Chapter 25 Confession (Campus Scene Complete)
That year at the affiliated high school's arts festival, Jin Zhao's "The Goddess of the Luo River" won first prize, while Meng Yanxi's sword dance and Si Tian and Luo Heng's crosstalk won second and third prizes respectively. These were official awards.
In addition, the forum, where traffic is king, also awarded Meng Yanxi the Most Popular Award.
There was no trophy, only a week-long period of buzz and discussion.
Everyone showered him with praise for his sword dance, which he performed with a blank expression throughout, as if it were just a routine check-in. They even posted photos from various angles, highlighting key points and exaggerating his performance with magnifying glasses.
Meng Yanxi wants to delete the post.
Lu Jingyue is a cunning bastard; he's always the one kicking someone when they're down. He put his arm around Meng Yanxi's shoulder, looking at her with pity, and said, "From the moment you agreed to go on stage, you should have known this would become a permanent stain on your record. Learn from your mistakes, be more careful in the future, and think things through before you act, Meng Shen."
Meng Yanxi brushed his hand away and stuffed the trophy into his arms: "Just say you're jealous, it's yours."
Lu Jingyue glanced at it once and then caught up with Meng Yanxi, hooking his arm around her shoulder and asking in a cheeky tone, "Is this the first time you've ever won an award that starts with '2'? I must say, it suits you quite well."
Unable to contain his anger any longer, Meng Yanxi kicked Lu Jingyue. Lu Jingyue reacted quickly, dodging the kick. But Meng Yanxi was determined to beat him up. After dodging one kick, he delivered an even more powerful kick to Lu Jingyue's knee. Lu Jingyue couldn't dodge and immediately knelt down. Unfortunately, the two brothers were just as stubborn. Even in this state, Lu Jingyue still carefully held Meng Yanxi's trophy, giving him a smug smile: "Luckily it didn't break."
Meng Yanxi now not only wants to delete the post, but also wants to silence him.
Fortunately, there are still normal people on the forum. Underneath the post that was blindly praising him, there was a discussion thread about Luo Shen.
The goddess Luo is Jin Zhao.
Young people seem to have a particular fondness for giving people nicknames. Often, a casual remark or a passing incident can lead to a new nickname. After the arts festival, Jin Zhao became known as the Goddess of the Luo River. Everyone, whether they knew her or not, called her the Goddess of the Luo River.
Divinity is an extremely high compliment, so high that it's difficult to even feel jealousy.
During those days, Meng Yanxi would occasionally open that post to read it. Regardless of gender, everyone in the comments section was purely praising Jin Zhao, praising her with restraint.
Even when Zhao Yu returned to class, they greeted her with a smile, calling her "Goddess of the Luo River."
This title made Jin Zhao so embarrassed that he wanted to escape from Earth. His face turned red as he said, "No, no, everyone is just watching for fun. You should know best that I am the simplified version."
Although Zhao Yu had returned to class, her foot was still wrapped in gauze. During the break, she unceremoniously put her leg on her deskmate's chair to rest and said cheerfully, "Who cares about simplified or traditional characters, as long as it's beautiful! If there's a chance in the future, let's dance a duet."
Jin Zhao smiled and agreed, then returned to her seat, continuing to worry about how to get everyone to stop calling her that.
"Luoshen, your exam paper."
Meng Yanxi, deliberately bringing up the very thing she didn't want to talk about, handed her the math test paper from the monthly exam and took the opportunity to call out to her in a malicious way.
Jin Zhao felt so embarrassed that her scalp tingled. She stared blankly at him and said, "Can you call me Cuihua?"
Meng Yanxi: "?"
Jin Zhao tried to reason with him: "I'd rather be called Cuihua than Luoshen."
Meng Yanxi couldn't help but chuckle: "Is it that bad?"
Jin Zhao used an analogy: "If I called you Crown Prince, would you be happy?"
Meng Yanxi thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Although she suspected he was just being stubborn, she ultimately underestimated his shamelessness.
Lu Jingyue, who was passing by, couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted, "You call him King Xiang."
Jin Zhao was taken aback and asked, "What King Xiang?"
Lu Jingyue smiled enigmatically: "The King of Xiang has a dream, but the goddess has no heart for him."
Meng Yanxi's face immediately darkened.
Having learned his lesson last time, Lu Jingyue nimbly ran away before Meng Yanxi could kick him again. Back in his seat, he happened to see the boy "passing" by the window with his eyes fixed on the inside. Lu Jingyue nodded with his chin and added fuel to the fire, saying, "The competition is pretty fierce. Another Xiang Wang."
These past few days, boys have indeed been passing by Jinzhao's window quite often, but this is the first time someone has been so unlucky as to be caught red-handed by Lu Jingyue. Just then, the school bell rang, and the boy took the opportunity to run away quickly.
During the second break, Meng Yanxi and Jin Zhao switched seats, with Meng Yanxi sitting by the window and Jin Zhao sitting outside.
Meng Yanxi's reason was that he liked to look at the scenery and used to sit there.
Jin Zhao couldn't refute it, and at the same time, he silently breathed a sigh of relief.
She had always been low-key, so this sudden attention made her feel awkward and embarrassed.
Fortunately, June 7th and 8th arrived quickly, and the whole country was immersed in the tense yet exciting atmosphere of the college entrance examination. The art festival interlude passed in the blink of an eye. Although very occasionally, when walking on the street, students from other classes who did not know her name would still call her Luo Shen, at least Meng Yanxi never called her that again.
Jin Zhao's current predicament is how to return that dress to Meng Yanxi.
After the performance that day, Chen Shu said that the dress didn't need to be returned, and according to custom, such costumes could indeed be taken home. Jin Zhao didn't think much of it, changed out of the dress, folded it again, put it in the cardboard box, and took it home.
