ups and downs in their lives. They are shrouded in shadows, which is why their eyes exude a gloomy and sad look.
Why did Cheng Xun have this feeling? Cheng Ting really didn't understand where the shadow on him came from, but in the past few days, the shadow had dissipated somewhat, and Cheng Xun seemed much more positive.
*
After spending several hours in the library, Cheng Xun felt like her butt was going to be bruised and sore.
At school, there are long morning exercises, and you can go to the small supermarket to buy drinks during breaks. When you get tired of studying, you can walk to the corridor and lean against the railing to get some fresh air. Here, you can only sit quietly and study, and you can't make too much noise.
Cheng Xun wasn't particularly patient. He needed to take at least three minutes to breathe after studying for an hour. He put down his pen, turned his face to the side, and leaned on his textbook, glancing at Song Qiuxuan sitting opposite him.
This is probably one of the benefits of studying in a library: when you look up, you don't see someone's back, but a clear face.
Noticing the gaze, Song Qiuxuan looked up and met Cheng Xun's eyes. She glanced at her phone; it was almost 5:30. She lowered her voice and said, "Let's go." Then, her voice tinged with excitement, "To the gymnasium."
The two took badminton rackets and hailed a taxi to the gymnasium. Song Qiuxuan had been itching to play badminton lately, and as if she had finally gotten this opportunity, she was in a state of excitement and chattering to Cheng Xun about the fun she had playing badminton during the summer before her junior high school entrance exam.
Song Qiuxuan thought Cheng Xun wouldn't be interested, but he was more patient than she expected, acting as a good listener and even smiling along.
Song Qiuxuan is the kind of person who worries about awkward silences when chatting. She observes the other person's emotional changes to judge whether her conversation is boring. If she makes the other person not want to listen anymore, she will change the subject at the right time.
Cheng Xun would signal that he was willing to listen, and Song Qiuxuan would continue speaking with peace of mind.
After a two-hour workout at the gymnasium in the evening, Song Qiuxuan and Cheng Xun came out to find themselves feeling refreshed, as a cool breeze blew by.
They were all sweating, and the wind felt nice, but it also made them very likely to catch a cold. Song Qiuxuan took out a pack of tissues from the side pocket of her backpack, opened it, and handed one to Cheng Xun, saying with concern, "Hurry up and wipe your sweat off, otherwise you might catch a cold if you keep blowing like this."
Cheng Xun wiped the paper haphazardly, then crumpled it into a ball, raised his arm, and threw it into the trash can outside the gymnasium. For some unknown reason, he suddenly said, "I have a very good constitution and rarely catch a cold or fever."
"Oh." Song Qiuxuan couldn't help but smile. Perhaps it's because teenage boys are very concerned about their image, and they always seem to have a competitive spirit when it comes to physical strength.
"Don't you believe me?" Cheng Xun looked down at Song Qiuxuan's profile. A few strands of hair were damp with sweat and stuck to her face. Her expression was vivid and lively. After he looked at her, she suppressed a laugh and turned her face away.
"If you had won a place in the men's 3,000-meter heats at the Games, I might have reluctantly believed you. But what proof do you have now?" Song Qiuxuan looked at Cheng Xun's concerned and earnest expression and suddenly wanted to tease him.
Cheng Xun didn't realize he had jumped into a trap. Driven by his competitive spirit, he even thought it was a good way to prove himself. He raised his eyebrows slightly and said in an unusually arrogant tone, "Okay, although I didn't participate in the running event at the sports meet in junior high school, I'm very confident. If I come in first in my group, I'll treat you to a big meal."
At eight o'clock in the evening, the dim streetlights came on. They walked on the sidewalk. Most of the withered yellow leaves on the big trees by the roadside had fallen and were swept away by the wind, rustling across the ground.
Song Qiuxuan raised her bright eyes to look at Cheng Xun, unable to put her finger on what was strange about his words. Wasn't she the one provoking and teasing him? How come she ended up getting a big meal?
"What kind of feast?" Song Qiuxuan asked curiously.
Cheng Xun shook his head and said mysteriously, "It's a secret. We'll find out on the day of the sports meet."
Song Qiuxuan looked down at the ground. "Then don't forget."
Cheng Xun raised an eyebrow, his tone resolute: "Absolutely not."
Song Qiuxuan had mentioned to her mother that she would come to the gymnasium with her friends to play badminton to relax after finishing her studies. Xu Yanzhen was very supportive of this way of relaxing and encouraged her to release stress and fatigue through exercise more often in the future.
Because her family usually eats dinner at 6:30 pm, and Song Qiuxuan wasn't sure exactly when she would get home, she didn't ask her family to wait for her to come back so they could have dinner together.
Tonight, she and Cheng Xun randomly chose a noodle shop on the street for dinner.
With a few days left in the holiday, Song Qiuxuan and Cheng Xun's afternoon routine remained largely unchanged: studying at the library, playing badminton at the gymnasium, and for dinner these past few days, they would stroll to the night market food stalls and try most of the vendors' dishes.
Song Qiuxuan had a very fulfilling holiday. The day before her holiday ended, she watered the green plants that Xu Yanzhen had planted on the balcony in the morning, and then went out with an umbrella.
It's a cloudy day today, and the weather forecast says it will drizzle.
Song Qiuxuan took the bus to the photo studio to print photos. Because of the weather and the early hour, the shop was quiet, and she didn't have to wait long before putting the printed photos into her bag.