Because the feathers made the dress difficult to wash, Jin Zhao temporarily kept the box in her room, planning to take it to the dry cleaners when she had time. However, Lin Yao saw it and one day asked her with a smile who had given her the dress, saying it was quite pretty.
Jin Zhao said it was a costume for the arts festival, which the teacher asked them to bring back; all seven girls who danced had one.
Lin Yao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your school is quite wealthy. I've seen similar dresses in department stores, and they cost tens of thousands of yuan each."
Jin Zhao's heart skipped a beat, but he remained calm and said, "We should be pirated."
Lin Yao didn't say anything more. She handed her son to Aunt Niu and went back to her room, supporting her back.
Lin Yao has been complaining of back pain lately and spends most of her time in bed. However, Jin Zhao overheard her grandparents talking quietly, and noticed that Lin Yao's phone wallpaper had been changed to a picture of a beautiful baby girl from an online celebrity. She guessed that Lin Yao was pregnant again. But for some reason, the whole family was wary of her, as if they were afraid she would do something bad.
Although Jin Zhao occasionally felt sad, she always preferred to avoid trouble. She told herself that she should just get through next year peacefully.
She will take the college entrance examination at this time next year.
After much deliberation, she found a break between classes and, while Meng Yanxi was still inside, whispered to him, "I think I should give your skirt back to you."
Meng Yanxi was typing on her phone, hidden under the desk. Ever since they switched seats, Jin Zhao hadn't seen him look at the scenery; instead, he seemed even more brazen in his phone-playing. Admittedly, he was always brazen, openly bringing his phone to school, sometimes even putting it in his pocket, but he was still somewhat discreet. Since the seat change, with the window blocking his view on one side and her on the other, he had a perfect advantage.
Upon hearing this, Meng Yanxi looked up from her phone, as if she hadn't heard clearly, and asked, "What do you mean, give it back to me?"
Jin Zhao wanted to say that the dress was very expensive and it was inconvenient for her to keep it, but then she thought that saying it would be even worse, otherwise it would seem like she was being stingy to return something to its owner. So she simply repeated, "The dress, the silk dress with feathers."
Meng Yanxi tilted her head, her dark eyes staring straight at her, her face expressionless.
Jin Zhao felt inexplicably nervous under his gaze. Even though she hadn't done anything, it was as if she had angered him.
After a few seconds of silence, Meng Yanxi suddenly chuckled: "Sure, as long as you don't mind."
Jin Zhao asked blankly, "Is there anything I need to care about?"
Meng Yanxi shoved her phone under the table, propped her head up with one hand, and looked at her slowly, saying, "Give me the dress you wore next to your underwear."
Jin Zhao had never thought of this idea before, and his face burned when Jin Zhao suddenly pointed it out.
But then again, why does returning something, something so natural and right, sound so different coming from his mouth? How did it become so ambiguous?
A close-fitting, worn-out, skirt.
Give it to him.
What kind of talk is that?
“That’s how you wear a dance skirt…” Jin Zhao felt a little wronged and argued softly, “You can’t wear thermal underwear underneath, can you?”
Meng Yanxi nodded generously: "I know, that's why I said, as long as you don't mind."
Jin Zhao: "..." What a vicious mouth.
Since you've said that, how can I repay you?
It's as if I deliberately seduced you.
Jin Zhao didn't know how she had twisted a perfectly good thing into something else. She unconsciously bit her lip and managed to come up with an excuse to explain herself: "I just thought you borrowed it too and had to return it."
Meng Yanxi said, "No. I bought it, so I don't need to return it."
Jin Zhao: "..."
When did the generosity of others become a burden for her?
Undeterred, Jin Zhao asked again, "Is it expensive?"
Meng Yanxi: "Not expensive."
Jin Zhao: "..."
What a silly question she asked! The frame of reference is completely different; why is she talking about whether it's expensive or not?
Jin Zhao struggled to steer the conversation back on track: "Whether it's expensive or not, I can't explain to my family if I suddenly bring a dress home."
The sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl had fair and delicate skin. He teased her until her face flushed, her almond-shaped eyes were watery, and she looked pitiful yet persistent, like a gardenia that was still incredibly beautiful even after being rained on.
Meng Yanxi's Adam's apple bobbed unconsciously as she thought to herself: I gave one to every girl who danced because I was afraid you would have trouble explaining it to me. Otherwise, do you think I have too much money to burn?
He tapped his fingers lightly on the wooden tabletop, and said thoughtfully, "It wouldn't be easy to explain if you gave it back to me."
Jin Zhao: "Why?"
Meng Yanxi: "Everyone in the class who dances has a skirt, except you. People think you're being ostracized at school."
Jin Zhao: "..."
You win; I can't argue with you.
*
Jin Zhao didn't mention returning the skirt again, after all, she didn't want to be "isolated" by Meng Yanxi, and she was still counting on Meng Yanxi to help her with her studies.
After the college entrance examination for senior high school students, the final exams for junior and senior high school students will soon follow. Under the pressure of the flexible class system, each final exam means a change of students, which means that some students may have to leave.
Jin Zhao had been consistently ranked between 20th and 25th in the grade, but perhaps due to being distracted by the art festival, or perhaps because of Meng Yanxi's overwhelming lead in first place, the grades of everyone in Class A were actually very close, with each person often taking one or two places by a single point. In last month's monthly exam, her ranking slipped to 36th, the same as when she first arrived.
There are only 40 people in Class A.
Jin Zhao was a little nervous. After all, the rotating shift system was a pleasant surprise when you were on the right track, but it would be embarrassing if you accidentally fell off, not to mention that she was also very shy.
Luo Heng and Ji Haoxuan were just as nervous as she was.
Ji Haoxuan's grades have dropped significantly since the incident last semester. He also seems to have some conflicts with his family. This semester, he even resigned as class monitor and became the Chinese language representative, and applied for school accommodation.
Luo Heng is a typical example of someone who is both lazy and anxious. He is usually too lazy to do his homework, and when it's time to hand in his assignments, he grabs papers from all over the place and copies them randomly. But that doesn't stop him from being lazy while worrying about being eliminated.
During evening self-study, Jin Zhao was doing his homework when he overheard Luo Heng and his deskmate Cao Bo exchanging worried words about their anxieties.
One person said, "Being eliminated would be incredibly embarrassing. I'd have to avoid anyone from Class A from now on. I'd rather transfer schools than suffer such a humiliation."
One said, "Forget about our Class A, bro, we're evenly matched. If you have any good schools in mind, let me know, we can transfer together and be deskmates again next semester."
"But who knows, maybe others are even more unlucky than us?"
"Great minds think alike. Come on, let's take a look at the test paper first... What does this question mean? I can't even understand the question!"
"...Forget about the test paper, let's chat for a while to calm down."
Jin Zhao didn't know if the two of them had managed to calm her down by creating anxiety, but she had already been made anxious by them.
She even unconsciously stopped writing, pricking up her ears to listen to their discussion about which school she should transfer to next. Although she wasn't a pessimistic person, it was still a Plan B, wasn't it?
"Stop listening, do your homework." Meng Yanxi's icy voice suddenly rang out, as she pushed a workbook towards her.
The math workbook, which wasn't originally very thick, looked thick and fluffy because many pages were folded in the middle.
Jin Zhao casually flipped open the workbook, which naturally opened to the folded page. Among the densely packed questions, one of them was marked with a hastily drawn asterisk by Meng Yanxi.
Each other page had a title he had drawn.
Jin Zhao looked at him, puzzled.
Meng Yanxi tapped the table with her finger: "Do these first, ask me if you don't understand anything."
Mathematics is Jin Zhao's weakest subject. As long as he can keep his math score, he can basically stay in Class A.
Upon hearing this, Luo Heng, sitting in the back row, eagerly chimed in, "Me too! Brother Yan, can you give us some practice questions too?"
Cao Bo cruelly poured cold water on him: "Now you're thinking about assigning topics? You're not doing your homework beforehand, so you might as well come with me and hurry up and find a school to transfer to."
Although this statement was quite offensive, Jin Zhao actually felt that it made some sense.
In other subjects, diligence can compensate for lack of talent, but in math, not knowing it is truly not knowing it.
As soon as her resolve wavered slightly, Meng Yanxi, as if she could read minds, coldly pushed the workbook into her hands: "Do your work. Let them do what they want, it has nothing to do with you."
Luo Heng was displeased upon hearing this: "Hey! That's going too far! How could we—"
"Shut up." Before he could finish speaking, Meng Yanxi coldly interrupted him.
Meng Yanxi's cold demeanor was always very intimidating, and the two gossipy people in the back row immediately fell silent. Jin Zhao also dared not prick up his ears to eavesdrop anymore, and hugged the math workbook he had given her, silently doing the problems with his head down.
After a while, she couldn't help but secretly turn her head to look at him again.
The boy had a handsome, sculpted profile, with a white earphone plugged into one ear. When he looked at the questions, his eyelids drooped, and his eyelashes were long and black. He looked cold and arrogant, making him seem unapproachable.
But just a casual remark made the sweet candy she had secretly kept hidden in her heart melt away once again, and even her breath tasted sweet.
They can go their own way; it's none of your business.
Meng Yanxi seemed to notice her peeking, and her gaze shifted slightly. Jin Zhao was startled and quickly lowered her head to continue working on her problem.
*
Jin Zhao discovered that Meng Yanxi wasn't really incapable of explaining problems; he was just a bit aloof and reserved around people. Once you got to know him, you'd find that he was actually quite helpful.
His logic is incredibly sharp, and he's adept at integrating concepts. Those seemingly complex and confusing problems, he can categorize and file them automatically, from simple to complex, as if by machine, after just one glance. If Jin Zhao asks him a question, he can immediately pinpoint her real problem and then group similar questions for her, from simple to complex, helping her thoroughly master that knowledge point.
With the help of her helpful deskmate, Jin Zhao performed better than ever before in the final exams this semester. It was as if her meridians had been opened, and she wrote fluently. For the first time, she solved every math problem and even had more than ten minutes left to check her work—something she never dared to dream of before.
In the second year of high school at the affiliated high school, students don't immediately have a holiday after the final exams; they attend classes for another week. Teachers usually use this time to review the exam papers and, based on the results, assess the students' learning progress throughout the year to identify and address any gaps in their knowledge.
The overall ranking of grades for the entire grade will be released three days later.
Jin Zhao suddenly jumped to fifteenth place in her grade, her highest ranking ever. She held the report card for a long time, reluctant to let go, as if worried she had misread it, turning it over and over to look at it.
Meng Yanxi entered the classroom behind her and stood beside her for a while without her noticing. When she came to her senses, she quickly stood up to let him pass. Her attentive manner made Meng Yanxi wonder if she had wings, she could fly around him twice.
"Thanks."
Meng Yanxi walked past her, and she whispered in his ear.
He sat back down by the window and raised his eyelids slightly: "Don't listen to Luo Heng's nonsense, I'll thank you for that."
Jin Zhao didn't react: "Huh?"
Looking at his deskmate's adorable, blank expression, Meng Yanxi suddenly shook his head and let out a soft, almost breathy laugh, though it was unclear who he was laughing at.
"nothing."
Before the exam, Luo Heng was full of empty talk, saying that he would transfer schools if he fell out of Class A, but in the end, he and Cao Bo passed the exam smoothly.
Si Tian commented bluntly: "Luo Heng is such an annoying person. Every time before an exam, he complains that he can't do it, but when the results come out, he's the most reliable one!"