"Come print photos of your boyfriend?" The boss was a man in his forties, sitting in his boss's chair, looking very serious, but I didn't expect him to be so gossipy.
"No, I printed it for a friend." Song Qiuxuan blushed for a moment and shook her head to explain.
"What's there to be shy about? We have young couples like you here taking photos together." The owner, speaking with the air of someone who's been there all along, didn't forget to promote his business: "Young lady, you and your boyfriend can also come here to take couple photos. The photographers in our shop are very skilled and will capture your most beautiful moments. You can rest assured."
Song Qiuxuan forced a smile, and in the end she only said, "I'll come when I have the chance."
Because they had to go to school tomorrow, Song Qiuxuan and Cheng Xun didn't go to play badminton today. After leaving the library, they walked to the bus stop and sat on a bench, waiting for the bus home.
As evening approached and the sky grew overcast, the darkness deepened, and Song Qiuxuan leaned back against the billboard, gazing at the profound twilight. A sense of melancholy and disappointment settled over her. She had been quite happy these past few days, and returning to school meant she would have to leave it behind, which she found somewhat difficult to bear.
"Song Qiuxuan, what's wrong? Are you tired from studying?" Cheng Xun looked at Song Qiuxuan's somewhat sullen profile, propped his hand on the chair, and leaned to the side towards her.
Looking at the traffic, Song Qiuxuan said in a low voice, "I don't want the holiday to end."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xun chuckled and teased, "Even good students don't want to return to school after a holiday?"
Song Qiuxuan glared at him, somewhat annoyed. Cheng Xun noticed but was still laughing, his shoulders trembling slightly as he laughed, his collar tilted to one side, revealing his prominent collarbone.
Looking at Cheng Xun's excessively handsome face, Song Qiuxuan remembered something important. She unzipped her backpack and took out a photo wrapped in an envelope.
Cheng Xun, who had been lounging lazily against the billboard, tensed up for a moment. His gaze was fixed on the yellow kraft paper envelope, the mocking smile on his lips vanished, and his expression even turned serious, as if he had suddenly encountered a difficult situation.
Compared to the exquisite love letter envelopes with various patterns that Cheng Xun had received before, this envelope seemed too simple.
Cheng Xun pretended to look away calmly, but his heart was pounding wildly. He was filled with anticipation and was mentally rehearsing how he should react. Should he act more composed, or more excited and happy?
How could this day have come so quickly, so unexpectedly?
"Cheng Xun," Song Qiuxuan called out to Cheng Xun, who seemed to be lost in thought.
"Hmm?" Cheng Xun turned his head and looked over, meeting Song Qiuxuan's bright and clear eyes, which were like a gentle spring, filled with moonlight.
Song Qiuxuan lowered her head and began to sort through the photos. She had printed out photos of herself with her parents during her trip and photos of Cheng Xun taken at the music festival. She picked out Cheng Xun's photos, divided them into a stack, and handed them to Cheng Xun.
"I went to the photo studio to print photos today, and I also printed out the photos I took of you at the music festival that night that I had on my phone."
Cheng Xun watched as Song Qiuxuan shook out the photos from the envelope, then sorted them out and handed them to him. Something that had been hanging high in Cheng Xun's heart was lost. He couldn't say whether he felt disappointed, but after realizing what had happened, he felt ashamed and embarrassed. Why had he mistakenly thought that Song Qiuxuan was going to give him a love letter?
Song Qiuxuan's hand was stretched out in mid-air. Several dozen seconds passed, but Cheng Xun did not react at all. He didn't take it and didn't say a word.
As time passed, Song Qiuxuan thought Cheng Xun was moved by her actions and too embarrassed to take the photo away. So Song Qiuxuan simply opened Cheng Xun's hand, placed the photo in his palm, and then closed his hand.
"I just printed it for you on the side." Song Qiuxuan emphasized the word "on the side," as if this would make Cheng Xun accept it more readily and also conceal her true intentions.
“I think the photos are very meaningful. My parents printed out photos of me at different ages, and they have kept them very well. When I look at those photos, I feel like I am pulled back to that moment.”
Cheng Xun lowered his head, his fingers tracing the sharp corner of the photo. Song Qiuxuan always had these unique and somewhat strange insights into small things: smile when taking photos, photos have meaning, and promises should not be broken.
Cheng Xun felt that she should live in a happy and loving family. Cheng Xun would often hear her chatting with Sun Shan, her friend from the next class, He Zhimian, who was a little shy and quiet in her class, and Lu Chengzhou, who sat in front of her. She would share the daily trivialities of her family. After the umbrella frame was blown apart by the wind, her mother bought her a new transparent umbrella. She bought her case after case of milk to supplement calcium and improve her health. She loved to eat fish, and her mother would cook it in different ways. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, her father's workplace gave out mooncakes, and he would pay attention to which flavor she ate and buy her favorite flavors from the mall after get off work.
The things Cheng Xun talked about seemed both very close to him and very far away.
"Thank you." Cheng Xun smiled, carefully placing the photos into the inner lining of his bag. Then, in a relaxed and casual tone, he said, "Then every time I see these photos, I'll be transported back to the moments we spent listening to music at the festival together."
Song Qiuxuan felt her cheeks burning. This person had actually put what he learned to good use. She nodded slightly.
The bus arrived, and they boarded and sat side by side at the back.
*
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