Luo Heng is indeed the most consistent, having maintained his 38th place ranking for two consecutive years and four semesters.
To put it nicely, he was 38th; to put it bluntly, he was third from last. His deskmate, Cao Bo, was second to last.
This time, Ji Haoxuan came in last place. However, this time, everyone in Class A passed; no one dropped out.
Luo Heng was amused by Si Tian's words and retorted, "Would you like this good fortune?"
Si Tian argued unreasonably: "I don't care, whoever is the most reliable treats! I want hot pot, I want barbecue!"
Luo Heng asked bluntly, "Would you like some flatbread?"
Si Tian ignored him and started calling for people on her own, asking Meng Yanxi and Lu Jingyue, "Brother Yan, Brother Yue, Luo Heng is treating, do you want to go?"
Luo Heng was speechless with anger and gave her a thumbs up.
Lu Jingyue watched the group of people perform like a circus act from behind, rocking his chair and saying, "If Meng Yanxi goes, I'll go too."
Meng Yanxi: "I'm not going."
Si Tian was determined to kill Luo Heng, and didn't care whether Meng Yanxi and Lu Jingyue went or not. She grabbed Jin Zhao's hand and said, "Then let's go!"
Si Tian and Luo Heng were childhood sweethearts and had a good relationship, so how could Jin Zhao possibly interfere? She quickly shook her head in refusal, but Si Tian preemptively declared, "You absolutely have to go! If you don't go, we're done!"
Jin Zhao is dumbfounded. Is it still acceptable for them to band together and kill each other?
She liked Si Tian's personality and didn't want to break off their friendship, but she couldn't bring herself to take advantage of Luo Heng for no reason. After thinking for a moment, she suggested, "Let's split the bill. Anyway, it's almost holiday time. Let's go to Xishan for a barbecue."
Xishan, located in the western suburbs of Suiyi, is a famous autumn scenic spot in the city. Every October, the forests are ablaze with color, attracting many tourists from other places. It's relatively less crowded at other times, but it's still a popular destination throughout the year for hiking, barbecuing, and camping.
They are high school students, so staying overnight outside is not an option, but going hiking and having a barbecue there is enough for a day trip.
Luo Heng thought the suggestion was good and immediately said, "If we go to Xishan, we don't need A. It's on me."
Si Tian: "You were supposed to treat us, are you trying to renege on your debt?"
Cao Bo: "I'll definitely go if Luo Heng is treating. I'll take advantage of this opportunity. Count me in."
Si Tian counted the heads: "Zhao Zhao, me, Luo Heng, Cao Bo, okay, four people, that's enough..."
Before she could finish speaking, Meng Yanxi suddenly lifted her eyelids and said with a look of approval, "Then go ahead."
Lu Jingyue, who was watching the show from behind, coughed lightly and then said in a serious tone, "Then I'll go too."
Si Tian glanced at the two pretentious guys and generously didn't bother with them: "Alright, then I'll take you two along, making a total of six."
The good news is that the high school's final exams are on July 1st, and summer vacation officially begins on July 8th. The bad news is that the vacation is only 10 days long, and students have to come back for make-up classes on July 18th.
Back then, the slogan of reducing academic burden wasn't as loud as it is now. The school's attitude was extremely arrogant and outrageous. In Chen Shu's own words, "What are you thinking? You're already in your final year of high school. You'll be filling out college applications next year at this time. You still want a holiday? If I were you, I wouldn't be able to laugh when I heard about a holiday. I'd be crying and furiously doing 30 practice tests."
The whole class was indeed brought to tears.
*
The hike was scheduled for July 9th, the first day of the holiday, which happened to be a Saturday. Jin Zhao, wanting to avoid trouble, didn't tell Jin Wenhui that it was a holiday. He still went out early in the morning with his schoolbag as usual, but this time the books in his schoolbag had been replaced with snacks.
Meng Yanxi was afraid of spiders, and worried that there might be spiders on the mountain, so she secretly hid a bottle of insecticide inside.
As she left the residential area, a black seven-seater van was already waiting by the roadside. The driver got out and opened the door for her. Lu Jingyue, Luo Heng, Si Tian, and Cao Bo were already sitting in the car. In the second row, Meng Yanxi sat on the innermost seat, and Jin Zhao, at the driver's suggestion, sat next to Meng Yanxi.
Xishan is more than two hours' drive from the city center, and the group set off in a large group.
Then Jin Zhao realized that it was she who suggested splitting the bill, Luo Heng who suggested treating, but Meng Yanxi paid for everything herself.
The car was his, the driver was his, he bought the breakfast, and he even prepared water for everyone—a bottle of goji berry and chrysanthemum tea for each person.
When Jin Zhao saw the familiar beverage bottle, his hand trembled, and he almost dropped the water on the ground.
Last night, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to stuff goji berry and chrysanthemum tea into his desk because of the holiday, and she fell asleep with goji berry and chrysanthemum tea on her mind. But the manifestation came so quickly. When she woke up this morning, Meng Yanxi gave everyone a bottle of goji berry and chrysanthemum tea.
No, no, don't do that, she felt guilty.
"What's wrong?" Meng Yanxi turned her head, her dark, peach-blossom eyes looking at her.
Jin Zhao felt so guilty that she couldn't speak. For a moment, she looked into Meng Yanxi's eyes and suspected that he had known all along that she had secretly put the water in.
She was so embarrassed she almost fainted.
Fortunately, Meng Yanxi took pity on him and came up with a reason herself: "Can't open it?"
Unfortunately, Jin Zhao was too honest. He immediately demonstrated how to twist a bottle cap and bravely declared, "I can do it."
Meng Yanxi nodded and handed her the bottle in her hand: "Let's open it together."
Jin Zhao: "?"
This turn of events caught her off guard, and she blurted out, "Can't you open it?"
Meng Yanxi: "Yes, I can't open it."
Jin Zhao glanced at the boy's lean and strong hands and the sexy blue veins on the back of his hands. He remembered how he had single-handedly fought off three thugs in a dark alley and was at a loss for words.
"You can drink this one." She gave him the bottle she had just opened.
Meng Yanxi exchanged bottles with her without any hesitation and even let her twist the cap again.
*
To be precise, Xishan is a town under Suiyi, and its name is Xishan Town. Along the road are low-rise houses, most of which have been converted into restaurants and guesthouses.
The entrance to the scenic area is located deep in Xishan Town, and Meng Yanxi had already bought her tickets in advance.
Luo Heng, who had promised to treat everyone, saw that Yan had already arranged everything perfectly. Feeling embarrassed, he scratched his head and said, "Brother Yan, I feel really bad about this. How about I transfer the money to you?"
Luo Heng grew up with Lu Jingyue and Si Tian as childhood sweethearts, so his family background was naturally quite good. Of course, he wouldn't care about such a small amount of money. However, he was a bit thick-skinned, going wherever he pleased, and if he couldn't walk anymore, he would just lie down and have someone carry him back. Naturally, he wasn't as meticulous, steady, and organized as Meng Yanxi.
Unexpectedly, these words offended Brother Yan. He glanced at him indifferently and asked, "Who are you? Why are you transferring money to me?"
Luo Heng: "?"
Luo Heng felt wronged, watching helplessly as Meng Yanxi followed Jin Zhao through the ticket check and entered the scenic area. He innocently turned to Lu Jingyue and asked, "I didn't offend him, did I?"
Lu Jingyue patted him on the shoulder, offering a word of comfort: "Here's a piece of advice: never rush to pay. Oh no, you can pay for your own share, but don't... never mind, let's not pay for either of us."
Luo Heng: "?"
Wait, what's wrong with these two brothers? Are they messing with him?
Xishan still retains some original forest communities, with fir and spruce trees, as well as red birch forests and waterfalls. The small group of six decisively chose to hike rather than take the cable car, and even more adventurously chose a less-traveled hiking route.
Meng Yanxi didn't let the driver come along, so the barbecue grill and ingredients they had prepared had to be carried up the mountain by him. The young master carried them up the mountain himself.
Meng Yanxi didn't say anything, and followed behind with the things.
The two girls happily picked wildflowers in the mountains for a while. When Jin Zhao turned around, she suddenly noticed that Meng Yanxi was carrying a lot of things by himself. She left Si Tian behind and ran back to help him carry the load.
She wasn't being polite; after all, the Crown Prince was so delicate that he couldn't even open a bottle of water and needed her help. How was he supposed to carry all of this?
Meng Yanxi suddenly became less delicate and refused to let her take it, saying, "It's not heavy."
“How could it not be heavy?” Jin Zhao insisted. “I’ll take some.”
Meng Yanxi looked down at her, saying nothing and offering nothing.
The boy's muscles were beautifully defined. The wind blew his T-shirt, and the thin summer fabric clung to his body, revealing his eight-pack abs.
Jin Zhao's face suddenly felt hot. She looked away, not daring to look him in the eye, and whispered, "Don't have any preconceived notions about me. I'm very strong."
"Really?" Meng Yanxi suddenly chuckled and said cheekily, "That's perfect, you can carry me too, I'm too lazy to walk."
Jin Zhao: "..."
How can there be such a shameless person!
Jin Zhao's face was still hot, but his eyes were glistening with anger as he glared at him, like a fierce little kitten, teased to the point of wanting to scratch him.
Meng Yanxi chuckled softly, "Alright, let's go."
Jin Zhao didn't want to see him anymore, so he turned around and walked ahead.
After a while, when she turned around again, she found that the things Meng Yanxi was carrying had been fairly distributed to Lu Jingyue, Luo Heng, and Cao Bo, while he himself was empty-handed, with his hands in his pockets, strolling leisurely.
She felt both relieved and, at the same time, thought, "Yes, this is the real him."
This is the real Meng Yanxi, with her refined and elegant demeanor.
The group joked and laughed as they climbed the mountain. By the time they reached the summit, it was past 1 p.m., and the three boys, who had been carrying heavy loads, were starving.
"Quickly! Set up my grill!" Luo Heng lay on the ground, raising one hand and gasping for breath in his death throes. "I want to eat!"
Cao Bo lay next to him, breathing even harder than him, too weak to even utter a word in retort.
Lu Jingyue was in a slightly better condition than the two of them. He put down his things, found a rock to sit on and rest, and was too lazy to move. He turned to the Crown Prince and ordered, "Why aren't you going yet?"
With her hands in her pockets, Meng Yanxi looked at the world and all living beings with a calm and detached expression, and slowly asked, "Is it that tiring? I feel fine."
These words enraged the crowd, and the three boys immediately launched into a tirade of abuse.
Lu Jingyue: "Get lost!"
Luo Heng: "How could you have such a shameless attitude!"
Cao Bo: "You're such a person, Master!"
Even Si Tian couldn't stand it anymore and joined Luo Heng in their indignation: "It's really a case of talking without understanding the pain."
He had already been scolded so badly, so Jin Zhao didn't want to make things worse and cause him to be abandoned by everyone. He silently went to take out the things.
The scent of cold mountain pine mist quickly followed, and Meng Yanxi came to her side and helped her set up the grill.
The mountaintop is divided into zones, including fire-free zones and campsites where open flames are permitted; they chose the latter.
Jin Zhao took out the skewers and put them all on the grill. The boy who had been helping her suddenly noticed something was wrong and leaned over: "I have a question."
Jin Zhao looked up: "What?"
Meng Yanxi glanced at the raw ingredients and the messy pile of seasonings: "Do you know how to grill?"
Jin Zhao: "..."
Guess what? I didn't even remember it until you told me!
Jin Zhao turned his head and looked at Si Tian for help.
Having already heard Meng Yanxi's probing questions, Si Tian hopped behind Luo Heng like a rabbit.
Luo Heng went to see Lu Jingyue, and Lu Jingyue went to see Cao Bo.
Cao Bo wanted to see Meng Yanxi, but since Meng Yanxi was the one who initiated the question, he obviously couldn't rely on her. Cao Bo could only innocently point to himself and curse, "Damn it! I don't know either!"
And so, the six of them struggled to carry the food up, only to discover that none of them knew how to grill it.
It's no surprise that they ended up with a culinary disaster.
Si Tian took a bite of the roasted lamb, then tossed it aside in disgust: "I've never seen anything like this before. I never knew barbecue could taste so bad."
Lu Jingyue picked up a bottle of barbecue seasoning, so addicted that he didn't even spare himself: "I reckon swallowing the barbecue seasoning directly would taste better than eating the skewers I grill."
Jin Zhao tried to reassure everyone, carefully selecting a skewer of meat that looked the most normal, but he didn't know what kind it was. He pondered for a moment and said, "It shouldn't be that bad."
As soon as he picked it up, Meng Yanxi snatched it away and threw it aside with disgust: "It's all burnt, don't eat it."
Fortunately, Jin Zhao had prepared snacks in advance, and in the end, the six of them huddled together and ate the snacks to stave off hunger.
The scenery on the mountain is excellent, lush and green, and from above, the river flows around the entire city of Suiyi like a silver ribbon.
A group of high school students naturally started talking about what they wanted to do in the future.
Si Tian said, "Doctor."
Luo Heng: "Lawyer."
Cao Bo chuckled and said, "Doctors and lawyers are a perfect match."
Si Tian punched the dog in the head.
Luo Heng suppressed a mischievous laugh and asked, "Cao Bo, what about you?"
"You've already called me Cao Bo, do you need to ask?"
Cao Bo's original name wasn't Cao Bo, it was Cao Ye. He got that nickname because he often said he would study all the way up to a doctorate.
Luo Heng turned to Jin Zhao and asked, Jin Zhao lowered her eyes and said, "A university professor."
Luo Heng: "Wow! So you and Cao Bo will be classmates all the way to the doctoral level? That's terrible!"
Cao Bo laughed and scolded, "Get lost! Why should being my classmate make you miserable?"
The two started fighting on the spot.
Meng Yanxi turned her head to look at Jin Zhao and asked, "Which subject?"
Jin Zhao looked into the distance thoughtfully and gently shook his head: "I haven't thought about it."
Meng Yanxi suddenly chuckled softly: "Mathematics?"
Jin Zhao: "..." What a vicious mouth.
“No, that won’t happen.” Jin Zhao denied it decisively.
Meng Yanxi: "Born from matter?"
"Thank you for helping me eliminate it." Jin Zhao stared at him blankly. "English, I guess."
If we use the process of elimination, then only English or Chinese are left.
Back then, English seemed to be more lucrative than Chinese, and Jin Zhao, driven by his love of money, decided to choose English.
Cao Bo and Luo Heng had just finished their fight when they overheard this. When they returned, Cao Bo blurted out, "Have you heard? It's said that every university English teacher has a mysterious and wealthy husband behind them."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Everyone stared at him silently, and a lone crow flew overhead.
Cao Bo rubbed his nose, laughed, and changed the subject, asking Meng Yanxi, "What about you, Master?"
Meng Yanxi glanced at Jin Zhao and said, "Make money."
The answer was so simplistic and blunt that everyone paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, laughing so hard they almost fell over. Someone even added, "If I become rich and powerful, let's not forget each other!"
Lu Jingyue tilted his head and smiled, opened a soda can with one hand, and suddenly raised his glass and said: "Never forget the lofty ambitions of youth, once promising to be the best in the world!"
The mood instantly turned up, and everyone raised their drinks to toast, shouting, "To lofty aspirations! To first-class excellence!"
The wind whips through the spruce trees atop the mountain, and soda cans clink as glasses are toasted. Sixteen- or seventeen-year-old boys, brimming with ambition, their ideals burn brighter than the summer sun.
Jin Zhao turned his head to look at Meng Yanxi beside him.
His features were sharp and cold, his fingers long and slender. When he raised his glass to drink water, his Adam's apple bobbed, its sharp lines visible, and the wind ruffled the boy's tousled hair.
Jin Zhao's heart stirred, and a sentence suddenly popped into his mind, a sentence he had seen somewhere before: "At first sight, the young man drew his bow to its fullest extent, unafraid of the years or the wind."
*
It was almost 5 p.m. when they came down the mountain. A group of teenagers, who had been carrying heavy loads and had only eaten snacks to stave off hunger, rushed into the nearest farmhouse restaurant and had a hearty meal for two hours.
Luo Heng and Cao Bo egged each other on and ordered four dozen beers.
Meng Yanxi paid for almost everything today, and Jin Zhao felt bad about it. She excused herself to go to the restroom and quietly went to pay the bill.
The receptionist told her, "Your table paid when you came in."
Jin Zhao was shocked: "You came in? You came in but haven't ordered yet."
"You, a boy, came in and deposited 1,000 yuan at the counter, saying that any overpayment would be refunded and any underpayment would be collected." While speaking, she looked down at the computer and operated it for a moment, then took out a few bills from the cash register and handed them to the counter. "This is the money you overpaid."
"Thanks."
The scent of cold mountain pine mist enveloped her, and at the same time, a slender and beautiful hand reached past her and took the money returned by the cashier.
Jin Zhao failed to place the order and looked up at him with a slightly embarrassed expression.
The boy lowered his eyes, and the warm light from the farmhouse lamps reflected a faint glow in his dark eyes.
He said cryptically, "Until you find that mysterious and rich husband, I'll take care of it."
Jin Zhao: "?"
*
Back in the private room, the group was already quite drunk. The beer wasn't enough to make them drunk; it was just the atmosphere that got them going.
Playing drinking games and drinking alcohol—if you didn't know better, you'd think it was a teacher appreciation banquet.
As soon as Meng Yanxi entered, Luo Heng went up to her with a wine glass to urge her to drink, but Meng Yanxi refused without hesitation: "I won't drink."
Meng Yanxi doesn't drink, so she just watches Luo Heng and the others act crazy while drunk.
But the boomerang came so quickly that a few drunkards suddenly wanted to play cards and truth or dare, and even dragged him and Jin Zhao into it.
Jin Zhao wasn't very good at playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game). He would sometimes follow Si Tian and sometimes Meng Yanxi, narrowly escaping defeat time and time again, which was extremely agonizing.
She was distracted, so when a spider crawled into the private room, she was the first to notice it.
Xishan Town is located at the foot of the mountain. The mountain air is damp, and the spiders there are exceptionally large, some as big as a palm. Jin Zhao was startled, but then immediately felt relieved that she had brought insecticide. She quickly reached for her bag, only to find it empty. She then remembered that after coming down the mountain, everyone had put their things in the car first.
We're doomed.
Cao Bo lost this round, and Jin Zhao took advantage of everyone's urging to punish him by picking up a barbecue plate and getting up.
She tiptoed toward the spider in the corner.
She wasn't afraid of spiders, but she'd never seen one this big before, and it still made her a little uneasy. Remembering the scar on Meng Yanxi's wrist, she was also afraid of being bitten. But since Meng Yanxi was afraid of spiders, she ultimately decided not to call the waiter, otherwise he might see her making a scene.
She knew that what you're truly afraid of is being afraid to even look at something.
She carefully crouched down, using the thin edge of the barbecue grill to touch the ground, and slowly approached the spider.
The spider moved slightly, and she was so frightened that she almost dropped the barbecue pan and ran away, but she managed to stay calm. She forced herself to get a little closer, and the spider moved again.
In less than a minute, her palms were sweating profusely.
On her third attempt, she finally managed to "scoop" the spider up with the barbecue pan and was about to take it out to throw it away when a shadow suddenly fell, covering her. She frantically looked up, but before she could even see who it was, a pair of long, slender hands had already swiftly taken the barbecue pan from her and carried the spider away.
When Meng Yanxi returned to the private room, she was still standing there, her face pale, and asked him blankly, "Aren't you afraid of spiders?"
Meng Yanxi: "Between the two of us, who looks more scared?"
The two returned to their seats, and Imaizumi belatedly realized what had happened, turning to accuse him: "You lied to me?"
She only helped him chase away the spider because she thought he was scared. If he hadn't said he was scared, she wouldn't have frightened herself like that, even though she's not afraid of spiders at all.
The boy sat under the lamp, quietly watching her.
The surrounding area was filled with the sounds of several drunkards jeering and dealing cards, creating a noisy and chaotic atmosphere. Yet, at this moment, the lights strangely became quiet and inviting.
After a long pause, he said softly, "I was really scared when I was little, but I'm not afraid anymore after I was bitten."
Jin Zhao: "?"
"Having been bitten, shouldn't you be even more scared?" Jin Zhao couldn't understand and asked quietly while playing cards.
Meng Yanxi drew a card with her right hand, and the dark red scar on the inside of her wrist swayed under the light.
He played two cards, turned to look at her, and said, "I was bitten by a poisonous spider, but a poisonous spider bite is nothing more than that."
When he said this, Jin Zhao clearly saw the coldness and indifference in his eyes, even towards himself.
What a complex person. — This thought flashed through her mind in an instant.
How can one person possess such drastically different personalities at the same time?
Arrogant and frivolous, yet passionate and tender; aloof and indifferent, yet possessing the youthful energy, roguish charm, and shameless audacity.
But she quickly ran out of time to think about it, because she had lost.
In the end, they couldn't get away with it this time.
The winner is Lu Jingyue, who asks, "Truth or Dare?"
Jin Zhao, being timid, chose without hesitation: "Truth or dare."
"Okay." Lu Jingyue glanced at Meng Yanxi, tapped his fingers on the table, and asked, "If Meng Yanxi and 1 million yuan fell into the water at the same time, who would you save first?"
Jin Zhao: "..."
What a vicious family.
Bro, are all your family members this sharp-tongued?
Jin Zhao dared not look at Meng Yanxi, much less answer.
Both the look and the answer will give you away.
A million isn't too bad; she can earn that once she becomes a university teacher. She still wants to save Meng Yanxi.
But the truth will eventually be revealed.
Jin Zhao could only change the subject, saying, "I can't swim."
But how could Lu Jingyue let her go?
"Assuming you can swim, Meng Yanxi can't, and neither can 1 million. Only you can swim."
Lu Jingyue pretended not to see Meng Yanxi's murderous glare and continued to add insult to injury: "If you're lying, you can't be a university teacher."
Jin Zhao: "..." This guy is unbelievable!
Just as Jin Zhao was wondering what to choose, an arm suddenly reached out from her side. The arm had smooth, powerful muscles and picked up the wine glass in front of her. Before she could react, the arm tilted its head back and drank it all in one gulp.
“I drank it for her.” Meng Yanxi turned the wine glass upside down and put it back on the table.
The glass made a "thud" sound when it hit the table, and the whole room erupted in a frenzy of cheers.
Screams and cheers shattered the light into fragments of shadow. Jin Zhao looked up unexpectedly and met the boy's dark and deep eyes.
*
Now Jin Zhao finally understands why Meng Yanxi refused to drink so readily at the beginning.
He has absolutely no tolerance for alcohol.
One cup, and I'm drunk.
Admittedly, Luo Heng ordered more baijiu later, and it's highly likely that some baijiu was mixed into the beer, but with just one glass, Meng Yanxi's alcohol tolerance is really too low.
She probably wouldn't even get drunk if it were her, so she might as well drink it herself. Jin Zhao thought to herself.
Meng Yanxi was drunk, so the group had to leave. As soon as they got in the car, Meng Yanxi fell asleep.
Jin Zhao took care of him with concern, fearing that he might be allergic to alcohol, since it's difficult for a normal person to get drunk after just one glass.
Lu Jingyue said, "It's nothing, I just have a low alcohol tolerance. But don't worry, I'm a decent drinker and won't do anything to embarrass you."
Jin Zhao: "?"
No, what shame do I have to lose?
When they got back to the city, it was about 8:30. Lu Jingyue had the driver drop off the others first, and then woke up Meng Yanxi when he got out of the car.
Meng Yanxi woke up, but the effects of the alcohol seemed to have worn off.
Later, when it was just the two of them, Meng Yanxi, whether trying to make conversation or just being drunk, dug out his sister's embarrassing past on his phone and showed it to her one by one.
Meng Zhuxi didn't want to go to dance class, so she argued with him and lost the argument. She sat on the ground and cried loudly.
Meng Zhuxi rolled around on the ground.
Meng Yanxi: "Isn't it beautiful? My sister can even climb pillars."
As he spoke, he swiped his finger across the screen, trying to show her a video of his sister climbing a pillar to avoid dance class.
Jin Zhao: "..."
She probably understood what Lu Jingyue meant.
A drunken Meng Yanxi certainly wouldn't embarrass her; he just made his sister lose face... Poor Meng Zhuxi.
Out of humanitarian spirit, Jin Zhao pressed down on his hand: "Meng Yanxi, you're drunk."
Meng Yanxi looked at her quietly for three seconds, then firmly denied it: "No."
"have."
The faint light from the phone illuminated the boy's sharp jawline. Meng Yanxi paused for a moment, then insisted, "No, otherwise how could I still feel pain?"
Jin Zhao immediately became anxious: "Where does it hurt? Were you bitten by a spider again?"
“No, it’s the one that bit me before.” Meng Yanxi shook her head and showed her her right wrist. “It hurts a lot here.”
Jin Zhao looked at his deep red, old scar and fell silent.
"When did you bite it?" she asked cautiously.
Meng Yanxi did the calculation with difficulty: "Twelve years old."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Brother, five years have passed.
"Meng Yanxi, you're really drunk."
Fortunately, the road in the city wasn't long, and Jin Zhao's home was finally reached.
She got out of the car, and Meng Yanxi followed her out.
Jin Zhao tried to stop him, but he was strong and stood very steadily. If you didn't look at his mental state, he really didn't seem drunk; he didn't even smell of alcohol.
Meng Yanxi: "I'll take you inside."
Jin Zhao was once again startled by his mental state.
She's a minor, and she lied about going to school, then came home with a drunk male classmate. If they were caught, the roof of her house would be ripped off.
Meng Yanxi seemed to realize what was happening and didn't insist, but suddenly asked, "When is your birthday?"
Jin Zhao thought Meng Yanxi was really drunk tonight.
"July 21st."
Meng Yanxi's mind cleared up again at this moment. She nodded and said, "School had already started by then."
Jin Zhao: "Hmm."
"To be lovers or friends?"
The sudden shout startled Jin Zhao, making her heart skip a beat.
The boy's long eyelashes also fluttered at the same time.
Both of them were a beat slow before turning their heads to look at the source of the sound.
There is a small square in front of the community. It's not too late at this time. There are elderly people walking their children, teenagers playing on skateboards, and young men and women strolling hand in hand.
Not far away, a young girl suddenly jumped behind a boy with a bunch of balloons, and at the same time, she made an unexpected confession.
The boy paused, then suddenly smiled, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "With you?"
Girl: "Uh!"
Boy: "Lover".
Having gotten the answer she wanted, the girl boldly hooked her arm around the boy's neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed him.
The surrounding passersby immediately burst into laughter and jeers.
Jin Zhao's cheeks flushed as he unexpectedly witnessed a confession.
The high school girl was not used to looking directly at such passionate love. Jin Zhao glanced at it and quickly looked away. Meng Yanxi turned to look at her.
Even Jin Zhaolian didn't dare to look anymore, and forced himself to say goodbye: "Again..."
Choose me next time.
The boy in front of her interrupted her farewell.
Jin Zhao was taken aback and looked up: "What?"
The dim streetlights illuminated the boy's deep eyes. He looked down at her quietly: "A million is so heavy, you couldn't lift it even if you went into the water, but you saved me, so I can give you more, much more."
He said "more" twice, as if something had touched his heart. Jin Zhao had a strange feeling in his heart, but he couldn't explain it.
But she soon thought of an even more perplexing question, and she asked honestly, "But if I can't even lift a million, how can I save you?"
Meng Yanxi was stunned: "You really..."
He pressed the back of his hand to his forehead and murmured, "I've made it so obvious."
Jin Zhao: "What?"
Meng Yanxi shook her head: "Forget it, let's talk about it next semester. Anyway, school starts again in nine days... Goodbye."
Jin Zhao thought he must be drunk, and nodded: "Goodbye."
At that time, Meng Yanxi thought there was plenty of time in the future, but later she realized that, in the end, mountain birds and fish are not on the same path, and it is easy to meet again but difficult to meet again.
Their reunion came nine years later.
-----------------------
Author's Note: My darlings, pay attention! This chapter is 12,000 words long, a four-in-one! I've gone all out—yesterday's, today's, tomorrow's, and the day after's chapters are all enough. But I won't keep you waiting that long. I'll take a break tomorrow, and continue updating urban stories the day after. Mwah!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
